The Skye Trilogy: Isle of Skye, Isle of Night, and Isle of Dawn. * Bonus: Scrumptious Skye Confections Cookbook* (54 page)

Julia, Winifred and even my mother chuckled. My dad’s expression grew more thunderous while Riah looked almost bored.

“If you’ll excuse us,” Mathias said

“Goodnight.” I yelled over my shoulder as Mathias dragged me out of the room. “Will you slow down?”

Mathias kicked open the door and practically flung me inside a deserted room. “Stop manhandling me.” I warned. My fingertips started to glow purple.

“I’m pissed and frustrated,” he said. “Do you have any idea what it was like spending a day and a half with the dueling Ken and Barbie?”

I snorted. “I can only imagine.”

“Then I get home and have to explain about the new protocols that are set in place,” he continued. “Only to have you disregard everything that we just discussed.”

“I get it.” I yelled. “But you never once told me that I couldn’t teleport.”

“I didn’t think I had too.” he shouted back

“How is teleporting putting me in any danger?” I asked

“We need to know where you are at all times.” he answered

“No one is even here yet!” I yelled

Mathias took my arm. “Teleport to the Guardian office,” he ordered

The minute we touched down in the reception area Mathias led me into the command center. Several Guardians were looking intently at the large screen in the center of the room.

“What’s the latest count?” Mathias asked

“It has grown to fifty in the last hour.” Milton answered. “We haven’t had this many so soon in a long time.”

“What do you mean by a count?” I asked curiously

“Every year when the Fae come to visit the Rau always make their presence known. This year already we have seen the numbers triple in just a few short hours.” Milton replied

I peered intently at the screen and could just make out several swirling figures on the screen. Even though, I knew the protective barriers would hold, the sight still brought shivers down my spine.

“What’s the average?” I asked

“Twenty to thirty max.” Milton said. “I’ve never seen this many altogether.”

“The word is out.” Mathias said softly. “If the barriers were to be broken down, everyone, including you would be in grave danger. That is why I need to know where you are every second of the day.”

“But…” I started to say

“Before you regale us all with a list of your impressive abilities let me remind you that if they catch you all they would need is one split second to snap your lovely neck.” Mathias interrupted. “So can you please, for once, just do as I say?”

“Fine,” I said, rolling my eyes. I still didn’t think I was in that much danger, but I will admit seeing the Rau circling around the island made me think twice about being able to handle that many at the same time.

“By the looks of things here I am going to have to stay for a while.”  Mathias said. “Riah needs his rest so I will have Christopher escort you and keep watch until I can come home.”

I know that Mathias probably didn’t even realize what he said but when he referred to my house as home, my heart swelled to twice its size. I nodded my head and wandered over to Milton’s desk while Mathias called Christopher to come and retrieve me.

I flipped through Patcoena’s diary to the last page and stared at the jumbled mess of letters that comprised of the last line in the book. My fingers tingled lightly as I traced the shapes. I knew that this line was critical and wished that Milton would figure it out soon.

Mathias interrupted my thoughts when he came to stand next to me. “Christopher will be here in a few minutes. Can I talk to you in my office?”

I followed him out of the room and down the hallway to his office. I braced myself for any sudden displays of amorous affections but was disappointed when he shut the door and stared at me.

“How were you able to grab me before I teleported?” I asked. “It’s almost impossible.”

“Do you remember the night when we rescued Julia?” he asked

“No. I have no recollection of that night at all.” I replied sarcastically. “Yes, of course, I remember!”

“Before we left I fed off of you.” he replied. “Your blood gave me tremendous strength.”

“I’m making you stronger.” I said. “How is it possible that my blood will kill every vampire except for you?”

“I don’t know but since I fed off of you again, I’ve never felt stronger or have moved so fast in my entire time as a vampire.”

“We keep asking what I am. Maybe we need to start asking what you are.” I mused

“I’m horny.”

I burst out laughing. To hear that coming from Mathias was just comical. I walked closer to him and ran my fingertip around his grinning mouth. “Then come home with me.”

“I can’t.” he said with regret. He pushed his hands in my hair and pressed his forehead to mine. “When this is over I can promise that you won’t be able to walk for a week by the time I’m done having my way with you.”

“That’s the crudest thing anyone has ever said to me. Guardian Worthing I am thoroughly outraged.” I said. “I’m also highly turned on with anticipation.”

He pushed me away and walked around to his desk. “I’ll meet you and Riah at your house tomorrow around three in the afternoon. Please try and stay home. We need your appearance at the reception to be one of surprise. They know you exist, but I’m sure the fact you won’t be there to greet them at the portal will give them cause for concern.”

“Drama is my middle name.” I said

“No drama. A brief appearance and then you’re going straight home.”

“No can do.” I replied. “I have to work on getting the paintings revealed.”

Mathias looked thoughtful for a second. “That’s fine. The tower room is safe enough and out of the way. You must refrain from your work until after the reception.”

“Wow that almost sounded like a compromise.” I remarked. “Are you getting soft on me Wolfie?”

“Quite the opposite.” he said matter of fact

A knock on the door interrupted our conversation. “Come in.” Mathias said

Christopher opened the door hesitantly before walking into the room slowly. No doubt he was a little wary of what he would find. I was pretty sure all of the Guardians were aware of Mathias’s and I volatile relationship.

“Christopher.” Mathias said. “I’m unable to stay with Willa tonight. Can you please escort her home and watch over things until I arrive?”

“Absolutely,” he agreed quickly. I saw Mathias’s eyes narrow and let out an inward groan. I was pretty sure Mathias saw his quick response for something else entirely.

“Fantastic.” he answered. Mathias took a stack of files that were about a foot high and handed them to Christopher. “While you’re there, can you please input all of this into the system? I’m sure Willa will be fine with you using her computer to gain access into our program.”

Subtle Mathias, real subtle

I don’t know what you’re talking about, this all needs to be done, and I don’t have time right now.

Uh huh, so let’s keep Christopher occupied while he’s guarding me instead of making any unwanted advances which will result in his untimely demise?

Mathias just gazed at me steadily. I took Christopher’s arm and gave him a wide smile before returning Mathias’s glare. I almost blew him a kiss but settled on a quick wink before I teleported poor, unsuspecting Christopher and I back to my house.

When I was getting ready for bed I still heard his growl in my head.

Chapter Twelve

I woke up the next morning with my heart racing. I took a deep breath and sat up in my bed. My body realized what today was before I was even fully awake yet. I turned my head and was surprised to see Riah sitting in a chair by my bed.

“Hey you.” he said softly. This was the first time we had been alone together in days. I was dying to talk to him about Julia, but I wasn’t sure if he even knew what was going on yet.

“Hey.” I greeted him. “What’s happening hot stuff?”

“I have no idea,” he replied. “The world has gotten to be a mighty strange place.”

“Is it the world that is strange or the people?” I asked with a grin

“I don’t know Will,” he smirked. “A week ago I would’ve said the world but now I have to go with the people.”

“Anyone in particular that has made your world so perplexing?”

Riah groaned and looked up at the ceiling before answering. “You know about Julia?”

“No.” I replied. “But I do know that she has had some dreams about you and heard you in her head that night at Copa’s when we celebrating my birthday.”

He nodded a few times while he looked at the blank TV. “I heard her.”

“Holy Moley! You heard her in your head?” I asked

“We were in my ancestral home and I had left Mathias with Julia for a minute. I wanted to walk around for a bit. All of a sudden I heard her say my name in my head. At first I thought I imagined it but then when she started practically yelling at me I realized what was happening.”

I sat quietly. I had no idea if a response was necessary at this point. Both Julia and Riah hadn’t fully come to terms with what was going on between them. I also suspected neither one of them knew what to do either.

“What am I going to do Willa?” he asked. “I’m not an idiot. I know what this means. I just don’t know if I’m ready for it or if I even want it to happen.”

“It’s not something that you can escape from Riah.” I answered. “When it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.”

“Thank you oh great one for those bullshit words of wisdom.”

“Sorry.” I apologized. “I don’t know what else to say. The one thing I do know is that you can’t run away from being true mates. You can’t ignore it and hope it goes away. It never will.”

“Is that what it’s like with you and Mathias?”

I got out of bed and stood stretching. “I think Mathias and I are an entirely different story but yes, that is what it’s like for us. Whether we want it or not we’re bound to each other. We tried to fight it, or he did more than me. In the end, the fact is, I have never and will never feel this way about anyone else. No matter how much he drives me crazy and I want to shoot my freaky fire at him I still want him more than anything in this world.”

“I’m not good enough for her.” Riah said suddenly

“Riah…” I started to say

“No.” he interrupted. “I am the worst scoundrel in the world Willa. Do you know how many woman I’ve slept with
in my time? Do you?”

“No and I don’t want too.” I answered. “That doesn’t make a difference.”

“Of course it does!” he said loudly. “I have whored myself all over the U.K. and Europe since the day I turned thirteen. I have done and seen some horrible things. I have used woman and discarded them like trash. The worst part about all of it is that was before I became a vampire.”

“That’s all in the past Riah.” I said. “None of that matters now.”

“Do you know that she is a virgin?” he asked. “She’s a virgin in this day and age.”

“Yeah, I found that out when I bought her a vibrator for her birthday.” I replied. “She asked me if she used it would that still make her pure. I almost fell out of my chair.”

“Virgins used to be a hobby of mine,” he said smiling almost cruelly. “It was fun to see how many debutantes I could ruin before the end of the season. Some of them I used to lure out into the garden and some into empty bedrooms at a ball. That was until I discovered the most disreputable brothels. They had far more adventurous females.”

“Riah, Julia doesn’t care. She knows you had a life before her.”

“I’ve known her since she was born.” he said. “Do you know how weird that is?”

I scratched my head while mulling that over. “Yes I will admit that is a little weird, but it’s not like you thought of her like that back then.”

“I can’t believe I’m thinking of her like that now.”

“I’m going to get dressed.” I said. “Why don’t you let the dogs out and we’ll chat some more over tea?”

Riah begrudging went upstairs while I took a quick shower. After I had dried off I walked into my closet and stared at my clothes. I had no idea what to wear to this reception thing. I wanted to put on some ratty jeans and t-shirt but I was pretty sure my mother would not be amused.

I was still standing there lost in thought when my closet door opened. I let out a small shriek thinking it was Riah, but that quickly got stuck in my throat when Mathias walked in through the door.

Casually he went over to where his clothes hung and started to pull things off the hangers. I stood there wrapped in a towel naked watching him in disbelief.

“Hello?” I asked. “Don’t you knock?”

“Why would I knock?” he asked back. “My clothes are here.”

“Your clothes may be here but this is not your closet.” I replied. “Furthermore, I am standing here naked.”

His eyes raked over my body from head to toe before he looked at me in the eyes. He drew his long sleeved shirt over his head and threw it in the corner. My mouth went dry as I took in his perfectly sculpted chest and arms. When he started to unzip his zipper on his pants, I turned around and heard him snort.