Free Veiled Threat by Helen Harper Page B

‘How long for?’ she asked with a sniff.
    ‘Er ...’ I tried to calculate how much work would be involved. ‘Three weeks?’
    ‘Done,’ she said, snapping her fingers.
    I blinked. Shite. I should have asked for a lot more. ‘Thank you.’
    ‘They will travel to you as soon as I receive the body.’
    I nodded. That was good. It would give me time to impress upon the Foinse that it needed to stay hidden. Although how on earth I was going to tell it that was beyond me at the moment.
    Chieftain MacBain stared at me. ‘Is there anything else?’
    Sorley shuffled his feet. No one looked at him. I shook my head and tried not to appear too grateful.
    ‘Good. Then I have a demand of my own.’
    Uh oh. ‘Go on,’ I said cautiously. I’d listen to her ‘demand’ at least.
    ‘I do not know you, Chieftain Adair,’ she said, ‘but I do hear certain things. I appreciate that I may have been too hasty in believing you stole my necklace at the Games. However, there is little about that you is trustworthy.’
    I didn’t like where this was heading. ‘I can assure you that I will not go back on my word,’ I said, stiffening.
    She didn’t blink. The woman was like a damn lizard. ‘And, strangely, I believe you won’t. But you did present me with a gold ring which was found near my uncle’s body.’
    ‘It was on his body,’ I said through gritted teeth. I was starting to understand. ‘He must have been wearing it when he died.’
    ‘Perhaps there was more than just his ring. When he left us, he was carrying a considerable amount of money.’
    I couldn’t imagine why; I didn’t think the Fomori cared much for Sidhe cash. ‘If I find any money, I will bring it back and give it to you.’
    ‘Of this I am not so convinced. You are a thief, are you not?’
    ‘I was a thief.’ I tried to smile. ‘Surely everyone should get the chance to turn over a new leaf?’
    Her mouth turned down. ‘Please do not use clichés in my presence. I simply abhor language of that ilk.’
    I shouldn’t have done it but I couldn’t help myself. ‘Well, this worm has turned. I’ve moved onto bigger and better things, and I think even my harshest critic would say that I’ve come on in leaps and bounds.’
    The expression on Chieftain MacBain’s face suggested that she was screaming inside. ‘You are not amusing in the slightest.’ The Gift I had stolen from Kirsty Kincaid informed that she was telling the absolute truth. Before I could throw another quip at her, she continued. ‘I would like someone to accompany you. Someone from another Clan that is not your own. Someone Sidhe.’
    My heart sank as I thought of the rude lordling who’d stopped earlier and I tightened my jaw. ‘Someone from Clan MacBain? I think it’s my turn to show my mistrust, Chieftain MacBain. How do I know you won’t order them to stab me in the back once I’ve led them to the bones?’
    She drew back with an incredulous shiver. ‘How dare you? A MacBain would never act in such a manner!’
    Okay. Enough was enough. ‘So you won’t trust me,’ I said icily, ‘but I should trust every single one of you?’
    Two spots of colour appeared high on her cheeks. Apparently Ma MacBain had suddenly realised how rude she’d been. She’d want to save face and not back down entirely, but I’d already learnt enough about the premium she placed on manners to wonder what she’d do next.
    ‘Then we compromise,’ she said finally. ‘You may choose someone from the main Clans. The important ones.’
    I raised my eyebrows. The important ones? ‘You mean Darroch, Kincaid or Moncrieffe,’ I said.
    ‘They can all be trusted.’
    I almost laughed aloud. This lady was more nuts than I’d realised. ‘Look, I...’ I paused. Hang on a minute. ‘Okay,’ I said. ‘I’ll accept those terms. I nominate Byron Moncrieffe.’
    Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. ‘Why him?’
    Because Aifric would hold off on the assassination attempts if his son was hanging around.