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“We’ll start by touring the four corners of the property. At each corner, we’ll burn a bunch of dried thistle and declare our intentions to restore the Order. After we’ve begun the rite, we’ll return to the weapons room, and Sophie will choose her sword. It’s there that we’ll learn how her magick will manifest.”
“Wait…I’ll get magick? Before I even complete the challenges?” Sophie raised a hand in question.
“Correct.” Archie nodded. “Once you begin the rite, the magick will find you. How that manifests for you is yet to be seen. However, there will be physical indicators when you pass a challenge. For example, in the past, one knight had gold bands appear on his armor. Every time he passed a challenge, a new gold band would appear. We won’t know what that looks like for you until we start.”
Silence settled on the table as we all looked at each other. Honestly? It felt like I was at one of those murder-mystery evenings where people go to a castle for dinner, and one of the servers dies, and then everyone attending the dinner has to discover the killer. Suspending my disbelief was going to be a heavier chore than I had originally anticipated.
It would be far more difficult if I hadn’t heard the screams echoing across the loch in the wee hours of dawn. They were occurring more frequently now, and each time I went to the battlement, I stood, unsure what I would do if a Kelpie did emerge from the waters and attack the castle. The one time that I had seen the Kelpies? I’d frozen, still a young boy and disbelieving in what I was seeing. To this day, I explained that encounter away by blaming the stolen Guinness I’d imbibed and having zero tolerance for alcohol. Now, I climbed the battlements at night, understanding that I needed to make my presence known. I’d fight, no matter what, even when I didn’t completely understand what I was fighting against.
But at least I knew what I was fightingfor.
I’d fight for Hilda, my second mum, with the purest heart I’d ever know. I’d fight for Archie, a steadfast cornerstone in my life, and for Agnes, a woman who brought knowledge and creativity to our village. I’d even fight for Sir Buster, the little rageball that he was, because even the smallest of knights needed backup once in a while.
And Sophie.
Her eyes were huge in her face, and a fine tremble showed just at her collarbone, her pulse revealing her nerves. I wanted to kiss the skin just there and ease her worries, and though I’d only known the bonnie lass just a few days now, I was already gone. Too far gone, I realized uncomfortably, for someone who had made a living of not forming attachments in case the person I loved was taken away from me.
I understood that it wasn’t the healthiest outlook on dating, but it had served me just fine until recently. But now? Now I wanted Sophie to stay, and I wanted to unpeel the layers of her and learn where her fierceness came from. She was a fighter, even if she didn’t see it yet, and I couldn’t wait to watch her bloom.
“I suppose no time like the present, right?” Sophie looked around at everyone, breaking the silence. “Shall we get on with it?”
“Meet by the stables in fifteen minutes. Bring a rain jacket.” With that, Archie stood and disappeared down the hallway, Sir Buster trailing him.
“I’ve got an extra jacket for you,” Hilda supplied before Sophie could open her mouth to ask. The lass still hadn’t had a chance to go clothes shopping, and I made a note to offer her a ride to the next town over to pick up some warmer clothes.
Fifteen minutes later, we were gathered at the tack room of the stables, where Archie was sizing up Matthew for a pair of wellies. I crossed to where Sophie leaned against a stall door, stroking the nose of a pretty chestnut mare.
“Lady Loren likes you,” I said, watching as the horse blew into Sophie’s palm, searching for a treat.
“Of course you’re a lady, aren’t you, pretty girl?” Sophie crooned, and the mare’s ears perked up at the attention. I wanted Sophie to fawn over me the same way, and uncomfortable with the need that rose inside me, I turned when Archie called us over.
“Sophie, you’ll need to put some wellies on. What’s your shoe size?” Archie asked.
“Ten in our size. I’m not sure what that translates to for UK shoe sizes,” Sophie said, and Archie disappeared back into the tack room. Shortly he returned with a pair of dusty hunter-green boots and offered them to Sophie, who immediately slid off her trainers. I reached out an arm so she could lean on me while she shoved her right foot into a boot. For a second, something flashed behind her eyes before she offered the group a cheerful smile.
“They don’t fit,” Sophie said.
“That should be the right size.” Archie scratched his head.
“Shoe size. Not calf size.” Sophie shrugged, the smile still on her face. “Big girl problems. Our calves don’t fit in normal boots.”
I wanted to reassure her that I loved her thick legs, outlined so beautifully in the fitted leggings she favored, and where she saw large, I saw strong and womanly. But, before I could offer any placations, I stopped myself. Sophie hadn’t asked for them, and she wasn’t apologizing for who or what she was. She was a smart woman. I’d only insult her if I rushed to reassure her that she wasn’t big. At the end of the day, there was nothing wrong with being larger, and I, for one, couldn’t wait until Sophie let me get my hands on her again.
“Och, of course. You’ll be needing a knight’s boots then,” Archie said smoothly and disappeared into the tack room before returning with a men’s pair of boots. This time, the boots slid on easily, and Sophie stomped around the yard a few times, making sure they fit, a smile lighting her face.
“That’s better. I can walk properly in these instead of the boots squishing uncomfortably at my ankles,” Sophie said.
“We’ll start with the east,” Archie directed, pointing toward Loch Mirren, and we dutifully fell in line as he led us to a narrow footpath that wound around the stables and over gently sloping hills. The group was silent, each of us caught in our own thoughts and, aside from the wayward birdsong and the rustling of the wind in the trees, our walk was peaceful.
“It’s here.” Archie crouched and brushed wild grasses away from a spot on the ground, and we formed a circle around him. Peering down, I saw an old stone plaque with a Celtic insignia on it.
“Is that a Kelpie?” I asked, leaning closer.
“It is,” Archie said, glancing up at me. “You’ve never seen these before?”
“I didn’t know they were here,” I admitted, surprised. I’d spent hours running all over this land since I was little, yet I’d never come across this stone before.
“It’s really lovely.” Matthew pursed his lips as he crouched next to Archie. “The carving is quite detailed, and I imagine quite old. For it to withstand the elements and remain in such good condition is remarkable.”
