Shoulder the Skye (Skye Druids #2)(68)
Author: Donna Grant
“I don’t have a good feeling about this,” Bronwyn whispered.
Elias leaned against the front of the vehicle. “I try no’ to think about it. There are too many factors at play in any battle. You think you know what to expect, but there are always surprises. You heard us calling out different scenarios to prepare, but we couldna think of everything. No one is ever fully prepared. It’s the ability to shift course quickly that is the answer.”
“How many of these battles have you been in?”
“More than I like to admit.” His breath billowed from his mouth in a white puff. “What you need to remember is that you’re no’ alone. We know what we’re doing. Doona separate from us. We have each other’s backs.”
Bronwyn nodded. “Though I hate to admit it, I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me, too.”
The night was cold and quiet. Elias had spent so much time in cities over the past years that he had forgotten how much he loved the peace of the countryside.
“Did you miss Skye?” Bronwyn asked.
He glanced over to find her gaze on him. “Nearly as much as I missed my family.”
“Our community likes to talk about how much more powerful we are than other Druids, but have you noticed that we pay for it with unspeakable horrors? Look at what happened to your family. Mine. And there are others, I know it. They’re just keeping things secret as we both did.”
He nodded and saw her shiver. “You’re probably right. Tragedy strikes everyone, but when you add magic into the mix, the stakes rise significantly.”
“Sometimes I wonder if we should have magic. There was a point in history when Druids were revered and trusted. Now, we keep ourselves secret. We’ve gotten so good at hiding who we are that people with Druid heritage aren’t even aware of it. Then there are those like Sydney who use their magic to harm others and expand their material things.”
“It wouldna matter if Sydney did or didna have magic. He would always be the way he is.”
“Maybe, but I know magic made it easier for him.”
Elias scanned the open area and the tree line beyond. “Speaking of the wanker, he should be here by now.”
Bronwyn pulled out her phone and looked at the time. “Any second now.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Kerry had never minded the cold. In fact, she enjoyed it. While others huddled beneath blankets before a hearth, she stood in the moonlight. Of course, that had always been done in the privacy of her home.
Except for tonight as she waited for the upcoming showdown.
She parked as close to Carwood Manor as she dared. Her knees weren’t what they used to be, which meant she couldn’t walk long distances. The mist, however, was ever eager to do as she wanted. It had spread itself across the entire twenty-six-acre estate, waiting and watching.
While the mist was hers to control, it couldn’t communicate with her. She solved that by telling it to look for Sydney Russell and his cohorts. Bronwyn would be wherever Sydney was. So, she waited and gazed at the millions of stars above.
Thick clouds that blocked out portions of the sky mingled with thin, delicate wisps that made the moon look milky as they slid past. The air was damp with the promise of rain. It was a beautiful night. Unfortunately, for some, it would end in their deaths. There was only one Kerry was intent on ensuring lived. Anyone else who got in her way would be dealt with swiftly.
The longer time dragged on without a word from the mist, the more concerned Kerry became. The battle was set for tonight. So where was Sydney?
She tapped her nail on the car and was about to call the mist when she spotted a tiny cloud of it speeding toward her. It coalesced into a writhing ball of moving vapors before stilling to hang in midair.
“Sydney has arrived?” she asked.
The mist moved up and down as if nodding.
“Good. Take me to him,” she commanded.
The mist remained at the front of her vehicle. Once she was inside with the engine started, the mist moved away. She followed as it led her down the road and then onto the estate’s main drive. Kerry turned off her headlights but left the fog lights on. It allowed her to see the mist but not alert others of her arrival.
Kerry drove down the long, winding drive at a slow pace until the mist veered off to the left. She continued following it until it stopped behind what had once been a large garden. The remnants of a tree, the thick, twisting branches of dead roses, and tall hedges hid her well enough as she parked.
She exited the vehicle and moved around the bushes to see the manor farther down the drive. Standing in front of the impressive house were four individuals attempting to get into the building.
Kerry started toward the manor while keeping to the shadows. The four were intent on the house, though they scanned the area around them often enough that they were clearly worried about being discovered.
“Hurry the fuck up!” a man shouted. “Bronwyn will realize why I’m no’ in the clearing soon.”
So, that must be Sydney. Tall, thin, with a horrible haircut and dreadful taste in clothing. She didn’t know what Bronwyn had seen in him, but that didn’t matter. He wanted inside the manor. What could be within its grand walls that meant so much to him?
Kerry turned her head toward the mist. “Return to the others.” Then she lifted her face to the sky. “Hear me, mist. Your master beckons you.”
She sidled closer to the manor. The huge tree she hid behind would be the last bit of protection between her and the house. It was a good place to hide and wait for Bronwyn, because Kerry knew she would come.
The four attempted to break down the door. They tried to bust various windows. They even endeavored to pick the lock. But everything they did ended in defeat.
“Clever girl,” Kerry murmured, impressed with Bronwyn.
“Something’s wrong,” Bronwyn murmured as the unease in the pit of her stomach intensified.
Elias nodded. “I agree. He’s fifteen minutes late.”
Bronwyn turned toward the manor as if something were pulling her attention there. “He wouldn’t dare.”
“Get in the vehicle,” Elias urged as he gave her a small push.