Visions of Vengeance: A Paranormal Romance (The Gypsy's Curse Book 2)

by Meg Anne

  “Fuck!” Matthews yelled, and they both took off in the direction the terrified noise had come from. Blood pounding in his ears, Lucas turned corner after corner, each empty row strengthening the fear racing through his veins. Where the hell had she gone? She was supposed to stay right beside them!

  One more corner, and Lucas found his sister. Only she wasn’t alone.

  “About time,” a cold, menacing voice said. The Druid stood at the end of a row full of old books, one arm across Lizzie’s throat, a hand covering her mouth.

  She was ashen-faced, and tears spilled from her wide eyes, but otherwise she appeared unharmed.

  “You son of a bitch,” Lucas growled, hands reaching for his weapon before recalling it wasn’t there. The Druid tracked the futile movement and chuckled. Lucas balled his hands into fists, his eyes narrowing. I don’t need a weapon to take you out. I am a weapon, motherfucker.

  “Is that any way to talk to your grandfather?”

  “When he’s a psychotic piece of shit, I’d say it’s a fairly accurate greeting,” Matthews responded, taking a step closer.

  “Easy, Detective,” the Druid taunted, shifting his attention to Lucas’ partner. “Take another step and you’ll see just how fast I can snap her pretty little neck.” As a demonstration, he tilted Lizzie’s head to the side, eliciting a growl from both Lucas and Matthews. “Tell me, have you ever heard a neck snap? It’s like listening to someone bite into an apple.”

  Lucas’ power surged through him, an answer to the threat against his baby sister. He clenched his fists, his nails biting into the skin of his palm hard enough to draw blood, and let the magic fill his body.

  “Let her the fuck go,” Lucas demanded. “This is between you and me.” It wasn’t exactly how he’d envisioned their next meeting, but he was ready. It was past time to end this.

  “Ah, but I find I have more fun when more people are involved.” He pulled her head the other way, and Lizzie’s eyes closed, a whimper escaping as more tears slipped down her cheeks.

  Matthews was barely leashed, only his years of training kept him put. Lucas was no better, but knew if either of them charged, the Druid would kill them all. Lucas couldn’t risk losing his chance to save them. They had to play this smart, which meant pushing their emotions to the side.

  Using his finger, now smeared with blood, Lucas traced a rune in the air beside him, barely moving so the Druid wouldn’t notice anything amiss. It took him two tries before he felt the answering flood of power.

  He didn’t bother trying to hide his satisfied smile. “Solas,” he whispered, and flung his hand out. A blast of light flew from the tips of his fingers and sent the Druid flying back into a stack of books. Matthew lunged for Lizzie, who fell to the side, and pulled her out of harm’s way while the Druid quickly got to his feet.

  “So you want to play, do you?” He laughed darkly. “Let’s play.”

  “Get her the hell out of here,” Lucas ordered, not taking his eyes off the figure in front of him.

  The fall had caused the hood to slip from his head, giving Lucas his second view of the bastard’s face. Much like before, there was no white in his eyes, just solid black that sent an eerie chill through Lucas. The man before him looked nothing like the pictures he recalled from his childhood. No matter who he’d once been, this monster was not Pop. How much humanity was even left in this asshole?

  The Druid flung out a hand and Lucas put up his hands in defense. He slid backward, although the blast didn’t send him flying like it usually did. One look at the outrage on the other man’s face told Lucas it should have.

  “Surprised?” Lucas taunted. “I found an interesting little black book since the last time we met. So many fun and interesting spells in there. I’ve learned quite a lot; wouldn’t you agree?”

  The Druid growled. “You don’t know what you’re messing with, boy.”

  “Oh, I think I’ve got a pretty damn good idea.” Lucas finished sketching the rune beside him, using his body to hide the movement just as subtly as he had before. The power flared and he activated it with another soft, “Solas.” He flung another burst of light at his grandfather.

  This time, however, the Druid anticipated the move and easily dodged the attack, responding in kind by lifting an arm. There was no movement of his lips, no hiss of a word to give Lucas any kind of clue what was coming. He flew backward and slammed into the ground.

  “Not that much, it seems,” the Druid rebutted with a terrifying grin.

  Lucas shot back to his feet and charged, throwing his body weight into his enemy, who crashed backward into the already toppled book stack. The impact had his ears ringing, but Lucas brought his fist up and slammed it down into the Druid’s jaw. The answering crunch of bone and spurt of blood was more than a little satisfying.

  “You little bastard!” the Druid howled with rage, flinging Lucas off of him. After wiping blood from his mouth, the Druid leveled his dead black eyes on Lucas’ face. “Tell me, Detective, where’s that Gypsy whore of yours? I would love to see the look on her face as you die.”

  Lucas’ chest tightened and his magic thundered in response. He searched his memory for a more powerful spell, one that could deal a deadly blow, but the mention of Skye had his attention slipping. Had the Druid already gotten her? Was that why she wasn’t answering her phone? Focus, MacConnell.

  “None of your fucking business,” Lucas growled back.

  The Druid tipped his head back and sniffed at the air, his smile growing. “Did I strike a nerve, Detective?”

  “Fuck off.” Lucas tried to keep the man distracted while he drew a pattern of runes on the ground beside him. If he could just get his grandfather to step over them, he could activate the binding spell.

  “Is that the best you can do? I must say, I’m disappointed. Seems like you’ve put more effort into fucking your Gypsy bitch than learning how to harness your power.” The Druid spat blood on the floor, pushing himself to his feet. “I can smell her all over you, don’t try to deny it.”

  Lucas froze, fear digging its icy claws into his chest. Don’t let him know he’s getting to you. Just keep focusing, MacConnell.

  “Smell her on you, but not here…” the Druid continued, his head canting to the side. “Interesting. I find it hard to believe you would have let her stray so far from your sight.”

  Lucas bit down on the inside of his cheek to keep himself from screaming in rage. Just two more lines and the runes would be completed.

  “You must not truly care for her at all, if you’d risk her so easily. Perhaps I should take her off your hands. It might help with your focus.” He grinned at Lucas then, and Lucas’ heart stopped.

  Forgetting his plan entirely, Lucas sprung to his feet. “No!” he shouted, but it was too late.

  The Druid had already disappeared.

  Lucas stared at the space where the man who’d once been family had just stood. Panic and disbelief froze him in place for two heartbeats, before he sucked in a ragged breath and bolted down the aisle toward the exit.

  Matthews stood near the door, holding a shaking Lizzie and talking to the librarian, whose pursed lips and flashing eyes conveyed her annoyance.

  “We need to go,” Lucas ground out, not stopping as he flung the door open.

  Matthews took one look at his face and paled. “Where is he?”

  “Gone.”

  Lizzie gasped and let out a soft whimper.

  “I phoned the police,” the librarian informed Lucas. “They will be here in a few minutes to speak with ye.”

  He leveled a cold look at her. “I am the police.”

  Whatever she saw in his eyes had her taking a few steps back.

  Not stopping to see if the others followed, Lucas continued out the door, breaking out into a run.

  “Ye cannae leave yet!” she called after him, but Lucas didn’t stop. The only thing that mattered was getting to Skye before the Druid did. He fumbled in his pocket, pulling his phone out and pressing
redial. There was no answer.

  “What happened?” Matthews asked when he and Lizzie caught up.

  “I think he’s going after Skye,” Lucas told them. He was numb. He wasn’t aware of anything, and the only thing he could think about was getting home, back to her. Images of Skye filled his mind, and he pushed his body to go faster. His lungs burned and his body ached but none of that mattered. Skye was in danger.

  The only woman he’d ever loved was in danger.

  He’d vowed to keep her safe, and he damn well intended on keeping that promise. She was his. His to protect, his to love. He wouldn’t let her down.

  He wouldn’t survive that failure.

  Chapter 33

  Skye

  Skye stood in the center of a field. Everything was black and white, but the light from the moon above cast a soft shadow over her. Grass as tall as her knees rippled in the breeze, but she couldn’t feel it. She turned in a circle, trying to figure out where she was and if she was alone.

  “I’ve been waiting for you.”

  Fear danced down her spine. No. Not that voice. Skye straightened and turned, gasping when her eyes fell on the two figures barely illuminated under the moon’s pale glow. There, not more than a half-dozen steps in front of her, the Druid faced off with a future version of her.

  Skye shook her head, not wanting to believe what she was Seeing. “No,” she whispered, her body trembling.

  “Have you missed me?” he asked, his voice a deep purr.

  Skye’s twin lifted her chin in haughty defiance, while anger burned in her eyes. “Lucas will stop you.”

  “Unlikely.” The Druid raised his black eyes and, for a moment, Skye thought he saw her, the real her. A rustling behind the Druid had them both turning to watch as Lucas, James, and Lizzie appeared.

  Lucas’ eyes were blazing blue, the only color to be found within the vision, and Skye gasped at the pure power radiating off of him. He only had eyes for the Druid, and the look on his face promised death.

  “Ah, you made it. Good. It would have been a pity for you to miss this.” The Druid reached for Skye’s twin, and pulled her roughly against his body.

  Skye felt the hardness against her own back as if it were her he’d grabbed, and bile rose in her throat.

  “You better fucking let her go,” Lucas growled, sparks glinting at his fingertips.

  The Druid traced a finger down her twin’s cheek, and again, Skye felt the touch. “Or what?” he asked, looking up at Lucas while his fingers continued along their path.

  “I’m going to tear you apart.” Lucas’ body shook with rage as he stared down the Druid.

  “How scary.” The Druid ran his nose along her jaw, taunting Lucas. He paused when he reached her ear. “As much as I love our interludes, Gypsy, I’m going to enjoy watching the light fade from your eyes.”

  Skye’s twin whimpered as he spun her around and threw a hand up, freezing Lucas, James, and Lizzie in place.

  “Let her go!” Lizzie screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks as she fought against her invisible bonds.

  Skye watched helplessly as the Druid pulled a large rune-covered blade out from inside his robe. The dagger glinted in the moonlight as he held it up in front of her face while he studied it. “All this time, I thought you were more useful to me alive. Never would I have guessed that the answer to his destruction has been in front of me all along.”

  Lucas’ throat bobbed as he watched the blade run along the length of her neck and down the center of her chest.

  “All this time, it was you. Your death will be the blow that kills him.”

  Skye felt the tip of the blade run along her skin, even though it was her twin he was holding. She saw as the line of blood began to bead down the front of her twin’s chest, and the resulting sting of pain had her crying out. The pain was so intense, so real, that Skye glanced down, touching her throat, checking to see if she was also bleeding.

  Lucas struggled against the invisible bonds, but he couldn’t get freed. He was completely helpless. “No!” he roared. “Skye!”

  Skye felt the blade push further into her twin, and she fell to her knees, gasping for breath.

  “Sweet dreams,” the Druid crooned, his black eyes staring at the real Skye. He shoved the blade into her twin’s chest. Blood began to bubble from Skye’s lips as her twin thrashed against the Druid, an inhuman scream torn from her as he twisted the blade deeper.

  The twin’s screaming stopped, and the Druid pushed her lifeless body away from him. Her twin fell to the ground, eyes frozen open as she stared blindly at the place Skye knelt.

  The pain was more than she could bear. Skye screamed, still holding her aching chest as she stared at her lifeless body.

  “No!” Lucas howled in rage, and a wave of power washed over them. He freed himself from the bonds and blasted the Druid with magic so powerful it sent the bastard flying to the ground.

  “MacConnell!” James yelled and rushed for him. He grabbed Lucas’ arm. Lucas spun on him, his lips twisted in a snarl. Skye gasped when she saw his eyes. Once a glowing blue, they had gone completely black, reminding her of the man who’d just taken her life.

  “No,” she whispered. “Oh, Lucas, no.”

  “Get your hands off of me,” Lucas warned, but James shook his head.

  “We need to go, Lucas. You’re going to get us all killed!”

  Lucas made a sound that was more beast than man. “None of that matters now. Skye’s gone.”

  “She wouldn’t want this.”

  “How would you know?” Lucas roared, slamming his palm into James’ chest. James’ mouth fell open, his eyes wide with shock. His body convulsed, then crumpled to the ground.

  “Lucas, no!” Lizzie screamed, falling to her knees and crawling to where James lay on the ground with unseeing eyes. “James? James!” Her cries grew more frantic as he didn’t respond. “What have you done?” she screamed at her brother, clutching the man she loved to her chest.

  The Druid pushed to his feet, his laugh echoing throughout the empty field.

  The vision began to fade, Skye having Seen the deaths she’d been meant to witness. Neither of which had been more terrifying than what they had done to Lucas.

  Skye came back to herself with a gasp. Her head ached where it had slammed into the floor, and there was a sharp pain in her chest. It took her a moment to remember where she was. She struggled to catch her breath as she pushed herself up off of the floor and onto shaky legs.

  Tears streamed down her face as the Druid’s sinister words repeated in her mind. ‘Your death will be the blow that kills him.’

  He was right. The cards had warned her, and her vision just confirmed it. Staying here would only lead to the death and destruction of everyone she’d come to care about.

  Everyone she loved.

  Skye looked up, catching a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror hanging inside the hall. Who was this woman before her? Wide, tear-stained eyes she no longer recognized stared back at her and her skin was red and blotchy. Skye whimpered, the devastation she saw in the mirror was still only a pale echo of what was happening to her heart. It hurt to breathe around the pain. Is it possible for someone to literally feel their heart breaking?

  Her eyes fluttered closed, and she allowed herself a lone moment to mourn what could have been. When she opened them again, she knew what she had to do. There was only one way to ensure those she loved would survive, and it was going to all but kill her.

  Knowing she didn’t have much time, Skye ran to her room. She had to get as far away from here as soon as possible. It was the only way she could save any of them. Even if it meant she had to rip her own heart out in the process.

  Skye tore a blank piece of paper from her sketchbook, barely seeing the words take shape on the page through her tears. It didn’t matter, the words had already etched themselves on her soul. They would haunt her forever.

  She set the paper aside, and began to throw her belongings into one o
f her bags. She could hardly breathe through the intensity of her tears, but she didn’t have a second to spare. Staying would only destroy him. All of them. She’d Seen it. Skye knew better than anyone that once it had been Seen, it would come to pass.

  One way or another.

  She couldn’t allow her death to be the thing that destroyed Lucas. Skye would rather risk him hating her forever for breaking his heart than selfishly try to stay with him knowing it would be the end of them all.

  A glint of color caught her eyes, and Skye eyed the scarf wrapped around her tarot deck. The last time she’d read the cards they warned her that she would have to leave. That heartbreak was in her future.

  They’d been right.

  Pain surged through her body. Skye fell to the bed and covered her eyes with her hands. Her shoulders shook with sobs as she remembered the short time she’d spent with Lucas. The way it felt to be wrapped in his arms, his smug grin when he called her Giovanni, and how bright his eyes had been when he’d told her he loved her.

  It all came rushing back to her in a slew of memories too painful to bear.

  There was a soft thump down the hall. Skye sat up, listening hard. They must be back. Fuck, that was only going to make leaving harder.

  She quickly wiped her eyes as footsteps sounded down the hall. She stood, grabbing her bags from the floor as the door swung open.

  Skye turned. “Lucas, I—” Her words were cut off as she came face to face not with Lucas, but with his grandfather.

  The Druid had found her.

  He gave her a wicked smile. “Surprise.”

  Shock had her frozen in place, and she scanned the room, trying to find a way to escape. She was no match for him. Her only chance at survival was to run.

  “You and I are going to spend some quality time together, Gypsy.” He took a step toward her, and Skye scrambled back. He looked down at her bags and smiled. “Oh, good, you’ve already packed. You’ve made this way too easy.”

  The Druid lunged for her, and Skye screamed.