had been spoken, Angus' heart cried out for joy. I am released! Someone had come to find him. He thanked the Goddess and all creation for giving him a second chance. He would not waste it. And he would forever be a grateful slave to the one who had set him free.
As the stone fell away and he began to feel the weight of his own body again, his happiness knew no bounds. His sight began to return, and he could smell the green of the earth 36
Stone Heart
by Candace Sams
and feel the cool breeze of the night. He would never again take such things for granted. And he would never again harbor such hatred in his heart that others would suffer for his discontent.
As the world cleared before him, he saw a woman standing in the clearing that had been his home. The last of the stone fell away. He stretched his arms toward the stars and spoke for the first time in three centuries. "Thank you, Goddess! I will pledge myself to your service. Blessed Be!"
He leaped from the remains of the pedestal and landed before the woman. First, she stared at his chest, and then her gaze moved slowly up to his face. Before he could utter another word, she fainted.
* * * *
Shayla Gallagher read over the last of the documentation they had received. Her companion, Hugh, watched as she finished. Within the hour, their plane was due to land in Edinburgh, and they both had to know the entire story as it had been recorded. "This is entirely unacceptable , Hugh! This information should have been given to me much sooner."
"Aye, but we've had so many people entering information into the new database, none knew what the others had. All this has just been correlated." He waved a hand at the paperwork. "And no one would know about it now except someone broke into the records. When our archivists started piecing together why anyone would want to know where an old statue was ... Well, it took time, but everything started to fall into place. Still, it makes no sense. Without the proper 37
Stone Heart
by Candace Sams
incantation, what good does having this knowledge do anyone?"
"That's what worries me. Perhaps they do have it. Why an outsider might have the means to break an enchantment, when one of our former Sorceress' didn't even bother to record it, is a mystery. She wrote down everything else about the damned punishment and the man himself."
They immediately stopped talking when a flight attendant came by to offer drinks. Hugh was amazed when Shayla ordered a neat double whiskey. Clearly, the Sorceress of the Ancients was disturbed and angry.
"I believe she never meant for this Druid to see the light of day again, Shayla. It's the only reason for not writing down the means to break the curse. The records have also been scattered in different areas of the library. Had you not ordered that all the written documentation be placed in one central database, the knowledge of this man's existence would forever be sitting on the library shelves, gathering so much dust."
"That's no excuse, Hugh. Unless someone found him, his three hundred years is up. Our chance to help is over. The poor bastard will remain in his current form forever. I'm responsible for what happens to all our people. That includes this MacGregor fellow. I should have ordered more thorough research done on all our past records. Perhaps there might have been some way to help him..." Her voice trailed away as she looked out the window.
Hugh sighed and lowered his voice to a whisper. "This isn't your fault, my love. There's no way you could have known 38
Stone Heart
by Candace Sams
some previous Sorceress would take such pains to hide information of this nature. Besides, what can be done?" He paused. "This man seems to have been quite a bastard. It's a wonder the Sorceress who cursed him didn't just pass a judgement of death."
"It would have been far better if she had. What kind of woman could think up such a thing?" Shayla took his hand in hers. "Not all of us who've succeeded to the office
As the stone fell away and he began to feel the weight of his own body again, his happiness knew no bounds. His sight began to return, and he could smell the green of the earth 36
Stone Heart
by Candace Sams
and feel the cool breeze of the night. He would never again take such things for granted. And he would never again harbor such hatred in his heart that others would suffer for his discontent.
As the world cleared before him, he saw a woman standing in the clearing that had been his home. The last of the stone fell away. He stretched his arms toward the stars and spoke for the first time in three centuries. "Thank you, Goddess! I will pledge myself to your service. Blessed Be!"
He leaped from the remains of the pedestal and landed before the woman. First, she stared at his chest, and then her gaze moved slowly up to his face. Before he could utter another word, she fainted.
* * * *
Shayla Gallagher read over the last of the documentation they had received. Her companion, Hugh, watched as she finished. Within the hour, their plane was due to land in Edinburgh, and they both had to know the entire story as it had been recorded. "This is entirely unacceptable , Hugh! This information should have been given to me much sooner."
"Aye, but we've had so many people entering information into the new database, none knew what the others had. All this has just been correlated." He waved a hand at the paperwork. "And no one would know about it now except someone broke into the records. When our archivists started piecing together why anyone would want to know where an old statue was ... Well, it took time, but everything started to fall into place. Still, it makes no sense. Without the proper 37
Stone Heart
by Candace Sams
incantation, what good does having this knowledge do anyone?"
"That's what worries me. Perhaps they do have it. Why an outsider might have the means to break an enchantment, when one of our former Sorceress' didn't even bother to record it, is a mystery. She wrote down everything else about the damned punishment and the man himself."
They immediately stopped talking when a flight attendant came by to offer drinks. Hugh was amazed when Shayla ordered a neat double whiskey. Clearly, the Sorceress of the Ancients was disturbed and angry.
"I believe she never meant for this Druid to see the light of day again, Shayla. It's the only reason for not writing down the means to break the curse. The records have also been scattered in different areas of the library. Had you not ordered that all the written documentation be placed in one central database, the knowledge of this man's existence would forever be sitting on the library shelves, gathering so much dust."
"That's no excuse, Hugh. Unless someone found him, his three hundred years is up. Our chance to help is over. The poor bastard will remain in his current form forever. I'm responsible for what happens to all our people. That includes this MacGregor fellow. I should have ordered more thorough research done on all our past records. Perhaps there might have been some way to help him..." Her voice trailed away as she looked out the window.
Hugh sighed and lowered his voice to a whisper. "This isn't your fault, my love. There's no way you could have known 38
Stone Heart
by Candace Sams
some previous Sorceress would take such pains to hide information of this nature. Besides, what can be done?" He paused. "This man seems to have been quite a bastard. It's a wonder the Sorceress who cursed him didn't just pass a judgement of death."
"It would have been far better if she had. What kind of woman could think up such a thing?" Shayla took his hand in hers. "Not all of us who've succeeded to the office
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