‘You didn’t ask.’ He gave an innocent smile. ‘I thought you already knew.’

Brochan growled. ‘I’m going to take that damn letter opener you live in and…’

Bob wagged his finger. ‘It’s a scimitar.’

‘Bob,’ I said, ‘this is important. After I visited the grove, someone attacked me with fireballs. I saw Byron use pyrokinesis. I couldn’t do that though even though I tried.’

He tsked. ‘Because you didn’t want to. You’re a natural thief. Your subconscious only takes the Gifts that you want.’

‘For a limited time.’

He shrugged. ‘Yup. Depends on the Gift though. You took aura reading and it lasted for ages, probably because you made the Bull your slave first so it was easier to draw more of it from him.’

‘He’s not my slave,’ I snapped.

‘He kind of is,’ Lexie whispered. I glared at her over my shoulder.

‘He didn’t say anything about losing his Gift.’

‘Again,’ Bob said with a weary air, ‘you didn’t ask him. You need to learn the right questions, Uh Integrity.’

‘He was probably afraid of showing you how weak he was,’ Brochan agreed.

‘Or,’ Speck added, ‘he was shitting his pants that he’d lost it completely and he was terrified of you and what you’re capable of.’

‘Either way,’ I mused, ‘no-one else knows I can do this.’ My brow furrowed and l looked at Bob. ‘Right?’

‘Right!’ he responded cheerily. ‘Now do you mind? I want to try something sparkly.’ He gestured at his outfit.

‘Fine.’ I turned to go.

‘Oh, Uh Integrity,’ he called out.

‘What?’

‘I’m really glad you didn’t die in the Lowlands. The harp will help.’ His tone was both honest and earnest.

I blinked. ‘Uh, thanks.’

‘You’re welcome.’ He twirled the boa. ‘It’s probably a good idea if you don’t try to play it before the actual challenge.’

I was instantly suspicious. ‘Why not?’

‘You’ll see.’

‘Bob…’

‘Trust me, I’m a genie.’ He waved at me. ‘Now, shoo.’

Taylor, Brochan, Speck, Lexie and I sat down again in the kitchen. For a long time nobody said a word.

‘You realise what this means?’ Taylor said finally. We all looked at him. ‘You have the potential to be the most powerful Sidhe in the country. The most powerful being in the country.’

I shivered. I wasn’t sure I liked that idea. ‘It’s nuts,’ I said, shaking my head.

Everyone nodded solemnly. ‘It truly is,’ Brochan rumbled, scratching at his gills.

I picked a flake of dried Clyde off my arm. ‘I should go and get cleaned up,’ I said. The shower was calling out to me, like heroin to an addict.

‘Sounds good,’ Speck said, with perhaps a little too much fervour. I guessed I really did smell bad. ‘We should probably try and get this harp cleaned up too. Goodness knows if it’ll work after the dip it’s taken.’

I grimaced, glancing at the dirty instrument. ‘All we can do is try.’ Bob’s warning not to play the thing niggled at me. I hoped I wasn’t going to regret going to so much trouble to retrieve it.