by Anne, Meg
“Lessons?”
“Tine minte amria.”
Tingles raced up and down Skye’s limbs, and her ears filled with the beating of her racing heart. Why did she recognize those words?
“The curse is breaking, Skye, but it’s not yet broken. In order for you both to be free, you must—” Janice broke off with a frown and glanced over her shoulder. With a curse, she turned back to Skye. “I’m out of time. Skye, everything you need, you already have. The answer is there. Look within yourself to find it. Remember what you’ve Seen. Remember…”
Skye sat up with a gasp, the frantic beat of her heart the only sound in the room. With shaking hands, she wiped her wet cheeks, wonder and surprise momentarily pushing out the heartache.
She hadn’t dreamed of her grandmother since, well, since the night after her funeral. Skye remembered that dream vividly because when it happened, she’d thought it was real. Then, like tonight, Janice had visited Skye while she was working in her studio, just to ask about her day and tell her how proud of her she was. Skye remembered thinking it was a gift, that her Gran’s spirit had returned to let Skye know that she was all right and not to worry.
This time, she knew it was a gift. Skye had asked the universe to send her a sign, and Janice Giovanni had answered.
Even though she wasn’t sure what exactly the answer meant, for the first time, she wasn’t afraid of failing. If her Gran told her she had what she needed, Skye believed her.
“Thank you,” Skye whispered, pressing her fingers to her lips.
The pain was still there, along with the grief, but this time, when Skye snuggled back into the blankets, there was also the smallest flicker of hope.
For the first time in over a week, Skye woke before Lizzie’s falsely cheerful knock on the door. Pushing her feet over the side of the bed, she grabbed what she needed and headed for the shower.
A grim sort of determination fueled her motions, helping her focus only on the task directly in front of her. She listed the tasks off in her head as she picked up the necessary items. Shampoo. Check. Conditioner. Check. Razor. Dear God, when was the last time I shaved?
Less than an hour later, with a fresh bandage in place, a towel carefully wrapped around her head, and toothpaste foaming out of her mouth, Skye felt like a new person. Maybe not quite who she’d been before, but certainly more human than zombie. I wonder how long it will last.
With a grimace, she rinsed her mouth out with water and began to work at the tangled knots in her hair. A particularly snared piece brought tears to her eyes. That’s what happens when you don’t wash your hair for a week, genius.
The sun had barely risen when she padded down the hall, dressed and ready to face the day. Well, maybe not the day, but at least a steaming cup of coffee. It was something.
The voices reached her before she made it to the living room.
“I don’t know what to do with her anymore,” Lizzie said, her voice pitched low. “This morning she didn’t even bother to growl at me when I knocked.”
“Maybe we need to talk about a plan that doesn’t hinge on her having to face her captor. She’s certainly not in the right mental or emotional state,” James replied, just as quietly.
Heart pounding, Skye pressed against the wall, their words beating at the fragile armor she’d wrapped herself in.
“Can you blame her?” Lizzie snapped before sighing. “Maybe you’re right. We can’t ask her to do that. You saw what happened last night when she just thought he was near her. I can’t imagine what will happen if she actually has to come face to face with him.”
This is your chance, Giovanni. Do you hear what they think of you? You either go in there right now and prove them wrong, or you stay hidden over here and prove that you’re too weak to pull your weight. Too weak to help save Lucas.
Just as she was straightening, her doubt took center stage in her mind. What if they’re right? Sometimes the heart is willing, but the body is incapable. Do you really think you can walk away from him unscathed?
Fingering the fresh bandages at what used to be her ear, Skye turned the question over in her mind. Yes. Maybe not unscathed, but she could do this. She had to do this. Not just for Lucas, which would have been enough on its own, but for herself. It was the only way to regain what that asshole had taken from her.
Taking the last step that brought her into the weak light of the living room, Skye said, “I know that I haven’t been the most reliable ally recently, and I understand why you hesitate to trust me, but I can do this.”
Lizzie’s cheeks turned a mottled red, and her eyes widened.
Before she could apologize, Skye held up her hands. “No, it’s okay. You guys are right. What he did to me…the things that are replaying on a loop in my mind, they’re ugly. But I am tired of letting him hold that power over me. I don’t want to be the girl that jumps at her own shadow, and there might be days now where I can’t help but turn into her, but when it’s my choice, if it’s my choice, I choose not to be that girl. Please give me the chance to prove it.”
Lizzie was crying freely by the time she’d finished speaking, and even James had to look away to hide whatever her admission had done to him. It was the first time she’d really expressed how much effort it took simply to get out of bed. They had witnessed it, but they hadn’t understood it, not really. Now, maybe, they were at least starting to.
Throwing her arms around her, Lizzie said, “Of course, whatever you need. But only if you’re sure, Skye. We don’t want to make you do anything you aren’t ready to do.”
“I’m ready,” she assured her with a smile that felt entirely too foreign.
Arms tightening around her again, Lizzie whispered, “I’ve missed you.”
Swallowing, Skye closed her eyes, pushing away the tears that threatened to fall. No more crying. “I’ve missed me, too.”
“What changed?” Lizzie asked, stepping back from her.
Skye blushed, knowing that the question wasn’t meant to be a jab.
With an apologetic smile, Lizzie handed her an untouched cup of coffee. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that way, but when you went to bed last night…”
Sipping at the still warm coffee, Skye didn’t need her to finish the explanation. She remembered all too clearly the state she’d been in last night, the state she’d been in more often than not since they brought her home. Hating the reminder, Skye set the cup down on the coffee table and said simply, “I had a dream.”
James gave a startled laugh. “A dream?”
She threw him a half-smile. “Gran visited me.”
Sitting up straighter, he eyed her with what she’d come to recognize as his detective eyes. The look reminded her entirely too much of Lucas, and she had to look away to catch her breath.
Lizzie brushed warm fingers over the back of her hand. “Like a dream-dream, or a Dream?”
Skye shrugged. “I’m not sure, but Gran has only visited me in my sleep once before. So, I would like to assume it was more than just my subconscious.”
Nodding sympathetically, Lizzie asked, “What did she say?”
Running her fingers along the wet ends of her braid, Skye took a seat beside Lizzie on the couch. “That I have everything I need. That the curse is breaking but not broken. To remember what I’ve Seen.”
“Couldn’t be more specific, huh?” James said with a grin.
Skye let out a little laugh.
“Any idea what she was referring to?”
“Not yet,” Skye admitted with a shake of her head. “But it can’t be too hard to figure out. Most of my visions lately have been about Lucas and the Druid facing off, but those have all changed now because he sent Lucas to the Wasteland. So, it has to be something I Saw during those other visions.”
James nodded. “I tend to agree with your assumption.”
“I’ve been jotting down the details of the visions, just in case they ended up being relevant. So, I was planning on looking through my notebook to see
if anything jumped out at me.”
“Like your Gran’s journals,” Lizzie said.
Skye smiled her first truly genuine smile. “Exactly.”
“Good idea,” Lizzie murmured.
“In the meantime, we should probably call Giles and tell him we’re ready to put his idea into action,” James said as he stood.
Skye nodded. “One way or the other, it’s time to stop hiding.”
Chapter 18
Skye
Eyeing Giles’ swollen lip, Skye fought the impulse to run and hide. “I’m so sorry,” she moaned, mortification burning her cheeks.
“‘Tis okay, lass. I probably deserved it for one thing or another.” He winked.
Feeling too guilty to accept his forgiveness, Skye shook her head. “No, you don’t. Whatever else you’ve done, all you’ve tried to do since we got here is help us.”
He placed gentle hands on each of her shoulders. “I know it was an accident. I’ve seen that look in grown men’s eyes before. Facing a demon is never pretty. Especially when it’s got its sharp claws in ye.”
All she could do was nod, grateful to hear that he truly did understand. Then again, between being friends with the Druid before he’d gone postal and watching his other friend sacrifice her own life, it was likely Giles had battled plenty of his own demons.
“Right, now that we’ve got that out of the way. Ye said ye were ready to give the spell a try.” He looked over her shoulder at Lizzie.
“Yes,” Lizzie agreed.
James frowned as he watched Lizzie. Worry was evident in the creases around his eyes and lips. He wasn’t stoked on the idea of her placing herself in danger, but there was no other choice. Lizzie knew the risks, and they’d all agreed that her brother was worth every one of them.
“Do you really think it will work?” Lizzie asked, following Giles into the living room.
Giles shrugged. “It’s a minor spell, no rune work required. Since ye are part of the O’Leary-MacConnell bloodline, I do not see why it shouldn’t.”
“Except for the part where I’m female and don’t have any claim to a Druid’s actual power,” Lizzie pointed out.
“Maybe not the raw power, no, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a trace of magic in ye.”
“Anyone who’s tasted her coffee already knows it’s a magic elixir,” Skye muttered.
James and Lizzie laughed.
“Can’t argue with that,” James said.
Turning back to Giles, Lizzie asked, “So, how does this work?”
“We will start by cleansing the room.”
Lizzie glanced around the pristine room. “It looks pretty clean to me.”
“Cleanse, not clean,” he clarified, holding out a thick bundle of sage.
Lizzie mouthed a silent ‘oh.’
“Isn’t that what people do when they think a place is haunted?” James asked, wrinkling his nose.
Skye couldn’t quite contain her laughter. “It’s to help cleanse a space of negative energy.”
He eyed the sage dubiously. “If you say so.”
Nodding, Giles continued, “Then we will cast a circle—”
“Like witches do in the movies?” Lizzie blurted.
Giles chuckled. “Exactly.”
“What does that do?”
“It’s for protection,” Skye answered for him, familiar with the practice.
“Once we’ve prepared the space, then we can begin the evocation.”
“The what?”
“Evocation, a calling of the spirit, or in this case, a particular spirit. If it works, the Druid will feel drawn to this place. With his power, he can send his spirit here to investigate, while his body remains wherever he is actually located, lowering the risk to us.”
“What if his body decides it doesn’t want to remain behind?” James asked, his voice hard as his hand moved to his hip where his gun was usually holstered.
“He is too curious by nature to take the time to travel by natural means, and with the protection spells Lucas put in place before he left, Oliver can no longer portal here directly.”
Lizzie shuddered at the use of her grandfather’s name. They’d made a point to refer to him only as ‘the Druid’ since he was far from the man she and Lucas remembered as Pop.
“I thought you said that Lucas’ interfering with the Druid’s original runes was a problem,” James asked with a frown.
“I said that it would let Oliver know ye were here, but he already knows that now, so there’s no point in pretending otherwise. He could find us here anytime he wanted. What he won’t be anticipating is us seeking him out.”
“He thinks he won,” Skye said darkly.
Giles nodded, his eyes hidden behind the glare bouncing off his glasses. It gave him a supernatural look that had goosebumps erupting down her arms. Skye blinked, and the illusion broke as he turned away from her and back toward the others.
“All ye have to do is repeat after me and focus all of yer intent and energy on the words as ye speak them. It would probably help if ye could also picture him as ye do.”
Lizzie paled, and Skye didn’t blame her. Even the thought of the Druid’s spirit appearing before them was enough to make her nauseous.
“Do ye remember what to do once he appears?”
Once, not if. Giles was certain that he would take the bait.
Skye swallowed and nodded. Fear like shards of ice embedded itself in her lungs, and she fought to keep her breathing even. Just the mention of facing him had her breaking out into a sweat.
“I tell him that I Saw his death and would like to propose a trade: Lucas for the time and place.”
Giles offered her a kind smile. “It’s an irresistible offer for a man like him. He will not be able to refuse ye.”
Skye wasn’t half as sure, but it was worth a shot if it meant that Lucas could come back to them.
“Shall we begin?” Giles asked, looking around the room.
In turn, each one of them eyed the others before all nodding their agreement. No point in putting this off.
It was time to face the devil.
James grabbed a lighter while Giles went to gather what they needed to cast the circle. Soon, the room filled with the sweet smell of sage. Skye breathed deeply; maybe the sage could work its magic on the negative energy that clung to her.
Moving efficiently, Giles issued orders without taking his eyes off the salt circle he was drawing on the ground.
“Is that really necessary?” James asked.
“Yes,” Giles snapped.
James rolled his eyes and muttered something Skye couldn’t quite hear.
“You so sure it’s not that you want to risk attempting this without it?” she asked him.
“Good point,” James said with a frown, his eyes darting to where Lizzie stood a few feet away.
“Alright, James, you’re going to stand here at the Northern tip of the circle.”
“Any particular reason?” he asked, moving into place where Giles pointed.
“Yer our representation of earth.”
“Why, because he’s stubborn and unyielding?” Lizzie teased.
Giles grinned while James feigned offense. “I was thinking more because he is grounded, practical, and quite disciplined.”
“See,” James said, preening.
“That doesn’t mean it was a compliment,” Lizzie retorted.
Skye smiled, enjoying their banter even as it made her ache for Lucas. Just weeks ago, it would have been the two of them teasing each other in a similar fashion.
“Lizzie, ye will stand just there. Yes, facing me. Perfect.”
Lizzie stood to James’ left at a perfect ninety-degree angle and directly across from Giles, who stood to James’ right.
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out where Skye was supposed to stand. Without waiting for Giles’ direction, she moved through the half-circle the others created to stand across from James, thus completing the circle.
“Perfect.”
“If I’m earth, what are they?” James asked as he picked up the green candle flickering on the ground beside him.
Skye eyed the white, red, and blue candles. If the elements were tied to the color of their candles, it was pretty obvious. White for air, red for fire, and blue for water. She wasn’t certain, but she vaguely remembered hearing that each element was also tied to the four cardinal directions. If earth was North, based on the way they were standing, that meant that air was East, fire was South, and water was West.
Looking at who Giles chose for each place made a certain kind of sense. Skye appreciated the balance, and how well they each represented their chosen element. Lizzie, brilliant, talkative, eternally sweet, was a natural fit for air. Giles, with his wisdom and empathy, was easily water. As for her, fire was tied to creativity and passion. Two things she’d built a life with and often used to describe herself, at least before the Druid had gotten his hands on her. I’ll be those things again. The silent promise to herself was enough to choke back the pain.
Satisfied, Skye took a deep, centering breath. The more she reflected on it, each person was a practically perfect embodiment of their assigned element, and that small piece of luck helped the tiny flicker of hope inside her burn brighter.
While she’d been lost in thought, Giles had answered James, who currently nodded as if he, too, agreed with her internal assessment.
“Everyone still have the incantation I wrote for them?” Giles asked.
Skye pulled the small piece of paper out of her pocket, even though she’d already memorized the words. Around her, James and Lizzie did the same.
“Good. Then James, start us off.”
“Guardians of the North, steadfast and strong, we call on you to protect and help us with our quest.” He let some of the dirt he’d grabbed from outside sift through his fingers and fall onto the floor before him.
Knowing her cue, Lizzie took up the chant. “Guardians of the East, ever moving around and through us, we call on you to help keep us on course.” She blew gently at the flame of her candle, making it leap and billow before settling back into its happy flicker.