Page 58 (1/2)

"Don’t be daft Next it’ll be one of your bairns ’napped and staked and then you’ll have to retaliate Hasn’t that been the way of it for centuries?" Ian shook his head "You and my father are fools, stuck in a time when action substituted for brains"

"I don’t have to listen to this" Angus reached for me

"Touch her and I won’t hesitate to hurt you, Da" Jerry had his hands on his father’s neck

"You won’t have to I’ care of any one of you who lays a hand on the lady" Valdez had ripped a leg off a table and held the jagged piece of wood in his hand as he leaped into position next to me "Now, listen to what she has to say or die"

"Shit, Valdez, way to go" Ray shouldered past Ian to flank my other side "You heard the man Let her say her piece"

I took a shaky breath and prayed this would work "Okay, now listen I have a bottle of Ian’s daylight forus, you’d like to see the sun, wouldn’t you?"

"I don’t believe in that nonsense" Angus didn’t take his eyes off the makeshift stake in Rafe’s hands

"Believe it I told you It works Want to see the sun again?" I waved it under his nose "You could try it this very day"

"And trust a MacDonald? I’d have to be lanced at us Had no idea a Caht taste it It’s safe You could see the sun rise" I reached out and brushed his cheek, so much like his son’s, with the back of azed into Jerry’s dark eyes "It’s beautiful, Angus The break of day Can you reins to peek above the horizon?"

Angus cleared his throat "It’s been too long, lass Ye ken I’ve not seen it in centuries And even then I was apt to play all night and sleep well into the day"

"So this would be a new and wondrous experience" I grabbed his hand, jabbing it with the dolphin before tossing it iine, Angus Ian canit possible for va"

"True It’s still a work in progress" Ian nodded "Right now all I can promise is a view of the day from safely inside, where the sun’s rays can’t har this stuff ourselves and then staking you anyway?" Angus clutched the bottle and stared at Ian like he was priht up here" Ian pointed to his head "Nowhere else I die and all oes with me Do you really want to lose that opportunity, Campbell?"

"Not sure I believe it anyway But can’t deny the MacDs are a wily bunch or ould have finished this feud in our favor centuries ago" Angus looked down at the bottle again, then at Jerry "You trust what Gloriana says? Enough to take this potion with her?"

Jerry narrowed his eyes on Ian "Gloriana’s word I don’t doubt for a second But Ian’s swill? Glory, it did strange things to you Remember?"

"Jerry, please This is different I know you must be as sick of this feud as Ian is Prove to your father that this works and us still stared down at the bottle in his hand Maybe not

"The secret to seeing daylight Mag and I talked of this after Gloriana told us what happened to her I agree a business customer Is there another untainted bottle handy, lass? One this MacDonald intended to sell ye?" Angus thrust his bottle into Jerry’s hand

I turned to Ray "Give ive you another one"

"Of course" Ian suarantee you and your son will be back with your checkbooks once you’ve proof for yourself that the potion works Of course I take all major credit cards Price list is on my Web site"

"Web sites Credit cards Seeus toyed with the handle of a dagger stuck in his belt "Jeres here and now"

Two of Ian’s guards, who’d been in the shadows, suddenly moved in behind Ian They looked ready to leap into action I wondered if this was all about to go to hell in a hurry

"Soft?" Ian laughed and gestured More guards appeared on the roof "You’re outnuranted I know Highlanders"