Luthias (Immortal Highlander Clan MacRoss Book 1): A Scottish Time Travel Romance by Hazel Hunter

Author:Hazel Hunter [Hunter, Hazel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-02-07T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Struan Carack sat in his brother’s chair on the dais in the great hall and listened as the two journeymen sages bickered over who should take charge of the newly-mined dreamstone.

“’Tisnae only that my elixirs prove superior to those blended by Sage Fuachd, my lord,” Geamhradh said, stretching his stout body by lifting his heels, as if to show off his imposing height. Close to being elevated in rank, he’d polished his sapphire robe pin until it glittered. “I’ve improved the sleeping draught’s blend so ’twill work faster.”

“Aye, and kill half who but sip his poison,” the thinner, shorter Fuachd said as he tucked his hands behind his back, giving his companion a smug look. Known as the most learned journeyman among the younger sages, he wore a wide belt under which he’d tucked the many scrolls he’d been writing. “My elixir shall be odorless and tasteless, my lord, and no’ end anyone. I vow to you.”

“Nor shall yours put anyone to sleep,” Geamhradh said, and muttered, “’Twill be mine alone, you eejit.”

“I shall feed you your own swill,” Fuachd murmured back.

“Fair morning, my lord,” Reothadh said as he carried in a tray with Struan’s morning brew. As both sages jumped he ignored them. “Shall I order these fools flogged for wasting your time, or do you desire some exercise for your whip arm?”

“We but desired to use some of the dreamstone, Master,” Fuachd said, while at the same time Geamhradh said, “’Tis so much, and we’ve elixirs we wish to–”

“Get out,” Reothadh said in his most pleasant tone.

The two sages quickly bowed and hurried from the chamber.

“My apologies, my lord.” The master sage brought his brew to him, and then went to add wood to the hearth. “If those two brothers dinnae poison each other, I reckon I shall.”

“They’re blood-kin?” Struan frowned. “They look naught alike.”

“Nor do you and Lord Callum,” Reothadh said. “Fuachd favors their sire, Geamhradh their màthair.”

After the sage left Struan’s gaze strayed to the portraits of his older brother and their sire, which had been hung on either side of the largest hearth and draped with the clan’s blue, white and green tartan. Both lairds glared sternly back at him, as if silently condemning him for daring to take their place in the hall.

The sensation proved a familiar one, for Struan had always felt like a changeling next to his older brother. Callum favored their black-haired, blue-eyed màthair, who had run away from her clan to wed their sire. All the Carack knew the stories of how the old laird’s first wife had been seduced and pregnant with Callum before she even came to Dun Deigh, which was how she had forced the marriage on him. His sire had no love for anyone, but he had admired the lady’s courage for stalking into his hall and demanding he make an honest woman out of her before she summoned her father’s garrison and had the place burned to the ground. Sometimes Struan wondered if that

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.