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Follow your path to have your say.”
A soft wash of light, like the smallest of sparklers being lit and immediately extinguished, glowed in the cup of tea before disappearing. Robyn’s eyes widened, and she looked from the cup of tea up to me.
“Go on,” I said, a small smile on my face.
Robyn took a sip of the tea, cautious at first, and then a long gulp of it. I waited, until she gave me a small nod of approval.
“I can’t quite say how I feel yet, but the tea is actually delicious.”
“Is it? I wasn’t sure on that flavor profile. Well, shall we get the dessert?” I turned and pulled up short when I saw three dishes of cranachan had been placed behind us. Brice must be feeling bad if he was willing to do that when we were in the room. I’d been too focused on my spell to hear anything.
“Oh my…was that the broonie who did that?” Robyn’s voice was hushed, and she looked between the food and me. “Or was that your spell?”
“The spell was for courage,” I said, my smile widening as I picked up the bowls and placed them in front of Munroe and Robyn. “Not for dessert. Although I’m glad to have it, I’ll tell you that. I didn’t get a taste of this tonight.”
We lingered at the prep table, talking about the highs and lows of the night, spooning delicious cream and berries into our mouths while Robyn finished her tea. Once done, she shook herself, like a dog shaking off the rain, and stood.
“I feel…I feel good, Lia. Like, really good. Maybe it was being able to talk to friends about this or maybe it was your magick tea, but either way, I think…I think I do feel confident enough to have this conversation with my parents. It might just be time to start living an authentic life.”
“It’s the only life you have,” I agreed. “Go forth and be strong and all that.”
“And all that?” Munroe laughed and walking forward, he gave Robyn a tight hug. It didn’t bother me now, knowing what I did about their friendship, and I accepted a grateful hug from her as well. Once she left, I sighed and slumped against the table.
“I’m dead on my feet.”
“You did good tonight, Lia. In so many ways.” Munroe rounded the table and to my surprise, he lifted me up like he was carrying a bride over the threshold.
“Munroe! You don’t have to carry me. I’m used to long days on my feet. I’ll be fine.”
“I am nothing if not your humble chariot,” Munroe said, stopping at the doors to pull them shut behind us.
“But the dessert dishes…”
“Wheesht, lass. The broonie will take care of it. Brice knows he has some apologizing to do to you, I’m sure.”
I snuggled into Munroe, leaning my head against his chest so that his voice rumbled against my ear. He was like a big, warm teddy bear.
And when the Kelpies shrieked in the night, startling me from the edge of sleep, his grip only tightened around me.
“I’ve got you, Lia. Go on and rest.”
I didn’t know if I could fall asleep again after the otherworldly screams that ripped through the cool night air. I searched the loch, but no water horses appeared, at least from what I could see in the murky light. But they’d made themselves well known. It seemed like they were screaming earlier and earlier each night, and I wondered if I wasn’t living up to my end of the bargain. What would happen if I didn’t complete my challenges? Would someone else get hurt like Lachlan’s mum had?
To my surprise, Munroe carried me all the way upstairs to my apartment, navigating the winding halls easily, and Clyde must have sensed my exhaustion because he didn’t even try and prank us. Once inside, Munroe looked at the doors leading off the main room.
“Which way?”
“I need to shower.” I hated to. I was dead on my feet, but it was important to rinse off the kitchen grime at the end of a long day.
“Funnily enough, so do I,” Munroe said, reminding me that he, too, had been caught up in Brice’s path of destruction.
“I doubt we’ll fit,” I said, stifling a yawn, as I kicked my jeans off and pulled my shirt over my head. I was too tired to care about what I looked like, but judging from where Munroe’s kilt tented, I could see he didn’t care. “Munroe, can you promise me something?”
Munroe stopped where he was unbuckling his kilt.
“Of course, Lia. Anything.”
“Maybe not tonight, but sometime soon, can you put that exact outfit back on so I can live out all of my fantasies of being ravished by a hot highlander?”
