The Skye Trilogy: Isle of Skye, Isle of Night, and Isle of Dawn. * Bonus: Scrumptious Skye Confections Cookbook* (94 page)

“I think I’ll join you,” Patcoena said rising from his chair

“Aww, but what will V and
Summer say?” I asked

Jeremiah smiled. “I knew you were still in there.”

My smile dimmed as they both went upstairs. Machall held out his arm, “My lady, would you care for some air?”

I put my arm through his and we walked out of the front door and into the sunlight. Perched on a small rocky cliff overlooking a blue-green ocean was Beatrice’s cottage. Palm trees swayed in the distance and seagulls squawked as they flew through the air. The sky was cloudless and brilliant blue.

“Is it safe for me to be out here?” I asked

“Patcoena and I placed a double barrier of protection around the entire property,” Machall said

I let go of his arm and walked to the edge in silence. The warm breeze tickled my face, and I almost shrunk back in fear as the air hit me. It was too soon, I thought. I shouldn’t be out here. Just as I turned to go back into the house, Machall stopped me.

“Willa, I have something very important to talk to you about,” he said

“Ok, but make it quick,” I answered. “I’m feeling a slight anxiety attack coming on.”

“I think we should keep what happened earlier between the two of us,” he said. “I wouldn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea.”

“When you say anyone do you mean my mate who happens to be a badass vampire?”

Machall nodded before smiling. “Mathias terrifies me but don’t tell him that.”

“Don’t worry,” I answered. “It will be our little secret.”

“Do you ever think of having children Willa?” he asked

“Excuse me?” I asked. “Oh my God, you’re not offering to knock me up because I got to tell you I’m…”

“No,” Machall laughed. “Just in general, have you ever given it much thought?”

I was silent as I thought of his question. Any woman approaching her thirties had probably at one time or another thought about becoming a mother. I had come to terms with the fact that I probably would never be able to conceive my own child when I realized that I loved Mathias and that future lifestyle was not in the cards for me.

“Of course I have,” I said. “But, unfortunately, that may not happen unless we adopt or do in vitro.”

“I never thought about it myself. When I met Beatrice, I didn’t care that she was a vampire and couldn’t have children. This morning though I found myself for the first time in my life longing for one as I took care of you.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” I said. “I was hoping that you weren’t a big perv.”

“The only thing I could think off was that I wanted to take care of you and nurture you,” Machall said. “The sight of you broke my heart and I realized that I cared for you not as man but as a father. I’ve never felt that way before.”

“Thank you Machall,” I said. “I’m deeply touched. Although I will say all that flirting at the ball a few weeks ago makes me want to throw up a little in my mouth right now, but it’s all good. I think you would make a wonderful father but unfortunately you and I are both stuck in the same boat.”

Machall chuckled and for the next few hours we spoke of nothing important. We sat and dug through the sand and enjoyed one another’s company. We both looked up when we heard Jeremiah call our
names
.

“Hey, it’s almost time to go right?” he yelled. Machall nodded and helped me up off the sand. I followed him back in the house and joined Patcoena and Jeremiah.

“How was your nap, fellas?” I asked

“It was good for me,” Jeremiah grinned. “Was it good for you?” he asked Patcoena

Patcoena shook his head and went into the kitchen. A few minutes later he came back with a glass of water for me and him. I thanked him and waited for Machall to start going over his plan.

“Even though you are going to be under a concealment spell make sure you mask your scents as well,” Machall said. “I know I’m paranoid but humor me on this one. After I talk to Cual, Jeremiah you take Willa and Pat to the cove. I will meet you there. I want to make sure he leaves the realm.”

“All right,” I said. “Let’s do this.” I chanted a concealment spell over Jeremiah, Patcoena and I before we followed Machall out onto the cliffs and walked a short distance to a small field strewn with wildflowers. I could see down the hill the outline of a small village with brilliant white stucco houses. The island was beautiful and vaguely reminded me of the pictures I had seen of the Mediterranean.

All of a sudden a flash appeared and Lord Cual teleported into the field. He sauntered over to Machall, and it was then I saw what everyone had been trying to tell me. On the Isle of Skye, Cal had appeared to
boyishly charming in a surfer dude kind of way. Right now, his smile gave me shivers. It was so cruel and arrogant.

“Mack, this is quite an honor,” Cual said. “You hardly ever show up here. I was beginning to think that you didn’t like me.”

“I’m here to talk to you about what happened on the Isle of Skye,” Machall answered

“How boring,” Cal said. “I would much rather talk about the lovely Princess Willa.”

“I’m not sure what your deal is with Fonn but I have already claimed Willa.” Machall said

“Now I am going to have to put up a fight on this one,” Cual said. “I have plans for her.”

“Eww,” I mouthed to Jeremiah who looked at me with the same disgust

“I know you want the weapons for yourself,” Machall said. “Once you fight Fonn for them you will have no use for Willa.”

Cal laughed. “I have many uses for that Gypsy-Fae freak. I will thoroughly enjoy hearing hear her scream as I rip not only her powers but her womanly assets to shreds.”

I turned to Jeremiah and cocked my eyebrow. It took every ounce of control that I had left not to show myself and kill the sick fucker

“I don’t care what the two of you do, all I want is Willa,” Machall said

“Fine,” Cal said dismissively. “Take her. I think I fancy her cousin Julia more than Willa.”

I grabbed Jeremiah’s arm as he started to lunge forward at the sound of his sister’s name.

“We have a deal then?” Machall asked

“It’s a deal Machall,” Cual said as he grabbed his hand and held onto it tightly. “If you screw with me Machall just know that I will destroy you.”

“Don’t threaten me,” Machall said

“It’s not a threat,” Cal said. “I must go and play a friend to Fonn. I will see you in a few days.”

Cual teleported off into the horizon, and I grabbed Patcoena and Jeremiah’s hand. Since I had no idea where we were going I let Patcoena take the lead on this journey. We landed a few seconds later on a small stretch of sand. It curved around underneath a cliff, and as I walked towards the rocks I could feel the magic pour off of its surface.

I walked around trying to get my bearings as I waited for Machall to join us. A few minutes later he landed right next to me and smiled.

“That was very impressive Willa,” Machall said. “I’m not sure how you managed to stay hidden, but I am very much in awe right now at your control.”

“I’m going to kill him,” I said in an almost bored tone.

“I would offer my help but I’m sure I will have to wait in line behind the King of the Sprites,” Machall offered

I smiled faintly, but something caught my eye out in the water. I could see a large rock jut up through the surface. It was not just the rock that gave me pause, but the sight of a big letter ‘C’ carved into it that made my stomach have butterflies.

“I know I should probably have mentioned this earlier but the water has always been the one element that has given me the most trouble to control.” I said

“Well it’s a good thing Cal has left for a few days,” Machall said as he sat down on the sand

“You can do this Willa,” Jeremiah said earnestly. “It’s the last one and then we can go home.”

I nodded before slowly making my way out into the water. The second I stepped in; the waves rose around me and pushed me back. I fell over in the water and spat out seawater before getting back up again. I moved more slowly but again the waves kept pushing me back. I started to kick and yell at the water in frustration. Why wouldn’t it let me out there? I thought. If there was one element that I knew wanted to kick my ass and torture me, it was the water.

“Maybe you’re trying too hard,” Jeremiah yelled. I turned around and flipped him off before trying again. This time I made it all the way up to my thighs before it again spit me back out onto the shore. I sat and sighed while I tried to rack my brain for a plan. Patcoena came over and stood next to where I sat. He knelt down and looked out towards the ocean before saying anything.

“Water is the hardest to manipulate because it is so temperamental,” he said, “It hates to be controlled.”

“That’s what Granny Winnie always said,” I replied as I stood up and brushed the sand off of me. “I’m not ready.”

“What?” Patcoena looked surprised

An hour later we sat around a roaring fire and finished off the last of the hotdogs that Machall had conjured up with magic. I laughed as Patcoena made his first s’more and proceeded to get marshmallow all over his face. Machall had never had one either, so it was hilarious to watch the two of them eat the sticky treat.

Jeremiah and I started to sing along to the country song that was playing on my iPod. Machall had helped me magically hook it up to a small antique radio from Beatrice’s house that we found. I jumped up and started to dance when a Tim McGraw song came over the speakers and Jeremiah joined me. He and I twirled around on the sand until we were both out of breath.

“I like it, I love it, I want some more of it,” I sang before finally sitting down

“Don’t forget to turn out the lights,” Jeremiah said before sinking down next to me

“What is that music?” Machall asked

“
It’s country,” Jeremiah and both said with a southern twang before bursting out laughing again

“I like it, I love it and I want some more of it,” Machall smiled

“The tide’s coming in, I suppose we should move,” Patcoena said as he stood up to gather some our things

“I’m going to stay here,” I said. “You guys go up to the cliff.”

They all stared at me before finally nodding. I watched them walk away and sat as the water started creeping its way towards my feet. I knew it was waiting for me, and I was finally ready to face this last test. I didn’t walk out into the water boldly as I did before. I sat calmly waiting for it to take me out to sea.

The more water pooled around my body, the more relaxed I became. I didn’t fight its power. I understood for the first time that I could never truly be in control of its awesome force. My body began to drift away into the deeper waters, and I still remained floating on top of the surface. When I reached the rock with my grandfather’
s initial, I knew I had arrived at the point of no return.

I started being sucked under, and I could barely make out the waves that crashed over me. I sank to the bottom and waited while my lungs burned. All of a sudden a whirlpool flung me around and thrust me back up to the surface. I had gulped in the air before I again felt myself dragged under the pounding surf. I don’t know how many times this happened, but it almost got to the point where I didn’t even realize when I supposed to suck in the oxygen I needed to keep going.

I knew it was playing with me, but I didn’t know what it wanted me to do at first. Finally, I could hear a sound that echoed under the sea.

Fight.

I was confused at first and thought I had heard wrong but when the echo again reached me I became aware of what it wanted from me.

The Water wanted me to show that I was strong enough to absorb its energy. Even though, everything inside of me screamed not to fight and not to try to overpower the element, I knew that this is what I must do finally to gain its approval. I was plunged up again before being swirled back in the cyclone of water. I went around and around faster than before until finally it spit me onto the rock where I lay gasping for breath.

I had no desire to go on anymore, but I knew that I had too. Instead of weakening me like the other elements the water had given me the strength and courage finally to grasp at what I was truly capable of now. I stood up and looked around me as the waves grew higher and higher. I couldn’t even see the land anymore. The Water had completely engulfed itself around me.

I held out my hands and called upon my fire. The water tried to put out the flames, but the more I held onto it the steadier they grew. I stood on a rock and could feel the earth start trembling beneath me. It had waited long enough. It was begging for me to release its fury.

An earthy scent filled the air as the ground lifted the rock I was standing on steadily. Again the water tried to break through but it could not make any cracks in the wall of dirt that now surrounded me.

I took a shaky breath before calling the Air and immediately I heard the familiar howl of its fury come across the sea and into my small area by the rock. The Air seemed to whip the Water into
a frenzy. I smiled as I realized they greeted each other playfully like old friends. The flames of my Fire grew bigger as the Air fueled it into an even greater intensity of nature.