Story Overview
The last thing Chloe expects when she travels to New Hampshire is to end up with a mysterious Claddagh ring and a fated romance. If that isn’t enough, she’s thrown into a love triangle and destined to help a medieval country in peril.
Torn between the deceased lass he still loves, and the modern-day woman meant for him, Laird Aidan Hamilton sets out with Chloe to protect King David II from Edward Balliol and his disenfranchised nobles, the ‘disinherited.’ A quest that ultimately means facing off with the dark brotherhood with which they are aligned.
Thrust on a whirlwind adventure alongside Scotland’s Guardian, Donald, Earl of Mar, Aidan and Chloe wind up on a passionate journey neither foresaw. One that carries them down a path that tests Aidan’s resolve and challenges his lonely heart. Will he remain devoted to his long lost love? Or will defeating the enemy mean embracing someone new?
A Scot’s Devotion
The MacLomain Series: End of an Era
Book Two
Sky Purington
COPYRIGHT © 2020
A Scot’s Devotion
Sky Purington
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Edited by Cathy McElhaney
Cover Art by Tara West
Published in the United States of America
Contents
Story Overview
Series Overview
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
Chapter Thirty-Two
Coming Soon
Just Curious?
Exclusive Invitation
Stonehenge & Stone of Destiny
Previous Releases-Best Reading Order
Family Trees
About the Author
Series Overview
‘End of an Era’ can mean many things, but for the MacLomain Clan, it marked the beginning of the end of their way of life. Only four short years after King Robert the Bruce led Scotland to freedom in the First War of Scottish Independence, the Second War of Scottish Independence began between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England. Though Robert’s wee son, David II, was made king, Edward Balliol, with the discreet backing of Edward III of England, challenged him for the throne.
Sworn to protect the rightful king, five Scots and their lasses go to David’s aid defending him against Balliol, and his band of disenfranchised nobles called the ‘disinherited.’ Though the nobles are mere mortals, the secret brotherhood who control them, are anything but. Worse yet, fighting them will come at a cost to each noble Scot. One destined to change life as they know it. And so the story goes...
Chapter One
North Salem, New Hampshire
Present Day
“I’M COMING,” SHE CALLED out, racing into the fog. “Where are you?”
“I am here, lass,” he replied. “Can ye not see me then?”
Having lost sight of the standing stone, she slowed. Her heart raced. How many times had she dreamt about this over the years? A hundred times? A thousand? She’d long lost count.
“I hear you as if you’re standing beside me,” she called out, spinning, searching for the faceless man.
“I feel you like you’re right beside me,” she whispered, stopping. She blinked several times, trying to make sense of the odd sensation. She had never felt this before. Inhaling deeply, she swore she smelled a spicy, masculine scent. “You’re here somehow, aren’t you? I just can’t see you...”
“I am here,” someone replied, his voice changed now. Feminine. “Wake up already, Chloe. Something’s...off.”
She blinked and opened her eyes, not to fog but to Madison staring down at her.
“What’s going on?” She sat up, totally discombobulated until she remembered she was visiting Julie’s colonial in New Hampshire. Morning sunlight streamed through the window and snow caked the outer edges of the glass. “Is everything okay?”
“No.” Madison shook her head, perplexed. She stared at her ring. “I don’t think it is.”
She looked from Madison’s ring to her own, recalling the night before almost as if it were a hazy dream.
Despite the storm, Julie's handsome Scottish ‘boyfriend’ Tiernan, had shown up out of the blue and given them these gorgeous platinum Claddagh rings. Interestingly enough, they had colorless gems nestled in the center of their crowned hearts.
While he had called the rings a holiday gift, they were so much more, weren’t they?
This was all so much more.
“Oh my God,” she whispered, unable to tear her gaze from her ring.
“What is it?” Madison’s smoky blue eyes narrowed from behind her glasses. “I was right, wasn’t I? There really is something off, isn’t there? Something beyond Tiernan showing up mid-storm with no vehicle and giving us these rings.” She eyed hers with distrust. “Something that doesn’t seem so endearing in the light of day.”
She agreed. It didn’t. Not really.
“I barely remember going to bed,” she murmured, still contemplating the ring. “It all seems so...foggy.”
Much like last night's dream.
Better yet, dreams.
There had been a few. She just couldn't quite recall them.
“See if you can take yours off.” Madison tugged at hers and shook her head. “Because mine’s not budging.” A frown settled on her face. “I even tried soap and water.”
“No, it’s not going anywhere,” she replied softly, not bothering with hers because she knew it was where it belonged, however disconcerting. “I don’t think it’s meant to.”
“Meant to?” Madison’s brows flew up then pinched together. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t you sense it?” She went to the window and looked outside, wishing she could see the Stonehenge from here, but it was too far away. “These rings...this place...”
As it had when she first arrived yesterday, her gaze drifted to the old oak tree out front. Something about it drew her. Or was it the other way around? Because not for the first time, she almost swore it was drawn to her. Which made no sense. Yet its branch tapping on the window pane in the wind seemed on purpose. Like it knew she was there and wanted to get her attention.
Yeah right. Pure crazy. But heck if the feeling didn't persist.
“Like
I said when I woke you up,” Madison joined her at the window, “something feels off.” Though perplexed, she remained practical. “Maybe we drank something bad.” She put a hand to her stomach though she didn’t appear queasy. “That’s got to be it. That’s got to be—”
“No, it has nothing to do with anything we drank, and I think we both know that.” She looked at Madison, positive something unusual was going on. “I think deep down, we’ve known it since we put these rings on.”
Madison’s brows pinched together more tightly. She tapped a perfectly trimmed unpainted nail on the window sill, counting under her breath to calm herself.
“We don’t believe...” Madison struggled for the right words. “We can’t be talking about something beyond reason.” She shook her head, again eyeing her ring with distrust. “That’s not how we work, Chloe.”
No, it wasn’t. Chloe was a journalist, always seeking the truth, which was never, ever fantastical. And Madison? As an accountant, she dealt with numbers and real-life to a fault.
Yet she saw in her friend’s eyes what she felt in her soul.
They were dealing with something far beyond normal.
“Where’s Julie?” she said. “Is she awake yet?”
Even as she asked it, she knew the answer.
“She’s not here,” Madison said. “Yet—”
“Her car still is,” Chloe murmured, noting Julie’s car in the driveway. A sense of certainty washed over her. “She was supposed to be here, but something happened.”
Madison’s eyes narrowed. “What?” She pressed two fingers to her temple, back to numbers, her go-to when stressed. Except this time, her ramblings made no sense. “Because the number was right. She had accomplished one, and that’s all she needed.”
“One what?”
“One...” Obsessively compulsive, Madison absently adjusted her ring, so the heart was dead center. She shook her head. “One...something.” Her eyes narrowed in concentration. “There are six altogether, but she just needed the one.” Her frown returned. She whispered, “Or maybe that was all a dream. It had to have been...”
A chill swept over her. “You dreamt too?”
“Maybe,” Madison murmured. Confusion warred with curiosity as though she tried to solve a puzzle. “I remember standing stones...” Tap, tap, went her fingernail. “Fog...” Another tap. “One very specific stone...”
Fog? Stones? This was getting too bizarre. Yet, in some strange way, it backed up what she had wanted to do since she pulled into the driveway yesterday. No, before that. The moment she knew where Julie lived.
“I need to investigate Mystery Hill.” She rummaged around in her duffel bag for a change of clothes. “That’s where I’ll find more answers.”
“In all this snow?” Madison rubbed her arms as if chilled. “This is just a break in the storm. You should stay put.” She looked outside. “Besides, we’ve got company.”
She froze and looked at Madison, speaking before thinking, her words a weak squeak of trepidation mixed with anticipation. “Is it him? Is he here?”
“He who?” Madison looked at her oddly. “I didn’t know you were expecting someone.”
“I wasn’t,” she whispered, though she was, wasn’t she? Her thoughts wandered to her dreams. To him. The man through the fog. He who drew closer by the moment as if breaking free from her dreams. “I need to get to the Stonehenge.”
“Why?” Madison shook her head. “You said you found all the answers about America’s Stonehenge that we needed. It’s not ancient in the least but one big hoax. And I tend to agree.” She gestured out the window, then re-clipped her already tidy, jet black hair. “Besides, the girls are here, so your romp through the woods will have to wait.”
“All three?”
“I think so,” Madison began before she shook her head. “Actually, no, just Alyssa and Destiny.” She pulled out her phone. “Nobody texted to say they were almost here or in Ciara’s case, where she is.” She sighed and frowned. “But then it seems I have no signal.”
“I’d be surprised if we hear from Ciara until she’s on our doorstep.” She yanked on skinny jeans, a too-big but super-cozy blue sweater, then pulled on boots. With a few rushed tugs, she whipped her thick, unruly hair back into a haphazard ponytail that would let go with one good wind gust. “Honestly, I’ll be shocked if she shows up at all.”
“Oh, she’ll show,” Madison replied. “For Julie, if nobody else.”
“We’ll see,” she muttered.
While she had taken to the others when they met in an online Broun forum six months ago, Ciara had been a hard sell. They all had their quirks, but Ciara was difficult to get along with. At least for her and her fellow Brouns. Julie was a different story. Ciara got along with her just fine. But then Julie wasn’t a Broun. Not that it should make any difference.
Alyssa and Destiny had just made it to the front door by the time they got downstairs. Not surprisingly, considering her obsession with waking up at the crack of dawn, Madison already had a fire going, and coffee brewed.
Chloe smiled and welcomed them in. Embraces were shared all around. “So good to finally meet you in person!”
After all, they had only ever FaceTimed.
Destiny and Alyssa were beautiful, but in different ways, their personalities markedly different, though they got along the best. Alyssa was a petite brunette with delicate features and a quiet disposition, often fading into the background on purpose, where Destiny drew every eye her way. Her features were striking, exotic some might say, her unique looks suited to an international runway model.
When Destiny spoke, people listened. Not because she demanded it but because they simply wanted to. There was just something about her that made everyone gravitate her way. As if she were the center of a universe they didn’t know existed until they met her. Her straight hair was silky platinum, and her ivory skin flawless. Her wide, almond shaped eyes were dark blue flecked with pale grey, almost appearing silvery black.
“No sign of Ciara, then?” Destiny said. She drifted into the living room curiously, her focus on the mantle. More specifically, the red velvet box resting on it.
“No.” Chloe narrowed in on the box that had held her ring. That still held three more. “Have you heard from her?”
“Of course not,” Alyssa replied softly, her eyes on the box as well. “What is that, Des?”
Destiny went to pick the box up but stopped, her hand hovering over it before she pulled away.
“It’s—” Madison began, but Chloe touched her arm and shook her head, wondering what Destiny would say. Why she had stopped like that.
“It’s for you, Alyssa.” Destiny finally touched the box, handing it to Alyssa. Her perceptive but troubled gaze swept over Chloe’s and Madison’s rings before returning to Alyssa. “Go on, open it.” Her eyes turned to Chloe, different for a moment in a way she couldn’t explain. “And you’ll want to open the door.”
She started to reply but snapped her mouth shut when the strangest thing happened.
Someone knocked on the front door.
Chapter Two
“I’M COMING,” a woman called through the fog. “Where are you?”
He knew her voice. Had heard it before.
When, though?
Where?
Who was she?
“I am here, lass,” he replied, knowing she was close. Yet when he reached out to touch her, there was nothing there. “Can ye not see me then?”
He walked around the tall standing stone, convinced she must be on the other side. But she wasn’t. She never was.
“I hear you as if you’re standing beside me,” she called out before she whispered, “I feel you.”
He inhaled deeply, drawing in her sweet, womanly scent. Maeve? No, that wasn’t her. Or was it? Could it be? He missed her so.
“You’re here somehow, aren’t you?” the woman's voice echoed, fading away. “I just can’t see you...”
“I am here,” he called back
but knew it was too late.
She was gone.
He raced into the fog, eager to find her, but jolted awake instead.
“Where am I?” he whispered. Not for the first time since this all began, he had awoken not where he fell asleep in wee King David’s holding but at the Ring of Brodgar Stonehenge. He blinked once, twice, caught in a surreal otherworldly dream state before everything shifted, and he was at a Stonehenge he hadn’t seen in years.
America’s Stonehenge.
He had arrived in the twenty-first century.
Snow blew on an icy wind, and sunlight vanished behind dark, rolling clouds.
“Bloody hell,” he muttered, grateful his magic worked enough that he could chant himself into appropriate clothing. Most especially a heavy jacket. It was jarring enough being whisked through time in one's sleep, never mind from a warm bed into a cold New England winter.
If only his magic had warned him first. But alas, in its fluctuating state, he was out of luck. There was nothing worse than his wizardly powers draining like this. It was as though a piece of his soul was tearing away. As if he were only half a man. He could only pray his magic returned to normal in the end. He dreaded to imagine life if not.
Yet supposedly, there was only one way to see his magic stabilized.
Find his Broun.
So he started through the snowy forest toward the colonial, hoping Julie was already here. His great-granda Grant had assured him she would be. Tiernan was okay, and all was well. Yet he knew the moment the house came into sight, neither Julie nor Tiernan was there. A strange sensation rolled through him when he narrowed in on the upstairs window.
She was there.
The woman lost in the fog.
He knew it like he knew nothing else.
“Chloe,” he murmured. Not Maeve. Yet he swore she was there in the fog too. That she might, by the grace of God, come back to him. That she hadn't wasted away and lost her life to illness.
He stepped into the shadows when Chloe appeared at the window. Though unable to make out her features, he knew she wore the Claddagh ring meant to draw him to her. He closed his eyes and shook his head, speaking to the woman he loved rather than the stranger he was destined for.
A Scot's Devotion (The MacLomain Series: End of an Era, #2) Page 1
