I circled round him. ‘Let’s start at the beginning, shall we? Why did I become your ward?’

‘Aifric commanded my Chieftain. I either agreed to take you in or lost several key lands to the north.’

I rubbed my chin. ‘But why you?’

He looked defiant. ‘I’m the Bull.’

‘I don’t understand.’

He set his jaw. ‘Your mother was engaged to me.’ I sucked in an astounded breath. He ignored it. ‘But because I am the Bull, she grew unhappy and left. I assume he thought that because you were her child, I would take good care of you.’ He looked at me. ‘I swore to keep you alive.’

‘Because you’re the Bull, she split up with you?’ I asked, puzzled. He rolled his eyes at the same moment I realised what he meant. ‘Ohhh. You’re not called the Bull because you’re a big guy. It’s because you think of yourself as a stud.’ I looked at his body derisively.

‘I was younger then,’ he spat. ‘I was a different man.’

He’d have to have been very different for anyone to want to shag him. I stared at him in mock horror. ‘My goodness! You could have been my real father after all!’

He hawked up a ball of phlegm. Before he could do anything with it, I wagged my finger. ‘I don’t think so, Cul-chain.’

He swallowed it back down. Eurgh.

‘So,’ I said, ‘you wanted to kill me because of my aura. And because you want the Foinse to fail. Is that correct, Cul-chain?’

Yes,’ he mumbled.

‘Speak up.’ I nudged him gently with my toe. ‘Is that correct?’

He cleared his throat. ‘Yes.’

‘Was my father really evil?’

‘Yes.’ His gaze was unwavering.

‘If I asked any other highborn Sidhe, would I get the same answer?’

‘Yes.’

‘What about the lower classes?’

He looked away. ‘They’re naïve.’

‘Why do they think differently?’

‘He manipulated them. There are stories suggesting that it wasn’t him. Or that he was possessed by a demon.’ His expression made it clear how unlikely he thought that was.

‘Very well. From now on, Cul-chain, you will not seek to harm me. You will ensure no-one in your Clan seeks to harm me. In fact, you will not seek to harm anyone.’ I smiled. ‘I wasn’t lying. I really am a pacifist. I might have an imaginative interpretation of the word but I’d never have let you fall.’

His eyes spat fire. ‘Evil bitch.’

I shrugged. ‘Evil bitch who’s now your boss.’ Not that I thought he needed reminding. ‘You may leave now.’