by Anne, Meg
“Yes, Nan, of course,” Lucas answered with a grin. Having two women he’d never thought he’d see again standing before him somehow made the Wasteland a bit more tolerable.
Glancing back at the paper, Lucas asked, “So, what’s a soul sacrifice?”
“It doesn’t have to be an entire soul,” his Nan responded, as if that answered his question.
“What do you mean?” Skye asked.
“Oliver sacrificed a piece of himself—his magic, to be precise—in order to return home.”
“But he still had power. If he sacrificed his magic in order to leave, how did he have it when he returned?” Skye asked, her brows scrunched in confusion.
“He only sacrificed a part of his power. Ye see, the Wasteland only steals that which a Druid will not willingly give. It feeds off power; ‘tis why Druids are trapped here. Most of them are too power hungry to want a life without all of their magic. When they will not give the Wasteland a portion of their power, it claims all of it until they fade away.”
“So, that’s why they all go crazy,” Skye murmured.
His Nan nodded and moved toward the wall of runes. She ran her hand over the wall, pressing her palm against the stone right beside the largest rune. “I see ye tried to reactivate this.”
Lucas shrugged. “I had to try something.”
“This place requires a steep toll to enter or leave.”
Lucas turned his attention to Skye, eyes narrowed. “So, without power to give, how did you get here?”
Skye looked away.
“I told ye, she sacrificed herself.”
“Skye?”
She looked back up at him, her chin tilted defiantly. “I traded my life to get you out.”
“You did what?” He couldn’t help it, he shouted the question at her, terrified and distraught that she’d paid such a high price for his freedom. It wasn’t worth it; nothing was worth Skye’s life. Not even his own.
Skye straightened, not about to be bullied by him on this point. “Lizzie and James need you, Lucas. It will only be a matter of time before the Druid returns to take them out. You are the only one who can stop him.”
“There had to be another way.”
“There wasn’t.”
“Skye—”
“She’s right, Lucas. In order for someone non-magical to get here, it takes a life. That sort of sacrifice has its own kind of magic. It must be something about that special kind of selfless love…” She trailed off, lost in thought, then, with a shrug, she added, “Anyway, ‘tis why I sacrificed mine to send your Pop here. My love for my family was stronger than any ounce of self-preservation.”
“So, what? I’m supposed to go back without you? I can’t do that, Skye. I won’t live without you. Losing you once almost destroyed me. I won’t survive it a second time.”
Skye blinked back fresh tears. “You have to. Lizzie needs you, Lucas. She’s the last MacConnell standing, and she needs her brother.”
“I won’t settle for you not being around.” He looked to his Nan. “You’re both alive here, can you not come back with me?”
“I’m not sure. It’s not something Oliver was willing to try,” she responded dryly. “I suppose it could be possible, but it’s just as possible that we’re only alive here, fueled by the Wasteland’s magic, and the second we go back to the real world, we’ll be dead as doornails.”
“I see where Lucas and Lizzie get their sense of humor,” Skye said dryly.
“No reason to be down about it; we both willingly made the choice. Now, we must face the consequences.”
“No,” Lucas said forcefully, a muscle twitching in his jaw.
A life without Skye in it wasn’t one he was interested in living. He would rather stay with her here, in the Wasteland, than go back without her. Shit, maybe he could send himself back here once he took care of the Druid once and for all. Anything would be better than having to spend the rest of his days without her.
“We should at least try to get you both back.”
“I’m willing to try,” Skye answered eagerly. “Even if it means dying all over again.”
Lucas pulled her against him, desperate to hold her in his arms even if they weren’t alone. He never wanted to stop touching her, especially if this was going to be one of his last chances to do so. What if she disappeared? What if he couldn’t get back to her? There were entirely too many ‘what ifs’ for him to waste the opportunity to hold her.
Pulling back, he looked into her familiar eyes. Brushing a strand of hair from her forehead, he sighed. “Okay, Giovanni, how the hell do we get out of this place?”
Chapter 24
Skye
Lucas and Maggie’s heads were bent toward each other as they chatted about the best way for Lucas to make his offering to the Wasteland. A little bit of blood wouldn’t do this time—he had to find a way to tap into his power and give just enough that the Wasteland would be satisfied, without weakening himself completely.
Luckily for Lucas, since he was one of only two remaining Druids, he had a considerable amount of power at his disposal.
A small smile played about her lips as she watched Lucas reconnect with his grandmother. There was an ease about his smile that she hadn’t seen since they’d first gotten to know each other. Despite everything, Lucas had managed to find a small bit of happiness, and it made her heart soar.
He glanced over at her, and his smile widened. Every minute or so, he had a tendency to do that, as if he feared she’d somehow vanished while he wasn’t looking. Skye couldn’t blame him, she was guilty of that very thing.
Without warning, a sharp tingling built at the base of her neck. Skye let out a soft gasp and felt her knees give out beneath her. She was only partially aware of what was happening to her body as her vision pulled her under.
She didn’t even have time to call Lucas’ name before she was sucked in completely.
Skye looked around the cavern in confusion. She was standing farther back, but it was clearly the same cave she’d just been standing in. Maggie was drawing a rune on the ground, while Lucas tied a torn piece of cloth around his hand.
“Are you sure about this?” he asked, glancing to his left.
A second Skye, the one that existed in that moment, moved into view. “Yes, I’m sure.”
“But I haven’t been able to access my magic here—”
“Yes, you have. The Wasteland has been tricking you into believing otherwise. It’s been siphoning the power you call up, keeping your spells from working as it steals your magic for itself.”
Lucas grumbled, and she grinned before continuing, “This time, you are not trying to use your power, you are offering it. That’s the difference.”
With a sigh, Lucas brushed a kiss to her cheek and moved into the rune Maggie just completed.
“Ready?” Lucas asked.
Maggie and Skye nodded, each taking a place on the large circular rune. Lucas stood at the top, but inside the circle, while Maggie and Skye stood opposite, creating the base of a triangle.
The real Skye’s stomach clenched with fear. If this was the future, which one of them was going to die? Was she about to find out what would happen to her and Maggie once Lucas left?
“It’s going to work,” Lucas said, holding out a hand for Skye to take.
She nodded, but Lucas must not have believed her. He closed the distance between them and kissed her hard and fierce. Maggie pointedly looked away, but she was smiling.
Just watching the kiss lit a fire within her, and Skye ached to be the one on the receiving end. If this was the future, it was definitely something to look forward to.
A discrete cough had the two lovers breaking apart with guilty grins.
“Alright, I’ll see you on the other side.”
Closing his eyes, Lucas tipped his head back and murmured, “Source and seed I offer, so that it may be planted anew and grow. Take this gift, freely given.”
Light flared below their feet before L
ucas had finished speaking. The light, a bright flickering green, danced beneath them, painting them in its glow. Lucas was illuminated by the same light, although it was coming from within, making him shine with its intensity.
His power, Skye realized.
Soon, the light was blinding, and even squinting, Skye could hardly see the three figures standing in the rune. It wasn’t long, maybe three or four heartbeats later, when Lucas began to dim, and the flickers of light beneath their feet sank back into the ground. By the time the light faded completely, the three figures were gone.
Still within the vision, Skye looked at the empty circle and grinned. It had worked, and no one died.
A happy giggle escaped as the scene began to fade. Seeing what she needed, Skye was being pulled back to the present.
No one died, and still, she Saw the future.
The curse was broken.
“Skye! Skye, baby, answer me!”
A frantic Lucas was cradling her in his arms when her eyes opened.
“Man, those still suck,” she croaked, licking her lips.
Skin pale and eyes wide with fear, he asked, “Who died?”
Skye shook her head, her grin so huge her cheeks hurt. “No one.”
“What do you mean? That was a vision, wasn’t it?”
Skye nodded, accepting his help as he lifted her to her feet.
“Then…I thought…how?” he asked, his brows furrowed.
“The curse…we broke it.”
Mouth gaping, it took a second for the words to sink in and understanding to follow. “I’d forgotten all about that.”
“What curse?” Maggie asked, concern darkening her eyes.
Holding hands, Lucas and Skye turned to face her. “Our ancestors knew each other. Two of them were lovers once, but the Druid felt that the Gypsy had selfishly withheld information from a vision to hurt him. He cursed her and all of those that came from her line, to see only visions of death and be helpless to stop them.”
Maggie gasped. “How terrible.”
“Tell me about it,” Skye said dryly.
Lucas chuckled. “In turn, the Gypsy cursed the Druid and those in his line, to never again know true love.”
“So, how did ye manage to break it?” Maggie asked, wonder making her voice a bit breathless.
Looking at Skye, Lucas lifted their linked hands and pressed his lips to the back of her hand. “True love, obviously.”
Delicious heat rolled through her, and Skye grinned. “Selfless love, actually. But yes, right idea.”
He shrugged. “Same difference.”
Skye laughed, joy making her giddy. Somehow, not even death had kept them from each other. What they had was strong enough to transcend death, and shatter the curse that spent lifetimes haunting their ancestors.
A weight she hadn’t realized she was still holding onto dropped away, and Skye beamed. She and Lucas had found a new source of power, one forged in their love for each other. If they could overcome death, then the Druid didn’t stand a chance.
Lucas ran a finger along her cheek. “That smile for me, Giovanni?” he asked, his eyes crinkling as he smiled down at her.
Her heart fluttered at the tender use of her name. “Lucas, we’re going to win.”
Eyes shining with excitement, he asked, “Is that what you Saw?”
“No, but I don’t need to. I can feel it.”
Still smiling, Lucas squeezed her hand. “So can I.”
“So, what did ye See, lass?”
“How we’re getting out of here.”
“Thank fuck,” Lucas breathed. “What do I need to do?”
With a laugh, Skye told them, and they got to work. For the first time, Skye wasn’t afraid about one of her visions coming true.
Chapter 25
Lizzie
Lizzie stood frozen, staring at the pool of dried blood where Skye had died. She squeezed her eyes shut against the onslaught of memories as a tear slipped down her cheek. Nearly a week had passed since her friend took her own life, but it could have been mere hours ago, judging by the gut-wrenching pain where her heart was supposed to be.
A week without Skye and without a single word from Lucas. There was no telling whether he’d found Skye or if her sacrifice had been in vain.
What in the hell were they supposed to do if Lucas never returned? She had a feeling waving a little white flag when the Druid came for them wouldn’t keep him from ripping their throats out, if that’s what he wanted.
“Hey.” James pressed a hand to her lower back and dipped down to kiss the top of her head.
Lizzie looked up at him with an empty smile. His eyes were dark, his face slightly sunken in with the lack of sleep or proper sustenance. For the first time in as long as she could remember, she had no motivation to cook—or do anything, for that matter.
“Everything okay?” Lizzie asked, turning away from the stained carpet James avoided at all costs.
Watching Skye stab herself weighed on him. Lizzie knew on some level he’d believed he should have saved her, but you couldn’t save someone who didn't want to be saved. Skye hadn’t wanted to live in a world without Lucas, so she’d paid the ultimate price to bring him back. Shit, Lizzie couldn’t blame her; she’d probably have done the same if it was James’ life on the line, and very nearly considered doing it for Lucas—if she hadn’t been terrified he’d find some way to bring her back just to kill her again.
“I haven’t found anything. Giles just left for the day, said he’ll bring over some more books in the morning.”
Lizzie nodded but didn’t respond.
They’d all been working nonstop to try and find another way into the Wasteland since Skye’s death. The original plan had been for Giles to make the sacrifice that would send Skye through to reach Lucas, and when Skye flipped the script, they’d all been shocked that her body disappeared with the blinding light. Maybe it was because she was the only one standing on the rune, but that was mere speculation. It wasn’t like they had a whole lot of prior knowledge to work with on how things were supposed to play out. Just Skye’s and Giles’ recounting of what happened the last time. Without knowing what became of Skye’s body once—if—she reached the other side, all they could do was scramble to come up with a Plan B to get Lucas out.
“What do you want for dinner?”
“We can head into town and grab something at the pub?” James’ eyes were hopeful.
Lizzie nodded. Getting some fresh air might do them both some good. “Let’s do it. Fish and chips sound fantastic.”
James smiled and kissed her softly. “I agree. I’ll leave a note just in case.”
It made her heart soar that he thought about that, too. Leaving a note would ensure that if somehow Lucas made it back before they did, he would know where to find them.
“I’m going to grab a quick shower and change out of these clothes.”
“I think you look and smell wonderful already.”
Lizzie glanced down at the sweats and oversized T-shirt she wore. Wonderful, my ass. She looked like she’d been sleeping in a gutter for the past week.
“I appreciate that, but I definitely need a shower.” Lizzie reached up and gave him a loud smacking kiss on the cheek before heading toward the bedroom they shared.
After laying out a pair of jeans and a cream-colored sweater, Lizzie turned the hot water on and stepped beneath the spray. The warmth of the water, mixed with her lavender-scented body wash, calmed her, and for the first time since Skye’s death, she felt alive. Not just a robot going through the motions, but a living, breathing, fully functioning human.
It was a nice feeling.
A few minutes later, Lizzie was stepping out of the shower and pulling on her sweater. After applying some mascara and lip gloss, she was ready for a night out with the man she loved. Taking a couple hours to forget about their current predicament was just what they needed. Hopefully, the break would have the added benefit of helping them see things with fresh eyes tomo
rrow.
“I feel so much better,” Lizzie said a little while later, walking into the kitchen, where James stood drinking a small glass of scotch.
He’d changed, too, swapping the black sweatshirt for an olive-green button-up that complimented the hazel of his eyes perfectly.
“You look beautiful.”
She raised an eyebrow. “I thought you said I looked good before?”
“You di—”
James was cut off by a large thud paired with the sound of shattering glass.
“Lucas?” Lizzie called out hopefully, rushing toward the noise.
“Lizzie, wait!” James shouted, gripping her arm and pulling her back before she could run out of the room.
“No, Lizzie, don’t wait! Come on out and give Pop a hug!”
Lizzie froze as ice filled her veins. So much for Lucas’ protection runes. Time seemed to stop as her brain struggled to process what was happening. The Druid was here, and they had no backup. They were completely and utterly fucked.
James held his finger up to his lips, asking her to be silent. She nodded, terror making speech impossible anyway. James threaded his fingers through hers. He gestured to the door leading outside from the kitchen, and she nodded again.
Heart in her throat, Lizzie followed James as they crept toward the door, careful to remain as quiet as possible. Reaching it, James started to pull it open. Lizzie flinched as the door creaked, and James shot her a wide-eyed stare, waiting a beat before pulling the door open further. Door open, James straightened slightly, but before he could make use of it, it slammed shut and the lock clicked.
“I just got here; I can’t have you two leaving just yet.”
As one, they turned to face him. Dread pooled in Lizzie’s belly as she took in the crazed smile on the Druid’s face. He was completely unhinged, his black eyes flickering with some kind of red light.
“The fun’s just getting started.”
James shoved Lizzie behind him. “What the hell do you want? Skye and Lucas are already gone.”