Page 11 of Wild Scottish Gold (The Enchanted Highlands #7)

CHAPTER TEN

Kaia

A pparently, I was going to have a girls’ night. Or late afternoon, really, as I walked toward the castle after lunch. Agnes had invited me to meet the others, and I hated to admit that nerves had me taking the long way around the village instead of heading directly down Main Street and past the loch. It had been a long time since I’d tried to make new friends, particularly ones of the female variety, since I worked in such a male-dominated field. Would they like me? Or would they think I was an oddball? I reminded myself that Orla was a member of the Order and she ran a construction firm, so I had at least one similar soul in the group. And Willow had been nothing but kind and welcoming to me, even if I was going to be working with her, and she’d point-blank asked to be friends. Everything would be just fine.

Still, nerves were nerves, and they were hard to entirely dismiss as I walked along the hedge-lined drive toward the castle. The hedges were immaculately trimmed, tall, obscuring the castle from view until the very last turn. It had to be demanding work keeping everything pristine, and I hadn’t even had a chance to wander through the castle’s famous walled garden yet. I was told between the castle tour and the beautiful gardens, tourists often made a point to visit Loren Brae on their way out to the Isle of Skye. Though, with the rumors of Kelpies plaguing the town, the tourism industry had been hit hard and the dearly needed visitor income was drying up. Even though I’d only called Loren Brae my home for a few weeks now, I already cared about its future. Everyone I’d met thus far had been welcoming to me, and the town itself could be a picture on a postcard.

Pausing as the castle came into view, I held up my fingers and framed it in a rectangle. Pretty as a picture, the castle stirred some deep-rooted emotion inside of me. Pride? Longing? Maybe it was just the idea of connecting to something that had lasted through centuries. Generations of families had lived and fought for what was theirs here, and now I, too, was joining them. Because, somewhere between uprooting my life and moving to Scotland and accepting a role in the Order of Caledonia, Loren Brae had also become mine.

Mine to protect.

Mine to stand for.

Mine to love.

And for some reason, that made me think of my mom’s words about my great-grandmother.

“But it was said she would charm the gates. The doors. The entrances. Late at night she’d walk the village and speak spells unto houses, and stand before the castle gates, and some said, well, they said they could see a glow coming from her hands as she did her charms.”

Had that been…passed down to me somehow?

A barrage of barking stopped me in my tracks as Sir Buster and Lady Lola, a chihuahua in a kilt and a corgi mix with a tartan collar, rounded the corner and headed straight for me. Crouching, I held out my arms awaiting their arrival, because I’d always been a dog person.

Movement blurred, and the ghost highland coo, which had nearly given me a heart attack, jumped out from the hedge and sent Sir Buster about ten inches straight into the air.

I choked on a laugh at the horrified look on Sir Buster’s little face—his eyes wide with terror—as Lady Lola skidded backward and tumbled onto her generous rump. Clyde pawed one hoof and bellowed into the sky, and the dogs recovered themselves, their barks ferocious. Clyde, seeming to realize his mistake, turned tail and ran, the dogs at his heels. I held a hand to my heart, torn between shock and humor, as I straightened from my crouch. Supposedly, I’d get used to Clyde and his antics, but at the moment I was certain I’d never get over seeing a ghost in broad daylight. Or at night. Or whenever, really. The barking trailed away as the dogs chased the coo into the garden, and I just shook my head, amazed at the sight.

“Och, it’s every day with those three.” I turned to see Archie, a tall, thin man with a shock of white hair and bushy eyebrows, squinting after the trio of animals. “Clyde pretends he doesn’t know what he’s doing, and Buster flies into a rage every time it happens. Lola just goes along for the fun of it.”

“And that’s just become the norm, now? Ghosts and all that?” I waved a hand toward the gardens.

“I don’t reckon I have much say in it either way, lass.” Archie slapped his gardening gloves in his palm. “Magick is a part of Loren Brae. Those of us tasked with protecting her have learned to expect the unexpected.”

“But how?” I was someone that liked a road map for things. I liked understanding how systems worked, and why things were the way they were. “How do you protect? How do you accept magick?”

“We protect in many ways.” Archie started walking and I fell into step next to him, intrigued. “We use spells, rituals, magickal weapons, tools. All handed down from generation to generation. There will always be a push-pull with anything magickal. A give and take. We use the knowledge given to us and do our best to be good stewards of the gifts we’ve been given, and the responsibilities we’ve accepted.”

“I tried earlier,” I admitted, pausing as we drew closer to the castle. “To use my magick, that is. I’m not sure if it worked or if I did it right.”

“Did you bring your chisel with you?” Archie slanted a glance at my bag.

“I did.” Wondering why he needed it, I pulled it out and handed it to him. Archie held the tool in the air and turned it, squinting.

“Is that new?” Archie tapped a finger around a copper band that now wreathed the handle.

“It is!” I took the chisel back from him and examined the band that shimmered around the handle. “How on earth?”

“Looks like you passed a challenge. Which means whatever you did, you used your magick correctly and the Clach na Fìrrin approved.” Archie raised his bushy eyebrows.

“I made a protection pendant for …” I paused, not sure if I was ready to talk about Thane with anyone. “A young girl in need.”

“That’ll do, lass. That’ll do.” Archie patted my shoulder once and then whistling, wandered off into the garden.

That was it? A pat on the back and no further instruction on what the hell I was doing here? Shaking my head, I wandered toward the side door where I’d been instructed to enter the castle and tapped lightly on the door.

“Oh, hi. Are you Kaia?” I whirled at a voice at my back to see a pretty blond woman carrying a hedgehog.

“I am.” Smiling, I stepped closer to peer at the sleepy hedgehog in her arms.

“I’m Shona, and this is Eugene.” Shona gestured with the hedgehog who let out a little yawn and burrowed back into the crook of her arm. “He’s been a little clingy lately so I thought I’d bring him along.”

“He’s very cute. So you’re…” I glanced around and lowered my voice. “One of us?”

“Aye.” Shona laughed at me, blue eyes twinkling. “I’m a garden witch and have my greenhouse down the way along the loch.”

“A garden witch?” Huh, what did that make me then?

“Aye. The magick helps heal the plants, grow them strong, and I can mix them into medicines and tinctures and whatnot. Pairs nicely with Lia’s talents.”

“And Lia is?”

“I’m a kitchen witch.” I jumped and looked up at another woman who had appeared around the corner of the castle. A fellow American, based on the accent, with curls springing around her head and a leather book in her hands. “And you must be Kaia?”

“I am, nice to meet you.” I shook both of their hands.

“Let’s head on in. Sophie said to meet in the library.” Lia pulled the door open and my eyes were immediately caught on the beautiful foyer with soaring ceilings and elaborate wainscotting. I loved buildings with character, and it was such a treat to see inside the castle. I followed the women down a hallway hung with portraits of what must be various ancestors that had lived in the castle, with sconces designed to look like torches lighting our way. A mix of modern and antique.

Lia pushed through a set of double doors and my heart sighed as we stepped inside a beautiful library. Floor-to-ceiling shelves lined each wall, and a fireplace on one end was bookended by two large windows with dog beds beneath. A long table dominated the other side of the room, and there we found Sophie, Willow, Orla, and Agnes. A charcuterie board had been set in the middle of the table, and wine was open and breathing next to a set of glasses.

“Ladies! Just in time.” Sophie held up the bottle of wine and we all nodded in agreement.

“Kaia, do you know everyone?” Willow drew forward, giving me a quick hug, and I nodded.

“I do.”

“Hi, Kaia.” Orla gave me a sheepish grin.

“So…” I winced. We were due to give her our designs this week, and I wasn’t sure what the protocol was with mixing work and … well, ancient magickal organizations?

“Och, I know. I couldn’t rightly tell you what I was until I knew you were one of us.” Orla tugged at the braid over her shoulder and shrugged. “But I am glad that you’re a part of us, and I promise that I’ll be fair when the time comes to look at the designs.”

“Oh, good.” I exhaled. “I was a bit worried that I’d have an unfair advantage. Not that I don’t want to win the bid, but I guess I want to do it on my own merit, not because we’re part of”—I waved a finger in a circle—“this.”

“I promise that I’ll be honest with my feedback.” Orla squeezed my arm, lightning quick, and then drew her hand back like she wasn’t used to touching others.

“Soooo,” Agnes trilled, raising her glass of wine to mine. “How was the rest of your date last night?”

“Date?” Sophie perked up from where she perused the cheese. “Who with?”

“Thane,” Agnes supplied before I could say anything. “The owner of Blackwood Forge.”

“Oh, I suspected as much,” Orla said, and my cheeks heated.

“I promise we’ll treat your project with the utmost professionalism.” Damn it. I hadn’t wanted Orla to learn about Thane and me, lest she decide that working with a romantically involved pair was off limits for her.

“I’m sure you will. Don’t worry, Kaia, I found love at work also.” Orla’s pale skin flushed when the others all made soft cooing sounds of delight.

“I told Kaia we wouldn’t judge her.” Willow lounged against the table, picking up a grape between fingers with nails painted a screaming red. “You work with Finn, I work with Ramsay, Sophie works with Lachlan, and Shona even rented her house to Owen. It’s just Lia that doesn’t work with Munroe, but she might as well since he’s building his damn business about two steps from the front door of her restaurant.”

My head spun with all this new information as I gaped at the group of women all beaming back at me.

“Thane and I … we’re not …”

“It was weird, but I was certain his lorry was still in the parking lot of the pub this morning.” Agnes neatly threw me under the bus.

“Um.” I choked, my face flaming.

“Ohhhhh, it does sound like your date went well.” Sophie laughed and waved me over. “He’s quite a muscular man if I recall?”

“Och, he’s class,” Orla agreed. “Short with words, all gruff and muscular. I can see the appeal, Kaia.”

“Oh God.” I wiped a hand over my face.

“Here. Sit. Drink. Then give us all the details.” Willow pushed me into a chair and shoved a glass of wine in my face, and I took a long sip, the cool liquid soothing my burning throat.

“It’s nothing,” I said, and the women all laughed at once. And in that moment, I wished I could have called Marisa and told her all about it. We both hadn’t done the best job at keeping up regularly, missing each other’s calls with the time difference, but I missed her dreadfully. I’d never had a large circle of female friends, and I’d always attributed that to not having much in common with them. But this? Instant, warm friendship? It was a gift, and I was grateful. But I do need to steer them away from Thane.

“I’ve said that before,” Sophie insisted. She slid the charcuterie board toward me. “But humor us. Why is it nothing? It doesn’t sound like nothing.”

“Based on the way I found them wrapped around each other in the hallway the other day, I’d say they’re more than nothing. They’re something. Something very hot and exciting.” Willow fanned her face.

“An illicit tryst in the castle hallway? Even sexier.” Sophie laughed at my chagrin.

“Oh my God. Okay, just listen. It’s complicated, all right?” I took another sip of my wine and rushed to explain. “I actually met him in Edinburgh. Except I didn’t know it was him, him. Like I didn’t know he lived in Loren Brae or that I would be signing a lease at his forge. He was supposed to just be a one-night stand.” I blanched as soon as the words were out. Now these women would think I was a slut or something. Not that there was anything wrong with having a one-night stand. I was allowed to seek my own pleasure, wasn’t I? It just wasn’t certain how this information would be received.

“They always are, darling, they always are.” Lia saluted me with her wine, and I grinned, relieved, catching the faint trace of Boston in her accent.

“I just … it was kind of like a ‘hey, I’m starting my life over and haven’t dated in a long time so I can let myself have some fun’ kind of thing. We met at the museum, had drinks, hung out, and well …”—I waved a hand in the air—“it was hot. It was great. And then I snuck away in the middle of the night, moved to Loren Brae, and thought that was the end of it.”

“Until he got back from the Holyrood project in Edinburgh,” Orla surmised, her eyes alight with understanding.

“Bingo. I’d already been working in the forge for a few weeks, drumming up business, working on meeting new clients, and in strolled Thane.”

“He didn’t know who you were? As someone who signed the lease?” Shona asked. She’d laid a napkin on the table and was currently cutting up a tomato for Eugene who had gone from sleepy to very interested in what she was doing.

“We never gave last names or exchanged contact information. In fact, we never even talked about our jobs.” I sighed. “It was just this moment in time. Where we could exist and have fun and not talk about anything serious.”

“Sounds fabulous,” Sophie said. “And then what happened? When he came here?”

“He wasn’t happy about it. And even worse, he was furious that I had gotten the Common Gin project from under him, I guess.”

“Och, that makes even more sense now.” Orla winced. “He was pretty worked up when he came to see me about the bid.”

“He tried to take the bid away from you?” Lia gaped at me. “That’s ridiculous. Orla, you can’t let that happen. Should I speak to Munroe?”

“No,” Orla and I said at the same time.

“He didn’t try to take the bid necessarily,” Orla continued. “But he was trying to show me that the scope of the work would require a team, not just a single blacksmith, and unfortunately, he’s not wrong.”

“No, he’s not,” I hastily admitted. “It’s a huge project, and the scope has broadened since we first spoke.”

“My solution was to ask that they both present their designs, we’d decide on the best ideas, and they’d then execute the work as a team. I figured it would be a win-win for them both.” Orla gave me a sympathetic look. “I hope you know it isn’t me dismissing your abilities or anything of the sort.”

“I understand. Truly, I do. It stung, a bit, that he went straight to you instead of speaking to me, but I think I’m beginning to understand him better. He’s pretty rough around the edges.”

“Which, I, for one, find to be incredibly hot.” Willow winked at me.

“Ramsay’s favorite word is ‘no,’ and his second favorite thing to do is kick people out of his shop.” Sophie laughed. “He’s as grumpy as can be.”

“He doesn’t tell me ‘no’ all that often though.” Willow preened and we all hooted with laughter.

“To be clear, Orla, we’ve agreed to move forward as colleagues only.”

“Colleagues who sleep together?” Agnes arched an eyebrow at me.

“We got it out of our system,” I rushed on, pressing my lips together. “It’s fine. We’re certainly capable of doing our job well and remaining respectful colleagues.”

“Uh-huh,” Willow said. “You two aren’t going to be able to keep your hands off each other, at least from what I saw. Girl, that chemistry is palpable.”

“It’s fine,” I repeated. “Everything’s fine. I can handle this.”

“Can I just ask …” Shona fed the delighted Eugene a bit of tomato, and he grinned as he ate it, tomato bits dripping from his mouth to the napkin below. He looked a bit like a cute, prickly serial killer. “Why won’t you date him?”

“We’ve both made the mistake of dating in our work environment before. It didn’t end well for either of us. Keep in mind that he owns the forge that has all the supplies I need to do my job. If things soured between us, it would take considerable capital to build what he already has. I’m just not in the position to do something of that nature. Yet. In time, when I have more customers, I’ll be able to build my own shop, but I’m not there yet. Which means I have to rely on keeping a good working relationship with Thane. And, well?—”

“Sex muddies the waters,” Sophie finished for me.

“Exactly.” I blew out a breath and picked up a square of cheese. Eugene caught the movement and rushed over to me, grinning his tomato-spattered grin. “Does he eat cheese?”

“No, best to give him more tomato.” Shona handed me a small piece and I fed it to Eugene, surprised by how gently he took the piece from me.

“Okay, he’s super cute.”

“He’s a sweetie,” Shona agreed, an adoring look on her face.

“Wait until you meet her gnomes,” Willow said, and I started.

“Gnomes?” Did Shona collect garden statues?

“Her familiars.” Agnes drew my attention to her. “This might be a good time to pause and explain a bit more about our magickal friends here. One of the more interesting parts of stepping into power is you often gain a familiar of sorts who helps you along the way. Not always, but many of the women here have them.”

“A familiar? Like … the black cat with the witch?”

“Except mine’s a tabby.” Willow nodded to the cracked door where Calvin, her cat, sauntered through as if on cue. “I can speak with him.”

“You weren’t lying?” I gaped at the cat who flashed me a look.

I told you she wasn’t.

“So I really can hear his thoughts,” I gasped.

Willow looked at Calvin. “Is that right, baby? Can you communicate with Kaia?”

Calvin swished his tail and jumped up on Willow’s lap, kneading his paws into her thighs.

Hi, Kaia.

“Incredible,” I murmured, amazed.

“I have a broonie,” Lia said, and my mouth dropped open.

“What in the world is that?”

“It’s a brownie, or broonie, depending on where you were raised. Kind of like a little house elf. He helps me in the kitchen.”

My eyes widened.

“I have gnomes. Gnorman and Gnora. They’re impossible and absolutely delightful.”

“I have, well, had … a ghost companion. The Green Lady. She was my guide for years.”

“And I suppose Clyde would be mine,” Sophie mused, “though I wouldn’t say he does much guiding, more goofing.” A plaintive “moo” sounded from above and I glanced up as the other women laughed, but Clyde was nowhere to be seen.

“Um, so that’s all kind of wild.” I fed Eugene another piece of tomato. “And I’d usually just kind of like scoff at all of this, I guess, except, I think I might have met mine. My familiar that is. Maybe.”

“Is that right?” Agnes leaned forward, her eyes dancing. “Do tell.”

“He’s a raven. Murdoch. He brought me a bottle of nail polish this morning and I was fairly certain I could hear him speaking. It kind of threw me, to be honest, but it did set me in motion on trying out my magick.” I looked up, but only saw interest and acceptance on everyone’s faces.

“What did he bring you?” Shona asked. She tapped the table lightly and Eugene scurried back to her. Calvin watched, interested, but made no move to pounce on the little hedgie.

“A bottle of nail polish.” At the confused looks on the other women’s faces, I continued. “But I knew what he was getting at. See, Thane has a niece named Audrey. And I went into work the other day and we all had tea and she painted our nails.”

“Thane let his niece paint his nails?” Willow interjected, and I nodded. “That’s hot.”

I had to agree with her.

“And during that time she mentioned getting bullied at school for not having a dad.”

The women all shifted in their seats, and my eyebrows winged up. It was subtle, but immediate, like a banding together against evil. Their mutual expressions of outrage signaled that I’d read their movements correctly.

“So I got this idea to make a protective pendant for her. And I did. I just … I don’t know … tried to infuse it with my power? With my thoughts? I sort of just poured my intent into it?” I shrugged, uncertain how to explain what I’d done. “It’s meant to both protect and give her courage. And well, then this happened.”

I put the small chisel on the table and pointed to the band of copper on the handle.

“You passed a challenge!” Sophie crowed and leaned over to high-five me.

“I guess?”

“Same happened to me. I got bands of gold on my hammer.” Orla tapped a finger on her lips, smiling. “This is good.”

“Right, well, I guess what I need to know is—just how are we meant to be fighting these Kelpies? Or helping the Order? I’m confused.”

“The Kelpies won’t be fully banished until the Order is restored. In the meantime, I do my best to use my voice and my power to hold them back,” Sophie explained. “The others are using their powers and their familiars to help Loren Brae. As the Stone of Truth has remained unprotected, the consequences have been far-reaching. It’s not just the tourism industry that’s hurting, it’s everything. Shona’s helping with orchards that are struggling, Lia’s bringing in guests for her restaurant, Willow’s creating a tourist draw with her fashions. Between Lia and Shona, they’re working on tinctures and tonics to help those suffering more sickness of late here. What’s happening is the Stone is testing us. It becomes a touch insidious if it believes that we can’t protect it, and it begins to crack our foundations. It’s part of why the challenges you have to pass are as much about strength as they are character. You’re proving your worth to the Stone, but you’re also helping Loren Brae.”

“That’s … that’s some high-level magickal shit, isn’t it?” I didn’t care if I sounded crude, as my thoughts were racing. The Stone of Truth would end up being the downfall of Loren Brae if we didn’t get the Order of Caledonia together. And somehow, through divine intervention—maybe?—I was a part of it. Had my great-aunt known when she’d bequeathed her little house to me? Was that why she had left it to me?

“It is.” Orla pursed her lips. “Every day we’re working to make Loren Brae safer and more prosperous. It will be an uphill battle until we complete the Order though and banish the Kelpies.”

“Right and how does one go about banishing a Kelpie?” I asked.

“A ritual. And in the meantime, we use our voices. Our weapons. Our power. We push them back, over and over, and do our best to protect others from them.”

“And the sooner I complete my challenges the sooner we find the next person?” I asked, squinting at Agnes.

“Maybe. There’s nothing that says we can’t find the next of the Order sooner than that.” Lia held up the book she’d brought with her. “I’m constantly reading through this for hints. It’s a magickal recipe book and journal of sorts, passed down through generations. Let’s see if your family is in there. What’s your last name, Kaia?”

“Bisset, but my mother’s is MacCrimmon,” I said, faintly, as Calvin jumped off Willow’s lap and padded across the table to me. He bumped his forehead against my hand, and I stroked his silky ears. Wait, we might need Gran’s mother’s maiden name. “And Gran’s mother’s maiden name, if we’re thinking this is passed down, was MacKendrick.”

“Eithne MacKendrick. Forge witch. Or Ore witch. Looks like both are one and the same, but that depends on who was writing about it.” Lia looked up and turned the book to me so I could see the list of names.

My heart twisted, and something caught in my throat. Eithne MacKendrick . I didn’t know her, but my gran might be able to fill in some of the gaps. Either way, I had a name.

A name connected to me, who had once lived here. Fought here. Made magick here. The same feeling of connectedness and longing I’d experienced whenever I looked at MacAlpine Castle filled me and a sheen of tears coated my eyes.

Calvin bumped his head against my face, and I buried my head in his fur for a moment, collecting myself.

“It’s powerful, isn’t it?” Sophie asked, leaning over to pat my shoulder. “We all feel the same, discovering we’re a part of something so much more. You’ve got roots here, Kaia. And we want you to feel welcome. We’re more than just friends, you see?”

“I do.” I looked up, gratitude filling me. I wasn’t about to spill my guts about how hard it had been growing up. I had a great family network, but I didn’t have many girlfriends. I’d always been the oddball, digging in the dirt, building things, never much interested in school gossip or joining cliques. I’d grown comfortable with being a loner, allowing myself to hyperfocus on whatever new project I was creating, and the friendships I did build were carefully and painstakingly curated. I’d grown better at socializing, as it was a necessary part of working with and selling myself to clients, but I still succumbed to awkwardness at times when I was around new people. “I’ve never really had a group of girlfriends before, but this feels like something so much more.”

“I get that.” Orla reached over and squeezed my hand, the touch brief once again. “I was an orphan, Kaia. I’ve been searching for a long time to feel connected somewhere. These women here will stand for you. It’s powerful, these friendships. Outside of the magick, even. It matters. We matter.”

“Och, you’re going to get us all going.” Shona fluttered her hands in front of her eyes and I hiccuped out a laugh.

“Right then, this cheese isn’t going to eat itself yet. So, Agnes, when are you going to bang Graham and put him out of his misery?” Sophie asked, and Agnes gasped, laughing as she shook her head.

“Never.” Agnes rolled her eyes.

“Uh-huh.” Sophie gave her a skeptical look and I watched the exchange with interest. I’d definitely caught some vibes off those two the night before.

“Moving on. Lia, anything else interesting in the book about Kaia’s ancestors?” Clearly Agnes had deflected this topic many a time. Interesting. Graham was a handsome man, but Agnes must find him lacking. How long had they been dancing around this?

Two hours later, I walked home, lightly buzzed, and feeling the calmest I’d felt in years. Orla was right. Discovering I was a part of the Order of Caledonia and finding a tight-knit group of friends—magickal ones at that—felt like a piece of the puzzle clicking into place for me. It even made me feel less worried about anything ever happening with Thane, because I trusted my new friends would help me figure out an alternative solution if I ever needed one for my business. Thoughts of Thane had me pausing at a stone wall that lined a part of Loch Mirren, and I peered out across the dark water. Clouds hugged the sky, obscuring any light from the moon or stars, but the streetlights reflected on the surface of the water, smudges of light against inky darkness.

What if there was something more between us?

Movement shifted in the water, and I gasped as a column of dark water barreled toward me, a bone-curdling shriek freezing me in place. I had no time to react, to move, to do anything really, other than put my hands up as icy water crashed over my head. It flung me forward, my head cracking against the stone wall, and I slumped to the ground, burying my face in my hands as icy water rained down over me.

“Get out!” a voice screamed at my side, and I looked up, my sight blurry between the hit to the face and the water cascading over me, to see Sophie with a sword in hand, Lachlan at her side. “I command you to get back.”

Instantly, the threat disappeared, as Sophie stabbed the Kelpie with her sword, and it shattered into a thousand drops of water that splattered to the pavement around us. I held my hands to my face, my body shaking, tears streaming. It had all been so fast, so unexpected, that I didn’t know how to react.

“Kaia.” Sophie dropped to her knees, the sword clattering at her side. “Let me see, hon. Here, just let me look.” She pulled my hands away and examined my face, worried.

“I’m fine,” I said, automatically, though I clearly felt anything but fine. I felt like a wuss, frankly, as I’d done nothing but cower on the ground while Sophie had fought the Kelpie.

“You’re bleeding. And your face will bruise.” Sophie shot a look to Lachlan, who I’d only met briefly once, and he crouched at my side.

“I don’t think stitches though.” Lachlan’s voice held the Highlands in it, and he reached out to tilt my head into the light. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

“Three,” I said dutifully.

“Follow my finger. Tell me when it moves.” Lachlan went through what I assumed was a concussion protocol before finally dropping his hand. “I think you’re fine when it comes to a concussion, but you’re definitely bruising. You’ll want to get some ice on that.”

“Should we go get Lia?” Sophie worried her lower lip. “Or Shona? Between them they can heal you right up.”

Now that I’d had a moment to collect myself, and touch my face gingerly, I realized that I’d be okay. I considered myself to be a fairly tough woman, and a few burns and bruises were all in a day’s work for me. I knew well enough the protocol to ease some of the swelling.

“I just want to go home,” I said.

“We’ll walk you.”

I started to protest, but realized I’d feel better if they did, so I said nothing as they scooped me up and each took an arm. We set off down the street, the loch now silent.

“I hate that I froze up there,” I admitted, swallowing against the embarrassment that burned. “It happened so fast. I didn’t know what to do.”

“That’s normal. Trust me, it took a while for me to figure out how to stand up to them. You had no way of knowing they’d attack.” Sophie leaned in front of me and shot Lachlan a worried look. “They just attacked one of their own, Lachlan. This is happening more often now. You’d think the Stone would want us protected.”

“Kelpies don’t discern friend or foe. Everyone’s a threat now,” Lachlan murmured.

“We need to warn people.” Sophie sighed as we passed the main street and turned down my lane. “Things are getting worse. No walking by the loch at night.”

“Aye, lass. I’ll get the word out.”

The light shone from my front window, and I fumbled with my keys, ready to be inside and out of my soaking-wet clothes. I was in pain, out of sorts, and just completely flustered.

“Let me stay. I’ll help you,” Sophie insisted, wringing her hands at the door to my cottage.

“No, truly. I’m fine.” I just wanted a moment to lick my wounds in private, if I was being honest with myself. “I’m going to take a hot shower, put an ice pack on my face, and bury myself under the covers.”

“Should I call Thane?” Sophie asked.

“Thane?” Lachlan inquired, a curious look on his face, and guilt flashed over Sophie’s face.

“Sorry,” Sophie whispered.

“No, it’s fine. I’m fine. Truly. No need to call anyone. I’ll check in with you in a bit. I just want to shower and get in dry clothes. I’m tough, I promise. Just a bit rattled is all.”

“Okay, but I expect a text message within the hour. If not, I’m coming back with my jammies and staying the night.”

“Promise. One hour.”

A Kelpie attacked me. Holy hell.

This was hard to process, I was in pain, and I really just needed them to leave. Much had happened in the last twenty-four hours, and I wasn’t sure my emotions could handle anyone mothering me right now. I wanted a shower, my comfies, and my bed. In that order. Giving Sophie a quick hug, I went inside and locked the door, waving through the front window before making a beeline for my bathroom and turning the shower on as hot as it would go. Only then did I dare look in the mirror.

“Shit,” I breathed, staring at the bruising on my face. There was no way makeup would cover this. Resigning myself to some uncomfortable questions, I stripped and stepped into the steaming hot spray of water, turning so it warmed my back. Leaning my shoulder against the wall, I let the tears come and made a promise to myself.

I wouldn’t let myself be in that position again. My parents had raised me to be resilient, so I’d learn from this experience tonight and grow from it. I was armed with my weapon, I would get more magickal training, and I’d be on alert moving forward. Much like the hard lesson learned from sleeping with my boss, I wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice with the Kelpies.