Between Twilight

Chapter One

Finn raked his hand through his damp hair as he stepped out of the rain and into the pub. He paused for a beat to look around before nodding to the bartender and making his way to the table in the back corner. Before he even had a chance to settle in, the waitress set a glass of whisky on the table. Molly smiled, her hazel eyes crinkling at the corners. Her interest was obvious.

“It’s been a few days,” she said. “I was beginning to think you’d found a new pub.”

He flashed a smile he didn’t really feel. He’d thought coming to the pub would allow him to drink alone, but he should’ve known better. “I’ve just been busy.”

Molly looked over her shoulder when someone called her name, her wealth of blond hair moving with her. “I’ll be right over,” she answered, then turned back to him. “Do you want any food?”

“Not this time,” he replied, staring at the amber liquid as he slowly turned the glass.

Finn sighed once she walked away. His eyes burned from sorting through streams of data since dawn. He had stayed to help Kurt until the words started to blur, then joined Carlyle and Elias to train. He was both physically and mentally exhausted, but nothing lessened the pit in his stomach.

He and his friends had been battling evil on Skye for what felt like an eternity with no end in sight. They had won many skirmishes, but winning the war felt out of reach. To make matters worse, they were on the precipice of the great battle that would decide everyone’s fate. It could happen at any moment, but none of the Druids on the isle were ready. Everyone claimed they were, but it was merely a lie they told each other—and themselves.

This war had been fought many times, and each time, the Skye Druids had come out victorious. They’d had an advantage, though. The previous generations had found the Three Elements, the three pillars—speur, or air, talamh, or earth, and uisge, or water—that ran the length of the isle from the Fairy Glen in the north to the Fairy Pools in the south, helping to keep Skye safe. Currently, they knew Sabryn was the air pillar, and Ariah was the earth pillar. No one had a clue who the water pillar was, or even if they would be found.

Everyone on Skye even remotely connected to a water dancer had been tested at the Fairy Pools, but the uisge had yet to be found. The final pillar needed to take their place before the great battle. Otherwise…

Finn didn’t even want to think about the consequences. He let his eyes roam the popular pub. It was particularly loud that day. He observed a group of rowdy guys watching a football match on the telly before his gaze moved to a table where two elderly gentlemen were in deep conversation over their pints. A trio of young women was absorbed in something on their phones, ignoring the four guys who were trying to get their attention. A couple at the bar shared a meal and a bottle of wine while chatting amicably with Molly.

His gaze then landed on a woman sitting alone at a table, her attention focused out the window. He let his eyes linger on her. A post obstructed his view of half her face, but thick, glossy waves fell past her shoulder blades. At first glance, her hair looked black, but when the light hit it just right, he caught a glimpse of blue undertones.

A part of him wanted to lean to the side for a better angle, but he didn’t. A couple of months ago, he would’ve approached her. Now…well, there was no time for such things. He needed to focus completely on the upcoming battle. Though there were moments, like now, when others walked around without realizing what was going on—or what was at stake. For those few seconds, he could almost forget that he was in a live-or-die situation.

Almost.

He looked down at the tumbler of whisky and slowly turned the glass with his fingers once more. He hadn’t come to drink, not really, despite what he told himself. There was plenty of liquor at Carwood Manor. He’d come to forget, if only for a little while. Forget that the safety of everyone on the isle—and the world—rested on his and his friends’ shoulders. Forget that if he made one wrong move, one stupid decision, someone he cared about could die.

Forget that he was terrified of letting his friends down.

When they created the Knights, the four of them—Sabryn, Carlyle, Elias, and Kurt—had become the family Finn had longed for. They had traveled the world, righting wrongs done to Druids, but not once had he ever imagined it would lead him to where he was now.

Their five-person group had grown, too. Elias had fallen in love with Bronwyn, who owned Carwood Manor, and Carlyle was now with Song. Then Sabryn and Kurt had given their relationship another chance by finally confronting their past. Yet their family had expanded even beyond that.

It had been Elodie, Elias’s sister, who had originally brought the Knights to the isle. Which was how they had met Rhona, the leader of the Skye Druids, and her Fae lover, Balladyn. All in all, their group now consisted of over twenty people.

For someone who had dreamed of family, it was more than Finn could ever ask for. And that made him fear losing it all the more. But the tighter he held on, the more it felt as if it were slipping through his fingers.

Then there were the dark markings winding around both legs from his ankles to his hips, courtesy of something from The Grey. He rolled his shoulders as a shiver of apprehension ran down his spine. The Grey. An obscure name for a place that sat between dimensions and held a monster hell-bent on coming to their world.

From the moment he’d first stepped into The Grey to help find Ferne, he’d known the place wouldn’t let him go easily. They had escaped, but as he’d predicted, he hadn’t been able to completely sever the connection between him and that foul place.

Carwood Manor was a link between their world and The Grey. The monster had attempted to get out a couple of times and had nearly succeeded once. The rift was supposedly sealed now, but Finn didn’t believe it. The thing that lurked in the in-between wouldn’t be held back for long. It would try to come through again.

And Finn had been marked. There was no other word for it. And he’d yet to uncover just what the tattoos meant. Everyone was as worried as he was, though they tried not to show it. Just as he attempted to hide how disturbed he was about the entire affair.

None of them knew about the nightmares that plagued him as he relived the mist coming out of the crack in the wall and branding his legs. He hadn’t been the only one in that room that day, but he had been the only one marked. He wanted answers, but he was also petrified of what they might be.

The last time he had stood outside the room at the manor, the door handle had rattled, followed by the same roar he’d heard while in The Grey. Something inside him had reacted—sharp and immediate—like it recognized the sound before he did.

The next thing he knew, he was on the floor with Elias standing over him, yelling his name.

Everyone wanted to know what’d happened, but Finn hadn’t wanted to tell them. Mainly because he hadn’t been sure himself. And knowing that would only heighten their worry. They needed everyone for the battles to come, and if they thought, even for a second, that he wasn’t up to the task, they would sideline him. So, he lied.

To them.

And to himself.

He said what everyone wanted to hear. And they believed it. Well, most did. Elias still had doubts. Thankfully, his friend hadn’t pressed. Yet, at least.

Finn had long known that he was connected to The Grey. For a time, he had believed the tattoos were a part of that, too. They didn’t feel like The Grey, though. Didn’t move the same way beneath his skin.

While he couldn’t say who or what had branded him, one thing had become clear: They reacted. Not to him, but to something else entirely.

And the mystery only deepened with every day that passed without an end—or answers—in sight.

He tossed some money onto the table and rose, leaving his drink untouched, then strode from the pub and stopped on the pavement. The rain had tapered off to a fine mist, and the rays of the afternoon sun burst through the fast-moving clouds, landing on the wet pavement like spotlights. He lifted his face to the sky and drew in a deep breath before slowly releasing it. But not even that could loosen the tightness in his body.

He glanced toward his vehicle, but he wasn’t in the mood to drive. Instead, he turned around and began walking. With the village on one side—brightly painted buildings and narrow lanes—and the sea with its picturesque natural harbor on the other, it was easy to fall into the splendor of Skye.

The rain didn’t seem to dampen the tourists’ spirits as they rushed about in raincoats or carrying umbrellas. He still remembered the first day he had arrived on the isle. He’d been completely mesmerized. And he still was. He’d never had a place to call home—the Knights had moved around so much that there hadn’t been a need. Skye was the closest thing he’d ever had to that, and Finn intended to stay after everything was resolved.

The isle was special. Not only because it was the home of the Skye Druids, but because of the magic and history that had created it. It was why the evil wanted the land. It was also why so many generations had fought for it. Now, it was his turn to ensure that the isle remained safe and untouched.

The buzzing of his mobile caught his attention. Finn reached into the inside pocket of his coat and pulled out his phone. When he saw Carlyle’s name, he hesitated. He should probably take the call, but if he did, his friend might hear something in his voice and push to know what was going on, and Finn wasn’t in the mood to talk. He let it ring as he shoved it back into his pocket.

“Well, that was rude,” said a British voice from behind him.

Finn came to a halt at Carlyle’s words. He inwardly winced, then turned around. “Why ring me if you were here?”

“I wanted to see if you’d pick up.”

“Now you know.”

Carlyle’s turquoise eyes watched Finn for a long minute. “Walk with me.”

It wasn’t a suggestion. That told Finn his friend wanted to talk about something important. With so many things weighing on Finn’s mind, it was better to keep them to himself. “I don’t want to talk.”

“Then just listen to me.”

Finn sighed and dipped his head in agreement. Carlyle continued in the direction Finn had been going, and Finn fell into step beside him.

“You don’t need to say anything,” Carlyle said after they had taken about thirty steps.

Finn didn’t glance his way. If he wasn’t required to respond, then he didn’t intend to.

“I know something is going on with you,” Carlyle continued. “I can guess that it has to do with your legs. You don’t have to go through this alone.”

Finn grunted. “Says the person who went off to look for his father alone. And don’t even bother saying that was different.”

“You’re right. I shouldn’t have done that, and I’ve already apologized to everyone. But I wasn’t alone. Song was with me.”

Finn moved to the side as a family of five walked past him, hurrying to the next shop.

“Don’t do this on your own,” Carlyle said, slowing until Finn caught up.

“I’ve never let any of you down before. I won’t this time, either.”

Carlyle grabbed his arm, bringing them both to a stop. Anger tightened his features as the wind blew his auburn hair. “No one thinks that. But the fact that it’s the first thing you said tells me it’s weighing on your mind.”

“I just want to alleviate any fears.”

“We’re family, Finn. We share the ups and downs. No matter what happens, we’re not going anywhere.”

“I know that.”

Carlyle’s nostrils flared as he glanced away. “You’d better. Now, come on. I need to pick up a few things to cook tonight.”

“You can handle that yourself.”

“I can, but I don’t want to. You’re coming. Unless you want to answer to Sabryn, Bronwyn, and Song.”

Finn let Carlyle drag him down the street, feigning annoyance. While he wouldn’t admit it, he’d needed to hear what his friend had said.