***
I tried to stay awake for as long as I could, waiting for Bob the spider’s return but my spirit was far more willing than my flesh. After an hour or two, despite my best efforts, I succumbed to unconsciousness again. In fact, I’d probably have stayed under for another forty-eight hours if a bucket of icy water hadn’t been flung at me.
‘Get up!’
Freaked out by my sudden awakening, I sprang to my feet. I shook off the freezing droplets and glared at my attacker. It was a different guard this time – a burly Moncrieffe Sidhe male. He took out some kind of truncheon and slammed it against the metal bars.
‘Sort yourself out!’ he screamed like a stereotypical drill sergeant. ‘We are leaving!’
I rubbed the back of my neck. I still hurt all over but at least it was a dull ache rather than an all-encompassing pain that made it difficult to think. I straightened my wet clothes as best I could and glanced up to see if Bob was there. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any sign of spiders or a genie. There was, however, a long length of web stretching from one side of the cage to the other. I squinted: it looked like a T followed by a squiggle. I couldn’t work out for the life of me what the squiggle was though. T what? T bloody what?
Something smacked me in the face. More stunned than anything, I gasped. The new guard laughed. ‘Put those on.’ When I didn’t move, he let out an impressive snarl and rattled the cage bars once again. I winced at the noise, bent down and picked up a pair of handcuffs. I considered refusing but it wouldn’t help matters. I snapped them on and looked up again, still trying to work out what Bob’s impenetrable message meant.
The guard unlocked the cage door and beckoned. ‘Come on, then. This isn’t summer camp. Get the hell out, scum!’
Scum? ‘Surely you can come up with better invective than that,’ I said, acting cheerful to throw him off his game. He glowered at me dumbly. ‘Use your imagination,’ I suggested, in a bid to help him along. He still didn’t answer. Oh. ‘A better insult,’ I amended. ‘Surely you can come up with a better insult.’
‘Adair witch! Get the fuck out!’
Hmm. Not really better. I shrugged and shuffled forward. There were parts of my body which hurt that I hadn’t realised existed before now. I supposed I could at least be certain that I wasn’t dead.
‘Hey!’ Candy yelled. ‘What about me?’
The guard ignored him. Damn it, I wanted Candy with me as much for my sake as for his. Safety in numbers. ‘He needs to come too.’
The guard reached forward, grabbing me painfully by the shoulder in a bid to shove me along the corridor. Behind us, Candy gripped the bars of the cage. This wasn’t the Cruaich dungeon – these bars were reinforced and no match even for a Wild Man. All the same, the metal creaked and shuddered. ‘Let me out!’ he roared.
‘Look,’ I said, biting my lip to take my mind off the rest of my pain. ‘Tipsania Scrymgeour won’t go ahead with the wedding until she sees him. You’ll only have to come back later. It makes sense to bring him along now.’
The guard didn’t pay me any attention but propelled me at speed through a maze of dark wooden corridors. I could still hear Candy shouting; it wasn’t until I was dragged up a set of shaky stairs and taken out onto the deck that his voice finally faded away.
As good as it felt to get some fresh air into my lungs, I remained rigid with tension. Although the boat was busy with deckhands, the sky was still dark. Not just that, there was a fair wind gusting and repeatedly making my loose hair fly into my face. Cuffed as I was, I couldn’t brush it away so, effectively blinded, I tripped and stumbled my way along.
I stretched out my senses. There had to be useful magic here that I could steal. The guy holding me was definitely Sidhe. I concentrated on pulling on the thready tendrils of his Gift but it was no use. It refused to come. Another strain of violent magic, then. With Morna dead, the MacQuarries corralled and Taylor seriously injured, maybe sticking to my pacifist guns wasn’t such a good idea.
I was forced to stop, the guard’s heavy hands pushing me downwards until I was on my knees. The good thing was that I was more sheltered from the wind and could see again; the bad thing was that I was eye-level with his groin.
He cupped himself. ‘You like what you see? Right now, you’re in the perfect position. We’ve got time. The Steward won’t mind if I enjoy myself a bit first.’
I drew back my lips. ‘Sure,’ I said. ‘I’ve still got teeth. This could be fun.’
His face twisted. Suddenly a surge of power sprang from him, striking me in the chest. Cold spread across my body, numbing me down to my arteries.
‘Not so funny now, are ya?’ he spat.
Someone shouted from behind and, distracted, he turned to talk to them. At the same moment, a merman strolled down the deck towards me, his large arms wrapped around a box entitled ‘wedding favours’. He didn’t glance at me as he went past but I could see his gills flapping rapidly at the back of his neck. If I hadn’t appreciated how dire the situation was before, the sight of Brochan on a boat of all things would have hammered it home.
Brochan paused at the gangplank and shifted his burden, ostensibly to get a better grasp on it, as the guard returned his attention to me. He was holding a swathe of dark shapeless material.
‘Black?’ I enquired. ‘I’m not sure that’s an appropriate colour for a wedding. Before we go any further, could I get something to eat? Something sugary would be best. I’m feeling rather shaky.’
The guard’s lip curled. He shook out the material and began to pull it down over my head.
‘A boiled sweet would do!’ I called out before the hood completely covered my face. ‘Even just a barley sugar… I’m sure I saw some below deck.’
He cuffed me on the side of my head and I went reeling. I let out a muffled squeak and righted myself. Although the hood was claustrophobic, it was vital that I stayed calm. Brochan would have understood my message. It was me the Sidhe were worried about so the chances that there was a guard watching Candy now that I’d gone were slim. Brochan would have a good chance of freeing the Wild Man. We needed all the help we could get.
I was hauled up again and elbowed in the back. I stumbled forward, almost completely disorientated. Then I felt myself moving downwards, no doubt onto the gangplank. The wood under my feet felt unsteady and I could hear the sea lapping angrily against the side. I considered pitching to the side and falling in but, between the cuffs and the hood, there was too much that could go wrong. I told myself to act like a good girl. I could still find a way around Aifric’s machinations.
I wished I knew more about Muck. I’d thought there would be time to research it properly before the wedding so any reading I’d done was scanty. I knew it was a tiny island – less than two and a half miles from end to end – and the native population reflected its size. Beyond that, we could have been landing on the moon for all I knew about the place. Its size meant we wouldn’t have far to travel. Given how long it took me before my feet hit solid ground and I left the gangplank that was just as well.
I was jostled and shoved and yanked along. At least there was a proper tarmacked road so I didn’t stumble as much. I sensed someone else join us, muttering a barely audible conversation to the guard as we shuffled towards wherever we were going. Then something scratched at the back of my neck and I felt the fabric of the hood shift. A moment later, Bob’s weight settled in its usual spot behind my ear.
‘Don’t speak,’ he warned in a low whisper. ‘This is the first time they’ve been distracted. They’re watching out for me and I have no desire to become genie kebab because of you, Uh Integrity.’
He was all heart. I exhaled and let out a soft murmur, simply to let him know that I understood.
‘Good. Now listen. You know from my message about Taylor how he’s doing. It’s not looking good for him at all. He’s a lost a lot of blood and I’m not sure he’ll make it beyond the end of the day. I think there might be some organ damage. You need to prepare yoursel
f for the worst.’ He sighed. ‘Humans are so delicate.’
Tears pricked at the back of my eyes. No. I was not going to let him die. Not if it killed me.
‘Tipsania is here too. She’s been locked in a room in the hotel. I can’t get near the place. There are guards and magic barriers everywhere. Aifric Moncrieffe isn’t taking any chances. Byron is somewhere in that building as well but he’s got people round him constantly. I don’t think he’s a prisoner but his father’s not leaving him alone. Angus has gone to see if he can sneak in but he’s a lost cause. They both are.’
I hissed. Bob was taking far too much for granted ‒ and he wasn’t finished yet.
‘Speck and Lexie are waiting offshore in a fishing boat they nicked in Mallaig. After I give them the signal, I’m going to count down from twenty. There will be an explosion. I can’t do much about the handcuffs but I’ll get this hood off. As soon as I reach one, you’re going to run left. Just keep running. It’s less than five hundred metres to the shore then a short swim. I’ll make sure everyone is kept off your tail. After that, you’ll be free and easy.’
He had to be kidding. I had never heard Bob sound so serious in all the time I’d known him but this had to be a joke. I was not going to run away and leave everyone else behind. I shook my head vigorously.
Bob tutted. ‘Integrity,’ he said, using my real name for emphasis. ‘Byron and Tipsania can look after themselves. Aifric is not going to hurt them, no matter what happens.’ That was probably true but I wasn’t leaving. ‘Taylor is dying,’ Bob continued. He did his best to sound matter of fact but I heard his voice catch. ‘I’ve spoken to him and he understands. All he wants is for you to get away safely. If you stay here, you will die alongside him. That much is a given. I need to start the countdown. We don’t have much time.’
I shook my head. No chance.
‘You’re an idiot,’ Bob told me. He didn’t sound surprised. ‘I should tell you then,’ he said heavily, ‘that over on the western side and far out to sea where they can stay undetected are about a thousand trolls. They commandeered an ancient ferry. If you die, they will attack. It’ll be a bloodbath and most of the blood will be theirs. Leaving now is the safest option.’
Nope. Still not going to happen. The trolls’ presence just meant I’d have to work harder at not corking it. I was not running away. It had been the best option for me when I’d been a kid but it wasn’t the best option for me now.
Bob cursed. ‘You’re still not going to leave, are you?’
Got it in one. It was showdown time between Aifric and me. It was bound to happen sooner or later. I’d have preferred to have the upper hand or some element of surprise but I wasn’t going to cry about it. I had to deal with this. My parents had named me warrior and I was going to war. Enough was enough.
‘Integrity,’ Bob said, sounding completely miserable, ‘you still have a wish left. You could use it. But unless…’ He sniffed and altered tack. ‘It’ll end badly. You know it’ll end badly.’
I shrugged. Yeah, it would, but as much as Taylor’s death would destroy me, I wouldn’t subject him to the whims of a genie wish. Goodness only knows what might happen and he’d already made his feelings pretty clear when Morna died. I’d almost made that mistake then; I wouldn’t do it again. But, regardless, the wish was there.
‘This is all my fault. If I’d come with you to the MacQuarries…’ Bob started. I growled. Aifric. This was Aifric’s fault and no one else’s. ‘Please, Integrity,’ he pleaded. ‘Please escape.’
I straightened my shoulders and started to walk more quickly.
‘Hey!’ the guard barked. ‘What’s the rush? You keen to die, scum?’
Bob made one last ditch attempt. ‘Integrity…’
‘I’m going to face him,’ I whispered. ‘It’s time.’
Chapter Fourteen
Two hours later, after spending the entire time in what at best guess from the smell and the plastic bowl was a portaloo, I was feeling less confident. It wasn’t that I didn’t think I could outsmart Aifric or that I was afraid of what pain I might have to go through, it was the waiting. I’d been adept at lying in wait for hours during my time as a thief if the situation called for it but I’d always known what I was waiting for. Now I didn’t have a bloody clue what was going to happen.
Bob had left ages ago to inform the others that I wouldn’t run away, so he was no help. All I could do was to cool my heels and turn over every possible eventuality in my mind. Few of them ended well. It was almost a relief when I heard the door unlock and the guard came to take me to my fate.
‘Hey,’ I yelled.
There was a grunt then he lifted up the front of the hood slightly to stare in my face. Unfortunately he got far too close and I caught a whiff of unpleasant halitosis but it was worth it to see the light outside. If Aifric was going to de-hood me, I didn’t want to waste thirty seconds adjusting my sight while he chopped off my head.
‘I bet your dentist always looks down in the mouth when you show up,’ I quipped. The guard stared at me. ‘You should lay off the tuna fish TicTacs,’ I suggested.
His fat fingers bunched into a fist and I was sure he was going to punch me on my nose until another face appeared behind him. ‘Not the face,’ the second guard cautioned. ‘The Steward don’t want anyone feelin’ sorry for her.’
The guard nodded and drove his hand into my stomach instead. He yanked the hood back over my face and dragged me out while I was still winded and gasping for air.
I counted steps for no other reason than it gave me something to do and kept my mind off the pain in my stomach. We didn’t go far. At sixty-nine, where I’d have made another joke except it would have been lost on these two numbskulls, we stopped. I could hear Aifric’s dulcet tones, although they were slightly muffled as if far away – or on the other side of a door.
‘We live in dangerous times. While that doesn’t mean we should stop living or be afraid of celebrating the simple, sincere love of two young people like dear Tipsy and my son, it does mean that there are actions which must be undertaken to keep us all safe. The Highlands of Scotland may be small in size but they are not small in stature. We need to do whatever is necessary to minimise the risk to our homes!’
There was a rumbling cheer which started small and got louder and louder. Aifric apparently had his audience in the palm of his hand. I tsked so loudly that I received a sharp kick in the shins.
‘To that end,’ he continued, ‘it falls on me to perform some unpleasant but very necessary duties. I would hate to be accused of being underhand so these duties will take place in full view of all you good people. It pains me to do this but I have no choice. There is a Sidhe who stands accused of the most heinous crimes. I cannot pass judgment so I will leave it to you to hear the evidence and make the final verdict. Only that way will this be fair.’
I snorted. Fair? If he was being fair, I’d be in a proper court of law with a real defence. I had to admit that Aifric Moncrieffe certainly knew how to talk the talk. He was also leaving nothing to chance. No matter who was supposedly passing judgment on me for my ‘crimes’, whatever they were, I would be proclaimed guilty. But Aifric didn’t hold all the cards.
I heard doors swing open and I was made to shuffle forward. There were several intakes of breath and low whispers. As yet, it appeared that no one knew my real identity.
‘Who is that?’ someone near me asked, as I fumbled ahead.
‘None of the MacQuarries are here,’ somebody else murmured. ‘Do you think…?’
The voices fell away as I was told to stop and turn around. This wasn’t the time to act up so I did as I was told, keeping my head bowed. My best shot right now seemed to be to act like an innocent, demure young woman. Maybe that way some of the more traditionally minded Sidhe would feel sympathy and veer to my side. You never knew.
There was movement beside me. I took a deep breath. ‘Tonight, Matthew,’ I intoned, ‘I’m going to be…’ I paused and the hood was
whipped off my head. ‘…Integrity Adair.’
I was standing next to the altar of a church while a sea of wide-eyed, shocked faces stared at me. For a moment, I wished I still had my phone with me; a snapshot of this would win every photo competition hands down. Just about all the Sidhe I’d ever met was here – and a whole bunch of others whom I didn’t recognise. Obviously the MacQuarries were absent and I couldn’t spot Tipsania or Byron, but everyone else was here. And it was so quiet that I was sure that if I concentrated, I’d hear the hair standing up on the neck of the hirsute Fairlie Sidhe seated just in front of me.
Slack-jawed, Dorienne Darroch got to her feet then she sat down. Then she stood up again. She shook her head in amazement. I looked away from her and scanned the room. There were very few people here who seemed happy to see that I wasn’t dead.
The Ochterlony Chieftain pointed a bony finger at Aifric. That was interesting. My mother was from that Clan, although she wasn’t highly placed. They’d never made friendly overtures towards me but we were kin. ‘You said she was dead.’
‘Yes.’ Aifric’s expression was grave. ‘She faked her own death. Unfortunately that’s the least serious of her crimes.’
Wanker. I opened my mouth to argue but no words came out. It wasn’t that I’d lost my voice, I’d forgotten how to speak. I couldn’t make a sound. With narrowed eyes, I looked at Aifric. Yeah. There was a glint behind his sombre mask. On his orders, some bastard was doing something to prevent me from talking. I had to work out who.
‘Unbelievable.’ The Ochterlony Chieftain shook his head and sat down again. If I hadn’t been sure about his feelings towards me before, I got an inclination now from his moue of distaste as he flicked his hands at me.
Malcolm Kincaid rose smoothly to his feet. I didn’t need to wonder about his allegiance ‒ I knew that he hated me. He also appeared less surprised at my resurrection than the others. Uh-oh. ‘Well, this is a shock,’ he said, his voice carrying across the congregation. ‘I’ll be very interested to hear what Miss Adair has to say for herself.’