The Skye Trilogy: Isle of Skye, Isle of Night, and Isle of Dawn. * Bonus: Scrumptious Skye Confections Cookbook* (119 page)

I joined the fray, and we had made quick work of whatever Rau that was still left. I spied some more in the distance, but they seemed to be hesitating. I had no doubts that they were weighing their options, but I wasn’t going to give them a choice. I flew near my dad and yelled.

“There’s more to the east and west. I’m going to fry them,” I said. “Get back down to the island and find shelter.”

He nodded to me and shot down towards the island. I gathered my air more furiously and called my fire. The flames engulfed my body, and when I didn’t think I could stand it any longer I flung it all around me. I could see it travel for miles and any Rau that was in a ten mile radius was toast. I teleported back down to the courtyard and found Sidra waiting there.

My father and grandfather were standing near each other and even I could see the toll it was taking on my father. He wasn’t ready, but I knew he had risked it for me.

“Dad,” I said. “You need to get out of here. There’s too much temptation.”

“I’m fine,” he said with clenched teeth. “I’m going to fly the skies and see if I can find anymore.”

He took off quickly, and I breathed a sigh of relief before turning to Sidra.

“Alright, let’s finish this,” I said

Chapter Twenty-Four

Sidra and I took off with Kelvin and his group of 007’s following closely behind. I stopped and gathered the elements one by one. The familiar tingling feeling crept all over my body, and I tried not to get too caught up in the sensations. I heard a shout and saw Machall with Lord Braonan. They were battling Lord Fonn, and I observed the three of them for a moment.

Fonn was crafty and quick with his element. I winced as Bran went flying into the air only to be dropped back down hard on the ground. Machall fared a bit better, and I decided to let them deal with him while I searched out Cual.

I was slightly miffed when I realized he was on the beach near my old house. I nodded to Sidra, and I helped her perform a concealing spell over everyone. I teleported to where Cual was, and I was not surprised to find him waiting for me almost casually on the beach.

“Willa, how lovely to see you again,” he said. “I’m sorry we have to meet under such difficult circumstances.”

“How could you rape and kill the Sprite princess?” I asked

“Is that what the king of the Sprites told you?” he asked. “Willa, he’s lying. They are all lying to you. I’m here to help not hurt you.”

“I heard you talk to Machall,” I said and had the satisfaction of watching his face darken. “So you have plans for me huh?”

Cual laughed, and the sound was so sinister that it sent chills down my spine. “I would prefer your cousin Julia. Where is she by the way? I can’t wait to find her after this is over.”

A figure streaked out of the woods and came onto the beach with us. Riah grabbed Cual by the neck and tried to twist it, but Cual managed to escape his grasp. He turned to Riah menacingly, and I felt genuine fear. I was transported back to when Serena; my first Guardian had been killed trying to protect me. I couldn’t allow that to happen to Riah.

I flung the air at Cual so quick he stumbled back and fell to the ground. I shouted for Riah to go and help Lucian protect my grandmother. I saw him hesitate, but I breathed a sigh of relief when he left. I was just about to plunge Cual into the sand when he stood up, and water started to surround me. I panicked at first, but then I remembered that the water couldn’t kill me.

I breathed in the salty water and felt its power flow through my veins. Instead of suffocating me it was feeding my soul. I gathered it inside of me and pushed it at Cual with everything I had. I locked him in my whirlpool, and I could feel him weaken with each passing second. He suddenly slipped thru the water, and we faced each other.

His hate poured off of him. I could feel his madness, but I wasn’t scared anymore. I was getting pretty irritated by his defiant stance. I teleported around him, and he, and I went up and around the island and surface of the water for what seemed like hours.

I kept trying to see an opening, but he was so fast. I finally decided to use the same tactic I used with Machall. I wanted to catch him off guard so I stopped and waited for him to stand in front of me.

“Tired sweetheart?” he asked mockingly. “I thought you were supposed to be all powerful.”

“I prefer to call myself a weapon of mass destruction,” I said sadly. “I wish everyone would start using that term to describe me. I also like bad mother fucker too.”

“You’re nothing but a weak girl who has no clue how to use the powers that have been given to you,” he sneered. “I am going to find great pleasure in taking them from you as well as your body.”

“Thanks but no thanks,” I said holding up my left hand. “I’m engaged.”

“Too bad you won’t make it down the aisle,” he said

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” I replied before I cocked my left arm back and punched him right in the face. Blood spurted from his nose, but I wasn’t done with him yet. I could see the poor Duchess in my mind weeping for her daughter and I kicked him right in the balls. He went down to the ground screaming.

“Allow me one shot please?” a voice said. I looked up, and there was the king of the Sprites looking almost amused until he fixated his stare at Cual, who glanced up right as Kasius plunged his sparkly spear into his eye. I looked away as he pulled it out and went after Cual’s other eye.

Kasius wanted to do more damage, but I held his arm. “Let me finish this please,” I said

He walked away, and Sidra undid the concealment spell. Kelvin and his guard stood stoically as I approached Lord Cual. I called the water and waited as it gathered strength around me before enveloping Cual’s body with the salty liquid. His screams cut through me like a knife. He was writhing around in agony when the water touched his wounds, and I almost felt sorry for him.

Almost but not quite.

I started drawing his power from his body, and he thrashed around in the sand reaching blindly for anything that he could grab on to but it was too late. It took about five minutes to coax it all out of him, but I finally was able to do it on my own. Sidra just stood next to me for support.

I turned to the king of the Sprites. “The rest of him is all yours.”

I walked away and closed my eyes as I heard the spear plunge into Lord Cual’s chest. I knew before it even happened that I would hear his last breath being torn from his body. The air wanted to remind me of my time on the mountain and even though I hated to hear that sound I knew that justice had been served to Lord Cual.

I slowly made my way back to the field where Machall and Bran were still fighting Fonn. The three of them were streaks of vapor in the air as they raced around one another. I saw something out of the corner of my eye and caught a glimpse of my granny Winnie locked in battle with another witch. Lucian and Riah were standing watch close by as they tried to stay out of the way of shooting curses.

I looked up and could see hundreds of Rau landing on the island. Guardians were battling everywhere. I tried to search out Mathias but knew I had to focus on my task. The problem was though I could feel reality slip from me. The extra amount of power from the water was almost pushing me over the edge, and I had to release it soon.

I told Sidra to give me a minute as an idea came to me. I flew up to the roof of the castle and grabbed my grandmother. I pushed her over to Lucian and faced the old woman who was looking at me with fire in her eyes.

“Well, this must be the Fae Sanctity,” she cackled. “Your powers are useless against a Fae witch.”

“Really?” I asked. “Can you breathe under water bitch?”

Her look of confusion was almost comical, but I had no time for laughs, if I didn’t release this power than I was going to go nuts. I shot water at her so fast I almost thought I broke her neck with its force. She was being spun so quickly that even I lost sight of her at one point. I finally calmed down and gradually stopped my vicious cycle. Her body slumped to the ground, and I knew that I had killed her.

My stomach heaved, but I forced myself not to mourn too much. She would’ve killed my grandmother and me if she had the chance. I knew this, but it still didn’t make it any easier on my soul. I turned to Granny Winnie, and she held out her arms. I shook my head and teleported off back in the field.

I was tired and somewhat burnt out at this point. I didn’t want to kill anymore. I wanted to curl up and sleep for days, but I couldn’t. I was just about to join the fray when I heard Machall yell. I looked down and saw Braonan lying on the ground. His eyes were bulging out of his head, and the pallor of his skin was blue.

I walked slowly on the field and knelt beside him. I knew he was dead but unfortunately I had to draw his power out of his body. I felt disgusted with myself, but I slowly extracted his gift of the earth and transferred it to myself. I was shocked when his body started to fold itself into the ground. I knew she was taking him home to for burial and I was comforted by that fact.

I staggered to stand upright. I now had the extra power of the earth and water. I had released some of the water with the witch, but it was still pulsating strongly in me. I looked around and spotted Beatrice and knew what I had to do. I teleported over to her and took her with me back to the beach.

“Willa, what’s going on?” she asked

“You grew up in the Water realm Beatrice,” I said

“Yes, I did,” she answered slowly. I turned as Sidra and Kelvin walked over to us both slowly. I knew Sidra could tell I was close to losing my mind, and she was cautious with her approach.

“Willa, what are you doing?” she asked

“I have to get rid of it,” I said. “It’s too much.”

“OK,” she replied. “What do you want to do?”

“I know we should discuss this, but I don’t have much time,” I said. “Just trust me, ok?”

She nodded and stepped back. I could see exactly when the light dawned in her eyes, and she realized what I was going to do. She nodded and smiled approvingly. I took a deep breath and grabbed Beatrice’s hands. I had no idea what this would do to her, but I hoped that it was the right decision otherwise Machall was going to freak out on me.

I didn’t have to call on the water since it was already within me. I tried to let it leak out slowly into Beatrice’s body, but it’s not something that you can do gently. I heard her yell as the water began to envelope her body and I stepped back to let it engulf her being with its smooth, succulent power. I could almost see it performing some surgery on her, and I rejoiced. It was sucking out the vampire in her body and replacing it back with the power of the Fae.

When it was over, she fell to the ground and moaned. I could see that she was alive and well. I left to teleport back to the field, and Machall was now joined by Lucian and Riah. I had a split second decision to make. I knew the slight presence of Fae in Mathias’s blood was from Patcoena so I wasn’t sure if it would work and I had no idea where he was or if he would even want this power.

It wasn’t much of a choice as I flew off into the sky and searched for my father. I finally saw him battling a Rau and just as he ripped his opponent's heart out I grabbed him and teleported with him onto our island. My mother was standing by the cottage looking anxious, but I had no time to explain.

The earth was calling to me, and I wanted to do nothing more than to sink inside its warmth and never return. I had to do this quickly. Machall and Lucian could only hold off Fonn for so long.

“Willa, are you alright?” my mother said

“I’m fine,” I answered before turning to my dad. “I don’t have time to explain, but stand still and don’t fight this.”

His eyes widened, and my mother yelled but I ignored her. I began to wrap my father as gently as I could in a mist of dirt. He closed his eyes, and I could tell he was happy at the sensation. I said a silent ‘I’m sorry’ before I flung the extra power of the earth at him, and everything started to whip around him in a frenzy.

“Willa, what did you do?” Cecily screamed as we held on to each other

“Just chill out mom,” I said. “He’s going to be fine but you need to let me go so I can finish this.”

“Finish what?” she said as she grabbed my hand. “Wait a minute, what’s that on your finger?”

“Holy fuck, can we please talk about this some other time mom,” I yelled as I pulled away from her