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“Stranger things have happened.”
“On that, my friend, we agree.”
“Oh, are we friends now?” Emmett looked over his shoulder at Hùisdean and winked. “I still haven't forgotten when you published your rebuttal to my study on magical plant uses in accordance with the moon phases.”
Hùisdean started laughing, following Emmett's footsteps as the university library appeared.
“Ah, how could I forget?” Hùisdean clapped his hands together. “’Magical plants and their harvesting: a dissection of moss and moon phases.’ It was well done, but I had to add a few of my points.”
“Ha,” Emmett scoffed, still smiling. “You're lucky that I don't hold grudges.” Emmett trotted up the library steps.
“Don't hold grudges! You almost didn't want to call me when you all needed help a few weeks back. And that rebuttal was published in 1964!”
“A mere annoyance, not a grudge.” Emmett chuckled, swinging the door open to the library. Hùisdean had to admit that even though he much preferred his Shetland Islands, there was nothing quite like the magical library at the University of Edinburgh.
The grand staircase led down to the main floor, flanked by bookshelves. Rows and rows of desks with emerald bankers’ lamps lit up the space, as did the occasional candelabra and brass sconce. The additional library levels weaved up several stories—Hùisdean still wasn’t sure how extensive the library was—and all looked out over the main floor. A massive solar system diagram hung in the center, and the ceiling was painted with constellations.
When Scotland's magic had been cursed, Calum had created the library as a sanctuary for all of Scotland's magical creatures. Now that Calum was busy liaising between the supernatural and mortal world, it remained a refuge. It was one of the only places that the human student body at the university knew nothing about.
Emmett's office was bewitched in the back of the library, so only certain people could find it. Hùisdean followed Emmett diligently through the stacks, taking in the smell of the books. He didn't have enough time to read as much as he wanted to, but did any reader? Emmett held open the door for him, and Hùisdean helped himself to one of the massive armchairs across from Emmett's desk. He smiled as Emmett situated himself at his desk, grabbing a pen and notebook before sighing.
“All right, start from the beginning, will you?” Emmett looked at Hùisdean.
“Do you think this should involve Calum?” Hùisdean hesitated. “I don't want to tell the story twice if you don't mind.”
“Oh, of course.” Emmett fumbled for his phone, muttering something about the small buttons. He tapped out a text message, and Hùisdean only needed to wait a few seconds before the office trembled with a ripple of magic. A portal ripped open in Emmett's office wall, and out stepped Calum.
He was dressed casually for the prince of fae and department head, wearing a button-down shirt tucked into a pair of dark pants.
“Hùisdean.” Calum smiled warmly. He tilted his head towards Hùisdean in a small display of respect. “An honor to see you here.”
Hùisdean stood, offering Calum a short bow in return. It was commonplace between two crown princes upon greeting each other.
“I wish it was under better circumstances, my friend.” Hùisdean extended his hand, and Calum shook it firmly before sitting in the armchair opposite him.
“So do I. I hate to think that this whole mess isn't behind us. Emmett texted me to say that Scotland's curse isn't broken?”
Hùisdean shook his head. “Not in the Shetland islands, it isn’t.”
“How is that possible?” Emmett was already furiously scribbling down notes, although Hùisdean wasn’t sure for what. “The Shetland Islands weren't affected by the original curse that befell the mainland. You had magic for centuries while we didn’t.”
“Correct,” Hùisdean affirmed, “but now it seems it's throttled the islands. None of my people can use their magic.”
All of the air was sucked out of the room at once. Emmett and Calum exchanged panicked glances, and Hùisdean recognized the fear and trepidation on their faces. It was a wholly unpleasant and tortuous experience for a magical being to go without its powers. More magical inhabitants of Scotland died from sheer madness at the loss of their powers than during Culloden. Hùisdean's stomach sank. He didn’t like being the person who had to bring this up again, but he needed help.
“I hate to do this,” Hùisdean sighed, looking at Calum, “but if it is happening in the Shetland Islands, it can happen again in Scotland. I know you don't want that to happen any more than I do.”
“Absolutely not,” Calum agreed. His face was stern as he ran a hand over the stubble accumulating on his jaw. “It's unpleasant to imagine the curse returning to Scotland, but you're right. If it’s a possibility, we need to know more about it. Why didn’t you say anything when we were at Lochmaddy?”
Emmett picked his head up from his notes and looked at Hùisdean. His face was full of sympathy, and he spoke slowly as if he was afraid of pissing off Hùisdean.
“Do you... Do you have your powers, Hùisdean?” Hùisdean nearly shuddered but kept his face impassive. It was a very fair, if personal, question.
“I was prideful and didn’t want to say anything,” Hùisdean admitted, his body stiffening. “I have some magic, for now, but it has been diminishing. I imagine that I've held onto my power this long simply because I'm a member of the royal family. It's been a rapid expansion since Scotland got her magic, however. Everything has been going downhill and escalating on the Shetland Islands ever since.”
“It's safe to say that the two are related then,” Calum interjected. He crossed his foot over his knee and tapped his fingers repeatedly. “Earth magic certainly isn't my specialty.”
“Nor is it mine,” Emmett agreed sadly. “We couldn't break Scotland's curse. Fern did it in the end. We weren't even sure what it would take.”
