Highland Steel (Guardians of the Stone Book 2)

Published by

COPYRIGHT © Tanya Anne Crosby

1st Edition, April 2014

ISBN-10: 0989840859

ISBN-13: 978-0-9898408-5-9

Published by Oliver-Heber Books

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used or reproduced or transmitted in any manner whatsoever, electronically, in print, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of both Oliver-Heber Books and Tanya Anne Crosby, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Highland Steel COPYRIGHT © Tanya Anne Crosby

Edited by Rima Laham Jean

“I’ve read every book, some more than once. Tanya Anne Crosby has been my Queen of historical fiction for over two decades, and she still leaves me breathless and wanting more!”
—Barb Massabrook, reader since 1992

"There are moments where your heart will pull hard… moments where you will be twisted with laughter."
—Leah Weller, reader since 1993

“Crosby’s characters keep readers engaged…”
—Publishers Weekly

“Tanya Anne Crosby sets out to show us a good time and accomplishes that with humor, a fast paced story and just the right amount of romance.”
—The Oakland Press

“Romance filled with charm, passion and intrigue …”
—Affaire de Coeur

“Ms. Crosby mixes just the right amount of humor … Fantastic, tantalizing!”
—Rendezvous

“Tanya Anne Crosby pens a tale that touches your soul and lives forever in your heart.”
—Sherrilyn Kenyon #1 NYT Bestselling Author

It’s probably not much of a secret to any of my fans that I’m an
Outlander
and
Game of Thrones
fan. With utmost respect for these iconic authors, you’ll catch subtle nods throughout my books, but I wanted my very own Jaime. Jaime Lannister is probably most responsible for that. In the beginning, I thought he was the vilest of characters, without any chance of redemption. And then he set out on his road to redemption. I feel the same about him as I do Bram Stocker’s Dracula. They are the ultimate anti-heroes, completely despicable and yet… maybe love will save them in the end?

In contrast, Jamie Fraser is the ideal hero—somehow innocent but incredibly sexy and braw. He’s a
mon
after a woman’s heart, eh? But I asked myself, “Who would be a Jaime in between these masterfully created characters?” Not so vile as a Lannister, but hardly innocent either. Probably not so virtuous as Jaime Fraser, and perhaps a little misunderstood. As with all stories and characters, it all begins with a simple “what if?” That’s how Jaime Steorling was born. And yes, if you recall that surname from my very first book, his father, Michel, appeared in
Angel of Fire
. As it turns out, my Jaime is no Lannister, nor does he ever hope to be a Jamie Fraser. But I hope you’ll embrace him just the same.

For my daughter, Alaina, always my angel.

Like Lael, may you “kick ass” and take the world by storm.

• Praise
  
• A Note From Tanya…
  
• Dictionary
  
• Prologue
  
• Chapter One
  
• Chapter Two
  
• Chapter Three
  
• Chapter Four
  
• Chapter Five
  
• Chapter Six
  
• Chapter Seven
  
• Chapter Eight
  
• Chapter Nine
  
• Chapter Ten
  
• Chapter Eleven
  
• Chapter Twelve
  
• Chapter Thirteen
  
• Chapter Fourteen
  
• Chapter Fifteen
  
• Chapter Sixteen
  
• Chapter Seventeen
  
• Chapter Eighteen
  
• Chapter Nineteen
  
• Chapter Twenty
  
• Chapter Twenty One
  
• Chapter Twenty Two
  
• Chapter Twenty Three
  
• Chapter Twenty Four
  
• Chapter Twenty Five
  
• Chapter Twenty Six
  
• Chapter Twenty Seven
  
• Chapter Twenty Eight
  
• Chapter Twenty Nine
  
• Chapter Thirty
  
• Chapter Thirty One
  
• Epilogue
  
• Redemption
  
• The MacKinnon's Bride
  
• Books By Tanya Anne Crosby
  

Provided for better reading enjoyment. For Gaelic words not included here, the meaning has been worked into the story itself. Look for both the Gaelic words and the English translation in italics.

Am Monadh Ruadh:
the Cairngorms, but literally the red hills distinguishing them from Am Monadh Liath, the grey hills

Aurochs:
large wild cattle, now extinct

Bean sìth:
banshee

Ben:
mountain

Breacan:
short for breacan-an-feileadh, or great kilt

Brollachans:
ghouls

Corries:
mountains, or hills

Crannóg:
wooden dwellings the early Picts used as homes, often built over a body of water

Dwale:
a drink made of nightshade or belladonna, often used for anesthesia

Keek stane:
a scrying stone, or crystal ball

Loch:
lake

Quintain:
a piece of training equipment used for jousting, often formed in the shape of a person

Reiver:
raider on the English-Scottish border

Scotia:
Scotland, also known as Alba

Sluag:
God of the Underworld

Targe:
a circular shield used for defense

The Mounth:
range of hills on the southern edge of Strathdee in northeast Scotland

Trews:
close-fitting tartan trousers

Uisge-beatha:
whisky, literally means water of life

Vin aigre:
vinegar or sour wine

Woad:
a dye extracted from the woad plant

Dubhtolargg, The Highlands

Summer, 1125

“Catrìona’s gone!”

Those were the rudest words Lael had ever heard upon waking.

“What d’ ye mean gone?”

“
Gone
,” her brother repeated with deadly calm.

Lael leapt from her bed, tossing away the covers, the veil of sleep vanished.

“
Taken
,” he clarified, lest she mistake him, and then he seized one of her newly sharpened blades from a brace upon the wall, slipping the shining steel into the scabbard at his belt. He took another of her knives, shoving it into his boot, preparing himself for war. That’s how she greeted the morn, with news that her beloved sister was stolen by Scotia’s poppet king.

Sassenach-loving cur.

She hurried after Aidan as he gathered supplies. “How? Why?” she demanded to know, all the while snatching up provisions for herself. She most certainly intended to go after Catrìona, along with Aidan. David’s party couldn’t have gone far. Worst case, they might be a half day’s ride ahead. Lael’s skills as a tracker would serve them well; she was the best of their clan.

Besides, there was little enough reason for her to remain, only to twiddle her thumbs. Despite that she was the second eldest of her siblings, she was not a mother to them like her Cat. Neither did she have Cailin’s jubilant spirit, nor Sorcha’s innate sweetness. Her sisters—all three—had been born with far greater virtues than she. From the day Lael took her first breath, she knew herself to be different from her brood and she’d found her purpose on the day her father died.

She was a warrior to the bone.

“I dinna ken, but I intend to find out,” her brother vowed.

“I’m going w’ ye!” Lael announced.

“
Nay.
”

“Aye, Aidan, I will! Ye canna make me stay. Cat is my sister too. I can fight as well as ye!”