Page 36 of The Last Kelpie

“Change. Bathroom's off the bedroom.” He handed me the clothes. “I'll make some tea.”

I went through the bedroom into the small bathroom. My hands were shaking so badly I could barely pull on the dry clothes, but eventually I managed. The sweater smelled like lavender and something else. Something that was distinctly Áedán.

When I came out, he was setting the kettle on a hook above the fire. I tried not to stare at the patterns on his back, but he'd lit some oil lamps and stoked the fire, and the low light made the shimmering beneath his skin brighter.

“Sit.” He gestured at the sofa.

I sat down and sighed. The cushions were squishy, worn in a way that suggested many years of use. He sat beside me and leaned back to watch the fire as we waited for the water to heat.

“You have a toilet,” I said.

He looked at me. “Uh, yes.”

“It surprised me because the cottage is so rustic.”

“Plumbing doesn't require electricity, nor is it all that complicated. I divert water from the loch.”

“Ah.” I didn't want to talk about the spiral, but I couldn't think of anything else to say.

It didn't seem to bother Áedán. He sat with me in silence without trying to break it. Only when the water boiled did he get up and pour some into a couple of mugs. He dropped some metal tea balls in the mugs and brought them over to the couch. After handing me one, he sat back down.

“Thank you.” I took the mug and stared into it. No milk or sugar. Oh, well.

I looked over at Áedán and frowned. He'd put on a shirt at some point, but I hadn't noticed when. I suspected I was still in shock. Maybe he was too, and that's why he was quiet. We drank in silence for a while. The tea was strong and sweet, warming me from the inside out. He must have added some sugar. Yet another thing I hadn't noticed.

“The water has never lied to me.” Áedán leaned back and stared out the front window. “Never failed to show me what I asked to see. It has never forgotten.”

“I don't think it forgot anything. Something destroyed the memories.” I curled both hands around my mug to warm my fingers.

“Yes.” He stared into his mug. “Someone has enchanted the water.”

I thought about the spiral. “Or maybe the water is reacting to the new version of your story.”

“Nae, that can't be it. I've looked upon those memories many times over the years, and this is the first time they vanished.”

“We need to go to the estate.”

Áedán looked at me sharply. “What?”

“I don't know what we just saw, but I'm certain it has something to do with you fading. Maybe someone in the Velasca will know what's happening. Caelum has been alive longer than you have. If anyone knows what this is, he will. Then we can stop it.”

“You want me to go to the Velasca Estate?” His voice was flat.

“I want to figure out what's happening.” I set down my mug. “Áedán, we need help.”

He was quiet for a long time. The fire popped. Outside, an owl called.

“It's been a long time since I visited.”

“You've been to the Velasca Estate? Why didn't you tell me? What happened? Julian said you cut off contact with them, but he never mentioned that you'd been there.”

He shrugged. “That was before my clan started fading. Nothing happened. They were nice enough.” He turned to meet my gaze. “But they waited until now to send someone. All those years, while my clan was fading, they did nothing. I've lost my family, Ethan. But they never came to help me.”

“I'm so sorry, Áedán.” I tried to remember what Julian had said. “Julian said the fading had just come to their attention.”

“I thought they were supposed to be monitoring us?”

“They probably have a lot of myths to monitor.”