Free A Time Apart: Time Travel Historical Highlander Romance by Lolita London Page A

because of her? How much suffering has she caused to our clan? She must pay the price.”
     
    “She had nothing to do with this,” James replied. “The feud with the Glennet clan was always going to spill over to war.”
     
    “NO,” Donald shouted again. “If she lives it will only be a matter of time before they return for her. She dies today to end it.”
     
    “Killing her won’t end anything,” James said. “Your paranoia just won’t let you admit you were wrong to think she was a spy or anything to do with the Glennet clan at all.”
     
    “She’s tricked you, bewitched you,” Donald accused his brother. “She’s in league with our enemies and we need to kill her.”
     
    James slowly drew his sword and held it at the side of his leg. It was an ominous sign that the day’s fighting might not be over. He took a deep breath then lifted the sword to point it directly at his brother.
     
    “Let her go,” he said. “NOW.”
     
    “You’re going to fight me?” Donald said in an incredulous voice. “Over a spying witch that isn’t fit to wear our tartan.”
     
    His attention was focused on his younger brother and his grip loosened even more on Jenny’s hair. She knew she needed to do something to help save herself and wrenched herself away from him. Her scream pierced the still air as she threw herself to the side to avoid the violent swing of Donald’s sword and she desperately tried to roll away from him. He came after her and swung his sword again, but it clashed against metal as James came to her rescue. He battered his shoulder against his older brother’s chest to knock him away and they faced up to each other with swords outstretched in front of them.
     
    Jenny sprang to her feet and backed away from them, but kept James between her and Donald. The two brothers circled around slowly as they sized each other up and she moved towards the door that led back to the lower floors. It was her way to escape and the impulse to run filled her mind, but she couldn’t do it. She shouted to James, but he ignored her call as he continued to move his feet and watch the sword of his brother.
     
    “I’m going to kill that bitch,” Donald said.
     
    “Then you need to kill me first,” James replied quietly.
     
    “Get out of my way,” Donald threatened.
     
    James simply shook his head. Jenny recoiled at the loud sound of the clash of steel as Donald lunged forward then backed off.
     
    “I’m serious,” Donald went on. “You need to get out of my way right now or I’ll take it that you are conspiring against the clan.”
     
    “Listen to yourself,” James accused him. “You think you’re the only one with the best interests of the clan at heart, but you’re going too far.”
     
    “I won’t hesitate to kill you to get to her,” Donald warned.
     
    He lunged for a second time, but James was ready and their swords clashed again before they backed off.
     
    “A similar comment was made to me not long ago,” James said. “But when Cameron Glennet tried to come through me to get to father, he found it wasn’t so easy.”
     
    “You killed Cameron?” Donald asked.
     
    “Someone needed to since you ran from the battlefield,” James taunted his brother.
     
    “I was injured,” Donald roared.
     
    “So was I,” James went on. “But I didn’t run like a coward.”
     
    Donald’s cry of anger was loud as he threw himself forward to a furious assault. His heavy blade slashed through the air time and again, but James managed to parry the blows as they rained down on him. The power of them made him back off and he was forced towards the wall that circled the turret. There was nowhere else for him to go when he banged against it, but he continued to defend himself as his brother’s onslaught became more intense.
     
    “James,” Jenny screamed as the fight seemed to go against him.
     
    She watched as Donald lifted his sword high and crashed it down. James managed to get his own