Chapter Four

The Bull’s expression immediately changed from anger to what I could only describe as terror. ‘Integrity Adair,’ he breathed. He snapped his arm upwards.

Convinced he was going to attack, I did the first thing I could think of: I reached inside myself for the Gift I’d stolen from the retching Sidhe at the border and drew on it, desperately hoping it would be something I could use to defend myself. Magic flashed through me but, instead of anything useful, the photo frame in my hands suddenly felt heavier. I glanced at it; it had turned into gleaming gold. My heart sank. A useful Gift in most circumstances but not in these ones.

‘Don’t, Cul-chain’ I commanded, using his true name to compel him. I really should have done that at the start.

His arm dropped to his side like a heavy weight. ‘B‒b‒begone, spirit,’ he stammered.

I blinked. Eh?

‘I cast you out,’ he intoned, his voice still shaking. ‘I cast you out!’

I tucked the frame into my waistband and relaxed. So the Bull was superstitious. Brilliant. ‘That’s not going to work, Cul-chain.’ I hummed, trying to make my voice sound mysterious and ghostly. ‘I’m haunting you for a reason.’ I suppressed the temptation to add a woooo for effect.

‘It’s not my fault you died! I didn’t know Aifric was going to kill you!’

The Gift I’d stolen from Kirsty Kincaid buzzed in my veins. ‘You’re lying. I can see everything and I know the truth.’

He dropped to his knees. ‘I’m sorry.’ He covered his face with his hands. ‘I’m so sorry.’

Pathetic. I folded my arms across my chest and tilted my head. ‘You have been getting yourself into trouble, haven’t you?’ He murmured something. ‘Take your hands away from your face and say that again.’

‘Go ahead,’ he said miserably, lifting his face. ‘Go ahead and curse me. I deserve it. And you can’t do anything worse to me than what’s already been done. Why do you think I’m awake at three o’clock in the morning?’ His eyes turned baleful. ‘Did you murder my daughter?’

Er… I cleared my throat. ‘She is beyond your reach now.’

He choked out a sob. ‘Tipsy. My Tipsy…’

‘You know she’s gone and yet you persist with this wedding,’ I said, watching him closely.

‘It’s not me who wants it to go ahead!’ the Bull babbled. ‘The Steward will kill me when she doesn’t show up! Do you think I want to die?’

I stepped forward. ‘Do you think I wanted to die?’

He blanched, going paler than I would have thought possible. ‘It wasn’t me! It was him! It was the Steward. Aifric Moncrieffe did it all. I’m innocent!’

‘The last thing you are is innocent, Cul-chain,’ I scoffed. ‘Why don’t you tell Aifric that she’s missing?’

‘He already knows! Of course he knows! Do you think I could keep something like that a secret from him? The man has eyes and ears everywhere.’

I rocked back on my heels. ‘So why is he going ahead with the wedding?’