“Och, it’s just as simple as that? Ijustdiscovered the Bookkeeper is an official role, and poof! Now I’m an Order member?”
“Not until you go through the ritual, but, aye, lass. That’s the way of it. Surely you can’t think there’s time to be wasting mulling over should you or shouldn’t you? This is the role you were born for, Agnes Wright, so are you going to step into it or not?”
I peered down at the tiny dragon on my shoulder, well, what I could see of him, and gave a small shake of my head.
“You make it sound so simple.”
“And you overthink things. It’s a typical human trait, and I must say, mildly annoying.”
I had the sudden, overwhelming urge to laugh. Here I was, exhausted, reeling from discovering my family’s secret history, with a sarcastic book wyrm pattering at me on my shoulder.
Gran would have loved this.
The thought hit me unexpectedly, and my eyes heated. Gran would havelovedQuilliam. She would have fed him tea and asked him a thousand questions and probably knitted him a tiny sweater.
“I wish Gran would have met you,” I said, surprised that she hadn’t. Why hadn’t he been her familiar? Maybe she would have found answers.
“Your grandmother was a good woman,”Quilliam said, his voice gentler now.“I watched her, when she visited the archives. She didn’t know about me—couldn’t see me, the wayyou can—but I could tell she was searching. Looking for answers she couldn’t quite find.”
“She knew something was wrong with our family. She just didn’t know how to fix it.”
“But now we can figure it out … together.”
I took a moment to properly store the documents that needed protection and then gathered my things and headed for the door. Quilliam shifted on my shoulder, his scaly body surprisingly warm against my neck.
“How come I can see you and Gran couldn’t?”
“Because you’re the one,”he said simply.“The next Bookkeeper. Your grandmother carried the bloodline, but she never stepped into the role. She didn’t want to join the Order. The magick stayed dormant in her. And your mum was too blinded by grief to pick up the burden. But you...”He trailed off meaningfully. It appeared my wee book wyrm enjoyed a dramatic pause.
“I what?”
“You’re different. The Stone has been calling to you for years. Haven’t you felt it? That pull toward Loren Brae? That need to stay close to the castle and the old records?”
I paused.
Ihadfelt it. I’d always assumed it was just my love of history and my academic nature. But there had been something more, hadn’t there? A tug in my chest whenever I got too far from the village.
“So I’m supposed to beTheBookkeeper. Like capitalized and official title and all that? And I choose the role?” I was a touch surprised it hadn’t gone to my gran, though I could understand why the opportunity had blown rightpast my mum. I loved her, goodness did I love the woman, but her grief had walled her off from taking any risks again.
“Aye, lass. But it’s all about choices, isn’t it? That’s the way of life. The magick calls to you, but you have to answer.”Quilliam’s tail flicked against my collarbone.“The question is … will you?”
I mean, I had to, right? I was in this,hadbeen in this, for a while now. It had nevereveroccurred to me that it was possible for me to just walk away from Loren Brae, not in her time of need.
And the village needed me. So did my friends.
And so did Graham.
And maybe, just maybe, I needed to show myself that I wouldn’t follow in my mum’s footsteps and do nothing to change the outcome. Sure, we’d been dealt a bad hand, but that didn’t mean I had to ignore my responsibilities.Or simply leave.
I followed the sound of voices and music until I found Sophie arguing with Lachlan about the correct cheese topping for a deli sandwich—Swiss, apparently—while Hilda and Archie sat by the fire.
“Och, Agnes! You’re still here. I thought you left with Graham.” Hilda stood, jumping into mothering mode. “Can I put the kettle on for you?”
“No, well, aye.” There was just something about a good cup of tea that settled the soul. “But first…”
I pointed at my shoulder and everyone in the room froze.
Quilliam flew from my shoulder and landed on the coffee table in front of where Sophie and Lachlan were sitting and gave a sweeping bow.
