Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
“You’re quiet.”
Mason’s words jerked Rowen out of her thoughts. She glanced at him as he drove them to the cottage. “I think my brain is about to explode with everything I just learned.”
“Yeah.” He paused. “I had no idea that Ferne and the others had been going through all of that.”
All of that had been over four hours of stories from the group, detailing their encounters with the evil and subsequent—as well as hard-earned—victories.
Some had been more than too close for comfort.
But a win was a win, she supposed. Not to mention, they were all still alive.
That said something about their loyalty to each other and their determination to win.
She stared out at the stars, more visible on Skye than anywhere she had been before. “They walk around as if nothing is happening. I think I’d be curled up in the fetal position had I endured a single battle. How are they getting through each day?”
“I think you’d be better than you think. I’ve seen you in stressful situations, remember?”
“Maybe.” Rowen sighed. “I know you said they were fighting evil, I guess… Well, I guess I thought you meant a person.”
His voice cracked, rough with regret. “If I’d known Ferne was here, fighting, bleeding, and standing between our world and the darkness trying to rip through it, I never would’ve stayed away for as long as I did.
If I hadn’t been so obsessed with London and Thomas, we would’ve talked, and she would’ve told me everything. ”
“You’re here now. That’s what matters.”
“I hope to hell you’re right.”
Rowen bit the side of her lip. “How do they stay in the manor after the monster in The Grey almost tore through dimensions to reach them?”
“Don’t forget Finn’s new tattoos, courtesy of something on the other side.”
Her lips twisted. The Irishman had lifted the hems of his jeans to show his lower legs and the dark marks winding around them, that supposedly went all the way up to his hips. Something like that didn’t happen by accident. She shivered, wondering what the tattoos meant.
“They stay because they believe it’s safe,” he added.
“The monster could get out at any time.”
“The house is containing it. Plus, everyone there added wards to give the manor a boost.”
“That’s enough for now, but what if it stops working?”
Mason shot her a quick look. “Then the monster will be out in our world.”
“That’s a disturbing thought. Did you see Kirsi’s face when they were talking about the beast?”
“Which one was Kirsi?”
Rowen tugged at the seat belt that ran over her shoulder to keep it away from her neck. “She was the only one who didn’t speak. She’s in her early twenties. Pretty. Light brown hair and striking pale green eyes.”
“Ah. I think I remember her. Is she the one Callum hovered around?”
“Yep, that’s her. Her face went white, especially when Callum spoke about being in The Grey. For a second there, I thought she might faint or vomit.”
Mason pulled to a stop in front of the cottage and shut off the engine. “I saw that. She was terrified.”
“Everyone who went into The Grey is scared. Some hid it better than others, but it was there if you looked for it. And I looked for it.”
Mason turned his head to her. “You wanted to know about Skye and the Druids who call it home, but if it’s too much, I can get you on a plane first thing in the morning.”
She considered his offer to return home for a long minute. This was her chance to leave. She could argue that none of this was her fight, but it would be a lie. The Skye Druids were being targeted because of their strength. If they fell, everyone else would follow.
She met his gaze. “Thank you for the offer, but I’d like to stay.”
“Rowen—”
“I want to help. I’m aware of the dangers. It isn’t just London or the Edinburgh Druids. There’s Edie, Parker, as well as the evil. For whatever reason, I was meant to be here, and that means I’m meant to contribute somehow.”
He searched her face in the shadows of the car before dipping his head. “All right. If you change your mind, all you have to do is say the word.”
“I will,” she promised.
They opened their doors at the same time. Her gaze was pulled toward the stunning sky that was a cross between onyx and indigo, as if neither shade would allow the other to fully take control. She could stand out there and gaze at the moon and stars for hours.
“While this monster is something to be worried about, I’m more concerned about Elodie and Elias’s sister, Edie,” Mason said. “They know she’s working with some other kind of evil. Regardless of whether it’s connected to The Grey, she’s a threat that’s right here, and she can be stopped.”
“I agree with that.”
It was the jiggle of keys that shifted her attention. She walked to the cottage door just as Mason opened it.
“We should probably put up some wards ourselves,” he said as he held the door for her.
Rowen nodded absently while walking past. Then she turned and faced him.
It was time she got to the truth. “You’ve made a few proposals to pay for me to get home.
Most people don’t do that unless they have money.
Then there was the mention of an estate, as well as your parents owning their own plane. And something about a title.”
“Ah. Yes,” he murmured with a slight frown before shutting and bolting the door. He faced her and shrugged. “I’ve not purposefully kept it from you. There just hasn’t been a right time to say it.”
“To say what, exactly?”
“My official title is Earl of Brannelly.”
Her eyes widened as she gaped at him. “An earl? Like…a real earl?”
“I am,” he replied with a slight hesitation.
“You’re nobility.” Even she heard the shock in her voice.
“I wasn’t sure Americans knew about that.”
“Oh, we know. Hard not to follow along with the royal family. Also, shows and books.”
He swallowed. “My title doesn’t change anything.”
“I think many people would disagree with that statement.”
“I’m still the man you saved.”
She smiled, staring into those beautiful, stormy gray eyes. It was obvious by the way his brow had furrowed that it was important to him that she recognize the man, not the title or the wealth. So, she answered honestly, “I know.”
“Good.” His shoulders dropped as the tension eased from him. “Would you like some tea?”
“Some kind of herbal sounds good.”
Mason chuckled as he headed toward the kitchen. “Ariah gave us a little of everything. I don’t know which has magic and which doesn’t, though.”
“I hope they all do.” Rowen followed a couple of steps behind him.
She took one of the stools at the island as he filled the kettle.
Her gaze lingered on the breadth and width of his shoulders—shoulders she had wiped down not that long ago.
“This might be out of line, but can I ask about your tattoos? They’re gorgeous. ”
He glanced at her as he turned off the tap, put the kettle on the warmer, and pushed a button.
“I said earlier that you can ask me anything.” He faced her then.
“When I said I took precautions, I took every one I could. It wasn’t just keeping things from others, or getting the storage units ready, it was the tattoos, as well. ”
The sound of the water heating in the electric kettle filled the kitchen. She leaned her forearms on the island, eager to hear more.
Mason touched his right shoulder. “The triskele represents the cycle of life, death, and rebirth and provides protection across timelines. I was being cautious,” he replied at her raised brows.
“The band of Celtic knotwork that unfurls from it deliberately flows and loops in on itself, and the ogham runes in the knotwork are used for misdirection. There is also the warding sigil at my elbow. Taken together, the tats mean that anyone trying to track me by magic will find themselves caught in a mental loop as if walking in endless circles.” He paused and touched his left shoulder.
“Here, I put the Celtic hound with its mouth closed mid-leap, representing silent guardianship and loyalty. The band of interlocking shields down to my elbow has knot-formed sigils within the spiral lines that appear like closed eyes if you look closely enough. They represent secrets kept. Lastly is the binding knot on this elbow, meant to contain energy—mine and that of others trying to touch mine. All of them mute my magical signature. No scrying spell will detect anything where I stand. As if I’m not there at all. ”
“That’s very impressive. It also took some thought.”
“Not really. Dad came up with most of it. He was considering it for himself, but he never got around to getting them done. I took what he had put together, added a few things, and had both arms done at the same time.”
The water beeped that it was done. He took down several packets of tea for her to choose from.
She picked one and dished out some loose-leaf tea into a holder as he poured water into cups. “I’m glad you went to the effort, knowing what I know now about Thomas and London. Speaking of Thomas, can he take your title?”
“Fortunately, that is out of his reach. If something happens to me, it’ll pass to Ferne’s children. If she doesn’t have any, there are cousins it will go to.”
Rowen was happy to hear that, at least. “I thought that might be why he was so adamant about ending your life.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s because I stuck my nose where he doesn’t think it belongs,” Mason said with a grin.
“I think more people should do that to him,” she mumbled. Rowen hadn’t met Thomas, but she already abhorred the man. “There are many moving parts going on here at Skye. Where do we even begin to help?”
“I’ve been considering that. I thought I’d lend a hand looking for Edie. What are you thinking?”