“Well, I guess we have to try. How long will it take?”
“You’ll need to go slow, my feet…” Gris said.
A shiver ran down Ailsa’s spine. “You’re coming with us?”
“I’ve been with you almost your whole life, I’m not leaving you now. I’ve watched you grow into a strong young woman.” Grey eyebrows framed his red eyes. “Please, let me help you.”
“Fine.” She would regret this later. “I suppose you’ll be dragging yourself into this too, Angus?” Ailsa asked, rounding on him.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“You’ll probably die, you know,” Iona cautioned. “Nicnevan does not like humans.”
“I’ll win her over.” Angus turned, giving Ailsa a tired smile. “Besides, now I can be your bodyguard.”
Chapter 72
Itwas a strange world, Ailsa thought.
A month ago, she had been on a beach, quite content in her loneliness. Now she was on a mission to rescue a selkie, accompanied by his sister, a Prince of Eilanmòr and the monster who had haunted her nightmares. She touched the mark on her left cheek. And maybe, just maybe, she would find out where she came from.
They reached the top of the hill and were met with a sight that previously would have made Ailsa’s blood freeze: a sea of trees. The spaces between the tree trunks appeared pitch black despite the morning sunlight.
She stared into the darkness, on the edge of a new life. To her right, she saw Angus stop Iona and Gris with a raised hand. He knew this needed to be her decision.
Ailsa fished out a leather cord from her pack and hesitated only a moment, before pulling her hair off her face and tying it back. Fear was the real monster who had hounded her steps all these years. Now was the time for courage.
Be brave.
Head held high, and back straight, Ailsa MacAra stepped into the forest, searching for a selkie, a faerie queen—and her past.
Chapter 73
The young woman wrenched her knife out of the faerie’s body at her feet and cleaned it on her dress; it was already covered in the creature’s thick, black blood anyway. She would need to burn it along with the corpse. That had been too close. The creature had almost made it to the house. She let out a huff of breath as if to slow her heart rate.
It wasn’t easy, killing. Every time she did it, she worried that they took a little piece of her to Hell with them. Still, she would keep doing it if that’s what it took to keep her mother away from her.
She heard Maggie’s cries from the house, but she knew the baby was being taken care of. Nanny Agnes had looked after her when she had been that age and now the woman would trust no one else to look after her daughter. Agnes knew the risks as well as she did. They could never be found.
The woman set to work making a fire, right where the faerie had died. The job had to be done quickly before other creatures smelled the blood and came looking. As soon as it was hot enough, she threw the body in, along with her dress, leaving her in her underclothes.
The flames rose higher, the crackling now the only sound as Maggie had been quieted. The woman watched the light dance on her skin, content for the moment that she had protected her loved ones. Her hands brushed absently against the skin on her elbow, where she knew the reminder of her inheritance and escape rested. She was lucky that it was so easy to hide the mark with long sleeves. She knew other changelings were not so fortunate.
With a grim smile, she turned away from the fire back towards the house. Tonight would not be the last night she would need to fight the creatures—she would need to fight them for the rest of her life.
After all, Nicnevan would never stop sending them to search for her daughter.
The End
About the Author
Caroline Logan is a writer of Young Adult Fantasy. The Stone of Destiny is her debut novel, and is the first in The Four Treasures series.
Caroline is a high school biology teacher who lives in the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland, with her fiancé. Before moving there, she lived and worked in Spain, Tenerife, Sri Lanka and other places in Scotland.
She graduated from The University of Glasgow with a bachelor’s degree in Marine and Freshwater Biology. In her spare time she tries to ski and paddle board, though she is happiest with a good book and a cup of tea.
Follow Caroline online:
Instagram: @bearbooksandtravel
Twitter: @bearpuffbooks
Acknowledgements
This feels a bit like a cross between writing an Oscar’s speech and a report card. I never thought I’d be typing this, and the fact that I am is a testament to the support and faith of so many people. I truly am lucky.
First, to you, the reader. Thanks for getting your hands on a copy. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed the book and you’re now planning on passing it on to a friend, writing a glorious five star review, or placing it right in the middle of your coffee table.
Colossal, gigantic and tremendous thanks to Anne Glennie at Cranachan Publishing for seeing the potential in my story.
Thank you to Kelly Macdonald, also at Cranachan. I am super glad I came to chat to you at Waterstones that day!
Speaking of, thank you Merryn Appleby for encouraging me, when I first arrived at Kingussie High School, to start my wee book group. Who’d have thought it would have led to a dream coming true!
Thank you to all of my fellow #clancranachan authors, especially my Twitter pals: Ross Sayers, Joseph Lamb, Barbara Henderson, Lindsay Littleson, Annemarie Allan, Joan Haig and Helen MacKinven.
Thanks to my Mum and Stepdad, and my Dad and Linda, for giving me life and raising me. Not many people are lucky enough to have even one parent that they can count on, and I have four. Also, thanks to my sister, Rachel, for wiping my tears when we watched sad movies and never letting me forget the time I gave you brown sauce instead of medicine.
Thanks to Diane Proctor, Martin Proctor, Blair Proctor, Neil Phillips and Winter for welcoming me to your family and supporting me.
To Loli Cummings, David Walsh, Martin Kinnear, Cara Donald, Alan Steen, Calum Nicolson, Craig Smith, Eilidh Milligan, Kirstin Norman, Carine Cairney, Rachel Henry, Emmy McCrow, Callum Arthur, Rachel Richards, Laura Peters, Balazs Magyar, John Watson, Laura Watson, Jimmy Anderson, and Greig Walker—thanks for being my pals and celebrating my achievements. (Oh god, I’ve probably forgot someone. I’ll sort that out in the next book, promise.)
Cheers to my online friends—especially Kayla Duff, Alex Micati, Christopher Drost, Sarah Audrey Young—for keeping me sane through writing and edits.
It wouldn’t be fair of me not to acknowledge all of the pupils I’ve taught over the last seven years. I have loved being your teacher. Here’s to many more years. I’d like to especially thank my book group—Nicholas Macdonald, Iona Craig, Sasha Bailey, Charlotte Fraser, Nayeema Sultana and Connall Drummond.
Thanks to Jenna Moreci, for starting it all.
Thank you to Ranger Danger, the tripod dog. You’re a really good boy.
Finally, I wouldn’t even be here without Vince Logan. I’m pretty sure I love you more than anyone has ever loved anyone else in the history of the world. Thank you isn’t enough.
Coming Soon
A Four
Treasures Novel
Book 2
The Cauldron of Life
CAROLINE
LOGAN
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 2
2
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
About the Author
Acknowledgements
The Stone of Destiny Page 29