Drayton ran until his lungs ached and burned, like they would burst. Instead of heading back to the B&B, he ended up at the castle. He ran through the archway in the wall. The yew hedges cast a mass of wavering shadows on the ground. The moon was high in the sky and its beams burst through the cracks in the castle’s granite walls. “It’s too dark,” Drayton ran across the room, stumbling on fallen stones. “Phelan, or whatever your name is. Wizard, appear to me. Come on.”

An eerie sound sent chills down Drayton’s spine. He walked to the doorway. From the dark loch arose a black shadow. It had no form, just a mass of evil. It moved toward him. He backed up, allowing it to enter the castle. Hovering a few feet from the ground, it took form of the wizard.

“Back so soon, Drayton?” Its voice boomed, echoing off the castle walls.

“This is getting complicated. Angus has the orb. I saw it. There are two stones in it. Some men showed up and one chased me,” Drayton said, rubbing his eye.

“I presume he did this to you?”

“I’ll slit his throat for this. I can’t see why I should worry about getting those stones. The kid will get them. Let her risk her life.”

“You can do that, if you’d like and take it once all the stones are in place, but I caution you to keep an eye on her and the man you call Angus. I have a feeling the men you mention are from the past and are here for a reason. They will do whatever they can to stop you.”

“I’ll just kill them too.” Drayton sneered. “When are you going to teach me some spells. The kid knows two things now. Each time she gets a stone, she gets a new power. I want a stronger power. Teach me.”

“You’re a demanding young Drayton. I fear this may be your downfall. You’re cocky and arrogant. Very well. I can only give you the same powers that the girl has, until we have the orb. If there are two stones, she’s got the power to make fire and the power to grow large or shrink herself down.”

“You mean I can set Angus’s croft on fire? That’d be great.”

“You need to leave things alone for now. Angus has the orb, as you say. Let him live until we have it in our hands and then you can do what you want with him, the girl and anyone else in our way. Remember what I tell you. With each stone there is a power. Here is what you will acquire, but only with the insertion of the jewel.” Phelan told Drayton all of his future powers. He stayed at the castle for most of the night.

“He practiced until he had mastered them. “Go now and come back when it grows dark again. Until then, stay out of trouble and see if you can find out anything else about this Fiona.”

“She lives with her mother, Mairi. That’s all I know about her,” Drayton said.

“Go and be careful.” The dark shape blended in with the stones as it floated out the door and back into the loch.

“That’s weird stuff!” Drayton rowed across the loch, tied up the boat and headed for the B&B. When he arrived, the front door was locked up. He climbed the walls and went in through his room window. Before he went to sleep he checked his email, hoping the translation of the book had come through. “What's this rubbish? Colin, you bloody fool! What do you mean you can't decipher it? Ach, forget it. I don't need it anymore.” Drayton typed a quick email back, cursing Colin. Furious with the lack of results, sleep didn’t come until early morning.