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“I’m not leaving,” I interjected quickly before Archie could respond.
His look of approval filled me with warmth.
“That’s a good lass,” Archie said. “I knew you were up for it. Tough stock, the Blackwoods are.”
“Did you know my family?” I asked, tilting my head at him in question.
“Just your great-gran when I was but a wee boy. She fixed me up after a nasty fall. You’ve the look of her.”
It was just another piece fitting into place for me, and I realized that even though I might be about to embark on one of the craziest journeys of my life, I was also strangely excited about the challenge.
Echoes of the people that came before me sang in my blood.
“How do we get started?” What was the protocol for becoming part of a magickal Order? Did I need to dance naked under the moonlight or something? I sincerely hoped not, I was a horrible dancer.
“We do the ritual. You pick a weapon. You have to pass three challenges. If the Clach na Fìrinn approves, you’re a part of the Order, and we’re one step closer to keeping Loren Brae safe,” Archie said.
“Wait…the Stone of Truth has to approve me?” I couldn’t bring myself to try and pronounce the Gaelic term for it.
“It’s basically the Holy Grail. It’s all knowing. Consider it like…a little god or goddess. In rock form,” Sophie clarified, and I slid her a look.
“You realize—”
“Yes, I’m well aware how that sounds. But once the gems started showing up in my sword, I was on board.”
“Your sword?”
“Oh, right. I didn’t tell you that yet. I’m the Knight.” Sophie beamed at me like she’d just told me she’d won the lottery.
“You’re…the Knight,” I said slowly. “So what does that make me?”
“The Kitchen Witch,” Archie barked.
“Archie, your tone,” Hilda said.
“Well? I thought we’d established this.”
“Yes, but we didn’t really do a good job of explaining it, did we?” Hilda poured me a cup of tea. “My apologies, Lia. We’re a bit beside ourselves with the new development of the broonie. We’ve long been keepers of not only MacAlpine Castle, but of the Order of Caledonia. When the Order recently disbanded, the Clach na Fìrinn felt threatened and the Kelpies act as its defense. However, a second, and lesser common circumstance can also happen.”
“Which is…” I asked, heart hammering in my chest.
“The Clach na Fìrinn calls on any creatures to protect it. Creatures we may not think to be real of this world. Our myths. Legends. Stories spoken of across fires over the centuries. Until the Order is restored, we could be dealing with far more than just the Kelpies.”
“Bloody hell,” Lachlan said, pinching his nose.
“A host of mythological creatures coming to life?” Agnes looked torn between worry and excitement. “I know I should hate this, but my bookworm’s heart is screaming in excitement.”
“So, lass. Can we get started then?” Archie stood, and I looked up at him, eyes wide.
“Wait…I don’t know what that means.”
“You’ll accept your power. We wait to see how it manifests for you, and then you’ll need to pass three challenges. Since you’re the Kitchen Witch, I’m going to assume that your challenges are going to have to do with healing and recipes, much like Sophie’s were to do with her knightly characteristics,” Agnes said.
“How will I know what the challenges are? Is this like…a game? Will a buzzer sound?” I looked around the room, waiting for someone to wave a flag or something like at the start of a race.
“You won’t know,” Sophie said, a sympathetic look on her face. “It’s super annoying. I love things that are neat and tidy, and nothing about magick is logical or fits into a box on my spreadsheet. But what I can tell you is that each and every one of us in this room will help you.”
I found myself looking to the one person in the room who brought me calm as much as he distracted me. Munroe smiled softly at me and gave me a small nod.
