He said that last word a little wryly. The Dionadair had fallen into the habit of calling Aini “their Seer” lately and it felt uncomfortable at best. Wrong on some days. She did See memories implanted on items that were important sentimentally to others. She also had the sixth sense they called Ghost Talking. She’d commanded the ghost kings to protect Thane on Bass Rock. But she had no idea how to call up ghosts when they might need them, if Nathair attacked suddenly.
“The clans that support Clan Campbell, and Clan Campbell itself, they must realize they’re being misled,” Aini said. “Mistreated. The king has shown more and more that he hates and fears the Scots. With the marriage laws. The taxes. The firing squad deaths after only the pretense of a trial. He’s taking our people and executing them as he sees fit. And Nathair is at the head of it. I’m sure some of them have lost loved ones to the prisons or the firing squads. There have to be sixth-sensers within their ranks. We can convince them. Surely, just the fact that they aren’t permitted to wear tartan unless they’re in Clan Campbell should show clearly enough that Nathair doesn’t respect the other clans.”
“Most will be Campbells.” Sadness drew Thane’s voice down a few notes.
Aini touched his shoulder, feeling the muscle and bone beneath his shirt. “We just need a real plan. Owen has to come around. His color looked better today. He’ll be fine soon, right?”
He had to be. Vera could not run this operation, and despite what the others claimed, Aini couldn’t either. She was completely unqualified. The rest of the rebels were so used to Owen running things that none had come forward to suggest a plan either.
Aini’s father jogged up the stairs, a wrinkled paper in his hands. His clothes were ironed to perfection despite the multiple threats going on in the world around them. He’d shaved too. The line around his tidy beard was sharp as the edge of a candy cutter. Aini approved.
He held up the paper and eyed everyone. “I have a very wild idea, my dears.”
Myles’s eyebrows lifted. “Okay…”
Aini peered over his shoulder to read the words inked onto the paper. “What is it?”
“Well, it appears to be a grocery list,” he said. “But I don’t think it is.”
Thane looked up from the candy, his eyes narrowed with intense focus.
“Do share,” Myles said, standing next to Aini. “Wild ideas are probably good for a rebellion.”
“Agreed,” Aini said.
Her father shook the paper out and studied it. “You see the odd use of a single letter for people’s names?”
“They’ve just abbreviated family members though, aye?” Thane had made his way over.
“I don’t think so. It fits too well. Think about the leaders of the French forces in the Channel.”
“Um, I honestly can’t say that I’ve been paying enough attention. Been busy, you know.” Aini raised an eyebrow.
He replicated the gesture. “Of course. But I heard the Weekly Address while in captivity.”
Just the mention of Father’s time spent in the hands of the Campbells made the room sway in front of Aini’s eyes. It had been the worst time in her life. And when she’d seen his finger on the ground after that fight at the barn…
“You all right?” Thane had come around and was now circling her waist with an arm to steady her.
She welcomed the support. “Yes. I’m fine. Sorry, Father. Go on.”
He nodded smartly though she could tell he was worried about her. “Seven names came up frequently in the reports about the last clash with the French off the coast. I rejoiced in every mention of them because they’re truly giving King John some real trouble. He deserves some trouble, wouldn’t you agree?”
“That’s one way of putting it,” Aini said.
The murdering king deserved more than trouble. He deserved death for all the sixth-sensers he’d ordered killed, those he’d starved through higher taxes, the couples he’d torn apart simply because one was Scottish and didn’t have his approval, and most of all, for the children orphaned and left in the streets when their parents never returned from what he and Nathair called questioning. Once those poor souls were in the famed cells under Edinburgh, waiting to be questioned, they were lost to their families. Aini had only been without Father for a short time. She couldn’t imagine worrying and waiting for years upon years. It was the worst kind of torture and no one should have to suffer it, let alone sweet little children.
Father ran his finger down the list. “Well, of those military leaders named, one begins with a B, one with a C, and another with an A. All those letters are shown here.”
Aini read the list to herself.
B’s milk
C’s big box of oaties
two dozen eggs for C too
A’s bag of apples even if they’re a bit overripe
“Or it could just be a list of groceries, Mr. MacGregor,” Myles said, shrugging.
“You may be right, Myles. But I think it is at least worth looking into because of its source.”
“Did you find it?” Thane asked.
“No. Rob did. One of the Dionadair. The one with the cap?”
“I like him.” Myles smiled. “He made me a great cheese sandwich this morning and told me two dirty jokes I’d never heard.”
Aini smacked Myles. “Focus.”
A grin flickered over Thane’s full lips.
Father cleared his throat. “Rob found it in the house of a prominent banker who the Dionadair suspect is the contact for an English operative in France.”
“You should’ve led with that.” Myles elbowed Father gently.
He laughed. “It’s not like I’m Dionadair. I don’t know how these things work.”
“So what does this mean in your humble opinion?” Aini asked.
“I think it’s a report on the number of ships outside Calais, near the disputed territory. I believe these are the ships England’s forces will come up against during their next attack. B is Beauchamp, that artillery expert they dug up from Provence. He was in the Weekly Address, remember? C is General Caron. He has a flyer carrier out there and his entire fleet of fighters.”
“And A must be that Captain Abbe,” Aini said. “Even I’ve heard of him.”
“Oh!” Myles slapped his leg. “That’s the old man with the fleet of sailors from the last colonial war. We colonials love that guy.”
“He saved your arses when the king decided he wanted half the cut on exports, right?” Thane handed the list back to Father. “Made reducing that tax a part of the peace treaty.”
“Yep. The leader of Mint has a tattoo of him.”
Mint was Myles’s favorite band. Aini thought perhaps they overused the banjo a little. “What an honor.” She handed the list back to Father. “Did you tell Owen yet?”
“Owen’s not in his right mind, squirrel.” Father’s eyes were kind, but Aini didn’t want to hear that news.
“Are you coming with us when we go to Inveraray? You can change your mind. You don’t have to stay here.”
“If you truly need me there, I will go. You know I will. But I don’t think having an old man with you is a good idea. You need fighters. I’d only be in your way.”
Aini pulled him into a hug. “You are never in my way.”
“And you’re not old,” Thane added.
Father smoothed the hair at the back of Aini’s head and she breathed in the wool scent of his sweater. “I’m off to talk to Rob,” he said. “He and Samantha will have thoughts on what to do with this information. I’m also hoping I can make contact with Darnwell. The king is keeping a very close eye on him and his wife, I’m sure. But maybe they can help us somehow.”
Lord Darnwell was an eccentric noble—his mustache was phenomenal—who just happened to be married to the French queen’s half-sister. He and Father had bonded over how to operate Enliven. Darnwell had his own boutique business. He painted miniature portraits. Most of the nobility looked down on his quirky art, but Father had, rightly so,
appreciated the man’s unique talent. Aini herself had danced with the lord at several elite parties over the years. Contacting him, well, who knew what kind of situation he was in with the war in France? To think that he might be able to somehow help them, that was surely a long shot.
“You’re sure making contact won’t put him and us in danger?” Aini asked.
“I will get the Dionadair to help me use a code. I’ll only go forward with it if Owen agrees to it.” And with a sad smile, Father left the makeshift lab.
Aini’s heart warred with itself. She wanted Father with her through this nightmare, but she also needed him to be safe. He’d been through so much. Having him out of the direct line of fire was also a necessity to her mental health.
Myles switched on the television. A man in a sharp, blue suit stood in front of two cages that each held a sixth-senser. Aini shivered. Their hair was matted and bruises colored their cheekbones and arms. The kingsmen had gagged the sixth-sensers. The king was still so afraid of what they’d say. They’d been questioned, the reporter said. Aini shook her head. Not questioned. They’d been tortured. She couldn’t wait until the slimy king found out he wasn’t going to be able to hold Scotland in his vicious hands for much longer.
Myles cut the finished hard candies while Aini worked on another batch. Thane set a plastic tray of finished taffy on the end of the counter. Inside, golden strips of sugar and Cone5, wrapped in pale wax paper, sat ready for the experiments they’d planned.
If things went well with Thane’s mother and the clans in Inveraray, the team would run the tests at the estate.
If things at Inveraray went badly, and the clan decided not to believe Aini and Thane’s story and came to the conclusion more sixth-senser blood should be spilled right then and there, well, there wouldn’t be any call for altered sweets or battle plans. The rebellion would be over before it started.
So many lives hung in the balance.
As Aini stirred the second batch of hard candy, the pink-lavender hue in the pot darkened into a deep purple, like circles under tired eyes. “I added too much dye. These look awful.”
Myles peered over her shoulder, smelling faintly like the white pepper and nutmeg chewing gum he’d munched on this morning during his quest to fool his eyes into seeing some version of the Loch Ness monster. He wouldn’t listen when Neve told him this wasn’t even close to the right area for that story.
“The color is fine,” Myles said. “A little depressing maybe, but maybe since it’s darker, we’ll remember how much more powerful it is.”
Breathing out through her nose, Aini took the candy from the heat and poured it out on the baking sheet. She locked eyes with Thane who was cleaning the taffy puller with a wet rag. “Will you two finish up here? I’m going to see Owen.”
Thane met her at the door. His shirt collar was nearly worn through. It hung loosely to one side, showing off his collarbone and the spot where not so long ago his Campbell necklace hung.
“Do you want me to come with you?” he asked.
He cleaned taffy from his fingers and Aini couldn’t help but remember the time they’d kissed in the middle of making the candy. Sugar, sparkling colors, the heat of his body against hers…
“Aini?”
“What? Oh no, that’s okay. If it’s important, I’ll grab you and the others.”
“All right then.”
He went back to his work, stoic as ever. She smiled at his broad back, then trotted down the stairs. She wished they had time to have fun together. But every minute the Dionadair waited to act was another minute Nathair might find out what happened and move to get the king to help him crush the burgeoning rebellion. There wasn’t any time to lose.
Through damp, browning grass dotted with purple mushrooms, Aini hurried to the main house. She would tidy up this situation and get things moving. She didn’t want to plan their next move, but she was more than fine with putting a fire under those who did know how to take down a monster.
Chapter 2
Experiments and Fear
Thane grabbed the box of caramels he’d made before everyone woke up this morning, said bye to Myles, and slipped out the safe house’s back door. Wind bumped against his cheeks and pressed into his glasses. It was colder than it should’ve been for this early in the autumn. Behind the house where they’d been since their quick escape from Edinburgh, steep hills sloped into a narrow stretch of tall, yellow grass and moss-covered rock.
The box lid slid off easily and the smell of caramel wafted into the crisp air. The others might think of him as the Heir or some great genius, but Thane knew well he’d made plenty of mistakes. This candy might end up being one of his most embarrassing ones. Better to test it outside, away from everyone. Safer too. That first batch had developed a nasty slime and he hadn’t wanted anyone to touch it let alone test the stuff. This batch looked fine, but he really didn’t know. Who knew what this blend of blood and muscle altering chemicals would do? He didn’t want to accidentally explode all over everyone in the guest house.
With a deep breath, he bit off a corner of one caramel. It was delicious. At least that part was right. Despite what was coming, what he had to do very soon, he really hoped this altered sweet didn’t drop him dead where he stood.
A slow heat rose from his heart and into his throat. He touched his cheeks as they flushed hot. His quadriceps spasmed. It wasn’t painful, but it felt very odd. He swallowed. He really, really didn’t want to die. He wanted to enjoy at least one more day with Aini.
Muscle spasms squeezed their way down his body. Trapezius. Rhomboids. Obliques. The tendons around his groin even tightened.
“Whoa. Take it easy,” he mumbled to himself, extremely glad he’d made the decision to do this away from prying eyes.
Then his body seemed to settle into a low hum of tension and heat. Like he was a car idling, ready to take off fast from the line and leave the rest of the traffic behind.
“That’s much better.”
With a grin, he started to run.
Wind sheared over his face as the surrounding hills blurred to each side. He hurtled easily over a boulder coated in orange moss and veered left to avoid a patch of black mud.
It felt amazing.
Struggling to keep up with his muscles, his lungs burned hot as his blood. He was almost flying, his long stride eating up the distance between the house and the end of the valley. Peeking over his shoulder, he saw the roof and the sturdy walls—now just a spot on the horizon.
He threw his head back and laughed out loud. “This is madness!”
Turning quickly, he ran back toward the house, his legs moving too quickly for him to see properly. His lungs shook inside his chest, and he slowed, legs humming still. Back where he’d started, he put his hands on his knees and gulped the cold air.
When he straightened, five faces appeared in the back windows. Dionadair. Their mouths hung open. They looked at him like he was a god.
He snatched up the box of caramels and held it high. “It was just the candy. Anyone could do it.”
But they either couldn’t understand what his actions meant or they refused to believe he was any less than what they wanted him to be because they kept staring and raised crossed thumbs high as a sign of respect.
Thane shook his head and tucked the caramels under his arm. He almost wished he thought of himself as highly as they did. Maybe then he’d be as confident about claiming the roles of Clan Campbell chief and King of Scotland as they were about the whole mad thing.
He thought of the storm Dream he’d had last night, the feel of the ice on his skin, the sound of the wind against a car window…
Yes, he knew being a Dreamer and the Heir was in his blood. Yes, he knew the prophecy and the ghost kings all proved he and Aini were meant to do all of this. But a big, fat chunk of him still couldn’t accept it. He knew his own limitations. He was only twenty-years-old, for God’s sake. He didn’t have the life experience of someone like Lewis MacGregor or half th
e Dionadair.
Thane knew Aini could play her role. She’d been bossing people about for years. She had the very soul of a leader, the practicality of a general, and the ability to learn very quickly what she needed to know to lead the Dionadair.
But Thane, he’d never wanted to lead. He’d longed to leave Clan Campbell, not rule it. He did love Scotland though. To his core. It was his breath and his heart. He only prayed he wouldn’t destroy it trying to live up to the prophecy that tied him to this green and lovely land.
He decided to try one more run to see how long the caramels lasted. Taking off toward the valley again, he recited the Periodic Table to calm his nerves. …N, Nitrogen…
A sudden memory of his father’s face blinked through his brain.
Nathair was smiling and it was terrible like it had always been.
“No!” Thane sped up though the caramel’s effect was wearing off. “I am no longer a Campbell like you. I will fight you. I will fight your influence.”
His legs stretched to jump over a shining puddle of rainwater. The silver surface flashed the reflection of an angry man who looked far too much like Nathair Campbell, despite the different coloring. Thane dragged himself to an abrupt halt. He fisted his hands and let the bones of his knuckles painfully strain against his skin. The world tilted a bit. Taking a breath, Thane threw his head back and shouted into the wilderness. Another breath and he’d purged some of his fear and rage.
He brought the memory of Nathair’s smile to mind. “I will not be like you. I will never hurt those who love me. I am not your son. I am not your son. I am not your son.”
If he said it enough, he hoped he’d begin to believe it.
The Edinburgh Seer Complete Trilogy Page 27