“Don’t die on me yet girl. I have to be the one to finish you off.” Evelyn spoke to Skye’s unconscious body.
“Actually, I’m going to finish you off bitch!” Kel’s voice diverted her attention. Evan, Buck, Mike, and Kel stood just mere feet away from her.
Skye’s grandmother went to plunge the sword into Skye. Evan raised a hand, throwing the sword out of her hand. Mike and Buck ran directly to Skye to check for a pulse.
“Help the boys. I’ve got this.” Kel said to Evan. Evan nodded and rushed over to Skye. Kel tapped her chin in deep thought. “How should I kill you? Maybe as a bear? Or a wolf? Oh, how about a lion? Nah… those are too easy.” Kel’s voice hinted at playfulness. Anyone who truly knew her knew that she was so full of rage now. The kill to be just right. Deserved. Her own form of justice.
“Does she always play with her food?” Evan asked amused. He worked against the magic on the handcuffs and Buck grinned widely.
“It’s one of the sexiest things about her. She appreciates the art of war.” Buck answered. Mike ignored them both as he held onto Skye’s body. He waited as patiently as he could for Evan to finally unbind the handcuffs.
Evelyn sneered as she lifted her hands towards Kel. When nothing happened she screamed angrily.
“Oh, did we forget to tell you that when Evan came in he put a bind on your magic? Yeah. You can’t do anything right now.” Kel taunted. “Oh! I’ve got the perfect thing.” Kel clapped her hands together in excitement. Instantly Kel’s body began shifting.
“Holy shit! Did she just turn into a chimera?” Evan was amazed. Buck laughed.
“Yeah. Notice though she left the goat head off of her back. She says it distracts her.” Evan raised an eyebrow.
“Distracts her?”
“Apparently the lion part of her wants to eat the goat part. She hasn’t been able to combat that desire yet. To be honest, she actually bit herself once.” Evan couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
“How is that even possible?” Evan asked as he finally managed to get one of the handcuffs loose. Skye’s arm fell downwards. Mike held her body against him so she wouldn’t fall and harm herself any further. Their chattering was getting on his nerves.
“She’s aware of who and what she is, but the animal instincts are hard to resist. So she leaves the goat head out of the equation. But she loves that snake tail of hers.” Mike rolled his eyes.
“If you two are done fawning over Kel’s beast of a chimera could you focus on Skye? She needs to be healed!” Mike snapped at them.
“I’m working on it. I can talk and work at the same time you know.” Evan rolled his eyes back at Mike.
Kel’s body was truly magnificent for anyone to behold. Buck watched her with pride and admiration. Kel had to be ten feet long and that was not including the tail that was a hissing, snapping snake. Buck thought the tail was quite adorable for a vicious snake. Then again he was a demon.
Kel lunged forward snapping her sharp deadly teeth around Evelyn’s arm. Kel twisted her head and threw her into the wall. Evelyn let out a breathless scream. The impact of hitting the wall was more pain than she had experienced in her entire life. Magic had always been there to protect her, heal her, and conceal her. Now she was powerless with a very vengeful Kel stalking her like prey.
“Stop this! Listen to me! I was helping you!” Evelyn was desperate. Kel barked out a laugh.
“How could killing Skye help us?” Evan’s eyes widened seeing Kel’s lion mouth forming words.
“Yep. I’ve seen it all now.” Evan muttered under his breath.
Evan’s magic finally broke the last handcuff releasing Skye’s body. Mike pulled her completely into his lap putting his hands on her body trying to heal her, but nothing happened.
“What the fuck?” Mike’s voice sounded strangled.
“Magic shield in here.” Buck realized. “If we lower it Evelyn will be too powerful for us to defeat on our own. We have to get her back to the cabin.”
“Damnit!” Mike cursed.
“Kel… as much as I know you want to drag this out we need to hurry it up and get her back.” Buck said looking to the fearsome chimera that was playfully wagging its snake tail.
“She doesn’t love the demon anymore!” Evelyn announced loudly. It was a last ditch effort to get their attention. It worked.
“What?” Evan asked.
“I drained her of the toxin. She only remembers her elf lover, you Mike. Only you. I did you a favor. I took that darkness out of her. You can have her back again.” Her eyes searched his for understanding, for forgiveness, for anything, but Mike looked down to Skye’s pale face.
“I would never take away her freewill like you did. We had our time, but we were never meant to be.” His eyes shot back up to Evelyn’s. “I love her. As a friend.” His voice was soft and full of conviction. Evelyn shook her head in denial.
“End this.” Mike said to Kel.
Mike could have sworn Kel’s lion mouth formed a smile before launching across the room and biting down on Evelyn’s throat. As much as Mike wanted her dead, he couldn’t watch. He looked down to Skye trying to ignore the gurgling and ripping noises coming from the corner.
After a few moments Kel shifted back to herself and walked over to them. She was stark naked, covered in blood, and yet not one part of her looked embarrassed.
Buck on the other hand was very possessive. He ripped his shirt off and put it over her. Kel rolled her eyes and motioned for them all to leave. Mike carried Skye out to the SUV, laying her in the backseat with him. He put his hands on her once again, but nothing happened.
“Why isn’t it working?” he snapped at Evan.
“We need to get back to the cabin. When I took down her magic, I took it down in a wide area in case she escaped and we had to give chase.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll get her there and save her.” Kel said as her foot hit the gas speeding them away from the small house.
“Call Maddox.” Mike said looking to Buck. Buck nodded grabbing his phone dreading what he would have to tell his cousin. There was still hope for Skye.
Chapter Fifteen
“She’s alive,” Maddox held onto those words like they were his lifeline and in a way they really were. “She’s alive, but…” Why did there always have to be a ‘but’? Buck had said there was hope. She could survive. She would survive.
Maddox had known he was on the wrong track earlier when he saw a weak image of Skye trying to astral project to him. He couldn’t see her body clearly and she acted as if she didn’t know she were even doing it, but he knew it was her. Maddox felt Skye in every bone in his body. He also was able to tell Skye wasn’t quite okay. That had scared him more than anything ever had in his life.
When he felt her disappear Maddox quickly turned the SUV around and headed in the opposite direction. She wasn’t at the house they were going to investigate. He could sense that he was farther away from her than he was meant to be. When Maddox had changed direction everyone in the SUV was sure that he had lost his mind. No one dared to argue though. When it came to Skye, his family and his friends understood he would go to any length to find and protect her.
Now they were back at the cabin waiting for Mike, Buck, Kel, Evan, and Skye to show up. Maddox paced the front porch back and forth unable to stand still. Cloud and Gary held onto each other and watched the determined demon that was in love with their daughter.
“I still don’t understand. My own mother?” Cloud whispered to Gary. She shook her head in denial to what information had been passed to them.
“Evelyn and Nancy let fear misguide them. All of these years I had believed your mother would protect Skye. I suppose this answers the question as to why she would not intervene when Skye had needed her in the past.” Gary said. He was trying to make sense of it all. Maddox scoffed.
“Evelyn and Nancy were stupid. Fear makes people stupid and the fact they would do this to someone innocent…” Maddox broke off grittin
g his teeth hard. His hands were balled up into fists and he was shaking from the anticipation. Cloud wanted to be upset that Maddox had snapped about her mother, but when she remembered that she was waiting to see if her own daughter was going to live or die, she let it go.
“Car.” Prue said from the yard. Instantly the atmosphere was charged with tension.
Kel’s determined face was the first thing Maddox saw as the SUV skidded to a stop in front of the cabin. Maddox rushed forward to find Skye. Before he could do anything Buck jumped out of the SUV and stopped him.
“Easy.” Buck said carefully to his cousin. Maddox looked at him confused.
Evan opened the back door and Mike emerged holding a frail and unconscious Skye in his arms. Maddox heard the gasps around him and realized he had done the same. Maddox rushed forward again to try to take Skye into his own arms. Buck held him back.
“Let’s get inside.” Buck said to him in a measured tone. Mike carried Skye into the cabin careful to lay her onto the couch. Everyone rushed into the house behind them and surrounded the couch unable to look away. Skye’s body wasn’t moving and her breathing was short and labored. Her body was covered in her purple blood. Red blood was stained around Skye’s mouth.
“The protection spell is up around the cabin. You can heal her now.” Evan said interrupting the silence of the room. Mike knelt down in front of her as he placed his hands softly on her stomach. Maddox growled. He grabbed Mike and pulled him away from Skye.
“Don’t touch her!” Maddox erupted. Mike looked as if he were ready to throw Maddox through the nearest wall.
“I’m trying to heal her you idiot!” Mike turned away, but was stopped when Maddox grabbed his arm once again. Quickly and before either of them had noticed, Cloud intervened between them.
“Stop this! He is an elf and has healing qualities. You know it! Skye needs to be healed now!” Cloud’s voice was louder and stronger than they had ever heard. Maddox’s hand shook fighting the urge to release Mike.
“I don’t have time for this.” Mike threw his hand up to Maddox and hit him with a flash of bright yellow light. Maddox went flying backwards into the cabin wall and slumped against it in shock that Mike had attacked him. Maddox jumped to his feet, but Cloud was in front of him again. He saw the determination and worry in her eyes and backed down. Maddox knew Mike was trying to help, but he wanted to be the one to heal her.
“She’s mostly elf. She needs an elf to heal her.” Cloud said softly as if reading his mind.
When Mike’s hands touched Skye’s body this time they lit up brightly. His beaming yellow light went all through her body causing Skye’s body to jump slightly. His magic worked through her body to heal each part of her. Skye let out a moan of pain. It broke the hearts of many that heard it, Maddox especially. Mike’s brow furrowed for a moment. Still holding onto Skye, he looked back to Maddox.
“Come help me. She needs to be healed by your kind as well.” Mike said the words as if they were painful to admit. Maddox instantly rushed to Mike’s side dropping to his knees and put his hands on Skye as gently as he could.
“I thought you were powerful enough to heal her?” Maddox questioned. Mike looked into Maddox’s eyes and whispered lowly back to him so only he could hear.
“If there wasn’t a piece of you inside of her I could. Right now she has just enough demon blood inside of her to combat my healing. She needs us both.” Maddox felt as if the ground beneath him had given way. Before he had time to think, Mike yelled his name in a demand that he help Skye.
They both placed their hands on Skye’s body watching as her skin lit up brighter than the Fourth of July. Red and Yellow Magic mingled and danced inside of her skin, over her skin, and finally she gasped loudly as her eyes flew open.
Skye blinked slowly looking around her confused, but her gaze focused on Mike. She smiled gently towards him and let out a small sigh.
“I knew you would save me…” Skye whispered. She then saw Maddox by his side and gasped in fear. Maddox felt as if his own heart had just been ripped out of his chest. Fear? She feared him? “I’m so tired,” Skye said closing her eyes.
“Skye?” Mike said sounding afraid. Cloud walked up to her daughter touching her forehead.
“She’s resting. She’s healing. It will take her a few hours with proper rest to heal completely. You’ve both done what you could for now. She needs to be in bed.” Cloud said looking to Maddox. “Mike needs to take her.” She quickly said before Maddox could move.
Mike scooped up Skye gently in his arms and took her to her bedroom to sleep. Prue and Kel stayed in the room to watch over her. When Mike returned to the living room he saw the challenge in Maddox’s eyes and just sighed wearily.
“Evelyn and Nancy drained her blood. It took the toxin out of her that your father put in her all those years ago. Her memory has been altered right now.” Mike explained.
“Altered how?” Gary asked. Kel spoke up as she entered the room.
“She couldn’t even remember that it was Evelyn and Nancy that had kidnapped and tortured her. She…” Kel paused, “she thinks she is still with Mike. She doesn’t remember you Maddox. I’m so sorry.” Silence fell across the room once again. Maddox felt his heart beating so rapidly that he was sure it was going to jump out of his chest. The woman he loved didn’t remember him. Even worse, now she seemed to fear him. He supposed on some karmic level he deserved this, but he refused to accept it. His eyes shot to Mike.
“I didn’t take advantage of her memory loss. She doesn’t belong to me. She never truly did. Once she heals she will remember everything.” Mike said sounding exhausted.
“How do you know that for sure?” Gary asked.
“The magic will wear off. Her grandmother was very strong, but Skye’s mind and heart is stronger than that. She is in a weakened state right now so she is susceptible to these thoughts or fake realities. Once she is fully healed she will be back to being her old self again.” Evan said avoiding looking at Maddox.
“If… if my dad truly infected her and her love for me wasn’t real then… then…” Maddox couldn’t finish his thought. It was too painful. Too real. Too possible. Evan lifted his eyes to look at him.
“It’s possible.” Evan answered.
“But she’s mine. She’s always been mine.” Buck looked to Maddox and felt his own heart break for his cousin. Buck touched Maddox’s shoulder.
“She is yours. Her love for you was real, don’t doubt that.” Buck said reassuringly. No one moved or said a word for several moments.
“I get that you are upset about that possibility, as someone who lost her once I know the feeling, but we also need to worry about what we discovered.” Mike said interrupting the short silence. Everyone besides Maddox looked at Mike confused by his statement.
“What are you talking about? Is something wrong with my daughter that you didn’t tell me?” Gary’s voice held an unspoken threat. He would protect his daughter no matter the cost. He had almost lost her too many times already and was not about to allow it to happen again.
Mike and Maddox looked at each other and both were obviously uncomfortable with what needed to be said. Waiting for an answer neither of them spoke to the group. Kel walked into the living room with a growl.
“Say it. I want to know what is wrong with her!”
“Who’s with Skye?” Cloud asked.
“Prue is still with her.” Kel answered looking to Mike and Maddox. “One of you better speak up now or I’ll rip you both to shreds.” Buck put his arm around Kel looking to his cousin.
“There’s nothing necessarily wrong with her. That is if she remembers Maddox as her boyfriend. If she doesn’t, then it complicates things greatly.” Mike said.
“What the hell does that mean?” Kel had to hold back a shout of frustration at their evasiveness.
“She’s pregnant.” Maddox blurted out looking to the floor. The room became so silent that if a pin dropped it would have sounded like an explosion. M
addox’s pained eyes looked up to Cloud and Gary who were in obvious shock at the words. Cloud held onto Gary in fear of his reaction and fear that she would have fell to the ground if she wasn’t holding onto him.
“Oh. Well, shit.” Kel said eloquently.
“That’s why you had to help heal her? Because the child inside of her is yours?” Cloud asked Maddox. Maddox nodded. His eyes were glassy as if he were going to cry. Cloud thought she was seeing things. He would never cry in front of them. She wondered if he was even capable of crying. She instantly felt guilty for the feeling and it made her frown. Cloud knew Maddox loved her daughter so he had to be capable of heart break.
“How could a baby survive what was done to her?” Buck asked.
“I’m no doctor, but I’m guessing it’s because she was cut and not stabbed. Skye is strong and her baby will have her strength as well as Maddox’s.” Evan said.
“Is it possible she knows that she’s pregnant?” Cloud wondered out loud. Kel shook her head.
“No way. If she would have suspected it she would have come to me. Plus, she would have never put the baby in danger. She has no idea. I’m sure of it.” Kel said.
“And if she doesn’t remember her love for you and finds out she is carrying your child…” Gary gritted his teeth in a sign of aggression towards Maddox that he had never truly felt before.
“It wasn’t planned.” Maddox knew it was a poor excuse.
“Planned or not it’s your responsibility.” Gary said.
“I agree. I take full responsibility for her and our child. I love her! I have always loved her and always will even if she doesn’t remember me or love me back. I’ll be there for her in whatever way she allows for me to be.” Maddox said firmly as he walked out of the cabin to be alone.
The thoughts in his head were swirling around driving him insane. The very idea that Skye wouldn’t even remember her love for him made his heart ache in a way he couldn’t handle. Knowing she was carrying his child inside of her would have normally filled him with such joy and pride if it weren’t for the fact that he had to worry that she would be afraid of him and their child. The thought of her feeling such a way brought Maddox down to his knees. He let out a roar of rage, frustration, and heartbreak.
Shattered Skye (The Skye Chronicles Book 3) Page 10