Page 17 of Wild Scottish Fortune

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 want 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.

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