Last Wish (Highland Magic #4)(73)

The Foinse didn’t exude ultra-violet rays but the light which the source of magic cast was strange enough to create more fear and paranoia. Whatever the Draoidheachd looked like, it was either very different to this or it was kept well out of sight from the Lowland’s citizens.

A peculiar rumble filled the air, growing louder and louder. I knew that sound. Next to me, Byron sucked in an alarmed breath. We’d been fortunate not to emerge in front of any of the winged demons but it was only a matter of time until they approached. It was now or never. ‘Come on, baby,’ I whispered. The Foinse hummed louder in response.

‘I should tell you before you do this,’ Byron said, his voice even and controlled. ‘I love you.’

Magic crackled to my right as the Fomori prepared to attack and it prevented me from responding. I gave a tiny smile and then I threw the Foinse, using every ounce of my energy. Whatever sentient energy it possessed meant that it knew what it was doing; it somersaulted and kept low as it hurtled towards the Fomori ranks. They screamed and scattered.

The four of us began to run. Byron, Fergus and May veered to the right and I went left. The gap in the ranks created by the Foinse was greater than I’d hoped. While it danced and spun and held the Fomori at bay, I sprinted for all I was worth.

There was a whoosh of wind and my hair blew around my face. I grimaced. One of the flying demons was gunning for me and it was getting close. I zigzagged, trying to throw it off. The Foinse zipped towards me but I muttered and it curved off, heading away. The demon above me screeched in fury at my audacity in showing up then it flung a bolt of darkness towards me.

I had no way of knowing what sort of Gift this was. I could have paused, turned, and examined the demon but that was hardly likely to happen. Instead, I did what I could to speed away from the encroaching darkness.

My toe hit a rock that was jutting up out of the ground and I stumbled forward, forcing my body into a roll at the last moment. The demon screeched again and this time the call was taken up by the thousands at my back. I leapt to my feet, momentum propelling me forward. I clenched my fists to stop the trembling and glanced to my right. There were a couple of demons on the others’ tails. I swallowed, my mouth dry. Another flying demon swooped down towards them, gaining on them.

‘Adair!’ I yelled, knowing the windless atmosphere would make my voice carry far across the grim moors.

The demon flipped its head and stared in my direction. The delay gave Byron, Fergus and May a chance. Byron lunged upwards, snatched the Foinse out of the air and bundled it inside his jacket. I smiled grimly. Before long, the darkness would swallow them up. Or so I hoped.

I yelled again. The thunder of thousands of feet slamming into the ground behind me would strike fear into anyone’s heart. As long as they focused on me – the Adair – then I was happy. I took a deep breath, calling up my last traces of the Electrosurge Gift. There were raucous shouts behind me and I knew that the Fomori were preparing to throw every last scrap of magic they had at me. The element of surprise was well and truly over. My skin tingled. Work, I prayed. Please work.

The air ahead of me spat and crackled. Preparing for the pain, I tensed myself. Then I squeezed my eyes shut, drew out the last magic, and felt the power slam through me as if I’d been punched in the head by a giant. So that’s what it feels like to be struck by lightning, I thought, as I spun in slow motion towards the ground. Shocking.





Chapter Seventeen


It was all about the illusion of control. When Aifric had me under lock and key, he’d grown over-confident because he thought he was in charge. This was effectively the same scenario: now the Fomori demons had the terrifying, monstrous Integrity Adair as a prisoner, especially after she’d electrocuted herself, they’d feel empowered. They’d hopefully be curious enough about me to delay their Highland invasion even if only for a day or two. Of course, there was the very real concern that they’d simply cut my throat and be done with me, but I’d removed the threat I presented by knocking myself out. The Fomori were supposed to be evil but how many people would execute an unarmed, unconscious young woman? Especially one they’d want to interrogate first? It had been a gamble but it was a gamble worth taking when you considered the alternatives. Still, when I woke up in even more pain than I had experienced at Aifric’s hands, I was relieved that I’d woken up at all. I hoped that the others had escaped.

I’d wanted to find myself on Arthur’s Seat, the same hill next to the old city of Edinburgh where Byron had been taken. Unfortunately, I wasn’t there – in fact, I couldn’t tell where I was other than that I was inside. Being blindfolded, trussed up and gagged had something to do with that. The Fomori weren’t taking any chances.

I still had two of my five senses left. I couldn’t hear anything but I could smell urine and vomit. Deciding that this situation simply wouldn’t do, I shuffled on my back like an upturned turtle. It took some time but I made my way around the room, estimating it was about the size of a small bathroom. Or a prison cell. There was a metal bucket in one corner, which was where the godawful stench was coming from. I got as close as I could manage, retching once or twice. Given the danger of vomiting when I had a gag in my mouth, I needed to acclimatise pretty quickly.

I assumed that the Fomori demons didn’t have an Ikea they could pop down to when they needed some cheap, disposable hardware. That meant the bucket had either been forged in a blacksmith’s or it harked back to the pre-Fissure era. Either way, I hoped to find a sharp edge on it. Then all I needed was a little bit of friction.