Wraith

  For a long moment, he didn’t say anything. He didn’t even blink. The only sign that he wasn’t a statue was the muscle ticking in his cheek. My heart skipped a beat and I knew his heart must have done the same. Regardless, he remained motionless.

  I licked my lips. ‘So,’ I said, ‘it also turns out I’m a wraith.’ I stretched out my arms. ‘Surprise!’ He still didn’t say anything. With my tongue cleaving to the roof of my mouth, I stepped towards him. In response, he folded his arms across his broad chest. I immediately faltered.

  ‘It was you all along.’ It wasn’t a question.

  I bit my lip. ‘Er…’

  ‘You were the wraith who sneaked into my room to kill me. You were the one I captured. And you weren’t kidnapped at all. You manipulated me from day one. Who are you really working for, Saiya?’ He glared at me. ‘Is your name even Saiya?’

  ‘Yes,’ I whispered. ‘Everything about me is true except for the wraith part. I’ve not lied to you. Not much anyway. The only thing you don’t know about me is what I really am. Everything else is the same.’

  ‘Really.’ His voice was flat.

  ‘Really!’ Desperation attacked my insides. ‘I wasn’t in your room to kill you, Gabriel. I’m not like that.’

  ‘I bet you were laughing your head off when you discovered you were my Fior Ghal.’

  ‘No!’ Alarmed, I shook my head. ‘I didn’t even know what a Fior Ghal was, Gabriel. Believe me.’

  ‘Don’t call me that,’ he snarled. ‘Don’t call me Gabriel. You haven’t earned the right. You’re a despicable thing. You’re a creature of horror and death and—’

  ‘Bloody hell!’ My anxiety exploded into anger. ‘It’s your prejudice that brought us to this! You’re the one who hates wraiths. You’re the one who forced me to keep quiet because I knew you’d react like this. I’m not an assassin. I was in your room to eavesdrop. I sell secrets. I don’t kill unless I have to. I’m not part of some murder conglomerate! If I lied to you, I did it because I had to do so to survive.’

  ‘So you’re a spy, not an assassin?’ he enquired icily. ‘Is that supposed to make me feel better? I suppose you really work for the Gneiss goblins. I heard they employ wraiths to do their bidding but I didn’t think they’d stoop this low.’

  I threw up my hands. ‘I’m not a damned spy! I sold secrets to Marrock in return for food, medicine and supplies. I’d like to see you survive in this city without resorting to illegal methods. I don’t work for the goblins. They’re here because your lot wouldn’t do anything about the siege. Not because of me!’

  ‘They’re here because the law says—’

  ‘Oh, screw the law,’ I spat. ‘People are starving to death because of your bloody adherence to the law! We’ve been living in terror, with people executed whenever the damned goblins feel like flexing their muscles. I’m not the one at fault here!’

  ‘No,’ he said sarcastically. ‘How could you be the one at fault? How could you ever make a single mistake? I’ve owned up to the errors we made by not breaching the siege and I’ve apologised. All you’ve done is sneak around and lie.’ He bared his teeth. ‘From the moment we met, you’ve been using me.’

  I put my hands on my hips. ‘Like you’ve not been using me? I’m your stupid Fior Ghal and I’ve got no choice in the matter. What if I’d already been with someone? What would you have done then? You bulldozed me into this. It’s not like I wanted to be your damned soul mate! Before you came along, I knew who I was and what I was doing. Since you showed up, I’ve become this over-emotional, stupid person who can’t keep her head straight! I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t want this.’

  Gabriel shook his head. ‘You lied to me. I knew you were hiding things but I didn’t imagine it was on this kind of level.’

  ‘Is that’s what bothers you most? We’re trying to save Scotland from being ruled by power-hungry goblins and what upsets you is that you didn’t know the whole truth? Or is your ego so big that you’re pissed off you didn’t work it out for yourself?’

  His eyes held mine. ‘I’m not the villain here.’

  I stared at him. So obviously I was the evil one; regardless of my intentions or the fact that I couldn’t help being a wraith, I was the bad guy. So much for spending the rest of eternity together. Unable to stay a moment longer, I bent down and swept up the trinket box. Then I twirled round to storm out.

  ‘I’ve not finished yet,’ Gabriel growled.

  ‘Well, I have,’ I flung over my shoulder. ‘I’m off to find the Stone of Scone. You can do what the hell you want to.’

  ‘You’re not doing a damn thing without me.’ He grabbed my arm and spun me round to face him.

  ‘Why? Because you don’t trust me? Maybe you think that I’ll use the Stone to crown myself ruler of Scotland. I’ll make it a mecca for all things wraith!’ I laughed manically and tried to pull away.

  Gabriel’s face was inches from mine. ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ he hissed. ‘There are goblins all over the place. You can’t just wander out there.’

  ‘I can do whatever I please. I can look after myself. I’m a stone-cold killer, remember?’

  He moved his head down, his lips hovering over mine. ‘You…’ He ground his teeth in frustration then pulled back. ‘Give me the box.’

  I thrust it into his hands. He glared at it as if it were causing great offence. ‘How do you open it?’

  ‘I don’t know.’ I forced myself to calm down and drew a deep breath. ‘Tell you what, you work it out. I’m going to find out what the goblins are up to. They’re not looking for us and I want to know why. They might be close to the Stone even without the clue from that box.’

  ‘You’re not going alone.’

  That was what I’d been planning to do but I could hardly stop him from coming with me. I shrugged in irritation. ‘Whatever.’

  ‘We’ll take a look at what they’re doing and I’ll figure out how to open this box. As soon as we have it unlocked, we’ll know where to find the Stone of Scone. Maybe I should just break it open.’

  ‘That might work.’ I avoided looking at him directly. Focus on the Stone, I told myself. That was what was important.

  ‘Saiya,’ he sighed. He hesitated. He was obviously thinking the same as I was. ‘You brought back this box here. You obviously don’t want the goblins to find the Stone any more than I do. Let’s deal with it and then we’ll sort out this thing between us later. Okay?’

  I glared at him. ‘Okay.’ I yanked myself away from him. ‘Come on then. Let’s see if you’re good enough to keep up.’ I turned round and scuttled out through the small exit. I shouldn’t have felt relieved when I heard him start to follow. I did though.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Dawn was already breaking. The faintest golden glow was visible and, instead of simply being a looming dark shape, Stirling Castle was silhouetted against the sky in all her majesty. Fronds of pink were emerging and, here and there, bird call sounded across the city.

  Neither of us paid any attention. The expression on Gabriel’s face was as steely grey as the lump of stone that was lodged deep in my heart. We might be slipping through the streets together and working towards the same goal but we couldn’t have been further apart. He could barely look at me; he kept his attention trained on the box, continuing to fiddle with it as if it were miraculously going to open because he willed it.

  My mind drifted back to what we were like in the cave, before he’d discovered the truth. My earlier rage had vanished – in truth it had been born out of fear and hurt more than anything else. Now I was simply filled with sadness and pain. So much for a life of happiness with my soul mate. Gabriel obviously believed me to be a monster.

  He broke the silence, muttering a frustrated curse.

  I glanced at him. ‘You should just break it open like you said. Smash it against the cobbles or something.’

  For a moment, I wasn’t sure he was going to answer. ‘I could do that,’ he said finally. ‘But there mi
ght be a mechanism inside to guard against that sort of action. Breaking the box might destroy the contents. That would be a good thing of course…’

  ‘…if it weren’t for the fact that the Filits might still find the Stone on their own,’ I finished for him.

  We exchanged a grim look. If I thought that Gabriel was starting to ease up, I was sadly mistaken. He tore his gaze away from mine. ‘You’re right about one thing,’ he said grudgingly.

  ‘What’s that?’

  ‘Something’s not right. It’s too quiet here. Where are all the goblins? Is it normally this deserted in the centre of the city at this time in the morning?’

  I was about to answer him when, up ahead, there was the sound of a brief yelp, followed by a door slamming. The sound reverberated up the street. Oh shit.

  ‘Gabriel,’ I said in warning. ‘We…’

  I didn’t have time to finish my sentence. There was a brief guttural yell followed by the sound of heavy clomping boots. A moment later, Filit goblins marched up around us, appearing from every street and alleyway. There were hundreds of them and there was no doubting their target. They encircled Gabriel and me impassively, leaving us barely a few metres of space. This was a well-practised manoeuvre. There wasn’t a gap through which we could hope to escape and the goblins had to be twelve deep; they were taking no chances.

  Gabriel, in what was probably a reflex action rather than anything else, began to raise his hands and mutter even though Ange’s trinket box was still in his fist.

  A swarthy Filit lunged forward. ‘Arms down and shut up,’ he snarled.

  Gabriel stiffened and I thought that he was about to argue or to attack the goblin head on. Gritting my teeth, I leaned over to him. ‘In case you haven’t noticed, we’re surrounded.’

  His jaw tightened. ‘We can’t just give in,’ he muttered. ‘You’re a damned wraith. You do something.’

  Like what exactly? Before I could snap a response, a loud echoing laugh came from high up on the rooftops. I craned my neck, my heart sinking when the owner of the laugh came into view, striding over the nearest tiled roof to grin down at us.

  ‘I was so sure that you would notice us before we managed to get close,’ Ghrashbreg said. ‘Dark Elves’ skills are supposed to be legendary. I mean, you single-handedly caught a wraith sneaking into your room. You have magic at your fingertips. You even escaped the effects of deadly poison.’ He leapt down, landing on the pavement in front of us with considerable agility. It was only a few metres but few goblins could manage such a feat due to their dense bone structure. I wondered whether Ghrashbreg did Pilates in his spare time to limber up.

  ‘Lord Ghrashbreg.’ There was no mistaking the venom in Gabriel’s voice. ‘What a pleasant surprise.’

  Ghrashbreg’s smile grew. ‘Indeed. And how kind of you to retrieve my box.’ He reached for the trinket box.

  Gabriel didn’t yield it. ‘It’s not yours.’

  ‘It’s from Stirling. Everything in this city belongs to us.’ He leered at me. ‘Even the people.’

  A low growl emitted from Gabriel’s throat. ‘You go too far.’

  Ghrashbreg painted on an innocent expression. ‘Do I? I think you’ll find the law is perfectly clear in this matter. It always has been. Stirling is a goblin protectorate. You have no rights here and neither does your Fior Ghal. In fact, as a citizen of Stirling, she belongs to me not you.’ He glanced at me. ‘Although given what a thorn in my side you appear to have become, Ms Buchanan, I should have done more than break your little fingers.’

  Gabriel snarled and lunged forward. Ghrashbreg had obviously been hoping he would do that because he flicked his wrist and two more goblins peeled away and leapt towards me. While Gabriel wrapped one hand round Ghrashbreg’s throat, the two goblins grabbed my wrists and hauled me backwards.

  Ghrashberg didn’t move a muscle. ‘I suggest you release me.’

  The goblins tightened their grip on me and wrenched my wrists backwards with such violence that I cried out and tears of pain sprang to my eyes. They were hurting the wrong person if they thought this would make Gabriel hand over the box, however.

  Blinking back the tears, I gazed at the little thing still clutched in Gabriel’s free hand. My vision was slightly blurred, making the bright lacquer surface swim. My unfocused vision allowed a totally different interpretation of the intricate designs on each side of it. I gasped and fell to my knees.

  ‘The love of your life is in agony,’ Ghrashbreg continued, arching an eyebrow towards Gabriel. ‘Don’t you want to help her?’

  I moaned, briefly registering the smirk on the Filit goblin’s face. Most goblins were unlikeable but Ghrashbreg was psychotic. I could almost see his palms itching to reach over and snap my neck. I wondered what he was looking forward to more – my death or Gabriel’s reaction to it. He couldn’t know that I was less horrified by the pain and more by the continuing touch of the goblins’ skin on mine.

  That answered one question at least: being with Gabriel and enjoying his touch was a one-off. I’d not been cured of my phobia because the sensation of being touched by others still gave me shudders. Gabriel was unique and special. But I already knew that.

  Whatever Ghrashbreg’s true motivation was, I had to make a move before he did. It would be touch and go given all the witnesses surrounding us but I reckoned I was close enough to manage it. It helped that everyone here – Gabriel excluded – believed I was weak and inconsequential.

  ‘You can’t do this,’ Gabriel hissed.

  ‘Oh,’ Ghrashbreg replied, ‘I think you’ll find I can. Now kindly remove your hand from around my throat before…’

  I snapped forward, releasing my shadow so it sprang towards Gabriel and slammed the trinket box out of his hands. I leapt back, returning my shadow to its natural place. Gabriel jumped, losing his grip on Ghrashbreg. That was probably for the best. As I moved, I kept my eyes on the spinning box, taking a mental snapshot of each lacquered side. A second later, it smashed to the ground, wood and glass splintering everywhere.

  A tiny scroll rolled towards Ghrashbreg’s feet, coming to rest in front of his toes. Gabriel saw it too and went to snatch it up, a split second before the goblin Lord. He was too late; Ghrashbreg’s boot stomped down on the scroll.

  ‘Well, well, well,’ Ghrashbreg murmured with a nausea-inducing smile. ‘The box gives up its secrets.’ He raised his eyebrows at me. I was fairly certain that I’d moved quickly enough to avoid detection but there was no denying the sudden scepticism in his eyes. ‘You know, the wraith we captured earlier managed to escape without anyone noticing. The guard swears he didn’t fall asleep. In fact, even after having his left eyeball punctured, he promised he didn’t lose focus. It’s ironic that the only thing capable of slipping past him to rescue the wraith would be another wraith.’ He flicked his eyes from me to Gabriel and back again while I stopped breathing. ‘I don’t suppose it really matters now.’ He bent down and picked up the miniature scroll. ‘We have all we need.’ He gestured to the two goblins still holding me. ‘Take both them to the gallows. They can swing.’

  I grimaced at Gabriel. This was not the time for elven heroics; I needed him to play prisoner. Unfortunately, he had other ideas. Straightening his posture, he beckoned to the goblins surrounding us. ‘Come on then,’ he taunted. ‘I’m looking forward to this.’

  Ghrashbreg tsked. ‘You should take a leaf out of your Fior Ghal’s book. She understands that there are worse fates than death. You should be grateful that I’m granting you an easy way out, especially after you disdained my poison.’ His expression grew earnest. ‘I’m trying to be good to you. For a Dark Elf who works for the government, you’re a rather personable fellow. I don’t want to torture you.’

  He raised his squat, hairy, index finger and another goblin moved. She didn’t advance on Gabriel but stepped towards me, removing a sharp, curved knife from the folds of her jacket. I made a show of struggling. I really didn’t want to end up with my intestines spilled acro
ss the cobbles.

  ‘Get away from her,’ Gabriel snarled.

  The goblin raised the blade, brandishing it towards my left eye. I flinched without meaning to and her mouth split into an unpleasant smile.

  ‘This is going to end up with same result, de Florinville,’ Ghrashbreg purred. ‘It’s your choice whether you both die quickly.’ He paused. ‘Or slowly.’

  Gabriel let out an inarticulate mutter. ‘Fine. I’ll go to your damned gallows.’

  The goblin lord smiled. ‘Shame. Submit your hands then.’

  For a moment, I thought Gabriel was going to refuse again but he lifted both hands reluctantly. The goblin by his side immediately bound them tightly with rope.

  ‘Make sure the knots are secure,’ Ghrashbreg advised. ‘His skills are not to be underestimated.’

  I heard Gabriel’s sharp intake of breath as the ropes were tightened. Then I was shoved away from the group while Gabriel was dragged from in front.

  ‘If one of them does turn out to be a wraith,’ Ghrashbreg called after us, ‘or if another wraith shows up to mount a rescue, you have my permission to make all their deaths as unpleasant as possible.’

  I rolled my eyes. It was obviously important to him to have the last word. I couldn’t have said anything in response even if I’d wanted to, however. I received a sharp blow in my back, making me double over and gasp for breath. The only saving grace was that I managed to catch Ghrashbreg’s muttered expletive when he unrolled the tiny scroll. ‘What the fuck is this supposed to say?’

  Then Gabriel and I were pulled away, out of both sight and earshot.

  ***

  We were dragged along several streets to Mercat Cross to the sinister and silent gallows. Or they would have been sinister if the nooses had been replaced. I guessed that Ghrashbreg had forgotten his fiction and this was now merely an auction block, rather than a site for swift executions. Gabriel and I were securely tied to a post while the Filits organised themselves.