I shook my head. No chance.

‘You’re an idiot,’ Bob told me. He didn’t sound surprised. ‘I should tell you then,’ he said heavily, ‘that over on the western side and far out to sea where they can stay undetected are about a thousand trolls. They commandeered an ancient ferry. If you die, they will attack. It’ll be a bloodbath and most of the blood will be theirs. Leaving now is the safest option.’

Nope. Still not going to happen. The trolls’ presence just meant I’d have to work harder at not corking it. I was not running away. It had been the best option for me when I’d been a kid but it wasn’t the best option for me now.

Bob cursed. ‘You’re still not going to leave, are you?’

Got it in one. It was showdown time between Aifric and me. It was bound to happen sooner or later. I’d have preferred to have the upper hand or some element of surprise but I wasn’t going to cry about it. I had to deal with this. My parents had named me warrior and I was going to war. Enough was enough.

‘Integrity,’ Bob said, sounding completely miserable, ‘you still have a wish left. You could use it. But unless…’ He sniffed and altered tack. ‘It’ll end badly. You know it’ll end badly.’

I shrugged. Yeah, it would, but as much as Taylor’s death would destroy me, I wouldn’t subject him to the whims of a genie wish. Goodness only knows what might happen and he’d already made his feelings pretty clear when Morna died. I’d almost made that mistake then; I wouldn’t do it again. But, regardless, the wish was there.

‘This is all my fault. If I’d come with you to the MacQuarries…’ Bob started. I growled. Aifric. This was Aifric’s fault and no one else’s. ‘Please, Integrity,’ he pleaded. ‘Please escape.’

I straightened my shoulders and started to walk more quickly.

‘Hey!’ the guard barked. ‘What’s the rush? You keen to die, scum?’

Bob made one last ditch attempt. ‘Integrity…’

‘I’m going to face him,’ I whispered. ‘It’s time.’

Chapter Fourteen

Two hours later, after spending the entire time in what at best guess from the smell and the plastic bowl was a portaloo, I was feeling less confident. It wasn’t that I didn’t think I could outsmart Aifric or that I was afraid of what pain I might have to go through, it was the waiting. I’d been adept at lying in wait for hours during my time as a thief if the situation called for it but I’d always known what I was waiting for. Now I didn’t have a bloody clue what was going to happen.

Bob had left ages ago to inform the others that I wouldn’t run away, so he was no help. All I could do was to cool my heels and turn over every possible eventuality in my mind. Few of them ended well. It was almost a relief when I heard the door unlock and the guard came to take me to my fate.