The Enchanted Five

Book 1 Chapter 14

Ari barely slept. Every time she closed her eyes, she heard Bram’s voice echoing from the hallway the night before. Eilidh was my mate. Except Ari didn’t know what mate meant in his world. All she heard was girlfriend. Or worse, someone he loved and lost and still wasn’t over. Which meant she was not getting tangled in that mess. Not when she had research to do. Not when she had a prophecy to unravel. Not when she was already too aware of him. So she made a plan. Avoid Bram Fraser at all costs. She dressed quickly, shoved her hair into a messy bun, and slipped out of her room before the sun had fully risen. If she moved fast enough, she could grab breakfast and barricade herself in the library before he even...

“Ari?”

She winced. Torin stood at the bottom of the stairs, leaning against the railing with a mug of coffee and a smirk that said he was enjoying this far too much.

“You’re up early,” he said.

“So are you,” she muttered.

He shrugged. “I like to witness disasters as they unfold.”

Ari narrowed her eyes. “What disaster?”

Torin just grinned. “You’ll see.”

She brushed past him and headed into the great hall. The long table was already set, sunlight spilling across pastries and fruit. Moira had outdone herself again. Perfect. She could grab food, and Bram walked in. Ari froze. He froze. Torin, behind her, whispered, “And there it is.” Bram looked… confused. And tired. And unfairly handsome in a way that made Ari’s stomach twist.

He stepped toward her. “Ari.”

Nope. Absolutely not. She turned to Moira. “These pastries look amazing. Did you make them?”

Moira blinked. “Aye, lass, but...”

“Wonderful. Great. Love that.”

She grabbed a plate and piled it with fruit like her life depended on it. Bram frowned. “Ari, can we talk?”

“Nope,” she said brightly. “Busy. Eating. Chewing. Very important.”

Torin choked on his coffee. Bram’s brows pulled together. “You’re avoiding me.”

“Me? Avoiding? No. I’m just..” She waved her hand vaguely. “...walking in the opposite direction of you at all times.”

Torin wheezed. Bram stepped closer, voice softening. “Did I do something?” Ari’s heart lurched. Yes. No. Maybe. She didn’t know. She just knew she wasn’t going to be the girl who fell for a man who already had someone else. “I have work to do,” she said, backing away. “Research. Notes. Prophecy things. Very busy.”

“Ari...”

“I’ll talk to you later,” she said quickly, not looking at him. Then she walked out of the hall, plate in hand, pulse racing. Behind her, she heard Torin murmur, “She’s avoiding you, mate.”

And Bram’s frustrated growl. “Aye, I can see that. I don’t know why.”

Ari didn’t slow down. She couldn’t. Not when she was this confused. Not when she was this hurt. Not when she was starting to care about a man who clearly belonged to someone else.

Ari lasted exactly twenty‑three minutes in the library. She’d spread out her notes, opened her mother’s journal, lit a candle for “focus,” and even brewed a cup of tea. She tried reading the same paragraph three times. None of it stuck. Because every time she tried to concentrate, her mind drifted back to Bram. His voice. His expression. The way he’d looked at her this morning was like she’d personally wounded him. She groaned and dropped her forehead onto the table.

“This is ridiculous.”

She wasn’t here for him. She wasn’t here for his confusing moods or his tragic past or his stupidly broad shoulders. She was here for research. For answers. For her mother. But her brain refused to cooperate. Finally, she shoved her notebook closed and stood up so fast her chair scraped loudly across the floor.

“Walk,” she muttered. “Fresh air. Distance. No brooding Scottish men.” She grabbed her coat and headed outside, letting the cold Highland wind slap some sense into her. The castle grounds were quiet, the sky a pale winter blue. She pulled out her phone and opened the group chat.

Ari:

I need to complain about men. Anyone awake?

Cora responded instantly.

Cora:

Oh THANK GOD. Same.

Ari blinked.

Ari:

You too? What happened?

Cora:

My mystery beach man is infuriating. Beautiful. But infuriating.

El:

This should be good.

Cina:

Spill it, Shore.

Wynter:

I’ve got snacks. Continue.

Ari smiled despite herself and sat on a stone bench overlooking the loch.

Ari:

Okay, fine. Bram is… confusing. And frustrating. And apparently has a girlfriend? Maybe? I don’t know. I overheard something last night, and now I can’t stop thinking about it.

Cora:

Oh no. Same energy. My guy literally appeared out of nowhere, helped me carry canvases, smiled as he knew me, and then vanished like a sea ghost.

Cina:

So… your type.

Cora:

Shut up.

El:

Ari, what did you overhear?

Ari hesitated, fingers hovering over the screen.

Ari:

He said someone named Eilidh was his mate. I don’t know what that means in Scottish, but it sounds like "girlfriend." Or ex. Or something.

There was a long pause.

Then:

Wynter:

Oof.

Cina:

Yeah, that’s… something.

Cora:

Men are the worst.

Ari laughed out loud.

Ari:

Agreed.

Cora:

We should start a club. “Women Who Are Too Tired For This.”

El:

I’ll make shirts.

Cina:

I’ll make threats.

Wynter:

I’ll bring snacks again.

Ari leaned back, letting the cold air fill her lungs. For the first time since last night, she felt a little lighter. Her girls always did that, even from an ocean away.

Ari:

Thanks, guys. I needed this.

Cora:

Same. If my sea man shows up again, I’m throwing a paintbrush at him.

Cina:

Record it.

El:

Please record it.

Ari smiled, slipping her phone into her coat pocket. She hadn’t even noticed she’d wandered into the field that usually gave her the creeps, but today it felt different, like it was quietly pulling her in, and not in a bad way. The walk, the fresh air, and the girls had helped, so she decided to sit for a while to clear her head; she still had a knot in her chest that lingered. Because no matter how much she tried… Bram Fraser was still on her mind.