When I saw it, my veins ran cold. It was a tiny pewter lion on its hind legs and with its paws in the air as if ready to do battle – in fact, it was exactly the same as the tattoo I’d spotted beneath May’s battle scars when I’d fought her when I was beyond the Veil. Whatever I’d been expecting to find, it wasn’t this – because here was proof positive that Aifric was working in some way with the Fomori demons.

Chapter Thirteen

By the time I returned to the auditorium, the performances were finishing for lunch. I looked around for a friendly face. I couldn’t see any of my group but I did spot Byron in a cluster of giddy-looking girls. Clearly, he’d not lost his playboy touch. Pushing back my shoulders, I marched over.

‘It’s her!’ one of the girls gasped.

I licked my lips and looked her up and down. She blanched. Dear me. ‘Girls, if you could excuse Lord Byron for a moment…’

A dark-haired Sidhe, who was clearly the boldest of the group, stepped forward. ‘If he doesn’t want to talk to you, he doesn’t have to.’

My eyebrows flew up and I glanced at Byron. ‘You don’t want to talk to me?’ I dropped to my knees and clasped my hands. ‘But why? It’s not fair!’ My voice rose with every word until we were attracting quite an audience. ‘I want you to talk to meeeeee!’

Byron folded his arms. ‘Integrity,’ he sighed. ‘Is this really necessary?’

‘I thought you were my friend.’

‘The last thing we are is friends,’ he grunted, although his mouth twitched and I didn’t imagine the hint of smoky promise that crossed his face. ‘Ladies,’ he said with a bow, ‘perhaps you could give us a few minutes.’

They glared at me but they weren’t about to gainsay Byron. They swirled away, voices low and irritated. I held out my hand so Byron could help me up.

He didn’t move. ‘I think you can manage by yourself.’

I shrugged and stood up. ‘True.’

The people who’d been watching my little show returned to their own conversations. I grinned at Byron.

‘I was under the impression that you thought we should stay away from each other,’ he remarked.

I jabbed a finger at him. ‘Hey, you’re the one who approached me this morning. Anyway, you looked like you needed rescuing. And I wanted to congratulate you on your performance this morning. It was sensational.’

‘Is that another joke?’

‘No,’ I said honestly.

His eyes scanned my face. ‘Then thank you.’

I curtsied. ‘My pleasure.’

His expression softened and we looked at each other for a moment in silence. My stomach tightened. Crapadoodle. I had other things to focus on than the hot, zippy feeling in my groin.

‘So, Integrity,’ Byron said, finally breaking the silence. ‘What do you really want?’ There was no denying the suggestive lilt to his tone.

I pursed my lips and watched him carefully. Focus, Integrity. Focus. ‘Fomori demons.’