Isle of Skye, summer, 1596

Crouching low, Sheona MacLeod peeked around the huge evergreen and waited. She’d followed her brother, Alasdair, into the wood to watch him hunt, something she was not permitted to do, but lost sight of him. He could not have gone too far ahead and so she took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Moments turned to minutes and longer. Still, he did not return. Her father had taken her hunting in the past, but had decided recently that it was too dangerous.

Sheona stepped out from behind the tree and scanned the dark forest for sign or sound of movement. Wind rustled the leaves and a nearby stream trickled. Other than that, she was very much alone. She smiled to herself, enjoying the solitude. These woods were old and familiar; she would have no problem finding her way home. But she wouldn’t go until she found Alasdair. What if he’d been hurt?

A dark shadow ahead caught her attention. She stepped behind another tree and peeked around again. A figure moved through the wood, much taller than Alasdair. It must be one of the clansmen. Perhaps their hunt had been successful and they would feast this night. She listened for the sound of crunching leaves, but there was none.

Her curiosity got the better of her so she moved out into sight and walked toward the dark figure. It moved back and forth as if pacing. The closer she got, the more the figure intrigued her. It looked like it was floating, or drifting left and right.

Sheona squinted when a ray of sunlight broke through the trees directly onto her face. She blinked several times and when she could see again stopped and stared. The figure had ceased its lateral movement and approached. A shiver raced down her spine. The figure was cloaked and did indeed appear to be floating.

She opened her mouth to scream but no sound would come. Her feet would not obey her command to turn around and run. She panted as fear welled up, threatening to consume her.

When the figure was still several feet away, it stopped, reached up, and pulled the hood back, revealing a beautiful woman with golden, shimmering hair. All fear left Sheona’s body as she beheld the sight before her. The woman’s eyes were so pale blue they almost held no colour and her skin was white and smooth looking. Like the inside of a shell. She smiled.

“You see me, don’t you?” Her voice was deep and dimensional, as if three people spoke instead of one.

“Aye,” Sheona whispered. “Who are you?”

“I am the enchantress, Ava.” She turned her head to the side. “Curious. I have never encountered one so young who could see me before. From whence do you hail?”

Sheona pointed behind her. “I live in that castle. My father is the chief.”

“You are a very special girl, daughter of the chief. Would you like a gift?”

She had never seen an enchantress before, but she’d been told many stories about them. They were usually good, but if you made them upset they could put a curse on you.

“Is it a good gift or a bad gift?”

“’Tis a good gift, sweet lass.”

“Will you tell me what it is?”

“Aye, but first you must do something for me.”

“What must I do?”

The enchantress moved closer and reached inside her cloak and withdrew a pouch tied at the top with leather straps.

“Will you open this and touch the contents?”

“Aye.”

Sheona reached out her hand. The leather sac dropped onto her palm; it was surprisingly heavy for such a small thing. She opened it and shook it over her hand. Stones. There were five of them in total and the loveliest colours. As she gazed at them, a dazzling array of light sparkled within them. Before long, all five stones glowed bright hues of crimson, emerald, sapphire, gold, and amethyst.

“What are they?”

“They’re special stones from beyond this world and into the next, where spirits go when they die.”

“Like Heaven?”

The enchantress nodded. “Like Heaven.”

Sheona smiled. The stones were the most beautiful things she’d ever seen. “What makes them glow?”

“They do that when they connect with a soul they like. And they do like yours, lass.”

“May I keep them?”

“No, I will take them back, but you will always be able to feel their power. Spirits may wish to visit you from time to time. Do you mind if they do?”

“What would they want?”

“Some may just want to talk to a real person as they sometimes miss being in a body. Others may have a message they wish you to give to someone. Do you think you can do this?”

“I would be able to talk to spirits?”

“Aye. That is your gift if you wish it.”

“I do wish it. Mayhap I can speak with my mama. She died a long time ago and I miss her.”

“If your mama wishes to speak with you, she can. You will know when they are coming. You will hear someone talking to you, but you will not always see them.”

“Thank you, Ava.”

“You are welcome, child. Now run along to your castle,” Ava said and pointed over Sheona’s shoulder. “These woods are not safe for one so pure as you.”

Sheona looked in the direction the enchantress pointed and when she looked back, the woman was gone. She turned around in a circle, but no trace remained. Had she imagined it all?

“Sheona! What are you doing out here?”

Alasdair’s stern voice made her jump. “I wanted to watch you hunt.”

“If Father finds out you followed me, you’ll get no desserts for a week.”

Sheona smiled. Father always threatened that, but he never followed through. “Then you must be sure he does not find out.”

Alasdair ruffled her hair and led Sheona out of the wood and toward the castle. At that moment, she didn’t care about getting caught for disobeying her father. All she could think about was if her mama would come to her. That would make it a wonderful gift indeed.