Page 19 of Wild Scottish Fortune

The days were getting longer now as we edged toward summer. The late afternoon light cast a soft glow as Sophie, Archie, and Hilda fell into step alongside me as we wandered across the back garden toward the easternmost part of the land. Archie seemed to be heading things up, while Hilda carried a bundle of sage, and Sophie chattered like we were all friends going on a wee picnic together. For some reason, her casual acceptance of ancient rituals and the ease in which she prodded me for information about the gala—news travels fast in small towns—lessened some of the tension that banded my gut.

The trees were thicker on this side of the property and we strolled alongside a wee burn, the gentle lapping ofwater a soothing backdrop to our walk, and Sophie pointed up at three crows that flew alongside us.

“Those are my crows.”

“Your crows?”

“Yup, I’ve been training them. Did you know they’re incredibly smart? Now they bring me gifts and whatnot because I’m feeding them regularly. It’s quite fun to see what they’ll bring next.”

“That’s so cool.” I’d never given much thought to a bird as a pet of sorts, but now I squinted up at them, as they circled above us, and realized it might be fun. Could I be a bird person? Maybe. It was hard to tell with these things. I’d never thought I could be a fish person, but here I was, mother to one sassy goldfish.

“That’s us ready then.” Archie crouched and brushed some dried grass from a small plaque in the ground. I leaned over to see a Celtic insignia on it, and two horse heads intertwined beneath. “We start at the easternmost spot, and we’ll repeat this ritual at the four cardinal direction points. The goal is to announce your arrival. You must indicate your intent to join the Order—as with magick everything revolves around intention—and your willingness to step into your power. It’s all spoken word, so just follow along with what I say. There is no blood magick or sacrificing virgins, I promise.”

Despite my nerves, I grinned. They were doing their best to make this easy for me, and I appreciated it, though I didn’t quite like the unknown that came with all of this Order of Caledonia stuff. Movement caught my eye, and I glanced over Archie’s shoulder to see that my Green Ladyhad joined us, and she gave me a gentle smile, nodding toward the plaque.

It was a stark reminder that I’d spent my entire life living with the unknown—from where I would sleep each night to where my next meal would come from at times—and it hadn’t broken me. There was no reason that I wouldn’t be strong enough to deal with the gift of power.

Hilda lit her bundle of sage, the smoke drifting into the air, holding a slightly sweet scent.

“I’ve added dried orange to the bundle—it’s high energy, joyful, and good for communicating with your angels.”

Angels? I glanced to the Green Lady who smiled once more at me, giving me a small shake of her head to indicate she wasn’t an angel. I didn’t doubt that, even though she’d protected me on more than one occasion. I supposed guardians could arrive in many forms, angels or not.

Trust them.

The Green Lady’s words whispered through my head, and I took a deep breath, releasing my inhibitions. A pebble bounced lightly near the plaque, and Archie glanced over his shoulder, but she’d already winked out of sight.

“Huh,” Archie said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Must have been the crows,” I said, pointing to where they circled above us. I wasn’t ready to share the Green Lady with anyone. She’d been my own little secret for years, and while I suspected this group would be the ones to accept me having a friendship with a ghost, I’d bide my time on any such revelation for a while longer yet.

“I, Orla Clarke, announce my arrival as the newest member of the Order of Caledonia.” Archie waited while Iquickly repeated what he said, while Hilda wafted the sage around us. Sophie stood respectfully back, and I clutched my hands together at my waist, staring down at the plaque rooted to the earth in a way that I’d never been able to do.

Maybe this would be my time to finally do so.

“I accept the responsibility of protecting the Clach na Fìrinn. I vow to help restore the Order of Caledonia to its fullness, and understand the responsibility placed upon my shoulders. It is with these words I establish the Order of Caledonia as the first line of protection for the Clach na Fìrinn and alert the Kelpies to my arrival. I accept the power bestowed upon me.”

I repeated the words Archie murmured, and I swear I felt a surge of energy ripple through me, as though the energy of those who came before me was reaching up and twining around my soul.

“Have you chosen a weapon?” Archie asked.

It had been part of the task given to me, even though I was told the weapon was more metaphorical than real. Even though I felt a bit silly, I’d landed on the one thing that had given me the only good fortune I’d had in my life. Tugging at the tool belt I still wore, I held up a small claw hammer, one that Grandpa Lou had given me, and Archie smiled. “Excellent choice.”

“Thanks, it’s meaningful to me.”

“Orla has chosen her weapon and accepts her role. We’ll now move to the next spot.”

We repeated the ritual three more times, and as Sophie had said, it didn’t end up being a huge deal.

And at the same time, it was everything.

I was now a part of something bigger, a protector ofone of the holy grails, and a member of a sisterhood of magickal women.

This could be the beginning of something incredible. Me, Orla Clarke, plucked from a simple life to that of a powerful woman.

I wasn’t sure who this new Orla was yet, but I hoped I liked her.

CHAPTER SEVEN

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