Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
The sky was still gray when Mason grudgingly extracted his body from Rowen’s.
They had spent hours exploring each other, and she had finally fallen asleep a few minutes ago.
He considered remaining next to her and finding sleep himself, but he couldn’t.
There was a big difference between having sex with someone and sleeping with them.
It was a level of intimacy he greatly wished for, but one that would be harder to get over.
Not that he would ever be able to forget the feel of having her in his arms, their skin slick with sweat, gliding against each other, or the sounds of their bodies slapping together as they each feverishly reached for release.
Those memories would be difficult to bear, but he wouldn’t survive knowing what it was like to fall asleep with her warm softness against his and know he’d never have it again.
It was a small way of protecting a corner of his heart. He had known Rowen was different, and that she would leave a lasting mark on him. Though he hadn’t expected just how deep that mark would be.
Even if he had, he wouldn’t have changed anything.
He gently covered her with a blanket and quietly picked up the remnants of their food. Their sessions were as wild and carnal as they were long, and they had both needed to refuel often. He smiled down at her. The image of her body flushed with pleasure would be forever stamped in his mind.
Mason entered the kitchen and paused beside the sink to set the dishes aside.
He looked out the window to the area where Edie had approached Rowen.
He was deeply troubled about Edie’s visit as well as the conversation between the women.
No one knew if whoever Kerry and Edie worked for was the same evil that hovered over the isle, though everyone suspected it was.
The real question was, was it the same as The Grey and the monster within?
He braced his hands on the edge of the sink. The evil had created a killing mist and had given Kerry control over it. That same malevolence had gotten through Rhona’s and Balladyn’s magic in the Druid prison to obliterate Kerry. What could anyone on Skye have that would keep it away from Rowen?
Not a bloody thing.
There wasn’t much time to come up with a plan, either. His gaze dropped to the faucet, thinking about the way he had once been able to move water. He turned on the tap and watched the water pour out as he extended his hand. If he were a water dancer, he would hear it, and he had never heard it.
Skye needed its water pillar, and he would be happy to fill that role.
Then all three pillars would be in place, and it would give the isle an extra layer of protection.
Plus, if he were the third pillar, maybe it would unlock something that gave him what he needed to keep Edie and the evil away from Rowen.
All he had to do was find the ability that had been lost to him.
Mason let his magic pool in his palm and attempted to use it to move the water. There was a chance he had been too young to understand what was happening, but he didn’t buy that either. Yet no matter how long he sat there trying to link with it, nothing happened.
Maybe he couldn’t hear the water, but it understood him. After all, he hadn’t been the only one to see that he could move it. His parents had witnessed it several times. It hadn’t been some wild dream or delusion that he had made up. He had actually done it. And right now, he needed to do it again.
He reached out with his mind then, picturing the water turning at a ninety-degree angle.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the water shifted slightly.
A bright smile spread over his lips. Mason adjusted his footing and focused again.
Skye needed him. The Druids needed him. Rowen needed protection. He could do this.
He would do it.
Mason kept the same picture in his head and poured his magic through his fingers. He strained, calling to his magic as he stared at the water, waiting for it to move again. When nothing happened, he changed the image in his mind and tried again. And again. And again. To no avail.
He braced his hands on the sink and hung his head. Skye could have its third pillar if he could just break through whatever kept him from reaching the water. He’d failed his parents, neglected to keep his staff safe, and he feared he wouldn’t be able to protect Rowen.
“What are you doing?”
His head jerked up at the sound of her voice. He turned to find her standing behind him, the blanket wrapped around her, and a frown furrowing her brow. “Seeing if I can command water like I did as a boy. I was hoping maybe I was the water pillar.” He shrugged away his words. “Turns out, I’m not.”
“They’ll find the last pillar. They’ve done it every time they’ve faced the evil before. They’ll do it again.”
“I hope so,” he said as he shut off the tap. Then he faced her. “Did I wake you?”
She hesitated for a moment and then briefly shook her head. “I heard the voice again.”
Fear cut through him, sharp and deep. “What did it say?”
“I couldn’t make it out, but it was there.”
And he hadn’t been. Bloody fucking hell. Could he do anything right? “It’s early, but I think we need to get to the manor.”
“I agree. I’ll grab a shower.”
“I’ll ring Ferne to alert her.”
He followed Rowen down the hall until she peeled off to her room. His footsteps ate up the distance to his bedroom, where his phone lay charging. He sank onto the bed and dialed his sister.
“Are you okay?” she asked groggily, panic edging her voice.
“We’re not in immediate danger, but we’re heading to the manor shortly. Edie paid Rowen a visit yesterday.”
“What?” Ferne shouted. “What happened?”
“What’s going on?” Theo asked in the background.
“It’s Mason. We need to get to the manor,” she told him. Then her voice became stronger as she repeated, “Mas, what happened?”
He squeezed his nose with his thumb and forefinger. “It’s better if Rowen explains. It’s why we’re going to the manor, so she only has to do it once.”
“Why didn’t you call earlier?”
He heard the shifting of covers as Ferne got out of bed. That was a question the others would ask, too. And a valid one. But not one they would get the complete truth of either. “We’ve been discussing it.”
“You’ve not slept at all?”
“Rowen got about thirty minutes.”
Ferne dropped the mobile and quickly picked it back up. “We’re getting ready now. We’ll meet you over there. Should we come get you?”
“I don’t think it’s going to matter.”
“You’re not making me feel better about this.”
He winced at the fear in his sister’s voice. “We’ll be there as quickly as we can.”
Mason hung up and jumped in the shower. Within minutes, he was out and pulling on clothes. He ran a hand through his wet hair as he walked out of his room, only to jerk back when he saw Balladyn waiting in the hallway.
“Ferne called,” the Reaper said. “I’ve added another layer of protection to the cottage.”
Mason would need to thank Ferne later. “Will it be enough?”
Balladyn’s red-ringed silver eyes held his for a long moment. “I have no idea.”
Suddenly, Rowen’s door opened, and she looked out to see them. She was dressed, shoes in hand, and her hair was wrapped in a towel. “I thought I heard voices.”
“I’m here to take you to the manor,” Balladyn said.
Rowen glanced between them. “You really think something could happen as we drove?”
“I’m not taking any chances,” the Reaper answered.
Mason moved to stand beside her. “It’s not a chance we want to take either.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better,” she murmured. Then she pulled off the towel and ran back to put it in the bathroom.
The moment she walked out, Balladyn touched both of them, teleporting them to Carwood Manor.
Despite it being a little after dawn, the house was abuzz with conversation and movement.
Delicious smells wafted from the kitchen.
A flash of beige fur, then gray, rushed past him as two felines slipped through the swinging kitchen door when someone opened it.
Mason caught a glimpse of Carlyle at the stove.
“Come,” Balladyn urged.
Mason and Rowen followed him into the kitchen. She still carried her shoes and dropped them next to the wall. The kitchen was enormous, and the table was already crammed with people while Carlyle moved about happily, tending to multiple pans.
Ferne and Theo walked into the kitchen a few seconds later. Ferne wrapped her arms around Mason for a quick, tight hug before moving to Rowen. It seemed just about everyone who didn’t reside at the manor had beaten them there. Even Kirsi was in attendance this time.
Mason motioned for Rowen to take one of the last chairs while he remained standing.
The noise of conversation and cooking was so loud that his ears rang with it, yet he loved being amid such a group.
They bickered, joked, and loved like siblings.
It was a level of camaraderie he hadn’t experienced before.
He’d had something close at university, but it was a pale comparison to what surrounded him now.
Carlyle jabbed his arm with his elbow. “You good?”
“Right this moment, I am.”
His friend grinned. “I know that feeling. This is something unique and extraordinary. I’m glad your first thought was to get Rowen here.”
It was far from Mason’s first thought. He prayed that taking their night together hadn’t put her life in more danger than if he had brought her straight here the moment she’d told him.
“We’ll get it sorted,” Carlyle vowed. “You’ll see.”
He handed Mason the plate he had been holding. Mason’s stomach growled at the array of food: scrambled eggs, sausage, crumpets, and mushrooms roasted with butter and thyme.
“I hear you’re a pretty good cook,” Mason said.
Carlyle chuckled. “Give it a try and let me know.”
For the next fifteen minutes, the kitchen quieted as plates were passed around and everyone dug into the tasty spread Carlyle had provided. Mason devoured his quickly, somehow not surprised that Carlyle had found his way to such an interest.
All too soon, their meal was finished and the plates stacked next to the sink.
Once everyone had tea or coffee, the attention shifted to Rowen.
She looked his way, and he gave her a nod of encouragement.
Not that she needed it. She had an inner strength unlike anyone he had met before.
If anyone could stand against Edie and the evil, it was Rowen. He just wished she didn’t have to.
“I could say this has been blown out of proportion, but that would be a lie.” Rowen leaned her forearms on the table and lowered her gaze to her mug of tea.
“I…well, there’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll just say it.
I went for a walk around the cottage yesterday evening.
It was still light out, and I stayed within sight of the house at all times. ”
Mason decided to speak up then. “She didn’t cross any of the fences.”
No one said a word as they waited for Rowen to speak. Finally, she took a deep breath and lifted her head. “That’s when Edie approached me.”