By the time I was motioned forward, my veins were buzzing with the need to get started. Let them do what they wanted, I decided. I submitted to the blindfold, although the official who tied it made the bindings uncomfortably tight. Roughly, he led me outside. I heard an engine running and I was pushed unceremoniously into a vehicle. If I hadn’t known better, I would have thought I was being kidnapped.
I concentrated as the car moved off, listening to the sounds and trying to note the twists and turns but the journey was too long and, without my sight, I was soon lost. I estimated that well over an hour passed by the time we came to a halt.
The same rough hands hauled me out. I felt the crunch of snow beneath my feet and I shivered.
‘Count to twenty,’ a gruff voice said. ‘Then remove the mask.’
I wrapped my arms around my body and started to count. A bitterly cold wind assailed the exposed parts of my skin. I listened hard as the car drove away, gears squealing, then there was nothing but me and the elements. That was odd: I’d expected to hear some noise from the other competitors.
The moment I reached twenty, I tugged at the blindfold. With the brilliant white of the landscape, it was difficult at first to adjust my vision. When I finally looked around, my heart sank. Bugger those Sidhe.
It was clear that I was in a bad situation. There was no sign of the three hills which I’d seen on the map and neither were there any tracks from previous competitors or drones. The only signs of life were the tracks from the car which had just left. Uneasiness trickled through me as I scanned the barren landscape, searching around in case this ended up being an ambush rather than a competition. It appeared, however, that I was completely alone.
‘Bob!’ I hissed. He didn’t answer. I drew out the letter opener and shook it. ‘Bob!’
There was the familiar flash of light and he appeared, blinking and yawning. ‘What is it?’
‘Haven’t you been paying attention? The second challenge has started. I need you alert in case I have to make a wish.’
He shook himself. ‘Are you going to make a wish?’
‘Not yet.’
‘Well then,’ he huffed. ‘I’m going back to my beauty sleep.’ He looked me up and down. ‘Something you should consider too.’
‘Bob, this isn’t the time. Pay attention. Where are we exactly?’
‘Unless you say the magic words, Uh Integrity, I’m not going to tell you.’
I counted to ten in my head. ‘Really? Because if you take a look around, you’ll see that we’re smack bang in the middle of a frozen wasteland. Just me and you. If I die of hypothermia, how long do you think you’ll lie here before someone picks you up? One year? Five? Maybe,’ I said with an evil grin, ‘it’ll be decades.’
‘Uh Integrity,’ Bob said petulantly, ‘I don’t know why you feel the need to torment me. I have done nothing but help you. Without me, you would be nothing.’
‘An ugly nothing.’
He nodded. ‘Exactly. Although if you’d take my beauty tips we could sort out the ugly part.’
‘Thanks,’ I said.
He peered at me. ‘Are you being sarcastic?’
‘I wouldn’t dream of it.’ I took out the map and unfolded it. ‘We are supposed to be here, Bob.’ I jabbed at the spot on the map. ‘But it doesn’t seem like we are.’
‘We’re not,’ he said cheerfully. ‘Can I go now?’
I cursed. ‘They took me to the wrong damn place. Why would they do that?’
‘They don’t want you to win, dummy. Or, like you said, they want you to die of hypothermia.’ He grinned. ‘It’s lucky I’m around or you’d never know anything.’
His words made sense. If I came last in this challenge, the Sidhe wouldn’t have to worry about me. And if their reasoning was even more sinister, they might be looking for a way to get rid of me permanently. If I walked off in the wrong direction, I could easily freeze to death. The Carnegies would make a great show of wringing their hands at my loss, Aifric would be satisfied – and I would be a block of ice. So much for honour; I supposed honour only counted when people were watching.
I had to choose the right direction. I squinted into the weak morning sun. No doubt I wasn’t too far away from the main event ‒ we couldn’t have travelled that far. And if I ended up as a frozen corpse on the other side of the country, questions might be asked.
‘There are some bumps over there,’ I mused. ‘Do they look like hills to you?’
Bob had taken out a nail file and was giving himself a manicure. ‘Hmm?’
‘Bob!’ I snapped my fingers. ‘Pay attention. Do those look like hills?’
He glanced over. ‘Yeah. They’re not the hills you want, though.’
I frowned. ‘How do you know?’
He shrugged. ‘I just do. I know many things, Uh Integrity because I am a…’
‘A magnificent being with power and knowledge of which I can only dream of. As you have already said many times, Bob. If those aren’t the hills I need, then where are they?’ He didn’t answer, absorbed in shaping the perfect rounded tip. ‘Bob. You’re a magnificent genie.’
‘I know.’ He still didn’t look up.
‘Can you use that magnificence and tell me which direction to go in?’
He sighed as if a heavy burden had been placed on his shoulders. ‘This isn’t a wish?’
‘No. But if I die here…’
‘Then someone will find your body and I’ll be transported back to the Cruaich.’
I gritted my teeth. ‘What I was going to say was that if I die here, then I’ll never get the chance to make that wish that I promised you. I still have two to go, remember?’
He paused then tossed the tiny nail file to one side. ‘Very well. Wait here.’ He wagged his finger at me. ‘And no stealing my teleportation.’
‘It’s not a conscious thing!’ I protested. ‘I don’t know how to stop myself from stealing people’s Gifts.’
He pursed his lips. ‘Walk over there and turn around.’
Maybe a bit of distance between us would work, although it hadn’t with that old Carnegie flower-growing woman. I emptied my mind of thoughts of teleportation and Bob and fixated on the ground. The snow was different here to up in the mountains near Oban; it seemed coarser and more crystalline. I knelt down and traced my name on the surface with my gloved finger.
‘Vanity is a terrible sin,’ Bob said in my ear.
I jumped about half a metre. ‘Did you have to creep up on me like that? And why haven’t you left yet?’
He looked at me smugly. ‘I left, I saw, I came back. And all so that you can conquer.’ He jumped off my shoulder and landed in the snow, sending up a spray of it towards my face.
‘Et tu Brute,’ I grunted.
‘Don’t you want to know where to go?’ he asked.
‘Yes.’
‘Then say it.’
‘Say what?’
He tutted. ‘Pretty please with a side order of chocolate-dipped cherries and Princess Leia in a gold bikini dropping them into my mouth.’
‘I’m not saying that.’
‘I thought you liked science fiction.’
‘I do, but that is stupid. Just tell me which direction to go in. We’re wasting time.’
‘Okay. I’ll tell you where to go if you put on a gold bikini and wear it back at the cabin when we return. You have to put your hair into giant ear muffs as well.’
‘She didn’t have that hair style when she wore the gold bikini.’
Bob shrugged. ‘Those are my terms. And don’t get any ideas about why I’m asking for this. It’s not because I’ve got the hots for you, it’s because I enjoy ritual humiliation.’
I crossed my arms. ‘At least you’re honest.’
He smiled at me. ‘Promise.’
I could not believe I was doing this. ‘Fine,’ I snapped.
He held his hand up to his ear. ‘I didn’t hear that exactly. What will you do?’
I pictured Bob strung up o
n a tree and being attacked by a million midges. ‘I promise to wear a gold bikini.’
‘And the hair?’
‘And I will put my hair in giant ear muffs.’
He grinned. ‘Thank you!’ He flew up and hugged me. Considering his arms didn’t go round my neck, it was more like having a small, damp snowball thrown at me.
‘Bob,’ I said. ‘Which way?’
He peeled himself off. ‘North!’ He pointed.
I peered ahead. I couldn’t see anything. ‘You’re sure?’
‘Uh Integrity…’
‘Fine, fine. I’m going.’ And with that, I started jogging. I had to make up for lost time.
*
The wanker who had left me was smarter than I’d given him credit for. After twenty minutes of maintaining a good pace, I realised that I’d been travelling up a light slope. Thanks to a trick of perception, when I reached the top the hills I was aiming for were suddenly visible. Without Bob’s help I’d probably have set off in the opposite direction – and doing that might have killed me. I’d have to be on my guard; it wouldn’t take long for them to realise that their ploy hadn’t worked. Until I caught up with some of the other stragglers, I was alone – and therefore at risk. So much for simply climbing up an ice wall or two before triumphantly collecting my flag and emerging victorious. At this rate, I’d be grateful to emerge alive.
I picked up speed, moving faster now that I had a bead on where to go. Even with my decent footgear I slipped a few times, but such minor mishaps only made me more determined. I ran around this sort of place for a living so a wet, bruised arse wasn’t going to slow me down.
Just an hour or two after I was supposed to be at the starting point, I finally arrived there. The hills were smack bang in front of me and there were footprints. Most were going in the same direction although a few competitors had decided to take less direct routes. That was what I’d planned to do as well, but I was so far behind that I had little choice but to opt for the shortest possible distance.
‘Yay!’ Bob shouted, perched once more on my shoulder. ‘We made it! Now we can go back and you can wear that bikini!’
‘No,’ I said patiently. ‘Now the challenge is really on.’
He blew a raspberry. ‘You’re not going to win. You might as well quit now.’
‘Adairs don’t quit.’
‘Uh Integrity, how many Adairs do you know?’
‘I know me. Now hang on.’ And with that I took off.
Anyone who’s ever run on a beach – or through snow – knows how hard it is. What the organisers hadn’t counted on was that the feet that had gone before me had done a great job of stamping out a path. I knew that I was moving faster than the others. It didn’t mean I’d catch them up but it did mean I had a chance.
I hit the tree line before noon, just as the first buzz of a drone sounded overhead. It hovered above me, as if even the machine couldn’t quite believe what it was seeing. I tipped back my head and addressed it.
‘You thought you could delay me by dropping me in the wrong place,’ I said. ‘Or maybe even kill me. But here I am anyway.’ I grinned and stuck out my tongue. ‘You can’t keep a good Sidhe down.’
Unfortunately, because I was still moving and not looking where I was going, I slipped again and landed flat on my back. I eyed the drone while it continued to watch me. As soon as it gave up and took off, I pushed myself to my feet and continued.
The Carnegies had picked a pretty spot for their Hunt. Even in winter, with the branches of the evergreens bowing with snow, and crisp cool air that was less gusty now I was out of the open, it was a stunning vista. I called up a mental image of the map. I didn’t think the first clue would be too far away now.
My vision cleared and I frowned at the path: something was wrong with those tracks. No sooner had the thought entered my head than a shape barrelled out of the trees with an inarticulate war whoop.
I leapt out of the way and the shape flew past me, halting a few feet away and spinning round. ‘Who are you?’ I yelled.
‘You know exactly who I am, you bitch!’
I regarded the pretty blonde carefully. I’d seen her face before but I couldn’t place her. ‘Um,’ I demurred. ‘You’re…’
‘Kirsty Kincaid,’ she snarled.
‘Oh.’ I nodded wisely, as if I should have already known. ‘Hi, Kirsty. What can I do for you?’ It was a daft question; it was clear she was here to stop me in some way. The Kincaids had been in the first group that set off and she should have been miles away from here by now.
‘You stole the Foinse. Where is it?’
Oh for goodness’ sake. ‘I didn’t take the damn Foinse. It flew away.’
‘So where is it then?’
I threw up my hands. ‘How should I know?’
Kirsty glared. For some reason, she seemed to believe me but she wasn’t done yet. ‘You forced my cousin out of the competition.’
‘Pike?’ I snorted. ‘That was his fault. As you probably already know.’
She glared at me but she didn’t mention Pike again. ‘You killed my Chieftain.’
I kept my arms by my sides and my tone calm. ‘No, I didn’t, I tried to save him. He fell.’ It was true. On our return journey from the Foinse, he’d unbalanced himself whilst crossing a precarious rope bridge. I’d done what I could to save him; if it hadn’t been for Aifric, I’d probably have been successful.
Something like panic crossed her face. ‘Liar.’ There was little conviction behind the word.
‘No. I’m not.’
She flung herself at me, her hands curved into claws and her nails raking my face. I winced and pulled away. ‘I’m kind of busy here, Kirsty. Maybe we could have this conversation some other time.’
‘Fuck you!’ She attacked me again, grabbing hold of my hair and yanking it hard. Buggering shite. Give me a guy any day over this; women fought dirty. ‘Tell me why!’ she shrieked. ‘Why did you do it?’
I prised away her fingers and held them at arm’s length. She tried to swipe me with her other hand but I dodged. ‘I didn’t do it,’ I said patiently.
She glared at me. ‘I’ll get the truth.’
I half snorted. I’d given her the truth, whether she realised it or not. Although, it would admittedly be lovely if you could just desire the truth and then receive it in turn. It would certainly make my life a lot easier with tracking down what had actually happened to my Clan and what Aifric was up to.
She freed herself from my grip and stepped back, her eyes wide. ‘Why did you kill William Kincaid?’
My skin tensed in goose bumps. They felt unnatural. ‘I didn’t kill him,’ I repeated. ‘And what exactly are you trying to do to me?’
‘You’re a witch!’
I shrugged. It was hardly the worst insult in the world. ‘Kirsty…’
‘Did you kill him?’ she demanded.
Good grief. My skin prickled again. ‘No.’
Her nose wrinkled. ‘It doesn’t make any sense,’ she whispered. ‘Why isn’t it working? What are you doing? Why isn’t it working?’
The penny finally dropped. ‘You’re a Truth Seeker.’ And I’d half-wished for that kind of ability. Dread spun through me then, before I could stop it, I felt her Gift. It was as if something in my blood called out to hers. Nausea, worse than before, flooded through me. I gasped and stumbled. ‘Get away from here.’
She shook her head in confusion. ‘What…? I feel strange.’
‘Kirsty,’ I said though gritted teeth. ‘Run!’ I turned and started running away from her, hoping that the distance between us would work but it was too late; I could feel her power pumping through my veins. She gave a soft moan and there was a thud. I looked round. She’d already collapsed and was lying unmoving in the snow. ‘Shite.’
The drone returned at that moment, its buzzing filling the sky. I was well aware of how this looked: Kirsty Kincaid was unconscious and I was standing next to her. I cursed loudly. The Carnegie MC might have said that
anything went as far as the challenge was concerned but my popularity would hardly increase if the people watching back at the Cruaich thought I’d done her in. Maybe I had.
I edged closer and knelt down to check her pulse. It was still strong. As long as she could get to safety, she’d be fine. ‘You need to get someone here!’ I yelled up to the drone. ‘She needs medical attention!’
‘Uh Integrity,’ Bob said, muffled within the folds of my scarf, ‘they’re not going to help her.’
‘You don’t know that,’ I snapped.
‘It’s the name of the game. You come out here, you take the consequences.’
‘How do you know?’
‘Because I’m a magnific…’
‘Shut up.’ I eyed Kirsty’s prone form. Damn it, Bob was probably right. If I wanted to win I had to leave her behind, but if I left her behind she’d freeze to death. Apparently it was the price you had to pay for daring to compete. I sighed in irritation, then scooped her up in my arms and threw her over my shoulder in a fireman’s lift. Bob scuttled to my opposite shoulder. ‘What are you doing?’ he asked.
I threw a rude gesture towards the drone. It didn’t react but continued to hover above us, transmitting every image. Bloody thing.
‘She’ll die if I don’t do something. There’s no point taking her back to the starting point because there’s no one there. I’ll just have to bring her with us.’ To the people watching, it probably looked like I was talking to myself. Screw them.
‘She’ll slow you down,’ Bob said.
‘No shit.’
‘She attacked you.’
‘She scraped my face and pulled my hair,’ I returned. ‘I think I’ll live. Besides, she obviously thought she was justified.’
‘Are you making excuses for her?’
I shrugged. ‘It’s my fault she’s unconscious.’