Page 98 of The Last Kelpie

“It's about the ducks.”

“Oh, sweet water, no!”

“You gotta tell us now!” Rory called out.

“There were these children feeding ducks.” I grinned when Áedán hung his head. “Áedán didn't like the way they threw the pieces of bread. Neither did the ducks, for that matter. So, he showed the kids how to toss the bread further and make the ducks swim for the pieces. There he was, surrounded by children, lecturing them about bread and ducks.”

The gathering made a collective “aw” sound.

“Hold on now. I'm not finished.” I held up a hand. “Once the kids had the throwing down, Áedán started competing with them.”

“I wasnae competing with children.” Áedán rolled his eyes.

“You so were!” I pointed at him. “Every time a kid threw a piece of bread a good distance, you had to throw a piece further. It went on and on until you threw it too far, and the ducks didn't go after it.”

“It was just that kid with the freckles.” Áedán grimaced. “He was a show-off. Damn gingers.”

“Hey!” Rory shouted.

“Aye, you too. You know you're named for your hair, aye? The root of Rory is Ruadh, meaning red.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Rory rolled his eyes and then shifted to a Scottish burr. “I ken the meaning. My gran was Scottish.”

“I knew I liked you.” Áedán winked at him.

Rory blushed to match his hair and stepped back, muttering something about handsome kelpies getting away with saying whatever they wanted.

“Excuse me, but we're not finished.” I put my fists on my hips. “You were showing off as much as that kid.”

Áedán came down the little hill, took my face in his hands, and kissed me soundly. Everyone hooted and laughed, but I swayed on my feet. Áedán kissed me like there was no one else around. It was enough to leave me panting when he eased away.

“Well, that shut him up.” Brannoc snorted.

I gaped at Áedán. “Was that why you kissed me?”

“It worked.” Áedán smirked as he went back to his place beside Caelum.

Chuckling, Caelum stepped forward. “May I?” He held his hand out to Agnes.

Agnes passed the book and pen to him. With the book propped on one arm, he wrote a single line beneath the memories Agnes had recorded. Then he turned the book so that we could all see what he'd written.

Status: Still Living.

The words seemed to shimmer on the page. Caelum closed the book gently and handed it back to Agnes as the rest of us cheered.

“This belongs in the Archive,” he said. “In the kelpie section, where anyone who wishes to know Áedán's true story or just needs to remember can find it. And that goes for you as well, Áedán. If you ever forget, we will remember for you.”

Agnes took the book with both hands, cradling it as if it were treasure. “I'll make sure to leave space on the shelf for more volumes. Because your story continues.”

Áedán nodded. “Thank you. Thank you all.” He looked from Caelum and Agnes to me, then around the gathering. “I think of you as family.”

Everyone cheered. Then Áedán came down the rise, and people approached him one by one, offering quiet words or embraces. Zephyr bounded over and demanded attention, which Áedán provided while laughing. Mateo brought out a metal tub of ice and champagne bottles while a few of his kitchen staff brought glasses. It became a party, with people pausing every so often to toast Áedán.

I left Áedán to soak it all in and went up to Caelum, where he had taken a seat against Velas's oak. “Thank you.” I motioned to Áedán. “For this.”

“Don't thank me. This is what we should have been doing all along.” He looked at me with those ancient green eyes. “Preservation isn't about freezing things in place. It's about giving them room to grow.”

I chewed my lip. “Uh, so, now that I know about the elixir, I've been thinking.”