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“I guess I’m using the holy grail loosely.” Matthew turned to Sophie, stroking her arm to soothe her. “From what I remember, The Stone of Truth is one of those famous items through history that people go on great quests, even crusades, to try to locate.”
“Like Indiana Jones?” Sophie asked.
“Yes, except this wouldn’t pertain to eternal life, would it? It’s a knowledge stone, if I remember correctly.” Matthew leaned back and steepled his fingers together as he thought about it. “Any person who had possession of the stone could gain all the knowledge of the universe. It’s as though the stone is one big microchip, and you can download any knowledge you wanted. In the wrong, or well, even the right hands, it could be catastrophic. No one person should be privy to that much knowledge.”
“Like…what? Like the mystery of the pyramids or if there are aliens?” Sophie leaned forward, biting her lower lip as she looked over the documents on the table.
“Exactly like that,” Agnes said. “The Clach na Fìrinn not only holds the knowledge to all of the universe, but it also knows the truths that everyone hides. While it can be used for good, the possession of the stone and the sheer insurmountable knowledge it holds can quickly descend the holder into madness. Few who have possessed it have lived long to make use of it, the sheer force of its power quickly becoming overwhelming. A few have managed to briefly harness its power, as in managing to use it forincrediblyshort moments—minutes even—and coming away the better for it. For a brief time, quite recently, it had slipped from its protection due to one greedy man. He allowed access, for a price, to a select few. It might even be why Scotland is known as a place of great inventors.”
“No way,” Matthew breathed. “Fascinating. And the stone didn’t drive this man mad?”
“Oh, it certainly did, and the Order was sent to recover it and return the stone to its proper and protected resting place,” Hilda said, her eyes trailing to the tall windows that bracketed the fireplace. Sophie’s eyes followed.
“The lake?” Sophie asked.
“Loch,” I automatically corrected.
“Loch.” Sophie rolled her eyes, and I bit back a smile.
“The stone is protected in a small fortress on the island in the middle of the loch,” Hilda continued for Agnes. “MacAlpine Castle was built to house the Order of Caledonia, those tasked with the protection of the stone.”
“The Order of Caledonia,” Matthew mused, pursing his lips together. “I can’t say I know it.”
“You wouldn’t. It’s not a recognized order in Scottish national records,” Agnes said. My stomach twisted at the discussion of the order and my skin felt itchy, and I stood, needing to pace for this discussion. Sir Buster stood as well, walking across the room, cocking his little head to peer at me. I bent to pick him up, ignoring his growl of disapproval, and tucked him into my chest as I began to pace.
“The Order of Caledonia was formed by a group of individuals who saw the need to protect the stone from falling into the wrong hands. Because of the nature of the stone, and its ability to recognize truth, the Order was given its own power. Well, powers I should say. Each individual in the Order of Caledonia is imbued with power when they step into their role.” Hilda said the last bit evenly, and I paced, awaiting Sophie’s response.
“Um…power? Like magick?” Sophie asked, her voice soft and breathy. I counted my steps as I paced, Sir Buster trembling at my chest, and waited.
“Correct. I understand that seems ridiculous but remember, Scotland is a country with a wealth of myths and legends. And there’s always a kernel of truth rooted deep in these stories. This is our truth, Sophie, and we need you to accept it,” Hilda said.
“We’ll withhold our comments until we hear more,” Matthew interjected, stopping Sophie from speaking. I suspected Sophie had been about to tear apart the story about magick and, I had to admit, I’d likely have done the same. In fact, I’d been doing just that for years now. It was easier not to believe than it wastobelieve.
“Through the years, the stone has come to rely upon the Order of Caledonia for protection, however it has a last line of defense if the Order dissolves and it is left without protection,” Agnes said, and I waited, wondering just how much the Americans would take before throwing up their hands and hightailing it back to the airport.
“You speak as if it is a sentient being,” Matthew observed.
“To a point, it is. With that much power, it has learned through the years to make decisions for self-protection.”
“And this last line of protection?” Matthew asked, toying with his pen.
“The Kelpies,” Archie boomed from his chair. “You’ll have heard them this morning, likely. They’ll scare every last person from this town before they’re finished. They don’t see friend or foe. They only see a threat to the stone.”
“Kelpies,” Matthew hissed, squeezing Sophie’s arm. I couldn’t decide if he was excited or scared.
“What are the Kelpies?” Sophie asked, crinkling her nose in confusion. I turned my attention to petting Sir Buster and tried not to think dirty thoughts about my new boss.
“Mythological water horses that are meant to be quite dangerous unless you can catch hold of their bridle,” Matthew said, earning a keen nod of approval from Agnes.
“Oh, sure, naturally,” Sophie said, her eyes big in her face. I didn’t blame her. This was a lot to take in—and to take seriously. Even I still questioned it, and I’d been learning snippets of this story for years.
“The last of the Order of Caledonia was your uncle Arthur. The Kelpies have been acting up for months now, scaring tourists and villagers away and, with the death of your uncle, the Kelpies are now the last line of defense to protect the stone from falling into the wrong hands.”
“My birthright,” Sophie whispered, her face stricken. “Arthur’s will had said something about my birthright.”
“That’s correct. You are next in line to restore the Order of Caledonia and in turn, protect both the Stone of Truth from disaster, as well as our people from the Kelpies,” Agnes said. I kept my eyes on Sophie, her thoughts clear as day on her face. Aside from the crackle of the fire and Sir Buster’s occasional fussing, silence filled the room as we waited on Sophie’s response.
“So no tall order, or anything,” Sophie said, letting out a long exhale of breath.
