Page 14 of After Midnight (Skye Druids #7)

Carlyle pulled a face. “ I’m not sure I believe Edie would have that kind of advantage over us and not do more. Especially just so Parker could hurt Kurt .”

“ Maybe there’s more going on than we know,” Song said. “ I’ve only just met Rhona , but she doesn’t seem the type to leave her people in a lurch.”

Finn’s brow puckered in a frown. “ She wouldn’t.”

“ No , she would not,” Carlyle reiterated. “ I’ve not seen her or Balladyn , which means something called them away, too.”

Sabryn leaned back in the chair. “ I never saw Parker go after Kurt .”

“ This isn’t your fault,” Finn told her.

She shrugged a shoulder. “ I was the closest to them. I might have paid better attention if I hadn’t been so angry and bitter. I might have been able to stop it.”

“ All of us had our attentions diverted. It was a well-thought-out and executed plan,” Song stated.

“ Maybe ,” Sabryn admitted. “ I still should’ve realized Kurt had fallen. I didn’t know anything until some cop showed up and put my opponent in handcuffs. That’s when I saw Kurt . Stabbed .”

Finn jumped to his feet. “ I’m going to fekking bleed that fekking arsehole.”

“ You won’t be doing it alone,” Carlyle said.

Song quietly asked, “ How bad was the injury? Was he conscious?”

“ There was an awful lot of blood. And , no, he was unconscious,” Sabryn explained.

Finn had his hands on his hips, his face lined with anger and apprehension as he faced them. “ Is that good or bad?”

“ It’s not good,” Song said.

The door to the room opened, and all four turned to find a woman in her late forties or early fifties standing just inside the room.

Sabryn recognized her as the officer who had handcuffed the Edinburgh Druid .

She hadn’t seen the woman’s face, but she recognized the graying dark hair and navy peacoat.

“ Hello , everyone,” she said in a British accent as she entered the room, her gray eyes landing on Sabryn . “ My name is Anne Boyd . I’m the new Chief Superintendent of Skye . I’d like to ask all of you a few questions.”

Finn took a seat and crossed his arms over his chest.

“ Can this wait?” Carlyle asked.

Anne shook her head. “ Afraid not. Who wants to begin? How about you?” she asked, pointing to Sabryn .

“ You can start with me,” Finn stated.

Anne flashed him a smile. “ I’ll get to you in a moment. Ma’am ?” she called, her attention once more on Sabryn .

Carlyle started to rise, but Sabryn put her hand on his arm to still him. “ It’s all right,” she told him. She got to her feet. “ After you, Chief Superintendent .”

Sabryn followed Anne into the hall. They walked a short distance before entering another room. Anne held the door for her, and once Sabryn was inside, she closed it and leaned back against it. Sabryn bit back a laugh.

“ How about we start with a name?” Anne said.

“ Sabryn Beaumont . I’m from the States . Washington , DC .”

“ How long have you been in the United Kingdom ?”

That was a loaded question. Sabryn’s visa had run out long, long ago. “ A bit.”

“ I see,” Anne murmured as she eyed Sabryn . “ What exactly is the nature of your visit?”

“ I’m staying with friends.”

Anne jerked her head to the side. “ The friends in the other room?”

“ Another friend, actually.”

“ And who is this friend?”

Sabryn licked her dry lips, suddenly weary. “ I’m staying at Carwood Manor , which you’ll find belongs to Bronwyn Stewart . If you need to know more, DI Theo Frasier can vouch for me.”

“ Ah .”

One word, but it held a wealth of meaning. It was Sabryn’s turn to eye the woman. She stopped herself from asking what the chief superintendent had meant by that. Years of being on the political scene had taught Sabryn to keep her mouth shut and her expressions neutral.

Anne crossed her arms over her chest. “ I’ve only been here a few weeks, but I’ve heard many strange things about Skye .”

“ There’s a great deal of history here. Things that will lead to folktales, myths, and legends of all sorts.”

“ It’s more than that. I’m beginning to understand why some of the other chiefs were trying so hard to get placed here.”

Sabryn glanced at the abrasions on her palm again. “ And why is that?”

“ Why don’t you tell me?”

“ I don’t have anything to say.”

“ Nothing ?” Anne pressed. “ Not even about the petite blonde who threw up her hands when the co-op exploded?”

Sabryn shrugged. “ I was caught in that blast, too.”

“ Let’s not play, shall we? I saw you fighting. Those aren’t skills picked up because you’re trying a new workout. Those moves are honed and perfected. And I saw the results myself. Except those punches of yours hit harder than anything I’ve ever seen.”

“ I can take care of myself. It’s a good thing, too.”

Anne’s arms dropped to her sides. “ The stories are true, aren’t they?”

“ What stories?”

“ Druids .”

Sabryn glanced at the ceiling. Could this day get any worse? Why was a Brit asking her about something to do with the Scots ? “ I’m an American , remember? What would I know about any of that?”

“ Quite a few reasons, by my guess.”

Sabryn threw up her hands before letting them fall. “ Fine . We’re Druids . Is that what you want to hear?”

“ It is. Now , tell me what happened today.”

“ No .”

Anne’s brows rose. “ Excuse me?”

Sabryn got to her feet. “ I was attacked, my friends were attacked, and one of them is in surgery fighting for his life. If you want to know about the goings-on of your island, then talk to your people. But I’m done answering your questions. Please , move.”

To her surprise, Anne not only moved but also opened the door. Sabryn walked into the hall.