Shoulder the Skye (Skye Druids #2)(58)
Author: Donna Grant

But was it fair to put that in the hands of others? None of those around her deserved to have that smear on their souls. They were good people. She, on the other hand, hadn’t just turned to the dark side to become drough, she had also crossed into the realm of the forbidden with blood magic. Nothing could save her now.

 

Not even Elias’s soul-stirring kisses.

 

He linked his pinky with hers. “Thank you.”

 

She nodded, unable to find her voice. Bronwyn turned her head away and closed the portal. Her gaze locked on Beth as the opening shrank until it was gone—along with her cousin.

 

“Carlyle, keys,” Finn called. “We need to move your vehicle before Frasier and his people find it.”

 

There was a jingle, and Bronwyn saw Carlyle toss the keys to Finn, who sprinted downstairs and then out of the house. With nothing else to do, Bronwyn faced the remaining three.

 

“We heard everything,” Carlyle explained.

 

Elias nodded. “Everything was amplified. We couldna see who was in the room with us, but we saw shadows.”

 

“We kept quiet and still, just in case,” Sabryn added.

 

Bronwyn was shocked. “I didn’t know any of that.”

 

“You’ve never put yourself between dimensions?” Carlyle asked.

 

Bronwyn repressed a shudder. “Once. To put Beth inside.”

 

“Why no’ other times?” Elias asked.

 

Bronwyn shrugged. “I don’t like it there. It’s too…unnatural.”

 

Carlyle grunted in response.

 

“Have you gone to other dimensions?”

 

Her gaze shifted to Sabryn, who had posed the query. “Why would I?”

 

“To escape,” Sabryn replied.

 

Bronwyn pushed down the anger that threatened to swallow her. “There is no escape from life. My mother used to push me relentlessly to be powerful enough to open a gateway big enough for her to escape through. Those were her exact words. Escape. From me, from Dad. I refused to do it because I wanted her to stay and get better. To go to the doctors and discover what was wrong. Dad would find her a doctor, and they would prescribe medicine to help with her depression and anxiety. She would improve for a little while, then everything would start again. Until…”

 

She faltered, thinking about that day.

 

Elias’s pinky tightened on hers. She looked at him and remembered how safe and treasured she had felt in his arms.

 

“It’s okay,” he told her.

 

Bronwyn knew it wasn’t. It hadn’t been for a long time. “Mum died because of me.”

 

Elias shook his head. His voice was barely above a whisper when he said, “Nay, lass.”

 

“She begged me to help her that day. She pleaded and yelled and cried. She gripped my arms so tightly she left bruises. She kept saying she had to leave. Dad was away on business. She’d let the few servants we had leave early so it was just the two of us here. She kept telling me I didn’t understand. That the only way she’d get better was if she escaped. I was angry and overwhelmed and scared. I told her I’d never use my magic for such a purpose. I told her she needed to stay with Dad and me.” Bronwyn drew in a breath. “That night, she walked into the loch and drowned.”

 

The compassion in Elias’s eyes was her undoing. For the first time in years, Bronwyn felt tears threatening when she thought of her mother. Her mum had done the best she could with her mental issues. Maybe she and her father should’ve done more to get her Mum to take the meds.

 

Bronwyn sniffed, realizing then that others were with her. She glanced at Carlyle and Sabryn. “I only use my power as a last resort.”

 

“I understand,” Sabryn said. “It was insensitive of me to say anything.”

 

Bronwyn flashed her a quick smile. “You had no way of knowing. Can we talk about something else, though? Please?”

 

“What did you get from Frasier?” Elias asked. “How did he act?”

 

Bronwyn was grateful for the change of subject. “He suspects that I’m hiding something, which, of course, I am. He’s tenacious. He won’t give up easily.”

 

“Then we need to settle things quickly with Sydney,” Carlyle replied.

 

Elias grunted. “My thoughts exactly.”

 

“We also don’t know when Frasier will return to search the estate,” Bronwyn cautioned.

 

Sabryn shrugged. “I don’t think it matters at this point.”

 

“Nay, she has a point,” Elias said. “Sydney sent his people to the police for a reason. He knows I’m here, but if they doona find me, then—”

 

“Frasier suspects Bronwyn is hiding you,” Carlyle finished.

 

Elias nodded. “Precisely. That means Sydney knows there’s a good chance she’s hiding Beth, too.”

 

“Okay. I buy all of that. How does George factor in?” Sabryn asked.

 

Bronwyn shoved a lock of hair out of her face. “They’re working together. George wants Elias, and Sydney wants me.”

 

“Then we’d better prepare for George joining the battle,” Sabryn replied.

 

Carlyle crossed his arms over his chest, a slight frown lining his face. “I don’t think George will do that. She hasn’t shifted her focus from her original objective. If anything, I think she’s giving Sydney information.”

 

“For what purpose?” Bronwyn asked. “I might not have met George, but I know people like her. She won’t give up something important unless she gets something in return.”

 

Elias blew out a breath. “Sydney must have agreed to hand me over to her.”

 

“Or to the police,” Carlyle added.

 

Sabryn rolled her eyes. “We’ve faced tougher adversaries than George or Sydney. So what if they’ve teamed up? We’re the Knights.” Her gaze slid to Bronwyn. “With a portal-opening Druid. We’ve got this.”

 

“Then let’s get to formulating how we’re going to do it. Finn will return shortly, and we need to fill in Saber,” Carlyle said.

 

Sabryn and Carlyle turned together and made their way down the hall as they talked. Bronwyn couldn’t help but notice that she and Elias still had their fingers linked. She started walking, and he fell into step beside her.