The Skye Trilogy: Isle of Skye, Isle of Night, and Isle of Dawn. * Bonus: Scrumptious Skye Confections Cookbook* (93 page)

“Willa?” he asked

“Are you all right?” My voice was scratchy and husky from all the screaming

“Dear Gods,” Patcoena breathed as he took in the sight of me

I turned to the king and duchess who were looking at me sadly. “What happened while I was up there? Did Fonn come here?”

“Lord Fonn picked up the extraordinary amount of energy that was coming off the mountain,” the king answered. “I hid Jeremiah and Patcoena in the church. After Lord Fonn and his army looked around, he finally left but I do think he was suspicious.”

“Where’s Machall?” I asked. “Has he not been here yet?”

“I’m right here Willa,” Machall answered. I turned and saw him come up the steps to the balcony. “I was behind you on the path but you didn’t notice me.”

“Sorry,” I said dispassionately. “I have a lot on my mind.”

“Willa, I think you need to go inside and rest,” Jeremiah said concerned

“No,” I shook my head. “We need to leave. I need to leave.”

“Of course,” Patcoena said softly

“Thank you so much for your kindness and support
your Majesty,” I said in almost a monotone to the king. “I must go now but I hope that one day I can come back and visit with you and your people more.”

“It’s an honor Willa,” he said seriously. “I will pray for you.”

“Duchess,” I nodded. She looked at me for a moment before grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze. I gave her a brief smile which was all I could muster before turning around. I was taken aback when the portal wouldn’t open. I tried again, but only a small waving of the air was the result of my efforts.

“Let me help Willa,” Machall said. I felt him near me and shivered. I knew he was trying to keep his power on low voltage, but it still made my skin crawl. We both were able to open a portal, and I found myself walking through a few seconds later into a small but clean living room. I looked over my shoulder at the vanishing portal to the Air realm and returned the king and duchess’s wave.

“Where are we?” Jeremiah asked as he paced around the room

“This used to be Beatrice’s home,” Machall answered. “It’s safe here. Patcoena and I will go outside though to make sure the concealment enchantments are still in place.”

Machall and Patcoena left, and I walked around the small house. When I located the kitchen, I poured myself a glass of water and drank deeply. Jeremiah came in the room, and I stiffened when I saw the inquisitive look on his face.

“What happened up there Willa?” he asked

“Nothing you need to know about Jeremiah,” I answered listlessly

“Don’t shut me out Willa,” he said. “I care about you. When I see you looking like this, it kills me.”

“When I’m looking like what J?” I asked. “When I look like a fucking lunatic? Just leave it alone. You can’t even begin to fathom what I just went through so please don’t try.”

“I think you need help Willa,” he said. “I think you need to talk to someone.”

I laughed bitterly. “I have heard enough voices to last me a lifetime.”

“Willa, please…” Jeremiah pleaded

I threw my water glass across the room and took in a small measure of happiness when I heard it crack and break into pieces. Jeremiah jumped and backed away from me.

“Do you see that glass Jeremiah?” I asked. “That’s how I feel. I’m in a million fucking pieces. Don’t tell me what I need because I’m pretty sure that you nor anyone else knows what to do with me or how to help. I am beyond fucking help now.”

I could feel tears welling up in my eyes, and I sank to the ground. “I’m so tired. I just want to go home. I just want this to be over with already.”

Jeremiah started to walk over to me, but I held up my hand for him to stop. “Don’t come near me. I’m not…I can’t…”

When he walked out of the room silently, I only felt relief. I didn’t want to be around anyone that I cared about right now. I knew that I would hurt them, and I still had enough of sanity left inside of me to be sensitive to that fact. I don’t how long I sat there staring into space but when a set of arms picked me up and carried me out of the room I didn’t even have the energy to protest.

I looked up as Machall placed me gently on a soft bed. I watched him as he peeled off my dirty clothes and gathered them up into a ball before he left the room. I felt no sense of outrage or embarrassment. I felt nothing. When he came back in with a bowl of water and started to wash my body, I looked out of the window. I could see the ocean in the distance and hear the sounds of the crashing waves.

After a few minutes, I felt the covers being pulled up to my chin, and I turned to see Machall looking at me with a somber expression. I whispered, “Thank you.”

“Sleep my beautiful friend,” he said

“I don’t want to close my eyes,” I said. “I’m afraid of what I’ll dream.”

“Let me tell you a story,” he said after a minute. “When I was a boy I found a small mouse in my parents shop. I captured it and kept it as a pet. My mother was not as amused. She hated mice but eventually she got used to Mick.”

“You named him Mick?” I asked. Machall smiled and shushed me.

“One day I decided to take him to the field by our house so that he could run around. After a few hours, I noticed a hawk circling around. I tried to get Mick to come to me, but I was too late. The hawk grabbed him and flew away. I was devastated. I loved that little mouse. A short time later I was walking home crying, and I noticed the same hawk had followed me home. I yelled and screamed at it until finally he took off into the sky.”

“From time to time I would notice him flying around and I always looked at him with such contempt I’m surprised he didn’t fall to the ground and die. Months went by, and I was walking near the volcanoes. I saw a wing peering out from under a rock and went over to investigate. The hawk had somehow gotten his wing caught, and he was lying there dying. I almost laughed at the irony and went to leave, but I looked back one more time, and I swear he called out to me. I begrudgingly went back over to him and moved the rock, but the hawk still didn’t move. I noticed his wing looked broken and so I gathered him up in my shirt and took him home.”

“It took a few months, but his wing repaired itself and I set him free but he would not go. Every morning he sat by my window and every night before I went to bed he would fly into my room and watch over me until I fell asleep. He lived for almost twenty years. The last time I saw him was the day after the king gave me the power of fire. He came to my new bedroom window in the castle and stared at me before flying off to the volcanoes. I found his body two days later right near the place I had found him dying so long ago.”

“So am I the hawk or the mouse?” I asked weakly

“You’re me Willa,” he said. “I’m the hawk trying to make up for any grievances that I may have caused you and if it takes years for you to learn to trust me, then so be it.”

“I do trust you,” I replied. “I’m just not sure if I can be who everyone needs me to be.”

“You silly girl,” he said before placing a kiss on my cheek. “You already are what everyone wants you to be.”

I lay in bed long after he left wide awake. I thought about what he had said and about everything that had happened. My heart ached when I thought of Mathias. I never thought that the one part of his anatomy that I would want more than anything right now was his strong arms to hold me tight. I smiled when I realized where my thoughts were leading me.

Maybe there was hope for me after all.

Chapter Nine

I slept fitfully throughout the day. I would wake up every so often when I heard voices whispering around me. I tried to block the murmurs and sighs out of my head but sometimes they would creep in my dreams, and I would wake up reaching for my pillow to scream into the fabric. Finally after a few hours I got out of bed and searched for the bathroom. I had to pee somewhat desperately. The fact that I was thinking about my body’s needs was a good sign, I thought.

I found the little bathroom right outside my door and went about my business quickly. I was washing my hands when I decided to look into the mirror that hung above the sink. I could see the dark circles that hung under my dead eyes. My skin looked paler than usual, and I had two deep scratches on my forehead.

I ran my hands through my hair that was frizzy and sticking up all over the place. I was wearing only a bra and a pair of underwear that looked torn. The rest of my body didn’t look like it was in bad shape, but it was underneath the skin that had me worried. The elements had slowly woken up when I did, and I could feel them crawling inside of me, itching to get out.

I ripped off my underclothes and stepped into the shower behind me. I turned the water on the hottest setting I could tolerant and stood there as the hot cleansing liquid poured over my body. I grabbed the bar of soap and scrubbed my skin and hair over and again. When I looked down several minutes later, my flesh was red and raw from the vigorous rubbing.

When I stepped out of the shower wrapped in a towel, I noticed a stack of clothes and my backpack were inside by the door. Machall must have come in and left them. A few days ago I would’ve wild with anger but now I didn’t care. He wasn’t going to hurt me or betray me. I knew that the only reason he was on my side was so that he could find Beatrice, but I think earlier today had been a turning point in our relationship. I finally trusted him, and I think he was starting to see me not just as a means to an end but a friend.

I had no idea how Mathias would react to this new friendship, but that was the furthest thing from my mind right now.

I dressed quickly and brushed my teeth before heading out of the bathroom and back downstairs. Patcoena stood up from his chair when I entered the room.

“Willa,” he said almost nervously. “Are you sure you don’t want to rest some more?”

“No, I’m fine,” I answered. “Where’s Jeremiah?”

“He and Machall went for a walk.”

“Excuse me?” I asked. “They went for a walk by themselves? Let me guess, they went scouting for the cove.”

“Jeremiah thought it would be best if he found it first so that way you didn’t need to go out of the house unless you had too.”

“What?” I asked. “I’m more powerful than any of you. I don’t need protection.”

“I know,” Patcoena sighed. “Don’t be angry with him Willa. He just wants to help and feel needed by you.”

I went into the kitchen and spied a large sandwich on a plate that also brimmed with potato chips. I grabbed it and sat down at the table and chewed almost robotically. I had no desire for food, but I knew that I must eat to keep my energy level up before the last and final challenge. I gulped down two bottles of water after I scarfed down my meal and felt a little better. I jumped out of my seat and ran into the living room when I heard the door open.

“Willa,” Jeremiah said. “You’re awake.”

“And you’re busted,” I replied

Jeremiah rolled his eyes. “I just needed some fresh air.”

“Did you happen to stumble on a magically infused cove on your little seaside walk?” I asked

“We found it,” Machall answered. “I have a meeting with Lord Cual first. We’ll all go there together after I talk to him.”

“Why don’t we tag along?” I asked. “I can perform another concealment spell like we did with Lord Braonan.”

“Willa, I have to be honest, I do not want you anywhere near Cal,” Machall said

“You don’t have a choice Macky,” I said. “I want to know why everyone seems to think he is such a bad person.”

“Did you speak to the king of the Sprites?” Machall asked

“Yes,” I said. “I did and now I am so ready to see Lord Cual’s true colors. That son of a bitch, is it true?”

“Yes, he raped and murdered princess Kaia,” Machall answered

“How could he get away with that?” Jeremiah almost screeched. “This is an outrage. Sidra needs to know these things.”

“Jeremiah is right,” Patcoena agreed. “All of you Fae Lords need to stop trying to cover things up and be loyal to your one and only leader, and that is the Queen.”

“Amen to that,” I muttered. “So when are you meeting him?”

“In a few hours,” Machall answered. “He has a meeting with Fonn in the Air realm so we’re lucky he won’t be here for a few days and catch the wind of any suspicious energy changes while you absorb the last of the king’s power.”

“Well, if you all will excuse me, I’m going to go upstairs and crash for a few hours.” Jeremiah said as he let out a yawn