Veiled Threat

by Helen Harper

  Bob winced. ‘Red really isn’t your colour.’

  As if bored of all this talk, the Foinse shot up into the air, doing a dramatic loop-the-loop and then shooting off back the way it came. It disappeared round the far side of the mansion, its silver shimmer swallowed up by the inky night.

  At my feet, Speck stirred. ‘Wha...?’

  ‘Shh,’ I said. ‘Go back to sleep.’

  He murmured something, turned over and his snoring started up again.

  ‘Out of sight, out of mind?’ Bob asked.

  I stared off in the direction the Foinse had flown. More shite to worry about. ‘If only, Bob,’ I sighed. ‘If only. If this sort of thing keeps up, I’m going to be making apocalypse jokes like there’s no tomorrow.’

  Chapter Four

  The next morning, as we breakfasted over a delectable mix of stale rolls, salt-and-vinegar crisps and Irn Bru and I tried to think of a way to gently break it to my friends that we were harbouring the root of all Scottish magic, I spotted Speck flexing his fingers and looking confused.

  ‘What’s up?’

  He pressed his lips together. ‘I dunno. I feel ... strange.’

  Lexie leaned over and caressed his cheek then her fingers trailed teasingly down his body. He jerked away. ‘You’re right,’ she said with a grin, ‘you do feel strange.’

  ‘Piss off.’ He scowled. ‘It has to be the effect of sleeping out in the open. It’s playing havoc with my sinuses.’

  Somehow I bet it was a lot more than that. ‘Speck,’ I said slowly, ‘when was the last time you tried a spell?’

  ‘Hogmanay,’ Lexie said, answering for him. ‘He tried to do those fireworks, remember?’

  ‘That wasn’t my fault!’ Speck protested. ‘The average person can only concentrate for a maximum of twenty minutes and the display you wanted involved a lot more than that!’

  I grimaced. Oh yeah: instead of pretty explosions of light, we were treated to an out-of-control Catherine wheel that burned off Taylor’s eyebrows. Speck was a warlock but, truthfully, that didn’t mean much. Few warlocks could control their magic and they tended to err on the side of dismal failure. In fact, many of them were so clueless that they often died young as a result of magical experiments that went horribly wrong. When Speck was at his best, he could conjure up enough magic to bust open a padlock; at his worst, he burnt down entire buildings when it all went tits up. The Sidhe might be limited to whatever their own personal Gifts dictated but at least they had absolute control over what they could do.

  I decided to throw caution to the wind. ‘Try now,’ I said.

  He stared at me. ‘You’re inviting me to do a spell?’

  Brochan put down his cup carefully, stood up and backed away. Even Taylor looked alarmed. ‘Tegs, I don’t think...’

  ‘Shhh.’ I twisted round. ‘You see that window up there? On the right? It’s about the only one that’s not been broken.’

  ‘I see it,’ Speck said warily.

  ‘Can you open it? With your magic, I mean?’

  He paled slightly and swallowed. ‘Sure.’

  I glanced at the others. ‘Maybe we should all move away. Just in case.’

  ‘You realise he might blow up your ancestral home?’ Lexie whispered loudly. Speck threw her a nasty look.

  I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. ‘It’s one way to sort out the mess inside.’

  Speck wiped his mouth and stood up. Lexie squeaked and ran behind Brochan. I stayed where I was. Speck closed his eyes and pointed upwards. ‘Aperio!’

  I held my breath as we all stared up at the window. Speck opened one eye and squinted. ‘Huh,’ he grunted. ‘Nothing happened.’

  ‘Thank the Highland heavens!’ Lexie stepped out from her temporary cover just as there was a sudden creak.

  I kept my eyes trained upwards. With what appeared to be a mighty effort, the window swooped open. Unfortunately it also swung round and smacked itself against the stone wall, immediately shattering into a thousand tiny shards which tinkled to the ground.

  Speck blew air through pursed lips. ‘Almost.’

  Hm. I yanked my gaze away and looked at him. ‘How do you feel?’

  I received a suspicious glare in return. ‘Why are you asking?’

  ‘Humour me.’

  He twitched. ‘Fine.’

  ‘Any different to normal?’

  An awkward expression crossed his face. ‘Yeah,’ he admitted. ‘I feel more ... tingly than usual.’

  ‘What’s this all about, Tegs?’ Taylor asked.

  I took a bite out of my roll. It really was almost inedible. I chewed vigorously for a moment then swallowed and, without further preamble, told them. ‘The Foinse’s here,’ I said.

  Speck flung his head around wildly. ‘Where?’

  ‘It’s not here here,’ I tried to explain. ‘It’s just ... here.’

  ‘On these Lands?’ Brochan rumbled, understanding my garbled attempt at an explanation.

  I nodded. Taylor whistled. ‘That’s amazing! We can sell it off for more money than any of us have ever dreamed of! Forget the Sidhe, I’ve got a few contacts in China. I bet they’d be keen to part with a considerable amount of yuan. Or there was that dodgy American businessman I met at...’

  ‘Taylor.’

  He pasted on an innocent expression. ‘What?’

  ‘It’s a free agent, not a slave to be bought and sold.’

  ‘It’s a thing. It’s not a person.’

  I looked up at him. ‘Frankly, we don’t really know what it is. Besides, it belongs in Scotland.’

  ‘Yes, but just think of all that money!’

  I tutted.

  Brochan was still watching me. ‘You want to know if the Foinse being here is affecting Speck’s magic.’

  ‘Yep.’

  He didn’t move a muscle. ‘Is it affecting yours?’

  ‘I don’t have much magic left in me to experiment with other than truth-telling and its presence isn’t blocking that.’

  ‘Speck tried. You should too.’ He pointed at the distant tree. ‘You’ve still got that Carnegie woman’s Gift, right?’

  ‘A bit of it. I think.’

  ‘Then,’ Brochan said quietly, ‘make the tree grow.’

  ‘I think it’s already dead.’ I paused. ‘What’s wrong with the lonely fir tree? It’s pining to be poplar.’

  Nobody smiled. ‘Go on, Tegs,’ Lexie said. ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’

  I wagged my finger at her. ‘Don’t say that. Don’t ever say that.’ I ran my hand through my hair, teasing out the ends. ‘Fine.’ I stood up and walked towards it.

  It was further away than it looked and, when I finally reached it, it was in an even sorrier state than I’d realised. I touched the gnarled bark; it felt cold and dead. This was never going to work.

  ‘Think positive,’ Taylor said from right behind me.

  I jumped. ‘How can you do that?’ I complained. ‘How can you always know what I’m thinking?’

  His eyes were warm. ‘I know you.’

  I muttered something uncomplimentary and stared back at the tree. I reached down inside myself, feeling the tug of Morna Carnegie’s nature-based Gift. Then, not knowing what else to do, I flicked my fingers at the tree. ‘Grow,’ I commanded. Needless to say, nothing happened.

  ‘I don’t think that’s how you do it,’ Lexie said.

  I grimaced at her. ‘Any suggestions then?’

  Speck cleared his throat. ‘Look inside the tree itself. If there’s a spark of life left in it, you can focus on that.’

  I bit my tongue to avoid snapping that I didn’t have X-ray vision. Instead, I nodded and tried it. I screwed up my face and hunched my shoulders, focusing all my energy on the tree. ‘It’s not working. Nothing’s happening.’ Morna’s Gift swirled through me. ‘Nope,’ I declared. ‘It can’t be done.’

  ‘Tegs,’ Taylor said. ‘Look.’

  I opened my eyes properly. ‘What?’

  He point
ed to the furthest branch. ‘Right there.’

  I sucked in a breath. He was right: at the very tip of the long, skeleton-like branch was a single little bud. ‘Oh.’

  ‘That’s power over life and death,’ Speck breathed.

  I could taste something unpleasant on my tongue. ‘No. It’s not. It’s just...’ I cursed. ‘I don’t know what it is.’

  Brochan nodded. ‘She’s right. It’s hardly a scientific experiment. She might have been able to do that without the Foinse.’

  ‘She is standing right here,’ I muttered.

  Taylor slapped me on the back. ‘And she needs to stop over-thinking and get going. Tree or no tree, you’ve got a Chieftain to sweet talk.’

  I watched the bud for a moment. It was a tiny splash of green against the almost black tree. Extraordinary. Goose pimples danced along my arms. ‘Yeah,’ I said finally. ‘It’s time to go.’

  ***

  The one good thing was that the MacBain Clan Lands weren’t far away. The MacBains were lucky not to be located as dangerously close to the Veil as the Adair Lands were. I managed to reach them before it was time for a mid-morning snack. I took Bob with me for company but, after his night flying around on the Foinse, he was inside his letter opener and refusing to come out. All the same, I kept him close to me, attached to my belt for quick and easy access if necessary.

  I halted at the border, which was signified by a monstrous flagpole displaying the MacBain colours. Unlike the Cruaich, which was open to all Sidhe, the magical border here wouldn’t permit me entrance unless I already had permission. The different Clans were too wary of each other’s machinations to let just anyone wander in.

  I stepped up and pressed my palm against the border and received a mild electric shock in return. Hopefully that would be enough to alert any nearby guards. Then I hopped onto the bonnet of the car and waited. It didn’t take long. A figure appeared from a distant guard house, marching down the road towards me. Troll. That figured; the Sidhe always used trolls as guards.

  ‘What do you want?’ he snarled. He was dressed in ridiculously formal livery. Chieftain MacBain seemed to think she was living in the eighteenth century. It didn’t help that, of all things, he appeared to be carrying a spear.

  I smirked. ‘Nice togs. Are you going to a fancy-dress party?’

  The spear shook. ‘No.’

  Okay then. I stared at him and he stared back at me. Eventually, growing bored, I sighed. ‘I’m Integrity Adair. I’m here to see Chieftain MacBain.’

  ‘I wasn’t informed. There are no visitors due today.’

  I held up my palms, trying to get him to relax. It didn’t work. ‘It was a loose invitation. She wants me to help her retrieve something.’

  ‘If your name’s not on the list, you don’t get in. I don’t care who you are.’

  I smiled pleasantly. ‘Why don’t you phone up and check? I’m sure when she knows I’m here, she’ll want to see me.’

  The troll’s lip curled. ‘Rules are rules. Without her permission, you have to stay out.’

  I jumped down from the car. He waggled the spear at me in what I assume he thought was a menacing fashion. ‘Keep back!’

  ‘You’re right,’ I said. ‘Rules are rules. It’s very important to stick to them.’

  He sniffed. ‘I’m glad someone agrees with me.’

  I nodded wisely. ‘Not everyone understands how important security is.’

  He stood up a little bit straighter. ‘Yes! They complain to me all the time. Demand to be let in when they’re late. Forget to log out when they leave. It’s my job to make sure this area is secure! It’s me who’ll get in trouble when something bad happens.’

  I noted he said when, rather than if. I murmured soothingly, ‘People just don’t get it, do they? They’ll learn when a marauding band of Fomori demon come marching through.’

  He snapped his fingers. ‘Exactly!’ His gaze softened as if he was starting to think we were kindred spirits.

  ‘You’re a troll to be admired. Not all security specialists are as dedicated as you.’

  He bowed. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘What’s your name?’

  ‘Sorley.’

  I clapped my hands. ‘Great name!’ His cheeks went slightly pink. ‘Anyway, Sorley,’ I said, ‘I’d be so grateful if you could tell Chieftain MacBain that I’m here to see her. Don’t break any rules. It’s very important that you stick to them ‒ I wouldn’t want your security compromised in any way, shape or form. Honestly, I wish my Clan had as good a set up as this.’ I dropped my voice in a conspiratorial whisper. ‘Don’t tell anyone, but we don’t even have a proper border in place.’

  Sorley looked utterly horrified. ‘What did you say your name was again?’

  ‘Integrity Adair.’

  ‘Adair? But...’ He clicked his heels together. ‘I see.’

  See what? Before I could ask, hooves clattered up from behind. I turned in time to see a lordling I vaguely recognised pull up on a monster of a horse. Admittedly, all horses looked like monsters to me.

  ‘Sorley,’ he barked. ‘What’s the problem?’

  ‘Her name’s not on the list.’

  The lordling, who had more muscles than I’d seen in a long time, leapt off the horse and landed on both feet. I glanced down and realised that his torso might be the size of an oak tree but his legs were more like puny saplings. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself laughing. Someone hadn’t been doing their exercises properly.

  He cast a long look over me. He seemed rather wary. ‘Don’t you know who this is?’ he demanded of Sorley.

  I winced.

  ‘I do now,’ Sorley replied shortly. ‘She’s Integrity Adair.’

  ‘Chieftain Adair,’ the lordling said.

  ‘Makes no difference,’ the troll mumbled. ‘Her name’s not down on my list.’

  ‘And your dedication is admirable.’ I broke in before the increasingly irate Sidhe let out a barrage of expletives. I smiled. ‘I really would appreciate it if you could check with Chieftain MacBain and then...’

  The lordling clicked his fingers. ‘Let her in.’

  The troll looked at him then back at me. ‘I cannot.’

  ‘You will do what I say or...’

  I rolled my eyes. ‘I will wait here until Chieftain MacBain agrees that I can enter. Alright?’

  Sorley threw a smug look at the lordling, who seemed very put out. ‘I will tell her you’re here,’ the lordling said huffily. Then he clambered back on his horse and cantered through.

  Sorley checked his watch. He looked a bit upset.

  ‘Don’t worry about him,’ I told him. ‘He’s just another Sidhe wanker.’

  Sorley’s eyes shot to mine and he coughed. ‘It’s not that,’ he said stiffly. ‘He said he’d be back at 10 a.m. It’s 10.12. I’ll have to log that and write a report. He should be more punctual.’

  I pressed my lips together hard. ‘Mmmm.’

  I was expecting Chieftain MacBain to make me cool my heels for some time. It’s what Aifric would have done ‒ anything to make sure I knew my place. Surprisingly, less than fifteen minutes passed before she appeared followed by a large retinue. She strode down the long driveway at such a brisk pace that her hangers-on struggled to keep up. I guessed that, for all her mistrust of me, Chieftain MacBain believed in manners.

  ‘Ma’am,’ Sorley said as she reached us.

  She looked at him coldly. ‘How many times have I told you to address me as Chieftain?’

  He shuffled his feet. ‘Ma’am, Stuart MacBain was twelve minutes late. I really do think you should have a word with him about...’ Her glare intensified. Sorley noted it but kept on going. ‘...about punctuality. What if we’d sent a search party out for him? It’s simply not good enough. You put me in charge of security.’

  ‘Enough of this nonsense.’ She said it quietly but there was more menace in her tone than the Bull could have managed with an ear-splitting bellow.

  ‘Chiefta
in Adair,’ she said, turning to me.

  I almost fell over. That was the last way I’d expected her to address me. I recovered quickly, however, and inclined my head as if I was completely used to being treated as a highborn Sidhe noble. ‘Chieftain MacBain,’ I returned.

  ‘I was not convinced you were going to keep your word.’

  I stood my ground. ‘I told you I would do as you asked and retrieve your uncle’s body.’

  ‘So where is he?’ She obviously wasn’t in the mood to waste time.

  ‘I don’t have him yet. Our agreement was that I would receive a favour from you in return.’

  ‘Yes, yes,’ she said impatiently.

  ‘Fifty people,’ I said, plucking a number out of thin air. It sounded like a lot to me. ‘I would like to borrow fifty of your people to help me clear the Adair Lands and make the mansion habitable. They need to be strong, capable workers.’

  Something akin to relief crossed her face. I wondered what she thought I was going to ask for ‒ the soul of her firstborn? ‘How long for?’ she asked with a sniff.

  ‘Er ...’ I tried to calculate how much work would be involved. ‘Three weeks?’

  ‘Done,’ she said, snapping her fingers.

  I blinked. Shite. I should have asked for a lot more. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘They will travel to you as soon as I receive the body.’

  I nodded. That was good. It would give me time to impress upon the Foinse that it needed to stay hidden. Although how on earth I was going to tell it that was beyond me at the moment.

  Chieftain MacBain stared at me. ‘Is there anything else?’

  Sorley shuffled his feet. No one looked at him. I shook my head and tried not to appear too grateful.

  ‘Good. Then I have a demand of my own.’

  Uh oh. ‘Go on,’ I said cautiously. I’d listen to her ‘demand’ at least.

  ‘I do not know you, Chieftain Adair,’ she said, ‘but I do hear certain things. I appreciate that I may have been too hasty in believing you stole my necklace at the Games. However, there is little about that you is trustworthy.’

  I didn’t like where this was heading. ‘I can assure you that I will not go back on my word,’ I said, stiffening.