* * *
After a quick shower and meal to recoup my strength, I joined my friends in the main sitting room. Beatrix and Seraphia had returned from their work at the dentist’s office, smoothing over the mess I had made.
They sat by the fire, Beatrix with her bright purple leggings and wild dark hair, Seraphia curled up in a long, flowing dress in a spring green that made her look like the earth goddess she was.
I sank into the chair across from them. “Thank you so much for taking care of that. What do I owe you?”
“Still sorting that out,” Beatrix said. “But you might get lucky.”
“Lucky?”
“Insurance!” Seraphia said.
“But the van hit the building in a way that is basically impossible via the laws of physics,” I protested.
“That doesn’t mean we could tell them it was magic,” Beatrix said.
“Good point.”
“We’ll keep you updated,” she replied.
“Thank you.”
Carrow and Mac came in from the courtyard and took their seats in the other comfy armchairs.
“Lachlan is coming,” Carrow said. “Just saw him enter the courtyard. Quinn is still on shift at the Hound.”
“Good timing.” I nodded, trying to play it cool even though my heartrate had just picked up the pace in a big way.
A knock sounded at the door a half second later. Even from here, I could sense that it was Lachlan.
Something stirred, somewhere in my soul. I rubbed my chest, frowning at the unfamiliar feeling. I’d thought I hadn’t had a beast. How wrong I was.
Carrow called out for Lachlan to enter.
He stepped inside, as handsome and powerful as ever in his jeans and a thin, dark sweater. It pulled at his shoulders, emphasizing his muscles in a way that I was sure was unintentional but certainly worked on me.
I looked away.
“I’m just in time?” he asked.
“Yes.” I nodded, trying not to make eye contact. It was imperative that I keep my distance.
He took a chair next to me, stretching his long legs out in a relaxed fashion that I knew he couldn't possibly feel. There was far too much at stake.
“Well, I can start, since I didn’t find much.” Carrow leaned forward. “The glass that Ralph brought me had almost no information that I could read. It was broken by a hammer. Even though the glass was enchanted to protect the contents of the case, Garreth seems to have had a potion or spell to counteract that. I just couldn’t read it from the glass.”
“You saw him?” Lachlan asked.
She frowned. “Actually, no. But Eve saw him running away from the building, correct?”
“Yes,” I said, “but if he had a partner, I didn’t see them.”
Carrow nodded. “We can canvass the street that he ran down, see if anyone saw which direction he went. And it’s a long shot, but I can see if he touched any lampposts or anything on his way. Might give me some insight.”
It was definitely a long shot, but I appreciated that she was trying. Her skill was a valuable thing for hunts like this.
I turned to Lachlan. “What did you find?”
“Kenneth was familiar with the Isle of Wyre. He gave me directions. We can’t just transport, but we can get close and hire a boat.”
“Can’t go directly there?” I asked.
He shook his head. “It’s a quiet island of only supernaturals. It would be considered a threat if we just showed up via magic. Better to follow the usual protocols if we want them to help us, or at least not attack.”
“Of course.” I turned to my friends. “Thank you for helping.”
“Duh.” Mac grinned and hopped up. “Let’s get started.”
I nodded and rose, joining Lachlan. “Shall we go?”
He stood, and my breath caught when a hint of his forest scent reached me. It wrapped around me, nearly making my head spin.
How the hell was I going to survive a trip with just him?
5
Eve
* * *
Lachlan and I used one of his transport charms to reach the village of Brinian on the shore of Rousay, one of the larger Orkney Islands. When the ether spat me out onto the quiet street, sea air whipped across my face.
I breathed deeply and turned around, inspecting my surroundings.
It was midday, and the sun gleamed brightly overhead, peeking through massive white clouds. Muted green hills rose behind the town, and I could hear the sea crashing against the shore somewhere behind me. The village itself was built entirely of austere gray stone, but it was something beautiful in its simplicity.
Lachlan turned toward the sound of the sea, which I could glimpse in the space between the buildings.
“Wyre is supposed to be only a few miles off this coast. We need to find a ride.”
“Did Kenneth have a suggestion?”
He shook his head. “We’ll ask in the pub. I’m sure a lot of local business happens there.”
“Good plan.”
We set off down the street, headed closer to the water. There weren’t many buildings in the town, and most of them looked residential. More likely than not, the public spaces were gathered around the wharf, as was common on most of Scotland’s smaller islands. For much of our history, the sea had been the primary form of transport in places like this. Still was, actually.
We passed a tea shop and several stores before finding a little pub with a chimney that wafted thick gray smoke. The sign over the door read The Fin and Folk.
Lachlan opened the dark door and ducked under the low lintel. I followed, stepping into the dim, smoky interior of a pub that had probably been there since the town’s founding. A hearth blazed along the right wall, with the bar on the left. Little round tables filled the space, each crowded with a fisherman in a heavy knit sweater or a rosy-cheeked person with wet hair and a bulky rubber suit lowered to their waist. Thick jumpers covered their top halves.
Scuba divers?
Perhaps. Orkney was known for its impressive underwater scenery and shipwrecks. So much of this place revolved around the sea that it should have been no surprise we needed a boatman as our first order of business here.
I gave each person in the bar a quick look, but it didn’t take long to determine that they were all human.
Lachlan approached the empty bar, and I followed, taking one of the empty barstools while he remained standing. He towered over everyone else, the sheer magnitude of his presence making him stand out like a sore thumb.
The bartender was likely somewhere in the back, so I took the opportunity to yank on Lachlan’s arm until he sat next to me. At his questioning look, I whispered, “You look threatening.”
He frowned. “No, I don’t.”
“You do, and you needn’t even try.”
“Should I hunch my shoulders?” The corner of his mouth tugged up slightly, making him look so handsome that I had to turn away.
“You’re fine.” My voice was stiff, but it was for the best. We couldn’t be joking with each other.
Thankfully, the bartender chose that moment to step through the door behind the bar. He was a middle-aged man with bright eyes and round cheeks.
“Visitors, aye?” he asked.