by Helen Harper
The English-speaking demon stepped forward. ‘You teleported here.’
The Sidhe inclined his head. He didn’t look in our direction; he was wholly focused on the demons. ‘Our leader, the esteemed Steward of the Highlands, Aifric Moncrieffe, is requesting safe passage to this castle to discuss current … developments.’ I almost snorted. Current developments? Is that what we were calling war these days?
There was a pause while this was translated. The Fomori leader scratched his chin. ‘He is permitted to come with four others. None of them can be Sidhe.’
Again we had to wait for the translation, which was troublesome and time-consuming. I wondered how much had been lost in nuance over the years as a result. I promised myself that once all this was over I’d learn Fomori properly. I reckoned I was going to need it.
‘Nine others,’ the Sidhe shot back. ‘And they must all be Sidhe. We need to know that he will be safe.’
‘Are you suggesting that we would hurt him during the truce?’
‘It’s not only Fomori demons who are here,’ the Ochterlony idiot responded. He still didn’t look at us but we knew who he was referring to.
They bargained back and forth, eventually settling on five – a mix of Sidhe and others. Still unsmiling, the Ochterlony Sidhe bowed and vanished. ‘You should have nicked Teleportation from him,’ Taylor grumbled. ‘We could do with being as far away from here as possible.’
At his words, I glanced at the English-speaking demon. His other Gift was Teleportation and he’d heard what Taylor had said but all he did was smile.
Byron squeezed my hand. ‘I trust you with my life, Integrity. You need to make a decision and act now. If my father gets here, he’ll do whatever’s necessary to manipulate the situation. We won’t last five seconds.’
I looked at the others. Every one of them met my eyes.
‘I don’t know what you’re planning, Tegs,’ Taylor said, ‘but if anyone can find a way out of this, you can.’
Fergus nodded. ‘We’re dead anyway.’
Speck’s hands were shaking. ‘Did I ever tell you that I’m afraid of the dark? The sooner this happens, the better.’
Brochan rumbled in agreement and Lexie bobbed her head. Then, from out of nowhere, May spoke. Her Fomorian words were slightly stilted but she’d obviously mastered the art of speaking properly in record time. ‘If your Steward demands your death, my king will grant it. He won’t even think twice. The prophecy is still a danger, no matter what you say. Integrity, you must show him he can believe in you. And you have to do it now.’
Fergus sidled over to her; he didn’t look at her but his arm brushed against hers in solidarity.
Strangely enough, I didn’t feel nervous. This would either be our moment of glory or the moment when everything went to shite. It felt like my whole life had been leading up to this. I was going to succeed; I had to succeed. The fate of Scotland depended on me.
I cleared my throat. ‘We haven’t been properly introduced,’ I said, my voice carrying across the air. ‘I’m Integrity Adair.’
The demon leader looked at me. I had no clue as to what he was thinking but there was calculation in his red eyes. ‘Names have power,’ he said.
I sucked in a breath. ‘My true name is—’
He interrupted me. ‘I do not require or desire that sort of burden. I am Asbar.’
‘It’s nice to meet you.’
He blinked. I had the feeling I needed to get on with it or he’d get bored and fling me over the edge. ‘I told you before that I can help you. I was telling the truth.’
There was a flash of light. The demons winced and shielded their eyes. ‘Is it time?’ Bob demanded. ‘Are we getting ready to rock and roll? Because I gotta tell you, I’ve been thinking about this and I reckon it’s a good idea after all. No other genie has tried something like this.’ He nodded vigorously. ‘They’ll be singing my name for the next thousand years.’ He looked round. ‘Long after you lot are dust.’
‘Thanks, Bob,’ I muttered drily. I pointed at Fergus. He swallowed and reached for his bag, opened it and pulled out the Foinse. Its silver light cast a strange glow over us all. The demons gaped. Some were afraid, others were simply awestruck. ‘This,’ I said, with a dramatic flourish, ‘is the Foinse, the source of all Highland magic.’
It hummed in response and pulled upwards from Fergus, flipping once and then spinning over to me. I smiled at it and reached out, brushing its warm surface with my fingertips. I gestured to Asbar. The Foinse seemed somewhat reluctant but even so it flew over and hovered in front of him. He stared at it in fascination. ‘We have something similar,’ he said, ‘as I’m sure you already know.’
‘The Draoidheachd. Yes.’
He didn’t take his eyes from the Foinse. ‘Your pronunciation is appalling.’
I wasn’t going to get into an argument about the merits or otherwise of my Gaelic. ‘What do you understand about it?’
‘We keep it locked away. Looking at its light hurts us and we are wary of its capabilities. We would never permit it to get this close to us.’
I looked at Taylor who looked back, wide-eyed. He might not understand Asbar’s words but he guessed the gist of them. ‘Don’t let go of it,’ I warned him. ‘Not yet.’
He nodded, unzipping his jacket once more and drawing out the golden sphere. At least three of the demons cried out.
‘What is the meaning of this?’ Asbar demanded. ‘Where did you get it from?’
Taylor straightened, smiling casually even though I could see through the curve of his mouth to the fear beyond. ‘We stole it.’
I grinned and added a quick translation. I received several furious snarls in response.
The nearest demon lunged for it. May, however, jumped in front and blocked his path. ‘Wait,’ she said clearly. ‘Just wait.’
It was Byron’s turn. ‘My name is Byron Moncrieffe,’ he said. His voice rang out confidently. ‘I am the son of Aifric, the Steward of the Highlands. I have read enough history to know what happened during the Fissure.’ He pointed to the Foinse that was still bobbing in front of Asbar’s face and then to the Draoidheachd. ‘When the Veil came down and Scotland separated, so did the magic. These two used to be one. They used to be together, just like Scotland was.’
Asbar looked at him. Oh. ‘Sorry,’ I muttered. ‘He doesn’t understand what you’re saying. It sounded really good though.’ I quickly translated.
Asbar drew himself up. ‘What are you suggesting?’
I licked my lips. ‘If we join the Foinse and the Draoidheachd together then,’ I shot a glance at Byron, ‘we think the Veil will collapse.’ Every single demon froze; even Asbar seemed lost for words. I took a deep breath and continued. ‘I might have used magic to create crops for you but we all know they won’t survive for long without sunlight. Lose the Veil and I’m betting this land will return to what it once was.’
‘Without adequate protection, sunlight will kill us.’
I nodded. ‘But I still have one genie wish left.’
There were shouts from below the castle walls. Fergus edged over to have a look. ‘It’s Aifric,’ he said grimly. ‘He’s here. Work quickly, Chieftain.’
I stared at Asbar. ‘You don’t need the Steward. We can end this right now without him.’
A Fomori demon spoke up. ‘Don’t forget the prophecy. She could wish for anything. She could wish for us to be destroyed! They’ll take back the Lowlands and forget we ever existed!’
‘She’s not their queen,’ another agreed. ‘We should wait to hear what the other one has to say first.’
Asbar listened to them both and others chimed in with their own arguments. I tried to calculate how long it would take Aifric and his retinue to get up here. Minutes at best.
Byron leaned over. ‘What’s going on?’
‘They’re trying to decide,’ I told him. ‘Most don’t seem to think it’s a good idea. They don’t trust us. They don’t trust me.’
He ga
zed at me. ‘Then you know what you have to do.’ He was right. There was no point wasting any more time. Do or do not, as Yoda would say.
‘Bob,’ I whispered.
‘Integrity,’ he warned, using my real name for once. ‘Think very carefully about this.’ He was quivering in front of me.
I smiled. ‘Don’t worry, I already have.’ I closed my eyes. I had lots of options but I knew which one was right. ‘I wish for the Lowlanders to receive no ill effects from the sun.’
Bob’s eyes welled up with tears but he held them back and bowed. ‘Your wish is my command.’
All at once the demons stopped talking. ‘Did you feel that?’ one asked. ‘My skin…’ They turned towards me, realising something had happened. ‘What has she done?’
‘Get her!’
Byron stepped in front of me, using telekinesis to throw back the first furious advance. Asbar snatched out, attempting to grab the Foinse. It flew away, spiralling towards me. ‘Now, Taylor,’ I yelled. ‘Release it now!’
His hands left the Draoidheachd and, for a moment, it hung in mid-air. Then it flipped and spun on a direct collision course with the Foinse.
Everything seemed to slow down. I heard Asbar shouting. Bolts of magic blasted out from everywhere as the Fomori tried to do something – anything – to stop what was about to happen but they were no match for the magics. I smiled serenely and stepped back. A sudden explosion of light blasted us backwards, Sidhe, Fomori and everyone else. A loud hum filled the air, musical and light – and, above all, triumphant.
The conjoined magic spun upwards, zipping vertically as if it wanted to reach the stars. Above our heads there was a shaft of light, as if the sun were piercing through dark storm clouds. The light grew and grew, bathing everything in gold. At first I heard screaming and then there was nothing but awe.
I was the first to stand up. I walked over to the castle wall and gazed out. The view was magnificent; instead of the dark, dim shadows, green land stretched in front of me. Whichever way I turned, all I could see was bright light and beauty. The Veil had gone. We were one.
Bob flitted up to my shoulder. I dragged my eyes away from the magnificent vista and spoke, my words heavy with dread. ‘Go on then,’ I said. ‘What are the consequences? What’s going to happen as a result of my wish?’
He pulled backwards, hovering away from me so I could see him properly. He took out a massive handkerchief and blew his nose. ‘Bob,’ I said, even more alarmed. ‘Tell me. Is this going to hurt the Fomori?’
He wiped his eyes and threw the handkerchief to one side. Unfortunately it smacked Asbar on the nose. He hissed in disgust but he seemed to understand what I was asking of the genie. He watched us while the others gaped at the newly transformed Lowlands.
‘There are no consequences.’ Bob said, with a tremulous smile. ‘Not for this.’
My brow furrowed. ‘I don’t understand.’
He nodded gravely. ‘I know. No one ever does.’ He leaned towards me. ‘Why didn’t you wish for the Fomori to be sent away? A bit of sunlight isn’t going to stop all your problems. There still might be war.’
‘Asbar said it himself,’ I told him. ‘This is their home now. For better or for worse. There’s a Sidhe army out there preparing to meet them and…’ I choked slightly. ‘Things might yet become very bad. But this was the right thing to do.’
‘There’s your answer,’ Bob said simply. ‘Your wish was selfless. It won’t solve your problems and they might still turn around and kill you. So might Aifric. But you used your wish to benefit them anyway. Most people suffer the consequences of their wishes because most people wish selfishly.’
Byron put his arm round my waist. ‘You’re saying the key is altruism? Why the hell didn’t you tell us this before? It would have saved a lot of heartache.’
Bob rolled his eyes but Fergus understood. ‘Because if you knew that to succeed you had to be selfless, it would be almost impossible to be selfless. It wouldn’t work. Your mind would trick you.’
Bob nodded. ‘He’s right.’ He raised his voice. ‘But I’m still the magnificent being around here. Not him.’ Fergus just looked confused.
The English-speaking demon, who was listening in, murmured to Asbar. The Fomori leader stared at me. ‘This is true?’
I pointed at the sun. ‘You’re not burning up yet.’
‘No.’ He gazed round in wonder then he walked over to me and held out his hand. ‘You have saved Alba. And destroyed her too. We have a future now. All of us.’
‘You fucking bitch! What have you done? You’ve doomed us all!’
I glanced over at Aifric’s furious figure as he stood in the doorway and glared at me. Shite. It wasn’t time to celebrate yet.
Chapter Twenty-One
‘You cannot trust this woman!’ Aifric bellowed at Asbar. ‘The prophecy tells the truth! Look at what has happened! The sun will scorch your skin. Your children will burn and die. This is the end and she has caused it!’
‘Father,’ Byron said, ‘shut up.’
Aifric stared at his son. Calculation flitted across his expression and then he spread out his palms pleadingly. ‘Byron,’ he said heavily, projecting himself as the voice of reason. ‘I understand you have feelings for her. She is attractive in her way and power is always alluring. But she is a thief. I know the truth now. She stole my Gift from me. She ripped it from my very soul. That’s the kind of person she is.’
Byron folded his arms. ‘I know exactly what kind of person she is.’
‘She’s believes she’s doing the right thing but by bringing down the Veil, she’s brought about the destruction of the Fomori. And before the UV rays kill them, they will make a damned good attempt at killing us. Their armies were on our borders less than three days ago.’
‘But,’ Byron replied implacably, ‘they’re not there now.’ He shook his head sadly. ‘You have so much to answer for. What really happened to Clan Adair?’
‘Gale Adair killed them.’
‘No, he didn’t.’
A muscle jerked in Aifric’s cheek. The Sidhe, pixie and Bauchan, who’d been selected to come along, stared at each other. ‘Fine,’ Aifric spat. ‘But you need to understand the harsh reality of life. The only person who was strong enough to keep the Highlands safe was me. I was bargaining with the Fomori. If it weren’t for me, they would have invaded us long ago.’ He glanced at Asbar. ‘You know you were thinking about it.’
Listening to the translation, the Fomori leader shrugged. He didn’t seem to care; he already had everything his heart desired and it had nothing to do with Aifric. ‘It is true that we considered it. But we discarded the idea as too risky.’
I told Aifric what he’d said. The Steward of the Highlands could barely look at me. ‘You see?’ he said softly to his son. ‘It was too risky because I made it too risky. Gale wanted us to adhere to the old traditions of term limits. He didn’t think any one Chieftain should be Steward for too long. He clung to the old, outmoded ways without realising that experience is more important than length of service. I had that experience. He just wanted to take my place.’
Nothing I’d learned about my father suggested that was true. Other than offering my interpretative skills, however, I wasn’t getting involved in this. Byron needed to do this for himself, otherwise he’d never find peace.
‘So you killed an entire Clan?’ he demanded. ‘Because their Chieftain had a different political opinion to you?’
‘Until Integrity Adair got involved, there wasn’t a single Fomori demon incursion for twenty-six years,’ Aifric said. ‘What I did might have been brutal but we’ve had peace for that reason. Now we are on the brink of war.’
‘On your orders,’ Byron sneered. ‘You are the one who is causing the problems. You could tell them to stand down but I already know that you won’t.’
‘They,’ Aifric jabbed his finger at the Fomori, ‘will come to us. If the sun doesn’t kill them, they will invade our land – our land which is vulne
rable because of Integrity Adair. They will attack us and kill us. There will never be peace while they roam free. They do not belong here!’
‘They’ve been here for three hundred years. I’m not suggesting it’s going to be easy; we have different standards and different morals. But I’m confident we can find a way. We will work together, Father, and we will live together. That is the future. Even if it weren’t for them, the Sidhe are no longer the most powerful beings in Scotland.’
‘Because,’ Aifric spat, ‘she let the Foinse go.’
‘And we imprisoned it. And she has a name. Integrity. She’s the woman I love and you need to start getting used to it.’ For the briefest second I forgot to breathe.
Aifric was far from done. ‘Just wait. Just wait and see how enjoyable life is when you’re being told what to do by a warlock or one of those ... things.’
Speck frowned and started forward. I shook my head, warning him to stay out of this.
‘It’ll be an improvement on being told what to do by you,’ Byron retorted. ‘No more lies, no more manipulation. Scotland is free.’
‘The sun…’
Byron turned to me. I nodded and slid out Bob’s scimitar. ‘This belongs to the genie,’ I said softly. ‘I used my last wish to arrange for their protection from the sun. No one is getting fried. Although,’ I amended, ‘they might get a nice tan.’
Asbar huffed. He’d had enough of all this to-ing and fro-ing. ‘Let’s just kill him. There are more important things to do.’
‘No!’ I said abruptly. He looked confused. For what would probably not be the last time, I tried to explain. ‘We don’t need to kill him. We don’t need more violence.’
Despite not understanding my exchange with the Fomori leader, Aifric’s entourage sensed the danger. One of them stepped forward and addressed Byron and me directly. ‘If any harm comes to the Steward, the army has been ordered to attack.’
I grimaced. Aifric had thought of every eventuality. I appealed to Asbar once more. ‘If you just…’