Page 41 of Blood Skye (Skye Druids #6)

Chapter Forty-One

“ Kirsi , climb down,” Callum shouted over the deluge as he scooted away from the giant hole. “ The others need to know Song and Carlyle are inside the cottage.”

Kirsi wanted off the roof, but she couldn’t go. Not unless Callum was with her. “ I’m not leaving you.”

“ I have to mend the tear.”

She motioned to the blood on him. “ Look at your arm.”

Callum ignored her, his gaze intensifying. “ There’s no time to argue about this. Carlyle and Song need you.”

But Callum needed her more. What if he fell through the roof? What if something out of the tear yanked him through? If no one was there to see it happen, no one would know where he went.

“ Kirsi .”

His voice was firm, unwavering. She looked into his amber eyes and saw his resolve. All her arguments faded. Callum wasn’t going to change his mind. Moreover , he was right. She had to get help for Song and Carlyle . But that didn’t mean she liked it. “ I’ll return as soon as I can. You’d better be here.”

“ I will be.”

“ I’m going to hold you to that promise.”

Kirsi drew in a shaky breath. Getting onto the roof had been challenging, and that had been before the rain. She gripped the tiles along the apex and swung one leg over. Caution dictated that she move judiciously, but she didn’t know if it would be better to crabwalk down to the edge or flip onto her stomach and scoot down. She opted to turn over since that should give her a better advantage in grabbing hold, should she need to.

As Kirsi twisted, she looked at Callum . He stood once more, his arm above him as he watched her. So much blood ran down his arm that the rain couldn’t wash it all away. Her stomach knotted at the thought that maybe the barbs contained poison or some other kind of toxin. Callum kept the pain from his face, but she knew he must feel every prick and scratch.

“ I’ll have the tear mended by the time you return,” he promised.

She lowered herself down a few inches. The slick slate made it easy—too easy, in fact. Urgency drove Kirsi as she steadily hauled herself down the incline. It didn’t take long to realize that she had nothing to grip once she released the peak. She was about to push off and slide all the way down, hoping that she somehow landed on her feet after she hit the ground, when something flashed brightly.

“ Kirsi !”

A loud boom of thunder that made her ears ring drowned out the rest of Callum’s shout. Something heavy knocked into her, and she lost her precarious hold. Then she was rolling sideways, the sharp edges of the tile digging into her skin. Suddenly , strong arms banded around her, and she knew she was safe.

Then , there was nothing but air.

She clung to Callum even as they kept twisting. They landed abruptly, and Kirsi was out of breath when she lifted her head to find herself atop Callum’s chest as he lay on the ground with his eyes closed.

“ Callum ?” she whispered, touching his face. “ Callum . Callum !”

Instantly , people swarmed them. Someone yanked her off Callum as she continued to scream his name. Tears and rain blurred her vision as her friends crowded around him while others dragged her away. She saw Balladyn kneel beside Callum before the Reaper vanished with him.

“ Callum !” Kirsi leaned to the side to look around whoever stood in front of her.

Hands gripped her face, stilling her. “ Kirsi .”

She found herself looking into Rhona’s green eyes. Kirsi smoothed her hair from her face and fought to get her wild emotions under control. “ Is he okay?”

“ I don’t know. Balladyn took him to the Healers ,” Rhona answered softly. “ Tell me what happened on the roof. Where are Song and Carlyle ?”

That had been why she was getting down. Kirsi focused her mind and quickly relayed everything up to the time Callum shouted her name, and they fell.

Rhona briefly closed her eyes and dropped her hands to her sides. “ Lightning . Lightning hit the roof.”

Kirsi looked up at the angry, gray sky as Rhona barked orders.

“ The door, Kirsi . We need to know the location of the door,” Rhona urged.

The air felt off. Wrong . An ill wind cleaved to everything within the cottage. Its presence was in every nook and cranny. Carlyle knew he wasn’t alone. He didn’t know if another human was within the structure or if something had crawled out of The Grey .

Or worse, something conjured by a Druid .

Whatever or whoever it was, it had Song . And he wouldn’t stop searching until he found her.

Carlyle gingerly placed one foot in front of the other as he crept out of the room. Anytime the fog got too close to the flames in his hands, it recoiled. With no one to watch his back, he adjusted. He joined his palms to merge the flames before twisting his hands and then pulling them apart, stretching the fire into a long, thin line.

With one hand, he swung the flames around him like a whip. It stopped the mist from creeping up on him and kept it at bay as he walked forward. Carlyle searched the second room upstairs, but there was still no sign of Song .

When he was in the hallway heading toward the stairs, he spotted something as he swung the fire whip. He aimed the lash at the spot and was shocked to see the fire penetrate what he’d thought was a wall. It was an illusion, and the blaze had breached it to reveal a door.

His heart kicked up. Was the entire outlay of the cottage an illusion? Carlyle glanced back at the two rooms he had investigated. Did he go back through them? Or did he proceed forward? Too much time had passed already. If he’d missed something in the two bedrooms, it could cost Song her life. But what if she was in the room he hadn’t investigated?

Carlyle vacillated, unsure of what to do. He needed help.

“ Ancients ,” he whispered to the ghosts of his ancestors, “ I know someone has interfered with you, but you gathered enough power to speak through Ferne . You got through to her. I’m asking for your help now. Please . Help me find Song .”

He waited, hoping against hope that the Ancients would not only hear him but respond. It was a long shot, but risky wagers had worked for him in the past—just not when he really needed it. Carlyle drew in a breath and focused on his magic. It suffused him, moving steadily and deliberately as it rippled through his veins to skim along every nerve ending. He pulled up a vision of Song in his mind’s eye and waited.

Something gave him a gentle push toward the new door. Carlyle created a second whip with the fire but kept it coiled in his hand as he proceeded forward vigilantly. As he neared the doorway, he heard voices.

He heard Song .

“ Do you have any idea what the Ancients are trying to do?” Edie asked.

Song was no longer looking at her. Instead , her attention was on the fog that was almost to her collarbones. What would happen once it covered her? Because she was sure that was its intention. Would she be able to talk? See ? She attempted to lift her arm. She could move the limb somewhat, but it was like swirling a vat of chocolate with her hand—thick and syrupy. As long as she remained still, she didn’t feel anything.

“ Surely , a London Druid would be curious.”

Song slid her gaze to Edie . The woman looked sane, but the words coming out of her mouth made her rethink that. “ I’m no longer a part of that organization. As for the Ancients , something has been preventing them from reaching out.”

Edie’s smile was slow and sinister. “ Not true. They speak to me.”

“ Do they? And what is it they tell you?”

“ The Druids have gone down a path they don’t agree with. They’re changing that.”

Song swallowed and lifted her chin when the mist crept against her neck. “ Because you’re going to lead the Druids .”

“ You’ll see the truth soon enough.”

“ The way I heard it, you weren’t the Ancients ’ first choice, though, were you?”

Fury iced Edie’s eyes. “ Kerry couldn’t get the job done. I will.”

“ And what is it you’ll be doing?”

“ I’ve already told you. Cleansing Skye . There are Druids the Ancients want removed. They want you to remain on the isle during and after the purge.”

There was a flare of light behind Edie . Song looked toward the door, but no matter how hard she looked, she didn’t see it again. “ And how do I fit into all of this?”

“ If you’d listen to what I’m saying, you wouldn’t force me to keep repeating myself,” Edie replied crossly. “ The Ancients have deemed you worthy. I demand you tell me why.”

“ I don’t think so. If they didn’t tell you, then they must have a reason.”

Edie’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. “ Don’t push me.”

“ Let me put things as clearly as I can. I’m helping my friends battle the evil that has Skye in its grip. Since you’re working with that evil, you are a part of it. I won’t be joining you or whatever voice is in your head.”

Edie laughed and dropped her arms to her sides. “ You don’t have a choice.”

“ There is always a choice.”

“ That’s your mistake. The Ancients made their decision regarding you.”

The mist was at Song’s chin now. She shook her head. “ I’ll never help you.”

Edie merely smiled. “ There are ways. What about your friends on the roof? I called the storm in. I’ve already knocked two of them off with a bit of lightning. They could already be dead.”

Denial rose in Song’s throat, but she kept the words locked there. Edie wanted to rile her. Song wondered if Rhona had a leak within her group. Was someone who could tear apart the group from within spying?

It was so easy to give in to that fear and worry and return to thinking only of herself. But that wasn’t Song anymore. She had changed. She was part of an alliance now. And all it would take to bring it all down was a small thread of doubt. She wouldn’t be the person who brought that. If something had happened outside, the circle of Druids around the cottage could help. Now , all Song had to do was get free of Edie and out of the cottage to rejoin them.

“ Nothing you can say or do will make me agree to anything,” Song stated.

Flames shot from the doorway in a streak that wrapped around Edie’s ankle. She let out a screech of pain and surprise before something yanked her feet out from under her. Edie pitched forward and fell face-first onto the floor, banging her chin. But she didn’t remain there. The rope of fire held her as it dragged her toward the doorway. Edie twisted to her back and attempted to fire off a shot of magic at the flames.

Hope swelled in Song’s heart as she stared at the doorway. A smile split her face when Carlyle filled the space. He ducked to avoid Edie’s magic seconds before it punctured the doorjamb where he’d stood.

Song slid her arms up her body to her neck and then higher, past the mist to break free. Magic pooled in her palms, and she immediately released a volley at Edie . It struck her in the shoulder. The Druid curled into a ball and rolled away before Song could get off another shot. Carlyle called back his fire and rushed to her side.

She could have sworn she heard the fog hiss when he approached. Song sent another blast toward Edie to keep her occupied, but her aim was off because her arms were raised. The mist was up to her nose when Carlyle finally reached her. He waved his fire near her, and the fog fell away, freeing her.

Out of the corner of her eye, Song saw Edie get to her feet. She moved in front of Carlyle , but he spun them both, his fire whips swirling through the air around them, keeping the mist and Edie at bay.