AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I was curious about the stone, but I knew that trying to see it was a death wish. Instead, I poked at Agnes until she’d told me more of the history behind it. How it had passed briefly through certain famous inventors’ hands, and how their brush with it had enhanced modern-day society. The problem was, if the stone ever fell into the wrong hands—like those of a ruler like Hitler—it would be catastrophic to the world. Not that Hitler hadn’t already been catastrophic, but the heights of power that someone with the stone could achieve were unimaginable. Agnes assured me that protecting the stone from discovery was one of the greatest gifts I could give to humanity. That alone had bolstered me, providing me with the necessary motivation to discover more about my magick, and I’d been serious with my training ever since.
Now, I reached into the car and brought out a bag of treats for the crows. Unknown to anyone, they were also helping me with my magick.
Already, they waited, lining the branches of the trees above me, their heads cocked as in question. I stepped in front of the truck and leaned back against it, studying the line of crows that waited patiently for me to speak.
“Larry. Come down to me.” I spoke from my core, pulling the thread of power I felt there, and the bird I’d nicknamed Larry dove from the branch and landed at my feet. “Turn in a circle.” Larry dutifully turned in a circle, his wings flapping out awkwardly as he hopped around.
I repeated the exercise with Moe and Curly, having named the three crows after Arthur’s favorite slapstick comedians. Each day I’d command them to do something different, as I knew that crows were highly intelligent. Already they’d taken to leaving gifts around the hay bales, shiny bits and bobs they found on their wanders and, just this morning, I’d found a coin on the ledge outside my bedroom window.
I was learning that if I used my voice in a particular manner, the crows would answer to me. I was certain that was what had happened the other night when I’d commanded the Kelpies to leave us alone. Maybe my magick was a play on the whole idea that the pen was mightier than the sword, just that my words weren’t written.
“What are you doing?”
I jumped, scattering the birdseed I’d brought for the crows, and turned to see Lachlan looking far too handsome bundled into a green canvas coat with flannel lining, worn jeans, and sturdy boots. I wanted to climb him like a tree.
Instead, I turned back to where the crows pecked at the birdseed, shooting curious glances at Lachlan as he rounded the front of the truck.
“You scared me,” I said, a fine trembling starting through my body.
“I’m sorry, I should have called out to you. I suppose you could have thrown your dirk at me.” Lachlan studied the torn bales of hay. “Practicing?”
“Yes, I felt it best to stay strong with my sword skills.” I shifted, unsure of our path forward or what to say to him. This man had been inside me days ago, and now I could barely bring myself to look him in the eyes.
“You’re already excellent. One of the best swordswomen I’ve seen. What’s with the birds? Making friends?” Lachlan asked. His hand strayed unconsciously to his neck, and I was reminded of the coin he wore for his mother. The same coin the birds had given her. Suspicion worked through me.
“Yes, I am. I’m, um…” Shyness crept in.
“It’s okay if you talk to birds,” Lachlan said, his voice going soft as he edged closer to me. “I like that.”
“I am. I do,” I sputtered. “I’ve been working on compulsion actually. I think it’s what my power is. The birds are cool about it, and I give them plenty of rewards once we’ve worked through it.”
“Is that right?” Lachlan rocked back on his heels, his eyes going to the birds once more. “Do they like you?”
“They do. They brought me a gift. Well, many gifts. But this was on my window ledge this morning.” I dug in my pocket and handed him the coin, my heart stuttering in my chest as his eyes rounded.
“It’s…” Lachlan’s voice trailed off as he turned the coin over and cleared his throat. “It’s the same…”
“As the one you wear for your mother?” I whispered.
“Aye. And the year she died,” Lachlan murmured, looking closely at the date. When his tortured eyes lifted from the coin to mine, my heart cracked open. “I can’t stay away from you, Sophie. I’m not sure I even want to. But I don’t know how to do this, to love you. I’m so scared to lose someone again.”
There it was, the truth laid bare, scattered across the dirt like the birdseed I tossed to the crows. Was his truth an offering worthy of my taking?
“Everybody leaves me,” I rushed out before I lost my nerve. “Starting with my parents walking away from me like I was nothing to them up to my most recent boyfriend. Nobody stays.”
We stared at each other, our vulnerabilities circling the other’s, the crows having stopped eating to watch us. I wondered if they understood our words or merely sensed the tension in the air.
“I can’t promise that I’ll stay…” Lachlan said, his voice cracking.
“And I can’t promise that I won’t leave,” I admitted. Though at this moment, I wanted nothing more than to stay. To stay here in this wild and fierce land, where magick coiled itself around the Scottish landscape, creeping its way into legends and stories told at the pub, like the wisteria that climbed up Lottie’s garden shed.
“So what do we do?” Lachlan took a step closer to me, and I felt it, as though a chain connected us, every small movement of his rocking my core.
I stared at him, my mind going to Arthur and his infectious joy for love. He’d never hesitated to love, jumping in fully clothed and eyes wide open, and no matter how many times he’d been burned, he’d always kept his head above water.
“Love isn’t meant to be tidy, Sophie. It’s messy and uncertain. But oh, my sweet Sophie, it’s always, always worth it. Never close your heart to love that is offered. You can’t possibly know the sweetness of the path you’ll walk together.”Arthur’s words echoed in my mind, spoken to me in various iterations through the years. But he’d always told me to take a chance. Maybe it was time for me to finally listen to his advice.
“I think we have to take a chance,” I whispered. My words hung suspended in the air between us, and even the crows stilled as though waiting for Lachlan’s answer. He turned the coin over in his palm, studying it, before holding it out to me.
