The Skye Trilogy: Isle of Skye, Isle of Night, and Isle of Dawn. * Bonus: Scrumptious Skye Confections Cookbook*

by Shannon Barczak

  Out of nowhere a body flung itself in my arms and cried out. “Oh, I knew you would come! I’m happy finally to meet you. Oh my goodness, where’s my mother? Is she already home?”

  “Julia?" I asked, thrown off guard by her exuberant welcome

  “Of course, silly!” she answered smiling knowingly. Julia looked exactly like the picture I had seen of her. She had long blonde hair, which looked to be in remarkable shape considering her confinement, dewy skin, and sparkling blue eyes.

  Apparently Julia is very good at casting glamour spells.

  “Julia has anything changed?” Mathias asked with urgency

  “Yes. Frank, Leona is now being kept down the hall in a large feeding room. She’s locked in a cage. They’ve been torturing her by eating in front of her and whipping her with spiked metal bars.”

  Frank looked sick and very pissed. Julia reached out and grabbed his arm before he took off down the hall. “You don’t have much time. Mathias, you need to help him. You have to try to get her out before they come. After you pull me through the portal, Willa will need to stay in my mother’s room while you both go free Leona."

  Mathias’s eyes locked on mine. We didn’t need to have a conversation in our heads.

  I knew exactly what he was thinking just by looking in his eyes. He did not want me out of his sight and, quite frankly, I wasn’t too keen on having him away from me either.

  “It’s the only way. We must hurry. We are running out of time,” Julia said as her voice filled with anxiety.

  That brought Mathias’s attention back to the situation real quick. He threw her on his back and dashed down the hall towards the portal. I followed him quickly with Frank right behind me.

  Mathias was already coming back through the portal by the time we got there

  “Stay here, do not leave this room until we get back, got it?" he asked dead serious

  “Go." I said, nodding my head in consent. I wanted to get this over with and get the hell out of here as soon as possible.

  Mathias and Frank took off out of the room and down the hall with a blur. I stood there anxiously in the room for a few minutes before I glanced up and froze when I caught my parent’s eyes.

  They were full with fear. I looked down and realized why.

  My necklace was glowing. That meant a Rau vampire coming my way.

  I started breathing heavy and looked around in panic. I heard Julia shout “NO!" and then just as the door knob began turning Serena dropped down next to me. She pushed me behind her as a tall, skinny; pale white vampire came into the room.

  His pupils’ glowed bright red, and he snarled menacingly. “What do we have here? Are you more guests for our party?"

  Serena and I didn’t say a word. He sniffed the air and stopped in his tracks. “My, is it really a Guardian of the Solas and... a human?"

  He glanced up and growled

  “A portal,” he breathed “A portal to the Isle? This must be my lucky day."

  Then he attacked Serena. Their two bodies were a blur of fists and legs kicking and pummeling each other. I backed out of the way and decided to call upon my fire so I could vaporize this fucker. In that split second that it took me to call my deadly element, my scent masking spell lifted and both Serena and the Rau stopped abruptly with their nostrils flaring.

  That split second was all it took for him to rip her head off and her heart out.

  I had heard cries above me before they started fading away. My father and I were so shocked that we had lost our focus, and now the portal was wavering. The Rau stood holding Serena’s heart high above his head with her blood dripping all over his arm and onto the floor. He laughed then he turned his attention on me.

  I didn’t even skip a beat. I threw my fire at him and watched him burn, screaming in agony. I continued my assault until there was nothing but a small pile of smoldering ashes left. I then focused on the portal and through sheer will was able to get it back open.

  Kathleen’s screaming was a sound I will never forget. I looked back at Serena, but I was too numb with pain to even form a sentence. I saw Riah drop down beside me. When he went over to Serena’s body and put her over his shoulder, with her head gently tucked under one arm, I finally let out a cry.

  He had looked at me in grief and pity before he flew back up into the mirror. I wanted to follow him; I wanted to lie beside my friend and beg for forgiveness but suddenly my stomach felt like someone was punching me with flaming hands.

  “Mathias,” I whispered in pain. Mathias was in trouble.

  “Willa,” Julia said crying. “You must stay here."

  But I was beyond that. I was beyond listening to reason and fortune telling. I just saw my new friend die. I was not going to see Frank, who had been nothing but kind to me since the day we met, meet the same fate.

  And I sure as hell wasn’t going to lose Mathias. That was not even a remote possibility in my crazed mind.

  I ignored the shouts and cries of my name as I took off down the hallway, chanting the masking spell and trying to prepare myself for what I would find. I entered a large windowless room and what I saw made me shrink inward. Mathias and Frank were fighting several Rau vampires; their figures were almost a blur of balletic motion, graceful but deadly at the same time.

  I stepped back and looked down. There was a figure lying next to my feet. I bent down to take a closer look and saw a beautifully, scarred woman with cocoa brown skin and short, black hair. A few feet away lay a bag of blood just beyond her outstretched hand.

  “Leona?" I whispered softly directly in her ear. “Are you all right?"

  She licked her lips before shaking her head. She had pointed to the bag before she laid her head down exhausted.

  I crawled over her and grabbed the bag. I looked for any kind of opening until finally I spied one but then my hands stilled. Opening a bag of magically enhanced Gypsy blood in a room full of Rau was probably not the best idea. Unfortunately, I had no choice. Leona was hurt and needed help quickly.

  I offered up a short prayer for help and ripped the bag open before I placed it near her mouth. When she began to swallow, I breathed a sigh of relief. That’s when I noticed how quiet the room had become. There were about fifteen different pairs of vampire’s eyes on me, and only two of those were ones I could trust.

  In an instant, Mathias and Frank were surrounded. Six vampires each held them tightly in death grips while they struggled in vain against their captors.

  Out of the shadows, a tall, older, handsome man stepped out and walked slowly towards me. His hair was a dark chestnut colored with gray sprinkled throughout. His eyes, of course, were black with red pupils, and he wore an expensive dark suit that was tailored perfectly. I couldn’t help noticing that he somehow looked familiar.

  “Well, hello there, and who might you be?" he asked in a deep voice that rang of British aristocracy.

  Don’t say a word. Mathias said

  I stood there in silence. Not just because Mathias had told me too but because I had no idea what to say.

  “Cat got your tongue my dear?" he asked. “I smell that you are human, so you have nothing to fear from us. Just tell us who you are and why you are here."

  “Nobody,” I finally said as he moved closer to me.

  “Nobody?" he asked, his voice rising in question near the end as continued his perusal of my face.

  “I just met these guys and they asked me to come with them." I answered

  Teleport NOW! Mathias yelled

  “Curious, very curious,” he said almost amused. “So you just met these men and agreed to go with them into an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town?"

  “They said they needed help and it was for an important cause,” I shrugged. “They also gave me a great deal of cash."

  “Ah, I see, a prostitute?" he reasoned

  “No,” I said indignantly. “I’m just an American girl who got stuck here and now I have no money to get home."

  “Interesting,” he sa
id as he stared at me intently. “You wouldn’t happen to be from Yuma, Arizona would you?"

  My heart started beating out of my chest. “Nope, I’ve never been there, I’m from St. Louis."

  “Well let me tell you a story, Ms..?"

  “Susannah." I replied without hesitation, using my former nemesis as an alias.

  “Well, Susannah from St. Louis let me tell you a tale. Once upon a time there was a Gypsy Princess who fell in love with a Fae Prince...”

  “What the hell is a Fae?" I asked, intending to keep up my act to the very end if need be.

  “Fairies,” he answered. “So continuing, this princess and prince met and fell in love. Eventually, they ran away from the only lives they ever knew. You see their love was forbidden."

  “Tragic,” I said, trying hard to look nonchalant

  “Indeed. Their two kinds could not conceive children so being from royal families they knew that they would not be allowed to be together. So one night they took off, never to be heard from again."

  “And your point being?" I asked

  “A few weeks ago, two colleagues of mine, who have mysteriously disappeared, claim they encountered these lovers. Apparently they had adopted a human child, a girl that they named Willa."

  “One of my all-time favorite names,” I said

  “Yes, it’s lovely, isn’t it?"

  “So is that it?" I shrugged, holding up my hands, impatiently

  “I have seen paintings of Prince Cormac of Fairlia and the Princess Cecily of the Clan of Skye. You have your mother’s face but your father’s fairy eyes, Willa Cecilia McCormack."

  “Look I don’t know what you're talking about...” I started to say

  “Don’t play dumb with me little girl. I know who are but what I’m curious about is what exactly you are?” he said severely

  I decided this little game had come to an end, and if I was going down, I was going down with a fight.

  “I’m complicated." I answered sweetly. “So you know who I am. May I ask who you are?"

  He laughed. “Forgive me for not introducing myself. My name is Benedict Edmond Wulfric Worthing."

  I stiffened in surprise and glanced at Mathias, who was staring at me intently.

  “Oh and that fine fellow holding Mathias’s, or shall I say, my soon to be dead son’s neck is his brother, my pride and joy, Darias Worthing."

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Oh, fuck, this is not good. This is not good at all. I now knew who ‘they’ were that Julia mentioned in her letter to Mathias. This was his father and brother. His father and brother whom I’m guessing weren’t on his Christmas card list.

  Then the reality of what he said hit me.

  “You turned your own son’s into vampires?" I asked in disgust. “Why on earth would any parent do that to their children?"

  “To be with one’s family eternally is what all parent’s wish, do they not?" he asked. “I had such high hopes for Mathias, but again, he’s done nothing but disappoint me."

  WILLA! TELEPORT NOW! Mathias screamed

  NO. I just watched Serena’s heart get ripped out of her chest. I am not going to let that happen to you. Let me help you.

  Willa, get the fuck out of here now. That’s an order.

  Ordering me around really doesn’t work well for me.

  This discussion is over Willa. Go.

  No. I’m sorry, but I can’t. Let me help you.

  I don’t need any help. Now GO!

  Really? Because from where I’m standing, things aren’t looking too good in your favor.

  I’m fine. We just need a few minutes so Leona can help Frank. I will meet you in the alleyway in twenty minutes.

  This conversation is going nowhere. I’m staying. Furthermore, you can’t ask for anyone better to buy you some time. Not only can I run my mouth, I’m pretty sure, I can distract him by making him royally aggravated.

  Fine, Fuck! Keep him talking then. Leona is done drinking. She needs a few minutes to get her strength back.

  I didn’t even respond. I was glad he didn't fight me on this too much. I was pissed off; grief stricken and my magic was bubbling up to the surface of my skin itching to get out.

  I wanted to kill every Rau in this room. Mathias’s father was a good start.

  “You see Willa, I offered Mathias the chance of a lifetime, and what did he do? He held on to his humanity at the last second, denying himself and me, an opportunity to be a family forever."

  “Somehow I think there's more to the story than that,” I said snorting with disgust.

  “I married Mathias’s mother because she was lovely, yes, but also quite wealthy. Her father had gone from being a mere peasant farmer to one of the area’s most prosperous men. After we married, and I had produced a son with Morgan, I thought Merrick would be more generous but instead he held on to the purse strings tighter."

  Benedict snorted. “I was never happier than the day the old prig had a heart attack and died. He had already turned Mathias against me, but I made sure Darias would be my prodigy. Mathias was a Mama’s boy who made his grandfather so proud, but I refused to let that happen to my other son."

  “Of course Mathias and Morgan conspired to keep the money to themselves, which was against the law. I was the head of the household, not a bratty, self-righteous seventeen year old. Who did they think they were? So I took what I could get my hands on right away. I cleaned out the safe, collected the rents from the villagers, and went off to London, where I would be appreciated for my status."

  “The day Merrick died was one of the happiest days of my life, yes, but when Morgan died after having contracted pneumonia ten years later, I was ecstatic. That woman ruined my life. So when I came home to play the grieving husband, I also made plans to take Darias with me."

  “Mathias and his poor little sister were devastated by the death of their beloved mother. Although, you would never guess by Mathias’s demeanor, he was as cold as ever. But I could see the pain that lurked in his eyes. After the funeral, he called me into his office and gave me a great sum of money to disappear from his life."

  “Although his offer was meager at best, I jumped at the chance. I knew if I played my cards right I would get more out of him. So we struck a deal. Darias and I would go and never come back for twice as much money than he originally offered. He threw a bank note at me and told me to leave at once."

  "We never looked back,” he said fondly. "That was until Darias and I ran into a bit of trouble at the tables. We didn’t know at the time that the gaming hell we frequented was owned by the Rau. They made us aware of it though when we ran up quite a debt. When they were going to kill us, I was scared but I was also intrigued by them. I begged for Darias’s and my lives. Pleaded with them to turn us into what they were."

  “They must have seen our potential because they gave us immortality and riches beyond our wildest dreams almost immediately. Our awakening was a profound rebirth of life, and since we took to our new lives with zest, we found ourselves climbing up the ranks quickly. Not long after we started to be looked on with respect and admiration. There still was one thing that was missing though."

  He paused for effect. “What was missing was all these untold riches. The Rau has no use for money; their only definition of wealth is by how much Gypsy or Fae blood they can acquire. The plan to turn Mathias into an immortal was not one built out of love, but a desire for what he would bring with him. Wealth."

  “It was of course, no surprise when I found that he was engaged to the local Vicar’s daughter. I suppose she was fair but having no dowry behind her to speak of, as well as being rather sickly, I knew it was a sense of duty that prompted Mathias to take her as a bride. We travelled home the night before his wedding to talk some sense into him." he laughed

  Benedict’s laughter cut through me like nails on a chalkboard. I trembled from head to toe as he continued to tell his story. A part of me was horrified by what he was saying, but another part was also morbidly curious.


  “When we arrived, Mathias was out at the local pub, celebrating his last night of freedom. His sister Elizabeth met us at the door and Darias disposed of her quickly. Unfortunately though that is when Mathias came home."

  I closed my eyes and tried desperately not to start crying. I sent out a small prayer for Elizabeth, who I only imagined, suffered a horrible death.

  “Of course he was shocked and angry but that quickly turned to madness when I showed him what we had become and why we came. I was elated. After all these years, Mathias had finally dropped his cold, hard shell that he spent years building up around him. Finally, some of my good fiery genes broke through."