‘Maggie and Rory have both had serious accidents,’ he interrupted sternly, before Jamie began to connect the dots and realised who Speck really was – a thieving warlock who had worked with me on all manner of heists. ‘They need to be closely monitored.’
Jamie frowned. ‘Aren’t you a little young to be a doctor?’ He clamped a hand over his mouth. ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude but…’
‘I have a baby face,’ Speck replied. I almost snorted. Speck’s features were thin and gaunt, as befitted a typical geek warlock. The last thing anyone would describe him as would be baby-faced.
Jamie looked at me suspiciously. Unfortunately for us, he wasn’t just a pretty boy; now he was getting over the shock of seeing me, his brain was starting to work again. ‘The other doctor said they were both fine to travel.’ What he left unsaid was obvious – that he didn’t trust anything or anyone when I was in the picture. I didn’t know what I’d done recently to merit such mistrust; I’d not been perfect but I’d returned the jewel I’d stolen from the Moncrieffes and helped save the damned world by freeing the Foinse, the source of all Highland magic. Surely I deserved some brownie points for that?
‘What gives?’ I asked softly. ‘I thought we were almost friends.’
Jamie patted his pocket as if he were checking for his wallet. When he realised I’d caught him in the action, he took a guilty step back.
‘Ah,’ I said. ‘You think I’m going to pick your pocket.’
‘You did it once before.’ He had a point.
‘I didn’t know you then. I don’t steal from people I like.’
‘You like me?’
I tried to look disarming. ‘I do.’
‘And do you like me?’ interrupted a second, lazy voice.
I looked over my shoulder. Leaning against the door with his arms folded across his broad chest and burnished gold hair falling artlessly across one eye in a way that could only be artful, was Byron, the Moncrieffe heir. My stomach flipped. ‘Byron,’ I cooed, unable to hide my joy at his presence. ‘I don’tlikeyou. Iloveyou.’
He blinked. I realised I’d probably said the wrong thing so I slung an arm round Jamie’s shoulders, ignoring his obvious flinch. ‘I love Jam Jam too.’
Byron raised his eyebrows. ‘Indeed.’ I couldn’t tell whether he was amused or annoyed. He flicked a look at Speck. ‘You’re the warlock.’
‘Um, that’s Dr Warlock to you,’ Speck responded.
Byron’s perfect brow furrowed. ‘Pardon?’
‘Never mind,’ I said quickly. ‘How are Maggie and Rory doing?’ I spoke about the pair of them as if we were old friends.
‘As well as can be expected when you’ve a ruptured appendix and severe hypothermia to deal with.’
‘That’s what happens when you wander up Scottish mountains in the middle of winter,’ I said cheerfully. ‘They really should have had better equipment. Maggie was attempting to climb up an ice wall without a rope.’
If I’d expected Byron to look annoyed that one of his Clanlings had thrown caution to the wind and almost been killed in the process, I was disappointed. He smiled. ‘Was she really?’ He shook his head. ‘Good for her.’
‘Good for her? Are you kidding me? She almost died! Not to mention the cost of the rescue team venturing out to find her and her fool husband. What happened to common sense?’
‘You were part of the team that helped them,’ he said with dawning comprehension. ‘I heard there was a Sidhe involved but I assumed it was someone from the Polwarth Clan. They’re usually the ones up in these mountains.’
I sniffed. ‘There was a Polwarth with us but she’s not Sidhe.’ I wasn’t annoyed that he’d not kept tabs on me. No siree. Not me. ‘How’s your lovely girlfriend Tipsania?’ I asked snidely.
Byron’s expression closed immediately. ‘Fine.’ He pushed himself away from the door. ‘I’ll tell her you were asking after her.’
‘I’m sure she’ll be thrilled,’ I shot back.
Speck brushed against me, giving a gentle reminder about what I was really here for. Bugger. He was right. I shook out my hair and plastered a fake smile on my face. Byron Moncrieffe wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the foolish actions of others when I told him about Debbie and the fact that the Carnegies were carrying her off in secrecy to the Cruaich for their own nefarious purposes.
Byron stepped towards me. He was at least half a foot taller than me and I had to resist the urge to pull back and give myself some breathing space. I did drop my arm from Jamie, however, and he scuttled away, watching Byron and me with wide eyes.
‘I’ve got something to tell you,’ I said.
‘And I’ve got something to tell you,’ Byron returned. ‘For your information, Rory and Maggie were practising for the Games. Last time the Adventure course involved some ice climbing. They were working for the glory of the Moncrieffe Clan, regardless of how lacking in common sense you think they were.’
