Page 54 of Dance in the Stones

“We have the space,” Damon said immediately. “They can come here, tomorrow, if needed.”

“I’d need to see the accommodations first.” Moira’s tone was apologetic but firm. “I won’t place them somewhere inadequate, and a lot of this castle is still a construction zone.”

“Of course.” Redford gestured down the corridor. “The residential section is this way. We’ve prepared several rooms…”

He stopped, unable to believe his eyes. The door at the end of the hall, the one that had been closed because Malcolm’s crew hadn’t finished the rooms behind it yet, stood open.

“That wasn’t...” Damon’s voice trailed off.

Redford approached slowly, stepping into what was now a finished space. In fact, not just finished, it was beautifully prepared. There were two adjoining bedrooms, each with its own small sitting area filled with furniture that looked original to the castle but freshly restored. “Someone” had even made sure there were linens on the beds and curtains at the windows. There was a fully functioning bathroom between them with modern fixtures that somehow integrated seamlessly with the ancient stones. In other words, it was exactly the type of space that Finn and Kara would need.

“What’s going on here? You couldn’t have known about Finn and Kara.” Moira stood in the doorway, staring. “But this…did you prepare this specifically for them?”

“No.” Redford met her gaze steadily. “We didn’t even know this section was accessible yet. It was supposed to be closed off until the crew finished renovations.”

“Then how…” Moira walked inside, pressing her hand on the beds to check the mattresses and even peering under the bed frames. “What’s happening here, Redford? I can sense something going on, but I have no idea what it is.”

Wolf shifters could also smell lies, and despite his reluctance to say anything, Redford wouldn’t have lied. If Moira was going to trust them with vulnerable pack members, she deserved the truth.

“We awakened something,” he said quietly. “In the undercroft. Crystals that form the sanctuary’s heart - some kind of collaborative magic created by gargoyles, witches, druids, and fae centuries ago. The castle itself has become...aware…semi-sentient, maybe. It’s been helping us. And apparently” - he gestured at the immaculate rooms - “preparing for guests.”

Moira was quiet for a long moment, her hand resting on the doorframe. “That’s either the most reassuring thing I’ve heard, or the most concerning.”

“Both, probably,” Damon admitted. “We’re still figuring it out ourselves.”

“Can you control it?”

“I don’t think anyone controls it,” Redford said carefully. “But we can communicate with it, after a fashion, through the stones. It seems to understand our intentions.”

“Which is all very well and good, but what are its intentions?”

“Absolutely protective.” Redford was certain of that much. “This place was built as a sanctuary. That’s its purpose, and what it was designed for. I think it’s been dormant, waiting for the right caretakers to wake it up again.”

Moira examined the rooms again, opening closets, testing the plumbing. Everything was working. “If what you’re saying is real, and I’m not suggesting you’re not telling the truth, but if this is what is happening, and the castle can truly protect its residents, this could be the safest sanctuary in existence.”

“We’re still learning its capabilities,” Redford cautioned. “We can’t make promises when we don’t fully understand what’s going on yet.”

“But you believe it’s protective, that it means well.”

Redford glanced at Damon, who nodded. “Yes. We do.”

Moira pulled out her phone. “I’m bringing Finn and Kara tomorrow morning. If anything feels wrong, if that castle of yours shows any sign of threat, we’re leaving immediately, though. Understood?”

“Absolutely.”

After Moira left, Redford and Damon stood in the prepared rooms, both processing what had just happened.

“It knew,” Damon said finally. “Somehow, it knew Moira was coming, knew what she’d ask for, and prepared the space.”

“Maybe it can sense intention through the stone.” Redford pressed his palm against the wall. “When we discussed reopening the sanctuary, when we met with Moira the first time, somehow it understood what we wanted to create here.”

It’s freaking amazing. “We need to understand it better,” Redford added. “Before more people arrive. We need to know what it’s capable of and what its limits are.”

Damon’s hand found his. “The crystal chamber?”

“The crystal chamber.”

The undercroft was quiet when they descended, the crystals glowing with soft light. Redford approached the largest one carefully, Damon at his side.