“She said your disappearance had nothing to do with the museum. That it was a personal matter I should let the police handle.”
Disappointment flooded her face as she sat back in the chair, holding a half-eaten oat cake.
“You said you met John MacDonald?” Evie asked.
“Yes. In the museum. He said the stone called to him. We were on the terrace when he tried to take it from me. It was glowing and humming. That’s when I activated it and ended up here,” Brianna said.
“Bruce MacDonald said the same thing to me. He said it called to him. He didn’t follow you, did he?” There was real concern in Chloe’s voice.
Brianna shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“Why would the pieces of the keystone call to the MacDonalds if they were meant for us?” Evie asked.
It was a question none of them could answer.
“Perhaps they have some sort of magic in their blood that senses it,” Brianna suggested. Both of them looked at her as though she’d lost her mind. “It’s the only thing that seems to make sense to me. Maybe it’s tied to that glowing great axe somehow.”
“There is clearly a piece of the puzzle we’re missing,” Evie said.
“And that missing puzzle piece should be as easy as putting the stone back together to see what happens,” Brianna suggested.
Silence stretched between them. Evie sat rigid, her hands in her lap. Chloe fiddled with the half-eaten oat cake. Brianna was certain this was the right path. So certain, in fact, she reached into the pocket of her gown and brought out her piece. She placed it on the table in front of her.
After a moment of hesitation, Chloe did the same.
Evie’s gaze skipped from Brianna to Chloe. She took a deep breath, expelled it. Then she brought out her piece of the stone and placed it on the tablein front of her.
“Well,” Evie said, drawing out the word. “I suppose there’s only one way to find out.”
Chapter Seventeen
Each of thempicked up their piece of the stone and moved into the center of the great hall. Brianna’s stomach was in knots. The three of them faced each other: Evie to her left. Chloe to her right. None of the pieces were glowing or humming.
Brianna was the first to hold up her stone. Evie pressed her piece against it, then Chloe. They held the pieces together and waited.
But nothing happened.
After several long moments, Evie dropped hers and clutched it in her fist.
“Maybe we need the blood magic,” she suggested.
Brianna glanced down at her freshly healed palm and winced. If the stone needed blood magic, she’d have to cut her hand again. A quick scan of the table showed nothing sharp enough to do that.
“We need a knife,” Chloe said.
“For what?” It was Malcolm’s deep voice that boomed through the great hall.
All three of them jumped. Chloe glanced at him, her cheeks turning pink as she gave him a sheepish grin. He took in the scene and quickly assessed what they were up to as he moved deeper into the room.
“What do ye think yer doing, lass?” His question was directed to Chloe but his gaze alighted on each of them.
“We’re going to put the stone back together. Or try,” Evie said, sounding confident.
But Malcolm was shaking his head before she finished. His gaze was fixed on Chloe. “Ye ken what it does to ye when using the stone.”
“I do, but I agree with Evie. We have to try. It could give us the answers we need,” she said. In an uncharacteristic movement, she batted her lashes at him. “Then maybe we can be rid of it.”
His jaw clenched, the muscles flexing along the edge. Finally, he pulled the dagger from the sheath at his side. It was so well hidden, Brianna hadn’t noticed he carried it.
