Chapter 32
LACHLAN MACBETH
After quickly heading to the cabin, I pull on a blue plaid shirt and some heavy trousers, while Elena bundles into her own layers, wearing a blue jacket that brings out her eyes.
Once we are fully dressed and ready to brave the cool morning air, we step back onto the gleaming timber of the ship deck.
I hold Elena to me and rub lightly at her arms. “Ready, my flower?”
She nods, and I extend my right arm as I close my eyes, focusing my mind on the deep current of the loch and calling out to my weapon.
A moment later a brilliant flash of blue light illuminates the dark water just past the ship’s bow. With a sharp metallic clink, my trident materializes out of thin air, its heavy shaft sliding perfectly into my palm. The weapon hums with a raw power, ready to command the elements at my whim.
I glance down and check over the weld Vivian placed on it, finding the glow there has settled. My trident has truly been made whole again.
Elena smiles and slips her hand into mine as we make our way along the narrow stone wall, leaving the gold mound behind in the glowing moss light, and stop at the edge of the cavern where the path ends and the water meets solid rock overhead.
I pull Elena close and wrap a broad arm around her shoulders as we step toward the shimmering translucent wall of water that seals my lair. The shifting iridescent veil of magic that keeps the crushing pressure of the loch from flooding my home.
As we walk through the barrier, a strange breathless sensation washes over us, and the air thins before we break through the other side with a soft pop—like the breaking of a bubble.
Instantly, the glow of the cave is replaced by the deep and dark depths of the loch itself.
Holding the trident out ahead of me, its magic flares to life and carves out a dry seabed to walk through the heart of the lake.
The dark water churns behind us, two walls of impressive height held in place by magical barriers as the heavy mist keeps my magical doings hidden.
I guide Elena along the clear path as we head out of the loch and the towering walls of darkness give way to pale and misty gray morning light. We approach the shallows, the parted lake collapsing behind us as we walk out onto a secluded pebbled beach hidden by thick patches of trees and ferns.
Tapping the butt of the trident against a stone, it vanishes back into the ether, safely tucked away until I need it again. I shake the stray droplets from my hair and breathe in the clean scent of Scottish dew. My phone chimes cheerfully as it connects back to the network towers.
Holding Elena’s hand, I lead her up a winding dirt path that cuts through the steep hillside.
The morning air is cold and biting at our cheeks but the promise of food in the air quickens our pace.
After a short walk uphill, the trail opens up behind a stone walled cafe that appears nestled inside the right side of the cliff edge, overlooking the expanse of the beautiful Loch Ness below.
The morning sun is just starting to burn through the thick layer of fog as we bypass some of the more crowded, by the looks of its indoor booths, and head straight for the light pine picnic table on the outdoor patio.
As the scent of sizzling foods and brewing coffee drifts through the air, my stomach lets out an almighty growl of discomfort.
“Boy does it smell like breakfast is going to be good this morning. I’m looking forward to food that doesn’t come out of Maren’s magic cooler, aren’t you?” I ask as we sit down at the bench, completely out of doors and surrounded by the wild highland heather and open sky.
“Yeah, it does smell really good,” Elena replies.
I pull out my phone, determined to message Maren before the want to hurl Frank’s credit card into the lake wins out, but my fingers, unfamiliar with the small buttons of the thing, betray me.
I type out a simple ‘Do you still do bounty exchanges’ but my big thumbs manage to smash three keys at once, turning the text into a mashup of words that make no sense.
Elena lets out a soft laugh and leans across the picnic table to gently pry the device from my hand. “Here, let the person with human capabilities do the typing before you accidentally break it.”
“The buttons on the thing are entirely too small. I sometimes had to get Connor to help me with it,” I grumble, though I relax, my heart warming a bit when she easily corrects my mess and shoots off the message. “Thank you, my flower.”
Our talk is cut short as a cheerful young waitress approaches the table carrying a notepad and a steaming pot of coffee. “Good morning folks, what can I get you started with on this lovely morning?”
“Two full Scottish breakfasts,” I say, as the rich aroma of frying vegetables and breakfast meats from the kitchen greet my nose and make my stomach growl in the process. “And a couple of mugs of that black coffee, please.”
“Coming right up,” she says with a bright smile, jotting it down before heading back inside.
As she walks away, I realize I’ve still no money as the harsh reality of the current financial situation hits me, and the knowledge that I’m going to have to use Frank’s card one last time. “I’ll use it this last time till Maren can help get us sorted, aye?”
Elena, as if sensing my inner turmoil, places her hand over mine and gives a reassuring squeeze, but before she can speak, the phone on her hand begins to buzz.
She smiles warmly, her thumb tapping on the screen of my phone as it vibrates again. “Well, it doesn’t look like you’ll be having to wait long. Your cousin just replied.” She turns the screen toward me.
Maren: I can pop by in a couple hours actually. I’m already heading north for a delivery later and can meet inside the loch. Bring coffee.
I let out a low sigh of relief and nod. “Inside the loch. Aye, good. That’ll keep the gold out of human sight at least.”
Elena hands the phone back to me and as the screen lights up in my palm, I notice a couple of icons flashing at the top.
Now that I’m topside and reconnected to the internet, the notifications are finally trickling through and as I swipe down with a careful thumb, I see a missed call and a single text from Whitley.
I open the message, bracing myself for some sort of supernatural emergency, but a wave of affection washes over me as I read her words.
Whitley: Just wanted to check in and see how you and Elena are settling in. I hope you guys made it safe and are well.
I chuckle softly under my breath, shaking my head.
She doesn’t actually need anything at all, but simply looking out for me, making sure her friend made it back to his home in one piece.
It’s a strange and touching feeling to realize how many people care about us now, and I slide the phone away, deciding to give her a proper message once my stomach is full.
Before I can worry more on Maren’s visit, the waitress returns, carrying two heavy steaming ceramic plates she sets down on the picnic table, the rich, savory aromas of the Scottish breakfast filling the chilly morning air.
The eggs are scrambled to a perfect golden yellow, sweet and buttery, resting right alongside the array of meats, smelling of perfection.
“Enjoy your breakfast and let me know if I can get you anything else,” the waitress says with a friendly nod before heading back toward the cafe doors.
I stare down at the steaming food and then back at Frank’s black card sitting mockingly beside my plate, and reach out to pick it up, my chest tightening with the stubborn ache of old fashioned pride.
Elena watches me, her expression softening as she reaches across the table and slides her smaller hand into my large one, gently stopping me from pocketing the card.
“Lachlan, look at me,” she says, her gaze holding mine. “Using the card today doesn’t make you any less, and buying a plate of food on Frank’s tab one last time isn’t going to change anything. You can always pay him back later, yeah?”
The tension melts from my jaw as I look at her, and her voice cuts straight through my stubbornness. She’s right. “I’ll be able to pay everyone back soon,” I murmur, flipping my hand over to squeeze hers gently.
Practically moaning from the best taste of Scottish food I’ve had in years, we take our time finishing every last bite of the rich and hearty meal, washing it down with the hot coffee.
I hand over Frank’s black card for the last time as I tap out a quick and careful reply to Whitley, before slipping my phone back into my trouser pocket. We made it home safe and sound. We’re settling in nicely. Talk soon.
On our way out, we step inside the cafe to grab the one large black coffee to go, and I move to cradle the paper cup carefully in my hand so I don’t crush it.
The mid-morning sun is rising across the hills as Elena and I make our way back down the winding dirt path toward the secluded pebbled beach. The highland fog has mostly burned away, evaporating under the hot sun and leaving the surface of the lake looking like a sheet of dark polished silver.
It’s a bonnie day and entirely too clear, making it to where any human with a pair of binoculars could easily spot us from across the waters.
Before I can summon my weapon, I close my eyes and focus on the damp air clinging to the lake surface, commanding the atmosphere to shift.
Instantly, a thick, heavy blanket of white fog rises from the freezing depths and rolls over the pebbles, swallowing the shoreline in a dense and blinding mist.
With my magic safely hidden from human eyes now, I extend my right arm.
Come, I think, focusing my mind on the deep currents. With a brilliant flash of light, my trident materializes out of thin air again, its familiar shaft sliding perfectly into my grip.
I raise the weapon, and the calm surface of the loch fractures into massive walls of water, again towering high above us. “Ready?” I ask, looking down at Elena.
She smiles, slipping her hand into mine. “Always.”
Together we walk down into the basin of the loch and behind the magical boundary.
As we walk into the deep threshold of my sanctuary and step through the shimmering veil of magic, the heavy pressure of the lake closes behind us once we reach the quiet cavern.
Right on cue, a loud splashing breaks the surface of the dark pool inside the cavern, and a sleek mottled gray seal breaks through the water, gliding effortlessly toward the stone path.
With a fluid, hypnotic twist of its body, the seal sheds their glossy skin like a cloak and catches it over one arm.
A sharp-eyed, mischievous woman steps out onto the stone completely dry.
“Tell me that cup in your hand is the coffee I asked for, cousin,” Maren says, her voice echoing off the high stone ceiling, a wicked grin breaking across her expression as she points at the cup in my hand.
I chuckle, stepping forward to hand her the warm cup. “Aye it is, welcome back to Loch Ness, Maren.”