Chapter 17 #2
“I’m not a child,” Graham protested mildly.
“No, you’re a grown man with a magickal target on your back. You have an ancient curse trying to drown you,” Hilda said, her face wreathed in worry. “Agnes’s mum and gran had a few years with their men, but the Kelpies weren’t as aggressive all those years ago. Now … now I sense we have less time.”
“This is super fun,” Graham said, sighing.
“It’s not about it being fun, Graham. I’m trying to keep you alive,” I whispered, and Graham’s shoulders slumped.
“The rules are simple,” Sophie continued. “Graham doesn’t go near the loch alone. Ever. Not for any reason.”
“Define near,” Lachlan said. “The loch is kind of ... everywhere around here.”
“Within sight of it. If you can see the water, you need a buddy,” Archie barked and everyone nodded along.
“What he said.” Ramsay pointed at Archie.
“A buddy.” Graham’s voice was flat.
“A companion. An escort. A chaperone.” Sophie shrugged. “Pick whatever word makes you feel better about being supervised.”
“None of those words make me feel better.”
“Then focus on the not drowning part. That should help.” Sophie sent me a look, and I nodded, agreeing with her.
Lachlan was already pulling out his phone. “I can set up a rotation. The lads and I will cover the daylight hours. Who’s got nights?”
“Agnes, presumably,” Orla said with a small smile. “Unless there’s something we should know about the sleeping arrangements.”
“There’s nothing anyone needs to know about the sleeping arrangements,” I said firmly.
“So that’s a yes on the sleeping arrangements.” Faelan laughed. “We knew it!”
“Moving on.” I cleared my throat and gestured with my hand in the air. “I’ve also got news. I, um, I believe I passed my first challenge.”
Cheers went up and Hilda beamed at me, causing warmth to spread through me. Even in this absolutely chaotic mess of my life at the moment, it seemed we could find some semblance of joy. Digging in my purse, I held up my pen.
“See? It happened after I told Graham the truth about the curse. The pen even glowed and everything.”
“Och, and look. There’s a wee mark on it. A key?” Orla turned the pen over in her hand.
“Seems to be.”
“That’s just grand. We’re a step closer.” Hilda stood and surveyed the table. “And, as the unofficial matriarch of this group, Lottie excluded, of course—”
“Go on, they’re yours.” Lottie waved a hand and we all laughed.
“We need to make a plan. A watertight, pun intended, plan. We protect Graham at all costs. We research this curse. And we see if we can learn more about The Three Queens. I had no idea there were more artifacts to be found, and if so, that places a larger burden on the Order as a whole to track those artifacts and make sure they’re being protected. ”
“Can you imagine? There might be another town out there getting hounded by the Kelpies?” Liora wondered.
“Or something far worse,” Archie said, his voice sending a shiver down my back.
We spent the next hour hammering out details.
The schedule was complicated as Graham ran a pub, which meant irregular hours and constant interaction with the public.
We couldn’t exactly station guards at the door, but we could make sure someone was always nearby, always watching, always ready to intervene if the water made a move. Whatever the hell that looked like.
“What about rain?” Orla asked suddenly.
Everyone looked at her.
“The curse uses water, right? What if it’s not limited to the loch? What if it can use any water?”
A deeply uncomfortable silence fell.
“Orla,” Graham said slowly. “Are you suggesting I need to be afraid of weather now?”
“I’m suggesting we don’t know the limits of this curse. Better to be paranoid than dead.”
“That’s a lovely philosophy. Very optimistic.”
“I’m a builder. I deal in practical realities. And the practical reality is that water is everywhere. Puddles, rain, pipes, baths—”
“No more baths,” Sophie announced. “Graham, you’re on shower-only until further notice.”
“This is unbelievable.”
“This is Loren Brae,” Sophie said. “Everything here is a touch unbelievable. We just have to lean into it.”
“Quick showers,” Matthew added. “In and out. No lingering.”
“I’m not going to be murdered by my own bathroom.” Graham sighed.
“You don’t know that.”
Graham looked at me with something approaching desperation. “Agnes. Please tell them this is ridiculous.”
I wanted to. But the truth was, I didn’t know the limits of the curse either. What if Orla was right? What if the curse could use any water?
“Maybe ... be careful?” I offered weakly.
“‘Be careful’ she says. ‘Avoid all water’ she means.” Graham slumped against the wall. “This is my life now. Death by dehydration because I’m afraid of the tap.”
“You can still drink water,” Lachlan said. He turned to Sophie. “Can’t he?”
“I don’t know.” Sophie bit her lower lip as she considered it. “But the man runs a pub. He’s, like, literally surrounded by liquids.”
“Hmm, maybe you need to close?” Finn winced as Graham slammed his hand on the bar.
“I’m not closing my pub.” Graham’s voice was sharp.
“But you’ll be careful around water?” Sophie asked, hope in her voice.
“Right. No water. Apparently, I can drink it. I just can’t bathe in it, walk near it, or exist in its general vicinity.” Graham rolled his eyes.
“Think of it as an adventure in personal hygiene?” Kaia asked.
“I hate all of you.”
“No, you don’t,” I said, giving Graham a censorious look.
“No,” he agreed, his expression softening as he looked at me. “I don’t.”
“What we need are more answers,” Hilda said. “This is an all-hands-on-deck research situation.”