Prescribed for Love Read Free Page B

the tome .
    Alasdair was so involved in his inspection the witch’s bell owing caught him completely off- guard , “Listen Mac, you may not want to listen to me, but if you d o not do as I say, YOUR SISTER WILL DIE!”
    He was about to spit back his own heated retort, but was prevented by the chamber door being burst open . The witch’s sc reech ing had alerted two of his guards . “The witch has cursed poor Ailsa!” cried the first guard, Cailen. Throughout his long years, he had always been leery of anything supernatural; this distrust was made evident by his angry wrinkled visage .
    “ Maybe if we burn her we can lift the c urse!” added Branan, the second and much younger of the two. He was often a little too eager to follow Cailen’s lead.
    While Alasdair considered his guards’ conclusion s unlikely, he decided to use the scenario they presented to his advantag e, “ Nay, w e willna e burn her —nae yet. Lock her in one of the empty chambers, and post a guard outside her door. Maybe the solitude will inspire her to find a cure .” Alasdair thought this contrivance might encourage the witch to find a way to help his sister; h e had always found fear to be a great motivator. He was not particularly proud of this decision, but he was desperate. If the witch was able to improve Ailsa’s health, he could always make amends later.
    ***
    Well, th at didn’t go according to plan. Granted, s creaming at Alasdair had probably not been Cat’s best idea. But really, her reaction was mostly his fault. His complete lack of respect of her opinion and property was completely unwarranted . Maybe if she had wheedled and cajoled him, this dream would have gone in the right direction. I should’ve gotten to at least first base by now! With her irritation making her antsy , Catriona decided to give the room she occupied a thorough inspection . Apparently, her subconscious was very authentic. The walls were thick stone, adorned only with hand-stitched wall-hangings. The adornment s looked like they may have been bright and beautiful at one point, but were now faded and worn . The f ixtures in the room were sparse; the chamber only contained a bed and a small chair with uneven legs . Her perusal now complete, Cat decided to lie down. It was not as if she had anything better to do; plus, s he suddenly was exhausted.

 
    Catriona woke much later to complete darkness. What a strange dream… too bad nothing ever ca me of it. While she did not really feel like getting up yet because it was still dark, she was incredibly thirsty and her tongue felt like sandpaper. Intending to get a glass of water, she reached for her bedside lamp. Finding no lamp within reach, Cat got out of her bed and walked in the direction of the light switch. “Son of a!” she rasped through gritted teeth . She had walked directly into a wall . The pain in her nose made her eyes water. With her vision almost completely obscured by her tears, she tried to feel her way back to the bed, but only succeeded in stubbing her toe on a piece of furniture. “Mother fffff … ” she yelped as she then tried to hobble back to the bed. But, she stopped cold when she realized the orientation of the bed in relation to the wall was completely off ; a nd, she definitely did not remember having something so hard so close to the bed. And where was her throw rug? My g od , I’m still in the castle! Her mind began to reel as the unlikely truth set in .
    I must have been kidnapped . But then why is everyone dressed all crazy ? Is this some kind of crazy cult of historical reenactment ? Re calling she had been locked in this room as a supposed prisoner , Catriona tip-toed over to the bedroom door, intending to discover if the guards were still outside. Sure enough, she heard the rustling of someone ’s clothing. Knowing there was no way she could escape through both a locked door and an armored guard , she ventured over to the window. There is no way I am stayi ng here with