I know this is difficult, love. But you can trust him. He helped us then. He’ll help us now.
Off-kilter, she took a few steps back, licks of flame sparking on her fingertips again. Her heart thumped in her chest, the flight instinct screaming at her to run.
Alfrere looked down at her fingers. In a voice strident with power and a hint of France, he said, ‘A fire witch. And more. I can sense all four elements. Marvellous.’
Morrigan didn’t comment as she looked in Skye’s eyes, then said, ‘Breathe. Let the cool replace the fire.’
Skye nodded and desperately tried to do what Morrigan asked, wincing as her head began to pound; the repression spell making itself known. The heat in her fingertips lessened as she breathed past the fear and panic in her chest and imagined ice enveloping her skin.
‘Good, that’s good,’ Morrigan said after a few minutes. Gaze still on Skye, she spoke to Alfrere. ‘Can you help her?’
‘That depends on how close the rogue coven are and how damaged the spell is. I can see it’s not working the way you told me it should.’
‘The McVales are here. Their presence might be part of the reason the spell has faltered.’
He nodded. ‘And led the rogue coven right to her door, no doubt. Typical animals—blundering about with no thought to how their actions affect others. I suppose they tracked her to stop the Curse?’
Morrigan gasped. ‘You knew that was a possibility?’
He flicked his hand at her. ‘A small one, and nothing we need to worry about.’
Skye glanced between them. ‘Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on?’
Alfrere regarded her with serious eyes. ‘Years ago, your grandmother ran away from the pack she was bound to, to find freedom. She found it when she met your grandfather and me, and joined the rogue coven we were a part of. They believed, as did she, that the pact that had bound witches and warlocks to the Were hundreds of years ago had become a bond of slavery. This coven, made up of those who hadn’t pledged themselves to the pact, tried to start life anew. As the years went by, we were joined by those who developed powers, and sometimes, though rarely, we were joined by one of the pledged, who had come to realise, as we did, that their powers shouldn’t be taken from them and given to the animals.’
He looked at Morrigan, whose lips were pulled tight over her mouth, her hands clenched tight in front of her.
There was a knock on the door and Ferris entered. ‘Where would you like the tea served, madame?’
‘On the coffee table will be fine. We’ll serve ourselves. Thank you.’
‘Very well, madame.’
‘Perhaps we should all sit,’ Alfrere suggested as Ferris left and Morrigan served the tea.
Skye shook her head when Morrigan offered her a cup and took a seat opposite them on the couch. ‘Can you tell me the rest?’ She took a deep, shuddering breath and clenched her hands together, willing the heat that threatened away from her fingertips. She looked at her grandmother. ‘I— It’s hard to listen to his voice.’
Morrigan handed Alfrere a cup, sipped at her tea and crossed her long, elegant legs. After a moment, she put her cup down on the table between them and placed her perfectly manicured hands in her lap. ‘Very well.’
She took a deep breath. ‘I was away from the pack I’d grown up around, part of a strong new coven who didn’t care that my powers weren’t strong enough to feed into them. Their leader, a very powerful witch, was friendly and welcoming and made me feel special and wanted in ways I’d never felt growing up. Aside from that, I’d fallen in love with Harrison and for the first time in my life I was truly happy. But then I became pregnant, and things changed.’
Her gaze darted to Alfrere and then back to Skye. ‘We found out that the leader had lured me there on purpose with plans to kidnap my sister. But now I was pregnant, her plans changed. She could use me and my baby, rather than me and my sister, to help break the pact tying the old covens to the Were.’ She shook her head, a vicious expression uncurling on her face.
‘I could not allow my child to be used by them. I returned to my family to have the child and keep him safe. Harrison stayed away and started the rumour that I’d had a miscarriage and we’d broken up from the grief of the loss. We hoped this would convince the rogue coven to forget about me. But it wasn’t enough.’
She closed her eyes, a tear trickling down her cheek. ‘I gave birth to my son, Paul, and told my sister what had happened. She agreed to keep my baby safe, facilitated my disappearance with Harrison and faked my death. Without me, the rogue coven’s plans were dust in the wind—they needed the power of two tied by blood to further their plans. It almost killed me to leave my son, but I had no other choice.’ She stopped, looked away, blinking rapidly. ‘Harrison never even met his son.’
‘Is that true, Grandpa?’
Yes. To my never-ending sorrow.
Skye’s heart twisted at the thought.
Morrigan looked down at her hands. ‘Harrison and I ran and hid, starting new lives. Alfrere helped us in whatever way he could.’
‘How?’
He stayed with the rogue coven as a spy. It was extremely dangerous, but he did it anyway, for us.
Morrigan nodded at Harrison’s whispered words and sent Alfrere a look that brought a thick sensation to Skye’s throat. ‘Your grandpa is right. We can never repay what Alfrere did for us. He helped us to hide and he fed us information. But sometimes his information was not enough. We only found out after the fact that the rogue coven had attempted to kidnap my sister Lily in an attempt to lure me out of hiding and she was killed in the fight to take her. Thankfully Paul was guarded on pack lands and the rogue coven couldn’t get to him. But he did find out about the plot to kidnap you and your brother.’
‘What?’
‘Somehow, they’d found out about your birth. I didn’t even know I had grandchildren because I’d cut off contact entirely, so fearful was I of bringing danger to my precious Paul. But when Alfrere came to us and told us our old coven planned to kidnap my grandchildren and use them instead of me in their plots, I realised all those years in hiding, staying away from my precious Paul, had been in vain.’
She paused, a sob clear in her voice, her knuckles white as she clenched them in her lap. ‘We tried to warn Paul and your mother, Ivy. We arranged a meeting. But somehow, the rogue coven found out. They ambushed your parents on the way to the meeting. By the time we got there, the coven had already struck, killing your parents. They were about to take you too, but we got there in time and took you away.’
She met Skye’s stunned gaze. ‘We ran and hid again, not even contacting Alfrere. We didn’t want to endanger him further.’ She swallowed hard. ‘Your grandfather came from money and he’d hidden much of it away in untraceable accounts, so we had the means we needed to take us anywhere and live comfortably and quietly. But even with all our precautions, we couldn’t seem to stay hidden. Your power, it was so wild, and as yet untrained. To anyone with power, you were too easy to find. We ran, started new lives with new names a number of times before we realised what we had to do to keep you and River safe.’
Skye shook her head, biting her lip. ‘So you trapped my power and made me afraid of it.’
Morrigan swallowed as she nodded, her voice thick with tears as she said, ‘We had no choice but to make you believe your power was evil. You were too young to understand the danger and do what was necessary, and even though your grandpa was powerful in his own right, he wasn’t strong enough to keep you hidden by himself.’ She looked down at her hands, her voice a harsh whisper. ‘And I couldn’t help him because I wasn’t strong enough. I’d never been strong enough.’
You were strong in other ways, my love.
Morrigan looked up, a tear sliding down her cheek. ‘But it wasn’t enough.’ She took a deep breath, her green eyes endless pools of sadness, piercing Skye with her plea. A plea for understanding; a plea to forgive her for what she’d done. She held her hands
in front of her, like a penitent at the altar.
Skye couldn’t move. She was numb—her whole body; her mind. She clutched at her stomach and asked the only question she could. ‘And River? Is he in danger from them?’
‘Only through you. They realised he had no power when they tried to kidnap you. They were going to kill him, but your grandpa saved him. He was damaged, though. You were young so you probably don’t fully remember how he was. He is so much better since we got him on the right medication. The rages—they were so frightening. He tore apart rooms, hurt himself … and others.’
‘I remember.’ How could you forget the person you loved more than anything else in your life wrapping his hands around your neck and trying to choke the breath out of you? She closed her eyes against that memory. River wasn’t that person—at least, he mostly wasn’t that person—and she didn’t want to remember him as such. ‘Is that because he can’t change into a wolf? If he’s not affected by the Curse, then why can’t he change? I know you don’t like the Were. Did you do something to him to stop him from changing?’
Morrigan’s lip wobbled, but she shook her head. ‘I don’t hate the Were. I ran away from them and my family because I felt useless and trapped. But River is precious to me. He has taken the place of my son in my heart. And it’s the greatest sadness to me that we didn’t stop the coven before they caused the injury to the part of his brain that enables the change. It was my dream that you would be able to fix the damage with your power, but your power was too dangerous, too unstable, and always seemed to make him worse when you used it around him.’
For a long moment, Skye was speechless. ‘Why can’t I remember any of this?’
‘You were so traumatised by what happened that you lost your memory of your life before, including your training. It put us all in such danger. You know what you did to River.’
An image of River—long gangly legs and dark auburn hair hanging in his face, a ‘Happy tenth birthday, Skye and River’ sign hanging in the background behind him—sprang into her mind. But rather than bringing a smile to her face as it did when she remembered his whole, handsome, unscarred face, she gasped, stuffing her fist into her mouth to stop a scream. She could remember staring at him as he choked her—his temper lashing out because she’d accidently broken a new toy—then the heat lashed out, hitting him, catching his shirt alight and turning his auburn hair into a true firy blaze as he stumbled away from her.
Skye bit her knuckle as she struggled away from the horror of that memory. The sharp pain helped. Sucking in a deep breath, she dropped her hand and asked, ‘Why did you keep me with you if I’m such a danger to him? I know you care for him as you never cared for me. Why didn’t you send me away?’
Morrigan looked at her, eyes wide with shock. ‘I don’t love him more. It’s just, despite his problems, he’s far easier for me to deal with than you. It’s difficult for me, looking at you, being around you, knowing that because of me, you were living a life more repressed than the one I’d tried to escape. If I was harsh with you, it was simply because I was torn apart by my guilt.’ She looked up, wringing her hands. ‘Your grandpa was always so much better at loving guilt free than I.’
Alfrere leaned over and took Morrigan’s hands in his to still their wringing. ‘You did the best you could.’ He stared at Skye. ‘You should be grateful.’
Skye could feel Morrigan’s guilt and pain reverberating in her chest. ‘I’m sorry. It’s just … so much to take in.’
Morrigan held Skye’s gaze. ‘This is the worst way for you to find out and I know it’s hard to take in, but I need you to understand the danger.’ Her lips trembled as she took a deep breath, her expression making fear skitter up and down Skye’s spine. ‘I need you to allow Alfrere to tighten Harrison’s spell. And then I need you to run.’
‘I’m not going to run.’
‘You have to, Skye. There’s no other choice. The coven are too powerful. I have no magic and can’t fight them. Alfrere can only do so much.’ She squeezed his hand.
‘But I can’t. What about River? If my powers could help him—’
‘It’s too late for that. Besides, they’re not interested in him without you. I will make certain he stays safe. I promise.’
Skye looked wildly around the room. ‘You may not have power, but you know about it. Can’t you teach me how to use my powers so I know how to control them? I’m not a child anymore. If I know how to use them, then surely that means no one else can use me?’
‘That would take years of study and we simply don’t have the luxury of time. The rogue coven has found you. I have no idea why they haven’t made a move already—maybe they’re trying to figure out what we did to your powers—but we’ve got to be thankful they’re being circumspect and take the opportunity to bind your powers tightly again before you disappear.’
‘But … but … my friends. My business …’ She knew she’d told Jason that she’d run, but she hadn’t been truly serious. ‘I can’t just up and leave.’
‘I can give you time,’ Alfrere said. ‘A few days at most. You can wrap things up, say goodbye.’
‘If you can do that, why can’t you do it for longer? Why do I have to run?’
‘Because I am simply not strong enough to be able to keep a shield up for more than a few days. Not over you. Your powers are too strong.’
‘Can’t Jason and his pack protect me if I give them the power they need? Jason inferred it was his job to keep me and River safe.’
‘They couldn’t stop the rogue coven from killing your parents and trying to kidnap you when they had the full power of your father behind them. What makes you think they can protect you now—with an untried Alpha to guide them and a witch who was never trained and whose powers have always been uncertain and unstable?’
‘But won’t Jason’s pack be in danger if I block off my powers entirely and run? The Curse—’
‘Are they more important to you than your own twin? Think, Skye. If you are alive, the Curse can’t fully unfold. But if the rogue coven finds River, they won’t stop at using him to draw you to them. Alfrere and I can protect him, but not if you are here too, giving us away.’
‘Who do you want to save?’ Alfrere asked. ‘River—or some pack that wants to enslave you?’
Skye’s lips trembled as tears fell down her face to plop on the brocade of the lounge in front of her. ‘But why me? Why do they want me?’
‘Because you are a twin and your twin holds no power.’ Alfrere pointed at her. ‘Inside you lies the power of two people. That’s why they want you.’
Skye’s mind spun. The power of two people? She had River’s share as well? ‘Is that dangerous?’
‘Very. It shouldn’t be possible. You are unnatural—’
‘Alfrere!’ Morrigan snapped.
‘She needs to know the truth.’ He turned to watch her. ‘You could be the most powerful witch ever known. More powerful than Bridgette Colliere herself. And if those powers aren’t kept in check, if they are allowed to fall into the wrong hands …’ He shook his head. ‘Then you could become a tool more dangerous to humankind than any we have ever known.’
Skye sucked in a breath as if she’d been punched.
‘There’s no need to be cruel, Alfrere. Skye is not to blame for her powers. She needs our help.’ Morrigan was suddenly before her, holding her hands. ‘I’m sorry Alfrere told you that, Skye. It wasn’t fair.’
‘But it was true. Wasn’t it?’
‘Yes. It’s true.’ Morrigan’s eyes filled with sorrow. ‘But Harrison is right. You are not to blame. And we will help you. If you let us.’
Skye shook her head, wiping her hand across her face, trying to get rid of the tears that wouldn’t stop falling, wishing she had a tissue because snot was running from her nose.
Alfrere appeared at her side, handing her a tissue. ‘What I said was cruel. Please forgive me.’
Skye could only nod as she took the tissue. She couldn’t seem to find the word
s. There were none.
Morrigan touched Skye on the shoulder. ‘Come on, Skye. Come and sit on the couch and we’ll explain what needs to be done.’
Skye wanted to lie down on the floor, curl up in a ball, shut her eyes, plug her ears and never move again. Instead, she gritted her teeth and forced herself to sit—she hadn’t even realised she’d stood up—and face the woman who had made her life hell for reasons of protection, and the man who would make it worse for the same reasons.
She folded her shaking hands over her equally shaking legs. ‘Just tell me what I have to do.’
Alfrere nodded. ‘Unless we take immediate precautions, members of our old coven will find a time to catch you alone, bind you to them by trapping the magic you’re dripping like a leaky tap, and take you back with them. If they were to capture one of the Were too, they could use his presence to influence the drip of magic and break the spell binding your magic.’
Morrigan pursed her lips. ‘Alfrere can put a shield around you to hide you from those with evil intent. But that will only last for a few days. Once that time has passed, you will have to come back to us and he will properly bind your magic by feeding it into a shield that will make you invisible to any but humans without a skerrick of magical talent. It will also make you invisible to the Were and your Wiccan friends. To all intents and purposes, you will disappear. Then you will have to make a new life for yourself somewhere far from here.’
Alfrere’s binding will be painful, love, but necessary. I think it’s the only way to keep you safe.
‘So, shall we begin?’
Trust them, love.
Skye clenched her hands in her lap. Even though she wasn’t on the run yet, she felt more alone than ever before. But there was only one answer she could give, even though it would kill a part of her soul to agree to their plan.
Nodding, she looked Alfrere in the eye. ‘Okay.’
Chapter 14
Leisl Leighton - [Pack Bound 01] Page 19