Page 74 of The Last Kelpie

“Because Ed remembers them. He remembers contacting his publisher and trying to fight them.”

“Does he?” He lifted his eyebrow. “Or were his memories altered too?”

I frowned. “There's an old lady in Luss who remembers the kelpies and their traditions. If someone altered Ed's memory, why didn't they alter hers?”

“Did she write a book about kelpies?”

“Not a published one.”

Caelum nodded. “I don't think we can rule out any possibility yet, Ethan. You shouldn't assume you're dealing with an immortal. You shouldn't assume anything.”

“You're right.” I sighed.

“What will you do now?”

“Go to Skara Brae. See if there's anything else there. Try to understand what the spiral is.”

Caelum nodded slowly. “Good, that's what I would do.”

I hesitated, then asked, “What did you talk about with Áedán? If you don't mind sharing.”

His expression softened. He looked to his right, at Velas's tree. “We talked about what it means to survive while the world forgets you.”

My chest tightened. “What did you tell him?”

Caelum looked back at me. “My situation differed from Áedán's. His is more precarious. I didn't have to fight against someone working against me. Still, I believe the same truth applies. I told him that sometimes survival doesn't depend on being remembered by the world.” He laid his hand on my shoulder. “Sometimes it only takes one person who refuses to let you go.”

“I told him, just this morning, that I would remind him of who he is every day.”

He nodded. “You love him.”

“Yes, I told him I was falling for him, but I haven't told him it's done, that I've fallen in love with him.”

“Why not?”

“Áedán hasn't said anything about it. Right after I said I was falling for him, we were attacked by the Forgotten. I thought maybe he'd say something later, tell me he was falling for me too, but he hasn't. I don't think he feels the same.”

“Does that change the way you feel about him?”

I lifted my chin. “No.”

“Then it's real.” Caelum smiled. “Love is a powerful form of belief, Ethan. Perhaps the most powerful. But only if it's real. Unconditional. One person who loves you and believes in you is worth a thousand who believe without love.”

I'd expected him to reassure me that Áedán loved me, but needed time. His answer felt more honest, and within that honesty, I found strength. It didn't matter if Áedán loved me or not. I loved him, and my love could save him. If he left me later or never loved me back, it would break my heart, but not as much as it would if he died.

“I'm going to save him.” I set my shoulders.

“I know.” Caelum smiled and turned back to Velas's tree.

I left him there, his face lifted to the sun again, and went to find Áedán.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Julian drove Áedán and me to Heathrow Airport. From there, we took a plane to Orkney. About five hours later, we stood before Skara Brae, on the western coast. It sat on the shore of the Bay of Skaill and past the bay stretched the Atlantic Ocean.

I'd seen the photographs, read the archaeological reports, and studied the site plans until I could draw them from memory. None of it prepared me for the reality.

The settlement burrowed into the earth like a crab, its walls topped with thick grass. Stacked slabs of stone formed the walls. The roofs, or perhaps the upper floors they once held were long gone. The buildings huddled together, connected by low passages, as if the people who'd built them understood that survival meant staying close.