I felt sure he was saying that for my benefit. It didn’t help that several of the other competitors turned in my direction, mocking amusement glinting in their eyes.

‘Clans will enter not in alphabetical order, as was previously stated, but in order of importance.’

I shared a look of disgust with Taylor. Since I’d taken on the Adair name, I’d moved to the top of the pack as far as ABC was concerned but this wasn’t Sesame Street. I had no doubt that despite the tradition attached to the Adairs, and the fact that my blood had been keyed into the Foinse as the sole member of one of the older, supposedly important Clans, I’d be in last place. I shrugged. If nothing else, I’d give this lot something to remember.

Brochan eyed me. ‘You’re planning something,’ he accused.

My mouth twitched. ‘When they throw me out for not being good enough or strong enough or whatever enough, I want to make sure they all realise what a mistake they’re making.’

‘Tegs…’

I grinned, although there wasn’t much humour in it. ‘My new trick is telekinesis. Let them see what I can do when I choose to use it.’

‘Is that a good idea?’

‘The witch in Sleeping Beauty is always painted as the villain,’ I murmured. ‘But she was left out in the cold. Depending on which version you read, her invitation was either forgotten or she was deliberately left off the list. She took her revenge ‒ and then some. I’m not going to curse any Sidhe damsels but I’m not going to let them humiliate me without saying something about it.’

‘Tegs,’ Speck said, looking troubled, ‘the witch in Sleeping Beauty was vanquished.’

‘Well,’ I growled, ‘it’s good that we’re not living in a fairy tale.’

Unsurprisingly, the Moncrieffes were called first. There were five of them in total: Byron, Jamie and three others whom I vaguely recognised. Unsurprisingly, neither Maggie nor Roy made an appearance; their attempt to practise in the mountains, which Byron had so admired, had put paid to that. The crowd of competitors fell silent as music sounded.

‘It’s the Moncrieffe anthem,’ Taylor murmured.

‘It’s bloody awful is what it is,’ I replied. I was having a hard time discerning a tune. It was a screeching wail, played on bagpipes to make it sound even worse. ‘I don’t suppose they’ll have the Adair anthem to hand.’

‘It’s disallowed.’

I grunted. Big surprise.

Speck smirked. ‘Don’t worry, Tegs. I’ve got it covered.’

I shot him a grateful look. Screw the Sidhe. I didn’t need them when I had this lot by my side.