lion eyes that made her want to do things she'd never wanted to do before. She scowled as she moved swiftly between the trees. The big overgrown ape was not on her agenda. "No way, no how," she grumbled.
Nearly an hour later, she sank to the ground against a large tree trunk, the weight of failure too heavy to bear any longer. She tilted her knife so that the compass caught the moonlight. With a disgusted nod, she rested it in her lap. She'd found the right clearing, but nothing happened. She laid her head back against the trunk and considered devouring her entire stash of Gummy Bears. Her wrist ached, her ribs hurt, her fingertips burned from her climb on the wall, and she was bone tired.
What now? The field had been her best shot. She thought if she found the exact spot where she'd appeared there would be some sort of portal for her to step through. Then poof, she'd be zapped back to Jenny. It was the only idea she could 97
Highlander's Challenge
by Jo Barrett
come up with. Clicking her heels three times and wishing she were home didn't sound like much of a plan. Her only other option was to recreate everything that had happened just before she found herself in the field. But having someone knock her upside the head didn't hold much appeal. She hurt in enough places as it was.
"Jenny said something about a stream," she whispered. She shook her head at the lunacy of it all. What was she thinking? She wasn't a water sprite, for crying out loud. She was a soldier, lost in time, with little idea as to how to get home.
The night sounds grew around her as she rested, reminding her of other cold nights spent among the bushes, and hating every minute of it. And dang it, she was freezing her butt off. She fumed, cursing herself for taking the assignment in the first place. Somehow she'd let that loony scientist get to her. Jenny had seeded her mind with all sorts of fairytales, surely the catalyst to this insane trip. A sardonic grin slipped over her mouth. Shame Jenny hadn't fallen into that stupid fountain with her. At least then she'd know whom her client needed protection from. Ian and his wooing. If that sixteenth century womanizer so much as grinned at Jenny, she'd have been down for the count. A twig snapped, stiffening every muscle in her body. Thoughts of Jenny were quickly relegated to the back of her mind. She listened as blood pumped faster through her veins, but all was still. Her heart pounding in her chest was the only sound she heard. Even the creatures of the forest had fallen 98
Highlander's Challenge
by Jo Barrett
silent. Something wasn't right. Focusing on her surroundings, she cataloged every shadow.
There. Alongside a fallen tree, several yards away, was something that didn't belong. It was a man, of that she was certain from the outline of his body against the faint shafts of moonlight, but was he a MacLean or a MacKenzie? She waited for him to make a move, something to give away his reason for being there.
As the night sounds slowly returned, she took careful note of each one, mentally identifying their source. All belonged in the forest except for her and the unknown man. Waiting, she nibbled a few Gummies until another man joined him. After a discussion she could barely hear nor understand, they started to move. Crouching down along the undergrowth, they headed west.
To investigate or not to investigate?
Elspeth's sweet smile popped into her head. She had to follow them. MacLean may not want her help, but she wasn't going to stand by and do nothing. A soft chuckle tickled her throat. Want her help? Hell, he didn't need her help. She remembered, all too well, the sight of him battling the ambushers. His skill with a claymore was far better than any she had ever seen. She wondered if he was as adept with a knife.
Expert swordsman or no, she couldn't risk any of the MacLean clan getting hurt if she could stop it. Her trip back to Jenny would have to wait, as if she had a choice since she was
Nearly an hour later, she sank to the ground against a large tree trunk, the weight of failure too heavy to bear any longer. She tilted her knife so that the compass caught the moonlight. With a disgusted nod, she rested it in her lap. She'd found the right clearing, but nothing happened. She laid her head back against the trunk and considered devouring her entire stash of Gummy Bears. Her wrist ached, her ribs hurt, her fingertips burned from her climb on the wall, and she was bone tired.
What now? The field had been her best shot. She thought if she found the exact spot where she'd appeared there would be some sort of portal for her to step through. Then poof, she'd be zapped back to Jenny. It was the only idea she could 97
Highlander's Challenge
by Jo Barrett
come up with. Clicking her heels three times and wishing she were home didn't sound like much of a plan. Her only other option was to recreate everything that had happened just before she found herself in the field. But having someone knock her upside the head didn't hold much appeal. She hurt in enough places as it was.
"Jenny said something about a stream," she whispered. She shook her head at the lunacy of it all. What was she thinking? She wasn't a water sprite, for crying out loud. She was a soldier, lost in time, with little idea as to how to get home.
The night sounds grew around her as she rested, reminding her of other cold nights spent among the bushes, and hating every minute of it. And dang it, she was freezing her butt off. She fumed, cursing herself for taking the assignment in the first place. Somehow she'd let that loony scientist get to her. Jenny had seeded her mind with all sorts of fairytales, surely the catalyst to this insane trip. A sardonic grin slipped over her mouth. Shame Jenny hadn't fallen into that stupid fountain with her. At least then she'd know whom her client needed protection from. Ian and his wooing. If that sixteenth century womanizer so much as grinned at Jenny, she'd have been down for the count. A twig snapped, stiffening every muscle in her body. Thoughts of Jenny were quickly relegated to the back of her mind. She listened as blood pumped faster through her veins, but all was still. Her heart pounding in her chest was the only sound she heard. Even the creatures of the forest had fallen 98
Highlander's Challenge
by Jo Barrett
silent. Something wasn't right. Focusing on her surroundings, she cataloged every shadow.
There. Alongside a fallen tree, several yards away, was something that didn't belong. It was a man, of that she was certain from the outline of his body against the faint shafts of moonlight, but was he a MacLean or a MacKenzie? She waited for him to make a move, something to give away his reason for being there.
As the night sounds slowly returned, she took careful note of each one, mentally identifying their source. All belonged in the forest except for her and the unknown man. Waiting, she nibbled a few Gummies until another man joined him. After a discussion she could barely hear nor understand, they started to move. Crouching down along the undergrowth, they headed west.
To investigate or not to investigate?
Elspeth's sweet smile popped into her head. She had to follow them. MacLean may not want her help, but she wasn't going to stand by and do nothing. A soft chuckle tickled her throat. Want her help? Hell, he didn't need her help. She remembered, all too well, the sight of him battling the ambushers. His skill with a claymore was far better than any she had ever seen. She wondered if he was as adept with a knife.
Expert swordsman or no, she couldn't risk any of the MacLean clan getting hurt if she could stop it. Her trip back to Jenny would have to wait, as if she had a choice since she was
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