Page 41 of After Midnight (Skye Druids #7)

Chapter Thirty-Six

Kurt came to when something heavy hit the vehicle, jerking it.

He opened his eyes to the sound of grunts and groans.

Battle . He tried to sit up by using his hands, only to wince and yank them away.

He stared at his palms dotted with broken glass.

A quick survey showed that the SUV was upside down, and he was lying against the roof, looking up at both seats—empty seats.

“ Sabryn ,” he whispered.

Another crash against the vehicle caused more glass to rain down on him.

Kurt raised his arms to shield his face and flipped onto his stomach.

He removed as much of the glass from his hands as possible while trying to see who was locked in battle outside.

They kept moving around the car, which made it difficult to see.

He turned and crawled across the glass to finally get a better look.

His gut clenched when he spotted Sabryn locked in combat with Edie and another woman.

The passenger door was crumpled inward from the impact.

It was also ripped, the jagged metal sticking up, making it impossible for him to get through.

Blood dripped from the metal above him. He looked in time to see Sabryn’s torn shirt and bloodied back.

Kurt glanced at the windscreen. It was splintered in hundreds of spiderweb cracks.

One good kick could break through it, but it would bring attention to him, and he didn’t want anyone to know he was conscious yet.

He looked toward the back of the SUV to find more torn steel and smashed glass.

Then turned over his shoulder. The driver’s window was completely gone, but the door was intact.

He twisted himself around once more before crawling out of the vehicle.

The SUV was only a foot or two away from another parked car.

It shielded him for the moment, but he couldn’t help Sabryn from that position.

He remained low, looking around to make sure no one was coming up behind him.

When he was sure no one was there, he got to his feet.

Magic slammed into the SUV , shaking it.

Sabryn grunted when she landed hard on the ground.

He took a step, and the world tipped and swayed aggressively.

Kurt grabbed hold of the car just to remain on his feet.

He wouldn’t be much help to Sabryn like this.

They needed the rest of the Knights . He reached for his mobile, but found it was no longer in his pocket.

He wasn’t even sure if he had brought it. But he had his computer.

He hesitated. Either he crawled back inside the SUV for the laptop, or he helped Sabryn .

There wasn’t time for both. Boots slid across the asphalt as Sabryn grunted in pain.

His decision made, Kurt walked around the back of the vehicle and called to his magic.

It slid through his veins and along his skin to collect in his palms. He raised his arms and took aim at the women.

Edie saw him right as he released the magic and ducked, but the blonde fighting her wasn’t so lucky and took the full force of both strikes.

Sabryn was on one knee, bruised, bloody, and breathing heavily, but still in the fight.

The blonde fell to the ground, shrieking in pain.

Kurt raced to follow Edie as she ran between two vehicles.

“ No , don’t,” Sabryn called after him.

There was no way Kurt would let Edie go. He shouldn’t have stopped Sabryn from running her down earlier. He caught sight of Edie’s short, blond hair and fired off a round of magic. It struck a car window and sprayed the air with glass.

“ There’s no hiding, Edie ,” he called.

She laughed in answer.

He followed the sound between more cars and farther away from Sabryn .

The other Druid was down. Sabryn could take care of her and contact the others while he tracked Edie .

Kurt stilled, listening for her. There was no more laughter, no footsteps.

Only silence. He squatted and peered around a hatchback, but Edie wasn’t there.

He looked the other way, hoping to see where she had gone.

A part of him worried that Edie had doubled back and returned to Sabryn , but he would’ve heard her footsteps.

If he couldn’t hear anything, that meant she wasn’t moving.

“ You came looking for us. Well , you got us. Why hide now?” Kurt goaded.

“ Who said I’m hiding?”

The voice came from behind him. Kurt whirled around as he surged to his feet.

He fired off a round just as Edie’s magic struck him in the left shoulder, spinning him so he smacked into another car.

Stabbing pain ran down his left arm. He lifted his right arm on her next shot, but her magic went right through his block.

He twisted to minimize the hit and only felt a glancing blow across his chest.

“ You don’t belong here,” Edie said as she walked toward him, serene and confident.

He was thankful the car was there because it was the only way he remained upright. “ Too bad. I’m here.”

“ I gave you an opportunity to leave.”

“ Why is that?” he asked.

Her blue eyes narrowed on him. She looked so much like her siblings that it was hard for him to separate her from Elias and Elodie .

“ You’ll never know now. Don’t say I didn’t warn her,” Edie said, lifting her hand.

Kurt’s life flashed before his eyes. The things that had been, the things that were, and the things that would never be.

All the stuff he had meant to do but never got around to.

Everything he had always wanted to say but never did.

So many regrets. The chief among them being the time he’d lost with Sabryn .

Magic surged through him, answering an unspoken call. “ You might best me, but you won’t win. Your side is doomed.”

“ Not this time,” she said.

Kurt saw movement over Edie’s shoulder and spotted Sabryn creeping up behind her.

His fingers curled inward as he felt the weight of the magic in his palms. He dove to the side and fired off a round from both hands.

One went wide. The other impacted the shot meant to kill him.

He hit the ground hard, his eyes on Sabryn as she attacked Edie from behind, sending the Druid sprawling onto her stomach.

A jolt of shock slammed through him, fast and electric, locking his limbs and stealing his breath at the sight of Sabryn .

Wind whipped around her as she held her arms out at her sides and stalked toward her foe.

Edie sprang to her feet and whirled around to lob several rounds of magic, but Sabryn blocked every one.

Or the wind did. Kurt wasn’t sure which.

When he heard voices and saw people returning to the car park, he struggled to stand.

They couldn’t get any closer or someone could get hurt. Kurt raced toward them, waving at everyone as he shouted for them to get back. A few stood at Sabryn’s SUV , looking inside to see if anyone was injured.

“ Call the police!” Kurt shouted to anyone who would listen. “ Ask for DI Theo Frasier . Tell him to get here immediately!”

There was a gasp, and then the crowd ducked as the deafening crunch of steel filled the air.

Kurt nervously looked over his shoulder for Sabryn .

He spotted her dark hair before it disappeared behind a van.

He wanted to get back to her. He returned his attention to the onlookers.

“ There’s a dangerous criminal over there,” he cautioned them.

“ Everyone needs to stay back until the authorities arrive.”

He had to repeat himself three more times before anyone listened.

Each time he tried to get to Sabryn , someone attempted to head to their cars.

He realized he wasn’t keeping anyone anywhere when another window broke and the group took two full steps back.

He couldn’t see Edie or Sabryn anymore. He had no idea who was winning, and that was killing him.

“ Stay !” he bellowed to the group and then ran to help Sabryn .

His steps slowed to a walk when he passed multiple cars that had been moved from their spots and now rested at odd angles—a few crunched badly.

The screech of metal on metal filled his ears.

He looked up in time to see a small SUV sliding across the asphalt at him.

Kurt put his hand on the bonnet of a vehicle next to him and leapt on top of it, jumping across two more as the SUV crashed into the spot where he had been standing.

A gust of wind whipped his feet out from under him.

He slammed into the bonnet, his head smacking the windscreen hard enough to make his ears ring.

He pushed himself onto his hands and knees and feverishly scanned the car park for Sabryn .

She and Edie’s battle had taken them through several rows of cars and was headed straight for the road.

He vaulted to the ground, ignoring the aches and pains in his body, and headed toward Sabryn .

The closer he got to her, the harder the wind blew.

He had to grip the cars he passed to push himself to the next one and then the next, growing ever closer to the women.

Fear coiled around him, sinking its razor-sharp teeth into his heart as he sought a glimpse of Sabryn .

Kurt tucked his head against the force of the wind and clawed his way from vehicle to vehicle.

He had to move quickly twice, lest he end up squished between two automobiles.

And all the while, the wind steadily gained strength.

He wouldn’t be able to stay on his feet for much longer.

He looked up when he heard someone scream.

But it wasn’t Sabryn . It was Edie . The wind had her pinned against a car.

Kurt turned his head toward Sabryn , who stared at Edie with unblinking eyes.

Her arms were out at her sides once more, her palms facing the other woman and fingers moving as if she were playing an instrument—or directing the wind.

Each time Edie attempted to move, a blast of wind slammed into her, making her cry out again.

The sight rooted him in place, horror and disbelief tangling in his gut.

But Edie refused to give up. She kept fighting against Sabryn —and was gaining ground.

Sabryn wouldn’t be able to keep Edie immobilized forever.

Kurt didn’t want to break Sabryn’s concentration, so he quietly made his way closer.

Edie watched him as he raised his hand, ready to deliver a round of magic into her, when he paused and recalled his words.

They knew Edie was working with the evil.

They didn’t have to spend time hunting her, which is exactly what would happen if he took her life.

The evil would find someone new. It would keep finding someone new until the final battle took place.

He was torn. Killing Edie would give them a victory now, but would it mean a later defeat? The sound of sirens ended his debate. Kurt lowered his arm as Edie began to laugh, the wind haltingly sweeping the sound around him. He ignored her and headed toward Sabryn .

Kurt glanced over his shoulder when he heard his name and spotted Theo and Chief Superintendent Boyd just outside the wind.

There was no time to tell them anything.

Kurt tucked his head and kept going, gradually making his way up behind Sabryn .

When he reached her, he slid his hands along her arms until his body was molded to hers.

“ Sabryn ,” he whispered in her ear. “ You need to stop the wind. We have spectators. Theo and the police are here.”

She turned her head to the side as if searching for him. He pressed his body into hers as she leaned back against him. But the wind continued its howling. He linked his fingers with hers and tried to turn her hands. She fought against him, lifting her arms once more.

“ Sabryn , it’s me,” he said into her ear. “ I’m right here, baby. You trapped Edie . You did it.”

The wind softened a degree.

“ That’s it. I’m right here with you.”

The wind steadily decreased until it was only a soft breeze. This time when he lowered her arms, Sabryn let him. Kurt didn’t stop Edie when she slipped away the moment she was free, a smug smile on her face. He wanted to go after her, but he wouldn’t leave Sabryn .

Theo hesitantly walked up from the side, his face tight with concern.

Kurt met his dark gaze and said, “ We need a moment.”

Theo took a long look at Sabryn , nodded, then turned around and walked back to speak to someone.

Kurt wrapped his arms around her, their hands still linked. “ Sabryn , baby? Can you hear me?”

When she didn’t answer, he moved to stand before her. Her eyes were vacant and unblinking. He cupped her face in his hands and lifted it until her gaze met his. “ Come back to me,” he urged. “ Come back.”

He kept repeating the words, never looking away until she finally blinked.

“ Kurt ?” she whispered in bewilderment.

“ I’m here.”

She touched the side of his face. “ You’re bleeding.”

“ So are you.”