by Ria Cantrell
“Driver? T’is alright girl. He is because his age has taken the youth of his past. He loves the old Keep. It is part of his soul and he would see the right person to tend it. He will always be here to help ye’ if ye’ need him to. As will I.”
“I have done some research of the place. It hasn’t been easy to find the history of it. Do you have books on it?”
How could she tell the girl that Duncan, or rather Gavin Campbell needed no books to describe life at Castle Campbell? He had lived there so long ago and watched it grow and prosper, only to fall into ruin by his own son and grandsons. He was all the reference the girl needed, but it was too soon to explain all that to her now. While Morag’s intuition about this lassie was strong, she still had to prime the girl carefully for what lay ahead of her. This was not going to be an easy endeavor. Some of it sounded too fantastical even to her; even though she had been steeped in the Old Ways; even though she had pleaded on Derek’s behalf. She thought on her precious Bronwyn who had been raised in the Old Ways but fought It every step of the way. This girl was a modern girl and modern girls relied on logical explanations for things that could not be explained. With a heavy sigh, Morag said, “I suppose there are some books about. The gift shop has several ye’ may find interesting. I hadn’t given it much thought, living here all my life. I reckon ye’ will learn the best from being there and becoming familiar with the priceless artifacts each day. Most people just like to linger and look. There are guides and brochures that the visitors get upon their arrival and they are usually just happy to wander through the place and step back into the past. Still, I want ye’ to be prepared. Gav…err I mean Duncan is a wealth of information, girl. Be sure to sit with him and spend some time with him.”
“Alright. I think I make him a little nervous, though. He stares at me so…because of the painting of that other girl, I guess.”
“Yes, I suppose that is why.” And he hopes ye’ will save his grandson’s soul.
“He said he spent lots of time at the Keep. Did he ever work there as a guide?”
“He lived there, girl.”
“Lived there?” Kiera burst out in surprise. “What do you mean he lived there?”
“Many years ago, before it was a museum and inn, he lived there. It was part of his family line.”
“Just how old is he? I read in one of the books that the place was turned into a museum and bed and breakfast at the turn of the century…the 19th century.”
“It has always been part of his family. He grew up there. As I said, girl, there are things in history books that don’t get told.”
Morag knew that eventually the girl would have to learn the entire truth, but she was not ready to hear that just yet. She was still very much of this modern world and while Morag sensed the pull of the Ancient world on her, there was much she had to open her mind to. It was now going to be her task to prepare this young woman to not disclaim things that seemed illogical. Hell, she was going to have to let her guard down enough to fall in love, which would be a feat in itself. The girl had had her heart broken; badly, by the look of it, which was why she eagerly was running from her past. Not only was Kiera going to have to fall in love, it was going to have to be with someone not of this world. She wasn’t ready for it, Morag was sure of that, no matter what her own gift of the Sight told her. Morag knew that with time, she could make the girl understand, but right now; right here, Kiera would think that Gavin and she were daft old birds, whose minds were gone with age. She could not blame the girl, really. If she had not lived so many years, she would never have believed in the mystical and inexplicable things, either. Morag had seen so much in her timeworn eyes. She knew that nothing was beyond belief at this point in her life.
Fixing a smile on her worried lips, Morag said, “No one really knows how old Duncan is. He doesna’ tell and we dunna’ ask.”
“I don’t really want to trouble him.”
“It will be no trouble, girl. He loves to tell of the old glory of the place.”
“But the girl in the painting…and the way I look, it affects him. I can see it.”
“Never ye’ mind about that. He will get used to it in time.”
Sighing, Kiera said, “Alright. I will sit with him. I am sure he has lots of interesting tales to tell.”
But the truth was, that Duncan made Kiera a little nervous; more than a little nervous. There was something about the man that left her feeling jumpy and it wasn’t because he stared at her in the rearview mirror of his cab. It was something deeper; like he was a force to be reckoned with. It wasn’t a creepy feeling; but it made her uneasy just the same. It was as if he had been spewed from the pages of history books and cast upon the shores of the modern world. Still, if she was going to do a good job; and Kiera so wanted to do a good job, she would have to spend time with the elderly man and glean the gems of his experience so that she would be well-informed and able to learn about the treasures that Castle Campbell held.
Chapter 15
Gavin Campbell stared at the old woman who was his advocate and confidante. He said, “She asked a goodly amount of questions.”
“Aye, of course she did. She has an intellectual mind. Many of her time are the same. They devour knowledge.”
“She wants to know things she cannot yet hear.”
“I know that, but if she is the one to help the lad, then she will have to be told.”
“She is not ready to be told. It is too soon for her to learn of these things.”
“Nay, but I sense she will be able to handle it once it has come to light.”
“Even I dunna’ know the way to prevent her shock when she learns the truth.”
“Gavin, she is strong. She is a Seer, though she denies that gift. She is of the Old Ways, even now in this modern time. She will fight the explanations at first, but in time, she will come to understand. I have helped others embrace the gifts of the Ancients. I can help this one do the same. She is our only hope. She is the lad’s only hope.”
“He was in quite a state, I understand. It seemed he was back to his old self, throwing things and filled with rage. The poor lass nearly died from fright from his tirade. I had hoped that with time, he would gentle.”
“Gavin, he is frustrated. He has been left alone so long. Alone, many of his lessons have dulled over time. The hatred for us remains. He has not learned that MacCollums and Campbells no longer war.”
Gavin bowed his head. He knew Morag was right. How was the boy to learn to bar hate when he has had nothing to staunch the old rage? Reading the mind of the Ancient One, Morag met his timeless eyes and said, “Love. Love will teach him.”
“How will his heart open to love if it has only ever known hatred?”
“It will. It just will. If Rory could overcome his hatred and grow to love yer’ beautiful Brielle, surely Derek can love this girl who is far removed from the turmoil of the past wars between the clans. Surely, Rory’s hatred was no less than Derek’s and yet, his love thrived. Derek’s will, too.”
“Derek doesna’ have his corporal body to act on his passions.”
“All the better. He will learn love where it counts most. In his heart. Besides, I have been granted a boon and he will find himself a man…but only in one place.”
“Woman, what have ye’ done?”
Morag was surprised that the Guardian did not know of the void in Arianne’s curse. With a glint in her eye, she said, “I have done nothing.”
“Then perhaps ye’ may explain yerself to me. Ye’ dunna’ want to jeopardize his transformation.”
“Nay, but I did nothing to create this. He may not even know it yet, but I think he is learning.”
“What are ye’ talking about?”
“The curse extends completely while he is in the Keep. Rather, the renovated Keep. He is a man made whole in the old castle ruins. For some reason he is protected there.”
“The ruins! Bloody hell! I should have remembered the sacred wards.”
�
�Ye’ warded the place?”
“Nay. My father’s father did. The old tower was protected long before I was born with magick even ye’ dunna’ possess. It is ancient and powerful and it is why the old tower remains even when much else has crumbled around it. I had forgotten that. I remembered my da’ telling me that if ever there was a siege and he would have to fight, I would be safe in the tower. Bloody feckin’ hell…this could ruin everything the lad has sacrificed all these centuries.”
“Why would it? He has paid his debt, Gavin. If he is to be redeemed, he must be a man to do it. A full man, with a man’s desires and a man’s senses. When he is not in the tower, I suspect he is as he has been and will remain until the final test.”
Gavin glared at Morag as if it was still her fault that the tower ruin was not within the reach of the curse cast by Derek’s stepmother. Still, he had a sense of relief in learning of it. No man should be kept from his physical body with the things of the world to tempt him ceaselessly. It was a steep price to pay to be so denied. Perhaps that place would offer the brief respite his grandson would need to face the final test.
“When did ye’ learn of it?”
“I saw it in a dream. He goes there sometimes. I suspect it makes him feel like he is home. The Keep has changed over time, but the tower never has. It is most like what he has remembered from his past. I dunna’ know if he is aware that the curse is warded yet, but it is only a matter of time that he finds out.”
“Then we canna’ let the girl go there. At least not yet.”
“Gavin, she has already seen it in her dreams. I have been one with her dreams, which is how I know about the warded tower. I didna’ mean for it to be so, but when she dreamed it, so have I. That has ne’er happened afore.”
“Perhaps it was because it was ye’ who pleaded for him and now that it is coming to pass, ye’ have been granted the vision of her dreams.” With a slow grin he added, “A Guardian is not omniscient, ye’ know. We answer to the Higher One, who, of course is.”
Morag nodded. She did not envy Gavin’s position as Guardian. It was a daunting lot, to be sure. She knew so little about what being a Guardian entailed, even after having been his companion these last few years. It must be something to be able to aspire to that realm where one is not quite human, but retains the human heart from one’s life. She was glad that she, herself was mortal. While she could manipulate time, she was very much an old woman who had weathered a lot of years. Gavin, on the other hand, was more spirit than man, but in this capacity, he was like one made of flesh and bone.
Morag liked her own skin, albeit wrinkled with time and a body stiff with age. She had seen a lot in her many years, and each ache reminded her of all the people and places she had seen and loved.
Gavin’s age remained as it was at the time of his passing, which was quite old, but he neither withered nor grew younger now that he was a Guardian. Still, Morag felt a sense of pity for his plight, even though he had aspired to one of the Old Ones and with that came his immortality. He had been a man, and a great man at that. She did not know if it was hard to not live as one had lived in life, once one was elevated to a Guardian. She suspected it came with its challenges and heartaches, although once one had reached that status, Morag supposed their mindset was altered as well. The things that humans cling to in life have less hold in the afterlife, to be certain.
As the silence stretched out between them, Gavin finally said, “Make sure the girl does not get to the tower.”
“I will do my best, but she has already seen it in her dreams. She has seen Derek. She will be curious. I will try to thwart her for as long as possible, but she will find it eventually and she will realize that Derek is whole in that place, alone.”
~~~~~
Morag took Kiera to the Keep to give her the first tour of the place. She had to be certain that Derek was in the tower because if he saw her, there was no telling what tirade would befall. He had no great love for the old woman, Morag knew that. Then, if he were to see the girl, she could not determine what he was capable of. Morag had meditated on Derek’s spirit and used her mind to feel his presence. When she was certain he was in his hiding place, brooding, she took Kiera to the Keep. There was a small tour being led by one of the locals who had volunteered to handle things until Kiera could begin her duties. Morag and Kiera slipped in line with the back of the tour. The old woman watched the girl carefully. Her reaction to the place was noted and Morag smiled to herself in satisfaction.
Kiera scanned the vista of the Keep before her. To say it was magnificent was an understatement. She searched for the tower, but as far as her eye could see, it did not exist. She focused her attention instead, to the beautiful façade of the place and wondered about its glory in days gone by. She bristled with excitement as they approached the opened portcullis and drawbridge. She knew she was stepping back in time and soon, very soon, this was going to be her place of inhabitance, like the princesses of fairy tales. She did not remember seeing anything that resembled the Keep in her dreams so she put thoughts of a vine-covered tower guarded by a rugged Scotsman aside. Instead, she just couldn’t wait to get inside. Duncan was right; there were wondrous treasures to behold and Kiera fully intended to unlock each and every one of them.
The grounds were massive and the interior of the Keep was extensive, to say the least. The dark granite walls were lit with sconces that Kiera realized must have now been converted to gas. She liked the touch of the firelight against the gleaming walls. It certainly felt medieval. She tried to image what it was like to live in such a place when there were no modern conveniences. She was actually glad she wasn’t going to have to find out first hand. The castle had been upgraded with modern fare and as they made their way into the great hall, Kiera saw several volunteers setting up tables for what looked like a banquet. Kiera asked Moira what was going on and the woman smiled and said, “A local girl is getting married tomorrow. She has arranged for her celebration to be held here.
“What a lucky girl,” Kiera said. A distant look passed over her eyes as she thought about her own wedding plans that had gone awry not so long ago. The emotion was not missed by the wise old woman beside her. Patting her hand, she said, “Lassie, I suspect ye’ will have yer’ own nuptials here in time.”
Shaking her head, Kiera replied, “Oh I don’t think so, Moira. I have sort of given up on that idea at least for now. I am lucky enough to be able to live here for a time.”
“Oh, ye’ never know. There are braw laddies here in the Highlands. One may just sweep ye’ off yer’ feet.”
“Hmm, maybe. I am not like other girls who have this highlander fantasy, I’m afraid.”
As the words left her lips, she knew the lie for what it was because not only did she have a highlander fantasy, she had secretly wished to find the man who had invaded her dreams on more than one occasion. Shaking off those thoughts, Kiera chided herself and reminded herself that she needed to concentrate on this task at hand. She added, “I guess the bride isn’t worried about our friend Mr. Ghost, is she?”
“Some people actually come with the hopes of seeing him…er, I mean it.”
“I guess if it was my wedding, I wouldn’t let a little ghost stop me from making my plans,” Kiera said with a little sad smile.
They were still following the other tourists through the part of the Keep that was more museum than inn and they were meandering past the banquet tables into a sconce-lit corridor. Paintings of past inhabitants lined the walls. Kiera’s eyes darted from each portrait, scanning the hallway for the one of her medieval double. Most of the portraits were of men clad in the Campbell plaid.
Kiera stopped short in front of one such portrait. No, it was not of the girl, but of an imposing man holding the hilt of a sword as it pointed downward toward the ground. She gasped and said, “Oh my God. That looks just like Duncan.”
Blast! Morag had forgotten about that one. Her age was starting to make her less mindful of things sometimes and this on
e was a big one. She had neglected to remember the portrait of Gavin Campbell, Laird of the Clan, which of course would have been displayed among all the great lairds of the place. She tugged at the young woman’s arm and said, “Aye, it is from his past lineage. Come along, girl, the tour is leaving us behind.”
“It is uncanny. It could be him…Gavin Campbell, High Laird of Clan Campbell. Well I’ll be darned. Now I can stare at him as if I have seen a ghost.”
“T’is just a family resemblance.”
“Well, if he grew his hair and beard, I would swear it was him. The eyes are the same. I should know. I got to see a lot of them when he drove me back and forth to the train station. In fact, I mostly saw them as they stared at me in his mirror. Maybe, the resemblance is in my mind after all.”
“Maybe,” the old woman muttered. She would have to be more careful in the future or else risk all they had worked toward to this point. “Come along, lassie. We lost the group.”
“No matter, I want to see the rest of it on my own anyway, but first I want to see my doppelganger.”
With a heavy sigh, Morag pointed to a portrait on the far wall.
“She is there.”
Kiera strolled over to the painting and stood beneath it. She did not see that Morag suddenly looked nervous; her eyes darting about as if she was looking for someone. All Kiera saw was the regal beauty in the painting. She laughed out loud. While the girl resembled her in many ways, mostly, Kiera thought it was just coincidence and circumstance. She did not see the complete resemblance that Duncan had inferred was there. The woman’s hair was long and braided. It hung over one shoulder as was the fashion of that time, Kiera supposed. She could not tell the color of the eyes of the woman, but she sensed their shape was similar to her own. The girl had a winsome gaze on her face, like she was toying with the artist. The more she looked at the portrait, the more she didn’t really feel like its twin. With a sigh, she said, “Well, I am not seeing the resemblance as much as it was told to me.”
