‘So you killed an entire Clan?’ he demanded. ‘Because their Chieftain had a different political opinion to you?’

‘Until Integrity Adair got involved, there wasn’t a single Fomori demon incursion for twenty-six years,’ Aifric said. ‘What I did might have been brutal but we’ve had peace for that reason. Now we are on the brink of war.’

‘On your orders,’ Byron sneered. ‘You are the one who is causing the problems. You could tell them to stand down but I already know that you won’t.’

‘They,’ Aifric jabbed his finger at the Fomori, ‘will come to us. If the sun doesn’t kill them, they will invade our land – our land which is vulnerable because of Integrity Adair. They will attack us and kill us. There will never be peace while they roam free. They do not belong here!’

‘They’ve been here for three hundred years. I’m not suggesting it’s going to be easy; we have different standards and different morals. But I’m confident we can find a way. We will work together, Father, and we will live together. That is the future. Even if it weren’t for them, the Sidhe are no longer the most powerful beings in Scotland.’

‘Because,’ Aifric spat, ‘she let the Foinse go.’

‘And we imprisoned it. And she has a name. Integrity. She’s the woman I love and you need to start getting used to it.’ For the briefest second I forgot to breathe.

Aifric was far from done. ‘Just wait. Just wait and see how enjoyable life is when you’re being told what to do by a warlock or one of those ... things.’

Speck frowned and started forward. I shook my head, warning him to stay out of this.

‘It’ll be an improvement on being told what to do by you,’ Byron retorted. ‘No more lies, no more manipulation. Scotland is free.’

‘The sun…’

Byron turned to me. I nodded and slid out Bob’s scimitar. ‘This belongs to the genie,’ I said softly. ‘I used my last wish to arrange for their protection from the sun. No one is getting fried. Although,’ I amended, ‘they might get a nice tan.’

Asbar huffed. He’d had enough of all this to-ing and fro-ing. ‘Let’s just kill him. There are more important things to do.’

‘No!’ I said abruptly. He looked confused. For what would probably not be the last time, I tried to explain. ‘We don’t need to kill him. We don’t need more violence.’

Despite not understanding my exchange with the Fomori leader, Aifric’s entourage sensed the danger. One of them stepped forward and addressed Byron and me directly. ‘If any harm comes to the Steward, the army has been ordered to attack.’

I grimaced. Aifric had thought of every eventuality. I appealed to Asbar once more. ‘If you just…’

Aifric lunged towards me with such speed and suddenness that I wasn’t prepared. Byron tried to shove him out of the way, a tiny fireball flickering at his fingertips, but it was too late; the Steward was holding Bob’s scimitar and backing away.