Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
Liora
An hour later, I was walking up the hill to MacAlpine Castle, nerves pinging around my stomach like a bucket of bouncy balls tossed into the street.
It had been an enlightening hour, to say the least.
After I’d stared at Faelan in shock, she’d thrown the lock on the door and pulled Zara and me into her office.
Faelan was a member in the Order of Caledonia, much like Zara had thought, and was tasked with helping protect the magickal Truth Stone that lay buried out on the island in the middle of Loch Mirren.
The Clach na Fìrinn.
It was why the Kelpies had been terrorizing Loren Brae, apparently.
The Order of Caledonia, when complete, was meant to consist of nine members, all of whom were gifted magickal powers of sorts for protecting the Truth Stone.
To be worthy of those powers, each member needed to pass three challenges, unknown to them, to complete their acceptance into the Order.
It was all very fairy tale and mythological to me, but when Faelan and Zara spoke of the Kelpies, the fear on their faces was very, very real.
Even though it sounded fantastical, Zara was one of the most pragmatic people I knew.
If she agreed with Faelan about what was happening in Loren Brae, I’d believe her.
If anything, I’d always been the more na?ve one of the two of us, always wanting to believe the best in people.
Lost in my thoughts as we followed a long line of carefully trimmed hedges that lined a road that led up to the castle, I barely heard what my sister said.
“What was that?” I tuned back in to the conversation from where I’d been daydreaming about a knight rescuing a princess from a room in the castle.
“A ghost coo is about to jump out of the bushes and scare you,” Zara said and I scrunched my face in confusion at her.
“A what—ahhhhhhh!” I shrieked as a massive slightly transparent ghost coo leaped out of the hedges and ran at me.
I ducked as it trampled through me, a wash of frigid air making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and I gulped for air.
Bringing my hand to my hammering heart, I whirled to find the ghost coo racing back up the lane, tossing its head back and forth.
“Is he… is he laughing?” I asked, incredulous, as I took in the almost delighted expression on the coo’s face.
“It’s his favorite.” Faelan sighed. Raising her voice, she called to the coo. “Brilliant job, Clyde. You really got us this time!”
The ghost threw his head back and bellowed in delight before winking out of sight.
“I’m sorry, but what … what was all that?” I was torn between shock and amusement.
“That was Clyde. He’s the resident ghost coo at MacAlpine Castle, and his very favorite thing in the whole world is scaring people. He’s basically an overgrown toddler that we all have to clap for every time he successfully scares someone,” Faelan said, affection in her voice.
“But you saw him, didn’t you, Z? Before he even got close?”
“Aye,” Zara said, shrugging her shoulder, one hand clasped on Mitch’s handle on his harness. “He has a very particular aura. I can see him coming from quite a way away.”
“He’s not been able to surprise Z yet. No matter how much he keeps trying.” Faelan laughed.
“I might pretend to be scared one of these days just to keep his morale up,” Zara said and we all laughed.
I couldn’t believe what my morning had become. I’d gone from returning to Loren Brae, scared for my future, to newly employed and laughing about a ghost coo with a new friend. Och, and not to mention the whole magickal Order thing and the new fake boyfriend in my life.
Opening my mouth to bring up the dating situation to Z, I paused as a cacophony of barks met my ears as we rounded the edge of the hedges to the castle.
A chihuahua led the charge in a fuzzy fair isle jumper, his teeth bared as though he would rip our throats out. Behind him, a corgi mix of sorts with a big floppy bow at her neck followed at a more sedate pace, and behind her loped an aging brown lab with a tartan collar.
“Sir Buster, that’s enough,” Faelan said, and the chihuahua skidded to a stop, his little body vibrating with rage.
“He’s a tiny fierce beastie, isn’t he?” I tried to hold back a laugh, not wanting to insult the wee lad.
“He’s all bark, that one.” I looked up to see an older man with a shock of white hair tucked under a green knit hat, thick eyebrows, and kind eyes following the herd. “Thinks he’s king of the castle, isn’t that right, Sir Buster?”
Sir Buster lifted his nose in the air, as though agreeing with the man.
“That’s Lady Lola.” Faelan pointed to the corgi mix. “And this distinguished gentleman is Harris.”
Faelan bent to pet the brown lab who’d wandered over and pressed his nose to her thigh. “Harris belongs to Orla, the head builder on the Common Gin site, and he comes to work with her most days.”
“And I immediately take custody.” The man studied me over the rake he carried in one gloved hand. “I’m Archie, caretaker of MacAlpine Castle, along with my wife, Hilda.”
“Orla’s part of the Order, too.” Faelan glanced to me and my gaze darted between Archie and Faelan’s face. Did he know about the Order?
“Ah. You’ve found our next one, is that right?
” Archie leaned on his rake, his eyebrows drawing together as he studied me.
I hoped what he saw met with his approval.
A flicker of movement caught my attention and I glanced to the right to see Gloam slip quietly into the row of hedges.
The dogs all turned, scenting something, but stayed where they were. They must know Gloam.
Sir Buster bolted to me and pawed at my boot, his body trembling as he looked up at me and growled.
“You’re giving very mixed communications, sir,” I said, torn between picking him up and easing gently away from the vibrating mini rage beast.
“Go on, pick him up. He’ll settle down,” Archie advised, and I bent and scooped up Sir Buster. His growls increased, but once he was tucked in the crook of my arm, he relaxed. “So, lass. You’ve come to join the Order then?”
“Um.” I glanced down at Sir Buster who looked up at me with warm brown eyes. “I’m not sure? I’ve only just learned about it.”
Look at me, not jumping into things immediately. I gave myself a mental pat on the back. Zara couldn’t fault me for ignoring red flags on this one.
“If Loren Brae needs you, then you should join,” Zara said, admonishing me, and the bubble burst. Here I thought I was doing well to be cautious and now Z was all about me diving right in? I never seemed to be able to win with her.
“Let’s go bother Lia for a cuppa tea,” Archie interjected. “The restaurant’s closed on Mondays, but we often take our lunch there. I’ll round up a few of the others.”
The others? Why did that make it sound like a cult?
Torn between amusement and suspicion, I followed Archie and the dogs around the corner of the castle, and past the entrance to a manicured walled garden.
Though it was largely trimmed back and tucked down for the upcoming winter, the garden was still vast and beautiful, with tall trees and hills rising in the back to cradle it.
I could imagine wandering through the paths, smelling each bloom, and setting my crystals out to soak in the energy of the full moon on a warm summer night.
“Kitchen’s through here,” Archie said, knocking smartly on two wooden arched doors with heavy iron hinges. They were propped just slightly open, and Irish rock music sounded from within. “I’ll go get Hilda.”
A woman with a pretty face, curls bound back by a bandanna, popped her head out of the door.
“Oh, hi! Hold on.” She pushed the door open and then went to her phone, lowering the music that blared out of the speakers. “Sorry. Dropkick Murphys. For some reason the loud music helps me focus and create my lists for the week.”
Behind her, a large wooden table dominated a massive kitchen, which was equal parts quaint and old-timey and modern and industrial.
Stone walls and high ceilings with thick beams reminded you that you were in a castle, but slick stainless steel prep tables showcased modern features.
At the wooden table, several notebooks lay spread out and opened, and a laptop was shoved to the side.
“Lia, this is Liora. She is Zara’s sister and Gloam believes she’s next in the Order.”
“No way.” Lia’s face lit up. A New York—or was that Boston?—accent tinged her words. “Welcome. When did you arrive?”
“Um, two days ago,” I said.
“Archie was hoping you’d have a spot of lunch for us, so we could chat.” Faelan checked a slim watch at her wrist. “And I’ve got to get back to clients shortly.”
“No problem. I’ve got a chili in the pot. Does that suit everyone?” Lia gestured to where a large stainless steel pot simmered on the stove. “In the dining room?”
“Perfect,” Faelan said. We waited as Zara commanded Mitch forward and they navigated through the kitchen and into a sort of setup area that housed stacks of plates, cutlery, linens, and tableware. I gasped as we stepped out into the dining area.
The restaurant was both overwhelming and cozy at the same time.
“This used to be the ballroom,” Lia said, seeing my expression as I looked up at the tall ceilings with massive ornate wooden and iron chandeliers, beautiful stone walls with votive candles tucked in the crevices, and tall windows overlooking the gardens.
“We made it smaller by creating these walls on either side with faux greenery and adding lighting.”
On two opposite sides of the room, tall greenery walls closed in the dining area, making it feel more intimate, and tables of various sizes were scattered through the room.
Movement whirled, and I gasped as a … creature … in a red hat with big eyes dashed through the room with a tablecloth in hand. In seconds, a table was set, and I was left clutching Sir Buster so tightly that he began to growl.