Arcane Rising: The Darkland Druids - Book One, R Nicole [suggested reading TXT] 📗

my fingers through my mousy locks and straightened my scarf.

I could see Arthur’s Seat—an ancient extinct volcano—and the Old Town right up to Edinburgh Castle. With the help of a sign, I picked out the Scott Monument, the Princes Street Gardens, and the Waverley train station. A large church spire dominated the view up on the Royal Mile and I wondered what it might be.

I stood for a moment, watching the clouds swirl in the overcast sky as they dumped rain over Arthur’s Seat. I was blessedly calm for the first time since I’d arrived. My father’s death seemed far away, like it had happened a long time ago.

Four weeks had passed, and I was still numb—no tears, no heartache… Was I that heartless? Was I mourning the right way? Was I morning at all?

I wiped at a stray tear and straightened my new Black Watch scarf. Maybe I did have a family tartan and just didn’t know it yet. If I could know that one thing, then maybe I wouldn’t feel so alone.

There. I’d said it. I was lonely.

“You shouldn’t go out with that guy.”

I let out a yelp and turned, coming face to face with the man who’d tried to grab me outside of Greyfriars.

The man with the dog.

5

The man stood at the end of the path, blocking my only way out.

In the daylight, I could finally see him with some clarity. Tall, sharp jaw, messy ruddy brown hair, piercing green eyes… he couldn’t be a day over thirty. I took in his black overcoat—noting the hole in one elbow—and his grey knitted jumper, black jeans, and heavy black combat boots.

He was the complete opposite of Owen.

“You,” I snarled, overcome with a wave of anger which surprised me. “Get out of my way.”

He held up his hands. “I just need to talk to you, that’s all.”

“I’ll have you know that I reported you to the police.”

“Don’t fash yourself,” he told me.

“Fash?” I exclaimed. “What is fash? Everyone is telling me not to do it like I’m five years old! I assume it means worry, but I will worry!”

“Ach,” he said, scratching his head. “You’re a little worked up there, lass. You ought to calm yourself a wee bit. I’m not trying to abduct you.”

“Then don’t go around grabbing women’s arms and dragging them into the shadows,” I hissed, taking a step towards the fence. It was the only way I could go.

“I was trying to help you,” he said.

My hands curled around the bars behind me. “I don’t believe you.”

The man frowned and ran his hand through his hair. It was clear he wasn’t used to being told no. Well, looking like that, I supposed women lined up around the block just for the chance to hear him say whatever he wanted to them.

“Perhaps I should introduce myself. Raurich ‘Rory’ Mackenzie,” he said, bowing with a flourish, “at your service.”

I snorted.

“This is the part where you tell me your name,” he prodded.

“Not on your life.”

His frown deepened and he shook his head.

“Why are you hanging around that guy? Can’t you see what he is?” He hesitated, then jabbed a finger at me. “You’re with him, aren’t you? That’s why I’ve never seen you around here.”

“Of course, I’m not from around here,” I stated. “I’m Australian.”

“Who are you?” His eyes widened. “Are you from the homeland?”

“The what?” I inched backwards, looking for an escape route. “I’m sorry, but I can’t help you. I don’t know anything about drugs or homelands. That guy I was with? He’s a police officer. A detective.”

“Can it be possible?” he whispered, staring at me in shock. “Aye, it is… You don’t know.”

“Know what?” I demanded.

“You’re a Druid,” he said. “I can literally feel the Colour bleeding from your skin. No wonder that guy is after you. You’re completely out of control.”

“I’m out of control?” I raged. “You’re high!”

“I wouldn’t be rational if I was high.”

“And everything you just said, that’s what you call rational? Well, Rory, I call it a drug-induced hallucination and I won’t have any part of it!”

This entire place was crazy. I need to go to the airport and get out of here as soon as possible. I don’t need to know about my dad’s past if this was the trouble it brought. I was going to go home and get a job in retail.

“It’s the truth,” he said. “You have to believe me.”

“I don’t have to do anything.” My gaze flickered to the path, but there was still no way around him.

“They want to take your Colour,” he said, growing more erratic. “Can’t you see?”

I narrowed my eyes. “If you’re telling the truth, you’ll let me go.”

“I can’t. It’s not safe for you. They know who you are now.”

At that moment, a group of people emerged at the end of the path, bustling into the alcove.

“Help!” I cried, lunging towards them.

Rory grabbed my arm and wrenched me back before I could rush past him. I faltered as the people didn’t react—not one person looked in our direction. They laughed amongst themselves and huddled around the fence, pointing at the view of Edinburgh behind us.

“Hey!” I shouted again. “Listen to me!”

“They can’t see or hear us,” Rory said, holding my arm. “You can scream all you like, but no one will hear.”

My hands shook and the same panic I felt last night began to rise. “I don’t understand. I-I…”

“Like I said. You’re a Druid. Like me.”

Confusion clouded my mind and I didn’t know what to do. I stood there, frozen in the spot, hovering somewhere between terror and hopelessness.

“Now that I have your attention,” Rory said, standing beside me, “can we please have a rational conversation?”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

“We don’t have much time,” he went on. “I used too much Colour and they’ve likely noticed.”

“Colour?” I blinked. Everything he said confused the hell out of me.

“It’s what we call our powers,” he explained. “The Colour of nature.”

“Powers?” I shook my head. “I have no powers. I’m