Free My Highland Lover by Maeve Greyson

soil beneath her feet pulsed with an ancient energy and sent warmth running up her legs. With every breath, the warm tingling grew stronger, until Trulie’s entire body hummed.
    The energy surge strengthened. The power of the primeval force roared in Trulie’s ears. Her heartbeat slowed to a strong, dull thud filling her with anticipation. It seemed an eternity between heartbeats. As she lifted her hands into the air, the flames encircling the small, dark pond rose higher, matching their swaying rhythm to the slow, steady pounding threatening to burst from her chest.
    Trulie focused on the center of the pond’s now gently swirling waters. The dark ripples circled faster in a counterclockwise motion. The undulating waves gained momentum in their spin. The edges of the pool frothed and bubbled. A haze misted up into the swaying stalks of cattails growing along the bank. The circular pool swelled, then solidified into a glowing ebony mirror. Its smooth surface sparkled and danced with the orange-white light of the tall, roaring flames.
    With one last look at the expectant faces of her family, Trulie sang out the time command. Her throat burned as she raised her voice to shout over the deep whine of the rising wind.
“Web of time,
    Veil of space,
    Carry us to our chosen place.
    Borne of water,
    Trialed by fire,
    Our blood bespeaks our rightful power.
    For the good of all,
    With harm to none,
    So as it is spoken,
    So let it be done.”
    The burning brush around the great mirror immediately solidified. The dancing blaze froze in place. The long orange-and-white tongues of the curling flames sprouted and stretched up around the portal like an eerie circle of sculpted glass.
    Trulie crouched, nodded affirmation to Granny, then launched forward. The final command ripped from her lungs with a high-pitched shout into the roaring void. “So mote it be!”
    Trulie shivered with the surge of energy as both feet shattered the surface of the pond into thousands of sparkling shards. Her fingers trailed through the jagged pieces as they spun away in slow motion, scattering out into the star-filled darkness of the time tunnel. Anticipation spiked with a heady dose of excitement jolting through her.
Lordy, lordy.
She had missed the exhilaration of the ancient energy.
    “Whoo hoo!” Trulie shivered with giddiness as she kicked harder and dove forward. She couldn’t help it. The icy wind of time whooshing across her skin was intoxicating.
    “Trulie Elizabeth!” Kenna’s shout echoed from far away and repeated a thousand times across the endless void.
    “I love y’all! We’ll be together again before you know it,” Trulie shouted back over one shoulder. An excited giggle bubbled up from her core. Trulie loved swimming through time, and had to admit she didn’t mind handing over the responsibility of raising her younger sisters to Kenna. Her fingers tingled as she somersaulted through the air. How could she have forgotten the rush of traveling across the web?
    “We love you too.” Kenna’s shout grew fainter. “And your stubborn dog is coming with you.”
    A deep bark reverberated through the shifting cosmos, followed by an irritated hissing yowl. Apparently, Kismet was coming too.

Chapter 6
    “Tamhas?” Gray scanned the area as he slid down from Cythraul’s broad back. He stood with one hand resting on the beast’s warm, shaggy neck, leaned forward, and listened. Nothing but silence. Not even the sound of the wind stirred through the trees. Gray tensed as he looked about. Even the drizzling rain had disappeared. Such stillness was unnatural. No good could come of this.
    “Tamhas?” he repeated, louder. Where the hell was the old man? An eerie foreboding settled demon claws firmly in his gut.
    “Still no smoke or sign of life.” Colum edged his horse up beside Gray. “I ha’ never known the old one to leave his cave unattended for more than a few hours. The sly fox keeps close to his burrow. D’ye think he may be