Last Wish (Highland Magic #4)

An invisible thread sneaked across and wrapped around Taylor’s weak body. It bound him, spinning, working almost of its own volition. He moaned softly and Angus stiffened. I gnawed on my bottom lip, worried I was getting it wrong. Then I heard Byron’s voice behind me. ‘His cheeks.’

I jerked up my head. Byron was right: there was the faintest bloom of colour in Taylor’s cheeks. Emboldened, I drew out another wisp of magic and pushed it towards Taylor. His eyelids fluttered open and he blinked a few times before he focused on me. ‘Tegs,’ he breathed.

‘Shhh.’

‘Let me go.’

‘Ha! Fat chance. You’re not going anywhere.’

He frowned as if puzzled and I grinned. ‘Stop thinking about what you know and focus on what you feel.’

His white eyebrows creased together and he raised a hand to his stomach. ‘It doesn’t hurt.’

I nodded and pulled up his shirt. There was still a great deal of congealed blood but the wound had closed. I breathed once more.

Panic flared in Taylor’s eyes. ‘You didn’t. Not Bob.’

I patted his cheek. ‘No, you’ve got Aifric to thank for this.’ I snorted. ‘Although it’s the least he could do.’ Then I remembered that Byron was at my back and I faltered. I stood up and looked at Angus and Jamie. ‘Thank you.’

Jamie nodded awkwardly and thrust his hands into his pockets. Angus reached out and wrapped me in a hug. I pulled him close, realising too late that there was a scowl on Byron’s face. ‘This isn’t over yet,’ he warned, angling his eyes away from us.

I nodded and pulled away. Byron was right. ‘Speck and Lexie are in a boat off the shore. The others are already heading that way. Can you help Taylor get there?’

They nodded and picked him up. As they jogged away, I checked the other two bodies. Both seemed to have suffered from a series of right hooks and were out for the count; they’d have sore heads but they’d survive. I opened my mouth to say something about the state of their faces and then stopped. Taylor was alright and that was what counted for now.

I looked up. ‘Here come the pitchforks,’ I muttered. A mass of Sidhe were heading in our direction from the other side of the church. They seemed to have shaken off their shock and regrouped to confront us. Judging by the expressions on their faces, they weren’t looking for white flags; they still wanted vengeance.

Byron looked at them. ‘I can talk them round.’

I shook my head. ‘Emotions are running too high. You were right earlier: too many of them are still on your father’s side. And the evidence against me did look damning. We need to get out of here. Unless your Plan B…’

He grimaced. ‘No. My Plan B was to use a Truth-Seeker like Molly Kincaid to help us.’

‘Moncrieffe minds think alike,’ I said before I could stop myself.

His jaw tightened. ‘No. They don’t.’

A small bunch of belligerent Sidhe peeled away from the main group and raced towards us. I counted at least three different violent Gifts among them. ‘We don’t want to hurt you, Byron!’ one of them yelled. ‘But your father was right. She’s done something to warp your mind. She’s trying to bring down our country!’

Bob popped up beside me holding a stick with a charred marshmallow on one end. He took a delicate lick and gazed at us. ‘Some of those Sidhe are on your side, Uh Integrity. More than you’d think, especially after what you did in saving the Steward. Some are a bit doubtful. Many, however, still want to kill you. Crowd mentality prevails. Wanna wish?’

I considered. ‘Nah. Let’s run. When things calm down, maybe more sensible heads will prevail.’ I thought about what Aifric had said. A Fomori army was preparing to cross the Veil; there wasn’t time to worry about what was happening here – not any longer.

Bob nodded and tossed away the marshmallow. ‘Amen to that.’

As the first Sidhe thundered towards us, we sprinted away. I was done talking anyway.





Chapter Fifteen


I’d never seen Brochan look so ill. In fact, when Speck and Lexie’s tiny fishing boat pulled up alongside the massive ferry which held the trolls, he was so terrified that his hands seemed unable to release their grip on the side.

‘You need to let go. We have to get away from here as quickly as possible,’ I said, trying to be gentle.

Bob, now wearing tiny red Speedos as if he were auditioning for a part in Baywatch, opened his mouth to speak. I narrowed my eyes warningly and he pasted on a look of mock hurt and shrugged. ‘I’m going to check on Taylor,’ he declared and flew upwards onto the deck of the ferry.

‘Just give me a minute,’ the merman wheezed. Then he leaned over and threw up.

‘Don’t be a wuss, Brochan,’ Speck said cheerfully.

Brochan pushed himself upright and gave Speck a look which would have felled the Sidhe on our tail. ‘You have every phobia under the sun,’ he growled. ‘We pander to your fears all the time. I’d have thought, of all people, you would understand.’

Speck sniffed. ‘When I’m scared you roll your eyes and tell me to get over it. You seem to think that approach works on me so why shouldn’t it work on you?’ He shrugged. ‘Besides, I think Lexie is rubbing off on me. I don’t feel half as jumpy as I used to.’ Something splashed in the salty water beside him and he shrieked, leaping towards Brochan and cowering against him. ‘What the hell was that? What was it? I’m allergic to shellfish! Don’t get me started on jellyfish either! In fact…’

I held up my hand. ‘Take a look behind you.’ Brochan and Speck did as I asked. ‘You see all those boats? The ones heading for us?’ They nodded. ‘They’re full of magically endowed Sidhe who are hell-bent on seeing us dead. Get into the bloody ferry.’

Brochan and Speck exchanged looks. ‘Someone got out of the wrong side of bed this morning.’

I sighed. ‘Speck…’

He offered me a lopsided grin. ‘Don’t worry, Tegs. I’ve been practising.’ He lifted up his chin and pointed towards the mini armada. ‘Paneste.’

From out of nowhere, a wave between us and the Sidhe fleet began to swell, rising up in their direction. I licked my lips nervously. ‘We don’t want to drown them.’

‘Don’t we?’ Brochan asked. Apparently I wasn’t the only one becoming more blasé about hurting people.

Speck patted my arm. ‘Don’t worry. This is a warning shot.’

Unfortunately for us, the approaching Sidhe sent out their own warning shot in return. As the wave grew in size and threatened to engulf them, one of them slammed out their own Gift, making the wind pick up and smash the little fishing vessel against the ferry’s starboard side. As the Sidhe yelled and tried to avoid the wave, there was a sound of splintering wood from our boat. We had seconds.

I ground my teeth. ‘Get out.’

Brochan finally worked up the courage, reaching up for the flimsy rope ladder and pulling himself up. Speck followed on his heels and I took up the rear. Hands hauled me onto the deck and I spun round. The Sidhe were drenched and their boats had been pushed back some distance by the force of the wave but they were still standing.

‘Sorley!’ I screamed. ‘Move this beast!’