Lexie lifted narrowed eyes. ‘You’ll take the crazy MacQuarries but not us?’
I sighed and put my hands on my hips. ‘You’re my family.’
‘We agree,’ Taylor interjected. ‘That’s why we want to make it official.’
‘I appreciate it, I really do. But I’m still not accepting.’
‘Tegs...’
I held up my hand. Fealty would change everything between us. I was not going to set myself apart from the only people who mattered simply because of my blood. I paused. Hang on a minute. ‘There’s another way.’ I cast around, looking for something I could use. Eventually my gaze fell on the Swiss army knife which hung loosely from Taylor’s belt. I pointed at it. Confused, he unhooked it and silently handed it over.
Concentrating, I slid out a small blade and nicked my forefinger. A bead of blood appeared on my skin. I raised my eyebrows at Taylor and he understood instantly and grinned. He took the knife from me and did the same to his own thumb then we pressed them together.
‘Now your blood runs in my veins,’ I said softly. ‘And vice-versa. We’re officially family.’
Lexie arched an eyebrow. ‘Does that mean he has to change his name? That we can’t call him Taylor any more because he’s Adair?’
Speck waved an irritated hand at her. ‘Hush.’ He stepped forward and we completed the ritual. He had to look away and bite his lip to avoid the sight of his own blood but he still did it. I squeezed his shoulder hard.
Brochan moved up. ‘This is an honour,’ the merman rumbled, bowing his head.
‘It is for me too,’ I told him honestly. Even if it made me feel like I was six years old and playing around with a few mates.
When we were done, I glanced at Lexie. ‘You don’t have to do this. No one will hold it against you.’
‘I will!’ Speck said.
I glared at him.
Lexie tossed back her hair. ‘You think I’m going to let you lot keep me out of the inner circle?’ she scoffed. ‘As if!’ She sliced open the tip of her thumb, making more blood gush out than she’d probably intended. Speck gave a tiny whimper then, just as with the others, we made a blood bond.
We stood there for a moment, absorbing the solemnity of the occasion.
‘We should come up with a secret handshake,’ Speck said finally.
Lexie rolled her eyes. ‘In case we can’t recognise each other, you mean?’
‘No. But it would be cool. All the best societies have secret handshakes.’
‘If you want a secret handshake, then you can have one,’ I told him.
He beamed and stuck his tongue out at Lexie. Brochan threw me a long-suffering look. If Speck could bear the sight of blood for this rite, then Brochan and Lexie could bear a few silly rituals. Let’s face it – we all needed a little silliness.
Sorley was slumped in the corner, his head in his hands. I guessed his ‘ruckus’ had faded away. I smiled to reassure the others and walked over to him. ‘Sorley,’ I said gently, ‘what’s the matter?’ He muttered something about desecration. ‘You said that before, when we arrived at the border. What do you mean?’
He raised baleful eyes and gazed at me. ‘Who did this?’
I swallowed. ‘Who did what?’
He gestured round at the mansion, with its crumbling walls. ‘This.’
I looked away. ‘Aifric Moncrieffe.’
‘The Steward?’
‘Yes.’
Sorley stood up, stretched his legs, cracked his knuckles and started to stride away.
‘Whoa! Where are you going?’ I shouted.
‘Isn’t it obvious?’
Not really. I quickened my pace to try and catch up with him. For a troll with short legs, he was remarkably fast. ‘Sorley, wait.’
‘He cannot be allowed to get away with it.’
I was puzzled. ‘I agree with you, of course I do. This was my Clan. But why are you so upset about it?’
He stopped in his tracks and turned slowly, disbelief colouring his swarthy features. ‘Why am I so upset?’ he repeated. ‘Why am I so upset?’
I held up my hands to ward him off. ‘Er, Sorley, I...’
‘Blasted Sidhe. Think they’re the centre of the universe,’ he muttered. ‘Bunch of dunderheads who wouldn’t know if the sun fell from the sky and struck them on the nose.’
Clearly I wasn’t the only person having a bad day. ‘You’re going to have to spell it out for me,’ I told him. ‘I’m not that bright.’
‘Got that right,’ he mumbled. ‘Come on then. I’ll show you.’
He set off again, marching out of the mansion and down the driveway towards the border. We followed him, trooping behind him in a ragtag formation. I exchanged a look with Brochan who shrugged. Apparently the ways of trolls were a mystery to us all.
When we arrived at the spot where the sign had stood, Sorley halted. There was a mound of earth that reached up to my waist; as there was no sign of any tools, I could only imagine that the troll had dug it out with his bare hands.
‘For those of you who are uneducated fools,’ he said, ‘this is the most important place in the whole of your godforsaken Clan Lands.’ He pursed his lips. ‘It’s no coincidence that the Steward placed that sign here.’
When we stared at him blankly, he rolled his eyes. ‘This is the conduit for the border, the border that lets you sleep at night without fear of attack from fell beasties.’
Speck flinched visibly. ‘What beasties?’
Sorley ignored him. ‘When you came to the MacBain Lands, what was the first thing you saw?’
I thought about it. ‘A flag?’
‘Is that a question or an answer?’
I counted to ten in my head. ‘I saw a flag. A MacBain flag that was large enough and ostentatious enough to be seen for miles.’
‘Exactly.’ He crossed his arms.
I tilted my head. ‘So?’
Sorley spluttered. ‘So?’
Taylor leaned forward, agog. ‘What you’re saying is that the source of the magical borders around every Sidhe Clan comes from a single spot, just like this one? And it’s marked by a flag?’
The troll threw his hands up into the air. ‘Finally, someone who has more than a single brain cell! Yes! The Clan sustains the magic but we guard the spot.’
‘Do you realise how important this information is?’ Taylor breathed. ‘We’ve never broken into a Sidhe stronghold for one very good reason.’
‘Tegs was hiding from them,’ Speck said. ‘That’s why.’
Taylor squinted. ‘Okay, yes. That too. But also because when you don’t know where the lock is, you can’t pick it. Now we know.’ He beamed triumphantly. ‘Folks, this opens up a whole new world. We’ll be the most successful thieves in history. They’ll be writing songs about us a thousand years after we’ve gone. We’ll...’
The sour expression on Sorley’s face made Taylor falter. The troll rose another notch in my estimation; there weren’t many people who could make Taylor forget what he was saying with just one look. ‘Knowing this is the conduit doesn’t do anything. You still couldn’t break in,’ Sorley said. ‘Not without inside help.’
Taylor’s face glowed. Inside jobs were his favourite. I quickly shushed him before he got carried away. ‘So you’re saying that after the massacre, Aifric had the Adair flag taken down for more than just symbolic reasons.’
Sorley’s face tightened. ‘Yes,’ he said, turning his head. For some reason he wouldn’t look directly at the hole. ‘The Clan members’ deaths would have weakened the magic to the point where the border was only hanging on by a single thread.’ He glanced coldly at Taylor. ‘So massacre several hundred people all in one go and you might be able to break into any Clan Lands that take your dunderheaded fancy.’
Taylor’s scheming expression vanished. ‘Aifric Moncrieffe is a monster,’ he whispered.
‘Monster’ didn’t begin to cut it. There wasn’t a word invented that came close to describing that wanker. Sorley, howe
ver, seemed momentarily appeased. He nodded. ‘And I’m going kill him.’ He turned and started walking away again.
‘If he’s going to walk all the way to the Cruaich,’ Taylor said, ‘it’ll take him weeks.’
Brochan scratched his chin. ‘He really does take security seriously, doesn’t he? That’s a bold move for what’s really just a gate. A pretty cool gate but...’ His voice trailed away.
I followed Sorley’s progress for a moment or two before calling, ‘Wait!’
‘Maybe you should let him do it, Tegs,’ Speck suggested. ‘The worst that can happen is that he fails.’
‘I don’t want Aifric dead.’
Even Taylor looked surprised. ‘He killed your father with his own hand. He ordered the deaths of your mother and all of your Clan. He—’
I interrupted him. ‘I know.’
‘Tegs, I realise pacifism is your thing but you can’t let him get away with all that.’
I narrowed my eyes. ‘I’m not going to. Believe me, Aifric Moncrieffe will get his come-uppance – but not through death.’ I tried to explain. ‘Death is quick. It’s the end. And everyone dies. It’s not punishment because it’s inevitable.’
Bob winked into existence beside us. ‘You still have a wish left. You can make his death the longest and most painful event the world has ever seen.’ He seemed almost gleeful.
I looked at him suspiciously. ‘You’ve been eavesdropping?’
He looked slightly guilty. ‘I wasn’t sure how you’d react after the wish. People have been known to try and shoot the messenger, you know. It’s happened before. It seemed prudent to stay ... hidden for a while.’
Exasperated, I gazed at them all. ‘You all know I hate violence. Did you really think that I’d let Aifric Moncrieffe compromise my morals and my beliefs on top of everything else he’s done? He’ll just win again if that happens.’
No one said a word. Bob, looking downcast, flew up to my ear. ‘You’re the most amazing person I know,’ he whispered. Then, abashed, he pulled back.
‘Aifric can’t get away with what he’s done, Tegs,’ Lexie said.
‘And he won’t. I can steal his Gift from him, I can humiliate him, I can do any number of things to him ‒ but I won’t stoop to his level. I won’t kill him. There are far, far worse things than death.’ My voice shook with angry promise.
Speck put his hand up in the air like a schoolboy. When I frowned at him, he spoke up. ‘You’re pretty scary when you want to be, Chief.’
I wrinkled my nose. ‘Don’t call me that.’
Brochan cleared his throat. ‘Who’s the leader of the hankies?’
‘The handkerchief,’ I answered automatically. Then I stared at him. ‘Did you just make a joke?’
He lifted his massive shoulders in a shrug. ‘The situation seemed to call for it.’
I turned to Taylor, worried that he’d be upset at losing his role as de facto leader of our little group. Not only did he seem blithely unconcerned, he was fixated on Sorley’s hole. I edged over to get a better look then sucked in a sharp breath. Where the Adair flagpole had once stood, there was now a collection of bones.
‘There must have been trolls guarding this spot back then.’
‘And Aifric killed them, along with everyone else, and flung their bodies here.’ I glanced at Sorley’s retreating back. ‘No wonder he’s so pissed off.’ I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment and then ran after him. ‘Sorley!’
As soon as I reached him, I grabbed his arm. He yanked it away. ‘Leave me alone. I have things to do.’
‘You can’t go after Aifric.’
‘You can’t stop me.’
I drew in a breath. ‘No, I can’t. But you know that he’ll kill you first. You probably won’t even get within a hundred feet of him.’
He straightened up. ‘I won’t be alone. There are more of us than you realise.’
‘Trolls?’
‘Yes.’
‘He’s Sidhe,’ I said simply. ‘And he’s the Steward. It doesn’t matter how many of you there are.’
‘He’s responsible for the deaths of my kinsmen!’ Sorley yelled, bunching up his fists. ‘Then he sullied their memory and ensured their souls would get no rest by burying them there! In that spot!’
The location obviously held some important religious significance for him. I bit my lip, trying to show that I understood at least some of what he was feeling. ‘I’m going to get revenge on him,’ I promised. ‘Just not like this.’
A fat tear rolled down Sorley’s cheek. ‘They have to be avenged.’
I put my hand on his shoulder. ‘They will be.’ I bent my knees slightly so that we were face to face. ‘What happened to them is my responsibility,’ I said. ‘I’m Chieftain Adair and they were working for the Adair Clan when they died. I will take care of it.’ In that moment I believed absolutely that I would. There was no other choice. ‘Will you come back with me? We should remove their remains and bury them properly. I know the grove doesn’t exist any longer but there’s one tree left.’ I smiled bitterly. ‘It’s only half dead now. Will you help me lay your kinsmen to rest there?’
Sorley’s eyes widened. His nostrils flared and he took several steps backwards. It suddenly occurred to me that I’d made a horrible mistake. Of course he wouldn’t want trolls buried on Sidhe sacred ground, especially not on Sidhe sacred ground that was tarnished with the blood of hundreds and all but laid to waste. Shite.
‘I’m sorry, I...’
He bowed before I could finish my sentence. ‘Thank you, Chieftain. That would be an honour.’ He wiped away his tears with the back of his hand while I scanned his face, unable to decipher what he was thinking. He took a deep breath and an expression of calm descended. He cleared his throat. ‘Such a ceremony would normally be conducted at sunset. We mirror the going down of the sun with the laying of our fallen comrades.’
Nice symmetry. Relieved that Sorley wasn’t mortally offended and that he’d realised going up against Aifric would be useless, I tried to smile. ‘Tomorrow then?’ I asked, glancing upwards. We’d already missed today’s sunset.
He bowed again. ‘There are no words,’ he said simply. I blinked, still confused by his demeanour. He turned and looked back. ‘I shall ensure that the border is reinstated. Clan Adair will have the strongest gateway that Scotland can provide. It will help that the Foinse is here. We can draw on its magic.’
I started. ‘You know it’s here?’
He nodded. ‘Of course. I can feel it.’
Okay. That wasn’t great. ‘Can you maybe keep that to yourself?’
His heavy brow creased. ‘It is a great honour having the source of all magic reside here.’
‘A great honour which other Sidhe might be, um, jealous of.’
His expression cleared. ‘I understand.’ He met my eyes. ‘I shall leave the dealings with those other Sidhe in your hands but I am available for you to call on should you require further help.’ His sudden formality was surprising.
‘Thank you,’ I murmured, not entirely convinced I understood all that had just happened.
He inclined his head and together we returned to the others.
***
Sorley refused to abandon his post at the border so, in deference to him, we all stayed there for dinner. Taylor produced a few tins of beans which we heated up over a small fire. No one said very much but I thought it was less out of awkwardness and more because we needed time on our own to absorb the day’s revelations. Once the tins had been scraped clean, however, the lack of conversation began to grate on me.
I was just about to try and engage Sorley in small talk when he raised himself up slightly from his cross-legged position and farted.
Taylor raised an eyebrow. ‘I can do better than that,’ he declared. He proceeded to do so.
Lexie got up and backed away, holding her nose. ‘You guys are disgusting.’
‘Oh come on, it’s perfectly natural.’
‘You don’t have to be so ...
so ... blatant.’ She sniffed. ‘At least my farts smell pretty.’
Even Speck laughed at that. ‘Pretty?’
‘Of course. Like roses. Or a fresh sprig of lily of the valley.’
Bob looked at her archly. ‘I am a magnificent being – but even my bodily emissions do not smell like that.’
Brochan leaned over to me. ‘This would be a good time for a joke, or in about sixty seconds flat we’re all going to be sniffing each other’s arses.’
I grinned. ‘You want a fart joke? Really?’
‘Lesser of two evils.’
I opened my mouth but, before I could speak, there was a squeak. Speck looked at Lexie. ‘So not only do your farts smell like flowers but they sound like mice?’
‘That wasn’t me!’ she huffed.
We turned to Bob. He threw his little arms up in the air. ‘What? Just because something strange happens, you automatically think it’s me?’
There was another squeak. The smile disappeared from Sorley’s face and he leapt to his feet. ‘It’s an intruder. It has to be.’
‘Mate,’ Taylor drawled, ‘I understand you take your job seriously. But we don’t have to worry about rodents sneaking in. We can’t worry about every furry creature or we’ll go even crazier than we already are.’
Sorley ignored him. He was in full attack stance, his legs splayed and his head darting from side to side. ‘Sorley,’ I said gently, ‘it’s alright. It’s not a monster. And it’s not going to hurt us.’
He whipped round a full one hundred and eighty degrees. A tiny ball came hurtling from out of the darkness and crashed against his leg before hopping manically upwards. Everyone jumped about a foot.
‘Kill it!’ Bob shrieked.
I sighed. ‘Bob...’
Sorley lifted one massive foot. Alarmed at what he was about to do, I lunged forward and grabbed the fur ball with both hands. It squeaked again and wriggled, trying desperately to get free.
Taylor peered at it. ‘What the bejesus is that?’
I held it up. ‘It’s a haggis.’
Lexie nudged Speck. ‘I knew it,’ she said in a loud whisper. ‘It was only a matter of time before hanging around with all those Sidhe made Tegs lose her marbles.’