Chapter 9

Willow

Surprisingly, I managed to fall back asleep, which was a testament to how fatigued I was. It wasn't just lack of sleep from the flight overseas, but the weeks leading up to my departure had been fraught with sleepless nights where I questioned my future. Like clockwork, I'd spring awake at three in the morning and question every life choice I'd ever made. Apparently, it had caught up with me, and even a screaming beast in the night couldn't sway me from the first solid sleep I'd had in ages.

Now to just find out what, exactly, had been screaming in the night and why Sophie prowled the castle walls with a sword in hand. No easy task, I'm sure, but since I couldn't conceivably think of a delicate way to bring up what I'd seen the night before, I figured I might as well do it in my usual manner.

Full wrecking-ball style.

I arrived for a late breakfast to find Hilda, Archie, and Sophie drinking their tea in the lounge by the fire, while the dogs sprawled on their beds. The two jumped up when I arrived, Sir Buster with a growl, and Lady Lola with a lolling grin, and I squatted to pet them.

"Good morning," Hilda smiled at me and rose, moving to a door. "Can I get you a tea or coffee then? Some eggs? Toast? Scone?"

"Coffee would be great. A scone as well, if it's not too much trouble."

"Nae bother, I'll just be a moment."

"How'd you sleep?" Sophie smiled at me, and I took a seat in a soft lounge chair with a side table next to it. This room was comforting in the way of rooms that are well used and well loved. A bit of a mix of design, with the tartan chairs pulled close by the fire, a few rugs thrown over the faded carpet, and high ceilings with stunning crown molding. A mix of paintings and photos lined the walls, creating a gallery wall effect that so many people tried to replicate in their homes, but few managed to do well. Here, I could tell it was the real thing, with each painting or piece of art hung at random points through the years to create an eclectic and charming atmosphere.

"Great until the screaming started."

"Oh dear." The coffee mug on Hilda's tray wobbled slightly as she came through the door and caught my words.

Sophie slid a look to Archie, and I followed her gaze, wondering if the older man would be straight with me. He had the look of it, a man who didn't seem to mince words, but still—you never knew what someone would be hiding.

Or protecting.

"That was the Kelpies," Archie said, holding a feather into the air and turning it this way and that, as though he had not a care in the world.

"I'm going to need more of an explanation than that," I said, nodding my thanks to Hilda as she placed the tray on the side table near my chair. "Starting with what the hell a Kelpie is."

"Mythological water horse. Except not a myth, because you heard it yourself."

I blinked at Archie and when no more was forthcoming, I turned to Sophie, a plea on my face.

"Right, so, I guess we'll just get into it then?" Sophie gave me one of those smiles that people used when they had to break bad news to you, and my shoulders tensed.

"This is going to be bad, isn't it?"

"Depends on what you're made of," Archie barked, and I looked at him in disbelief. Was he calling my character into question before I'd even had a cup of coffee?

"Och, Archie. Give the lass a chance to hear us out. It'll be your tetchy attitude sending this one running before the Kelpies ever will."

"Tetchy? Me?" Archie sniffed. "Being direct is hardly being tetchy. It's not my fault if kids these days can't handle direct communication."

"Kids these days…" Sophie snorted and shook her head, rose-gold hair tumbling over her shoulders. Today she wore jeans, hiking boots, and a cozy green cable-knit sweater. Dark circles smudged her eyes, a testament to the lost sleep she'd had the night before. "Yes, because the older generation is renowned for their ability to discuss their feelings."

"Feelings?" Archie's thick white brows shot up on his forehead. "What's there to discuss? You just crack on with it."

"There's that stiff upper lip we so love." Sophie made a fist.

"Och, who has the time to spend endless hours analyzing your inner workings when you could just be living your life?"

"Who has the time?" Sophie raised an eyebrow as Archie calmly pulled out a pair of scissors to snip at the feather for his fly. "I couldn't possibly imagine where you could find the time for therapy."

"Fishing is therapy, lass."

"Guys? The Kelpies?" I asked, my anxiety already at about a strong nine and inching toward a panicky ten.

"There's no easy way to say this, dear. We just ask that you hear us out." Hilda settled into the tartan chair next to Archie, for all the world looking like an attractive, genteel woman enjoying tea at her fancy country estate. Not like she was about to lean into a discussion about myths come to life. However, her calm tone and warm eyes soothed some of the panic that was currently threatening to send me running. "MacAlpine Castle has a rich history of being one of the esteemed places selected to protect one of the most sought-after historical artifacts in the world—the Clach na Fìrrin. Also known as The Stone of Truth. Some would refer to this as the Holy Grail, though different accounts through history will point to other artifacts that hold this title. The reason the stone is sought after is not just for its historical value, but also for the power it provides."

"Power?" A shiver rippled across my skin. I reached for the cup of coffee, holding it between my hands to warm my palms.

"Aye, lass. Power. Magick. It's said that anyone who gets their hands on the Stone knows all the secrets of the world. This knowledge can be used for good, or for bad, and must be protected at all costs. The Stone has chosen to rest at Loch Mirren, and the Order of Caledonia was enacted to protect the Stone at all costs."

"The Order of Caledonia?"

"A round table of sorts," Sophie said, pulling my attention to hers. "But not your traditional round table of olden days. Honestly, it's quite progressive now that I think about it. So far all of the members have been women."

"And the Order is stronger for it," Archie said, causing me to raise an eyebrow. So talking about feelings was out, but supporting women was in? The man had layers.

"I agree on that. We're kind of just like this witchy round table of badasses, aren't we?" Sophie laughed and my shoulders tensed.

"Witches?" I said faintly.

"Depends how your power manifests," Sophie added.

"Your power?" My eyes darted around the room, but everyone was regarding me calmly.

"The Order of Caledonia came into being to protect the Stone. It is comprised of nine people, all of whom have different and unique powers. We're still trying to figure out how and why those powers play into the bigger picture, because we don't always know what the candidate's power will manifest until they accept their role and pass their challenges."

"Their challenges?" Was I just going to repeat everything they said?

"Yes, three challenges to determine your worth as a member of the Order of Caledonia. Once passed, you are part of the Order and sworn to protect the Stone from those who would steal it."

"Uh-huh. And the Kelpies?" We hadn't even gotten to the water beasts that scream in the night and I was ready to start packing my bags.

"The Kelpies are the last line of defense between the Stone and anyone who would try to steal it. When the Order of Caledonia is broken, or unfulfilled, the Stone is vulnerable. Basically, it creates fear and chaos using the Kelpies until the Order can restore the protections appropriately."

"Which is why Loren Brae is suffering," Sophie said softly.

"The Kelpies are driving everyone away." I mean, I couldn't blame people for running away when they heard a Kelpie scream. That shit was terrifying.

"Yes, and they almost killed someone a few months ago."

"They have killed in the past," Archie supplied, and a shiver danced across my skin once more.

"Great, just great. Killer water horses. Witches. Magickal powers. An angry truth Stone." I pressed my lips together. It was then that Sophie's words came back to me.

"I promise you we had our own reasons for hiring you."

So, this wasn't just about my design abilities? I wish someone would just spell this out for me, as I am so confused. "Where do I play into this?"

"Och, lass, haven't you figured it out? You're the next in line to join the Order of Caledonia." The way Archie looked at me made me think about how I'd hid in the back of science class, desperately hoping not to be called on because I didn't know the answer. My shoulders hunched.

"Good delivery, Archie. Shame her for not figuring it out in all of the five minutes she's had to try and process this information." Sophie glared at Archie. "You've lived with this knowledge your whole life. Give other people a chance to get up to speed, okay?"

"I've told you not to have him around when you talk to the new members," Hilda said, pursing her lips.

"Duly noted for the future." Sophie rolled her eyes while my thoughts scrambled to make sense of what was happening.

"Why me?"

"We don't always know. Agnes is queen of research, and she's trying to connect the dots on who the Order members are. So far, there's been some sort of blood connection between who is next in line."

"My mother?" I whispered, my hand at my heart. The memories of her were blurred in my mind, but I remembered her laugh, warm and all encompassing, and how she smelled like lemons.

"Perhaps. Or another member of that side of your family."

Gran?I hadn't had a chance to go see my grandparents yet, but I was hoping to borrow a car to go visit them soon once I found my rhythm here.

I didn't say anything for a moment, and the room descended into silence as I tried to process what they were telling me. None of them looked to be unstable, and I didn't get the sense that they were pulling a weird practical joke on me. I'd seen Clyde for myself, hadn't I? Unless Clyde was some super advanced animation they had rigged into the castle to dupe guests, but I just wasn't getting that vibe from them.

My gut told me this was real.

My head, though confused and scrambling to process this new information, confirmed the same.

This was the real deal. Kelpies, magick, and the Order of Caledonia. Which meant…

"So you never really wanted me to come here to be a designer, did you? That was just a ploy to get me to fly here so you could tell me this." My heart fell. For some reason, this hurt even more than thinking that Miles had manufactured this whole opportunity for me or that Ramsay wasn't interested in working with me. I'd been genuinely excited to design a custom line for the castle, in my mother's homeland, and now I realized how stupid I'd been to think they'd just landed on my website and had decided that I was the only designer who could help them with their plans.

Maybe Archie was right in his estimation of me. I was an idiot.

I'd been a happy little sailboat, my dreams the wind filling my sails, and now I bobbed in place, helpless to move forward. What had I been thinking? That a castle in Scotland needed a fashion designer? Of course they didn't. I'd just been blinded by the idea of actual job security for once and had ignored all the warning signs. Once again, my impulsivity had landed me in a sticky situation.

"Yes, and no," Sophie said, seeing the look on my face. "We do need a designer, as it's part of the second phase of the marketing program I'm rolling out to encourage tourism to return to Loren Brae. The job offer is very real, and we wouldn't have offered it to you if you hadn't met the qualifications. Instead, we would have found another way to bring you to Loren Brae. Do we need you for the Order of Caledonia? Yes, we do. But do we also need a talented designer who can create beautiful, mouthwatering designs for tourists to drool over? Also, yes."

"Both of these things can exist at once," Archie barked, and I raised an eyebrow at him, somewhat mollified, though I remained skeptical of, well, everything they were telling me.

"We're just asking that you hear us out," Sophie said.

Sir Buster got up from his bed and padded over to me, his little body vibrating as he pawed at my leg. I looked down at him. Suspicious.

He pawed at my leg again.

"Is he magickal too?"

"Sir Buster? God no. He certainly thinks he is." Sophie laughed.

"Can I pick him up?"

"Seems he wants to be picked up, so yes, go for it." Hilda smiled, and I scooped up Sir Buster. He nestled into my lap, a warm, vibrating, little stress ball of a dog. Still, his presence soothed me.

"You realize this sounds crazy, right?" I said, looking around the room at the group that I had formerly taken for sane adults.

"Oh, absolutely. It took a whole sit-down with books and convincing before I was on board. But it also helped that my uncle Arthur sent me here. He knew what I was getting into, and he never, ever, would have set me up for something that he didn't have faith I could handle. That part made it easier."

"So just like that? Poof! You're off fighting Kelpies and using magick?" I looked at Sophie in disbelief.

"Pretty much. It's wild, but in some respects, it's also really freaking cool."

"What's your power?"

"I'm the Knight. I have a magickal sword and can use my voice to command the Kelpies back."

"Woah." The memory of Sophie walking the battlements the night before flashed in my head.

"Lia's our resident Kitchen Witch. Shona's our Garden Witch. And you, well, we won't know what your powers are until you do the ritual. Unless you have an idea of what your powers may be. Shona's were already manifesting before she joined the Order."

You know.

A voice whispered deep in my soul and I paused, surprised by my thoughts. Could that actually be a power?

"Generally speaking, I feel like the word ‘ritual' contains more negative connotations than positive," I pointed out, leaning forward as I stroked Sir Buster with one hand and reached for the scone with the other. I wasn't hungry, not really, but the few sips of coffee I'd had now churned in my stomach, and I needed something to cut through the acid. I chewed, Sir Buster straightening and sniffing the air hopefully in my lap, and watched Sophie carefully.

"It's not a blood ritual or anything. More a ceremony of sorts. I've learned that magick is all about intent. To welcome it in, you have to tell it that you accept it. If that makes sense? You accept that you want to be a member of the Order and that you welcome the magick in."

"And then what happens? I'll just be magickal?"

"More or less." Sophie shrugged.

"It can take time with some. With others, it manifests quickly."

"And then what?"

"What do you mean?" Sophie tilted her head at me.

"For like, the rest of my life?" I waved the scone in the air. "I just live here and protect the holy grail? That's it? That's my lot in life forever on? My future is now here?"

"That's a valid question." Sophie nibbled her lower lip and turned to Hilda and Archie. "For me it was an easier choice because I inherited the castle, but what about Willow? What if she wants to leave and expand her career past Loren Brae and whatever opportunities we can give her?"

"Our hope is that all members of the Order will stay until the final ritual that should subdue the Kelpies and secure the Stone. After that, so long as some members remain in Loren Brae to keep the wards strong, you should be free to leave."

"And if that doesn't happen? I have to stay?"

"No, but you would be sacrificing the needs of many for your own desires." Archie glared at me, and I had the ridiculous desire to stick my tongue out at him. First, he insinuated that I was dumb, and now he was suggesting that I was selfish.

"And what about now? If I get up right now and walk out that door? What happens to Loren Brae then? You can't tell me that every supposed member of this Order is going to just fall in line and join this magickal cult."

"Not a cult," Sophie insisted. "I've really tried to be clear on this. The only cult I'd join is one that worships cheese."

Archie sighed.

I grinned. I couldn't help myself. It was just random enough to make me smile and ease some of my tension. Plus, I could get on board with a little cheese worship.

"Have you considered leading with cheese? You might convince people more quickly to join," I asked.

"I have cheese." Hilda jumped up and left the room, and I laughed. I couldn't help it. My emotions were ping-ponging around inside of me. I closed my eyes, schooled my breathing, and then opened them to meet Sophie's.

"Is it scary?"

"The Kelpies? Yeah, they are. But we can beat them. Together. The power is cool, though. I mean, it's like you get to rescue yourself a little, you know? I've been thinking about having T-shirts made."

Archie snorted. "What would they say?"

"I'll save myself, thanks. Or… I'm no damsel in distress. Or maybe, Not your Damsel in Distress?" Sophie tapped her lips as she thought about it.

In that moment, something clicked. The same click that I'd felt when we'd driven up to MacAlpine Castle yesterday. I wanted to stay and help Sophie design those damn T-shirts. I wanted to save Loren Brae, hell, save myself. And if that meant stepping into some honest-to-God magickal powers and battling a few Kelpies, well, why the hell not? It couldn't be harder than trying to eke out a living in New York City. I was made of tougher stuff than this.

"Not bad. I can work up a few designs for you."

Sophie jumped up and cheered, just as Hilda returned with a plate of cheese and crackers.

"I'm guessing we won't be needing the cheese after all?" Hilda asked.

"Oh no, we definitely need the cheese. Celebratory cheese for the win. Willow is staying!"

"For the foreseeable future." I slid a glance to Archie who gave me a gruff nod of approval. For some reason, that somewhat settled my anxiety.

"Now, about these T-shirts … what do you think about adding a sword design?"