Gifted Thief (Highland Magic #1) (24 page)

Encouraged by Byron, I went next. I wasn’t a complete fool. I tested my weight first, gingerly taking the first section. When I was sure the rope was secure, however, it was very satisfying to skip across in a fraction of the time that it had taken Aifric.

When I reached the other side, he smiled. ‘You really do have a head for heights.’

I grinned back. False modesty wasn’t my thing. ‘Yeah,’ I agreed, ‘I do.’

The others followed one by one. Despite his muscle, Byron was pretty fast. From his quickened breathing when he came off, though, he’d found it harder than he was letting on.

‘Are you alright?’ I inquired solicitously.

‘Oh, I’m perfect,’ he replied, straightening up. His eyes glinted as if he dared me to disagree.

‘Of course you are,’ I said quietly.

The Darrochs were both slow but steady. Malcolm Kincaid crossed with so much sweat streaming off his forehead and into his eyes that I was amazed he could see anything; his father struggled even more. His skin turned white as he inched his way, the ropes swinging dramatically on several occasions as he struggled to keep his balance. When he finally arrived, he threw me a nasty look even though my expression was bland.

‘You want to say something, Adair?’

‘It’s Taylor,’ I reminded him. ‘My name is Integrity Taylor.’

He flexed his fingers. Considering how tightly he’d grabbed the rope, they had to be stiff and sore. ‘Yes,’ he sneered. ‘I’d be ashamed of my Clan if it were yours.’

I didn’t deign to reply and turned my back. ‘I guess I’m up next,’ I said lightly. ‘Let’s go.’

After the rope bridge, the ground was fairly even. There was enough space to walk comfortably and even the scree underfoot was less of an issue. All the same, my stomach was twisting in nerves. Whether it was because I was worried about the Foinse or because I was about to acknowledge the importance of my true name – and therefore my Sidhe heritage – by passing the final hurdle, I wasn’t entirely sure. At least the tunnel we were moving along was getting darker so the others couldn’t see my tension.

The first indication I had that we were getting close was when we rounded a corner and I felt a breeze on my face. My eyes might have fully adjusted to the gloom but I still couldn’t make out anything that might be Foinse-shaped. I imagined that the Foinse would be like a small fountain with streams of multi-coloured magic bubbling up instead of water. Unfortunately, everything ahead was a dark black well .

I sniffed the air. For a long time, in fact since we’d entered the cavern, it had been growing gradually staler but now there was something different about it. It was almost fresh. I picked up my pace. We were almost there; I could feel it.

When we turned another corner, the Foinse was there. It was a huge chest bathed in light, although goodness knows where the light was coming from.

Diana, who was close behind me, gasped. With the chest perched on a stone pedestal and the light cascading from above, it was like entering an ancient temple to pay homage to a god.

I felt the final barrier before I saw it. When I was less than ten feet away from the chest, I could no longer press forward; there was an invisible force field around it. It was clear, though, where the light was coming from. Hundreds of metres above us there was a round hole. If I squinted, I could make out a dash of blue.

‘We’re in the centre of the mountain,’ Malcolm said, awestruck.

Byron drew a breath. ‘It’s your turn, Integrity.’

I nodded, glancing at the others to make sure they were going to give me the same privacy that they’d been given. There was a calculating expression in William Kincaid’s eyes but Aifric gripped his elbow and pulled him back. Giving them a tight smile, I turned my attention to the last lock. I pressed my palms against the barrier and marvelled at the magical craftsmanship that must have gone into making it.

I squeezed my eyes shut and breathed my name. ‘Layoch.’

The sensation of the barrier shattering was extraordinary. I felt a wash of power surge through me. Basking in its glow, I smiled. For the first time, I felt what it was to be Adair. I revelled in the moment – until Malcolm pushed past me, making a beeline for the chest.

He grabbed the corners and lifted. Nothing happened. I watched his shoulders strain and heard him grunt but the chest didn’t budge. Byron joined him, as did Diana. The three of them heaved but it still refused to open. Aifric, Dorienne and William joined them, all six of them scrabbling and straining. I folded my arms and kept back. There was no visible lock on the front, other than a simple iron latch. Sheer muscle was going to be a waste of time. There was a lightly coloured panel of wood on the left-hand side that told me everything I needed to know.

‘Aren’t you going to help us?’ William Kincaid spat.

I arched an eyebrow. ‘If six of you can’t open it, one more person isn’t going to make any difference.’

Aifric stepped away, his shoulders sagging. ‘She’s right. There has to be another way. We must have missed something.’

Diana joined him and pursed her lips. One by one they moved back until only Malcolm remained there, huffing and puffing. ‘It has to open!’

‘It’s not going to. We’ll have to take it with us and find a way to pry it open back at the Cruaich,’ Aifric said decisively.

‘It’s massive! How will we carry it?’

‘We’ll just have to manage.’

The six of them took up their positions and attempted to lift the chest off the dais. It didn’t budge.

‘It’s stuck fast,’ Byron grunted. ‘This isn’t the way.’

Aifric cursed. ‘There must be another key. It shouldn’t be this hard.’

William Kincaid kicked it. ‘Blasted thing!’

I smirked, wondering how long this would go on for. Really, they were lucky they had me with them. For now, I amused myself by watching their wasted efforts.

It was Byron who noticed first. He glanced over and clocked the expression on my face. He abandoned the chest and marched over. ‘There aren’t any records of a container like this. It’s obviously not ancient like the Foinse is.’ He eyed me. ‘You know what to do to open it.’ It wasn’t a question.

I smiled. ‘I’m a thief, Byron. I do this for a living.’

Both irritation and amusement flitted across his face. ‘Go on then.’ He cleared his throat. ‘The rest of you need to get back. Give Integrity some room.’

Malcolm snorted. ‘She won’t be able to open it if we can’t.’

Aifric looked at me. ‘Step back,’ he ordered. He gestured at me. ‘On you go.’

I rubbed my palms together. Malcolm and William rolled their eyes but Diana simply looked curious. ‘You’re going to have to give me some room,’ I said. ‘I need the light and you’re blocking it.’

I walked round the chest, examining it from every angle. Although it looked heavy and cumbersome, the craftsmanship was superb. It was designed to appear deceptively simple. The reality was anything but. I couldn’t help feeling a tinge of admiration for our long-deceased Sidhe ancestors who’d placed it here. They didn’t just want the four strongest Clans to prove they could work together to reach it. They wanted them to prove themselves worthy of it too. They’d obviously decided there was no point in throwing open the source of the country’s magic to a bunch of people who didn’t even have the smarts to open a box.

I ignored the latch at the front and focussed on the left-hand side. I’d noticed earlier that it had a band of faintly discoloured wood.

‘She’s got no damn clue,’ William hissed.

‘Shh!’ Byron admonished.

I hunkered down and carefully ran my fingers across the front. There was a knot at one end, which was out of keeping with the rest of the chest. Pressing into it with my thumb, I kept my body out of the way. A heartbeat later, a long drawer sprang open and brushed against my midriff. The others’ astonishment was audible. Both Kincaids rushed forward but I frowned, forcing them to falter.

I sidestepped, tapping the back of the chest and listening. Then I nodded and went to the right-hand side. The panels of wood here were more evenly coloured. Closing my eyes and using my fingertips, I located the second hidden latch within seconds. As soon as I pushed it, another drawer opened.

‘Chinese boxes,’ Aifric said. ‘Find the hidden latches and open them in the correct order or don’t open the chest at all. Cunning bastards.’

The third panel was at the front, concealed beneath the large rusty latch that Malcolm had been tugging at. My fingers only had to brush against this one and I heard a click. I smiled and returned to the back of the chest and another drawer slid open easily. This one was both wider and deeper and when I pulled it all the way out and peered inside the gap into the centre of the chest, I knew I’d hit the jackpot.

I rested on my heels and gazed up at the others. Even in this dim light, their auras were still clear. Byron’s was a rich purple, Aifric’s was a sharp scarlet. I could see flickers of the same red colour in both Dorienne and William’s auras, although they weren’t so pronounced, and I wondered if red was a chieftain thing. When I spotted it flickering against Malcom’s grey aura too, however, I wasn’t so sure.

I looked at the Foinse. It had an aura as well, as if it were as alive like us. The Foinse, which wasn’t like a fountain at all and was actually more of a sparkly orb, had a sickly yellow aura that wasn’t far off the colour of bile. It was definitely sick; even I could work that one out.

‘What is it?’ William Kincaid demanded. ‘What can you see?’

I reached inside. It was warm to the touch and, when I cupped my hands round it, I felt a flicker of soothing energy. I pulled back and stood up, displaying it to the others. Then I grinned.

‘Take that, bitches.’

There was considerable debate about what to do next. Most of the discussion took place between the three Chieftains, William, Dorienne and Aifric, with Malcolm occasionally interjecting his opinion. The rest of us stood back.

‘We don’t have the means to solve the problem here,’ Aifric said. ‘We should take the Foinse back to the Cruaich and deal with it there.’

‘If it goes back to the Cruaich,’ Dorienne pointed out, ‘then by default the Moncrieffes end up with the ownership of it. We cannot allow that to happen.’

‘My dear, the Cruaich belongs to us all. It’s not as if I’m scurrying away with it to the Moncrieffe Clan lands. You’ll know where it is.’

‘That’s all very well, Steward, but the Cruaich is hardly close to Kincaid lands. We have a lot of skilled people in our Clan who will be well placed to heal it.’

‘I’m not giving that kind of power to the Kincaids!’

The argument went round and round in circles. I eyed the Foinse that was now being cradled by Aifric. If I looked closely, I could swear that its sickly aura now had a slightly different tinge.

‘How long has the Foinse been held here?’ I asked Byron in an undertone.

He shrugged, his expression displeased as he watched the to-ing and fro-ing between the Clan heads. ‘A thousand years, give or take.’

I considered the chest. It was an old piece but I’d estimate it was no more than two hundred years old. The aura around the Foinse suggested that it was a living being. And, speaking for myself as another living being, I didn’t think I’d do particularly well trapped inside a box. I’d probably get sick after two centuries of darkness too.

I craned my neck upwards at the shaft of light. It was less strong now, indicating that the end of the day was approaching. I wondered whether the position of the box beneath the light had been deliberate. Unless you were a stoor worm used to the dark depths of the ocean, chances were you’d need sunlight.

I glanced at Byron. With his head in the beam of light, his bronzed locks were burnished and gleaming.

‘Do me a favour,’ I said, ‘and bring the Foinse over here. Your father’s more likely to hand it to you than me.’ And Kincaid and Darroch would be less likely to complain about Byron taking it as well.

‘What are you thinking?’ he asked.

‘I just want to try something out,’ I prevaricated.

With a shake of his head, Byron did as I asked. Aifric appeared reluctant to let it go, as I’d surmised but he was hardly going to say no to his son and heir.

‘I’d thought it was going to be bigger,’ Diana said, as Byron brought it back over. ‘It’s still pretty, though.’

‘It’s warm,’ he said, surprised. ‘And I can feel it almost … pulsating.’

‘Can you hold it up to the light?’ I asked.

His brow furrowed but he stepped over and allowed the sunlight to filter down. Not only did the Foinse seem to glow more strongly, but its aura began to change. It still didn’t look healthy but I could definitely see an improvement.

‘Can I hold it?’ Diana asked eagerly.

Byron shrugged. ‘Sure.’ He passed it over.

She hefted in her hands. ‘Just think,’ she whispered, ‘this tiny thing is responsible for all of us. For all of our gifts and all of our magic.’

‘The best things come in small packages,’ I agreed. I held up my palms. ‘May I?’

She handed it to me, taking great care not to drop it. I smiled as I might at a gurgling baby. Aware that the three Chieftains had interrupted their conversation to watch me, I made sure I didn’t appear overly possessive. ‘Have you ever read Harry Potter?’ I asked casually.

Malcolm’s lip curled but Diana nodded. ‘You know Quidditch?’ I said. ‘What’s the name of the flying ball that they try to capture to win the game?’

She smiled suddenly. ‘You’re right! It’s exactly like that! The snitch. That’s what it reminds me of. If it had wings, it would be a perfect match.’

‘Mm.’ I let my fingers brush against the Foinse’s warmth for another second. Then I threw it up into the air directly into the sunbeam.

They all gasped in horror. Byron lunged for it while Aifric and William sprang forward. Dorienne appeared to be frozen in place.

‘You idiot!’ Malcolm screeched. ‘What have you done?’ He flung himself at me, slamming me down to the ground. Despite the painful crack of my spine on the stone, I kept my eyes on the Foinse.

They say that what goes up must come down – but the Foinse definitely wasn’t coming back down. In fact, it was gathering speed, rising up and up and up. As Malcolm drew back his fist and punched my face, I saw the Foinse reach the hole in the top of the mountain, wink once against the failing sunlight and disappear. Then my nose exploded in pain.

I felt Malcolm’s weight being dragged off me and the smack of more flesh on flesh. Blinking away tears, I struggled to my elbows, just as William Kincaid grabbed me and yanked to my feet.

‘You’ve doomed us all!’ he shouted. I got a strong whiff of garlic from last night’s stew. ‘You’re just like your father after all!’

I pulled back. Malcolm’s nose was streaming with blood, much like my own. Byron had his hand on Malcolm’s shirt as if he were afraid he was going to hit me again. Saved by Golden Boy. I supposed I should be thankful. I wiped away the blood with my sleeve and gazed at the angry faces. Aifric, in particular, appeared to be incandescent with rage.

‘It’s the source of all the magic,’ I said quietly. ‘It doesn’t need to be rescued by us. It can fix itself. When we get far enough away and the Kincaids can use their precognition again, they’ll be able to tell us that everything’s going to be fine. The Foinse’s free and so is the magic. No single Clan has to be in charge of it. You don’t need to worry about putting more safeguards in place to stop someone misusing it. All your problems are solved.’

My calm explanation didn’t appear to dampen the group’s ire. Only Byron looked at me speculatively. Everyone else wanted to murder me. That wasn’t much different to an hour ago; now they were just more open about it.

‘Don’t you know what we could have done with the Foinse? The good we might have achieved?’

Considering that none of us could use our gifts in its vicinity, the only ‘good’ it could have achieved would be for one Clan to hold it to ransom over the others. I wisely kept my thoughts to myself.

‘I want to go back to the Cruaich now,’ I said carefully, reaching down into myself. Unfortunately, even with the Foinse no longer close by, my teleportation still wasn’t working. Shite.

‘If we get back,’ William spat, ‘and the magic is still failing, I’m going to string you up by your nipples.’

I winced. That sounded painful. ‘Aw, and I thought you were my breast friend, Willie.’

Aifric exhaled. ‘She might be right, you know,’ he said, his anger disappearing as quickly as it had arrived. ‘She might have saved the magic for everyone.’ He clapped his hands once. ‘We won’t know until we get far enough away from wherever the Foinse is now. We need to move quickly so we can recapture it if need be.’

The fact that the benevolent Steward used the word ‘recapturing’ as if the Foinse was a Sidhe prisoner spoke volumes to me.

‘Then let’s go,’ William snapped. He jabbed me with his finger. ‘You stay in front of me. I want to know where you are and what you’re doing at all times.’

I swept a curtsey. ‘Of course, Chieftain,’ I said mockingly.

‘There’s no need for that,’ Byron interrupted. For a moment I thought he was scolding me but I realised he was addressing William. ‘She can be trusted.’

‘She’s given us no evidence of that yet,’ he ground out.

I put my hand on Byron’s arm. ‘It’s fine.’ I needed to get away from here as quickly as possible so I could teleport myself to safety. If that meant having William Kincaid at my back then that’s what I would do.

Aifric strode off, his pace brisk. He held his head high but I noted that his fists were still clenched tightly. No matter what he’d said, he was struggling to give me the benefit of the doubt. Without further ado, everyone fell into line, William bringing up the rear with me directly in front of him.

Byron was touchingly worried about what was happening and kept swinging his head back to check on me. Every time he did, I gave him a wide smile. I had few doubts that I’d done the right thing with the Foinse. What happened from here on in, however, was anyone’s guess.

We marched back to the bridge. Silence reigned, which suited me perfectly. I was aware of William Kincaid’s every breath and footfall. I wanted to know what he was going to do before he did it. I reckoned it was pretty obvious where the attack would come. They’d have to be pretty nimble, though. Even if the Kincaids teamed up with the Darrochs, when it came to heights I was better than the lot of them.

At some point Aifric and Byron swapped places so, by the time we reached the rope bridge, there was an interesting shift in order. I hung back as Byron crossed, then Dorienne and Diana, followed by Malcolm and Aifric. I could hear my heart thumping in my chest. Before William changed his mind about staying at my back, I leapt in front of him and virtually sprinted across, keeping every sense alert.

When I landed on solid ground, I was almost disappointed. Perhaps they’d realised that trying to take me out here would be a waste of time and would reveal their intentions. I gritted my teeth as William began his wobble across the bridge. Now I’d have to be on my guard more than ever.

‘The Cruaich,’ I whispered, earning a strange look from Aifric. I remained where I was but didn’t feel the slightest tug on my body. The teleportation still wasn’t working. These Gifts were sodding useless.

In a reverie as I tried to guess where the next danger spot would be, I almost missed it when William’s foot slipped. A second later he cried out, his hands frantically snatching at the ropes on either side of the bridge to stop himself from falling. Dorienne shrieked in alarm. William threw one leg up, hooking it over the bottom rope, while his hands clung onto to the two higher ones. He was sweating, though, and with moist palms, he couldn’t hold on for long if he didn’t haul himself upright. The precarious bridge was swinging dramatically from side to side. My eyes snapped to the muscles straining in William’s arms. Crapadoodle. He wasn’t going to make it.

I didn’t think. Instead I shot back along the rope bridge towards him, using my own body weight to counter the swing and give him more stability.

‘Hold on!’ I yelled, lunging for his hand.

I was too late. His fingers had already slipped into the air and he was hanging down, head first, with only one leg stopping him from falling into the chasm below. If I’d had any doubt whether this was a staged accident, his look of white-faced terror laid that thought to rest.

‘Integrity!’ Byron shouted, as I jumped over William’s leg to twist myself back and grab him from a better angle.

‘Don’t! Don’t come on here! Three people will be too many. I’ve got this! Just trust me.’

Using my elbow as an anchor, I swung into the air. William’s arms were flailing around. I tried to snatch his hand but he was panicking too much.

‘Calm down,’ I hissed. ‘Stop jerking around and I will catch you.’

‘I’m going to die,’ he muttered. ‘I’m going to die! I’m going to die!’

‘You are
not
going to die.’ I gave another swing and slapped him hard across his cheek.

He stared at me in shock. ‘Stay calm,’ I repeated. ‘If you get hysterical, this is going to take much longer. I will pull you up.’ I looked him in the eyes. ‘William, I will get you. Got that?’

He nodded mutely and relief rushed through me. ‘Can you lift your arms up? I need to get your wrists. If I grab your hands, they’ll be too sweaty and you’ll slip. Understand?’

He nodded again and stretched upwards. Shite. I still wasn’t close enough.

‘My leg,’ he whispered. ‘It’s not going to make it.’

I looked up. He was right. He was hanging on now by his ankle. Cursing to myself, I pulled up and looped the less taut section of rope round my right ankle. It would give me the length I required but it wouldn’t hold for long. I had to do this quickly.

Ignoring the shouts from the others, I swung down once more. With a burst of adrenalin, I stretched out my arms and curled my hands round William’s wrists. He gasped in relief.

‘You know you really reek of garlic,’ I told him. ‘Remember that when you want to give me a grateful kiss later on.’

He managed a shaky smile but, feeling tremors ripping through his flesh, I wasted no more time. ‘We’re going to swing back upwards, William. On a count of three, you’ll go right, I’ll go left and then we’ll meet in the middle. Got that?’

He gulped for air. ‘Yes.’

‘When we’re close enough, be prepared for me to release your left wrist. Then I’ll grab the rope and get both of us back up.’

‘Don’t drop me.’

‘I won’t. I told you, I’ve got this. Ready? One, two, three!’

I pushed upwards. William’s frame wasn’t exactly slight and his fear made it hard for him to find the energy to gain sufficient momentum. From somewhere deep within himself, however, he managed. With my hands half a metre away, I dropped his wrist and swung harder, only just managing to snatch hold of the rope and heave William’s body up.