Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

Orla

A gala.

By the time I'd finished my work, early, because apparently I needed to partake in a magickal ritual, I'd managed to work my head around the idea of going to an actual gala. Well, sort of. I needed to find Lia and ask a million questions about protocol. I didn't know about proper manners when it came to fancy table settings or if I needed to do certain dance steps. Would I have to curtsy to someone? I didn't even know if I could curtsy. It was those details that were worrisome to me, not the idea of spending time with Finlay.

It was fun to ruffle his feathers.

I couldn't help but poke at him, just to see his smooth exterior crumble. He was the type of man that exuded confidence, his charisma filling a room, and it made me feel better to see a few cracks in the carefully erected fa?ade he wore.

Barking pulled me from my thoughts, and I crouched as Lady Lola rounded the corner with Sir Buster at her side. Repeating the routine where Sir Buster pretended he didn't want my affection, I rubbed Lady Lola down until she was writhing in ecstasy before scooping up an annoyed Sir Buster and continuing to the entrance of the castle. There, I found Archie pulling a weed by the doorstep. The older man was wearing dark jeans, a gray jumper, and had a knit cap pulled over his white hair. Bushy eyebrows lifted when he saw me.

"That's a good lad then," Archie said, nodding toward Sir Buster in my arms.

"He puts on a good act, but I know he wants cuddles."

"He's all bark."

"I can understand that." There were definitely similarities between Sir Buster's diminutive size and his bluster, an act that I'd put on more than once in my life. Archie's bushy eyebrows drew low over his forehead, and he gave me an assessing look.

He wasn't a talkative man, but I suspected he didn't miss much. The quiet ones usually didn't.

"Are you ready for the ritual this afternoon?"

I shrugged, lifting my hands lightly in the air. I'd worn my newest overalls to work today, a black pair that I'd added some flair to with bright pink stitching at the leg cuffs, and my goldfish badge at my collar. How did one get ready for a ritual? The word alone made me think I was about to start spitting blood before my head rotated in a circle on my shoulders .

"I have no idea how to answer that."

Archie crossed his arms over his chest, a glimmer of a smile on his face.

"It's not so bad, lass. An ancient ritual of words and magick, but nothing all that scary. More… powerful …is the word I'd use."

"Are you a part of the Order as well?"

"I'm a caretaker." Archie gestured out to the expansive gardens that rolled away from the castle to the line of trees dotted along the base of the hills. "Not just of this land, but of those who are sent to protect it, to protect us, and to protect the Clach na Fìrinn. My job, more than anything, is to facilitate and guide, ensuring that the Order of Caledonia is strong enough to withstand threats."

"From the Kelpies?"

"From humans, lass." Archie shook his head, turning to look out where the afternoon light glimmered on the waters of Loch Mirren. "Humans will commit unimaginable horrors in the pursuit of fortune. Power. Knowledge, even."

The man was speaking my language. I'd seen enough on the streets to know the baser side of humans and didn't doubt that the greater threat to Loren Brae had nothing to do with magickal beings at all.

"I don't doubt it," I said, following his gaze out to the loch. "Yet the Kelpies seem to be the most imminent threat. Will they actually hurt someone?"

"They've killed. They'll do so again. Our goal is to complete the Order, which sends them to rest, and then the combined powers of the Order of Caledonia will protect the Stone."

"For how long? "

At that, Archie pursed his lips.

"As long as the Order of Caledonia is intact, the wards strong, the protection will hold."

"But what does that mean? For me, specifically? Does that mean I have to live in Loren Brae for my whole life?" The very thought made me feel itchy, which was silly, because hadn't I just put down roots when I bought my wee cottage? Still, commitment to anything made me a touch uncomfortable, like water dripping down your wrists under the sleeves of your jumper, and I fidgeted under Archie's assessing gaze.

"No, it doesn't. But it will require that you ensure the wards remain strong, so you'll need to travel back, ideally, yearly, to meet with the others to strengthen the protections."

"Brilliant. A yearly commitment then."

"Something like that, yes. Is that a problem? I was under the impression you're living here."

"I am now. But what if I want to move to Sri Lanka?"

"Do you want to move to Sri Lanka?" Archie tilted his head, a smile hovering on his lips.

"I don't know. I might. I hear they have elephants there."

"That they do. You could certainly visit and test it out."

"That's a lot of money to travel back and forth every year to protect a stone," I pointed out.

"Responsibility comes with restrictions." Archie pinned me with a look. "As you well know, heading up a company and all."

"Aye. It's just…" I shrugged, searching for the words to articulate what my misgivings were. "How do I know I wa nt to take this on when it means I'm essentially committing my whole life to this group? What happens if I want to leave?"

"Leave town or leave the Order? Nae bother if you want to leave town, lass. Many of our Order have lived around the world. I don't rightly know if anyone has tried to leave the Order before. I believe most have considered it a high honor to protect one of the strongest magickal items in the world."

He wasn't wrong. It was an incredible honor. Wee Orla, plucked from the streets, destined to protect the Stone of Truth. It read like a fairy tale. The only problem was that I'd stopped believing in fairy tales a long time ago. Because of Grandpa Lou. He'd been the only one to be straight with me.

I'd been waiting around for a Prince Charming, when in fact, I was the only one who could rescue myself. His words, and his tutelage, had changed the trajectory of my life, and now I stood before a fork in the path that would once more change the course of my future.

I turned, crossing my arms over my chest as I looked out over the loch. A low beat of energy hummed, coursing through me, as the blood of those who came before me rose in my veins and I imagined their power seeping into me.

What had the Green Lady said to me?

You already have magick. Joining the Order just makes you stronger.

It scared me, this joining of things, and yet, maybe I'd been connected to this all along. Destiny was fickle like that, wasn't it? A thousand choices leading to where I stood now, and yet, here I was .

Right where I was needed.

Nobody had ever really needed me before. If anything, I'd been a burden. Aside from at work, of course, but there I was fully in control. Maybe if I viewed this as an opportunity, a chance to connect more deeply, to help others, then I could accept this role.

The Green Lady appeared, walking gracefully across the garden, Clyde winking into sight at her side. She stroked his ears, Clyde tossed his head, delighted at her touch, and the two strolled closer to where Archie and I stood.

It was a stark reminder that I'd never been normal, never would be normal, so why break my pattern now? Joining the Order of Caledonia would set me apart for the rest of my life, and at the same time, it might give me the grounding that I'd been looking for all along.

"You're right." I turned back to Archie. "It is an honor. One which I'll gladly accept, even though I don't fully understand my role."

"What questions do you have?" Archie, I was beginning to realize, could be patient—at least when he chose to be.

"Sophie mentioned I had to pass three challenges. What does that mean?"

"The Stone doesn't accept just anyone joining the Order, you see, lass. There are many factors at play—your bloodline, your potential for magick, your character. Once we've determined you're a likely candidate to join, passing three challenges is a way for the Stone to test your mettle so to speak."

"To see if I'm worthy." How about that? Much like any other time in my life, I'd have to prove I was worthwhile.

"Aye. Pure of heart. Strong of character, you ken?" Archie leveled a look at me. "It's a safeguard, though how the challenges present are different for each person."

"Will I have to fight a dragon?"

Archie's eyes twinkled. "Unlikely, no. So far, the challenges have been of character, heart, mental strength. That kind of challenge. Physical strength doesn't much matter if morals are impure."

Lovely. Now I would be tested if I had good character? Surely I'd screwed up enough in my life for the Stone to fail me, or whatever, in these tests.

"I think I'd prefer to fight the dragon."

Archie laughed, clapping a hand on my shoulder.

"You'll do just fine, lass. The challenges are usually tied to how your magick manifests, and I'm told you've already started showing your strengths. I suspect you'll be of great use to many lonely souls caught on this realm."

He knew.

It threw me, how in a matter of weeks, more people knew about my ability to see ghosts than in my whole life. It was a secret I'd fiercely guarded, and the casualness with which people threw around my gift was unsettling to say the least.

"You think that is how my power will manifest? With ghosts?" I looked up at him.

"You won't be the first to have her magick start showing before the ritual. It makes sense. But I may be wrong."

The Green Lady moved into sight behind him, and she gave me a single nod, a pleased look on her face. Her dress flowed around her, and it was the happiest I'd seen her in a long while. She tossed a pebble in my direction, as she had a curious habit of doing, and the dogs startled, barking at the unexpected intrusion. Archie turned, tilting his head as he looked at the garden.

"Something's there, isn't it?"

"Aye," I whispered. He felt it, even if he couldn't see her.

"Dangerous?"

"Not to us, no."

"Want to tell me more?"

To my surprise, I found that I did, but Sophie opened the door and popped her head out.

"There you two are. Hilda's making noises about dinner being late. Shall we crack on with the ritual then?"

For some reason, her words took my nerves away. If Hilda was worried about dinner being late, then surely the ritual couldn't be all that awful. My mind made up, I smiled at Sophie.

"Aye, lass. Let's crack on."

The days were getting longer now as we edged toward summer. The late afternoon light cast a soft glow as Sophie, Archie, and Hilda fell into step alongside me as we wandered across the back garden toward the easternmost part of the land. Archie seemed to be heading things up, while Hilda carried a bundle of sage, and Sophie chattered like we were all friends going on a wee picnic together. For some reason, her casual acceptance of ancient rituals and the ease in which she prodded me for information about the gala—news travels fast in small towns—lessened some of the tension that banded my gut.

The trees were thicker on this side of the property and we strolled alongside a wee burn, the gentle lapping of water a soothing backdrop to our walk, and Sophie pointed up at three crows that flew alongside us.

"Those are my crows."

"Your crows?"

"Yup, I've been training them. Did you know they're incredibly smart? Now they bring me gifts and whatnot because I'm feeding them regularly. It's quite fun to see what they'll bring next."

"That's so cool." I'd never given much thought to a bird as a pet of sorts, but now I squinted up at them, as they circled above us, and realized it might be fun. Could I be a bird person? Maybe. It was hard to tell with these things. I'd never thought I could be a fish person, but here I was, mother to one sassy goldfish.

"That's us ready then." Archie crouched and brushed some dried grass from a small plaque in the ground. I leaned over to see a Celtic insignia on it, and two horse heads intertwined beneath. "We start at the easternmost spot, and we'll repeat this ritual at the four cardinal direction points. The goal is to announce your arrival. You must indicate your intent to join the Order—as with magick everything revolves around intention—and your willingness to step into your power. It's all spoken word, so just follow along with what I say. There is no blood magick or sacrificing virgins, I promise."

Despite my nerves, I grinned. They were doing their best to make this easy for me, and I appreciated it, though I didn't quite like the unknown that came with all of this Order of Caledonia stuff. Movement caught my eye, and I glanced over Archie's shoulder to see that my Green Lady had joined us, and she gave me a gentle smile, nodding toward the plaque.

It was a stark reminder that I'd spent my entire life living with the unknown—from where I would sleep each night to where my next meal would come from at times—and it hadn't broken me. There was no reason that I wouldn't be strong enough to deal with the gift of power.

Hilda lit her bundle of sage, the smoke drifting into the air, holding a slightly sweet scent.

"I've added dried orange to the bundle—it's high energy, joyful, and good for communicating with your angels."

Angels? I glanced to the Green Lady who smiled once more at me, giving me a small shake of her head to indicate she wasn't an angel. I didn't doubt that, even though she'd protected me on more than one occasion. I supposed guardians could arrive in many forms, angels or not.

Trust them.

The Green Lady's words whispered through my head, and I took a deep breath, releasing my inhibitions. A pebble bounced lightly near the plaque, and Archie glanced over his shoulder, but she'd already winked out of sight.

"Huh," Archie said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Must have been the crows," I said, pointing to where they circled above us. I wasn't ready to share the Green Lady with anyone. She'd been my own little secret for years, and while I suspected this group would be the ones to accept me having a friendship with a ghost, I'd bide my time on any such revelation for a while longer yet.

"I, Orla Clarke, announce my arrival as the newest member of the Order of Caledonia." Archie waited while I quickly repeated what he said, while Hilda wafted the sage around us. Sophie stood respectfully back, and I clutched my hands together at my waist, staring down at the plaque rooted to the earth in a way that I'd never been able to do.

Maybe this would be my time to finally do so.

"I accept the responsibility of protecting the Clach na Fìrinn. I vow to help restore the Order of Caledonia to its fullness, and understand the responsibility placed upon my shoulders. It is with these words I establish the Order of Caledonia as the first line of protection for the Clach na Fìrinn and alert the Kelpies to my arrival. I accept the power bestowed upon me."

I repeated the words Archie murmured, and I swear I felt a surge of energy ripple through me, as though the energy of those who came before me was reaching up and twining around my soul.

"Have you chosen a weapon?" Archie asked.

It had been part of the task given to me, even though I was told the weapon was more metaphorical than real. Even though I felt a bit silly, I'd landed on the one thing that had given me the only good fortune I'd had in my life. Tugging at the tool belt I still wore, I held up a small claw hammer, one that Grandpa Lou had given me, and Archie smiled. "Excellent choice."

"Thanks, it's meaningful to me."

"Orla has chosen her weapon and accepts her role. We'll now move to the next spot."

We repeated the ritual three more times, and as Sophie had said, it didn't end up being a huge deal.

And at the same time, it was everything.

I was now a part of something bigger, a protector of one of the holy grails, and a member of a sisterhood of magickal women.

This could be the beginning of something incredible. Me, Orla Clarke, plucked from a simple life to that of a powerful woman.

I wasn't sure who this new Orla was yet, but I hoped I liked her.