Page 46 of After Midnight (Skye Druids #7)

Chapter Forty-One

Kurt couldn’t breathe. The world narrowed, the edges going soft as if even reality wanted to recoil from the truth. It made sense now why London had been nearly desperate for the Beaumonts to join. But it hadn’t been the senator they wanted. It was Sabryn .

“ Dad would’ve told me,” Sabryn murmured, surprise softening her voice.

Kurt saw her pale face, took in her rapid breathing. His gaze skated to his mother.

“ He would’ve told me,” Sabryn said again. “ He spoke about our family and magic often. He would’ve said something.”

Diana sat ramrod straight in the chair and smiled at the server when they delivered their food and drinks.

There were several beats of silence afterward before she said, “ Most Druids are aware that our magic has been diminishing with every generation. Each time one of us has an offspring with a non-magical, our power declines. It’s a fact that can’t be ignored.

Your mother has no magic, and I can pinpoint each of your ancestors who didn’t.

You never displayed anything to your father when you were young that would’ve made him think you had inherited your great-great-grandmother’s power.

I’m sure he believed it had skipped you or had died out in the family altogether. ”

“ But London didn’t, did they?” Kurt asked, his fury steadily mounting.

His mother glanced at her untouched plate of food. “ Thomas believed that by bringing the family into the organization, he could arrange a marriage to a powerful Druid family and eventually return what made the Beaumonts so special.”

“ Then why kill them? Wouldn’t Sabryn and her father be worth more alive?” he demanded.

Sabryn leaned back in her chair and gazed out the window, deflated. “ Why didn’t Dad tell me?”

Kurt fought between the need to gather her in his arms and walk away or stay and learn the truth. He felt Sabryn’s pain and confusion, and it killed him that he had been party to anything that hurt her.

Sabryn returned her attention to Diana . “ You and Thomas conspired for me to marry one of your sons.”

“ No ,” Diana replied.

Kurt sat back with a huff. “ I thought we were past the lies.”

“ Thomas needed one of you to woo Sabryn , sure, but he would never have allowed you or Parker to have her. He wanted Sabryn for his son.”

All the air left Sabryn . “ Carlyle ?”

Blood rushed in Kurt’s ears. He stared at Diana , waiting for her to smile or laugh off her words as the jest he hoped it was.

But she didn’t. The facts—as horrific and ghastly as they might be—were finally being laid bare.

All the years he’d believed he had been protecting Sabryn , when in fact, Thomas had called off any hits because she was with the very person he wanted her to be with.

Kurt rubbed a hand over his cheek and tried to process everything. If he hadn’t been looking, he never would’ve seen the slight tensing of his mother’s jaw. It was nearly indiscernible, but he knew her well enough to notice. He saw movement to his side just as her gaze cut away from him.

There was a blur of movement as a man walked up, grabbed a chair from a nearby table, and swung it around. Confusion and then fury filled Kurt when Parker set the chair at the end of the table and sat in it backward, his arms folded on the back of the chair.

“ Apparently , I missed the memo that there was a family meeting,” Parker said with a cocky smile. His blue eyes landed on Sabryn . “ Never expected to see you mixing it up with Mummy Dearest .”

“ What the fuck are you doing?” Kurt was enraged that his brother would show his face, especially after trying to kill him.

He could still feel where the blade had entered his body.

Parker was within arm’s reach and Kurt felt a great, driving need to punch his brother in the face.

Over and over and over until there was nothing left.

Parker shrugged flippantly. “ Perhaps I should be asking you that. Or you,” he said, cutting a dark look to Diana .

“ Leave ,” Kurt told him. The longer Parker sat there, the more incensed he became. He didn’t know how much longer he could control it. “ Now . Before I rip you apart.”

Parker chuckled and sat up straighter. “ We both know that isn’t going to happen.”

“ What do you want?” Sabryn demanded coolly.

“ You really don’t want me to answer that,” Parker replied with a wink.

It was the last straw. Kurt jumped up and loomed over Parker . Sabryn reached over and grabbed his hand to keep him from lunging at his brother, who merely sat there, laughing. Diana , for her part, didn’t so much as bat an eye.

“ Don’t ,” Sabryn whispered.

Kurt looked at her before scanning the restaurant and finding others watching them. He nodded woodenly and sat.

“ What are you doing on Skye ?” Parker asked Diana . “ Let me guess. You’re talking about me.”

Kurt glanced at the ceiling as he fought for some semblance of control—and lost. “ Not everything is about you.”

Parker’s smile was tight as he zeroed in on Sabryn . “ Then it must be about you .”

“ Say what you need to say and leave,” Kurt commanded.

His brother ignored him, just kept his attention on Sabryn as he drummed his fingers on the back of the chair. “ I’m guessing the talk has turned to DC . You really made a mistake in not choosing me.”

“ Nothing about you interests me,” Sabryn quipped.

Parker’s smile was slow and dangerous. “ I bet I can change your mind. All I need is five minutes, and I’ll wipe every thought of Kurt from you forever.”

Kurt bared his teeth. “ You’re treading on thin ice. Brother .”

“ Worried , are you?” Parker mocked. He laughed and took a deep breath. “ I suppose Kurt told you about DC , but was his story true? Or was mine? Did Diana give you another one? Hmm ,” he said, tapping his chin in mock contemplation. “ Which one should you believe?”

Sabryn remained silent, though her dark blue eyes burned with ire.

Parker sighed dramatically and took a slice of her pizza, biting into it. “ Hm . Not bad.”

“ Would you like to order?” the waiter asked after walking up.

Parker motioned to the table. “ I’m going to eat off theirs.”

Kurt motioned for the guy to leave. It was bad enough the customers were eyeing them.

He didn’t want anyone else near, just in case.

He studied Diana , who remained conspicuously quiet.

What Kurt hadn’t figured out yet was if it was because she didn’t want Parker to hear what she had to say, or if they were working together. Kurt was betting on the latter.

“ Shall we compare DC stories?” Parker asked after he’d swallowed another bite. “ I’d love to see where the differences are. I’m sure Sabryn would be interested. For instance, I bet she’s wondering who ordered her and the senator’s deaths.”

Kurt glanced at Diana , who quietly observed her youngest offspring.

This was a setup, just as he had feared.

Diana and Parker were working together. She had kept them engaged until Parker found them.

But he and Sabryn weren’t alone. The rest of the Knights were nearby, waiting, for just such an occurrence.

“ It was Diana , by the way,” Parker continued around another bite. “ In case I didn’t make that clear.”

Sabryn rested an arm on the table and watched his brother.

Her anger was banked. She sat calmly, coolly.

The exact opposite of him. Kurt was ready to explode.

He spent every second meticulously keeping his rage under control.

He was rapidly losing the battle, however.

Soon , he wouldn’t care who was around or might see.

He never should’ve brought Sabryn anywhere near Diana .

Parker looked around the table at each of them, smiling as he finished the slice of pizza.

Kurt knew that devious look. His brother was up to something, and whatever it was, it wouldn’t be good.

Kurt gauged the distance to the nearest exits.

He didn’t know where the Knights were, and he could only hope they were close enough to assist when the growing tension reached its boiling point.

“ Let’s take a ride,” Parker suggested.

Sabryn shook her head. “ No , thanks. You can leave, though.”

“ It wasn’t a request,” Parker replied menacingly and stood.

Kurt rose as he and Parker glowered at each other, nose-to-nose. “ We’re not going anywhere with you.”

“ Oh , but you will. Unless you want all the innocents in here to die,” Parker threatened.

On cue, two people walked into view. Kurt recognized them as Edinburgh Druids . Diana set her napkin on the table and grabbed her purse as she stood. Kurt watched her dig out her wallet and toss some money onto the table before heading to the door.

“ After you,” Parker said.

Kurt was calculating how he might contain any damage to the restaurant and anyone around him when Sabryn slid out of the booth.

She touched his back before walking behind him to follow Diana .

Parker grinned knowingly. Kurt would let him win.

For now. He stared Parker down for another minute before walking away. Diana and Sabryn were already outside.

“ Into the SUV ,” Parker directed. “ Sabryn , be a dear and get behind the wheel. Kurt , you’ll be in the front. Diana and I will take the back.”

Kurt exchanged a look with Sabryn as they headed toward their SUV . There were plenty of other vehicles in the car park. Kurt scanned them, hoping to see one of their friends. No luck.

“ Care to tell us where we’re going?” Sabryn asked as they walked.

Kurt put a hand out to stop her. “ Your leverage is over, Parker . We’re not going anywhere with you.”

His brother’s laugh made a knot of unease form in Kurt’s stomach.

Parker walked past him as he said, “ If you look really hard, you’ll notice that my friends didn’t exit with us.

You come with me, or they start killing.

And the threat will remain until I call them off.

” He turned and walked backward a couple of steps.

“ Best get moving,” he advised before facing forward and continuing to the vehicle.

“ We don’t have a choice,” Sabryn murmured as she followed him.

Kurt knew getting into that SUV was tantamount to a death sentence. He caught up with her and dropped his voice as he said, “ We do, actually.”

“ We’re not alone,” she whispered. “ Let’s see this out.”

He wasn’t convinced it was the right thing to do, but he couldn’t debate with her about it without alerting Diana and his brother that they had brought backup. Kurt swallowed the rest of his argument and climbed into the SUV . He sat stiffly as Parker settled behind him.

Sabryn started the engine. “ Which direction?”

“ Take a left out of the car park,” Parker directed.

Kurt pulled down the visor to look at his brother in the mirror. “ Why did Diana tell you to kill me?”

“ Oh ,” Parker said, his face scrunched up in mock distress. “ I’m not sure you’re ready to hear that.” He turned toward their mother. “ Unless you want to tell him. Go ahead and tell him. He should know the truth.”

Kurt waited for Diana to rebuff Parker or defend herself, but she simply said, “ Now isn’t the time.”

That confirmed everything Kurt had always feared.