"Is anyone still living there?" Jared asked and Luch tsked.
"Don't you know your history, incubus? The last humans left in 1930. Until then, the islands had been inhabited for over two thousand years. Long enough for the people there to grow used to guarding the Staran. But over time, their tasks became legends and the younger generations no longer knew what to do. So, the Staran became weaker, missing the monthly rituals that kept it pure and alive. Missionaries arrived in the middle ages, and while spreading their religious message, they also destroyed some of the knowledge that had been collected about the Staran and the island’s mythological origins."
"How do you know all that?" Macey was impressed by the mouse's knowledge, but at the same time, she was wondering why she hadn't told them before.
"I know a lot more, but it's not time yet to divulge all my secrets. Once our story comes closer to its end, I will. I promise."
"Does that mean we have to go to St Kilda now?" Amber asked. Tiredness had left dark shadows below her eyes, but she was smiling in excitement.
"I think I'd like to have a chat with Nessie first. She's got a lot to explain," Macey growled, failing to hide the anger once again bubbling up in her. The talk of the Staran and St Kilda had almost distracted her from the big revelation about her family, but she was not getting it quite out of her mind, and she was sure she wouldn't until she'd confronted her aunt... or whatever Nessie was to her.
"I'm not sure we'll have time," Izban began but Amber elbowed him again.
"Put yourself in Macey's shoes," the beithir scoffed. "Wouldn't you want to know as well? I don't think she'll be able to focus on anything until she finds out if Nessie is her mother."
There was no accusation in Amber's voice, just sympathy. Macey gave her a thankful smile.
"Do you think the Staran can get us to her or are they too weak?" Izban asked the two wraiths and Macey's smile disappeared. She could see the barb in the mage's question. He was trying to make her feel guilty for using the Staran and she didn't like that at all. Maybe because in her mind, she knew he was right, while her heart was telling her to race to Nessie without delay.
"We could split up," Macey suggested diplomatically. "I could go find Nessie and then join you on St Kilda. Although I'd need Cam or Flint to help me travel."
"No, all of you need to be there together," Luch said sternly. "It won't work otherwise."
"What won't work?" Cam asked, suspicion lacing his voice. "What aren't you telling us?"
Luch didn't even look embarrassed or uncomfortable. She just shrugged and said, "I've told you too much already. I've been helping you more than I should. So, don't ask me any more questions, just believe me when I say that all of you need to arrive on Hirta together."
"Hirta?"
Luch sighed. "So, you don't just need to brush up on your history, but also on geography. It's the largest island in the St Kilda archipelago and our destination. It's where the very first Warden lived, before it was decided that more than one was needed. Her house, the Taigh na Banaghaisgeich, is where we want to go."
"But what about Nessie?" Macey asked quietly. Her wish for personal closure was fighting her need to help the Wardens. Was this the first inner battle she'd been warned about? Or was a lot worse to come?
"Once we're done exploring St Kilda, you may have more things to discuss with Nessie," Luch said, and Macey was tempted to strangle her. How many more mysteries and unanswered questions were there going to be?
Yes, she was in the mood to go to an island, but one with beaches and sun and peace, where she could stretch out and read, maybe sleep a little, play on the sand with her men. Not an island full of legends and problems.
It took all her inner strength to bury her desire to talk to - or better, confront - Nessie and instead focus on the greater good.
"Let's go," she said and got up before she could change her mind. “Let's go to Hirta."
Chapter 13
St Kilda looked a bit like Macey imagined Avalon. A group of green islands, shrouded in mist. High cliffs were rising from the sea, where foamy waves were battering the dark stone. Tiny white dots signaled the presence of sheep who'd somehow stayed behind when the last residents were evacuated. Seabirds, mainly gulls and gannets, were circling far overhead, curiously looking down at the newcomers.
Tourists came here regularly, that much was clear from the information boards and the metal bin by the pier, but right now, there didn't seem to be anyone else on the island.
They'd stepped out of the Staran in the imaginatively named Village Bay, at least that's what it said on the map Macey was looking at.
Some of the stone houses around them had turned into ruins, but some still looked habitable, with complete roofs and unbroken windows. Somewhere here was the Taigh na Banaghaisgeich, the female warrior's house. Oh yes, there it was. The map called it the Amazon's House, which was intriguing. Macey wouldn't have associated a remote Scottish archipelago with a warrior woman.
It probably wasn't even anyone Scottish that had named the place. It sounded like the kind of thing a foreigner would have come up with.
"This way," Flint said, turning them up a small dirt track to the left.
"How do you know?" Macey huffed, feeling terribly unfit. She was going to blame her stint in the Voice's keep for that. She'd been in much better shape before that. Though she hadn't shifted properly since they'd been at the ceasg's home, and that hardly counted. She hadn't been in kelpie form for long, and she'd been fighting for Amber's life. Or thought she had been. The exact details of that were a little hazy.
"I don't know, just a feeling."
She didn't like that idea much. Feelings had normally turned out to be bad so far. And ended in them being trapped places they shouldn't, with people who got angry at them for the oddest of reasons.
Even so, she stuck with it, and they all climbed the very basic path without saying a word. Too much concentration was needed to navigate the rocky path. Why no one kept it clearer of the pebbles and other debris that were strewn over it, Macey had no idea. It was like everything about this world was out to get them.
"It's a pile of stones," Jared huffed as the Amazon's house came into view.
Macey didn't voice her opinion out loud, but she couldn't help but agree with Jared. It was just a pile of stones. Though she could see where the house would once have stood. It was a shame really, the shape of it made it seem like the structure would have been a sight to behold.
"Oh ye of little faith," Luch said, amusement colouring her voice.
She cleared her throat and opened her mouth, music beginning the moment she did so. Macey stared in awe at the mouse. This was the last thing she'd expected.
“By the steam so cool and clear,
And thro' the caves where breezes languish,
Soothing still my tender anguish,
Hoping still to find my lover,
I have wander'd far and near:
O where shall I the youth discover?”
By the time Luch had finished the verse, tears were falling down her face, as she watched the place where the home had once stood. Her expression changed from one of sadness, to joy.
Confused, Macey turned back to the ruins, only to discover a beautiful stone building rising in front of them. It was simple in appearance, but clearly built with love and care. The doorway was arched, created from interlocking stones, and it hardly looked as if it had been touched by time at all. It was exactly the kind of thing Macey had expected, just with a few centuries less of weathering.
“Sleeps he in your breezy shade,
Ye rocks with moss and ivy waving,
On some bank where wild waves laving,
Murmur through the twisted willow?
On that bank, O were I laid,
How soft should be my lover's pillow!”
Macey jumped as the male voice replied to Luch's song. It wasn't what she'd expected. It had an ethereal note to it. Almost like Fedelm when she'd been speaki
ng. But that would mean...
"Bradaigh," Luch exclaimed, jumping into action and running down to the entrance of the Amazon's home.
Macey followed her down, not at all surprised to find her greeting a translucent man. A man who was looking at Luch like she was the only woman in the world.
"It's been a long time, Luch," the man said now he'd stopped singing.
"I'm sorry, Bradaigh. It's taken me this long to find them," Luch replied, reaching her hand up as if to try and touch the ghostly face of the man.
"I know, I've been watching when I can. Except from when you were in that horrible dark place." He shuddered, sending a shimmering light through him. It was an odd thing to watch. Almost like sunlight when it rippled through the surface of the water back in Macey's Loch.
How she missed that place. Before her adventure, it had seemed small and confining. Now, she almost wished she was back in the cool, calm waters, surrounding by the people she'd known since birth. Even if that did mean facing Aunt Nessie again. The only thing stopping her from running right back home and denying anything had ever happened, was the fact she wouldn't have her men if things had gone any differently.
"I'm sorry, it had to be done. I'm protecting us now," Luch said, nodding furiously. Bradaigh nodded.
"I can tell. I'd recognise one of your shields anywhere." He stroked the tip of his finger down Luch's cheek, though they didn't actually touch.
Macey's heart broke for the two of them. There was so much love on display between them, and yet it couldn't be realised. Not unless Luch suddenly learned how to make herself into a spirit. If anyone knew how, it'd be the mouse. Though Macey suspected she'd already have done it if she could.
"These are them?" he asked.
"Yes, these are the newest Wardens," Luch said.
Macey grimaced slightly at the use of newest. She didn't like the fact there'd been so many Wardens before them. Or that they were nothing more than another set in a long line. Even so, the seven of them were unique. They were the first Wardens made up of all supernatural beings. That was a start. If she kept reminding herself of that, then she wouldn't feel too bad about being just the next set.
"And you brought a kelpie? Are you crazy?" Bradaigh demanded.
"After all these years, you're still not going to let go of that stupid prejudice? We both know that neither of your kinds are responsible for it. That has Unseelie written all over it," Luch admonished him.
"It's not about my own prejudices. I couldn't care less. You know as well as I do, that I've known for thousands of years the importance of the Wardens. I'm not going to turn my nose up at her just because she's a kelpie. But the others..." he trailed off.
Macey hissed, and glared at him. There'd only be one creature that talked that way, and she didn't like that he was one of them at all. Though it did explain the song, and the reason this place was so deserted.
"They wouldn't come here, would they?" Luch asked, a slight quiver in her voice that Macey wasn't a fan of at all. Anything that scared the mouse was certainly a bad thing.
"They always get in the way."
No, that quiver in Luch's voice hadn't been fear. It had been annoyance. Anger. The mouse didn't seem to like the other selkies, even though her lover was that species. There was no doubt that the two of them were deeply in love. It made it even more heartbreaking to see the women, made of flesh and blood, and the man, a ghostly figure who couldn't touch her. She hoped the two of them had had a good life before Bradaigh became a spirit. A ghost. Whatever he was. The alternative was too sad to even imagine.
Macey tried hard not to cry and the sight of them. It was one of the most heartbreaking and depressing things she'd ever seen. And one of the most touching.
"Would you like to introduce us?" she asked gently, trying to get back to work before her unshed tears escaped her.
They both turned away from each other, but their hands stayed close, almost touching.
"This is Bradaigh, my husband," Luch explained. "He's not a Warden, but as my companion, he was bestowed the same eternal life that all Wardens get rewarded with."
"Wait, you were a Warden too?" Flint asked, saying what Macey had just thought.
"Yes, once, a long time ago. I am no longer, of course, there are only ever one set of Wardens. Back when it was my turn, it was just me. A lone Warden, tending to the Staran, living all by myself in this little house. They chose me because I was unattached, without family who would miss me if something went awry with the transformation. I was the first, you see? They didn't know if their plans would actually work."
"Who's they?"
Bradaigh looked at his wife in confusion. "You've not told them?"
"I wanted to make sure they were ready," Luch replied softly. "Shall we go inside? If we're lucky, there's still some peat we can use to make ourselves some tea."
Macey turned to her fellow Wardens. They seemed just as stunned as she felt. Luch, a Warden. The first one. Who turned out to be married to a ghost. It was all a bit much. She breathed in the cold, salty air to clear her head.
"I'm not sure what's going on," Jared muttered. "There's so much she could have told us before, but instead, she brought us here. I'm not sure we can trust her."
"I disagree," Amber suddenly said. "Her feelings for him are true. So is what she said to him. We weren't ready before. We had to see this house reappear. We had to see where she's from before we could believe who she is." She smiled, removing some of the gravitas from her words. "Shall we go inside? I'd kill for a cup of tea right now."
Luckily, Amber didn't have to kill anyone. Luch managed to start a fire in the simple hearth using a heap of old peat, before asking Macey to conjure some water to fill the kettle. The peat smoke slowly began to fill the house, a warming, comfortable scent that made it smell like a home. A place where people lived, not one that was solely inhabited by a ghost waiting for his wife.
Bradaigh was sitting on a bench, not taking his eyes off Luch. He took in her every move with a longing that made Macey's heart ache for them once again. She suddenly understood Luch's brusque manner a lot more.
"I haven't met a kelpie in ages," he suddenly said, turning to Macey who had slipped onto the bench next to him.
"I've never met a selkie," she admitted. "But I've not heard many good things about your kind."
She instantly regretted saying that. He seemed like a nice man and she really didn't want to offend him.
Luckily, he chuckled. "I've not heard many good things about your kind, either. But I've met and befriended kelpies, which is a lot more important than hearsay and rumours, wouldn't you say?"
Macey nodded. "I met a ceasg recently and had only ever heard terrible, frightening tales about them. It turned out she was really nice and helpful."
"Oh, there are not many ceasg around anymore. You're lucky to have met one." He laughed again. "There are a lot of selkies though, they live all around St Kilda. You may want to stay away from them; most of them have never met a kelpie before and all they've heard about you are legends of how you drown and eat humans."
"I'm a vegetarian," Macey said automatically, and he grinned.
"So am I. It's very amusing to see someone else use that argument."
"I should really know better by now," Macey berated herself, annoyed that she hadn't really thought to question her thoughts and feelings towards selkies before now.
Of all the creatures she'd met along the way, almost none of them had turned out to be anything like what the rumours and tales had said.
Probably the humans fault. She imagined a human must have drowned in a loch where kelpies lived, and they'd taken the blame. Or maybe it was worse than that. Maybe it was humans killing other humans and blaming it on the myths of old. That wouldn't surprise her. Not from what she' seen of the misrepresented creatures.
"Please explain more," she prompted, after taking a sip of her tea. She aimed the question at Luch. While debating why kelpies and selkies had been led to hate
one another was interesting, it didn't get them any further on their quest to save the Staran.
Luch sighed. "Which bit do you want explaining first?" she asked.
"Start with who you mean by they?" Macey prompted, hoping that was the right thing to ask first. It was hard to tell what questions she should be asking when she had absolutely no idea of any of the answers. In some ways, it was easier to question the things that had happened already. That way, she had something to ground her answers on.
"The gods," Luch said with a shrug.
"The gods don't exist," Macey blurted.
"Really?" Amber questioned. "After all that we've been through, you're going to question the existence of gods?"
"And you're not? Are beithirs brought up believing in them?" Macey demanded, though not unkindly. She didn't want to start a disagreement with her friend. She just wanted to get to the bottom of it all.
"No, we're not. But after all we've seen and done, including the mysteriously appearing marks on your back, are gods really too much of a stretch?"
Macey slumped back in her seat, and took a sip of her tea, letting the warm liquid slip down her throat and soothe her in a way nothing else could. It was one of her favourite things about being above water.
Well, other than her other three favourite things. She looked between her men, noting they were listening intently. They were learning new things too then. That made a change. They always seemed to be telling her things, and adding to her knowledge. And quite frankly, making her feel like the naive and sheltered loch kelpie that she was slowly learning she actually was. It had been a hard lesson to learn, but she liked to believe she was strong for it.
"No. Gods aren't too much of a stretch," Macey added. "Where are they now?" she asked Luch.
"Dead. Gone. On vacation. I'm not really sure. But I don't think they're about, if that's what you're getting at."
Macey nodded along. That made sense. There was very little point to having gods involved if they were just going to solve everything. Oh no. That would be way too easy.
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