by Helen Harper
I hefted the bag onto my shoulder and gave Byron another look. What a freaking mess. I sighed, turned on my heel and left him where he was.
Chapter Ten
There was a solitary figure waiting for me just beyond the Adair border. On my side of it, Sorley was gripping his spear with both hands. Judging by the way his shoulders were hunched and his head was thrust forward, he was glaring at the visitor.
‘It worked?’ he grumbled without taking his eyes off him.
‘Yep.’ In a manner of speaking anyway.
‘You should have let me kill him. It would have been cleaner.’
I patted him weakly on the shoulder. ‘I don’t do things that way.’
Sorley jabbed his spear, pointing it across the border. ‘Can you trust him?’
I pushed away thoughts of Byron and managed a grin at Angus MacQuarrie. He waved and dipped into a bow. ‘He’s sworn fealty, just like you.’
The troll’s suspicion lessened only by a fraction. ‘He has untrustworthy hair.’
I blinked. ‘Eh?’
‘It’s the way it’s styled,’ he hissed. ‘It’s ... untrustworthy.’
Nonplussed, I stepped back. ‘He’s Sidhe. They all look over-styled, even the good ones.’
Angus ran his hands several times through his hair, messing it up. Now he looked like some kind of boy-band reject. ‘Is this better?’ he asked.
Sorley huffed.
‘He’s one of us,’ I said. ‘Now remember, I’ll be back within forty-eight hours. Seventy-two at the latest. Taylor’s in charge while I’m gone. If I don’t come back...’
Sorley’s hand trembled ever so slightly. ‘We will come in after you.’
‘No.’ My voice hardened. ‘You won’t. You’ll be free to stay here or to leave. But you will not come after me.’ He mumbled something under his breath. ‘I need you to promise me, Sorley.’
He jutted out his bottom lip stubbornly. I wasn’t going to yield, however, and he knew it. ‘I promise,’ he said finally.
‘Thank you.’ I grinned. ‘I really will be back very soon.’
I walked through the border, feeling the magic crackle around me. Angus bowed again. ‘Don’t do that!’ I protested.
He shrugged. ‘Would you prefer a handshake?’
I grimaced. ‘A hug would be nice.’ More than nice. I needed one.
He stretched out his arms and drew me in tightly. ‘I’m a champion hugger,’ he whispered.
‘Thank you,’ I said into his chest. ‘Not just for the hug but for coming. You didn’t have to. You can still change your mind.’
He pulled back and beamed. ‘Are you kidding me? I’ve always wanted to travel beyond the Veil. I’m excited.’ He leaned his head towards me. ‘And terrified. But mostly excited. I’m not sure why you asked me, though. I reckon you can take care of yourself.’
‘I can,’ I said absently, moving away, adjusting my jacket and pulling out the headpiece. ‘But Chieftain MacBain wanted a representative from one of the big three Clans to come along too.’
Angus squinted. ‘I hate to break it to you, but that’s not the MacQuarries. We’re at the bottom of the heap.’
‘You’re at the top of my heap. But I know what you mean. Recent revelations mean I’m not going to follow her instructions and she won’t trust me on my own.’ My voice wavered slightly. Damn Byron. And damn Brochan too. ‘You’re the compromise,’ I said to Angus and tossed him the Go Pro.
‘What’s this?’
‘Strap it round your head. As long as you stay behind me, it’ll record everything I do. We always have one on hand because it can be handy to look back on our, um, ...’
‘Break-ins?’
I bit my lip. ‘Yeah. It’s fully charged so it should be good enough to satisfy Chieftain MacBain that I’m not looting her beloved uncle’s resting place.’
‘Nice.’ Angus looped it round his head, making sure it was secure. ‘Are we ready?’
I nodded decisively. ‘We are.’
***
The MacQuarries might be the bottom of the heap as far as the other Clans were concerned but Angus owned the nicest car I’d travelled in for a long time. It certainly beat the rust buckets I’d been in lately. I did my best to put my woes with Byron behind me. He’d feel sore and angry when he came round but I supposed at least he’d be safe. Plus, I knew now that he really did care for me. It was time to start feeling cheerier.
‘This thing is huge!’ I said, stretching out my legs. ‘You could fit the whole of Scotland in the back seat.’ I grinned. ‘It’s an in-car-nation.’
Angus groaned. ‘That might be the worst joke I’ve ever heard.’
‘Give me time. I can do worse.’
‘That’s what I’m afraid of.’
‘Hey, if it takes your mind off the hordes of Fomori demons waiting for us on the other side of the Veil, it’s worth it.’
He winced. ‘That demon you saw in Perth wasn’t the only one that ventured through, you know. I’ve been hearing other reports.’
I sucked in a breath. That wasn’t good. ‘Just the Highlands? There’s been no problem in England?’
He shook his head. ‘I checked. Hadrian’s Wall is still holding firm on the other side. I don’t think the Fomori have tried to breach it.’
I thought of the group that had appeared at the Adair border. ‘They’re after something.’
Angus tightened his grip on the steering wheel. ‘Or someone.’
‘Aifric Moncrieffe,’ I whispered.
‘You think?’
I nodded grimly. ‘I do. I found something in his rooms at the Cruaich that ties him to the demons but I have no idea how or why.’
Angus whistled. ‘It would explain a lot.’
‘Yeah. It doesn’t bode well, though.’ That was the understatement of the year.
He pulled the car to a halt less than fifty metres from the dark, cloudy expanse of the Veil. For a long moment he didn’t say anything but simply stared at it.
‘I don’t want to take the car across,’ I said softly. ‘It’ll draw unwanted attention. Matthew MacBain’s body isn’t very far from here. All the same...’
‘You’re the boss. Better safe than sorry.’ Angus’s voice was low and nervous. ‘I’ve never been this close to the Veil before.’
‘Most people haven’t. I think we’d all prefer to pretend it doesn’t exist. Let’s face it, the Clan-less have got other things to worry about and the Clans don’t need reminding of their greatest failure.’
He sighed. ‘It does make you wonder, doesn’t it? What might have been if it weren’t for the demons?’
I thought about that. ‘Nah,’ I said finally. ‘I don’t believe in what ifs. We need to live with the hand we’ve been dealt. There might be an alternate universe somewhere where all this doesn’t exist. But if that’s the case, there’s an alternate universe where Scotland doesn’t exist in any form any longer either.’
‘I didn’t realise you were a student of Plato.’
‘I’m not – but I do like Doctor Who.’ I grinned. ‘Let’s do this.’ We got out of the car. ‘This is going to feel strange,’ I warned.
A jagged bolt of lightning lit up the section of the Veil in front of us. Angus jumped. ‘No shit.’
‘Just stay right behind me. You’ll be fine.’ Without further ado, I ducked my head and plunged inside the Veil once more.
In theory, it should have been easier this time ‒ after all, I knew what to expect and I knew I would come out the other side. Like last time, I held my breath. The smoky clouds which swirled round me still made my eyes sting and the myriad of lightning pinches felt more painful than I remembered. I started to run, willing myself to move as quickly as possible. All I could hear was the hiss and crackle of the Veil itself. I could no longer tell whether Angus was behind me.
I burst through the other side, choking and spluttering. Managing to stagger away a few feet, I spun round and tensed. Ten heartbeats went by, then twenty. Where
was Angus? He should have made it by now. I was wiping my eyes and heaving a breath of the foul Lowland air into my lungs, ready to go back to retrieve him if I had to, when he fell through several metres to the left. He must have been confused and moved diagonally rather than taking a direct route.
As he fell to his knees, I jogged over, yanked a bottle of water from my backpack and handed it to him.
‘Gah!’ he spat. ‘That was about the worst thing I’ve ever experienced.’ I grimaced in sympathy as he chugged down half the bottle then squinted at me. ‘What? No cheesy joke to mark the moment?’
I was too relieved that he was here and had made it through. ‘No.’
Angus pulled himself to his feet. ‘Then the situation must be worse than I thought.’
I managed a smile. ‘Things seem as quiet as they were last time I crossed the Veil. We need to be careful though, especially with all the recent sightings in the Highlands. I wouldn’t be surprised if we pass a cohort of Fomori demons heading this way. If it’s easy as that for us to cross over, it’s probably just as easy for them. There might be many more attempting it.’
He ran a hand through his hair. ‘You call that easy?’
‘We made it in one piece,’ I said softly. ‘And as long as we keep our wits about us, we can make it out in one piece too.’
‘Amen to that.’ Angus wiped his forehead and looked around. ‘It’s not the most welcoming of places, is it?’
He was right. The landscape was exactly the same as the last time I’d been here – dark, gloomy and devoid of any plant or animal life. The ground was rock hard and almost black in colour. There might have been softly undulating hills in the background and the remnants of what had once been two cities in the distance ahead of us, but the Lowlands were far removed from the Highlands. Even on the dankest, wettest day in Aberdeen, the Granite City ‒ famed for its greyness ‒ there was an explosion of colour in comparison. And it felt a damn sight hotter here as well. My white hair, which was normally flyaway under the best of circumstances, hung limply around my face and shoulders.
‘I’d like to tell you things will get better,’ I said, ‘but I’d be lying.’
‘Maybe dawn will brighten things up.’
‘I don’t think dawn exists here.’
He glanced up at the dark sky. ‘It’s always like this?’
‘Yeah.’ I sighed. ‘I don’t know how or why, but the Lowlands seem to be in permanent darkness.’
Angus shuddered. ‘Then let’s get going. I don’t want to spend any more time here than we have to.’
I nodded in agreement and we set off.
We kept up a good pace. Despite the desolation and lack of life, I didn’t want to rush and end up tripping over any demons wandering up to the Veil. Neither did I wish to dally, however. Having Angus at my back was more reassuring than I’d predicted but I still kept scanning the horizon for signs of danger. There was nothing; the only sounds were our footsteps and our breathing. And Angus constantly fidgeting. He was more nervous about this little expedition than he’d let on.
‘Tell me what you know about the Lowlands,’ I said quietly.
He laughed sharply. The sound was strange and hollow, as if such sentiments could never be welcome here. ‘I think you probably know more than I do. You’ve been here before.’
‘Indulge me.’ Anything to keep him talking and his mind off our task.
Angus sighed, although I knew without turning around that it was more because he was wondering where to start than with exasperation. ‘We don’t know where the demons came from,’ he began eventually. ‘But come they did. There are reports of sightings as far back as the mid-seventeenth century. Back then, Scotland was a very different place. Edinburgh was the seat of power and the Clans were too numerous to mention. There was trade and affiliation between different Clans but no single Scottish group was in control. There was no government.
‘There were skirmishes,’ Angus continued. ‘They grew in size and violence, culminating in a vast, bloody battle near Stirling. The casualties on both sides were horrific. The way the history books tell it, the Fomori demons were growing in such numbers that they were impossible to beat. There are stories about some of the atrocities they committed.’ He fell silent.
I kept striding ahead. ‘Go on.’
He muttered something under his breath. ‘Rape, torture, cannibalism. Do you really want me to go into detail?’
He had a point. ‘Okay,’ I agreed, ‘skip that part.’
‘Eventually,’ he said, ‘four Clans, whose numbers and strength remained the greatest, banded together: Darroch, Kincaid, Moncrieffe and...’
I tucked a curl behind my ear. ‘Adair.’
‘Yes.’ His voice was grim. ‘They pushed the demons back in one massive surge but it was only temporary. They knew it wouldn’t be long before the demons retaliated.’
‘So they had no choice but to create the Fissure and break the country apart.’
‘Exactly. Using their combined Gifts, the Clans set up the Veil, forcing the Fomori to stay back. They took as many refugees from the Lowlands as they could before it happened, but we’re talking a few thousand instead of hundreds of thousands. The English already had Hadrian’s Wall in place. The magic there is ancient enough to keep out just about anyone.’ He paused.
‘Giving up half the country must have been a hell of a thing.’
‘Yeah.’
I scratched my head. ‘We can pass through the Veil and we’ve learnt that now the Fomori can too. Why didn’t the demons push on regardless? If they were so strong, the Veil wouldn’t have stopped them.’
I pictured Angus shrugging behind my back. ‘My old teacher said it was because the Fomori already had everything they wanted. They had our Lands and they had us quaking in our kilts at the very thought of them. Why waste more lives unnecessarily?’
I pondered this then opened my mouth to ask a question. Before I could, however, something flickered at the corner of my eye. Shite. ‘Something’s coming. We need to take cover.’
‘A fine notion,’ Angus muttered. ‘Take cover where?’
He was right. We’d not yet penetrated far enough to be near any buildings where we could shelter. There weren’t any trees and the nearest hills looked miles away. I did have one trick up my sleeve, though. ‘Hang on.’
I drew down deep inside myself, searching for the threads of Tipsania’s Gift which I’d unwillingly stolen from her. I could feel her magic inside me. I closed my eyes and yanked on it, encouraging it to swirl up to the surface and envelop both Angus and myself.
‘What the...?’ he exclaimed.
‘Shh!’ I concentrated harder, I couldn’t afford to get this wrong. I drew out more and more until I was absolutely sure. Then I opened my eyes and stared down at my hands. They were no longer there; we were invisible. If only I could mask our scent as easily.
From a distance, there was a harsh shout. Three figures came into view, apparently travelling from Glasgow to goodness knows where. My hand fumbled for Angus. When I found him, I gripped his arm tightly. We stood, unmoving, as the figures approached.
They were preternaturally fast. It was just as well I’d spotted them when I did because if I’d wasted any further time, they would have been on us before we could have done a thing. Yet again, I was struck by how the demons truly were the stuff of vicious, soul-sucking nightmares.
None of them was wearing a stitch of clothing. Skin stretched across their features, making them gaunt and almost skeletal, with sunken eyes and dry, parched lips. They loped towards us, their hairless bodies hunched and warped. I felt Angus tremble beneath my touch and I shared his fear. My heart thrummed like a caged bird making a desperate and futile bid for freedom. All we could do was to stay silent and hope they had stuffed-up noses and couldn’t smell our presence. I had a vision of the demons sharing Vick’s Vapo-rub and using delicately embroidered handkerchiefs to blow their bony noses. The image was so acute that hysteria threatened to o
verwhelm me. It was only Angus’s presence next to me that kept me in check. I was responsible for his safety; I couldn’t lose my head now.
The vile trio drew level and, without faltering, passed right by us. They continued their strange gallop as I breathed out in relief. I was too quick to relax, however; they’d barely gone twenty metres when the nearest one stopped in his tracks. The other two came to a standstill and looked at him curiously.
‘Vas?’
‘File en chan,’ the first one grunted and walked back in our direction.
I dropped my hold on Angus and clamped a hand over my mouth, terrified that my breathing would give me away. A waft of bitter sweat from the Fomori demon tickled my nostrils as he inched closer.
He stopped less than a metre away from our frozen bodies. He tilted back his head and sniffed loudly. It didn’t sound like he had a blocked nose. I could see his chest expand, his ribcage standing out in stark relief.
I thought quickly. He could smell us but he couldn’t see us and we had to use that to our advantage. Of course, I had no idea what Gift he possessed but if he used it, perhaps I could encourage my subconscious to steal it from him. If Angus stayed here and I...
The demon stumbled backwards and a strange expression crossed his face. His two companions, alarmed by his actions, sprang towards him. He spoke harshly and they both drew themselves up, their scrawny heads swinging from side to side as they searched for us.
‘Vitarnic.’
All three nodded then sprang forward without warning. For a horrifying moment I thought they knew exactly where we were and were preparing their attack but instead they whipped past us, sprinting hard in the direction they’d come from. I didn’t move or speak until they’d completely disappeared.
‘That’s not good,’ I whispered to Angus. ‘I think they know we’re here. What do you bet they’ve gone for back-up?’
I felt him jerk beside me. ‘That’s what it looked like.’
‘We should leave, go back home and re-group. It’s too dangerous.’
‘How far is it to MacBain’s body?’
‘Maybe ten minutes, I think. If we sprint.’