Page 27 of Blood Skye (Skye Druids #6)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Carwood Manor

There was a coziness to the day that Sabryn used to yearn for. Flames dancing in the hearth, angry gray clouds through the windows, a comfortable seat with a beautiful throw to curl up with, a nice cup of tea, and a good book. Too bad she couldn’t clear her head enough to enjoy any of it.

She had come into the library to be alone. The manor was enormous and accommodated many guests. She was grateful Bronwyn had opened her home to everyone. The house wasn’t just a place to bed down. It was their guardian, a protector to all Bronwyn allowed. With enemies popping up everywhere she turned, Carwood was the one place where Sabryn could rest easy.

But not even the shelter of the sentient house could calm her fears. She stared at her phone screen. The Knights were scattered. It wasn’t the first time they had been separated, but this was different. Someone had tracked Saber to his place. He was still on the run. Or at least, she assumed. His communications, when they arrived, were brief. Something was going on, and no matter how she pushed him to share, he wouldn’t. He promised he was safe, and that was really all she could ask for.

It wasn’t just Saber , though. There was also Finn and Carlyle . Finn had let her know, in no uncertain terms, that he would remain in London to help Carlyle . Sabryn tried to calm Finn down, but once the Irishman was riled, there was no stopping him. Not even Elias could get through to him. At least Finn wasn’t on his own. Henry and the others would keep him in check.

Hopefully .

Finn was resourceful. When he set his mind to solving a problem, nothing got in his way. It was an asset when the Knights were after something, but it could become an issue when attempting to talk Finn out of whatever it was he wanted to do. There was a real chance that Carlyle would get into something serious with no way out. And Finn would follow.

Sabryn couldn’t lose them. She couldn’t lose anyone. But even she had to admit the Knights had been very fortunate over the years. They had gotten battered and bruised, some more serious than others, but they always came through it. She was used to looking out for everyone. She couldn’t do that when they were scattered. It left her worried and anxious.

Carlyle had teamed up with the enemy. He’d assured her—repeatedly—that he knew what he was doing with Devon . There was a story there. Carlyle had hinted at it, but he hadn’t shared it yet. Sabryn couldn’t ask Saber to look into Devon’s history since he was moving about and needed to concentrate on himself for the moment.

She shoved her phone into the back pocket of her jeans and stared into the fire. Carlyle and Devon were on their way to London , and nothing had happened on Skye since Ariah faced that shadow monster. She debated asking Balladyn to teleport her to Finn using his Fae abilities. They could be there in the time it took her to blink.

He could also get everyone home if things went awry.

“ I know what you’re thinking.”

She turned her head at the sound of the deep, Scottish voice coming from the doorway. Elias leaned against one of the open double doors, studying her with his bright blue gaze. Dark blond hair fell into his eyes. He shoved the length away and walked to take the chair near her.

Sabryn raised her brows. “ Do you, indeed?”

“ Aye . You’re thinking about going to London .”

She looked away from his probing gaze. “ None of this feels right.”

“ It never does when we’re separated. But ,” he said after a pause, “ I , too, feel that something isna right. Things are quiet here. Go to London .”

Sabryn was shaking her head before he finished. “ It’s a lull before the storm. You know it. I know it. We’re already down two—three if you count Saber . Even one more could be the difference between a win and a loss, especially with so many of the Druids ’ magic failing here.”

“ If you keep worrying, you’re going to make yourself sick,” he cautioned.

She drew in a breath and fought to get a handle on her annoyance. “ London took Thomas to draw Carlyle to the city.”

“ Aye . But we wouldna be able to stop you if it was your dad.”

“ It isn’t my dad, though. And Thomas isn’t the only one missing. Where’s Luke ? We have powerful allies who haven’t been able to locate him yet.”

Elias looked away before sliding his gaze back to her. “ Do you know why we follow you?”

“ I have no idea. I never asked to lead.”

“ You didna need to. Leading comes naturally to you. Yet it’s more than that.” Elias ran his fingers along the outside seam of the chair arm. “ You’re the glue that holds all of us together. Carlyle has said many times that if he hadna stumbled upon you that day, he isna sure where he would be. Same goes for Finn and me. And I can say with some assurance that Saber feels the same.”

Sabryn slid her fingers into the back of her chin-length black hair and flicked it. It was a nervous gesture she’d had since childhood. “ Don’t put all of that on me.”

“ I’m not putting anything on you. I’m stating what we should’ve said to you long ago. Many times over. We get through one conflict, too tired to do anything but recover, and then we move on to the next. I’m saying what we should’ve said from the beginning. The words are meant to let you know how much you mean to us. No ’ to weigh you down with some abstract notion I’m sure you’ve concocted in that wild imagination of yours.”

She grinned as she dipped her chin to her chest. “ You do know me well.”

“ As you know all of us,” he replied with a smile. “ I’ve already spoken to Balladyn . He’s agreed to take both of us to London .”

“ You can’t leave Bronwyn . And what about Edie ?”

Elias pulled a face. “ Bronwyn is more than capable of handling herself. As for Edie …that problem needs to be dealt with soon. Filip and Scott are watching her now. But the issue in London is more pressing.”

“ I don’t think it is.” Sabryn lifted a hand when he started to argue. “ What if Edie is taking over from Kerry ? Think about the lives lost while Kerry controlled the mist.”

He pushed to his feet and walked to look out the window, his back to her. “ Killing mist, shadow monsters, The Grey , and whatever lurks there, London and Edinburgh Druids coming after us, and loved ones going missing.”

“ Don’t forget Beth and the book.”

Elias shifted and looked at her over his shoulder before turning to face the window once more. “ I couldna possibly. Bronwyn blames herself for Beth having the book. If she isna thinking about how to reverse the portal she opened, she’s trying to come up with ways to mend things with Beth long enough to get the book.”

“ It’ll never happen.”

“ Feel free to impart that. She willna listen to me.”

Sabryn stood and went to stand beside him. “ Everything is connected. We haven’t found what links all of it, but once we do, we’ll be able to end this.”

“ If only it were that easy.”

“ Nothing worth fighting for ever is.”

His lips curved as he glanced at her. “ We’ve tossed around the idea that it’s all connected, but we won’t ever find the link to it because we’re always reacting to something done to one of us or the isle.”

“ The Druids on Skye have been safe for too long.”

“ Complacent , you mean.”

Sabryn twisted her lips as she faced him. “ Harsh , Elias .”

“ Truth usually is.”

She couldn’t argue the point. “ Rhona told me she believes the attacks on Skye began small. Small enough that no one paid attention.”

Elias grunted and shook his head. “ Bloody hell. That could go back months. Years , even.”

“ Exactly . Figuring out the incidences and when they occurred will take time.”

Elias turned his head to meet her gaze. “ We need Saber . He’d get through the information a lot quicker than we could.”

“ He’s still on the move and doesn’t have all his equipment. He probably only has a laptop.”

“ He has his algorithms.” Elias’s brows drew together. “ What are you no’ telling me? Did something happen to Saber ?”

Sabryn hastily shook her head and said, “ Not that I’m aware of.”

“ Then why hesitate to contact him?”

“ What if he stops long enough to help us and London and Edinburgh find him?”

Elias’s face fell as he nodded. “ He’s watched our backs for years. He’s been on his own, with none of us there to watch out for him. There’s only one answer. Tell him to come here.”

“ I already have. He said he won’t bring trouble to us.”

“ Let’s see what he says to me,” Elias murmured as he sent a text. A moment later, he put away his phone. “ It’s time for us to get back to work. Unless you want to sit and brood.”

“ How dare you?” Sabryn replied in mock anger. “ I never brood.”

“ Oh , you brood. Just in your American way.”

She gave him a playful shrug. “ I take offense to that.”

They were grinning when they left the library. A worry kept niggling Sabryn . It was the same feeling she’d had before her father died. A feeling she’d disregarded, partly out of ignorance and partly because she hadn’t wanted to figure out what it was. She had made that mistake once. She wouldn’t do it a second time.

Somewhere in Scotland

The train rocked to a stop at the station. Kurt waited until everyone else stood and walked past him before getting to his feet. He scanned the people through the windows, looking for anyone who seemed out of place. Luckily , no one caught his attention.

He disembarked and stood on the platform, looking first one way and then the other before falling into step with a passing group. Since he learned that Parker had been at the warehouse, Kurt had varied his transportation. He knew where the cameras were located, and despite having a cap pulled low to hide most of his face, it was only a matter of time before London found him.

The buzz of his mobile caught his attention. He pulled it out and read the text from Elias , urging him to come to Skye . Kurt’s heart sank. He should’ve guessed another of the Knights would ask after he declined Sabryn’s offer. Instead of answering, he pocketed the phone and joined the hundreds of others making their way out of the station and dispersing into the city.

His steps quickened as he hunched against the rain. The slap of droplets against his face mixed with the gusts of wind made him long to be dry and warm inside somewhere. But he still had a ways to go before he found such relief.