by Helen Harper
Aifric lunged towards me with such speed and suddenness that I wasn’t prepared. Byron tried to shove him out of the way, a tiny fireball flickering at his fingertips, but it was too late; the Steward was holding Bob’s scimitar and backing away.
‘Don’t even think about it, son,’ he hissed. ‘I’ve got the power now. With this letter-opener and with a genie at my beck and call, I can make all of this right. I can keep all of us safe.’ He glared at me. ‘You think you’re so powerful. Integrity Adair, the woman who has it all. You’re just a child,’ he sneered. ‘You’re no one. If it wasn’t for your Gift and your ability to steal magic from others, you’d still be hiding under a rock with your criminal friends. Well, let’s see what happens when I have that power instead.’ He held up the blade. ‘I wish for the Gift of Stealing, just like hers.’
Bob flew up, his expression utterly miserable. He looked at me helplessly but I knew he didn’t have a choice. ‘Your wish is my command,’ he whispered.
Aifric’s eyes widened then he threw back his head and laughed. ‘I can feel it! I can feel it flooding through me. I can take any magic I want.’ He strode towards me. ‘And I’m going to take yours.’
‘Father…’
It was too late, Aifric was already doing it. He reached inside me and ripped out all the magic contained there. He took back his Gift of Healing, he took Morna’s Gift of Growth and Kirsty’s Gift of Truth-Telling. He took the trickles of Animal Calling and Electrosurge. He took it all. I felt like my insides had been sucked out, like someone had reached to me and taken my heart. My legs gave away and I fell.
I heard Byron cry out and rush towards me. Blood thumped in my ears. Taylor was at my side, then Lexie and Brochan and Speck and Bob and May and Fergus. They were all there. Even Asbar started towards me. I was dimly aware of Aifric cackling loudly and dancing, pirouetting around the castle top.
‘The power!’ he yelled. ‘It’s consuming me! I will be unstoppable!’ He spun and cheered.
‘Wait,’ I whispered. Nobody heard me. I tried again. ‘He’s taken too much in one go. He’s not used to it and he’s going crazy with the adrenaline and the rush.’
Bob floated in front of my eyes. He winked at me, as aware of the consequences of the wish as I was. I lifted my head while Aifric jumped up and down. ‘I’m going to take it all,’ he roared. ‘All the magic in Scotland will be mine. I’ll take Scotland and then I’ll move to England. The world will be mine for the taking. I’ll…’ his eyes widened. ‘Shit.’
In his glee he hadn’t paid attention to where he was going. He was too close to the edge and the wall designed to hold people back wasn’t high enough. He was already toppling to one side. His hands flailed. ‘Help me!’ he screamed. ‘Help…’ I caught a glimpse of self-awareness and terror in his writhing eyes as he tipped over the edge. ‘…me….’
I closed my eyes. A second later there was a thump as his body landed far below. Bob zipped over and looked down. ‘It’s not a letter opener!’ he shouted. ‘It’s a scimitar!’ He frowned for a moment then turned to us and shrugged. ‘I don’t think he heard me.’
‘The army,’ I whispered.
The group who’d come with Aifric stared at the spot where he’d disappeared then turned and ran, disappearing through the door through which they’d entered. They wouldn’t get far but that might not matter. Any Sidhe Farsensers would have already realised that Aifric was dead. ‘We have to do something,’ I gasped.
Asbar snapped out brusque orders, telling the others to muster their forces and meet the Sidhe face on. ‘No, no, no,’ I whispered. ‘No.’
Over my head, I heard Fergus shout. With Byron’s help, I struggled up. ‘I need to see,’ I said. ‘What’s going on?’
He pointed. ‘There,’ he said quietly. ‘There they are.’
He was right, they were all there. The Sidhe were amassing and, even though I couldn’t see any expressions from this distance, I knew they were ready for the fight. Fomori demons came spilling out from the castle gates below and from Arthur’s Seat to the side. It wouldn’t matter who won, this would be a massacre on both sides.
‘Relax,’ Fergus said.
‘How can I relax? Hundreds, thousands are going to die and I can’t do anything to st—’ I paused. ‘What’s that?’ A cloud of dust was approaching the Sidhe army at a tremendous speed. I gaped.
‘I told you we had a plan,’ Speck said. He wagged his finger at me. ‘You should have more faith, Chieftain.’
‘Are those trolls?’ Asbar asked, blinking out in shock. Everyone around me beamed and nodded. ‘Are they being led by a very large man and a woman in a strange white dress?’
Lexie gave Taylor a high-five. I shook my head. ‘But won’t the Sidhe…’
‘Wait,’ Byron cautioned.
I blinked and stared. The trolls weren’t alone; the MacQuarries were behind them. So much for their promise to stay within the safety of their Lands. Next to them stood a towering group that couldn’t be mistaken for anything other than Wild Men.
‘Candy came through,’ Brochan said. He raised his eyebrows at Speck. ‘And so did your lot.’
My mouth was dry. Hundreds and hundreds of warlocks were encircling the group.
‘The Foinse is free,’ Speck said simply. ‘Now we have more magic than the Sidhe. The Clan-Less aren’t powerless any more.’
‘We stand with Clan Adair!’ they screamed, their combined voices as loud as if they were standing next to us.
Tipsania raised her hand. Whether reluctantly or not, the entire Scrymgeour Clan pulled away, crossing the divide and joining her. There was a pause and then, when she dropped her arm, they all bellowed, ‘We stand with Clan Adair!’
Byron smiled grimly. ‘You’re not the only one who’s been working hard to make things better.’
A smaller figure appeared from the middle of the Sidhe. The army of trolls came to a halt and Tipsania walked forward, her head held high and with the confident deportment of a Chieftain, and met the other figure halfway. I squinted. ‘Is that…?’
‘Kirsty Kincaid.’ Byron grinned. ‘She must have done what she promised.’
‘Which was?’
‘To usurp her own Chieftain and take the reins of her Clan. They’re one of the top four, you know. The others are conditioned to listen to her.’
I watched in shock. Molly Kincaid’s tiny figure joined them and she shouted something to the mass of waiting Sidhe. From this distance, her words were indistinct but I had a good idea of what she was saying. In fact, she was still talking when Jamie Moncrieffe strode up to her.
‘I told you I wasn’t twiddling my thumbs while you were dead,’ Byron chided me. ‘I wasn’t just learning how to pick locks. Obviously not all of this is down to me but I’ve helped smooth the way.’ He sounded rightly proud. ‘They were taken in by my father’s words but now they’re seeing the light.’
Literally and figuratively. I stared while the entire Kincaid Clan moved, effectively switching sides. They took up places next to the MacQuarries. ‘We stand with Clan Adair!’
At Jamie’s behest, at least three-quarters of the Moncrieffes did the same, then the Carnegies followed. Their Chieftain was a canny woman: she knew which way the wind was blowing and she knew what it would take to survive. With the Veil gone, the smart move was to fall back and, whether she liked me or not, she was smart. Others peeled off and followed. Each time they did, the call was the same.
‘We stand with Clan Adair!’
‘We stand with Clan Adair!’
‘We stand with Clan Adair!’
I pressed my lips together, my vision blurry with tears. ‘Three days ago, they wanted me dead.’
‘And now the Steward is dead instead,’ Fergus murmured. ‘People gravitate to where the power is. Some would have followed you anyway. Others will follow you because you’re the one who’s now in control. There will be plenty who are praying that you fail but unless you do, they’ll keep quiet. They’ll do whatever’s neces
sary to keep themselves safe.’
Crowd mentality indeed. Fickle freaks. Taylor took my hand, squeezing it hard. ‘The Adairs are never going to be forgotten now,’ he said quietly.
Bit by bit, the original Sidhe army was decimated. Plenty still remained but their ranks were in tatters. Even though I knew that I’d have their unmitigated hatred for a generation, all I could do was gape.
‘The Fomori are still approaching,’ Fergus warned.
My heart pounded. I turned to Asbar and gestured helplessly. ‘Call them off. We’ve helped you.’ I smiled at Speck. ‘There was a plan.’ He grinned back and doffed an imaginary cap. Then I pointed at the brilliant blue sky and gave Asbar another meaningful look. ‘You’re free now. All of us are free now.’
He stared at the dappled shadows around us which highlighted the now-golden sunshine. Even the Fomori army below us kept craning their necks upwards as if to check that the sun was still there. This wasn’t the day for fighting. It might be the end of Scotland as we knew it but it was also the beginning of our country. The Fomori king knew it as much as I did.
Bob beamed. ‘I can go tell them we’re all friends now.’ He glanced at Asbar and addressed him in Fomorian. ‘If that suits you? Are we friends?’
Asbar blinked rapidly before turning to me questioningly. ‘There is a lot that needs to change,’ he said.
I nodded. ‘On both our sides. We will need to talk and draw up agreements.’ My voice hardened. ‘We will not accept violence.’
He rubbed his chin. ‘It will not be easy.’
‘Nothing good ever is.’ I glanced at Byron with the tiniest of smiles.
Asbar held out his hand. ‘You have proved yourself,’ he said simply. ‘You have honour. You have…’ he looked at the green expanse stretching out from the castle and faltered for a moment ‘…changed our world. We will change with it.’ His voice hardened ‘We will have to change with it. So, yes, I suppose we are friends. You may go … Bob. I shall send other messengers too. Just in case.’
The little genie fist pumped the air, choosing not to hear the last of Asbar’s words. ‘Bob the genie saves the world! The prophecy was all wrong. It’s me who’s the saviour.’ With that, he zipped away.
I glanced down at the masses of people. Bob was going to be disappointed. The combined glowing swirl of Foinse and the Draoidheachd was already there, drawing enough attention to itself to distract anyone who had considered getting blood on their hands. We were going to have to come up with a better name for it now.
Byron pulled me to him and wrapped his arms round me. ‘I’m sorry about your dad,’ I told him.
He sighed. He wasn’t grieving yet but he would. ‘Yeah. He did it to himself in the end, though. I’m sorry he took all your magic.’
I grinned into his shoulder. He’d only taken what I’d already stolen. Because he had wished for the Gift of Theft from Bob, he hadn’t taken that from me with the rest of the magic. I wasn’t quite as bereft as Byron thought.
‘I’ll get over it,’ I told him. My smile grew. Maybe I’d keep this one secret for a little while longer. Just for fun.
Far below us, the Fomori army stopped their advance. As the remainder of those loyal to Aifric dropped their shoulders and slunk to the side, the front ranks of the Sidhe, trolls, warlocks and Wild Men walked forward cautiously to greet their opponents. There were no smiles but the threat of violence had diminished. Nobody actually wanted to die. We’d been brought up to hate them and they’d been brought up to hate us. It would take a long time before we achieved real peace and I knew things wouldn’t smooth themselves out just because I, Bob, Asbar and a few others said we were okay now. Revolutions might happen overnight but real change took far longer. We’d get there though; we were Scotland, after all.
‘If the prophecy really is coming true,’ I said slowly, mulling it over, ‘then that kind of makes me The Highlander. You know what that means.’
The others groaned behind me. ‘What?’ Byron asked, humouring me. Yeah, he’d get tired of that pretty soon. I’d have to milk it while I could.
I drew back and met his eyes. ‘There can be only pun.’
***
A few days later, I was back at the same spot, gazing at Edinburgh and the land beyond. There had been skirmishes and fights and a lot of traded insults but some Highlanders and Lowlanders were beginning to integrate. It helped that the trolls were glaring at anyone who dared to think about breaching the peace. I was under the impression that they were absolutely delighted.
Bob flitted up, landing on the parapet in front of me. ‘Penny for your thoughts,’ he said.
I gave him a smile. ‘I was just wondering what my parents would have made of all this and if they’d be pleased that the Highlands and Lowlands are back together again. If they’d be happy that we’re going to co-exist with the Fomori demons or if they’d be terrified that we’d never find a way to get along.’
‘If they’re anything like you, Uh Integrity, they’d be thrilled. They’d be so proud of you. I know because I’m a magnificent all-knowing being with powers you can only dream of.’
I laughed slightly. ‘If you say so.’ I glanced round. ‘Where’s Byron?’
Bob sobered up. ‘Looking after his father’s remains.’
I bit my lip and nodded. Aifric might have been a bastard but he was still Byron’s father. Byron was going to be very mixed up about his feelings but he was a decent, good man and I knew he would grieve. ‘I’m surprised you’re still here,’ I said to Bob. ‘I thought you’d already be off looking for a new target. Those wishes ain’t gonna wish themselves.’
Bob toed the stone. ‘I thought I might hang around here for a while, if it’s alright with you.’
He didn’t look up so he didn’t see my happy grin. ‘It’s very alright with me.’
Bob suddenly beamed. ‘Really?’
‘Really.’
He leapt up into the air and somersaulted. ‘Great! I need your help then. All you have to do is to sneak my scimitar into Brochan’s pocket. You’re a thief, you can do it without him noticing. I think the big merman and I could have a lot of fun together.’
I watched him and he deflated slightly. ‘You’re not going to do it, are you?’
‘Nope.’
‘Uh Integrity! You’re just no fun.’
I smiled and gazed down the hill. If I squinted, I could make out May and Fergus. It looked as if she was introducing him to a group of Fomori demons. I shook my head in amusement. The Bauchan would end up running the entire country if we weren’t careful.
‘They make a good couple, don’t they?’ Bob beamed.
‘Yeah,’ I nodded. ‘They really do.’
‘So when are you going to do it?’
I glanced at him. ‘Do what?’
‘Duh! You know what. You and Byron. When are you going to tie the knot? Get hitched? Walk down the aisle? Take the plunge? Get yoked? Say I do?’
‘It’s early days yet. Anyway, I think we’ve had enough excitement for a lifetime.’
He arched an eyebrow. ‘You think your wedding will be exciting? It’ll be the most monotonous and boring day I could imagine. It’ll be you and Byron gazing googly-eyed at each other and going all soppy.’ He made vomit noises.
‘Then why are you bringing it up?’
Bob straightened. ‘Because he’s the one.’
I loved Byron. But to say he was the one? That seemed rather … definite. ‘I don’t know that.’
‘Yes, you do,’ Bob said, not unkindly. ‘You’re not that stupid, Uh Integrity. You know what love is.’
‘Perhaps. But too many women think that a wedding is good just because it has a nice ring to it.’
‘I could kill you with my thumb, you know.’
My grin widened. ‘Go ahead. Give it a shot.’
He tutted. ‘Be serious, please. Is Byron perfect?’
‘No. Although,’ I amended, ‘he might be perfect for me.’
Bob grabbed my lit
tle finger and gave it a tight hug. ‘Lust projects. Lust sees perfection where none exists. You know Byron has faults and you know he’s not perfect. He knows you’re not perfect. You’re stubborn and hard-headed and you have a criminal past, not to mention that your jokes are possibly the worst ones in the universe.’ He held up his tiny hand. ‘Don’t interrupt me, I’m on a roll. Love isn’t about possession. It’s not about filling an empty void within yourself. I see you when you look at him. You want the best for him. You don’t idealise him. You know he still has a spoilt streak. You know he still has untapped potential but you want him to realise that for himself. You think your feelings for him are complicated but they’re really not. There are no secrets. No ulterior motives. No joking around or kidding yourselves. You’re willing to accept each other as you truly are. That’s why you should get married.’
I stared dumbly at him. For the first time in my life I might have regretted making a stupid joke before giving Bob a chance to speak. The genie clearly had hidden depths I didn’t know about.
‘Plus,’ he added, ‘I have always wanted to be a bridesmaid. None of that ugly dress shite though. I want to be beautiful. And I want fabulous wedding favours. Also, the chance to ridicule you because you’re wearing a giant white meringue.’
I flicked him away. ‘Get lost.’ I rather liked the idea of proposing to Byron. Maybe I’d consider it but I wasn’t wearing white. Hot pink all the way.
‘Yeah, yeah.’ He glanced behind my shoulder. ‘Speak of the devil.’
I turned round and spotted Byron. We smiled at each other, the rest of the world fading away until I barely noticed when Bob vanished, no doubt off to do more mischief.
‘Hey,’ I said eventually, when it became clear that we’d probably just stand there and grin at each other all day. ‘Did you manage to sort out, uh, your father?’
‘Yes. I’ve arranged for him to be taken back to the Moncrieffe Lands. His body will be safe from desecration there. And it’s important that we don’t just pretend he didn’t exist. Like it or not, he’s part of our story now.’ He slipped his hand into mine. ‘If he’d seen in you what I see in you, he would have yielded long before.’ I gave him a questioning look. Byron shrugged. ‘You’re a fighter. No matter how bad the going is, you never give up. When things are dark and it seems like there’s no way out, you find the exit. You’re a true warrior, Integrity.’