Mack's Rousing Ghoulish Highland Adventure, page 18
Her greeting to Lachlan was, “Did you ask him?”
“I did,” Lachlan answered with supreme satisfaction. “And he said aye.”
“Perfect. I want to see this for myself.”
Right. So clearly these two were talking while they were working. “I take it you’re going to Loch Ness too.”
“Damn right I am.”
“Maybe while we’re drivin’ there, I can get this one”—Lachlan inclined his head toward Eli—“to tell me the real story of how she lost her arm.”
“Lost it in the Cthulhu invasion,” Eli deadpanned. “Besides, you won’t tell me how you got that very impressive scar that wraps around your back. How far down does that go, hmmm?”
“Wraps around the hip.” He stood and immediately stripped off his damp shirt, showcasing the scar in question.
It was a damn impressive scar, all right. As wide as two fingers, stretching from the shoulder blade, down and around to the front, and dipping below his waistband. It lay flat but was a dark maroon in color, an obvious difference to his normal pale skin. The sight of it made my body wince in sympathy. My god, that must have hurt like a bitch, whatever happened.
“Damn kelpie did this to me. Never track a kelpie in the Highlands when it be a dark, foggy night. No matter what else might be goin’ on. Damn near died doin’ that bit of foolishness.”
I had no idea what a kelpie was.
“Kelpie?” Eli inquired.
Fortunately, I had an Eli, and she asked questions like that for me.
“I dinnae think ye have somethin’ like it in the Americas. It be a water creature, likes to shapeshift into a horse sometimes. It nae be a friendly beast. It’ll lead people to their death by baitin’ them into the water and then devourin’ them.” Lachlan grimaced. “I got too close to the river in the dark, and it got a good hold on me. All right, Eli. Yer turn.”
Wait. Were we comparing scars right now? Seriously?
Eli, without hesitation, turned and lifted her shirt, showcasing the lower section of her back. “See those three puncture marks? Friendly fire. Got hit by three darts filled with holy water meant for something else. They went in deep enough that we had to surgically remove them.”
“Wait, wait, I need the full tale there.” Lachlan pushed out a chair, encouraging her into it. “What all was goin’ on, then?”
Eli seemed inclined to tell the story, at least, as she readily took the chair, settling in. I could see the process of a good yarn being spun.
Then again, these two seemed the type to like good storytelling.
I listened with half an ear as she spun an outrageous tale of hunting a malevolent-almost-demon in a half-decayed church, and how it had all gone to shit rather quickly. Really, my focus was on Brandon and how lovely he looked in the afternoon sunlight. My Brandon was always handsome, no lie there. Something about him in sunshine always turned my head, though. Especially with the damp clothes clinging in all the right spots, it was hard for me to take my eyes off of him. Looking at him like this made my heart do funny things in my chest. My thoughts may have veered toward the gutter, too.
When I saw him head for the door, I got up, maneuvering in that direction so I could meet him there. If there was anyone on this planet that would appreciate that even a dinosaur could be a ghost, it would be Brandon. He’d get a kick out of this.
He cleared the door just as I hit the main room, and I greeted him with a quick, chaste kiss.
“Hi yourself.” He had a smile on his face, but he looked me over, too, checking that all was well.
“I’m fine,” I assured him wryly. “Really, I haven’t done much in the past two hours. The ghosts have all cleared out, except the ones that were here to begin with, and I’ve helped pass anyone interested. I was just sitting and taking a break when Lachlan came in.”
“Ah, good. We’re pretty much done outside, too. I think the only thing left is to take all the talismans down.”
Considering those were literally all over the inn, inside and out, that would take a hot minute. Also, not my concern right this second. “So, Brandon.”
“Hmm?”
“Lachlan passed a theory by me.”
“Loch Ness?” he asked eagerly.
“I take it he’s already run this past you.”
“Yeah, while we were working. What do you think?”
Look at him. He was literally bouncing on his toes he was so eager to go. Even if I wasn’t already intrigued, I would have gone just because of how he was reacting. “I think it’s just plausible enough that I want to go see for myself. Let’s do it tomorrow.”
His grin was boyish and adorable in the extreme. “Ha! I figured you’d be on board. Absolutely, tomorrow. We should find at least one castle to tour, too.”
“Hard yes on that. And a kilt that will fit you.”
“A sword, too.”
I eyed him sideways. There was this glint in his eyes that I just didn’t trust. “And why, pray tell, do you need a sword?”
“To stab things,” he responded helpfully.
“Clearly, I should not have questioned.”
“You really shouldn’t. Look how well stabbing things worked out for us here.”
I rolled my eyes to the heavens, praying for patience. “Mon cher, I do hope that we’ll not need to face down another sluagh in our lifetimes.”
“But it’s better to be prepared, right?”
“That’s a Havili family creed, isn’t it?”
“Yup.”
“You’re spinning this to your advantage. You can get your sword—you also get to explain to the airport security people why you have it.”
“For the good of the people of the United States of America,” he intoned.
I slapped that fine ass. “Why don’t you take you and your sass to a shower, hmm?”
He kissed me quick, just because, before he whistled his way up the stairs.
This man, seriously. The little boy in him apparently was alive and well. Shaking my head, I rejoined the two inside the dining room, hoping they hadn’t stripped off everything in their game of show and tell. “All right, stop comparing scars and let’s talk castles. What’s good around here? And is it just us going to Loch Ness?”
“Aye,” Lachlan answered easily. “The others cannae go with us, they’ve duties pulling them another direction. But I think Graeme’s native to the area. He might have a good idea of castles to see.”
“I’ll ask, then.” I went back out. Graeme and Logan were just finishing up themselves and heading back in. “Hey, we want to play tourist before we go home. Got any recommendations on castles?”
“Oh aye,” Logan assured me. “Several I can think of. Some with gardens attached. I’ll give ye a list.”
“Thanks.” Gardens, eh? That might be fun and relaxing.
Graeme put a hand on my shoulder, the weight of it warm and heavy. “Mack, I cannae thank ye enough for coming as ye did. I may have been a bit miffed at first when Eli insisted on callin’ for ye, but I see now she was dead right on it. We’d have been up shit creek and no boat without ye and Brandon. So thank ye. If we can ever return the favor, call me, yeah?”
I meant it when I smiled and answered, “I’d love to work with all of you again. Let’s make sure it happens. But no more sluaghs.”
Logan nodded vigorously. “No more sluaghs, aye, I’m good with that. How about a drink as we plan out yer vacation, though?”
“A drink,” I heartily agreed, “sounds great.”
The area of Loch Ness was gorgeous, beyond picture perfect. The water blue, the land around it sloping hills that went down to the water’s edge. There were even the ruins of a castle visible on the shoreline. The lake was large enough that it offered a cruise ship to Inverness and back, so we took the ship. Easier that way by far, and we’d all earned the chance to kick back with our feet up and a drink in hand.
It was a touch chilly out on the deck, the wind coming off the water making it colder than the actual temperature, so I wasn’t surprised when Mack squirreled into my side. I’d picked a good lounge chair on the main deck with an awesome view and my lover had no qualms about cuddling in with me and sharing it.
One of the things I liked about Mack was that he didn’t give a fuck what the world thought of our relationship. He’d never been shy expressing himself in public or reaching out for me. It thrilled me every time when he did something like this. It said without words that he wasn’t embarrassed about what he felt for me.
Eli was snuggled up to Quinn in the chair next to me, Booker on the other side, his own chair pulled in close so he and Quinn could look at the phone screen.
“I really want to see Castle Leod, I think,” he said, “but Cawdor Castle also looks interesting. It has gardens attached that we can walk through.”
I perked up a little at this information. “That sounds good to me, too. Do you think the gift shop has kilts?”
“I think anything in a gift shop will not fit you,” Quinn shot back at me.
He had a point there. I was definitely in the big and tall section of sizes. Dammit.
Lachlan rejoined us, a drink in hand and a grin I did not trust. “If ye’re wantin’ a kilt, Brandon, I can take ye to the right place for it.”
Oh, now that was an offer I wasn’t passing on. He was native to the area, he owned kilts, of course he’d know where to go. “Do it. I really want one.”
“The trouble bein’, of course, what Clan’s kilt are ye goin’ to buy?”
Ah. I hadn’t thought of that at all. No wonder his grin was mischievous. “Uh…far as I know, I have no Scots blood in me. What’s the protocol on that?”
“Here be the thing.” He leaned in a little, and he was still smiling but there was a more serious cast to his expression. “Me grandda isnae doin’ so well, health-wise. I’ve told him a bit about the battle of the sluagh, and these crazy Yanks who helped me, and he’s demanded proper beer and a re-tellin’ when I see him next. Ye five are the type of people that he likes best. So why dinnae ye come home with me over the weekend, sweet talk me grandda into makin’ you honorary McTavishes. It winnae take much. Say ye slew a sluagh with a blade he helped forge, wearin’ McTavish colors, and he’ll be sold on the spot.”
As a game plan, that wasn’t a bad one. I personally thought that meeting his grandfather, who by all accounts trained Lachlan, would also be super interesting. The stories that man could tell alone would make the trip worth it.
Mack, of course, saw it a little differently. “You sure we wouldn’t be an imposition?”
Lachlan immediately shook his head no. “Trust me, you’d be welcome. Grandma be about ready to strangle him herself. She cannae get him to sit and rest for any length of time. If he be sittin’ with ye and talkin’, then he be restin’.”
“I really want to pick the man’s brain, if nothing else,” Eli threw in. She was already looking all bright-eyed, like a child promised fabulous presents under the tree. “He’s sure to know all sorts of interesting things.”
Lachlan grinned at her. “That he does, fair lassie, that he does. So, shall I call home and say ye’ll be visitin’ a while?”
“I personally have no desire to leave Scotland before seeing some of the sights, and our super has already given us a week to do that.” I rubbed my chin, thinking crafty, clever schemes. “I bet if we call Sylvia again and say that an expert here wants to teach us a few tricks, we can make this training and extend our stay even longer.”
Quinn offered me a high-five. “I like a man who can think on his feet.”
I slapped my palm against his, grinning.
Lachlan held up a finger, a silent gesture for us to wait. “Let me call Grandda, see what he thinks of this. I expect orders to drag ye home immediately, but I dinnae know if he’s got appointments or whatnot.”
We all encouraged him to call, so he stepped away from us and toward the railing, putting the phone to his ear. The wind was strong enough I couldn’t make out much of what he said, but then he threw his head back in a laugh. Turning, he pushed wayward hair out of his face, a grin stretching from ear to ear. Lachlan walked back to us, putting the phone on speaker as he moved.
“—if they’ve got the common sense to come here and learn, then of course I’ll teach them. Be ye daft, lad?” The voice was old whisky, smoke, and gravel, the age clearly heard. “How many of these agents are there, then?”
“Five,” Lachlan answered. “And ye’re on speaker.”
It didn’t so much as cause a hiccup. “Well, Agents, me grandson says yer of a mind to come to an old man and learn a thing or two. How long can ye stay?”
“We don’t know at this point. We’d have to call in to our supervisor and get this approved.” I glanced at the others, gauging how they were taking this. “I’d hope for at least three days. We barely know anything about Scottish lore, after all.”
I could hear the delight in him even though his voice stayed rough and gravelly. “Get it approved, then. I’ll tell the wife when she comes back in from her shoppin’. Ye’ll stay with us, of course.”
Mack protested instinctively. “Sir, I do appreciate the offer but—”
“Bah, winnae hear otherwise. Ye slew a damn sluagh, didnae ye? It makes ye welcome in me house. Now, get over here. Lachlan, ye mind them. I want them here in a day or so.”
“Aye, Grandda,” Lachlan said with a wink at us. He mouthed, “See?”
He did know his grandfather well. I was really looking forward to it. The older generation always knew more tricks, and I was so recording every conversation for later. My father loved history; he would listen to every recording, I had no doubt.
“Where are ye, anyway? Sound be for shite.”
“On a cruise ship in Loch Ness,” Lachlan answered brightly. “Mack and Eli both have amazing sight. If we’re lucky, maybe one of them can prove me right or wrong.”
“Oh, aye? Call me back when ye have an answer. I be damn curious meself.”
“Will do. We’ll call ye back later.”
“Luck with ye.”
Lachlan hung up, looking supremely satisfied.
I pulled out my own phone, calling Sylvia. I wanted to have an answer to this question sooner rather than later.
She answered on the second ring, brisk as usual. “Brandon. I assume everyone is still alive and well, and so I do wonder why you’re calling me.”
“Got an interesting offer on the table. Lachlan McTavish has offered us a private crash course in Scottish monsters. His grandfather wants to host us for a few days and teach us some of the tricks of the trade.”
There was a digestive silence. “The expert is offering you free monster-slaying lessons?”
“The man’s in poor health, bored out of his skull, and likes to teach people. Lachlan asked, and he jumped at having us over. So what do you say, boss? Can we linger for another week or so and pick this man’s brain?”
“Hell yes, you can. Record the sessions if he’ll let you. At the very least write detailed notes and then type it up in a report that we can insert into training manuals from now on. I do not want to pass on this opportunity.”
I waved to everyone and gave them a thumb’s up. We had a green light. I didn’t expect anything different. Sylvia was a smart supervisor who wanted her people trained as much as possible.
Next to me, Eli was making a similar phone call to her super and giving everyone else the same signal. Green light all around, then. Excellent.
“Then we’ll confer with Mr. McTavish and get back to you on how long we’ll stay.”
“Good. I’ll extend the expenses budget to cover you. Good thinking, Brandon. I know this last case was worrying because no one knew what to do.”
“Yeah, I do not want a repeat of this case. Trust me. If an expert wants to teach me something, I’m all ears.”
“It’s part of why I love you. All right, I have to go, but keep me posted.”
“Will do. Thanks, boss.” I hung up and gave Lachlan a nod. “Okay, so we’re good there. She’s all right with us staying for however long your grandparents want to host us. Just one question, Lachlan. You said your grandfather helped you forge most of the swords you have, right?”
He gave a nod. “Aye, why?”
“Well, I’d really like to have a sword myself for when we go back. I’m not sure where to buy a good quality one, though.”
“Ah. No, those are hard to buy.” Lachlan rubbed at his chin, that look of mischief back. “Especially a sword that will be the right size for ye. I’ll speak to Grandda about it. He might have a solution for us there. But why, might I ask, do ye want one?”
“Excuse you, I just had to battle something that could only be killed by iron, and you’re asking me this question?” I arched an eyebrow at him pointedly.
He blinked innocent eyes at me in return. “It not be because ye want a shiny thing that stabs?”
Mack snickered into my shoulder.
I poked him in the ribs. He wasn’t helping. “You, quiet. Lachlan, only half the reason why I want a sword is because it’s a shiny thing that stabs.”
He pretended to consider that for a moment. “Fair.”
Quinn, proving that he was my brother from another mother, immediately perked up. “I want a shiny thing that stabs, too!”
Lachlan waved him down. “We’ll see to it, I promise ye.”
Eli rolled her eyes. “We’re all going home with shinies at this rate. Oh. Oh wait, Mack, I think we’re up.”
Mack lifted off my chest and peered in the same direction as Eli. “Yeah, there it is. Lachlan, see it? Right near the shore at the base of the castle ruins.”
Lachlan beat them to the handrail, like he was Speedy Gonzalez, grasping the metal rods and leaning over to stare hard in that direction. “Damn. I think I see the shape of it?”
“It’s clear as day in my vision.” Mack lifted himself off completely, heading for the railing.
We all joined them at the rail, me staring as hard as I could—and not seeing a damn thing.
Which, really, could only mean one thing.
