Highland Steel: Highland Chronicles Series - Book 3

by Rose, Elizabeth

  “What else is that sword to ye?” asked Bridget anxiously, looking like she wanted her father to write an entire page about it in the chronicles.

  Logan decided he wanted to spend time with his new bride and not the rest of the evening talking to the king’s chronicler about a sword.

  “Ye mean this sword?” asked Logan, holding it out for all to see.

  “Aye, that’s the one,” said Bridget anxiously. “Tell me more about it. Tell us, please. I want to ken everythin’ about it.”

  “Och, lass, there is nothin’ else to say.” Logan shrugged and put the sword through his weapon belt. Then he smiled at Rhoswen and pulled her closer, kissing her passionately on the mouth.

  “What about the sword? Tell us about the sword,” Bridget urged him to continue.

  “The real story here today is my weddin’ to the bonniest, most wonderful lass in all the world,” Logan told her. “Mayhap ye’d like to put that in that book of yers. And as for the sword – let’s just say it is a lucky charm, a guid weapon, and a bit of Highland Steel!”

  From the Author

  I hoped you have enjoyed Logan and Rhoswen’s story and, if so, will take a moment to leave a review for me on Amazon, Goodreads and Bookbub.

  When I set out to write Highland Steel, I had no idea that Rhoswen would have such an impact on this book. She was good for Logan and, in return, his presence in her life was just what she needed to fill the void in her world. Love and peace rose above vengeance and even guilt in the end. But after all, isn’t love all that really matters?

  The Highland Chronicles Series comes to a close with the last book in the series, Highland Spy that is Caleb’s story. I’ve become very fond of Caleb and his pet pine marten and hope you have, too. In case you haven’t guessed by now, his love interest is Bridget Ogilvy – the chronicler’s daughter. This book will be releasing in spring of 2020, so be sure to watch for it.

  The Highland Chronicles Series:

  Highland Storm

  Highland Spirit

  Highland Steel

  Highland Spy

  Each book in the series will be available in ebook, paperback and audiobook forms.

  Other characters in this book already have their own stories that you might want to check out. I’ve listed some of them below.

  Aidan & Effie (Logan’s parents) – Aidan – Book 2, Madman MacKeefe Series

  Storm & Wren (Chieftain & wife, also Hawke’s parents) – Lady Renegade – Book 2, The Legacy of the Blade Series

  Until next time,

  Elizabeth Rose

  Excerpt from Aidan

  Aidan

  Madman MacKeefe Series - Book 2

  Only a madman would use a stone for his pillow. The Stone of Destiny to be precise.

  Aidan MacKeefe tossed restlessly in his sleep, having used the Stone of Destiny as his pillow for the last six months now, hoping to have prophetic dreams. Supposedly, the stone was used back in the days of the Bible, and Jacob had used this exact stone and had dreams of angels.

  Aidan was in the middle of a dream. Mist surrounded him in his little, stone cottage in the MacKeefe camp. He couldn’t see anything in the darkened room. Then the door opened, and in the bright light – he saw an angel. The angel walked toward him, covered with a long, white, hooded cloak, her fiery red tresses falling in ringlets down to her shoulders. Stopping in front of him, she peeked out from under the hood. While he couldn’t see her face well in the dark, he could still see her wide, green eyes that reminded him of the color of the moors on a warm summer’s day. Her gaze steadied upon him. She lit a candle in her hand, illuminating her face beneath the hood.

  Her skin was fair, like alabaster, and a smattering of fine freckles trailed down her nose and spread to her rosy cheeks. Aye, she was a bonnie lass. Although he couldn’t see her body under the robe, he was sure it matched her beauty. He wanted her badly. Then she smiled at him, and her laugh rang out across the room like the sweet song of a small meadow pipit, bringing with it a fragile innocence to its tone. She was a fine angel. A perfect Scottish angel. Aidan wanted naught more than to reach out his hands and touch her, but something weighed him down and he could not move.

  As she reached out to him, he saw a strawberry birthmark on the inside of her arm that looked like . . . a skull. He jerked away from her touch. Then she turned away from him and nodded toward the door. Aidan’s attention focused across the small room. To his horror, he saw English soldiers following her into the cottage with their weapons drawn.

  Aidan tried to cry out for help, but couldn’t speak. He tried to reach for his sword at his side, but couldn’t move. Then his eyes scanned down her body and, to his horror, he saw sticking out from the back of her robe right by her doup – a tail. A furry red tail! It reached out and brushed across his face. In his only form of defense, he leaned forward . . . and bit it.

  The sickening screech of an animal cried out, pulling him from his slumber. Aidan’s eyes popped open, bringing him out of the dream and he sat up quickly, not knowing what was happening.

  Then he saw Reid, his pet red squirrel scurrying off his chest, scolding him, running in circles around the room. The door opened, but instead of his dream angel, his friend, Ian, stood there with a dour expression upon his face.

  “What in the clootie’s name was that screech?” asked Ian. His tall, muscular form filled the entire doorway. His dark hair looked wet as if he’d just come from bathing in the loch.

  Aidan jumped up, realizing he was fully clothed, and that it was well into the morning hours. Then he remembered taking a nap, too full to move after eating his fill of skirlie, an oatmeal and onion dish topped off with a goose egg. The food for the clan had been prepared by his younger sister, Kyla, and the chieftain’s wife, Wren.

  The door pushed open from behind Ian, and there stood their good friend, Onyx. Onyx had recently married an Englishwoman, Lady Lovelle of Worcestershire, after finding out that his true family was English, not Scottish at all.

  “Aidan, ye dunderhead,” spat Onyx, spying the squirrel running around the room in a heated frenzy. Onyx’s two different-colored eyes stared back at him in question. “What did ye do to yer squirrel?”

  “I think I bit its tail,” he said, running a hand through his hair and leaning back against the stone. The Stone of Scone, or Stone of Destiny as most called it, was a large, black basalt rock with ancient hieroglyphs etched into it. It had iron-looped handles embedded into the sides to use for carrying with a pole through it. The stone was very heavy, and took at least two full-grown men to move it – if they were strong. He’d embedded the thick stone into the dirt of the cottage floor to lower it, and pulled his pallet over it, to use it as his personal pillow.

  “Were ye hungry so soon after eatin’ so much skirlie?” asked Ian, walking into the room and sitting down. Onyx followed, leaving the door wide open. The summer sun spilled into the cottage, lighting it up and bringing with it a fresh breeze from the Highland hills.

  “Nay, I had a dream.” Aidan settled himself atop the stone and donned his leather shoes that laced around his legs. Highlanders often went barefoot in the summer, unless they were traveling, like they would be today. “She was a bonnie angel with red hair, I tell ye.”

  “And so ye bit her?” asked Onyx, pulling up a chair and making himself comfortable. He raised an eyebrow in amusement, his one orange eye shining in the sun from the door, while his other black eye stayed in shadow. Most people thought Onyx was a madman because of his eyes. All three of the friends were madmen, and Aidan prided himself of the fact. If there was an outlandish or dangerous act or activity suggested, they were the first to try it just for excitement.

  Aidan

  About Elizabeth

  Elizabeth Rose is a multi-published, bestselling author, writing medieval, historical, contemporary, paranormal, and western romance. Her books are available as EBooks, paperbacks, and audiobooks as well.

  Her favorite characters in her works include dar
k, dangerous and tortured heroes, and feisty, independent heroines who know how to wield a sword. She loves writing 14th century medieval novels, and is well-known for her many series.

  Her twelve-book small town contemporary series, Tarnished Saints, was inspired by incidents in her own life.

  After being traditionally published, she started self-publishing, creating her own covers and book trailers on a dare from her two sons.

  Elizabeth loves the outdoors. In the summertime, you can find her in her secret garden with her laptop, swinging in her hammock working on her next book. Elizabeth is a born storyteller and passionate about sharing her works with her readers.

  Please be sure to visit her website at Elizabethrosenovels.com to read excerpts from any of her novels and get sneak peeks at covers of upcoming books. You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads or BookBub. Be sure to sign up for her newsletter so you don’t miss out on new releases or upcoming events.

  Click to join Elizabeth Rose’s Readers’ Group.

  Also by Elizabeth Rose

  Medieval Series:

  Legendary Bastards of the Crown Series

  Seasons of Fortitude Series

  Secrets of the Heart Series

  Legacy of the Blade Series

  Daughters of the Dagger Series

  MadMan MacKeefe Series

  Barons of the Cinque Ports Series

  Second in Command Series

  Holiday Knights Series

  Highland Chronicles Series

  Medieval/Paranormal Series:

  Elemental Magick Series

  Greek Myth Fantasy Series

  Tangled Tales Series

  Contemporary Series:

  Tarnished Saints Series

  Working Man Series

  Western Series:

  Cowboys of the Old West Series

  And More!

  Please visit http://elizabethrosenovels.com