The Skye Trilogy: Isle of Skye, Isle of Night, and Isle of Dawn. * Bonus: Scrumptious Skye Confections Cookbook* (97 page)

“What happened?” a deep voice growled suddenly. My heart sped up when I heard that voice. He’s here, I thought. Mathias is here. He was my mate and my love. He was the one I had been waiting for to come to me. He was the only one that could help me.

“As I was saying,” Patcoena said. “The good news Willa is alive. She absorbed the King’s power and didn’t die. The bad news is her power was greater than we ever imagined. I’m afraid the combination has engulfed Willa.”

I’m not alive; I cried. I’m dying. Why didn’t someone try to help me?

“What do you mean by that?” Cecily asked frightened

“It means the power has overtaken not only her body but her mind as well.” Patcoena answered sadly

I heard everyone gasp as he made this announcement. I wanted to shout at them. The elements didn’t take over my mind. They might have overwhelmed me, but they didn’t want to harm me. They wanted me to get used to them. They wanted me to use them but only when I was back to being normal. What had broken my mind was the fairy nectar, I wanted to say. All that magic had had been too much for me. When Sidra had poured that liquid down my throat, it had burned into my veins. I went from being powerful to nuclear in a heartbeat.

“Well I think we can help with that,” Winifred said

Yes, I cried in relief. Please help me Granny Winnie

I felt her magic drift over me, and I started screaming. Oh God, no, no, I screamed. It’s too much. I can’t soak in anymore. I was being consumed by an even greater power than the nectar. I heard people yelling, “NO,” but I was too far gone. I started thrashing around on the floor and flailing my arms.

“You mustn’t Winifred,” Sidra said. “Any more power, even that of a healing nature, just magnifies her pain.”

Pain, I thought, so much pain, why wouldn’t it go away? How come nobody could help me? All of these powerful people were left powerless at the sight of me

“What are we to do?” Cecily sobbed. I heard my father start crying, and I wanted to stop but I couldn’t as another spasm came over me.

I started screaming so loud that it vibrated throughout my body. I raked my nails up and down my face. I had to get this out of me somehow. I had to release the magic before it killed me.

I felt someone grab my hands away from my face, and I wanted to yell in protest. Didn’t they realize that this was the only way?

“Mathias, you’re the only one that can help her,” Patcoena said. “You must take her away from here. Somewhere where there is no magic. I’m afraid your island has too many powerful enchantments.”

Mathias’s island, I thought. Images flashed before me, but they faded as the pain grew worse.

“Why on earth is Mathias the only one that can help her?” Winifred demanded. “We’re her family. We’re the ones that have the necessary resources to bring her back to health.”

No, I cried. No, you can’t. I was beyond you now.

“Only Willa’s true mate has that power,” a soft voice said gently.

Summer, I thought. Summer was Patcoena’s wife. Summer knew about Mathias and me but Granny Winnie did not.

I felt his arms around me, and I instantly relaxed. His arms were where I belonged. It was the only place I wanted to be. My screams calmed down to a whimper, and I felt my face wet with tears.

“Why is she hurting herself?” Mathias asked in a low voice

Because it’s the only way Mathias, I answered wordlessly. It’s the only way I can find any relief.

“She was trying to release the elements and the power from her body,” Sidra answered

Yes, I thought. Someone understands what I was doing.

Silence came over the room, and I heard crying all around me, but I didn’t even care. Mathias was with me.  I almost started to believe the worst was over but then the hum of magical energy began to wash over me again. Oh no, I thought. I can feel it. Please stop. Stop whatever it is you’re doing. The intensity of it became too much, and I screamed and thrashed once more. Not even Mathias could help me. I felt my fire start gathering itself in my belly, and I didn’t want to release it but I had no choice. I opened my mouth, and the flames came out in a rush.

I was horrified. I tried to control it but in a way I think it had been trying to protect me. I thought of Mathias and knew I had to get away from him. I didn’t want to kill him with my deadly flames. I also didn’t know what they would do to anyone else in the room. I gathered my air and flung it in every direction before jumping up and using its power to fly to the other side of the room.

I shrunk into a corner. I was disgusted by what I had done. I could’ve killed everyone, including Mathias, who had been the closest to me. I started shaking because I was petrified by my power, and I was so tired. I knew that it was only a matter of time before I lost it again, and I would rather kill myself at this point.

The problem with that though is I knew the elements wouldn’t let me. I felt stuck in between pain and insanity. No one knew what to do with me. I wanted to tear down the walls of the castle with my bare hands. I wanted to kill every Rau I could find. I had to get this out of my body before the power ended up destroying me.

I finally opened my eyes and stared at Mathias, who was looking at me in horror. I winced when I saw his expression change to anger. He was losing control, and there was nothing that anyone could do to stop him. I saw pick Patcoena up like a rag dog and slam him into the wall. His roar of fury gave me goose bumps.

“What the fuck happened to her?” he yelled

“I didn’t know,” Patcoena answered helplessly. I saw his sad face turning to fear as Mathias lost control. His fangs came down, and his eyes turned a deep garnet color. Everyone shouted when they saw him. I knew that they were scared but for some reason the sight of the animal coming out in him comforted me. I needed his strength right now not his compassion. Mathias was the only one that could see the urgency of the situation and what was brewing inside of me.

He was the only one that could save me from myself

I felt no anger or sense of outrage when I saw him grab my grandmother Sidra by the neck.

“Open the portal,” he demanded

Yes, get me out of here, please. There’s too much energy surrounding me.

“Where?” she whimpered in fear

I saw Mathias standing in silence. I knew that his mind was racing as he tried to think of somewhere safe to take me. I also was aware that he was not going to say it out loud. The animal inside of him didn’t trust anyone right now except for me.

He whispered his demand, and I saw Sidra nod weakly. The second she started chanting the spell to open the portal, I began to squirm. My body was so tired. I had no energy left to scream or weep. I wanted to fade off into nothingness.

Mathias started walking over to me and knelt down. He put his face against mine, and I sighed with relief. I didn’t protest when he picked me up in his arms. I finally felt safe.

“Willa, you have to trust me. I’m going to take away the pain,” he said

Oh thank you, I thought. I know you will take care of me, and I prayed that I would be able to let you.

Mathias had stopped before he went through the portal. I tried to steel myself for the onslaught of magic that I would feel when we stepped through the waving air.

“We are leaving. Do not try and follow us. We will come back when Willa is well.”

I never want to come back, I thought. I want to leave and forget about everything. I wasn’t sure if there was ever going to be a time when I could be around these people that emanated enough magic to fuel the entire world.

“Mathias…,” Cecily cried. “Please be in touch. I will go crazy not knowing.”

I forgot about my mom and dad. We’ll be in touch, I thought. I love you both so much.

Mathias looked at Granny Winnie, and I saw them exchange a glance. “I will be in contact with you soon. There are decisions that we need to make immediately.”

“I understand,” she said before adding. “I agree.”

Mathias tightened his grip on me, and we plunged through the portal. I focused on Mathias’s face and tried to take in his warmth so that I would forget about the agony my body was going thru at the moment. When we came out the other side, I breathed in the crisp, clean air and almost moaned. There was no magical energy here. I had no idea where we were, but I didn’t care. The only thing I cared about was the man that was staring back at me tenderly.

Mathias leaned his forehead against mine and the familiar gesture brought me to tears. My body trembled as I finally relaxed against in his arms. I closed my eyes as we took off into the sky and flew far away.

Jeremiah burst through the living room door. He was followed closely behind by Riah, Julia, Veronica, Augusta, Cuddy, Archie, Rhoswen and Oliver.

“Where’s Willa?” he asked as he looked around the room in panic

“Mathias took Willa,” Winifred answered

“Where did they go?” Oliver asked

“I hope somewhere far, far away from here,” Sidra said

“This is bullshit,” Cuddy said gruffly

“Cuthbert…” Gussie said reprovingly

“No, I’m sorry Queen Sidra but who lets a young woman do this to herself,” he yelled. “Why? So, that you don’t have to get your hands dirty, Sidra?”

“Cuddy, please be careful how you speak to my mother,” Cormac warned. “She didn’t know that Willa was the Fae Sanctity.”

“Julia,” Cecily cried. “Have you seen anything? Have you had any visions about Willa? Will she get better?”

“I haven’t had any visions as of late,” Julia answered as she looked at Riah briefly

Robert, Winifred’s Guardian ran into the room flowed closely by his Gypsy mate Katya.

“I just heard,” he said. “I assume that there is a plan in place?”

Winifred nodded and held out her hand to her husband Archie for support before answering. “Mathias and I discussed contingency plans when he came back to the island.”

“Well, what are they mother?” Oliver asked

Winifred sighed. “We talked about what might happen if Willa was not able to procure the weapons. Now, of course, this was before we knew she was the weapon herself but there was one specific option that we discussed at length.”

“Jesus, Mary and Joseph,” Cuddy said. “Just spit it out Winnie.”

“We discussed performing a spell similar to the one we use for the Rau,” she answered. “This spell though would be for the Fae.”

“A spell that allows you a protective barrier that works against the Fae?” Sidra asked

“Yes,” Winifred said

“Let’s do it,” Cormac said. “We have no idea if Willa will ever get better, but even if she does I do not want her to try to use those powers ever again.”

“I agree,” Cecily said. “If we can make it so that no Fae can come here then we need not worry about this Fae Lord storming onto the Isle of Skye and harming not only Willa but everyone else.”

“It’s not as simple as that Cecily,” Winifred said softly. “We would have to cut off the portal.”

“Wait, what about you mother?” Cormac asked as he turned to Sidra. “Surely this doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t be able to come here?”

“I’m not sure,” Sidra said after a pause

“But…” Cormac stuttered

“But nothing Cormac,” Cuddy said. “The most important thing is that Willa and the rest of us are safe.”

“Sidra’s the queen. She must be powerful enough to bypass any spell that we could perform?” Gussie said

“If the barrier is weak enough to let me in than any of the Fae Lords could probably break through as well.” Sidra said before walking over to Cormac. She held his face in her hands. “I love you my son. I know you just came back into my life, but I will not sacrifice your life or my granddaughters for my own selfish needs.”

“I love you too mother,” Cormac said. “You’re right though. I can’t let my daughter be in any more danger. She has gone through so much already. I can’t lose her. I would die if that happened.”

“That’s exactly how I feel,” Sidra said sadly

“I’m sorry,” Riah interjected. “I hate to ask a stupid question but if this spell repels the Fae, what about Cormac and Rhoswen?”

“Cormac and Rhoswen are already on the island Riah,” Oliver said confused

“Yes, but when we bring any Rau prisoners here, we have to either kill them or let them go within twenty four hours or else the spell that keeps them out will kill them.” Riah explained

“I’m sure we can think of something,” Gussie said

“My mother’s right,” Julia said. “I’m sure there is some clause you can put on the spell, right grandmother?”

“Of course there is,” Cecily said

“Willa, Jeremiah and I overheard Lord Machall, who, by the way, is on our side, talking to Lord Bran,” Patcoena said. “Lord Bran told him the Lord Fonn was working with another witch and a warlock. If Sidra can find a crack in the spell that will allow her to come thru, then I’m positive that Fonn will be able to as well.”

“I don’t know if it’s possible that Cormac and Rhoswen would be able to stay here on the island if we perform the spell to repel any Fae from coming here,” Winifred said