Free Veiled Threat by Helen Harper Page A

vaguely recognised pull up on a monster of a horse. Admittedly, all horses looked like monsters to me.
    ‘Sorley,’ he barked. ‘What’s the problem?’
    ‘Her name’s not on the list.’
    The lordling, who had more muscles than I’d seen in a long time, leapt off the horse and landed on both feet. I glanced down and realised that his torso might be the size of an oak tree but his legs were more like puny saplings. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself laughing. Someone hadn’t been doing their exercises properly.
    He cast a long look over me. He seemed rather wary. ‘Don’t you know who this is?’ he demanded of Sorley.
    I winced.
    ‘I do now,’ Sorley replied shortly. ‘She’s Integrity Adair.’
    ‘Chieftain Adair,’ the lordling said.
    ‘Makes no difference,’ the troll mumbled. ‘Her name’s not down on my list.’
    ‘And your dedication is admirable.’ I broke in before the increasingly irate Sidhe let out a barrage of expletives. I smiled. ‘I really would appreciate it if you could check with Chieftain MacBain and then...’
    The lordling clicked his fingers. ‘Let her in.’
    The troll looked at him then back at me. ‘I cannot.’
    ‘You will do what I say or...’
    I rolled my eyes. ‘I will wait here until Chieftain MacBain agrees that I can enter. Alright?’
    Sorley threw a smug look at the lordling, who seemed very put out. ‘I will tell her you’re here,’ the lordling said huffily. Then he clambered back on his horse and cantered through.
    Sorley checked his watch. He looked a bit upset.
    ‘Don’t worry about him,’ I told him. ‘He’s just another Sidhe wanker.’
    Sorley’s eyes shot to mine and he coughed. ‘It’s not that,’ he said stiffly. ‘He said he’d be back at 10 a.m. It’s 10.12. I’ll have to log that and write a report. He should be more punctual.’
    I pressed my lips together hard. ‘Mmmm.’
    I was expecting Chieftain MacBain to make me cool my heels for some time. It’s what Aifric would have done ‒ anything to make sure I knew my place. Surprisingly, less than fifteen minutes passed before she appeared followed by a large retinue. She strode down the long driveway at such a brisk pace that her hangers-on struggled to keep up. I guessed that, for all her mistrust of me, Chieftain MacBain believed in manners.
    ‘Ma’am,’ Sorley said as she reached us.
    She looked at him coldly. ‘How many times have I told you to address me as Chieftain?’
    He shuffled his feet. ‘Ma’am, Stuart MacBain was twelve minutes late. I really do think you should have a word with him about...’ Her glare intensified. Sorley noted it but kept on going. ‘...about punctuality. What if we’d sent a search party out for him? It’s simply not good enough. You put me in charge of security.’
    ‘Enough of this nonsense.’ She said it quietly but there was more menace in her tone than the Bull could have managed with an ear-splitting bellow.
    ‘Chieftain Adair,’ she said, turning to me.
    I almost fell over. That was the last way I’d expected her to address me. I recovered quickly, however, and inclined my head as if I was completely used to being treated as a highborn Sidhe noble. ‘Chieftain MacBain,’ I returned.
    ‘I was not convinced you were going to keep your word.’
    I stood my ground. ‘I told you I would do as you asked and retrieve your uncle’s body.’
    ‘So where is he?’ She obviously wasn’t in the mood to waste time.
    ‘I don’t have him yet. Our agreement was that I would receive a favour from you in return.’
    ‘Yes, yes,’ she said impatiently.
    ‘Fifty people,’ I said, plucking a number out of thin air. It sounded like a lot to me. ‘I would like to borrow fifty of your people to help me clear the Adair Lands and make the mansion habitable. They need to be strong, capable workers.’
    Something akin to relief crossed her face. I wondered what she thought I was going to ask for ‒ the soul of her firstborn?