Wraith(54)

Six hours. I swallowed. It wasn’t much time but it was more than I’d hoped for. I nodded, pulling my hand away from Gabriel. ‘Well,’ I said, ‘I’d better get going.’ I turned away.

‘Saiya,’ James said softly, ‘I will give that order. There won’t be any further delay once the six hours is up.’

I paused then I walked away. There was no point saying anything more.

I’d only just left the room when Gabriel caught up with me. ‘I’m coming with you.’

‘You’ll just get in my way.’ As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I realised I probably wasn’t doing his ego much good. ‘I’m a wraith, Gabriel. I can use the shadows and move faster and stealthier than a Dark Elf. It’s best if I go alone.’

His eyes darkened. ‘I won’t allow it.’

I lifted an eyebrow. ‘Five minutes ago you wouldn’t even look at me. Now you want to hold my hand while I fling myself into the jaws of goblin hell?’

He tensed. ‘I was angry,’ he said quietly. ‘You lied to me.’

I gave a brief, humourless laugh. ‘You hate wraiths.’

‘I love you.’

‘We only met a couple of days ago,’ I reminded him.

‘What does that matter?’ he asked simply. ‘Fior Ghal or not, Saiya, when you know, you know. There’s no future for me without you.’ He ran a hand through his hair. ‘I can overcome my prejudice against wraiths. But I would like it if you didn’t lie to me again. I’m not going to run away. You and I are in this together.’

I stood my ground. If I had to have this conversation, I wanted everything out in the open, warts and all. ‘You told me that you thought wraiths should be wiped off the face of the earth.’

Gabriel flinched. ‘It was a throwaway comment. I didn’t mean it. If I could take back those words, I would. I’m more sorry about it than you know.’

‘Are you sure about that? Or is all this backtracking because I’m your Fior Ghal?’

He put his hands in his pockets but his eyes didn’t stray from mine. ‘Of course that’s part of it, a large part of it. Would I think twice about wraiths if you weren’t one? Probably not. That’s why we’re so good together. I can learn from you. You can make me a better person.’ He sighed. ‘I need you. I’m not complete without you. I’ll do everything I can to throw away every prejudice I have because of you.’

The weight and truth of his words, not to mention the intensity of his expression, made me shuffle awkwardly. ‘Most wraiths do bad things,’ I mumbled. ‘Or so I’ve heard, though I’ve not met many others.’ I sniffed. ‘I have some prejudices too. And I should stop lying so much. I wouldn’t lie to you now, I suppose.’

‘You suppose?’ he asked, although there was a faint amusement in his voice.

The corners of my mouth curved up. ‘Nobody’s perfect.’

Gabriel’s gaze was steady. ‘You’re wrong about that.’

I bit my bottom lip. ‘I still have to go. I’m the best chance everyone’s got. If you come along, the odds of success decrease dramatically.’

He was silent for a moment. ‘And what are the odds of success?’

I looked away. ‘I told the Prime Minister I was confident.’

‘Saiya…’

I shrugged. ‘One in ten. If I’m lucky.’

Gabriel cursed. ‘At least you’re being honest with me.’

Damn it. ‘It’s probably one in twenty actually.’

He took my hands in his then leaned forward so his forehead was against mine. ‘I wish I could stop you.’

‘I know.’

‘I wish I could do this for you.’

I pressed my hand against his cheek. ‘Thank you,’ I said.

‘For what?’

‘I’ve lied to you about who I really am but you stood by me with James and you’ve almost forgiven me. You make me a better person too, Gabriel.’

He smiled. ‘You’re a work in progress.’

I rolled my eyes and went to hit him but he caught my hand and moved his head down, kissing me hard. As his body pressed against mine, I could feel our hearts beating in unison.

‘You have to come back, Saiya,’ he breathed in my ear. ‘I’ll kill you if you don’t.’

I grinned at him, ignoring the sudden sharp pain in my chest. ‘I’ll hold you to that.’ And then, because I couldn’t bear to stand there with him any longer, I pulled away and left him.

The old car we’d commandeered to get us here was exactly where Gabriel and I had left it with the keys still in the ignition. I slid into the driver’s seat and turned on the engine. I’d have to floor it back to Stirling. I reckoned that by the time I reached Marrock’s old escape route, I’d only have five hours left. That was barely enough time to find somewhere to keep my body – and the satellite phone – safe while my shadow saved the world from a goblin apocalypse. That didn’t sound daunting at all.

I clipped in my seatbelt and took a deep breath then I was flying down with the street with Gabriel’s stiff unyielding figure in my rear-view mirror.





Chapter Twenty-Four




I hadn’t just eaten tasty pastries when I was waiting at Holyrood. I’d also formulated a plan. Not much of what I’d planned recently had succeeded but I reckoned I was finally onto a winner. Save the world or die trying: it was becoming an annoying mantra in my head. It was time to go all out and let the cards fall where they may.

Keeping a close eye on the digital clock in the car’s dashboard, I sped down the motorway. It was so long since I’d been out of Stirling that I should have enjoyed the view, not to mention the freedom, but there wasn’t time. I pressed my foot down all the way, gripping the steering wheel until my knuckles were white. I was a wraith; I couldn’t think of a better person to be a bat out of hell.

I hurtled past Stirling. If Gabriel – or anyone else – had known what I was planning, they’d have locked me up for my own safety but there was method to my madness.

I didn’t slow down until the outer blockade came into sight, with the Gneiss tents and flags fluttering in the breeze beyond it. Several Gneiss goblins sprang into the road in front of me, waving at me to stop. I bit down the temptation to run over the lot of them and did as they asked, before rolling down the window and sticking my head out. ‘I need to get past,’ I said.

‘I don’t think so, sweetheart,’ replied the nearest burly Gneiss guard whose jiggling jowls put me in mind of a swarthy, clean-shaven Santa Claus. ‘Do you know where you are?’

I cast my eyes up to the heavens, exasperated. ‘How could I not? Do I look like a complete moron?’

The guard blinked at me, clearly unused to being spoken to like that. ‘Go home,’ he said. ‘We don’t want your kind here.’

I sighed then I detached my shadow, allowing it to slip out of the car window while my body stayed behind. The guard and all of his companions yelped and jumped backwards. I shrugged at them in an exaggerated manner and returned my shadow to its original position.

Shaking myself slightly, I gave them all a cold smile. ‘I think you do want my kind here. Why don’t you go and tell someone more important than yourself that I’m here and I have important information from inside Stirling.’ I checked my watch. ‘I’ll wait for five minutes. Any longer than that and you won’t see me for dust. Your choice.’

The guards muttered to each other. I held my breath, hoping my nervousness was concealed. Those Gneiss idiots would never know how relieved I was when one of them peeled off and sprinted away.

‘Wait here,’ said the same guard, gruffly.

I rolled my eyes. What else was I going to do?

In the end, it took them four minutes and fifty-two seconds. I was motioned out of the car and escorted by a dozen Gneiss goblins beyond the checkpoint and into their encampment. There may be have been twelve of them against one of me but they kept a wary distance. Maybe I should have owned up to being a wraith before now; I rather enjoyed the space.

After a few hundred metres, they beckoned me towards a large tent. It had once been a pristine white colour but years of standing here with no protection from the gloomy Scottish weather meant it was now a dirty grey. The flap was open; was that supposed to be welcoming? I shook my head. I was being reckless by coming here but I wasn’t a complete fool.

There was a minute or two of muttered conferring then two of the guards went inside. I held my breath until a larger Gneiss goblin emerged, the medals pinned to his breast indicating that he was a superior. Now we were getting somewhere.

‘You’re a wraith.’ For an arrogant Gneiss general, his voice was remarkably reedy and high.

Managing not to pass comment, I inclined my head. ‘I am.’

He regarded me for a long moment. ‘I have never met a female of your species.’

I didn’t answer because I wasn’t sure what was I supposed to say. He watched me for a little longer and then, predictably, tried to fill the silence and take control of the situation. ‘Are you here to offer your services?’

I glanced around. Being close to so many Gneiss goblins was less intimidating than I’d expected. ‘Not exactly. I know what happens to wraiths who do that.’