Chapter 40
Chapter Forty
It hadn’t been difficult to tell Mason what had transpired, but that wasn’t the case now, sitting in the manor’s kitchen.
Rowen was extremely aware that Edie’s siblings were listening to every word.
Elodie’s shoulders were hunched, and her face had drained of all color.
Elias’s hands were clenched so tightly his knuckles had turned white, and his lips were compressed into a tight line as fury emanated from him.
The rest of the room showed various reactions, ranging from shock to anger.
The only one who didn’t seem surprised was Balladyn.
The Reaper withheld all emotion. As someone who was several thousand years old, Rowen could only imagine the things he had witnessed from the Fae as well as humans. Perhaps nothing astonished him anymore.
“She waited until Rowen was alone,” Theo said, breaking the silence that had fallen with Rowen’s last word.
Mason nodded slowly. “That was the first thing I said, too. She’s been watching Rowen.”
“To know exactly when she would be alone,” Ariah said.
Callum leaned back in his chair. “How many others are watching the rest of us?”
“It doesn’t matter. It changes nothing,” Rhona stated.
Rowen had been thinking a lot about her encounter with Edie and what the next steps could be. She had no intention of joining the woman, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t use the evil’s intent in her favor. “Why don’t we use Edie’s interest in me to draw her out?”
All eyes swung to her, but it was Mason’s gray gaze she met. She saw the trepidation there, the fear.
“You want to use yourself as bait?” Balladyn asked.
Rowen looked at the Reaper and found approval in his eyes. “You’ve been after her for some time now. Sabryn nearly got her, but I can draw her in, let us get closer.”
“She’ll be expecting something,” Elias cautioned. “She might be off her fucking head, but she has added power, just as Kerry did. I also need to point out that while Kerry was addicted to the authority she commanded, Edie isna. She’s bought into this shite from the false Ancients completely.”
Killian sighed. “Can we save her? Perhaps prove that she’s been deceived?”
“Nay,” Elodie and Elias replied in unison.
Elodie licked her lips, swallowing hard. “The Edie walking around now isn’t my sister. Edie loved her children more than anything. She never would have left them. Never.”
“What about Trevor?” Kirsi asked.
Elias and Elodie exchanged glances before Elias said, “That cheating son of a bitch deserved for Edie to take him for all he was worth in a divorce, but the fact that he’s missing is concerning.
If you had asked me two months ago if Edie would ever harm anyone, I would’ve emphatically said nay.
I believe this new Edie is more than capable of taking another’s life.
We all saw her fighting Sabryn and Kurt. ”
“We doona know if she has help either,” Scott pointed out.
Finn snorted and hooked one arm around the back of his chair. “Setting a trap could backfire on us.”
“It’s worth it, though,” Willa said. “It put a cramp on things when Kerry was captured. We can do the same with Edie.”
Filip made a derisive sound. “Really? Look how that turned out with Kerry.”
“Then we do things differently this go-round,” Kurt replied.
Sabryn shook her head. “Kerry was exactly where she needed to be. That’s the only place Edie can go. We can’t do anything differently.”
“I think everyone is forgetting one thing,” Song said.
Carlyle’s brow was furrowed as he turned to her. “What’s that?”
“There is only one person who gets to decide if this moves forward.” Song swiveled her head to Rowen. “The one standing as bait.”
Rhona blew out a breath. “Song’s right. You suggested this, Rowen. We’ll figure out a way to make it work if this is truly something you want to do, but I want to point out that I’m unsure about going through with it.”
“Even if we do, I think Rowen should be able to back out at any time,” Mason added.
Rhona nodded in agreement. “Of course. If she feels something is off or changes her mind, then all she has to do is say the word.”
Rowen had the insane urge to reach for Mason, just to feel his sturdiness, his strength. She had never been the kind of person who needed others’ strength, but this wasn’t any ordinary situation or decision. A myriad of things could go wrong, ending in her getting hurt or worse—dying.
“You don’t have to do this,” Sabryn said.
Rowen’s stomach roiled viciously, making her wish she hadn’t eaten so much.
Or drank that last cup of tea. “While I’ve never believed things are predetermined before we are born, I do think I was brought to London to meet Mason in order for me to be here, right now.
I tend to avoid confrontation. I can—and do—stand up for myself, but what I’m trying to say is that I know nothing about battle or using magic in battle.
I chose to stand with all of you, and I will fight these false Ancients.
But this is a prime opportunity. For some reason, they want me.
And if I can use that to give us an advantage, then I’m going to do it. ”
“Only a warrior would say such words,” Balladyn replied.
Rowen was pretty sure he’d said that just to make her feel better. “I’m not a warrior.”
“Don’t sell yourself short,” Finn said. “It takes some serious stones to do what you’re offering.”
Elias flexed his hands and gave a slight shake of his head. “Edie has to be stopped. I know we said we’d let her be since we knew she was working with the evil, but now I think that wasna a wise choice.”
“It was the best decision at the time,” Rhona said.
“Things have changed, which means we alter our plans to compensate for that. The oppressive evil over Skye is steadily growing. I don’t know how much time we have before the ultimate showdown arrives.
We’ve had some success, but I’d like to give us a leg up on our enemy. ”
“Enemies,” Mason corrected. “Don’t ever forget about London.”
“Or Edinburgh,” Scott added.
The sheer amount of stress on Rhona’s shoulders made Rowen doubly glad she wasn’t in her position. How were they supposed to triumph over so many enemies? Could they even do it?
And at what cost?
Carlyle put his elbows on the table. “Thomas worked hard to get someone from Rowen’s group to London.
He’s likely doing it with others to build up the London Druids.
Not only did Rowen get away, but she also helped Mason.
Thomas won’t let that slide. He’s methodical.
He might not hit now, but he will very soon. ”
“Not with his own Druids. He’ll outsource it, and I’ve a feeling Parker is helping with that now that he leads Edinburgh,” Kurt said.
Mason set aside his empty cup. “Then use me as bait for Thomas.”
“One trap at a time, please,” Rhona said as she held up her hands when the room erupted in response.
Rowen was aghast that Mason would want to do such a thing. Dozens of words came to mind to convince him to change his mind. Then she considered what she wanted to do. How could she ask him not to put his life in danger when she was intending to do the same?
“Parker will return to Skye,” Sabryn stated. “It’s just a matter of time. As far as we know, he still thinks Kurt is dead.”
“That won’t last long. Especially if Parker has indeed taken over Edinburgh as we suspect,” Kurt replied.
Finn twisted his lips. “We need to get ahead of at least one of our foes. Defending against all of them will only bring us down. We’re spread too thin.”
“We could ask the MacLeod Druids,” Bronwyn offered.
Rowen perked up at the mention of more Druids. She was hoping to learn more about them, but that was quickly squelched.
“This isn’t their fight,” Rhona said.
Balladyn shrugged from behind her. “Maybe it should be. They have strong roots here. So do the Druids at Dreagan.”
Rowen tried to keep up with it all. There were obviously groups she didn’t know about, and by the confusion on Mason’s face, he didn’t either.
Rhona turned in her chair to look at Balladyn. “You’re serious.”
“This is an attack on Skye, sure, but it’s also an attack on the Skye Druids. You welcomed Mason, Rowen, and others to join the fight. Why not them?”
“Because we would be asking them.”
Balladyn took her hand in his and squatted down beside her. “They can refuse.”
“They won’t.”
“Nay, they won’t. Because they understand the significance.”
Rhona went silent for a long moment.
“I’d also like to remind you that another Reaper is mated to a Skye Druid,” Balladyn added.
Rhona’s frown deepened. “Do you think Erith would allow Sorcha to return?”
Balladyn shrugged. “There’s only one way to find out.”
Rowen swung her head to Mason and lifted her brows, hoping he knew who Erith was. He gave a small shrug and shook his head.
“The MacLeod Druids are allies,” Ferne explained to Rowen and Mason. “They, along with their immortal mates, live in an area of the Highlands hidden from outsiders. Some of the Druids there are hundreds of years old and very powerful.”
Mason grunted. “And Dreagan? You aren’t talking about Dreagan whisky, are you?”
“The verra same,” Scott replied with a grin. “Dreagan is Gaelic for dragon.”
Rowen looked at Scott. “What does that mean?”
“It means it’s home to the Dragon Kings,” Elodie told them.
Mason jerked back at the news as if slapped. “You’re serious.”
“Dragons?” Rowen murmured, afraid she hadn’t heard correctly.
Theo tapped a finger on the table as he glanced at Rhona. “The dragons once ruled this world. It’s a verra long story, and we’ll share it.”
Rhona and Balladyn stared at each other during the exchange.
Finally, she released a long sigh and looked at everyone in the room.
“Some of us were born here and grew up learning the past and about the great battle that returns again and again. We never expected it would fall to us, but I doubt any of the others who fought in the past thought differently. Each of you is here because you want to be. No one coerced or forced you. You’re here because of family or love or friendship, and you’ve stayed, fighting with everything you have. ”
She paused and swallowed. “There have been injuries. A couple of attacks that nearly took one of us off the playing field. It’s been our unity and devotion, not just to each other but to vanquishing that which wants to end us, that has kept us moving forward and overcoming every obstacle placed before us.
We were taught that the Skye Druids won in the past. And it was made to seem as if they did it on their own.
But we can’t know for sure. It never felt right asking others to join our fight.
But,” she said, drawing out the word as she glanced at Balladyn, “this isn’t just a fight for the Skye Druids.
It’s a fight for Druids everywhere. And we won’t win if we don’t know when to ask for help. ”
Balladyn smiled and kissed Rhona before straightening. “I’ll speak to the others.”
“The sooner, the better.” Rhona looked at the rest of them. “We need to formulate a plan for Edie’s capture.”
The energy in the room was electric as the others smiled, eager for this next step in the war. Rowen’s heart clutched painfully. It didn’t matter if the evil talking to Edie wasn’t the Ancients. It was still formidable. And none of them could forget that.
Sabryn called to Rowen. “The one thing I know about Edie is that she’ll come at you in ways you least expect.”
Kurt nodded. “Her magic is potent. Don’t fight her alone.”
“Rowen won’t be alone,” Mason stated.