by Helen Harper
Only people trying to kill me. I pointed at Kirsty’s tracks. ‘I take Sidhe girls running off into the woods in the middle of winter seriously. Come on. We need to find her.’
Byron was watching me. Despite my new Truth Seeking powers, I had no idea what he was thinking. ‘Fine,’ he replied eventually. Then he grinned. ‘This is a competition. Why not make it more interesting? First one to find her has to pay a forfeit.’
Eh?
‘What’s the matter?’ he prodded. ‘Are you afraid I’ll beat you?’
I snorted. ‘As if.’ I tilted my head. ‘We’re on. On a count of three.’
‘Three,’ he purred.
‘Two,’ I added. Then, before he could say another word, I took off. I heard him curse behind me. I laughed and ran for all I was worth.
‘Uh Integrity,’ Bob said in my ear, making me jerk and stumble. Unfortunately that was all Byron needed to overtake me. ‘Were you flirting with that man?’
‘Piss off, Bob,’ I hissed, picking myself and sprinting after Byron.
‘You need to have hot steamy sex with him and get him out of your system,’ the genie continued blithely. ‘He is the son of your mortal enemy after all.’
I ignored him in the hope that he’d get the message and shut up. Byron was pulling away from me so I dug down inside myself to find an extra spurt of energy. He might have athletic prowess – which was evident in every curve of every muscle ‒ but so did I. And I was used to this sort of terrain.
Bob sighed heavily in my ear. ‘This will end in tears.’
Yeah, yeah. I curved round a large pine and kept my attention on Byron’s back. There was less than a metre separating us. Unfortunately, I also caught glimpses of Kirsty up ahead too; we’d be on her in in a matter of seconds. Come on, Tegs, I muttered. You can do this.
It was hard not to keep the exultant smile off my face when I drew level with Byron. He was breathing heavily, the thin air and thick snow combining to make exertion difficult for him. I was coping better ‒ plus I had a clear path to Kirsty while he had several trees to wend round.
‘I guess you’re going to lose again,’ I said.
He grimaced. ‘Watch your shoelace. You’re going to trip.’
I looked down at my feet just in time to see my lace unravelling. It caught under my foot and I went flying, receiving a mouthful of snow as I crashed to the ground. Byron laughed just as Kirsty turned to see what the commotion was about. I lifted my head in time to see him reach her. He threw me a wink. Crapadoodle.
‘I can look after myself,’ she said, as I dusted myself off and joined them.
‘We’re in the middle of nowhere,’ he pointed out. ‘Just let us take you to the last checkpoint. There’s a road there which will lead you to the nearest town. Let us put you on it and then we’ll know you won’t get lost and freeze to death.’
‘Why?’ she asked suspiciously. ‘You’ll lose time. This is still a race.’
‘It’s the honourable thing to do,’ I said, wondering why I was bothering.
Kirsty gazed at me then shrugged. ‘It’s your competition to lose,’ she said finally. ‘And this is a free country. Do what you want.’ She began walking once more. Byron and I exchanged glances.
‘I won,’ he said with an easy grin.
‘You cheated.’
A lock of bronze hair fell across his forehead. ‘How?’
‘You made my shoelace come undone with your damned Gift.’
‘And?’
I sighed. ‘Whatever. You can get your prize later. Let’s not lose Kirsty again.’
We caught her up quickly enough and trudged along beside her. For a while all that could be heard were our combined breaths. I could tell from the way that Byron kept glancing at Kirsty that he had something to say. She knew it too.
‘Will you stop doing that?’ she said eventually. ‘If you’ve got something to say, say it.’
‘When you lost your Gift,’ he said, ‘how did you feel?’
I could feel my spine stiffening.
‘I passed out. How do you think I felt?’
‘Did it hurt?’
‘No, not exactly. But I could feel it leaving me, like it was ripped away. At the time I didn’t know what it was and I blacked out before I could think about it.’ She considered her next words while I tried not to look guilty. I had a horrible feeling I knew where Byron was going with this and I really wished he wouldn’t but I had to listen. I needed to know exactly what damage I’d done. ‘Have you ever had chewing gum stuck to your clothes? Or your skin?’
‘I guess,’ he said doubtfully.
Kirsty shrugged. ‘Well, it was a bit like having chewing gum peeled away. Uncomfortable but not exactly painful.’
Byron pressed on. ‘And you have no idea what triggered it?’
‘Not a clue.’ She shot me a look. ‘You were there. Did you feel anything?’
I couldn’t meet her eyes. ‘No,’ I murmured, hating myself for the lie.
‘Did you see anything?’ Byron asked me.
I shook my head. ‘Nope.’
Kirsty eyed him, before asking the obvious question. ‘Why?’
He sighed. ‘I’ve felt it too.’
Her eyes went round. ‘You’ve lost your Gift?’
‘I’ve got two,’ he said. ‘And no, they’re both still there but one of them is sort of … less than it was.’
‘When? When did it happen?’
‘I don’t know,’ he admitted. ‘I didn’t feel anything was wrong until the Artistry challenge. As soon as I tried to use it, I knew it was less than what it was.’
I swallowed. So the pause before he’d started playing wasn’t deliberate. I felt like a complete shit. I hadn’t meant to take his Gift, I hadn’t meant to take Kirsty’s either, but there was no denying that I had.
Kirsty absorbed this information, a worried expression on her face. ‘Have others had this happen too?’
Byron shook his head. ‘I don’t know. I didn’t tell anyone about it because I wasn’t sure if I’d imagined it.’ He laughed shortly. ‘And I didn’t want anyone to think less of me.’
‘But if it’s happened to the two of us maybe it’s happened to others.’
He gave a grim nod. ‘Exactly. Perhaps they’re not aware of it yet or they think they’re the only ones and are too ashamed to talk about it.’
‘Do you think it’s some kind of disease?’ Kirsty asked in a small voice.
‘Frankly, I have no idea – but it could have serious implications. Imagine if every Sidhe lost their Gift. Where would we be then?’
I licked my lips. ‘Would it be so bad? Kirsty seems happy enough.’
‘I hated my Gift,’ she said. ‘Most of the others love theirs.’
A muscle jerked in Byron’s jaw. ‘I’ll have to tell my father about this,’ he finally said. ‘We can’t just ignore it.’ He glanced at me. ‘I don’t suppose you have any theories?’
‘I know very little about how Gifts work,’ I mumbled. Until I found a way to control what I was doing, I’d have to be very, very careful. ‘Look!’ I said suddenly, spotting a break in the trees up ahead and relieved to be able to change the subject. ‘There’s the road!’
We emerged onto its flat expanse. After being surrounded by trees and nature for so long, it was strange to have this reminder of civilisation. I felt like I’d been out here for days, not hours.
Kirsty looked up and down the road. ‘My sense of direction is all messed up. Which way was that last clue again?’
Byron pointed to the left. ‘Back that way. And with those Baugans waiting with the traps, you don’t want to go that way.’
I raised my eyebrows. No wonder I’d managed to catch up. I’d obviously managed to skip one of the more dangerous parts of this challenge. My shortcut was proving more advantageous than I’d realised.
Byron pulled out a perfectly folded map from his pocket and smoothed it out. It was almost identical to Kirsty’s apart from one extra mark: the f
inishing line. I beamed in delight.
‘There’s only one more place to go and that’ll be where the Clan flags are,’ he said, jabbing his thumb at a spot that seemed to be back in the centre of the forest. ‘I reckon if you continue on down the road to your right, you’ll come to Crianlarich. It’s a hop, skip and a jump to the Cruaich border from there.’
Kirsty grinned. ‘Perfect. Thank you for your help.’ She turned to me. ‘And,’ she added grudgingly, ‘thanks for yours too.’
I bowed. ‘No problem.’
‘It took you ages to show up, you know,’ she said. ‘I thought I’d missed you.’
I wrinkled my nose. ‘Let’s just say that I didn’t have the easiest start to my Hunt.’
‘It didn’t take you long to catch up though, did it?’ Byron remarked. ‘Did you skip all the clues?’
‘Er…’
Kirsty’s brow furrowed and she delved into her pocket. When her hand came out empty, an odd light came into her eyes. ‘You took my map.’ I didn’t bother denying it. She flicked back her hair. ‘Well, thank you anyway. I’m sorry I attacked you.’
I’d stolen her Gift and she was apologising to me; I couldn’t have felt more awkward. ‘No problem. Look after yourself and don’t leave the road.’
‘No worries,’ she grinned. ‘Have fun, you two.’ There was a flicker of mischief in her eyes.
‘What was that last comment about?’ I asked Byron as she walked away.
He leaned towards me and dropped his voice. ‘I think she senses the sexual tension between us.’
I gave him a shove. ‘As if.’
‘You owe me, Integrity. I won the bet.’ A smile tugged at his mouth. ‘I’d hate to think you’re a sore loser.’
‘Not in the slightest.’ Besides, anything that kept the conversation away from missing Gifts could only be a good thing. ‘I suppose you want me to hang around here so you can beat me to the finish line?’
He snorted. ‘Hardly. I can beat you without you doing that.’
‘So,’ I said, crossing my arms, ‘what do you want then?’
His smile grew. ‘A kiss.’
It took a moment for the word to sink in. When it did, I stepped back. ‘You want what?’
‘You heard me.’
I flung an arm out towards the trees. ‘Tipsania is out there! Your fiancée!’
‘She’s not my fiancée.’ He was telling the truth.
‘Not yet.’
‘I’ve told you many times that my relationship with Tipsy is complicated.’
I thought of Candy. ‘I’ll bet it is but I’m not the kind of woman who interferes in relationships. Even complicated ones. You need to ask for something else.’
‘No.’ He watched me carefully. ‘I won the bet and that is what I want.’
‘This isn’t going to make things better between us, Byron,’ I said.
‘It might.’ He took a step closer. ‘Even Kirsty can sense the tension between us so maybe it’ll act like a valve and release some of that … pressure.’ He shrugged nonchalantly. ‘And I can’t remember much from Aberdeen. Did we kiss then? Because you’re probably really bad at it and then I can walk away and concentrate on the Games instead of on you.’
My mouth dropped open. ‘Wanker! I’m a great kisser.’ The kiss we’d shared in Aberdeen was seared into my memory. Had he really forgotten it? His phrasing hadn’t been direct enough for me to use Kirsty’s Gift to ascertain the truth – or lie.
His eyes danced with both promise and challenge. ‘Prove it then.’
I muttered a frustrated curse. ‘This is ridiculous.’
Byron didn’t say anything. I sighed. ‘Fine,’ I said, snapping. ‘One kiss.’ I leaned over but he pulled away.
‘No peck on the cheek,’ he warned. ‘I’m asking for a real, passionate, proper kiss.’
‘You want a snog,’ I said flatly, ‘like a horny teenager.’
He ran his tongue across his top lip. ‘I suppose I do.’ He bent his head and whispered, ‘And I am horny.’ Another truth. Shite.
‘I hate that word,’ I said, dissembling.
‘Horny?’ He smiled. ‘Would you prefer randy?’
I made a face.
‘Lustful?’ he inquired.
‘More like prurient.’
He shook his head. ‘No. Try infatuated.’
For a moment I forgot to breathe. ‘Then maybe I will kiss you really badly to rid you of that,’ I said.
His eyes held mine. ‘Go on then.’
I could think of many reasons why I should just turn on my heel and run away but a bet was a bet. I wasn’t Taylor’s ward for nothing. I stepped up to Byron and stood on my tiptoes. I could smell his raw masculinity – an indefinable scent which suggested power and sex and a whole lot of other things that I didn’t want to think about. Emerald eyes glittered at me.
‘What are you waiting for?’ he breathed.
I had no idea. Perhaps I was simply savouring the moment. A snappy comeback was on my lips but I ignored it and pressed my mouth against his.
Byron didn’t react immediately and I grinned. He was creating his own mini-challenge. Let’s see how long he could resist. I coiled my body against his, running my fingers lightly around his waist. When that didn’t work, I ran them in the opposite direction. I was rewarded with a sharp intake of breath.
My tongue flicked against his and I deepened the kiss. Byron muttered something and yielded, grabbing my waist and hoisting me up, forcing my hands to leave their teasing dance and reach round his neck. He pushed forward, so my back was pressed against a tree. The trunk was rough but I barely noticed.
Cupping my face and moving in for the kill, Byron’s teeth nipped at my bottom lip, sending an explosive burst of pleasure rippling through me. Every semblance of common sense fled and I gave myself up to the heady sensation of his taste, his body and his ardour, which more than matched my own.
It was only a distant buzzing which managed to break through my consciousness. ‘Byron?’ I murmured, as my insides squirmed. ‘Stop.’
His fingers brushed my skin, searing in a way I’d not thought possible. ‘Mm?’
‘Drone.’ I couldn’t even form proper sentences. The buzzing got louder and I pushed him away. ‘There’s a drone coming.’
His breath was ragged as mine. We stared at each other as the buzzing got louder and the drone appeared, hovering above us.
‘They should have banned those things. It’s not like they’ve been used before at the Games.’
‘It’s a brave new world.’
He eyed me. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘I suppose it is.’
‘Byron!’ a voice called.
We turned. The four other Moncrieffe competitors – Jamie included – appeared round the corner. The spell was well and truly broken.
‘Your Clan like working together,’ I said in an undertone.
‘Tactics,’ he muttered, raising a hand in greeting.
‘Where’s Tipsy?’ Jamie asked.
‘Ahead.’
I ignored the suspicious glances they sent me. Jamie frowned. ‘How did you get here, Integrity?’
I shrugged and grinned. ‘Tactics.’ I wiggled my fingers at them. ‘See ya!’ Then I took off, pelting back into the woods. There was still a challenge to win.
Chapter Sixteen
There were shouts from behind me but it didn’t take long for me to pull away from the group of irritated Moncrieffes. Byron wasn’t close enough to pull any tricks like untying my shoelaces with his telekinesis Gift – and somehow I didn’t think he’d try that again. In this world, where the word honour was bandied about as if it was as common as oxygen, I thought he probably had some. Apart from when it came to Tipsania.
‘Uh Integrity,’ Bob said, emerging from his hiding place once more, ‘that was some kiss. I’m still blushing.’
‘Does voyeurism come as part and parcel of being a genie?’ I asked, avoiding a low-lying branch.
He ignored my question. He was pro
bably upset that his prediction about everything ending in tears hadn’t come to pass – not yet, anyway. ‘You knew I was there,’ he sang out. ‘You were trying to titillate me, weren’t you?’
‘Sure, Bob,’ I muttered sarcastically. ‘That entire episode was purely for your benefit.’
‘I knew it!’ he crowed. ‘You can’t fool me!’
Whatever. I kept running. Judging by Byron’s last clue, there wasn’t far to go. If I concentrated and avoided going off track, I’d still catch Tipsania in no time. It helped that I had the tracks to guide me. Adrenaline fired through me; I couldn’t wait to see the look on Aifric’s and those damned Carnegies’ faces when I got back into first position despite all their efforts to stop me. Or kill me.
Now that I was on my own, I reached the point where we’d left Tipsania very quickly. Her small footprints diverged off to the east and I called up another mental image of Byron’s map. Good old Tipsy still seemed to be heading in the right direction. All I had to do was catch her up.
I continued with my fast pace, ripping through the undergrowth in a way that would have impressed even Travis. The trees were getting denser but I was spry enough to dodge through them without slowing down. No problem – or it wouldn’t have been if the sky hadn’t already started to darken. By the time I reached Tipsy, I could barely see a thing.
No wonder I’d caught up with her so quickly; she was on the edge of a frozen loch and was eyeing it with trepidation. I wasn’t in a hurry to test the thickness of that ice either. Climbing up an icy expanse was one thing; falling through ice into frigid water was something else entirely.
As I approached, she turned and tossed her head disdainfully when she recognised me. ‘Hi Tipsania!’ I called out cheerily.
She looked away. ‘Where’s Byron?’ she asked. ‘Or have you stabbed him in the back so you can get in front?’
The guilty memory of our kiss surfaced briefly before I pushed it down again. ‘Oh, I’m sure he’s on his way, along with the rest of his Moncrieffe crew.’
Something flashed in her eyes. ‘The rest of his Clan have caught up?’
I nodded. ‘Yep. They seem to like working as a team.’ And then, because I couldn’t help myself, ‘Unlike you.’
