Page 42 of Blood Skye (Skye Druids #6)

Chapter Forty-Two

Carlyle’s whip caught the wave of magic Edie released and flung it aside before it reached them.

“ You came for me.”

Song’s words cut into Carlyle’s heart sharper than any blade. He looked down at her. “ Always .”

Her answering smile was radiant. Edie released a rage-filled scream. Carlyle shot a quick look out the door. He needed to get them out of the room before something else arrived and boxed them in. Edie was the only one he’d found in the cottage so far, but that didn’t mean she didn’t have a friend or two waiting. Not after everything he had been through.

“ Move behind me,” he urged as he faced Edie .

Carlyle kept the whips moving. Song ducked under his arm and slid around him until her front was pressed against his back.

“ You won’t make it out,” Edie promised.

Light and shadow repeatedly played over her face, contorting her features from the woman he knew into something else—something evil. “ You chose the wrong side. Think of Elias and Elodie . Think of your children.”

Her answer was a barrage of magic that rained down on them. Carlyle was stunned by the power she exhibited. Elias and Elodie had never hinted at such potency. Maybe they didn’t know. He twisted the fire whips faster, blocking most—but not all—of the blasts. One got through and landed on his left hip. Before he knew it, Song moved to stand before him, facing Edie . Carlyle kept the mist at bay and deflected the larger blasts from Edie while Song focused on the shots that got past his whips.

“ To the door,” he whispered.

They moved together, step by step, deflecting and evading while delivering several good strikes of their own. When they finally reached the doorway, Carlyle glanced behind him to the visible stairs and then to the hidden ones he had discovered earlier.

Edie pulled back both hands, her lips peeled into a snarl. Carlyle glanced at the cracked ceiling. “ Aim up,” he said as he swirled his flames upward.

Song aimed her palms toward the ceiling and released a gust of magic. It struck at the same time his whips did. The double impact was all it took to send it crumbling atop Edie . The fog rushed toward them angrily, and he flicked the whips at it.

“ We need to go down,” he urged Song .

She paused and looked at the stairs she saw. “ This way.”

“ That’s an illusion. The real steps are over here.”

Song fell into step with him as they rushed down the stairs made visible by his fire. He slowed slightly to keep the fog from following. Song reached the bottom just as a wall of mist turned the corner.

“ Down !” he bellowed.

Song dropped to the floor. Carlyle stood over her and spun the whips in a dizzying whirl until the mist dissipated.

She pushed at his leg. “ Turn ,” she bade.

He followed her instructions as she jumped to her feet and aimed at something behind him. Carlyle didn’t have time to look because the fog redoubled its efforts and came at them again.

“ Carlyle .”

He spun and found Edie at the top of the stairs, covered in debris. A sliver of wood stuck out of her thigh, and blood ran down her leg, but she didn’t seem to notice.

“ Where’s the door?” Song asked him as she glanced around.

Carlyle flicked the fire, making the whips crack loudly.

“ Is that supposed to scare me?” Edie asked with a laugh. “ You’re battling a force much more powerful. And you’ve sealed your fate. Both of you.”

Song put her back to Carlyle’s chest and released a round of magic. When she took a step forward, he followed. None of it seemed to faze Edie . She kept coming down the stairs.

If they didn’t get out of the cottage now, Carlyle feared they never would. He had a vague idea of where the front door should be, but he couldn’t assume anything since the entire inside had been rearranged into an elaborate illusion. He didn’t even want to think about where he and Song could have ended up had they used the other set of stairs.

Then Carlyle had an idea. It was unconventional and reckless, but he didn’t know what else to do.

“ Do you trust me?” he asked Song .

“ Unequivocally .”

Carlyle licked his dry lips. “ When I say, focus your magic to move with the whips. Now .”

She rested her hands on his forearms, allowing him to continue to move freely. Her magic brushed his arms, running over his hands and into the fire.

The flames flared in response. He rotated the whips rapidly. Edie rushed them, but Carlyle wound the first whip around her throat and the second around her waist. She clawed at the flames, but they had already moved onto her clothing and hair, setting her ablaze. Her screams were deafening. And gut-wrenching.

But she had made her choice.

Carlyle yanked the whips away. Edie ran into walls and furniture before falling onto the floor, thrashing wildly. He didn’t watch her for long. Instead , Carlyle frantically used the fire to find a way out as Edie screamed in agony.

“ The mist!” Song shouted as she looked behind them.

He turned and concentrated on holding the fog at bay. When he spun around again, the edge of the flames scattered the glamour enough for him to find the door. “ There .”

“ I see it,” Song said and raced toward the exit.

Carlyle followed, walking backward to ensure that nothing else came at them. He took one last look at Edie , who lay unmoving on the floor. Something grabbed him from behind and pulled him out into the evening air, still heavy with the scent of rain. He doused the flames when he found himself staring into Finn’s dark eyes. Relief surged through him. They shared a smile and embraced.

“ Fekking bastard,” Finn said with a chuckle. “ Stop scaring me like that.”

Carlyle leaned back as he nodded. “ Deal .”

Sabryn turned Carlyle to her and hugged him. He squeezed her before Elias wound his arms around them both. Then Finn joined the group hug. So many people talked at once, asking question after question, but Carlyle didn’t hear any of them. He spotted Song standing with Ferne and Ariah . Their gazes met, and they shared a smile. He slipped away from the Knights and walked to her. In a few steps, she was in his arms.

Carlyle buried his head in the crook of her neck and closed his eyes, sending up a silent prayer of thanks. He had come close to losing her again. He didn’t know if the Ancients had given him the nudge toward the room or not. Maybe it had just been intuition. Regardless , he was grateful to have found Song and escaped.

“ I can’t breathe,” Song wheezed.

Carlyle grinned and loosened his hold. “ Sorry .”

“ Don’t be.” She leaned away to look at him. “ I understand. I feel the same.”

He gently touched her face before lowering his head and kissing her deeply, passionately. Someone shouting his name caused Carlyle to reluctantly end the kiss. The moment he saw Elodie and Elias talking together, he knew he had to tell them about Edie . He was trying to come up with the words when Song’s voice reached him.

“ Where are Callum and Kirsi ?” she asked.

Carlyle scanned the faces of everyone around them. He spotted Kirsi standing alone, but there was no sign of Callum .

“ Oh , there’s Kirsi ,” Song murmured. She started to walk off when Carlyle stopped her.

“ Something happened,” Carlyle said when he noticed how pale and withdrawn Kirsi was.

Song turned toward the cottage, her gaze lifting. After a moment, she looked at him and shook her head. “ The tear is still there.”

Rhona walked up. “ We’re all very glad to see that both of you made it out.”

“ Where is Callum ?” Song asked.

Rhona’s expression grew grim as she slowly shook her head. “ Balladyn transported him to the Healers .”

“ What happened?” Carlyle asked, glancing at Balladyn , who made his way over.

Rhona pressed her lips together. “ There was a lightning strike. The next thing we saw was Callum and Kirsi falling off the roof. It was a hard landing, and he took the brunt of it.”

“ She was waiting for us,” Song said softly.

Rhona’s green eyes cut to her. “ She ?”

It was time to let everyone know about Edie . Carlyle owed it to Elias and Elodie to tell them first. He squeezed his eyes shut. Their family had been through one tragedy after another. He didn’t want to hand them more. But there was no way around it. Song’s hand sought his, and he eagerly linked their fingers together.

“ She knew we would be here,” Song said, her voice clear and concise. “ She caused the storm.”

“ Who ?” Rhona asked again.

Carlyle opened his eyes to find everyone standing around them, listening to Song’s account. He scanned the faces until he found Elodie . Then he searched for Elias . In that second, Elias knew. Carlyle swallowed loudly and said, “ It was Edie .”

“ Nay ,” Elodie whispered into the silence that followed.

A muscle jumped in Elias’s jaw. “ Is she still inside?”

“ She is,” Song answered.

“ Then she will answer for this.” Elias spun and headed into the cottage.

Bronwyn and Sabryn moved to block him, but he kept walking.

Carlyle couldn’t let him go inside and find her. It wasn’t just seeing Edie’s burned body. There was also the mist. “ She’s gone. I’m sorry.”

Elias halted, then slowly turned to face Carlyle . His friend’s face was closed off, his body tense as he strode forward. Carlyle had killed Elias’s sister. It didn’t matter that she had chosen the wrong side. She was family. Carlyle prepared for Elias to strike him with his fists or words.

Elias stopped before him. “ Gone ? Or dead?”

“ Dead .”

To his shock, Elias embraced him. “ Doona blame yourself. She made her choices.”

Carlyle gripped his friend tightly. “ I’m sorry I had to take her life.”

“ It’s better than her being locked away.” Elias pounded his back twice before releasing him and enveloping Song next.

Elodie hugged Carlyle as she wept. “ I agree with Elias . We all knew Edie was involved. We should’ve stopped her sooner.”

Carlyle’s throat clogged with emotion. He watched Elodie embrace Song before Scott pulled Elodie into his arms. There were tears on Song’s cheeks when she turned to him. Carlyle looked at where the cottage should be. It remained invisible, but what he had witnessed and endured within its walls would stay with him forever.

“ Let’s return to the manor to regroup,” Rhona announced.

Within moments, Balladyn teleported them back to the command center. Kirsi started toward the door, no doubt to find Callum , but Rhona stopped her.

“ We need details from everyone. Please ,” Rhona urged when Kirsi hesitated.

Several tense moments passed before Kirsi took a seat.

Rhona shoved a long, red strand of hair out of her face. “ Everyone saw something different, and we need to lay all of it out so we can put this puzzle together. We’ll get Callum’s side when the Healers finish. But for now, let’s start with Carlyle , Song , and Kirsi .”