Page 3 of Desiring the Highland Laird (Highland Destiny #1)

T he next day, they were up early despite a late night at the pub. Chloe was having the time of her life, so it was difficult for Evie to tell her she was exhausted and wanted to go back to the apartment to sleep. They finally arrived back in the wee hours of the morning.

After a few hours’ sleep, she was still dragging, despite a pot of coffee, when Bruce showed up to take them shopping.

Chloe, meanwhile, had a bounce in her step and the light of excitement in her eyes.

In fact, she hadn’t seen her sister this happy since she was a little girl when they were promised an ice cream cone after school.

Evie, meanwhile, tried hard not to be cranky even though her sister’s sunny disposition was raking on her last nerves.

As they wandered through Old Town, Evie’s mood lifted. Though she still felt like death warmed over, she managed to make the best of it and ignore the gushing between Bruce and Chloe.

They navigated the throngs of people headed to the shops and up the Royal Mile to visit Edinburgh Castle.

It was a highlight when she spotted the castle rising up at the top of the hill.

A piper stood on one side playing his pipes.

People dropped both dollars and pounds as well as coins into the case in front of him.

They passed St. Giles’ Cathedral as they made their way down High Street.

She spied a small shop between a cigar merchant and a shop specializing in cashmere and lambswool that caught her attention.

The name, Mystic Treasures, was in gold letters over the door.

Her heart started to beat at a rapid pace.

Something told her she had to go in there.

“I’m famished,” Chloe said. “Let’s grab some lunch. What do you say, Evie?”

But she was staring at the small shop with her heart in her throat. Such a strange reaction.

“Evie?” Her sister nudged her.

“Yes, of course,” she said. “You two go ahead. I’ll catch up.”

“Are ye sure, lass?” Bruce asked.

She focused on his face, trying desperately to ignore the pull of the shop across the street. She managed a smile. “I’m sure. I want to look at something and then I’ll meet you after.”

“We’re in no hurry,” Chloe said, clutching his arm. “We’ll come with you.”

Irritation clawed through her, though she couldn’t explain why. “No, you go on. I’ll only be a moment.”

Without waiting for a reply, she dashed across the street, leaving them behind. As she hurried away, her phone vibrated. A quick glance at the screen showed her a message from Chloe telling her where they would be. She stuffed the phone back into her pocket and pushed open the door.

The tiny bell tinkled, announcing her arrival. As soon as she was inside with the door closing behind her, she realized she was in a narrow antique store. She stood there a moment as her eyes took in the small shop. It was crammed full with all sorts of trinkets, furniture, and the like.

Why was she drawn to this shop? She had no explanation for it other than her feet moved her as though they had a mind of their own, pulling her closer and deeper inside.

A faint tug in the center of her chest urged her forward.

Something about the place called to her.

It made no sense. Yet, here she was, standing at the entrance with her heart pounding in strange anticipation.

The air was warm and scented with the faint, comforting blend of lavender and old wood.

The quiet hum of distant chatter and soft music wrapped around her in a gentle embrace.

The weight on her chest lightened, her aching soul finding a moment of peace within the cozy walls.

Something about this place, with its soft lighting and the familiar scent of ancient items, eased the tension she hadn’t even realized she was holding.

“Good morning,” the shopkeeper called.

The woman had hair so pale it seemed to glow, cascading in soft waves down her back and over her shoulders.

Her bright blue eyes caught the light, sparkling with a warmth that drew Evie in.

On a second look, though, it wasn’t a trick of light—her eyes shimmered as though they held a trace of starlight within them.

When she smiled, one cheek hosted a dimple.

Though she wasn’t tall, there was something about her presence that gave her a larger-than-life appearance that bespoke of an ageless power.

When she met the woman’s gaze, she sensed an ancient strength beneath her friendly exterior. Her name tag read Moira.

“Hello,” Evie said, finding her voice.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

“Just browsing,” she said.

Moira looked her over, a small smile on her lips which sent a strange sensation through Evie, as though the woman scrutinized her.

“I know your face,” she said.

Evie’s pulse quickened at the odd phrasing. “I’m sorry?”

“Clan Sinclair,” she said. “I know the look of you anywhere. I knew you’d come.”

Evie shifted from one foot to the other, a sense of unease flickering through her. “Do I know you?”

The woman chuckled. A faint grin flickered over her lips. “Not yet. Where are your sisters?”

A tingling sensation skittered over the base of her neck as she gaped. How did she know she had sisters?

“My…sisters?”

She waved away the thought. “No matter. I’ll see them in time. Time is all I have. I’ll leave you be to browse.”

Evie watched her walk away as an eeriness pressed through her. The woman disappeared toward the back, leaving her to her own devices. It was the strangest conversation she’d ever had.

Evie walked around the shop, trying her best not to disturb any of the pieces. There was an old chair in one corner with a side table that had seen better days, on top of the table, an antique lamp made out of solid brass.

Moving deeper into the shop, she sensed a power somewhere within her reach. A humming power thrumming through her, calling to her. A power she could not ignore. She glanced around, looking for it.

On the far wall was a glass case. She headed there, her senses prickling as she moved closer. Inside the case were small items. Some she recognized. Others she didn’t. Celtic symbols such as a cross, knotwork, and other things she didn’t know.

Then she saw it.

A smooth stone in an odd shape with jagged edge pieces that seemed to be part of a puzzle. As if it was broken off from a larger piece. On it was carved a strange looking arc with another arc through it, appearing to be part of a larger symbol. Perhaps the missing pieces?

She peered at it through the glass, her heart ramming hard in her chest. She was certain this was the item calling to her. But why?

“Och, I see you’ve found our most unusual collection,” Moira said, a smile in her voice.

When she spoke, Evie jumped. She was so lost in her own thoughts she hadn’t heard the woman approach. She pressed a hand against her racing heart but tried hard to maintain her composure.

“Yes,” she said at last. “What is it?”

She paused next to her, looking into the case. “Bits and pieces that were brought from all over Scotland.”

Evie glanced back into the case. She pointed to the stone that caught her attention. “What can you tell me about that one?”

Her smile widened. “That one. Aye, you’d be interested in that one.”

Another strange response. Evie gave her a sideways glance, unsure what she meant. “What’s the symbol on it?”

“It’s one point of a triquetra with a circle going through it.”

“A triquetra?” Her brows drew together in question.

She grinned. “It’s a tri-pointed symbol with overlapping and interconnecting arcs. That is one of the pointed arcs.” She looked back at the stone.

Evie stared at it long and hard, unable to deny the burst of desire she had coursing through her. It was the oddest sensation, too. As odd as the shopkeeper. She had no idea what or how or why she felt that way about a simple little stone.

The woman turned away and picked up something, then showed it to her. “It looks like this.”

She glanced down at the object in the woman’s hand, which looked like a pendant.

The triquetra indeed had three points that arched and overlapped.

A circle went through the middle of it. She glanced back at the stone.

The woman was right. The one point on the stone mimicked that of the pendant in her hand.

“Is the stone for sale?” she asked.

“Everything in my shop is for sale,” she said with a grin as she replaced the pendant. “But that stone I’ll give to you for free.”

“Oh, no, I couldn’t—”

“I insist.”

She opened the case and reached for the stone. Evie watched with rapt fascination as she plucked it off the dust-free shelf and held it out to her. The stone rested in her palm.

Evie hesitated, unable to decide if she should take it or not.

Finally, she reached for it. As soon as she took it and the cool stone rested against her palm, a flash went through her mind.

She sucked in a breath. She saw the castle and the face of the man—both from her dream.

It was a fleeting thing before it disappeared.

The stone was smooth. The edges of the carving were well-worn, as though it were old. Centuries old.

“It looks as though it’s broken.”

“A piece of another stone, aye. You have the right of it.”

“Where is the other piece?”

“Pieces,” she corrected with a grin. “Lost. Not yet ready to be found.”

Evie looked at her, confusion flickering through her. She didn’t understand her cryptic response.

“Where did it come from?”

“The Isle of Skye.”

Icy pinpricks trickled through her as a sense of familiarity shuddered over her. Her heart did a wild thump against her chest. She didn’t know why. She had never been to the Isle of Skye, but when she heard that, another image burst into her mind.

The castle from her dream. But this time, it was clearer.

Why did she keep seeing it?