Page 54 of Wild Scottish Beauty

“It’s my job, Willow.” Sophie tugged at her hair that was woven in a braid over one shoulder. “I’ve got the power to command them back. We didn’t know your magick, and it doesn’t seem like what has manifested for you will actually help in the moment of an attack. Likely you’ll be able to predict an attack. But in the moment? Not much you can do. I’d say, at the very least, try? Order them back. Let them know you’re a part of the Order of Caledonia, that you’re one of theirs, and try telling them to get back.”

“Seriously, just scream for them to back off?”

“Pretty much what I do. Except I can feel it.” Sophie brought a hand to her chest. “In here. I can feel the power to compel them back. It’s, I don’t know, like I’ve got this electrical current of energy that lights up inside me. And I push them back with it.”

“That’s … wild. Why do you think they were there today? Why was Ramsay a threat?”

“I’m not sure, to be honest. It feels like they’re becoming increasingly more active,” Sophie said.

“The longer we take to fulfill the Order, the more often they’ll appear,” Hilda said.

“I thought that my being here was helping them calm down.” Sophie stuck out a lower lip.

“It does, for a while. But keep in mind this stone hasweathered centuries. It likely looks at time very differently than we do.”

“I guess. Wouldn’t mind a solid night’s sleep though.” Sophie shrugged.

“Is it the future you see then?” Archie asked from the floor. “Sophie filled us in while you were upstairs.”

“I … I guess? I mean, it’s never happened in quite the way it did last night, but I’m sure the more I think on it I’ll be able to remember more times that it’s happened. I just … it’s not like I could tell you what your future holds. I don’t think at least.”

“Want to try?” Sophie asked, and I jolted.

“Like how?”

“Like give me a reading?”

“I wouldn’t even know where to start?”

“So, no pressure then.” Sophie jumped up and grabbing her own glass of wine, settled at my feet. I looked down at her, confused on what to do. Reaching over I patted her on the head, and she snorted.

“Not sure that’s how it goes.”

“I literally have no idea what to do.”

“Want a notebook? You said you were sketching. By the way, you have some serious skills. That drawing of Ramsay, whoo, boy.” Sophie fanned herself.

“Is that right? I’ll have to take a look.” Hilda brought a small notepad and pen and I put my wineglass on the side table.

“I guess, just see if you can focus on me? If anything pops in your head? Or maybe I should ask a question?”

“Oh jeez, I don’t know. Right.” I picked up my wine and took a long sip, then put it down, jostling it a bit andsloshing the wine at the rim. “Ope, sorry. Jeez, I’m nervous.”

“Don’t be. You can’t screw anything up. This is just for fun.”

“Um, so I’ll just do what I was doing I guess?” Silence fell in the room as I began to sketch on the paper, idly doodling, drawing Sophie’s face, because that was what was in front of me. As a designer, sketching outfit ideas kind of went together with the design process, but as a creative, I’d taken many art classes growing up and considered myself a fairly proficient artist. Rarely did I take out my pencils and sketch for fun, but every once in a while, I’d pull out paints and have at it. In fact, designing prints was something new that I’d recently gotten into, and I could already tell that I would love to do that in some capacity for the store. Maybe a cute thistle scarf? I sketched one around Sophie’s face when the room faded around me.

For a moment, I was carried away to a beautiful forest, standing beside a lovely river that burbled over smooth stones. Sunlight dappled the leaves, and I gasped as Lachlan crouched in front of Sophie, a ring in his hand.

Blinking back to the room I was currently in, I quickly scribbled out the drawing I had started, pressing my lips together because the last thing I needed to do was reveal a secret of that nature to Sophie.

“You saw something, didn’t you?” Sophie demanded, starting to rise, and I shook my head.

“Nothing major. Just you standing on the wall with your sword.” Like I’d seen her the night before.

“But no details? Nothing to indicate an immediate threat?”

“No, didn’t seem that way. I’m sorry.” I refused to look at Lachlan, though I wanted to squeal and do a little happy dance for Sophie. They were such a cute couple, and I could only imagine what a castle wedding would be like here.

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