Page 12 of Wild Scottish Rose

“How did the check-in go? What did he say about his friend?” Sophie glanced between us, and I motioned forthem to follow me to the small building attached to the greenhouse. That had been another new addition that I was quite proud of. My team and I spent so much time in the gardens and the greenhouse, that we’d soon learned not only did we need a place to pack and prep the produce, but it was nice to slip away for a spot of tea on a rainy afternoon without having to trudge back up to the house. The lounge area had a rustic wood table, with matching wood chairs, and a pretty tapestry in blush pink with threads of teal hung on the wall behind it. A vase of mismatched flowers cheerfully adorned the table. That’s where the strays went, as I called the flowers that fell from cuttings or needed pruning. Even without any planning, the bouquet of random flowers inevitably always looked great. At leastIalways liked it. There was beauty in imperfection.

“Tea?” I asked, needing a moment to calm myself down. I busied myself with filling the kettle and getting out the tea, along with a box of shortbread, while the women chattered behind me.

“I can’t believe just how many different types of plants you have in here,” Sophie said. “Archie put a small herb garden in for Lia, but already I suspect she’ll be wanting more if she gets a look at your setup here.”

“She’ll need to decide if she has the time to tend to something of that scale,” I said, waiting for the water to boil.

“I doubt it. Plus, she enjoys sourcing ingredients from locals, so I don’t think I’ll be needing to build a greenhouse. Yet.”

“The restaurant seems to be doing well. I’ve heard good things, at least.” The kettle clicked off, and Ibusied myself putting a small tray of cups together before returning to the table to join the women.

“It’s going great. Lia’s been, well…she’s magick.” Sophie shot a weird look at Agnes. “In the kitchen that is.”

Magick.

The word sent another shiver through me, and I pulled the sleeves of my jumper down, wondering if I was coming down with something.

“So how did it go with Owen?” Agnes returned to the question she’d asked me before.

“Owen?” Sophie asked, trying to sip her tea, even though it had barely steeped and was still roasting hot.

“My new guest.”

“And the friend of the lad who got hurt by the Kelpies,” Agnes added.

At that, Sophie sobered. I glanced between the two women who were clearly having a silent conversation as they grimaced at each other.

“What? What’s with all the looks?” I asked. Were they scared to tell me about the Kelpies? I’d seen them with my own eyes now, hadn’t I? Well,kind ofone of them. It was hard to say as it was all a bit of a blur what with the adrenaline coursing through my veins like a shot of tequila burning down my throat. I’d lived in Loren Brae most of my life. I was well aware that we had hauntings and a mysterious legend, but it was far different hearing about it growing up and being confronted with it in real life. I had tossed and turned for the last two nights, and every time sleep would creep close, I’d get a vision of the Kelpies in my head, and I’d spring wide awake again. The funny thing was, I couldn’t decide if I was fascinated or afraid.

“We need to talk.”

The way Agnes said the words had my stomach twisting. Wrapping my hands around my teacup for warmth, I took a deep breath, rain pattering against the roof of the greenhouse. Rarely was that phrase said when it was good news to be told.

“Are you sick?” I asked, breaking the silence, and Agnes jerked her head, shaking it back and forth. Reaching across the table, she put her hand on my arm.

“No. No, not at all.”

“It just sounds serious, and you’re making me worry. I’d really rather you just spit it out instead of dancing around whatever it is you have to tell me. Are they taking my land away or something?”

“No, nothing like that. It’s…” Agnes squeezed her nose. “See, there’s…”

“Did the lad from the loch end up dying?” I winced, thinking about Owen, and Agnes groaned.

“I’m bungling this.”

“Shona.” Sophie drew my attention to her. “In the middle of Loch Mirren is an island where, essentially, the holy grail is buried. The Order of Caledonia has existed for centuries in order to protect this magickal Truth Stone from falling into the wrong hands. If that were to happen, the consequences for the entire world could be catastrophic. Each member of the Order is given magickal powers or inherits them through their bloodline. These powers, as a whole, will help to protect Loren Brae, the Truth Stone, and keep the Kelpies at bay. We believe you’re the next woman to step into power in the Order of Caledonia.”

“Well, that’s one way to do it,” Agnes said, exhaling and slumping back into her seat.

I blinked at Sophie, her words cascading through me like I’d just stepped under an icy waterfall, both numbing and heating me at once. The shock to my system was instant, yet much like the frigid water, when the truth settled inside me, I felt oddly refreshed. Excitement bloomed, and my thoughts could only pull one word out of everything Sophie had just said.

Magick.

“Magick?” I asked, holding up my hand and turning it this way and that in the air. “Like…what kind of magick?”

“To be determined. It manifests differently for each member of the Order. Mine is my voice. Did you see the other day when Lachlan and I went on the boat to help the idiot who canoed too close to the island?” Sophie asked.

“Aye, I did somewhat wonder why it was you running out to help. Not that I don’t think you’re capable, of course.” I winced, not wanting to insult Sophie. It’s just that the Kelpies were so big and quite intense.

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