Last Wish (Highland Magic #4)(83)

‘We do not test our friends.’

I was taken aback. ‘Am I a friend?’

He smiled toothlessly. ‘Not yet.’

I considered this and hope flared through me. We were getting somewhere, we were really getting somewhere, but there was still a great to be said. I drew in a breath. ‘What happened in Aberdeen…’

‘Ah yes. A tragedy for all concerned.’ He glanced down. ‘Our situation is dire. We went to see if there were others we could negotiate with. As soon as your kind saw us, however…’ His voice trailed off.

‘They attacked,’ I whispered. Byron himself had done so; he’d casually tossed a fireball into the back of a Fomori demon who’d pitched up in Perth. Fight first, ask questions later. We were all guilty of something.

‘Yes. We tried other methods of communication but they were misunderstood.’ He looked at me archly. ‘Including by you.’

I frowned. ‘What do you mean?’

‘We knew that sooner or later someone would come looking for, what was his name? MacBan?’

‘MacBain.’

‘Ah, yes. We left a message for anyone who came.’

I closed my eyes. Save us. It was written in blood above his bones. I’d assumed it was a message from the Fomori’s slaves but I was wrong. ‘I’m sorry.’

He shrugged a bony shoulder. ‘We should have been more explicit. We know our ancestors did your kind wrong when they first came here. They were afraid and they believed they needed to fight in order to stay. Our fathers sinned and we have been paying the price ever since. We know what you think of us; telling you the truth about our desperate situation would have invited disbelief. We were hoping for … investigation.’

‘Because that way lies the truth,’ I said.

He nodded. ‘Indeed.’

‘And the others? The ones who aren’t Fomori?’ I leaned forward. ‘You don’t even allow them names.’

‘Names have power. They are powerless.’

My eyes narrowed. ‘Yes, but—’

He held up a hand. ‘It has been a point of contention for some time. We have struggles amongst our own kind ? fights, violence, death. I’m sure you have noticed the scars.’

‘I’ve seen the fights. I’ve seen your arena.’

‘We have to keep the peace somehow. If we permit the others to have names, they will feel more empowered and there would be greater possibility of riot. There would be more death.’

‘It’s wrong.’

‘Maybe.’ He sighed. ‘But things were not easy for us after the Fissure. We had to do something with the people from your side who remained. It was either kill them or find a way to keep them from hurting us further. I think we chose the more humane path.’

I wasn’t convinced. ‘It will have to change.’

He seemed amused. ‘Or what?’

‘There is no alternative. I am not threatening you, I’m here to help.’

The demon’s amusement grew into laughter. ‘You? How can you help? You’re not the Sidhe leader. They’ve been trying to kill you as much as we have. We’re not stupid, Adair, for all that you believe we are savages. May has told us enough.’

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed her flinch. Actually, I didn’t think she’d told them everything. I swallowed. ‘Bob,’ I whispered.

He didn’t waste his time burrowing out from his hiding place. The demons’ jaws dropped as Bob glared at them, daring them to do something. ‘He’s a genie,’ I said unnecessarily. ‘And I have one wish left.’

The leader recovered first. ‘It is unwise to ask a genie for anything.’ He regarded me soberly. ‘We have learnt this in the past.’

I nodded. ‘It’s true that there are always negative consequences but I’m sure we could put our heads together and think of a way to minimise the impact.’

He didn’t move. ‘What would you wish for?’

‘How about a return to your homeland, wherever that is?’

‘It is gone. It no longer exists in anything other than fairy tales.’ He continued to watch Bob warily although he addressed me. ‘Adair, we have lived here for three hundred years. This is our homeland.’

‘There is always a way.’

Bob wasn’t protesting much, which was uncharacteristic, and I didn’t think it was because he was scared of the demons.

‘You could wish for our demise. The prophecy—’

‘Oh, to hell with the damned prophecy!’ I snapped. ‘It’s worthless! It was probably made up in the first place. Even if it wasn’t, most prophecies don’t come true. Events don’t stay fixed and people take different paths. You should ignore that kind of mumbo-jumbo. There’s no future in prophecies.’

The demon’s mouth twitched. Then, almost inconceivably, he started to giggle.

Bob glanced at me. ‘These demons are even worse than I thought.’

I waited until the demon calmed down then walked to the edge of the parapet and gazed around. A lot of this place looked familiar; I could even see Arthur’s Seat from here. I massaged my neck. I probably only had enough Language magic left in me for a few more sentences so I was going to make them count.