Veiled Threat (18 page)

I didn’t answer.

Byron rolled his eyes as if he were the wronged one. I struggled to keep hold of my temper, counting to ten as he continued to stare at me. ‘I wasn’t trying to hurt you, Integrity. It would just have put you to sleep for a while.’ He was telling the truth. I closed my eyes for a beat. That was something. ‘And,’ he added, ‘I wasn’t even going to use it.’

Another truth. Feeling the others watching me, I gave them a stiff nod. Lexie and Speck relaxed slightly but I could still feel the animosity rolling off Brochan and Taylor. Bob, however, had magicked up a large popcorn and was watching us with a massive, cheesy grin and a pair of nonsensical 3D glasses.

‘Why bother bringing it at all then?’ I asked softly.

He shrugged with feigned nonchalance. ‘Going across the Veil is dangerous. It didn’t seem right putting you in that position. After all, if something goes wrong, there are lots of Moncrieffes. My Clan would survive. But there’s only one of you. In the end, I figured that you can make that decision for yourself though. I didn’t have much time once I received your summons and I was rash when I packed.  It’s not the end of the world.’ He raised a pointed eyebrow. ‘I’ve not actually tried to spike your drink.’

‘You have before,’ I snapped, referring to when we first met. ‘Was all this your idea? To send me to sleep and go find MacBain’s body on your own?’

‘Yes.’

I gave him a sad smile. Couldn’t he see how his strings were still being pulled even though his father was hundreds of miles away? ‘You forget that I’ve got Kirsty Kincaid’s Gift.’

‘What the hell?’ Tipsania exclaimed. ‘You have her Gift? Truth Telling? The one she lost at the Games? And what exactly is going on here anyway? Byron—’

‘Shut up, Tipsy,’ he said tiredly. She flinched but he kept his attention trained on me. ‘Fine,’ he admitted. ‘My father suggested it. But it proves that he’s not out to get you because he wants to keep you safe as much as I do.’

I sighed. ‘You really do still believe that.’

‘For goodness sake, Integrity!’ he exploded. ‘If he wanted you dead, wouldn’t letting you cross the Veil be a good way for that to happen? There are still thousands of Fomori demons over there. It’s incredibly risky. Why would he want to stop you if not to protect you?’

‘Why indeed?’ I murmured. ‘Why indeed?’ I shrugged. ‘That’s a question for another time.’

A muscle ticked in his cheek. ‘I can see how this looks.’ He gestured with his bound hands at the little vial.  ‘I’ll prove it to you. I’ll drink it and then you’ll see.’

I glanced down at the innocuous looking thing. ‘Except,’ I told him, ‘then you’ll be dead and I won’t be able to tell you I told you so.’ I checked my watch. ‘I have to go or I’ll be late.’ I turned on my heel and began striding off.

‘You can’t do this on your own!’ he shouted after me. ‘Untie me and I’ll come with you. No more sleeping draughts!’

‘You had your chance,’ I heard Brochan rumble. ‘Now you’re staying with us.’

‘Tipsania...’ Byron appealed.

‘What?’ she snapped. ‘You’ve made your bed. You lie in it.’

I grinned humourlessly to myself. Clearly, she didn’t like being told to keep quiet, even by Byron Moncrieffe.

‘It’s not fucking poison!’ he yelled. ‘Integrity, you can’t do this on your own.’

I spun round.  ‘Because it’s too dangerous?’

‘Yes! And because you know Chieftain MacBain won’t accept you doing this on your own. She doesn’t trust you.’

‘I don’t think I’m the untrustworthy one here,’ I snarled. ‘You’re not turning out to be much of a hero.’

Byron struggled to compose himself. ‘Fine. Give the vial back to me. You know from your Truth-Seeking that I won’t use it against you. And I’ll prove to you once and for all that my father means you no harm because I’ll take it to a lab and get it independently tested. Then we’ll both know the truth.’

Now
that
was a damned good idea. Taylor, sensing my shift in thought, gave me a warning glance. ‘Tegs...’

Byron softened his features. ‘You don’t trust me. Fine. But I don’t trust you either, remember? You stole from me while I haven’t actually done anything yet. Let me come with you.’

‘Why do you even want to come?’ I demanded. ‘And remember I will know if you’re lying.’

Two high spots of colour lit his cheeks. I blinked. Byron was embarrassed. He heaved in a breath. He seemed to be struggling with the answer. ‘Fine,’ he said eventually. ‘I want to come because I want to be with you. I want to make sure you’re safe. I want to help you out. I couldn’t give a toss about Matthew MacBain. He’s been dead for a generation. But I care about you.’

Nobody said anything. Lexie did clasp her hand over her mouth, however, and look rather delighted.

I bit my lip hard. Then I gestured towards Bob. He jerked up. ‘Really?’ I nodded. He shrugged to himself. ‘It’s your funeral.’

The tiny genie flapped his way over to Byron at the exact same time as Brochan stood up and wandered over. He flashed an uncharacteristically warm smile and then, without warning, drew back his fist and slammed it into Byron’s jaw with a sweeping undercut. Byron’s head snapped back and he collapsed with a heavy thud.

‘What the...?’ I sprang over.

‘He’s out cold,’ Bob pronounced solemnly.

I wheeled round to face Brochan. The large merman was rubbing his fist but he looked incredibly self-satisfied. ‘What did you do that for?’

‘You’re letting your emotions get in the way, Tegs,’ he said with an unrepentant shrug. ‘You can’t trust him.’

‘He was telling the truth! He wasn’t going to use the poison!’

‘But,’ Taylor interjected, ‘you don’t know that he wouldn’t do something later on when you least expect it.’

‘You too, Taylor? You condone this?’

‘Stop thinking with your heart, Integrity,’ he said sternly. ‘You know better than that. We win by logic not by heat.’

It had been such a long time since Taylor had acted like my mentor and told me what to do that I was momentarily bereft for words. I stared at Byron’s prone form. ‘We don’t do violence,’ I said finally. Tipsania snorted loudly but when I glanced at her she shrank back in what could only be a frisson of fear. Anger surged through me.  This was why we didn’t hurt people.  Ever.

‘He’s not dead,’ Brochan pointed out.  ‘He’s just unconscious. You were already prepared to go without him anyway. Stick to the plan. It means you don’t have to watch your back.’

I hissed in frustration. This wasn’t the way we did things.

‘They’re right,’ Speck said, pushing up his glasses. ‘Bringing him along is too dangerous. You’re better without him.’ Lexie hit him in the arm but he ignored her in favour of blinking owlishly at me.

‘But...’

‘Do you trust him?’

My shoulders sank. ‘No. I can’t. Not with Aifric controlling his every move. Not with a price on my head.’

Taylor sucked air in through his teeth.  ‘There you go then.’ He checked his watch. ‘You‘d better leave now if you’re going to make the Veil by midnight.’

I glared at him then at Brochan. ‘You still shouldn’t have done that.’

The merman’s expression didn’t change. ‘Stay safe, Tegs.’ He reached down and picked up my bag and handed it to me. ‘We’ll look after the princeling.’

‘You...’ I sighed and shook my head. I didn’t know whether I was supposed to be angry or relieved. ‘We’ll talk about this when I get back.’

‘I’m sure we will.’ He gave me a tiny shove. ‘Now go.’

I hefted the bag onto my shoulder and gave Byron another look. What a freaking mess.  I sighed, turned on my heel and left him where he was.

T
here was a solitary figure waiting for me just beyond the Adair border. On my side of it, Sorley was gripping his spear with both hands. Judging by the way his shoulders were hunched and his head was thrust forward, he was glaring at the visitor.

‘It worked?’ he grumbled without taking his eyes off him.

‘Yep.’ In a manner of speaking anyway.

‘You should have let me kill him. It would have been cleaner.’

I patted him weakly on the shoulder. ‘I don’t do things that way.’

Sorley jabbed his spear, pointing it across the border. ‘Can you trust
him
?’

I pushed away thoughts of Byron and managed a grin at Angus MacQuarrie. He waved and dipped into a bow. ‘He’s sworn fealty, just like you.’

The troll’s suspicion lessened only by a fraction. ‘He has untrustworthy hair.’

I blinked. ‘Eh?’

‘It’s the way it’s styled,’ he hissed. ‘It’s ... untrustworthy.’

Nonplussed, I stepped back. ‘He’s Sidhe. They all look over-styled, even the good ones.’

Angus ran his hands several times through his hair, messing it up. Now he looked like some kind of boy-band reject. ‘Is this better?’ he asked.

Sorley huffed.

‘He’s one of us,’ I said. ‘Now remember, I’ll be back within forty-eight hours. Seventy-two at the latest. Taylor’s in charge while I’m gone. If I don’t come back...’

Sorley’s hand trembled ever so slightly. ‘We will come in after you.’

‘No.’ My voice hardened. ‘You won’t. You’ll be free to stay here or to leave. But you will not come after me.’ He mumbled something under his breath. ‘I need you to promise me, Sorley.’

He jutted out his bottom lip stubbornly. I wasn’t going to yield, however, and he knew it. ‘I promise,’ he said finally.

‘Thank you.’ I grinned. ‘I really will be back very soon.’

I walked through the border, feeling the magic crackle around me. Angus bowed again. ‘Don’t do that!’ I protested.

He shrugged. ‘Would you prefer a handshake?’

I grimaced. ‘A hug would be nice.’ More than nice. I needed one.

He stretched out his arms and drew me in tightly. ‘I’m a champion hugger,’ he whispered.

‘Thank you,’ I said into his chest. ‘Not just for the hug but for coming. You didn’t have to. You can still change your mind.’

He pulled back and beamed. ‘Are you kidding me? I’ve always wanted to travel beyond the Veil. I’m excited.’ He leaned his head towards me. ‘And terrified. But mostly excited. I’m not sure why you asked me, though. I reckon you can take care of yourself.’

‘I can,’ I said absently, moving away, adjusting my jacket and pulling out the headpiece. ‘But Chieftain MacBain wanted a representative from one of the big three Clans to come along too.’

Angus squinted. ‘I hate to break it to you, but that’s not the MacQuarries. We’re at the bottom of the heap.’

‘You’re at the top of
my
heap. But I know what you mean. Recent revelations mean I’m not going to follow her instructions and she won’t trust me on my own.’ My voice wavered slightly. Damn Byron. And damn Brochan too. ‘You’re the compromise,’ I said to Angus and tossed him the Go Pro.

‘What’s this?’

‘Strap it round your head. As long as you stay behind me, it’ll record everything I do. We always have one on hand because it can be handy to look back on our, um, ...’

‘Break-ins?’

I bit my lip. ‘Yeah. It’s fully charged so it should be good enough to satisfy Chieftain MacBain that I’m not looting her beloved uncle’s resting place.’

‘Nice.’ Angus looped it round his head, making sure it was secure. ‘Are we ready?’

I nodded decisively. ‘We are.’

***

T
he MacQuarries might be the bottom of the heap as far as the other Clans were concerned but Angus owned the nicest car I’d travelled in for a long time. It certainly beat the rust buckets I’d been in lately. I did my best to put my woes with Byron behind me. He’d feel sore and angry when he came round but I supposed at least he’d be safe. Plus, I knew now that he really did care for me. It was time to start feeling cheerier.

‘This thing is huge!’ I said, stretching out my legs. ‘You could fit the whole of Scotland in the back seat.’ I grinned. ‘It’s an in-car-nation.’

Angus groaned. ‘That might be the worst joke I’ve ever heard.’

‘Give me time. I can do worse.’

‘That’s what I’m afraid of.’

‘Hey, if it takes your mind off the hordes of Fomori demons waiting for us on the other side of the Veil, it’s worth it.’

He winced. ‘That demon you saw in Perth wasn’t the only one that ventured through, you know. I’ve been hearing other reports.’

I sucked in a breath. That wasn’t good. ‘Just the Highlands? There’s been no problem in England?’

He shook his head. ‘I checked. Hadrian’s Wall is still holding firm on the other side. I don’t think the Fomori have tried to breach it.’

I thought of the group that had appeared at the Adair border. ‘They’re after something.’

Angus tightened his grip on the steering wheel. ‘Or someone.’

‘Aifric Moncrieffe,’ I whispered.

‘You think?’

I nodded grimly. ‘I do. I found something in his rooms at the Cruaich that ties him to the demons but I have no idea how or why.’

Angus whistled. ‘It would explain a lot.’

‘Yeah. It doesn’t bode well, though.’ That was the understatement of the year.

He pulled the car to a halt less than fifty metres from the dark, cloudy expanse of the Veil. For a long moment he didn’t say anything but simply stared at it.

‘I don’t want to take the car across,’ I said softly. ‘It’ll draw unwanted attention. Matthew MacBain’s body isn’t very far from here. All the same...’

‘You’re the boss. Better safe than sorry.’ Angus’s voice was low and nervous. ‘I’ve never been this close to the Veil before.’

‘Most people haven’t. I think we’d all prefer to pretend it doesn’t exist. Let’s face it, the Clan-less have got other things to worry about and the Clans don’t need reminding of their greatest failure.’

He sighed. ‘It does make you wonder, doesn’t it? What might have been if it weren’t for the demons?’

I thought about that. ‘Nah,’ I said finally. ‘I don’t believe in what ifs. We need to live with the hand we’ve been dealt. There might be an alternate universe somewhere where all this doesn’t exist. But if that’s the case, there’s an alternate universe where Scotland doesn’t exist in any form any longer either.’

‘I didn’t realise you were a student of Plato.’

‘I’m not – but I do like
Doctor Who
.’ I grinned. ‘Let’s do this.’ We got out of the car. ‘This is going to feel strange,’ I warned.