Devil's Highlander by Veronica Wolff, now you can read online.
Prologue
Aberdeen, Spring 1647
“Not the fire again,” Aidan whined.
“Aye, the fire.” Cormac stared defiantly at his twin, linking arms with the girl by his side. Their mothers were out, wanting to experience as much as possible during their weekend visit to the city. It had left the three of them with the run of the house, and they were taking full advantage. “Marjorie wants to.”
“But we always play the Ogilvy fire.”
“I'll have your head,” Cormac shouted, ignoring his brother. He waved his wooden sword with a dramatic flourish.
“I will claim my revenge!”
Aidan narrowed his eyes fiercely. “Why do I have to be Campbell again?” Marjorie stepped forward to peer at his face. “Because your nose is bigger than Cormac's.”
“But we're twins!”
Cormac quickly shrugged. “It's not my fault we don't look alike.”
“I always play the cursed Campbell.” Aidan wiped his nose on his sleeve, a boyish gesture that robbed the menace from his words.
“Revenge shall be mine, I say!” Cormac spun, grabbing Marjorie's hand. A quick jerk of his head loosed his dark brown hair from where it had tangled in his lashes. “Fear not, Lady Ogilvy, I shall save you from the blaze!” Aidan threw his wooden sword to the ground. “Why do you always get to save Marjorie?” Cormac's gaze met Marjorie's, and his chest swelled. He always got to save Marjorie because Marjorie was his.
Marjorie scooped up Aidan's sword, thrusting it back to him hilt-first. “That's just how we play it, Aidan.” A flush of color brightened her face, and Cormac stared. The twins had known her since birth, and in their ten years, only recently had he noticed the pretty blushes that sometimes reddened her cheeks. The phenomenon confused and mesmerized him both.
Shooting Cormac a glance, Marjorie paced to the window, and he wondered if maybe she'd noticed him noticing.
He paused only a moment before following at her heels. Leaning against the windowsill, he let his shoulder graze hers, making as though to study the street below. He inhaled deeply. Lately Marjorie even smelled different. Nice, and sweet, like a lady.
“You boys should climb the chimney,” she said suddenly, “like the sweeps.” They both watched as a handful of chimney boys straggled out from a cart on the street below. The oldest couldn't have been a day over eight, the others seemed closer to five or six, and their brooms and metal tools were almost as large as they were. “My castle is afire, and you'll need to climb to save me.”
“You mean up in the chimney?” Aidan scowled. “I'm not climbing your uncle's stinking chimney.” Cormac swung around, leveling his pretend sword at his twin's chest. “You'll not speak so to the lady.”
“Those boys do it,” she said, pointing out the window.
“You climb the chimney,” Aidan told her in disbelief.
“I'll do no such thing.” She set her shoulders and continued to stare intently out the window. “I shall wait here for my rescue.”
“Aidan,” Cormac warned, “Mum will be back soon. And soon we'll be gone from Aberdeen, and then it's back to home. Don't be so contrary—”
“She's afraid.” Aidan went to the window to study the ragtag boys covered in soot and tar as they disappeared into the neighboring town house. “I should've known a lass would be afraid.”
“I am not afraid.”
“Och, she's not afraid, Aidan. As I recall, she climbed higher than you last time.”
“That was a tree, not up into some stinkin' chimney.” Aidan crossed his arms defiantly. “And I could've gone higher if I'd wanted.”
“It's just that I tore my dress last time.”
“Your family has enough money to buy you twenty new dresses,” Aidan said. “Your mum is with our mum right now, buying you even more.”
“Leave it.” Cormac tried desperately to keep his eyes from said dress. The delicate lace along her neck and sleeves fascinated him. When had she started wearing such ladylike clothes? “Her family has money, but not so much that she can go about mussing her gowns.”
“All right, then.” Marjorie turned, giving them a regal sweep of her eyes. “We shall all climb the stinking chimney.”
“You don't need to, Ree,” Cormac told her quietly, using his private nickname for her. “We'll play something else. Come on, Aidan,” he said more loudly, “let's play at something else.”