Page 26 of Blood Skye (Skye Druids #6)

Chapter Twenty-Six

“ I’ll only be gone ten minutes,” Song told Carlyle as he angled the boat toward shore.

They had spent the previous day and night hammering out the details of getting into the festival.

“ You have eleven minutes before I come looking for you,” he replied.

She met his gaze and nodded. It was odd to have someone concerned about her welfare. It was also comforting. And something she could definitely get used to. That was all part of the change she intended to make once she was free of London .

“ I mean it,” Carlyle stated.

Song kept her balance as the narrowboat slid softly against the shore. She gave him a nod and quickly tied off the boat, then hurried away to one of her secret locations. They had spent days slowly moving through the waterways to Northampton and still had to get to London , but even being this close to the organization made her uneasy.

Leaving her sister wasn’t an option. There was a better life out there for both of them. And they deserved it.

Song kept the flat cap tugged low on her forehead. Her hair was pulled into a low ponytail and hidden inside the slicker. The thick, gray clouds promised more rain. The previous day’s thunderstorm had caused them to travel at night to make up for the lost hours.

Every instinct pressed her faster, but Song kept her pace natural to avoid drawing attention to herself. She took in every detail of those around her. Whenever there were windows, she used them to look behind her, scanning to see if anyone followed her. When she reached the address, she circled the building twice before entering.

After the door closed behind her, she raced up the narrow stairs, using the handrail to help pull herself up. She was breathing heavily by the time she reached the fourth floor. Song paused at the landing, then went through the door and walked to the end of the long hall. She didn’t stop until she reached the access door near the floor. Song checked behind her. All the doors to the flats remained shut. She then dropped down, quickly loosened the screws with her nail, and popped open the metal door. A sigh of relief rushed past her lips when she spotted the two bags inside.

Song swiftly removed both and fastened the door again. After looping the straps over her head and arm, she climbed to her feet and started the trek back to Carlyle . Her hands were fisted around the handles of the bags as her footsteps quickened toward the stairway door. He would have paid the fee for the boat to remain for a week by now and gotten their few belongings.

She couldn’t descend the stairs as fast as she wanted with both bags jostling against her, but Song kept moving. She had to force her feet to slow when she exited the building. Her heart was thudding, her chest pumping hard. Sweat beaded her brow as she crossed the street and headed toward the water—toward Carlyle .

Suddenly , someone grabbed her arm and swung her around. She held out her hand, ready to release magic, when she looked into familiar turquoise eyes.

“ Your eleven minutes were up,” Carlyle murmured as he covertly looked around.

“ I went as fast as I could.”

“ Did you get everything?”

Song grinned and patted the bags. “ Yep . Right where I left them. We can go now.”

He hesitated.

She leaned toward him and felt his hand flex on her arm. “ No one followed me.”

“ That you saw.”

“ That I saw,” she admitted. “ We can’t keep hiding. We have to go after our loved ones.”

Carlyle nodded once. “ I know. It isn’t that.”

“ What is it, then?”

There was a long pause before he released her and stepped back. “ Nothing .”

Song missed his touch as soon as it was gone. The only time he came near her was to change her bandages. They had both gone out of their way not to touch the other since the fishing instruction. “ Then we’d best get moving.”

Carlyle took one of the heavy duffel bags from her and looped it over his shoulder. He wore a slouchy tan beanie that covered his auburn locks completely. Even so, she thought he stood out. It was that gorgeous face of his and those piercing eyes. People noticed him. It was hard not to when he walked so confidently.

They made their way through Northampton until they reached the airport. Song kept an older-model white Renault Clio there. She located the vehicle and searched the tire wells for the magnetic key holder. After they’d stashed the bags in the boot, she slid behind the wheel. Within minutes, they were on the road for the two-hour drive to London . Carlyle pulled his beanie off and laid it on his lap.

She glanced at him and saw his frown of worry. “ It’s a good plan.”

“ One that works only if both Dad and your sister are at headquarters.”

“ I thought you agreed with the plan,” she stated testily. They had gone over it many times.

He blew out a breath. “ I do agree. I just don’t like our odds.” Carlyle scratched his neck. “ Getting into the event will be the easy part. My concerns are still about getting past security to other parts of headquarters. I need to memorize the layout you drew last night.”

Song adjusted her grip on the wheel. “ I only know some parts of the building.”

“ I don’t like winging it,” he said, looking at her.

“ Our only other option is to leave Thomas and Jai behind. We walk away. You go to Skye , and I disappear.”

He blew out an agitated breath and turned his head forward. “ That isn’t an option.”

“ Are you afraid I’ll betray you?” She hadn’t wanted to ask, mainly because she was afraid of what his answer would be.

“ No .”

Song glanced at him to make sure he wasn’t lying. “ I wouldn’t blame you if you were.” She would expect to be double-crossed. She would’ve wanted to check out his story and confirm that he had a sibling. But he hadn’t. He had taken her word and accepted what she said.

“ I’m pretty good at reading people,” Carlyle told her. “ I wanted to mistrust everything you said, but I couldn’t.”

“ Why ?” she asked before she thought better of it.

His head turned to her. “ Because I saw the truth in your eyes when you talked about your sister and your past.”

Song swallowed, unsure how to respond. She hadn’t expected him to say such things—or for the warmth that filled her when he did. “ Thank you.” She cleared her throat. “ Then we’re back to the plan.” When he didn’t reply, she shook her head. “ Listen , I get it. You’re used to having a team with you. Finn is probably still close. You could call him.”

“ No ,” Carlyle replied.

She fought not to roll her eyes. “ It might be better if Finn is there. All you have right now is me.”

He shoved both hands into his hair and released a long sigh as he lowered his arms. “ If London finds you, they’ll?—”

“ I know,” Song said before he could finish.

“ Am I wrong?”

She glanced at him once more. “ About ?”

“ All of this. My father for the lives of thousands on Skye .”

“ That’s if you don’t find him.”

Carlyle looked out the passenger window. “ We’re walking into London headquarters. If my father is there, and if I can get to him. What if I can’t get him out?”

“ Then the elders will have you.”

“ Exactly .”

She loosened her grip on the steering wheel and merged into another lane. “ How would your dad counsel you? Would he wish for you to risk your life for his and potentially kill thousands?”

“ No , he wouldn’t.”

“ I can pull off the next exit. You can call Finn , and the two of you can be back on Skye in a few hours.”

His head swiveled to her. “ Is that what you would do?”

“ I stopped fearing death a long time ago. I knew every mission could be my last. I’ve not seen my sister in years. I don’t know her, and she doesn’t know me. Maybe she’s happy where she is. Maybe she found a family and is living a normal life.” Her lips trembled as she thought about the last time she’d seen her parents. “ I was supposed to protect her. It was my magic around her that night, keeping her safe.”

Carlyle’s voice was soft when he asked, “ What night?”

“ The night my parents went out. I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t know what. They left me to guard Jai and made me promise I wouldn’t lower my magic for anyone but them. They vowed to return.” She swiped at a tear that dared to slip down her cheek. “ You’re asking me if I think you should risk it all for your father. Do you want to know what kind of person I am? It was just me and my parents for the first seven years of my life. Then , my sister came along. I was excited to have a sibling, a playmate. Then the whispers began. Everyone , even my parents, whispered about her. I heard others talking about how special she was.”

“ You got jealous,” Carlyle guessed.

She nodded and shifted in her seat. “ Of an innocent baby.”

“ It’s all right to feel such things.”

“ Is it?” Song demanded as she cut him a quick look. “ Because all I could think about the night they left me in charge was why everyone was so worried about her . Why was I to protect her? Why didn’t someone protect me ? Why didn’t my parents take us with them? And why didn’t they come back?”

Carlyle put a hand on her leg.

The comforting gesture caused another tear to fall. She wiped that one away just as quickly. “ Days passed without anyone coming for us. Then , he showed up. He didn’t look at Jai . He looked at me . He asked me to go with him. I refused. Right up until he offered me a piece of candy. Candy ,” she repeated furiously. Every time she thought about it, she got sick to her stomach. “ I disobeyed my parents because of jealousy and candy.”

“ Song ,” he began.

She spoke over him. “ I went with him. It wasn’t until we were at the door that I remembered my sister. He didn’t want her, but I knew I had to watch over her. I’d made a promise. I asked him if we could bring her along. He spoke to another man with him. I didn’t think they would let her come and was already retreating back to her when he agreed. I did exactly what Mum and Dad asked me not to do. I lowered the magic around my sister. She is where she is now because of me. Because I didn’t stay and wait for my parents.”

“ It isn’t your fault. None of it is. Your parents shouldn’t have left you. They never should have put that kind of burden on a child.”

“ I shouldn’t have disobeyed them,” she murmured.

His fingers tightened on her leg. “ Where are they now?”

“ I don’t know. I never saw them again.”

“ Have you searched for them?”

Song shook her head. She had stopped expecting them to find her a long time ago. That was when the anger and resentment took over. “ I wouldn’t know where to begin.”

“ Saber could help. If you want.”

She fought against a fresh wave of tears that burned the backs of her eyes. “ Stop being so nice.”

“ Sorry . Can’t do that.”

“ I can’t leave my sister. I have to get her away from London .”

Carlyle removed his hand. “ I understand.”

“ The plan is shite, isn’t it?”

“ Yep . But , like you said, we have two options. Leave or go through with it. You can’t leave your sister, and I have to find Dad .”

Song sniffed and took a steadying breath. “ I’ve only been to a few Mayfire Fests . Have you been to any?”

“ More than I care to admit,” he grumbled.

“ You know the workings of the members better than I do, and I know the staff.” They had been over all of this before, but it never hurt to go through it again.

He grunted. “ The members will be focused on the elders to gain their attention and preen in front of everyone else. It’ll be loud and chaotic.”

“ I remember as much from my last Mayfire two years ago. The staff will be running about like crazy, making sure everything is perfect while also spying on everyone. The problem is the guards. Do you still have the map I drew?”

Carlyle pulled out the paper and unfolded it to show the different floors of the organization and where she had seen guards posted before. “ We’ll have to get past three guards to get underground.”

“ Unless they’ve changed things.”

“ Expecting us.” Carlyle grunted. “ We can do this.”

“ We will do this,” she stated.