Considering that none of us could use our gifts in its vicinity, the only ‘good’ it could have achieved would be for one Clan to hold it to ransom over the others. I wisely kept my thoughts to myself.

‘I want to go back to the Cruaich now,’ I said carefully, reaching down into myself. Unfortunately, even with the Foinse no longer close by, my teleportation still wasn’t working. Shite.

‘If we get back,’ William spat, ‘and the magic is still failing, I’m going to string you up by your nipples.’

I winced. That sounded painful. ‘Aw, and I thought you were my breast friend, Willie.’

Aifric exhaled. ‘She might be right, you know,’ he said, his anger disappearing as quickly as it had arrived. ‘She might have saved the magic for everyone.’ He clapped his hands once. ‘We won’t know until we get far enough away from wherever the Foinse is now. We need to move quickly so we can recapture it if need be.’

The fact that the benevolent Steward used the word ‘recapturing’ as if the Foinse was a Sidhe prisoner spoke volumes to me.

‘Then let’s go,’ William snapped. He jabbed me with his finger. ‘You stay in front of me. I want to know where you are and what you’re doing at all times.’

I swept a curtsey. ‘Of course, Chieftain,’ I said mockingly.

‘There’s no need for that,’ Byron interrupted. For a moment I thought he was scolding me but I realised he was addressing William. ‘She can be trusted.’

‘She’s given us no evidence of that yet,’ he ground out.

I put my hand on Byron’s arm. ‘It’s fine.’ I needed to get away from here as quickly as possible so I could teleport myself to safety. If that meant having William Kincaid at my back then that’s what I would do.

Aifric strode off, his pace brisk. He held his head high but I noted that his fists were still clenched tightly. No matter what he’d said, he was struggling to give me the benefit of the doubt. Without further ado, everyone fell into line, William bringing up the rear with me directly in front of him.

Byron was touchingly worried about what was happening and kept swinging his head back to check on me. Every time he did, I gave him a wide smile. I had few doubts that I’d done the right thing with the Foinse. What happened from here on in, however, was anyone’s guess.