Veiled Threat

by Helen Harper

  ‘It’s because it’s so quiet,’ Speck said. As soon as the words left his mouth, I realised he was right. There was the faint sound of wind echoing through the building but there was nothing else – no voices, no wildlife, not even any birds. I swallowed and took a step forward, then another and another. Before long I was standing on the threshold. My father had passed through here, my mother too. Maybe he’d gone with tradition and carried her over the threshold in his arms. They’d both have been laughing. Loving. I shook my head. These ghosts were of my own making. There was nothing here.

  Drawing in air and holding it in my lungs, I moved inside, passing through a large entrance area which was covered with rotting wood and piles of what seemed to be old fabric. I caught sight of some ancient bloodstains and hastily looked away. I didn’t need to see those.

  Beyond the entrance area was a large open courtyard. A chill descended across my body and I bit my lip hard, drawing blood. A dark patch covered the dirty flagstones and, feeling my chest tighten, I walked over to examine it. I bent down, trailing my fingers along its edge.

  ‘What is it, Tegs?’

  My hands shook. ‘It was here,’ I said in a whisper. ‘I’m sure it was here.’ It didn’t make any sense but somehow I knew. Apparently some invisible tie linked me to the past in ways I couldn’t begin to understand.

  Bob buzzed over. ‘What? What was here?’

  ‘Shut up,’ Taylor told him, not unkindly. ‘Your parents?’ he asked me.

  I laid my palm flat on the spot, feeling the cool stone radiate against my skin, and nodded. ‘They died here. Both of them.’ I didn’t have any tears, just a hard knot in my chest that seemed to expand. I stood up and walked away, breathing quickly.

  Taylor followed me and touched my arm. ‘We can still turn round and walk away.’

  I pressed my lips together. ‘No. Let’s do this.’

  Averting my gaze from the patch, I looked at the rest of the courtyard. It was in a very sorry state. Weeds poked up here and there, nature asserting itself over our arrogant attempt to claim the land. There were numerous other dark splodges, old cracks and piles of rubble.

  Discounting the main entrance, there were three other doors leading into the dark maw of the interior. ‘Eeny meeny miny mo,’ I muttered, before raising my chin and striding towards the first one on the left. I’d barely stepped inside when there was a strange rush of air. Speck shrieked. A heartbeat later, dozens of bats came flying out, wheeling round the open courtyard then exploding into the air. I ducked to avoid them.

  ‘My hair!’ Speck screamed. ‘They’re in my hair! Help me!’ He cowered, his hands covering his head. ‘Bats. Hate bats. I’m okay, I’m okay, I’m okay.’

  Brochan ambled over and yanked Speck to his feet. ‘You’re okay,’ he said gruffly.

  Speck slowly dropped his arms. He looked around. ‘They’ve gone?’

  I smiled. ‘They’ve gone.’

  He shuddered.

  ‘You’re such a wimp,’ Lexie told him.

  ‘Bats are dangerous,’ he replied, his voice still high. ‘They carry rabies, you know.’

  ‘Yeah. And if one bites you, you’ll turn into a vampire. Then, hard as it is to believe, you’ll be even paler than you are now.’

  He stuck his tongue out at her and she grinned back. ‘Now I, on the other hand, would make a fabulous vampire queen. I’d dress in blood red and swan around Aberdeen making everyone my bitch.’

  ‘Everyone’s already your bitch,’ he mumbled.

  She patted his cheek. ‘No. Only you.’ She sauntered away from him.

  Leaving them to it, I peered through the open doorway. ‘Hello?’ I called, not expecting an answer but hoping that any other wildlife would hear me and get out of the way. This time only silence answered me so, ignoring the faint hammering of my heart, I stepped inside.

  I was in a long and surprisingly wide corridor. It was dark and dingy, with wood panelling and heavy green wallpaper which felt furry to the touch. Here and there I saw old paintings, most of which were covered in so much grime that it was impossible to see what they were of. The place smelled heavily of guano.

  Taking the first door, I pushed it open. Something was blocking it from the other side so I used my shoulder against it. It opened enough to allow me entrance. Now at least there was some light; whatever this room was, it was well designed in that respect. Windows lined one side and, although the majority of the panes were smashed and brocade curtains fell across a large portion of them, this was no dingy cave.

  A long-dead fireplace that was probably larger than my first bedroom stood at the end. Hanging over it was a grimy and dust-laden emblem. I squinted: it could only be the Adair coat of arms. How long was it since that symbol meant anything other than death and disaster? I traced over it with the tip of my finger, blowing off the dust, then pulled back. My father had stood here, my mother too. They’d gazed at the emblem just like I was doing, except their emotions were probably proud. I wished wholeheartedly that I could feel the same.

  The wall along the right was filled with book-lined shelves. Abandoning the coat of arms, I stepped gingerly across an old armchair and pulled out one dust-laden tome, blowing at it so I could examine its title. Midwifery for the Modern Household. My jaw tightened and I quickly returned it to the shelf.

  The other rooms were very similar. Signs of decay and creeping mould, not to mention the destruction that had happened so long ago, were visible everywhere. Thankfully there were no bodies. No doubt whoever had been here after my father’s purported massacre had cleaned them up.

  I took my time exploring, memorising the layout. With four storeys and rooms galore, it took a long time. I found it hard to imagine myself growing up here. Even in this sorry state, it seemed a world away from the childhood I’d actually experienced.

  When I finally emerged into the courtyard, Brochan was busy pulling up weeds. Speck, Taylor and Lexie were in a huddle. There was no sign of Bob.

  ‘This place is a real mess,’ Lexie said quietly. ‘Just cleaning it up will take years.’

  ‘It’s huge too,’ Speck agreed. ‘Can you imagine us rattling around here with only ourselves for company?’

  The blue-haired pixie waggled her eyebrows at him. ‘Well, there are a lot of bedrooms. We could christen each one. Just you and me, Speck. A different position in each...’ He gave her a small shove.

  ‘Will you two cut it out?’ Taylor grumbled. ‘Tegs needs this. We’re going to be here for her no matter what.’

  ‘Yeah? And what exactly are we going to eat?’ Lexie demanded. ‘We can’t just wander down to Tesco. There’s no Wi-Fi, no phone, no electricity. We’re miles from anywhere that—’ Speck hit her arm as he caught sight of me listening in. She faltered. ‘Oh. Hi, Tegs.’

  A smile tugged at my mouth. ‘Don’t stop on my account.’

  She had the grace to look embarrassed, which wasn’t my intention at all. ‘What do you call a power failure?’ I asked.

  Her head drooped. ‘Don’t know.’

  ‘A current event.’

  ‘Ha ha,’ she mumbled. ‘I suppose I deserve some cheese.’

  I was only just getting warmed up. ‘What do you call cheese that is sad?’

  She glanced at me through her fringe. ‘Haven’t I suffered enough?’

  I smirked. ‘Blue cheese.’ I pulled out a scrunchie and tied back my hair. It was time to get down to business. ‘Now let’s get serious. You don’t have to be here. I’m not going to hold it against you if you want to leave.’

  ‘It’s not that. It’s just...’ Her voice trailed away.

  ‘Getting this place into shape is going to be more work than any of us realised.’

  Lexie bit her lip and nodded. ‘Yeah.’

  ‘I have the money I won from the Games. I could use it to hire some Clan-less. Get enough of them and we can clean this up,’ Taylor said.

  ‘We’ll run through that cash far too quickly. But it would be good if you could work
on getting some power down here. Even that will cost a pretty penny. They must have had electricity at some point so it shouldn’t be too hard. It’s not as if my parents were around in the dark ages. Wi-Fi though...’

  ‘I’ll get on it,’ Taylor said.

  I smiled at him gratefully. ‘As for cleaning up, I have an idea. We can get one of the other Clans to help us. I promised Chieftain MacBain I’d retrieve her uncle’s body for her.’

  Lexie paled. ‘The one beyond the Veil?’

  ‘Yep.’ I bit my lip. ‘You know I have to go back. I have to find out whether the Fomori are keeping people like us as slaves.’ The evidence had certainly pointed that way when I’d breached the Veil before the Games to retrieve Dagda’s Harp. It wasn’t a thought I wanted to dwell on but I couldn’t forget about it either.

  ‘You told Aifric. He’s the Steward, he should send a team to find out,’ Brochan protested.

  I met his eyes. ‘We all know that’s not going to happen. Besides,’ I added, trying to make light of the situation, ‘it shouldn’t be too hard. Matthew MacBain’s remains are in an abandoned house on the fringes of Glasgow. I can scout around on the outskirts and look for evidence of others while I’m there. It’s unlikely I’ll even see a Fomori demon.’ Given the events of last night, my words sounded hollow even to myself but I soldiered on. ‘And in return I’ll ask Chieftain MacBain for some help with sorting this place out. She promised me a favour for retrieving her uncle’s body and she’s got minions coming out of her ears.’

  ‘You know,’ Brochan rumbled, ‘you did promise the genie another wish.’

  I winced. ‘Yeah, but I don’t want to waste it on something we could probably manage ourselves with a bit of elbow grease. If I wish for this place to be returned to its former glory, we’ll probably end up in the middle of another massacre. You know how wishes work.’

  ‘That didn’t worry you when your old mate Chandra attacked us.’

  ‘Saving lives is a whole heap of different. Speaking of which, that’s what the rest of you need to do.’ I paused. ‘If you choose to stay, that is.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Find a way to reactivate the magical border. We need to know that we’ll be safe within these Lands, if nothing else.’

  ‘We can do that,’ Lexie said quietly.

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Is all this going to be worth it?’

  I looked round at the high walls and tried to envisage what the place could be like. ‘Yeah,’ I said, wishing I could convince myself. ‘I’m sure it will be.’

  ***

  By unspoken agreement, we moved out of the mansion for the night. Until the place was cleaned up and sparkly new, it was too damned spooky to sleep in. Taylor settled into the back seat of the car and Lexie, petite as she was, curled up in the front like a cat. The rest of us pulled out some old blankets and bedded down on the ground. It wasn’t the epitome of luxury and we had to snuggle together to keep out the cold but it was quite romantic being outside and staring up at the dark night sky. I bundled up Byron’s jacket and used it as a pillow, telling myself that it was because it was bulky and comfortable; the fact that I could smell him every time I twitched had nothing to do with it.

  Stars twinkled down at us. I stretched my arms behind my head, ignored the loud snores coming from either side of me and trailed my eyes across the dark expanse. Despite the long day, I didn’t feel in the slightest bit tired; my mind was too busy, flitting from problem to problem. Aifric. The Perth Fomori demon. My ability to steal magic. The Adair Lands. What might be happening beyond the Veil. The truth about my parents. On and on and on and on.

  A faint buzzing rose up in my ears and I slapped at myself absentmindedly. Damn midges, they were the bane of every Highlander. It was hard to believe they were alive at this time of year; surely it was still far too cold. Then I frowned and sat bolt upright.

  I scanned the horizon. Everything was dark but I could make out the shape of the lonely tree off to the right and, if I craned my neck, the looming hulk of my ancestral home. There wasn’t a sign of anything else but if Aifric was sending more would-be assassins after us, this was where they’d arrive. Until that magical border was up, we were vulnerable.

  I was too jumpy. I had to be imagining things but the buzzing was getting louder. I pushed off the blankets and stood up, trying to avoid disturbing Speck and Brochan. I stepped over their sleeping bodies and tensed my muscles.

  A strange, keening cry came from the distance. I whipped round, eyes narrowed to try to see what manner of beast this could be. Another demon?

  ‘Yeeeeeeeee...’

  I tilted my head. That sounded like...

  ‘...haaaaaaaaaa!’

  I did a double take. No, strike that: it was more like a triple take. From round the far corner of the Adair mansion came Bob’s tiny figure – and he wasn’t alone. Instead he was perched on a glowing orb of silvery light which was hurtling towards me at immense speed.

  Convinced that it was going to smash into my face, I ducked. The sound, which I couldn’t believe I’d mistaken for a cloud of midges, grew louder. It wasn’t a buzz though, it was more of a happy hum.

  ‘Uh Integrity!’ Bob yelled. ‘Are you playing hide and seek? Because that’s not a very good hiding place. Just because you can’t see me doesn’t mean I can’t see you!’

  I lifted my head. Hovering directly above me was Bob, clad in full cowboy gear complete with tiny leather chaps, a battered Stetson and spurs. And he was sitting astride the Foinse – the source of all Scottish magic which no one had seen since I’d freed it from its mountain prison.

  ‘Wow,’ he said. ‘You need to go see a good dentist. I can see all your teeth and, sister, they ain’t looking good.’

  ‘Bob,’ I said faintly, closing my mouth so I no longer looked like a guppy. ‘You’re riding the Foinse.’

  He beamed. ‘I know! I think Foinse is a daft name though. I’m going to call it Draoidheachd instead. That’s Gaelic for magic,’ he said knowledgeably. ‘I’ve been practising the spelling. You Scottish people don’t half make life difficult for yourselves. Anyway, let me tell you, having this kind of power between my legs makes me realise why all those women love me so much.’ He flung an arm up into the air. ‘Giddy up!’ The Foinse didn’t move. Bob frowned. ‘Come on. Let’s go that way!’

  Rather than flying in off in the direction Bob wanted, the Foinse gently lowered itself down and brushed – or, truth be told, nuzzled – my cheek. It felt oddly warm and pleasant.

  ‘What is it doing here?’

  ‘Uh Integrity,’ Bob said patiently. ‘I am a magnificent being with powers you can only dream of. I have told you this many times. However, the source of all Highland magic does not speak, even to a wondrous personage such as myself.’

  The magic in my veins buzzed. I scratched my head. ‘Kirsty’s Gift still works,’ I said quietly. ‘In fact, it feels stronger than normal.’

  ‘So?’

  ‘The last time I encountered the Foinse...’

  ‘Draoidheachd,’ Bob prompted.

  ‘Dree...’ I rolled my eyes. ‘I can’t even begin to pronounce that. The last time I encountered the Foinse, being close to it nullified all Gifts. This is different.’ I gave the orb a suspicious look, as if it were some kind of imposter.

  Bob’s expression turned serious. ‘You of all people should understand just how powerful freedom can be. Truth, liberty and justice for all.’ He glanced sidelong at me. ‘I helped write the American pledge of allegiance, you know. I wanted it to be truth, liberty and cake for all but they seemed to think justice was better. Ha! Goes to show what they knew.’ He snapped his fingers and produced a cupcake, then buried his face in its icing and made sounds of approval.

  ‘It’s free,’ I said quietly.

  ‘I already said that,’ Bob told me through a mouthful of crumbs.

  ‘It’s happy.’ I reached out a hand, thought better of it and withdrew it. ‘So the magic is stronger.’
/>
  ‘Freedom,’ Bob agreed. ‘George Michael was right when he sang about it.’

  ‘Careless,’ I whispered back with a wink.

  The Foinse pulled back and started to shake. Bob tossed the remnants of the cake away and hopped off, landing on my shoulder. Still agog at its appearance, I continued to watch it. ‘I wonder if it’s been here all the time since I freed it from the box in the mountains.’

  ‘None of those Sidhe would have thought to look for it here,’ Bob agreed.

  I felt a sudden gnawing worry. ‘Some of them thought I’d stolen it to keep it for myself. Even Chandra thought that.’

  ‘They didn’t really believe it, though. They just don’t like you. They wanted something they could hang that hatred on to,’ Bob said with surprising insight.

  I pointed at the Foinse. ‘It’s here, on my land. If anyone finds out, everyone will think I really did nick it.’ My insides tightened. ‘With Aifric’s assassination attempts failing, he’s going to do the next best thing.’

  The genie nodded wisely. ‘Go on a booze cruise in Ibiza.’

  ‘No, you idiot. He’s going to discredit me.’ The Foinse hummed louder. ‘And if anyone finds out the Foinse is here, he won’t have to try very hard.’

  ‘You’re being paranoid.’

  I shook my head. ‘No. I’m not.’ I bit my bottom lip. ‘There’s a reason it took four Clans to unlock the way to the Foinse in the first place: nobody wants anyone else to have more power than they have. The Foinse is the source of all magic; it provides more power than most people could ever dream of. The Sidhe designed a system to keep it away and keep the Clans honest. If it’s here on these Lands, it will look like I’m trying to grab all that power for myself.’

  Bob pondered this. ‘Well,’ he said slowly, ‘there’s probably only one thing you can do.’

  ‘What?’

  He shrugged. ‘Grab all that power for yourself.’ I rolled my eyes and he sighed patiently. ‘Then no one will want to get angry about it because you’ll zap them. It’ll be like you have your own phaser. Instead of setting it to stun though, you’ll use it to kill.’

  ‘As much fun as it would be to have a phaser if we were on the Starship Enterprise, I can guarantee that right now you and me would be wearing red shirts.’