Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Well?” Rowen asked as she reached him, her blue eyes searching his face. “How did it go?”
He took the time to look her over quickly, as well. Her bright smile as she rushed to him had made his heart clench excitedly. “It went as well as it could have.”
“Billings is okay, then?”
Mason nodded and turned toward the house. They fell into step, walking slowly. “I feel a huge relief in knowing he is unharmed. I was able to speak to him privately.”
“You appear as if a large weight has been taken off you.”
“It feels as though it has.”
She briefly looked away toward the house. “I’m glad to hear it. Does that mean London wasn’t there?”
“Oh, they’re there. As a matter of fact, Billings suspects at least one of the staff members is working for London.”
“I hope he’s going to ferret out who it is.”
Mason chuckled and clasped his hands behind his back. “He will. I have no doubt. Billings will be careful. He knows the stakes.”
“What about Kurt and his cameras?”
“Balladyn took him around, and they got them placed all over the house. Kurt even figured out a way to tap into London’s surveillance, so we’re listening to them listen to calls made to the estate.”
“That’s all great news. Tell me, how was teleporting?” she asked, cutting her eyes to him as she smiled.
He grimaced. “I confess, it took me by surprise. I should’ve asked how we were getting to London. I had a moment of concern when we stood in that circle, but there was no time to comment on it. One moment, I was on Skye, and the next, in my bedroom in England. The second time was much easier.”
She laughed, the sound light and full of life. “It was a shock to see you all vanish.”
They strolled for a few steps in companionable silence.
The air was thick with the promise of rain, saturated with the earthy tang of damp soil.
Layers of clouds covered each other, some moving fast, others taking their time to gradually skate across the sky.
He had taken many strolls before, but this one hit differently. And he knew why.
Mason looked at Rowen. He had been about to ask what she had been doing when he saw her puckered forehead. Immediately, he wondered if someone had been unkind. “Was everything good here?”
“Of course,” she replied, smiling as she met his gaze. “You weren’t gone that long.”
They reached the back door. He held it open for her and then followed her inside.
There was more he wanted to say since he wasn’t completely convinced, but he decided to wait until they were at the cottage.
He couldn’t imagine anyone being rude to her, but he also couldn’t shake the notion that something had happened.
Just as they rounded the corner, he caught sight of Sabryn—or rather the concern lining Sabryn’s face as she watched Rowen. It confirmed his suspicions.
“Everyone is in the library,” Sabryn told them as she headed in that direction.
Mason caught up with Rowen. She glanced at him, and to his relief, he saw no sadness, fear, or anger. Maybe he had misinterpreted things. With all that was happening, he might be looking for things that weren’t there.
Elias straightened from stirring the fire in the hearth.
Balladyn was with Rhona, the two sharing a quiet word together near the window.
The sofa was taken, as were both chairs.
The rest of their group stood so everyone could see everyone else.
It was apparent that they had gathered in here before, given the way everyone had their positions.
There was something comforting about the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, the tall windows, and the fire’s glow.
Mason’s parents had passed on their love of books to both him and Ferne.
Anytime he needed to look for Ferne, he always searched their library first. He had sent the crates of books to her in an attempt to mollify her anger when he pushed her away.
He knew it for the poor attempt it was. He had only just learned that Ferne intended to open a bookstore on the isle, and he couldn’t wait to see it.
Rhona stepped forward, getting everyone’s attention and ending the conversations.
“I know we’re missing some of our group, but I don’t expect Kirsi for a while.
Speaking of her, the funeral is tomorrow.
We need to be vigilant. I don’t think anything will happen, but I also don’t want to let our guard down. ”
Balladyn stood behind Rhona, his voice calm and resolute. “I’ll be there veiled. If someone means to start trouble, I aim to catch it before it escalates.”
“Doona forget about the news article. The stranger draws in the stranger,” Elias stated.
Theo’s expression hardened. “I’ve already spoken with Chief Superintendent Boyd. She granted my request to have plainclothes officers at the funeral. Just in case.”
“You think the press will actually show up?” Willa asked dubiously.
Scott let out a dry snort. “I wouldna put it past them.”
“There has been some chatter about the funeral,” Kurt pointed out as he propped his hip on the arm of the sofa and pulled his laptop out of his bag.
He clicked a few keys. “A few more articles have come out. Some claiming they know Druids. Others debating our existence.” He looked up from the screen.
“I agree with Theo. We need to be prepared, just in case. We wouldn’t want the funeral to become a spectacle. ”
Sabryn nodded. “Don’t forget that Parker is still out there. It would be just like him to show up with more Edinburgh Druids.”
“I was unaware that someone had passed. Whose funeral is it?” Rowen asked, her voice soft with respect.
Killian spoke up. “Nora, Kirsi’s mother.”
“Was she attacked?” Mason asked.
Ferne shook her head. “She was ill. I should’ve told you today. It slipped my mind. Sorry.”
Mason waved away her words. He hadn’t thought to pack a suit.
Hopefully, he would be able to borrow something from one of the other guys.
He glanced at Rowen to see her furrowed brow as she sidled closer to him, and the conversation turned to the trip.
Kurt explained where he’d set up the cameras at Mason’s house.
She leaned toward him and whispered, “I don’t have anything to wear.”
“Me, neither. We’ll sort it out,” he said in a low voice.
Ferne tilted forward on the chair to catch Mason’s gaze when Kurt finished. “Did you talk to Billings?”
“Indeed,” Mason answered. “Billings, being Billings, he had planned for such an event and kept things running. He confirmed that at least one among the staff is a spy.”
Ferne’s lips flattened. “I expected that, but I still don’t like it. He knows to be discreet about discovering who it is, yes?”
Mason dipped his head. “Billings can’t be anything but discreet.”
His sister grinned and eased back in the chair.
“Um…” Kurt murmured, his brow wrinkling as he scanned his laptop screen.
He looked up, disbelief and alarm etched in his features.
“I tagged a few names to send an alert if there was any mention of them in the press, from the police, etcetera.” He nodded toward Carlyle.
“Thomas is one. Parker is another. I also did one for George.”
Rhona stiffened slightly. “Let me guess. She gave an interview on the article about us.”
Kurt ran a hand over his mouth and jaw. “Actually, she’s dead.”
The room went silent as everyone digested the information.
“George?” Rowen mouthed as she looked at him in confusion.
Mason put his mouth next to Rowen’s ear and said, “Georgina Miller, who goes by George.”
“Oh, right. She was in charge of the Edinburgh Druids,” Rowen said.
Filip was the one who finally asked, “How did she die?”
“Does it matter?” Scott asked, his voice angry and hard.
Jasper dipped his chin to Scott. “I agree. I really doona care after what she’s done to us.”
“I want to know,” Elias said. “After all, she made it her mission to kill me.”
Kurt balanced the laptop on one hand and used his other to scroll to a page.
Then he began to read. “Police have launched a murder investigation after the body of a woman was found in a commercial warehouse in the Leith area early Tuesday morning. The deceased has been identified as Georgina Miller, whose body was discovered on the premises. Emergency services responded to the call shortly after one a.m. Ms. Miller was pronounced dead at the scene. According to authorities, she suffered a fatal wound to the throat. No suspects have been identified, and no arrests have been made. A spokesperson for Police Scotland said they are treating the death as suspicious. They urge anyone who may have seen or heard anything in the area to contact them.”
“She had her throat sliced?” Ferne asked in astonishment.
Rhona looked stunned at the information. “It appears so.”
“She pissed off a lot of people. If she was attempting to work with Beth to get the book, then…” Bronwyn’s voice trailed off as she shrugged.
Kurt closed the computer and set it aside. “It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that Parker was involved somehow. I’m running facial recognition around the area, starting an hour before and leading up to George’s murder, to see what I find.”
“And if you find something?” Elodie asked. “Will you send it to the police?”
All eyes were on Kurt as he considered the question. “I will.”
“Keep us updated,” Rhona urged. Then she sighed as she looked around the room.
“I know we all wish for a break where we can forget about London, Edinburgh, and the ever-present darkness that’s steadily growing over the isle, but we can’t.
Not when we’re at home settling in for the night, not at the funeral.
Not anytime. The moment we let our guards down is when one of our enemies will strike. ”
Balladyn put a hand on her shoulder as he moved closer to her. “We’ve been successful against our enemies despite always being one step behind. Being on the defensive is not where I like to be, but we’ve not been able to play it any other way. Yet.”
Rhona briefly met his gaze before covering his hand with hers. “Each time we face one of our foes, the stakes get higher. We have two of the three pillars. Things will only get more intense.”
“Kirsi isna up to fighting the evil,” Callum stated from his spot against the far wall. He had his arms crossed over his chest, his shoulder-length caramel locks pulled back in a queue at the base of his neck. “She wasna before, and she certainly willna be now that her mum’s gone.”
Ariah shot him a look filled with sadness. “None of us is ever ready for such things, but we have to do what we have to do.”
Callum shook his head. “You doona understand.”
“We’ll talk to her,” Willa promised. “She’s going to need all of us more than ever.”
Elodie nodded. “And we’ll all keep an eye on her.”
Mason noted that Callum didn’t look convinced. Killian seemed to realize that, too. “What if Kirsi doesn’t fight the evil?” Mason asked.
Ferne made a sound at the back of her throat. “Then everything we’ve done has been for nothing.”
“How is that possible?” Rowen asked. “If you find all the pillars, doesn’t that count for something? What about Balladyn since he’s the Warden of Skye? What about the rest of the Druids on Skye? It can’t all be up to Kirsi.”
Rhona pulled a face. “I’m afraid it is. What’s happening now is a cycle that dates back as far as Druids have recorded history.
There’s no rhyme or reason for when things begin to occur, but there is always something from another dimension that wants to break through to ours.
There have always been three pillars who help safeguard Skye, but there is one Druid who must face the evil head-on. ”
“That’s messed up,” Rowen mumbled.
Mason nodded in agreement. “It’s too much for any one person to shoulder.”
“They’ve done it in the past,” Filip replied.
Jasper said, “That doesna mean it will happen every time. Hence why this battle plays out again and again over the millennia.”
“We can no’ force Kirsi to do anything,” Killian said.
Ferne’s face twisted with regret. “Maybe I shouldn’t have told her that it was her I saw.”
“It was better for us to know who it was so they could prepare.” Rhona scratched her jaw. “But I, too, am worried about Kirsi. She’s becoming more and more withdrawn the closer it gets to the final battle.”
Mason was playing catch-up with all of this, so he might have missed something. “Is there a set date for when this battle takes place? How do we know it won’t continue for months or years?”
“There isn’t a date,” Rhona answered. “I have no idea when any of it will happen. It’s just a feeling.”
Bronwyn nodded solemnly. “It grows each time we triumph over an enemy.”
“As if they’re becoming desperate and angrier,” Finn murmured.
Mason exchanged a worried look with Rowen before asking, “Can the big battle take place before the third pillar is found?”
“I don’t remember anything about that,” Bronwyn said as she looked at Elodie and Rhona.
Rhona shook her head. “Me, neither.”
“I have a vague recollection about the pillars coming first, but that could be wishful thinking,” Elodie said
Callum shook his head in exasperation. “Fuck me. Are you saying there’s a chance this battle could happen right after the funeral?”
“Or during,” Balladyn added.
Callum ran a hand down his weary face and shook his head again.
“Sounds like we need to focus on the third pillar. How do we find this person?” Rowen asked. “Surely, there have to be water dancers on Skye. Can’t you test them?”
Rhona flashed a tired smile. “My deputies have already put out a call for water dancers. If we’re lucky, the pillar will be a Skye Druid.”
“Ariah was, but I wasn’t,” Sabryn pointed out.
Mason wasn’t surprised when Ferne suddenly jerked her head to him, her eyes wide with excitement. He knew what she was thinking, but he shook his head. It wasn’t him. Whatever abilities he’d had with water ended when he was just a boy. And they hadn’t returned.