Last Wish (Highland Magic #4)

Swathes of multi-coloured heather covered a hilly bank, reaching all the way around it. There wasn’t a pattern as such, and the flowers didn’t spell out ‘MacQuarrie’ or anything as twee as that, but the different hues somehow fit – deep reds blending into seductive purples, followed by musky blues then brilliant greens. It was a damned shame Morna hadn’t worked out how to make hot-pink heather. All the same, my gratitude to her was immeasurable. She kept going above and beyond our growing friendship. It wasn’t just because of the prophecy; she believed in us. All of us. Either that or Tipsania had said some truly heinous things to the MacQuarries that Morna was trying to atone for.

Alongside the flowers there was a winding road leading up, no doubt, to the main MacQuarrie buildings which were currently invisible to the eye. On the other side was a forest. It was an even more stunning copse than the Cruaich grove. Trees of all shapes and sizes grew there, each one perfectly placed to receive the optimum amount of sunlight or shade, depending on the species. Was this a result of nature or of magic? It occurred to me that I could beg, borrow or steal as much of Morna’s Gift as I wanted but I’d never have the knowledge to support it so I could achieve something on this scale. The Bull’s Gift was the same. I’d stolen Aura Reading from him without realising it but it hadn’t done me the slightest good without a key to understand the auras. Admittedly, I wasn’t convinced that the Bull had a key either. He’d been convinced that my aura – identical to my father’s – meant that I was evil. Slightly wicked, perhaps. Definitely not evil.

‘Maybe,’ I mused, ‘Sidhe are only given one or two Gifts because that’s all they can handle. Having a lot doesn’t work. You become a jack of all trades instead of a master of one.’

‘Tegs,’ Taylor said, his voice taut with tension. ‘What’s that?’

I turned my head, my veins turning ice cold as I saw a plume of dark smoke snaking its way upwards to the clear, blue sky. The MacQuarries wouldn’t bother with a bonfire; with Morna visiting, the Gifts they had at their disposal negated the need to burn old crops or garden waste. And it was hardly the weather for an open hearth. Of course, one of the MacQuarries could simply be playing around with their magic. Or it could be something far, far worse.

‘Where’s the MacQuarrie flagpole?’ I asked, whipping my head around.

‘I don’t see it,’ Taylor muttered. ‘But it might be round that hill or near another section of the border.’

I ran ahead, feeling the brush of faint magic across my skin. ‘There’s virtually no border,’ I spat. A scream rent the air. That was when I began to sprint.

I paid no more attention to the beautiful field of heather. Instead, heart pounding, I ran as fast as I could. When I reached the top of the hill, I saw what was wrong. On the other side, less than a hundred feet away, there was a quaint little thatched cottage. Its roof was burning and billowing smoke was pouring from its open door. That was the good news. Outside were two Fomori demons. There was a gap between them but they looked as if they were struggling to hold onto something. Or someone with the Gift of Invisibility.

‘Tipsania!’ I yelled and ran towards them.

Both demons’ heads jerked up and I heard their snarls. One of them fell back and yelped in pain. I smiled grimly to myself; I knew from experience just how sharp Tipsania’s kicks could be. Then I caught a glint of sunlight from a long, lethal blade that he was holding and my smile vanished.

I searched deep inside myself, scanning through the different trickles of magic which I’d stolen from the various Sidhe at the Cruaich. I had to have something which would work. Dowsing was useless, as was Animal Summoning. Getting a creature here would take far too long. Apportation, however…

I focused in on the long knife and concentrated. It shimmered for a few seconds before zapping away to drop into the old well back at the Adair Lands. The demon gaped down at his suddenly empty hands, baffled by what had happened. ‘You bitch!’ he screamed. He charged right for me.

There was a strange cracking sound and the ground beneath our feet trembled. A moment later the demon was sprawled face first, his ankle caught on a root which had appeared from nowhere. Morna. I looked around but I couldn’t see her and there wasn’t time to seek out her position. There was still another demon to deal with. From the way his arm was being wrenched from one side to another, he still seemed to be wrestling with Tipsania. I was almost out of options.

I drew out the very last of the Illusion magic, using it to make my hands light up as if on fire. ‘Release her or I will barbecue you!’ I shouted.

The demon turned to me. His expression was an ugly snarl but the distraction was enough. He was yanked to the side and let out a frustrated screech.

‘I’m free!’ Tipsania’s voice screamed. ‘End him!’

I swallowed hard and raised my hands. The demon cowered, holding his hands over his head. Then Taylor was by my side, handing me a loop of rope. ‘It was in the boot of the car,’ he explained. ‘It seemed like the sort of thing you might need.’

I nodded gratefully, darted over to the creature before he could change his mind about surrendering and tied his hands and feet together. He lay curled foetal-like in the long grass while I surveyed the damage. ‘Where’s Morna?’ I scanned around. ‘Morna!’ I called. ‘You can come out now. It’s safe!’

‘How the hell did Fomori demons get the border down and get through here?’ Taylor asked.

‘They’re not demons,’ I said tersely. ‘Morna!’

‘Eh?’

‘That one who tripped and knocked himself unconscious called me a bitch.’ Where the hell was Morna?

‘Some of them must speak English though?’

‘Not with Aberdonian accents, they don’t.’

Taylor grabbed my arm. ‘There.’

I looked at where he was pointing and saw Tipsania materialise. She let out a cry and fell to her knees. Something flickered in my peripheral vision; the main castle inhabitants had apparently realised something was wrong. I dimly registered Angus leading the charge towards us. The MacQuarries weren’t my focus though; it was the crumpled figure at Tipsania’s feet, almost completely camouflaged by the long grass, which made me forget to breathe.

Time seemed to slow down. It was probably only seconds before I reached Tipsania and collapsed beside her but it felt much longer. When I saw what state Morna was in, things got even worse. She was on her back, her white hands clutching at the hilt of the knife that protruded from her belly. Blood bubbled up from her lips as she tried to breathe. Oh God, oh God, oh God.

‘I don’t know what to do,’ Tipsania yelled, grabbing my sleeve. ‘What do we do?’

My jaw worked as I tried to speak. Morna’s eyelashes fluttered as she turned her face to me. She opened her mouth to say something but no words came out.

‘Integrity!’ Tipsania screamed. ‘What the fuck do we do?’

I didn’t know. I reached down for the knife. Maybe I should pull it out or do something to stem the blood that was seeping out from the edges of the ragged wound. My heart thumped against my ribcage with fear. None of the Gifts I had would work, not a single one. Think, Integrity. Bloody think.