Gifted Thief (Highland Magic #1) (14 page)

‘Don’t know,’ he muttered as he was thrown up into the air then slammed down onto the stone floor with a painful thud.

‘Is this normal?’ By which I meant: is someone likely to work out what’s going on and come and rescue us?

‘No!’ He was face down so his answer was muffled.

‘Is it because of the Foinse?’

There was another muffled grunt that sounded like another no. The tentacle round my waist tightened until pain shot through me. If this wasn’t a result of the magic failing then it had to be because someone had conjured it up. Someone who wanted me dead. There was no way I was going to allow that to happen. Death by sea monster while three hundred miles inland was not the way I wanted to go.

Another tentacle whipped out, this time aiming for my throat. I lashed out with my feet, doing everything I could to kick it away. The squeeze around my waist was bad enough but if the worm latched onto my neck it would be
adios muchachos
. My feet flailed, jabbing at the slimy thing. I managed to keep my body clear of it but that enraged the thing even more.

There was a strange, high-pitched noise. I didn’t speak sea monster but I guessed it was something along the lines of ‘screw you’.

Abandoning me for the time being, the lashing tentacle snaked towards Jamie’s squirming body instead, wrapping itself round his legs and starting to drag him out of my line of sight and towards the window. Panicking, I stretched up to grab the light fitting in the ceiling so I could turn and get a better look. My fingers just managed to curl round the hanging wire so I could spin round. I could already feel the electric cord stretching – it would break in seconds. I had enough time, however, to see what the stoor worm actually was.

Jamie said this was a mere baby; I dreaded to think what the fully grown version looked like. Half of its body hung out of the open window. The other half was a monstrous size, filling the room. I counted six tentacles – but they weren’t what really bothered me. It was the gaping mouth lined with sharp yellow teeth and the vast, dark, sightless eyes which struck terror in my heart. We had no chance.

I swung my legs back and forth, trying to gain some momentum. The worm responded by squeezing harder until my breath was coming in gasps and I felt as if my intestines were about to rise up through my gullet. The pain grew more intense and I was afraid I was going to black out. I forced myself alert. Once I had built up enough energy, I dived down and grabbed one of Jamie’s white-knuckled hands. His head rose and he stared at me in stark fear.

‘Hang on,’ I grunted, adjusting my grip so I wouldn’t lose him. Then I swung back, yanking hard.

Like a toy caught between two toddlers, Jamie’s body was now being pulled in both directions. His mouth opened in a silent scream. The stoor worm let out a strange whine again and loosened its hold slightly. Jamie was no longer being pulled in the direction of its cavernous mouth but it wouldn’t be long before it happened again.

I cast around. There had to be something here I could use as a weapon. Bob’s knife – scimitar – was on the floor but it was well out of reach.  If I could grab one of the pillows on the hard bed I could smack the stoor worm round the head – but unless the worm was allergic to feathers, that wasn’t going to help.

Growing more and more angry, the stoor worm threw out another tentacle. It smashed against the side of my head, making my senses reel. There was no way out of this, not without asking for help.

‘What do we do?’ Jamie shrieked.

‘The scimitar,’ I gasped. ‘Throw me the sodding scimitar.’ I couldn’t reach it from up here in the air but if Jamie could grab it I could summon Bob. Yes, there would be dangerous consequences but the alternative right now was either being squashed to death or chomped on.

Jamie was baffled. ‘Scimitar?’

‘Letter opener! Throw me the letter opener!’

His head swung round until his eyes alighted on the little knife. ‘It’s too small. It’s not going to do anything,’ he yelled as the stoor worm’s jaws snapped forward, narrowly missing him.

‘Just do it!’

He stretched out, taking the hilt and flinging it upwards. Unfortunately he timed it badly and the knife bounced into another swiping tentacle. Instead of flying up to me, it went out of the other window.

‘Bob!’ I screamed as the silver flashed in the failing sunlight. The genie didn’t answer.

He had told me that I couldn’t rid myself of him and that, like a bad penny, he’d always turn up again. I had the sneaking suspicion that this would be all over for both Jamie and me by the time that happened. I cursed, just as there was another tug round my waist. The stoor worm had apparently decided I was the tastier one and was pulling me towards its mouth.

I stared down the thing’s throat. Dark saliva glistened from within. I swallowed my fear and tried to reach the light fitting again. This time I was too far away.

The dim recesses of my brain registered how stupid all this was. Who got eaten by a sea monster when they were up a mountain? It’d go down in history. I wondered if the person who’d used magic to bring the damn thing here knew about the Foinse. They had to. But didn’t they realise that by killing me they were damning everyone else too?

The stoor worm whined, then made several clicks. It was probably telling me that I was going to make a bloody tasty snack. Wait a minute…

‘How good is your psychometry?’ My words came out garbled but I think Jamie got the gist.

‘I’m one of the best.’

‘Can you use to it learn the language? To communicate?’ The tentacle round my waist tightened and I winced in pain.

‘And say what? Please don’t eat us?’

‘No. Say there’s a river. The River Tay’s near here, right? It leads to the sea. Use your psychometry to glean enough words to tell this thing that it can get back home. We didn’t bring it here but we can help it escape.’

For what seemed like an eternity there was absolute silence, not just from Jamie but from the stoor worm as well. It pulled its tentacle towards its horror of a mouth again. Now my toes were only inches away from those teeth.

Jamie screeched then he clicked. The stoor worm’s jaws opened wider and I knew it was about to bite. I squeezed my eyes shut while Jamie whined. My life should have been flashing in front of my eyes right about now but all I could think about was how pointless all this was. I held my breath. Hopefully death would come quickly.

Nothing happened. There was a series of clicks from the worm but unless my adrenaline had truly kicked in to the point where I could feel zero pain, it wasn’t actually eating me. I lifted up one eyelid. The worm’s blind eyes were turned in Jamie’s direction. It hissed and spat. Jamie whined once more then I fell to the ground with a heavy thump as the worm released its hold on me. It withdrew every tentacle, lifted its head up in sea-monster acknowledgement and a heartbeat later it slithered out of the window and vanished.

I stared at the spot it had just vacated. Pushing away the urge to scream, I scrambled to my feet and lurched to the window. The stoor worm was already on the ground, its body snaking with incredible speed towards the Tay. A few Sidhe standing around far below shrieked, but the worm paid them no attention. Before I could draw another breath, it was out of sight.

Jamie shook his head in disbelief. ‘It worked. I’ve never used my Gift before to learn another tongue. I thought what I had was useless unless it involved archaeology or analysing a murder weapon.’

I refrained from telling him that I had had the same thought. Psychometry generally meant you could touch an object and learn its history because the object’s energy field would transfer knowledge to someone gifted enough to understand it. Using psychometry to communicate with a sea monster had seemed like the longest of long shots.

I looked at him as he got to his feet. ‘I thought I was a goner,’ I told him, honestly, my heart still rattling around my ribcage.

He nodded. ‘Me too. How did you know it would leave like that?’

‘Because it didn’t want to be here either. Someone used their Gift to drag it here from whichever sea depths it came from. It was angry and scared so it attacked us.’

He held my gaze. ‘I can’t believe we’re still alive.’

I fervently agreed. ‘We make a good team.’ Without thinking, I reached over and gave him a tight hug. His arms wrapped round my body, holding me close. He smelled really good.

He sucked in a breath and pulled back slightly, looking into my eyes. ‘I’m shaking,’ he muttered.

‘Adrenaline,’ I said, more breathily than I’d intended.

We stared at each other then his gaze dropped to my mouth. I licked my lips and he groaned. A second later we were kissing, a frantic ‘seize the moment’ kind of action that left us both gasping for air. His mouth pressed hard on mine, stealing away my breath.

‘This is a mistake,’ he told me as he curled one hand round my head and the other round my waist.

‘Textbook,’ I agreed.

My fingers fumbled with his shirt, undoing the buttons and pulling his shirt free. He grabbed my top, virtually ripping it off me and running his hands up and down my bare skin.

‘We should stop.’

‘Mmm.’

His mouth trailed down towards my collarbone. I felt the damp sheen of sweat but I had no idea whether it was from him or from me.

‘You smell like worm.’

I sniffed and grinned. ‘So do you.’

His fingers tugged at the waistband of my jeans, then dipped below. Coherent thought fled. This had nothing to do with Jamie and me and everything to do with the consuming desire to remind ourselves that we were alive. I fumbled with his trousers, getting the zip caught in the fabric and cursing. Giving up, I knelt down and yanked. There was a loud rip. Within moments we were naked, clinging to each other and falling backwards onto the hard floor. His expression was tense and filled with concentration but, as our bodies rose to meet each other, he began to relax.

It was fast and unromantic but, sod it, it was fulfilling.

Drenched in sweat, we collapsed against the wall. ‘Shit,’ he swore. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…’

I touched his cheek. ‘I wanted it too. Don’t apologise.’

Then the door opened. Both Jamie and I froze, our heads turning guiltily towards the interloper. Byron. Of course it was.

His expression was impenetrable as he stared at us with granite-flecked eyes. Jamie sprang up, snatching his clothes to cover himself. I considered doing the same but I wasn’t going to let Byron make me feel ashamed for doing what had felt so natural. It wasn’t like I’d committed adultery. If he wanted to judge, he could go ahead. Besides, he’d already seen me virtually naked.

‘There were reports of a disturbance,’ he bit out. ‘Except now I can see it wasn’t a disturbance at all.’

Jamie flushed. ‘There was a monster. It tried to eat us,’ he said quickly, in a vain effort to explain away our actions.

‘You should go,’ Byron snapped. ‘I want to talk to her alone.’

I was tempted to say to Jamie that he should tell Byron to piss off. Judging by the expression on his face, however, it probably wouldn’t help. With his bundle of clothes still clutched to his body, he darted out of the door.

I got to my feet, deciding to brazen it out. ‘Don’t you knock?’ I enquired.

Byron bent down, grabbed my discarded top and flung it at me. ‘Cover yourself.’

I caught it but made no move to put it back on. ‘If you’re embarrassed, you are free to leave.’

He hissed through his teeth, ‘Is this a ploy to get back at me for Tipsania? Are you trying to make me jealous?’

I blinked. Seriously? ‘No. It had nothing to do with you.’

Byron snorted. ‘Sort yourself out. When you’re decent, I’ll be waiting in the library.’

Like I was supposed to know where that was. He spun round and stalked out before I could ask him for directions. I glared at his retreating back. God, this place was even worse than I’d thought.

After dousing myself with water and scrubbing my skin clean of slime, gunk and Jamie’s lingering scent, I went in search of Bob. Byron’s glowering face could wait.

I ignored the many Sidhe who stared at me with unchecked fascination and limped downstairs. It was painful to breathe; I could swear that the damned worm had broken one of my ribs. Whatever, I was going to have some brightly coloured bruises. Going by the looks I was getting, there was a good chance several of them would be on my face. 

I glared at a few of the less subtle Sidhe and they backed off. I also scanned every face for signs of disappointment that I was still alive. One of these wankers had summoned the stoor worm. Unfortunately, if my would-be executioner was one of these guys, he or she was a damned good actor.

I’d just reached the front doors and was about to step outside when there was an alarmed shout. ‘Chieftain Adair! You can’t leave! Not yet.’

I turned, sucking in a breath as my body complained at the sudden movement. ‘It’s Taylor, not Adair. Whoever my parents were, the Adair Clan is dead.’

The Sidhe who’d addressed me was an older woman with a lined face and less than pristine clothes that marked her as a lower-class Sidhe. She caught up with me. ‘You should be proud of that name,’ she scolded. ‘Pride is important. Like lions. Lions are strong. They’re the kings of the jungle. That’s why they live in prides.’

I raised my eyebrows. I’d been accosted by a mad woman. ‘Why should I be proud? Everyone treats me like I’m a leper because of that name.’

She shook her head. ‘They’re just too scared to come and talk to you.’ She grabbed my shirt and started pulling, as if she wanted to drag me back inside. ‘The Adairs are legends in their own right.’

‘
Were
legends,’ I said flatly, shaking her off. ‘But thank you for your words.’ I supposed the least I could do was to be polite. I turned to go.

‘Where are you going? Don’t leave! We need you.’

‘I’m not leaving,’ I said through gritted teeth. ‘I’m going for a walk.’

Her eyes rolled in an alarming fashion. ‘Walk the walk and talk the talk! Let me get you an escort at least.’

I shuffled away from her. ‘I think I can manage to walk on my own.’ Besides, the only person in the entire castle who I trusted at that moment was Jamie. He was the only one who couldn’t have set the damn stoor worm on me.

‘I knew your parents,’ the old woman burst out desperately, her frizzy hair trembling with the effect of her outburst. ‘Mummy and Daddy. Mother and Father. Mum and Dad. Mere and Pere. Ma and Pa.’ Her voice trailed off.

I looked at her. When I was growing up in the Bull’s demesne, I heard my father mentioned a lot. No one ever breathed a word about my mother. The woman beamed at my sudden interest. ‘I can tell you all about them,’ she said. She flapped her arms. ‘Chat chat chat!’

Something inside me hardened. Whoever my mother was, she was dead now. And I’d had it drummed into me that my father was a villainous prick who sacrificed hundreds of lives simply because it had suited him. People said the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Well, I didn’t want to be anywhere near it. Anyway, this woman was clearly nuts.

‘No, thanks,’ I said curtly, trying to ignore the way her face fell.

I shoved my hands in my pockets and strode away, glad that she didn’t try and stop me. It was already dusk, with the sky the colour of murky purple in the way you only ever see in the Highlands. I sucked in a breath, got my bearings, and marched round the castle walls. My posture and frown made it clear to anyone watching that I wanted no further part in small talk about my heritage or even the damned weather.

I found Bob’s ‘scimitar’ in a clump of dandelions by the far west corner. Glancing up, I could still see the trail of slime left by the stoor worm. I shook myself, still incredulous that I’d escaped, then reached down, grimacing in pain, and grabbed the hilt.

Checking that no-one was watching me, I rubbed the blade.

Bob squinted up. ‘This isn’t a good time,’ he declared. ‘Sisko’s in trouble and I’m not sure he’s going to make it.’

‘Oooh,
The Visitor
? The episode where he’s come unstuck in time and his son is trying to save him? That’s a good one.’

‘I know.’ He glared. ‘Can I get back to watching it?’

‘Perhaps you need to put away the boxed set and start paying more attention. I almost died half an hour ago.’

‘Hmm?’ Bob drummed his fingers impatiently against the ground. ‘Do you think his son will save him?’ His mouth pursed. ‘No, wait. Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.’ He cupped his hands round his ears. ‘Tralalalalala. I’m not listening.’

I sighed and waited. It took him a moment or two. He blinked and dropped his arms. ‘Wait a minute. You just about died?’

‘Stoor worm.’

Bob’s puzzlement grew. ‘We’re still at the Cruaich.’

‘I know.’

‘How stupid do you think I am, Uh Integrity?’ he said, affecting hurt. ‘Stoor worms live in the bottom of the ocean.’

‘I know.’

He leaned forward and sniffed. ‘Soap,’ he declared. ‘Definitely not stoor worm. Soap and,’ he paused, ‘sex.’ He lifted his eyebrows admiringly. ‘Fast work.’

I gazed at him, exasperated. ‘I’m not lying. There really was a stoor worm. Someone must have conjured it to try and get rid of me.’

Bob shrugged. ‘So they failed. Better luck next time!’

I narrowed my eyes. ‘You want me dead?’

He threw up his hands. ‘My raison d’être, Uh Integrity, is wishes. First there was the banker who was too stupid to realise what he had right in front of him, and now there’s you who’s a stubborn as a mule and refuses to ask for anything in case I’m trying to cheat her. The best thing I can hope for is that you drop dead as quickly as possible so I can move on.’ His expression was defiant but also slightly nervous.

‘That’s my point, Bob,’ I told him. ‘I wanted to ask for a wish. I would have made a wish. But you were thrown out of the window so I couldn’t.’

‘Why did you throw me out of the window?’

‘I didn’t.’

‘Because you know if you want to make a wish, I have to be in the room to hear it,’ he said. ‘I have unbelievable magical powers which you can only dream of but they don’t work if I can’t hear you.’

I folded my arms. ‘Bob,’ I said, in the sternest tone imaginable, ‘I need you to pay attention. You told me you will find your way back to me if I try and throw you away.’

‘Yes, it’s true. Because I am a supreme being with powers that…’

‘…that I can only dream of. Yes, I got that part. Well, listen, Bob. I’m not going to throw you away. In fact, I’m going to make sure you stay very, very close to me.’

‘Ooh! Uh Integrity, I had no idea! You’re rather large and lumbering compared to me but you’re not bad looking, I suppose. We could work something out.’ He waggled his eyebrows.

Good grief. ‘I’m going to keep you very close because it appears that someone is trying to kill me,’ I said with patience that was wearing thin. ‘And, despite my best intentions, I might be forced to make a wish to survive. Which means that until I say otherwise, you need to pay attention at all times. If we get separated, you need to jump back to me as soon as you can.’

‘Is that a wish?’ he asked eagerly.

‘No. But if you want me to use up any of your wishes, then this is the best shot you’ve got.’

Bob’s bottom lip jutted out. ‘But Sisko…’

‘My next of kin is a man named Taylor. He’s human. He won’t recognise you for what you are.’ I stroked the blade. ‘He will, however, appreciate this very fine silver and melt it down to make something more bankable.’

Bob was aghast. ‘He wouldn’t dare.’

‘He wouldn’t know. So,’ I said, ‘my death will not help you. The only chance you’ve got of me asking for any wishes is when my back is against the wall and I have no choice. So pay sodding attention.’

I thought for a moment that I’d gone too far and that Bob would relapse into a sulk. Instead, he shrugged cheerfully. ‘Okay.’

‘Good,’ I muttered.

‘Can I just watch the end of the episode first?’

I considered. ‘Very well. But only because it’s a really good one and I don’t want to have to listen to you talk about it for days to come. Once it’s done, you’re frosty and alert at all times. Got it?’

‘Got it, Uh Integrity.’ He winked. ‘We’re going to make a great team.’

I sighed. I really hoped that it wasn’t going to be long before Lexie showed up with the others. Between now and then, I probably needed to learn some patience. Like immediately.

*

‘What do you call it,’ I asked Byron when I eventually found the library and his stiff-backed form staring out a window, ‘when worms take over the world?’

He didn’t answer.

‘Global worming,’ I informed him.

He turned and faced me, his brows drawn together. The hair which normally fell so artlessly across his forehead had somehow formed a cute little curl. It was difficult to resist the urge to brush it away.

His eyes searched my face. I wondered what exactly he was looking for. ‘Jamie told me what happened,’ he said finally.

‘He tried to tell you when you barged into my room,’ I reminded him. ‘You just didn’t seem to be in the mood to listen.’

‘The Foinse must be failing faster than we’d thought,’ he said, ignoring my pointed comment.

‘You’re kidding?’ I scoffed. ‘You think it’s because the magic is draining away from your safe little Sidhe world that a sea monster suddenly appeared from hundreds of miles away? In my bedroom? I gave you more credit than that, Byron. Either someone wants the Foinse to break down, or their desire to rid the world of me is stronger than their desire to see the magic safe.’

‘No-one would dare,’ he growled. ‘You have guest privileges.’

‘Oh yeah? Because I’m pretty sure someone just did dare. If you don’t believe me, go have a look outside. The stoor worm left a lovely snail trail all the way down your wall.’

His jaw worked. ‘I’ll have a guard put on you.’

The last thing I wanted was to be watched twenty-four-seven. ‘I don’t need a guard. I need you to make sure that whoever is behind this is stopped.’

‘Investigations have already begun,’ he said stiffly.

‘Good. Now tell me what you want.’

He took a step closer so I had to crane my neck to look up at him. His voice dropped until it was both silky and dangerous. ‘Did he make you scream?’

‘The worm? Of course I bloody well screamed.’

Byron’s emerald eyes glittered. ‘No. Did Jamie make you scream?’

I swallowed and stared at him, my tongue suddenly unable to form any words.

‘I could make you scream,’ he continued. He reached over and brushed my bare arm with the tip of his index finger.

I jerked away and Byron laughed.

‘Is that why you summoned me here? To measure your sexual prowess against your mate’s?’

He watched me with amusement. I decided I preferred glowering Byron. ‘No. We need to go over the arrangements for tomorrow and the naming ceremony.’

I felt an odd mixture of relief and disappointment. ‘Well, good. Go on, then.’ I crossed my arms firmly across my chest. Just in case. Of course I received a sharp jab of pain in my ribs when I did so. It was a struggle to stay composed.

‘Normally, the ceremony would take place on your Clan ground,’ Byron explained.

‘I don’t have a Clan.’

He didn’t rise to the bait. ‘Just so. Besides, after your father’s untimely demise, the Adair grounds were salted. It’d be a miracle if the sacred grove is still standing.’

‘You guys don’t mess around, do you?’ I asked, feeling faintly sick at the wanton destruction and the thoroughness with which the Adairs had been treated.

He looked as if he knew what I was thinking. ‘It was before my time. And tempers were running high.’

‘I’ll bet.’

‘The grove here at the Cruaich will serve just as well,’ he continued, as if I’d not spoken. ‘Every Clan is represented here.’

‘Even the murderous Adairs?’

He held my gaze. ‘Even them.’

‘Fine. So what do I have to do?’

‘You enter alone.’ He pulled out a scroll and tossed it in my direction. ‘You read this aloud, asking your ancestors to guide you. Then you’ll receive your true name. Your Gift should emerge within a few days.’

‘You’ve got more than one Gift. Maybe I will have too.’

‘Maybe. I only have two. Your father had three.’

I was surprised. Three Gifts? I’d known he was powerful. I just hadn’t realised by how much.

‘Of course,’ Byron continued, ‘you might not get any. Your body might not be able to handle the shock as it’s already in the full bloom of adulthood. Your system might just reject it.’

Such a scenario would probably be the best for everyone. I didn’t need a Gift to open the Foinse. Perhaps whoever had tried to kill me would back off if I were essentially powerless.

‘I know you have telekinesis,’ I said. ‘What’s your other Gift?’