Chapter One
She bolted upright in the bed struggling to escape the tangle of sheets, her skin glistening with sweat as she looked around the room a bit disoriented. Fear and longing assaulted her senses. She’d had that dream again...or was it a nightmare? Giggling nervously , she shook her head. What did it matter? Either way she always awoke suddenly to the same sensations.
I may as well get up. I never get back to sleep after one of those dreams anyway. Flipping on a light, Arianna gathered some clean clothes and headed for the shower.
The sun was just peeking above the horizon as she made her way to the kitchen for toast and coffee. Grabbi ng a cup of the steaming liquid, she sat down contemplating her plans for the day...her first full day in Scotland.
It had been her life-long dream to visit here and after saving and scraping every last penny for two years, she had finally arrived last night. It was destiny that brought her to this place . She could feel it in her bones. Why else would she find such a bargain on this crofter’s hut which included a barn for her horse? She’d gotten it for a song!
Finishing her light breakfast, Arianna headed for the barn humming to herself. A familiar nicker greeted her as she opened the barn doors to give entrance to the warming sun.
“Good morning, Shalizar. Are you ready for a run my pet?”
The elegant black Arab snorted in anticipation as he dipped his head. It had cost her more to bring her horse than it did her , but it was worth it. He was her best friend...her only friend since Sara was killed a month back in a car accident.
She shook off the melancholy as she placed the saddle on his sleek back. Sara would tell her to enjoy herself instead of mourning her death. Arianna had lived and breathed everything Scottish since she was ten. Her friend knew how much this had meant to her. They had spoken of it often. Leading the stallion from the barn, she inhaled deeply of the crisp fresh air. This is what she needed. A break from the electronic world where she was assaulted daily by corruption and talk of war.
Mounting, she headed off on a path to the north that looked as if it had not been used in years. Perfect. She had no wish to see or speak to anyone right now.
Arianna loved the solitude that her rides gave her. She drew her strength from nature . The serenity of the woodlands calmed her jumbled thoughts. I sure do need it after last nights dream! It has never been so vivd before! And those eyes! Should I fear the man behind them? She shook her head .
Time passed quickly as she mulled over the recurring dream. There was menace involved...of that she was certain. The other man in the dream made her shudder. There was danger there in his presence. It seemed to ooze out of him in the form of a black cloud . He was the one to fear, she was certain.
It was almost noon when it happened. A shift in the atmosphere...a stillness. Arianna’s head jerked up as a loud boom filled the air and the earth trembled beneath Shalizar’s hooves. He whinnied nervously as he side-stepped, wanting to flee.
“Easy boy.” She stroked his neck as she glanced at the sky. Her eyes widen ing in shock as she spied the huge mushroom cloud in the direction of Edinburgh. “Oh shit! What have these crazy people done?”
There was another loud boom, closer this time. Shalizar took the bit in his teeth and sped away from the explosion at a dead run. There was nothing she could do but hold on as they careened through the brush out into a glen. Glancing up, she saw a stone archway before them and steered her mount toward it. She could not chance having him leap over any fences in a panic. He could kill them both!
Arianna’s eyes were blurred with tears as she cussed the powers that be for their ignorance. Otherwise she would have noticed the shimmering of the grass and trees that could be seen through the portal. Just as they passed through, a deafening blast struck behind them, destroying the
She bolted upright in the bed struggling to escape the tangle of sheets, her skin glistening with sweat as she looked around the room a bit disoriented. Fear and longing assaulted her senses. She’d had that dream again...or was it a nightmare? Giggling nervously , she shook her head. What did it matter? Either way she always awoke suddenly to the same sensations.
I may as well get up. I never get back to sleep after one of those dreams anyway. Flipping on a light, Arianna gathered some clean clothes and headed for the shower.
The sun was just peeking above the horizon as she made her way to the kitchen for toast and coffee. Grabbi ng a cup of the steaming liquid, she sat down contemplating her plans for the day...her first full day in Scotland.
It had been her life-long dream to visit here and after saving and scraping every last penny for two years, she had finally arrived last night. It was destiny that brought her to this place . She could feel it in her bones. Why else would she find such a bargain on this crofter’s hut which included a barn for her horse? She’d gotten it for a song!
Finishing her light breakfast, Arianna headed for the barn humming to herself. A familiar nicker greeted her as she opened the barn doors to give entrance to the warming sun.
“Good morning, Shalizar. Are you ready for a run my pet?”
The elegant black Arab snorted in anticipation as he dipped his head. It had cost her more to bring her horse than it did her , but it was worth it. He was her best friend...her only friend since Sara was killed a month back in a car accident.
She shook off the melancholy as she placed the saddle on his sleek back. Sara would tell her to enjoy herself instead of mourning her death. Arianna had lived and breathed everything Scottish since she was ten. Her friend knew how much this had meant to her. They had spoken of it often. Leading the stallion from the barn, she inhaled deeply of the crisp fresh air. This is what she needed. A break from the electronic world where she was assaulted daily by corruption and talk of war.
Mounting, she headed off on a path to the north that looked as if it had not been used in years. Perfect. She had no wish to see or speak to anyone right now.
Arianna loved the solitude that her rides gave her. She drew her strength from nature . The serenity of the woodlands calmed her jumbled thoughts. I sure do need it after last nights dream! It has never been so vivd before! And those eyes! Should I fear the man behind them? She shook her head .
Time passed quickly as she mulled over the recurring dream. There was menace involved...of that she was certain. The other man in the dream made her shudder. There was danger there in his presence. It seemed to ooze out of him in the form of a black cloud . He was the one to fear, she was certain.
It was almost noon when it happened. A shift in the atmosphere...a stillness. Arianna’s head jerked up as a loud boom filled the air and the earth trembled beneath Shalizar’s hooves. He whinnied nervously as he side-stepped, wanting to flee.
“Easy boy.” She stroked his neck as she glanced at the sky. Her eyes widen ing in shock as she spied the huge mushroom cloud in the direction of Edinburgh. “Oh shit! What have these crazy people done?”
There was another loud boom, closer this time. Shalizar took the bit in his teeth and sped away from the explosion at a dead run. There was nothing she could do but hold on as they careened through the brush out into a glen. Glancing up, she saw a stone archway before them and steered her mount toward it. She could not chance having him leap over any fences in a panic. He could kill them both!
Arianna’s eyes were blurred with tears as she cussed the powers that be for their ignorance. Otherwise she would have noticed the shimmering of the grass and trees that could be seen through the portal. Just as they passed through, a deafening blast struck behind them, destroying the
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