Highlander's Return: The Sinclair Brothers Trilogy, Bonus Novella (Book 2.5) by Emma Prince Page A
Authors: Emma Prince
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happiness
with her.
As the deep but familiar ache settled into his
chest, he guided Laoch slightly westward. He had several long days of travel
ahead of him before he reached Roslin Castle on Sinclair lands. The journey
would only take a couple of days if he could travel in a straight line across
northeast Scotland, but Sutherland lands stood between him and his destination.
His head whipped around at the sound of a snapping
branch behind him. It was just the summer breeze, of course. Bloody hell, he
was already jumpy at the mere thought of crossing Sutherland lands.
It wasn’t wise for a man—a Sinclair, no less—to
travel alone across Sutherland holdings. But haste was of the essence. He
needed to reach Robert, his cousin and Laird of the Sinclairs, as quickly as
possible to tell him the news.
Longshanks was dead.
Edward I, King of England, Hammer of the Scots, was
dead.
Burke and Garrick had been sent by Laird Robert
Sinclair and Robert the Bruce, the self-crowned King of Scotland, to the
Borderlands to gather information on the English army’s movements. There were
ever-loudening rumors of a mounting attack on Scotland coming from the
Borderlands, and the more they could learn—covertly—the better.
The two of them had arrived at Dunbraes village
nearly a month ago, keeping a low profile by passing themselves off as two
traveling blacksmiths looking for work. The village, along with Dunbraes
Castle, was held by Lord Raef Warren, the English bastard who had brought war
and destruction to Sinclair lands in the battle at Roslin four years earlier.
Even though Warren had been away during their
week-long mission, they had overheard plenty about the increasing activity of
the English army in Dunbraes. But they never expected to hear the town crier
announcing not only Lord Warren’s return to Dunbraes, but also the news of
Longshanks’ death.
They had been forced to fight their way out of
Dunbraes and travel hard through the Scottish wilderness—with a new travel
companion as well. Jossalyn Williams, the shy but strong-willed English healer
lass at whom Garrick couldn’t stop staring, was actually Jossalyn Warren, Raef
Warren’s sister. Blessedly, she had been able to treat a wound in Burke’s leg
that might have otherwise killed him.
He unconsciously rubbed the now-closed wound on his
right thigh at the memory as he rode northward. The skin was still pink and
new, and he’d have a hell of a scar, but at least he was alive—thanks to
Jossalyn. Despite the fact that she was the sister of their enemy, Burke
couldn’t hold Garrick’s love of the lass against him—she was strong, smart, and
beautiful. Of course, she didn’t stir him the way that—
Nay, he wouldn’t think of it—of her —again. He
had a mission to complete. He had to stay focused.
Garrick and Jossalyn were headed toward Robert the
Bruce’s secret rebel headquarters outside Inverness. Once there, the two of
them could focus on aiding the rebellion side by side. And if Garrick heeded
Burke’s warning, they would see to getting married soon, too.
Burke, on the other hand, needed to report back to
his Laird and closest confidante, Robert Sinclair. As Robert’s right-hand man, Burke
was loyal to him to the death. Burke had bristled at first at being sent on
this mission to the Borderlands with Robert’s younger brother. His place was at
Robert’s side—especially since Robert’s new wife, Alwin, was with child. Robert
was frequently, and understandably, distracted these days.
Garrick hadn’t exactly been excited to travel to the
Borderlands with Burke either, but neither one of them could defy both their
Laird and their King. Garrick was taking care of half their mission by
informing the Bruce of all they had learned. The other half of the
mission—reporting back to Laird Robert Sinclair—fell to Burke.
He had to get back to Roslin to tell Robert that
Longshanks was dead, that Warren had pursued them into Scotland, and that
with her.
As the deep but familiar ache settled into his
chest, he guided Laoch slightly westward. He had several long days of travel
ahead of him before he reached Roslin Castle on Sinclair lands. The journey
would only take a couple of days if he could travel in a straight line across
northeast Scotland, but Sutherland lands stood between him and his destination.
His head whipped around at the sound of a snapping
branch behind him. It was just the summer breeze, of course. Bloody hell, he
was already jumpy at the mere thought of crossing Sutherland lands.
It wasn’t wise for a man—a Sinclair, no less—to
travel alone across Sutherland holdings. But haste was of the essence. He
needed to reach Robert, his cousin and Laird of the Sinclairs, as quickly as
possible to tell him the news.
Longshanks was dead.
Edward I, King of England, Hammer of the Scots, was
dead.
Burke and Garrick had been sent by Laird Robert
Sinclair and Robert the Bruce, the self-crowned King of Scotland, to the
Borderlands to gather information on the English army’s movements. There were
ever-loudening rumors of a mounting attack on Scotland coming from the
Borderlands, and the more they could learn—covertly—the better.
The two of them had arrived at Dunbraes village
nearly a month ago, keeping a low profile by passing themselves off as two
traveling blacksmiths looking for work. The village, along with Dunbraes
Castle, was held by Lord Raef Warren, the English bastard who had brought war
and destruction to Sinclair lands in the battle at Roslin four years earlier.
Even though Warren had been away during their
week-long mission, they had overheard plenty about the increasing activity of
the English army in Dunbraes. But they never expected to hear the town crier
announcing not only Lord Warren’s return to Dunbraes, but also the news of
Longshanks’ death.
They had been forced to fight their way out of
Dunbraes and travel hard through the Scottish wilderness—with a new travel
companion as well. Jossalyn Williams, the shy but strong-willed English healer
lass at whom Garrick couldn’t stop staring, was actually Jossalyn Warren, Raef
Warren’s sister. Blessedly, she had been able to treat a wound in Burke’s leg
that might have otherwise killed him.
He unconsciously rubbed the now-closed wound on his
right thigh at the memory as he rode northward. The skin was still pink and
new, and he’d have a hell of a scar, but at least he was alive—thanks to
Jossalyn. Despite the fact that she was the sister of their enemy, Burke
couldn’t hold Garrick’s love of the lass against him—she was strong, smart, and
beautiful. Of course, she didn’t stir him the way that—
Nay, he wouldn’t think of it—of her —again. He
had a mission to complete. He had to stay focused.
Garrick and Jossalyn were headed toward Robert the
Bruce’s secret rebel headquarters outside Inverness. Once there, the two of
them could focus on aiding the rebellion side by side. And if Garrick heeded
Burke’s warning, they would see to getting married soon, too.
Burke, on the other hand, needed to report back to
his Laird and closest confidante, Robert Sinclair. As Robert’s right-hand man, Burke
was loyal to him to the death. Burke had bristled at first at being sent on
this mission to the Borderlands with Robert’s younger brother. His place was at
Robert’s side—especially since Robert’s new wife, Alwin, was with child. Robert
was frequently, and understandably, distracted these days.
Garrick hadn’t exactly been excited to travel to the
Borderlands with Burke either, but neither one of them could defy both their
Laird and their King. Garrick was taking care of half their mission by
informing the Bruce of all they had learned. The other half of the
mission—reporting back to Laird Robert Sinclair—fell to Burke.
He had to get back to Roslin to tell Robert that
Longshanks was dead, that Warren had pursued them into Scotland, and that
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