“That’s what we don’t know,” I admitted. “Quilliam doesn’t know either. The records from that time were destroyed or removed. All we know is what she did, not why.”
Graham was quiet for a long moment, processing as he cracked eggs into a bowl.
“So when the unicorn appeared yesterday,” he said slowly. “I mean, first of all … bloody hell, that was incredible, no?”
I nodded. I was still replaying the encounter on a loop in my head.
“But what, specifically, about that made you so upset?”
“Och, so it’s been athingin Loren Brae. I’ve been told that when the unicorn appears, it kind of confirms that two people are meant to be together. Destined. Soulmates, if you believe in that sort of thing.” I couldn’t look at him, instead I picked up a pen and began scribbling circles aimlessly on a piece of paper in front of me. “For most people, that’s a blessing, exciting even. For us, it’s a death sentence. For you.”
“Agnes—”
“I’ve known about the curse since Gran died,” I hurried on, unable to look at him. This was the part that was sticky for me. I hated that I’d kept this from him for so long, but also, I felt justified in doing so. “That’s why I ended things then, Graham. That’s why I’ve been pushing you away ever since. I thought if I didn’t let myself love you, if I kept my distance, you’d be safe.” My voice cracked. “But it doesn’tmatter. I love you anyway. I’ve always loved you. And now the unicorn has confirmed it, which means the curse knows. The loch knows. And it will come for you. As sure as the sun rises in the east.”
I finally looked up. Graham’s face was pale, but his eyes were steady.
“Is that everything?” he asked.
“No. There’s more.”
I told him about joining the Order and the ritual I performed at the four corners of MacAlpine Castle and how I chose Gran’s pen as my weapon.
At that, his lips twitched. He poured eggs into a pan, adjusted the heat, and dug out Lurpak for the toast.
True to his word though, he kept silent. Processing, I supposed. Needing to get it all out, I plowed on.
“The unicorn showed me something when it touched its horn to my forehead. Three objects …artifacts, it looked like. The Stone of Truth, which is here in Loren Brae, as you know.” Graham nodded. Even though he wasn’t part of the Order of Caledonia, he was just as much a part of everything that was going on in Loren Brae and was well versed in the history of the Clach na Fìrinn. “The next thing I saw, which was new to me, was a silver cup filled with something that looked like liquid light. And a third thing that kept changing shape? I don’t know. It was hard to track what was all going on. But someone, or something, or whatever, I don’t know, like some disembodied voice narrating the whole vision called them the Na Trì Banrigh. The Three Queens.”
“The Three Queens,” Graham repeated, looking overhis shoulder as he stirred the eggs. “Isn’t that what we found in the stacks the other day?”
“Aye,” I said, leaning back and nibbling my lower lip. I had a thousand thoughts racing around my head at the moment, and it was hard to land on what this new information meant. For me. For Graham.
For Loren Brae.
“Maiden, mother, and crone,”Quilliam supplied, and I repeated it for Graham. “The three aspects of the divine feminine. The three sacred artifacts, separated long ago because their combined power was too dangerous. The Stone represents the Crone…her wisdom and truth. The Cup represents the Mother…that which gives us life and nourishment. And the third represents the Maiden…which signals potential and becoming.
“And my family was supposed to keep them connected, at least that’s what I believe,” I continued. “The Bookkeeper was the bridge between the three branches. When Isobel killed the Beithir, she didn’t just curse our line. She shattered the connection between the artifacts. And the family split to protect them.”
“The women in the vision,” Graham said, sliding the eggs from the pan onto the plate just as the toast popped. “The ones you mentioned?”
“Aye. It seemed they were guarding the artifacts. I think they’re other branches of the Wright family.”
“So there are other Wrights out there? Other family members you didn’t know about?”
“Maybe. The voice in the vision said we are scattered but not broken. I think they’re waiting to be found.”
Graham brought two plates of food to the table, placedthem down, and then went and stood at the front window, looking out over the loch. His shoulders were tense, and my stomach twisted in knots.
“Uh-oh. I think loverboy is about to blow a gasket,”Quilliam murmured, and I gave him ashut the hell uplook before turning back to Graham.
“Graham?” My voice was small. “Say something. Please.”
“I’m trying to process.” He turned back to face me. “You’re telling me that you have a three-hundred-year-old dragon familiar. That you’re now a part of the Order and likely have magick yourself. That there’s a curse on your family that will try to kill me because you love me. That there are other magickal artifacts scattered across the world, guarded by long-lost relatives you’ve never met. And that you have to pass three challenges tied to truth before you can fully step into your role as Bookkeeper. Och, and likely face down the Kelpies or a bloody Beithir before this is all done?”
“That’s... aye. That’s a neat summary of it, I’d say.” I swallowed, my throat tight, as I watched him, unable to read the expression on his face.
“And you’ve been carrying this alone for how long?”
