‘I wouldn’t worry about it too much,’ Malcolm interrupted. ‘I’m sure after the Foinse is opened, you won’t feel any pain at all.’

Lily and I stared at him. I licked my lips. ‘And why is that?’

He gave me a long look filled with cold amusement. ‘It’ll be so reinvigorating that’ll you’ll forget all about your aches.’

Or I’ll be an unfeeling corpse, I thought. I’d received his message loud and clear. I glanced at Aifric who was murmuring to William, the Kincaid Chieftain. Would he step in? Would Byron?

‘Give me your hand, Chieftain,’ Lily said. ‘I’ll help you.’

I realised that her aura had changed again. It was a crisp green that reminded me of spring. ‘Are you sure? I don’t want to squash you.’

She flexed her muscles. ‘I feel very strong.’ She tapped her head. ‘And the cobwebs have gone. It’s good here.’

‘It’s the Foinse,’ Diana said. ‘It’s affecting her.’

I heard Byron grunt. ‘It’s affecting me too. I can’t light the fire.’

We turned to him, watching him flick his fingers. No matter what he did, nothing worked. He grinned ruefully. ‘Does anyone have a lighter or some matches?’

Aifric grimaced. ‘I was afraid of this.’

I watched them warily. ‘Afraid of what?’

‘We’re too close to the Foinse. Its hold here is too strong. Our Gifts won’t work.’

Diana’s brow furrowed. ‘How are we going to fix it then?’

‘There will be a way,’ Aifric said.

‘How do you know?’

‘Because there has to be,’ he replied simply.

Tension uncoiled deep within me. How could this have happened? How could they be so poorly prepared that they’d not thought about this eventuality? It was beyond ridiculous.

I made an effort to get off Barbie and swung one leg round. Sharp needles of pain shot through my legs and I thought better of it.

‘You should never walk into something without knowing what the possible outcomes are!’ I said, throwing my hands up in the air even though it made me wobble dangerously and almost fall off the saddle. ‘We might make the Foinse worse instead of better! I put my trust in you lot. I thought you knew what you were doing!’

‘Shut that bitch up,’ the Darroch Chieftain muttered.

In a flash, Byron was in front of her. ‘Don’t call her that. She didn’t have to come here and help us.’

Actually, I kind of did, Byron. You forced me into it.

‘Yeah,’ sneered Malcolm, ‘you don’t want to annoy her. She might go nuts just like her father and murder us all.’