Page 7 of A Skirl of Sorcery
‘Let me guess,’ I said, with an audible lack of enthusiasm. ‘You’d like me to welcome a guest into my home.’
If Mallory noticed my attitude, she didn’t show it. ‘Yep!’ She beamed brightly. ‘You’ll like Keres and I’m sure she’ll be no bother. You won’t notice she’s there.’
I put my hands in my pockets. I was starting to understand why Tiddles had been so bristly. ‘Keres,’ I said.
‘Yes.’ Mallory was still smiling.
‘That’s a Greek name.’
She shrugged. ‘Is it? Keres is Scottish. I doubt she speaks any Greek.’
‘It means death spirit.’
Mallory blinked innocently. ‘Does it?’ I growled at her deliberate obfuscation and she pulled a face. ‘Alright,’ she said. ‘Alright. Keres is a ban sith.’
I didn’t move a muscle.
‘She’s a lovely lady.’
I found my voice. ‘A ban sith,’ I said slowly.
‘Yep.’
‘As in a woman who stands outside somebody’s home and shrieks at them to tell them they’re about to die.’
‘Yes.’
‘And then they do actually die.’ Sometimes it was possible to avoid the impending doom that a ban sith advertised by taking appropriate safety measures, but statistically 74% of a ban sith’s predictions came true.
‘Ban siths don’t kill people, Kit. They’re notevil. There’s no such thing as pure evil.’
‘You say that like someone who’s never experienced microwaved tea.’
‘Kit—’
Irritated, I interrupted her. ‘I know, I know. Ban siths perform a useful service and give people time to wrap up their affairs and say their goodbyes. They give some people who play their cards right a chance to avoid whatever doom is comingtheir way. But that doesn’t change the fact that most people hate them.’
Mallory looked disappointed. ‘I didn’t think you’d be so prejudiced.’
‘I’m not, but I have several neighbours who are garden-variety bigots and they won’t take kindly to a ban sith in their midst. They will cause problems for this poor woman.’
She relaxed. ‘I’m sure you can put out any fires – you’re more than capable of dealing with uneducated arseholes. And it will be a good opportunity for members of your community to realise that ban siths are to be respected, not feared.’
That would be easier said than done. I wasn’t a politician and my usual solution to problems – unlike a ban sith’s – was to kill people.
From behind Mallory I heard somebody clear their throat. ‘I won’t be doing any shrieking. I’ve lost my ban-sith voice and my power.’
I stared at the diminutive woman who had appeared in the hallway. Yeah, she was definitely a ban sith.
Great.
Chapter
Four
It was obvious as soon as we left Mallory’s flat and descended the staircase to the outside world that Tiddles’ earlier reaction was because of Keres. The cat arched her back and hissed as if her life depended on it. I’d never seen any of my cats react so violently towards a ban sith before, quite the opposite in fact, but Tiddles was highly unimpressed by Keres’ existence and determined to make sure as many people as possible were aware of her feelings.
‘Deal with it,’ I told her flatly, ignoring her histrionics. She growled at me. ‘Do you normally provoke this sort of reaction with cats?’ I asked Keres.
