Page 28 of Blood Skye (Skye Druids #6)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Carlyle turned his head from one side to the other as he stared at his reflection. It was strange seeing the altered face reflected back at him. The brown contacts, brown wig, and prosthetic nose crafted an altered version. Song had even colored his eyebrows. The effect was…startling.

It had been some time since his hair had been so short, and he’d forgotten how it looked. He couldn’t stop staring at the hairpiece. It wasn’t the style, per se. It was the color. He’d often joked as a kid that he hated his hair color. He’d threatened to dye it many times. And he’d done it once at uni. It had been store-bought hair color and hadn’t gone well at all. Unfortunately , it had taken weeks for it to fully wash out.

He blew out a breath and forced himself not to mess with the wig again. Song had slapped his hand away when he tried to adjust it before. Carlyle turned from the mirror and walked out of the bedroom into the living area of the two-bedroom flat about forty minutes from London . Druids would likely have people posted at hotels to look for them. The keys to the flat had been in one of the bags Song had retrieved in Northampton . She hadn’t been joking when she said she’d prepared.

He searched the cupboards in the kitchen. Like the bunker and narrowboat, there was ample food. She wouldn’t have to leave for weeks. Carlyle shut the last of the cabinet doors and found the liquor cart. It was stocked with every kind of alcohol there was. And not a single bottle had been opened. Almost as if Song had bought everything, got it into the flat, and then left. How many more places like this and the boat did she have? How many more of those bags filled with clothes and cash existed? He had to give it to her. She was thorough.

The sound of the bedroom door opening drew his attention. He froze at the sight of her. It had taken Song nearly two hours to get him outfitted for the evening before she disappeared into the other bedroom. That had been three hours ago. If he thought he looked different, it was nothing compared to her. He only knew it was her because they were the only two people in the flat.

Her long, onyx tresses were gone, covered with a curly blond wig that fell just shy of her shoulders. Vivid green eyes replaced her dark ones. As startling as those two things were, it was the shape of her face that caught him off guard. She appeared as if she were fifteen years older.

“ Is all of that prosthetics?” he asked, taking in her black trousers, white dress shirt, and black tie that matched his.

She grinned, seemingly pleased. “ Just makeup.”

He was taken aback. “ That’s only makeup?”

“ It is.”

“ Wow . I’m impressed. Really . I had no idea makeup could be used like that.”

She shrugged one shoulder but didn’t hide her pleasure. “ I always liked makeup and had a lot of time on my hands. I watched some tutorials and began playing around. I soon discovered I had a knack for it.”

“ I’m surprised the elders didn’t demand you learn.”

“ They never cared if others knew my face. I did. I changed my appearance, used accents, and dressed differently at first. It wasn’t enough. So , with the money they gave me, I bought wigs and colored contacts. It morphed into prosthetics and learning how to change the look of a face with makeup soon after.”

Just when he thought she couldn’t surprise him anymore, he learned something new. “ Will London be expecting this, though?”

“ How would you approach tonight if you and I weren’t allied?”

Carlyle twisted his lips. “ Well , normally, I’d do what I did at the townhome. I’d go straight to the source. I wouldn’t wait for the festival.”

“ Even if you knew what they wanted to do with you?”

“ That would be the reckless me, the one Sabryn found after Mabel’s death. As much as I’d love to do that, I know it’s what the elders would have prepared for. I’d find another way into headquarters, just as we are.”

Devon quirked a brow. “ And ?”

“ Find the elders.”

“ Because you think they’ll tell you where your father is.”

He dipped his chin in a nod. “ I do.”

“ You have nothing to use as leverage, though. You would be surrounded before you finished speaking.”

“ It isn’t as if we have leverage. Sure , getting in as staff is smart, but we still need locations for Dad and your sister.”

Song walked to the window and peered outside through the closed blinds. “ The elders will never tell us anything.”

“ It sounds as if you think going tonight is pointless.”

“ It is.” She turned to face him. “ But I’m going anyway.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “ With no leverage.”

“ It won’t be my first time.”

“ Against the elders?”

She looked away. “ They think they’re smarter than everyone else. They think they know what we’ll do.” Her gaze returned to him. “ Separately .”

“ They’ll have guessed we’ve teamed up.”

“ They might consider it, but they’ll believe you are too stubborn, and that your hatred of me is too great to allow such a union. I’m the one who sat inside your father’s townhome and waited for you, after all.”

Carlyle grimaced. “ They would’ve been right several days ago. Things have changed.”

“ They know I don’t trust anyone and prefer working alone. That , along with what they believe of you, means they wouldn’t think we’d ever team up. Besides , no one has seen us together since we left the lodge.”

“ But we left there together,” he reminded her.

Song clasped her hands before her. “ I’m saying they’ll think themselves too smart. It’s why we have to do the opposite of what they assume we will.”

“ I have to confront them.”

“ Why ? What will that give you?”

He dropped his arms, outrage strumming through him hotly. “ They need to pay!”

“ It won’t be done by you. Or me. Not as individuals. It will take a group. It’ll take the Knights , Skye Druids , and everyone else you can get to join. We’re going to find Thomas and Jai , and then we’re getting away. My sister and I will disappear. The rest will be up to you.”

“ After all you’ve witnessed and learned, you’re just going to walk away?”

She gave him a sad smile. “ I yearn for quiet. For a simple life where I go to work and pay bills. One where I get to know my sister and grow the bond we never got to have. Maybe get a dog. Or a cat. Or both. Perhaps somewhere near water so I can fish.”

He felt like a cad hearing her speak about a future she yearned for. “ You’re right. You should have that and more. I never should have assumed you would keep fighting. But I can’t walk away. The elders must be stopped, even if my father is still alive.”

“ It’s gone past them. You need to understand that. Don’t think taking out the elders means the organization will right itself. It won’t. It’s too far gone.”

He rubbed his forehead. “ London is too huge to dismantle.”

“ And we’re right back to where we were.”

“ Why bring this up now?” he shouted.

She gave him a flat look. “ Don’t raise your voice because I tell you something you don’t like. You would have seen it if you’d stopped to look at the bigger picture. Eventually ,” she added.

Carlyle opened his mouth, then promptly closed it. He had truly believed he wasn’t emotional this time. Compared to how he had acted after Mabel’s death, he wasn’t. But damn if Song wasn’t right. He hadn’t looked at the big picture. Because he’d been too angry and determined to mete out justice.

Finn had known he had blinders on. Carlyle had brushed aside his friend’s concerns as if they were nothing. And Finn , being the friend he was, had gone along with it, knowing he would have to intervene eventually.

Carlyle walked to the sofa and sank down onto a cushion. “ Shite . I’ve made a mess of things. You were at Dad’s townhouse, and I did exactly what the elders knew I would. I locked on to you and put all my animosity there. I believed that if you’d been sent to speak to me, then you had to be the one to not only take Dad but also know where he was.”

Song looked at the floor, not wanting to confirm his words. But she didn’t need to.

“ I wanted you, and I wanted Mason . I expected you to take me to Dad , and once Mason was away from the estate, I figured he’d return to the man I knew. Finn tried to warn me.” Carlyle snorted. “ But I didn’t listen.”

She briefly lifted her gaze to meet his. “ You saw me as an easy target. I would’ve done the same because getting to the elders takes too long. I was an immediate link to them, London , and Thomas .”

“ I think I’ve known all along that I never stood a chance of finding Dad . There are a million different places where the elders could be holding him. Locations neither of us is privy to.” He swallowed around the knot in his throat. “ The same with your sister.”

“ Probably ,” Song admitted softly.

He blew out a breath and leaned back into the cushions. “ You asked if I should go after my dad. One life against thousands.”

“ I never should have uttered those words.”

“ No , you were right to. It’s something that needs to be considered. Sabryn would’ve pointed it out immediately. She doesn’t hold back. Ever .”

Song lowered her arms and walked to sit on the other end of the sofa, facing him. “ Does that mean you’ve changed your mind about tonight?”

“ Absolutely not.”

“ I disagree. I think we need to revise the plan.”

Carlyle frowned. “ Revise how?”

“ You look for my sister while I search for Thomas .”

“ Why ?”

Song smoothed away an errant curl near her mouth. “ Because it makes sense. The guards and elders will be less likely to harm Thomas if it’s me. It would also give you a chance to get away so they wouldn’t be able to use you.”

“ Maybe .”

“ It’s the smart move, and you know it.”

He clenched his teeth. “ Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“ As long as we keep a low profile and don’t cause a scene, we can get through most of the basement. If my sister and Thomas aren’t there, we’ll get out and find a new location to search.”

It was a risky plan. There would be guards everywhere. The odds of them not being caught were slim. And once caught, that was it. The last thing he should do was enter London’s headquarters, but he kept thinking about his father being tortured. Not looking for him seemed wrong. Thomas Oliver would move Heaven and Earth if Carlyle went missing.

“ I’m going to headquarters,” Song said as she stood. “ I won’t think any less of you if you stay behind. If my opinion mattered, I’d tell you not to go. The fact that London wants you should scare you enough to stay far away.”

He pushed to his feet. “ It does. But I’m still going. I see the big picture now. But it doesn’t change anything.”

“ Then you still don’t see the big picture.” She turned toward the door. “ We should go. I want to take a look at the area before the guests begin arriving.”

Carlyle watched her walk out. He pulled out his mobile. There were dozens of texts and calls from Finn . Carlyle wanted to reach out, but if he did, he would let something slip, and Finn would come in an instant. Carlyle was ready to walk into Hell , but he wasn’t about to bring his best friend with him.