Patcoena took a sip from his tea before continuing. “It was late one night that the idea came to both of us. I was putting the finishing touches on a mural in the great hall, and my uncle had come in the room to survey my work. He told me his worries after many bottles of whiskey. He had an idea to infuse weapons with the power of the elements and hide them in each realm. He thought that would deter them from trying to overthrow Sidra when she took the crown if they knew that there were instruments out there that could kill them.”
“I was the one who talked him out of it.” Patcoena said after a pause. “If there were weapons, someone was bound to go looking for them, and if they were found then they would have the power of the elements. We both went to bed and then the next morning a visitor arrived. She asked for an audience with both of us. When Summer walked through the throne room door, I knew she was the one for me.”
Patcoena and Summer both smiled at each other and clasped hands. I found the small touch endearing, but I was also screaming inside for more information.
“She introduced herself as a sightseer. She told us that the other night she had a vision. When we pressed her on it, we were slightly shocked. She told us that the king had to give up his power in a particular place in each of the realms, and that was the only way he could secure his daughters future. She then went on to tell us that one day a child would be born between a royal Fae and Gypsy of the powerful clan of Skye.”
“They laughed at me.” Summer interrupted. “They thought I was mad. We knew that only Fae could conceive with another Fae. I realized they were skeptical but when I explained more of my vision, they both sat up and started really listening.”
“The child born would be the only one strong enough to wield the power of each element.” Patcoena said softly
His words began slowly to sink in, and I was aware that they were all looking at me with concern. I couldn’t speak. I didn’t want to believe what he was saying.
“So I’m the Fae sanctity?” I asked. “I’m a weapon of mass destruction.”
Patcoena nodded in his head in confirmation, and I sank my head into my hands and looked down at the table.
“I’m not even human, am I?” I asked
“Of course you’re human.” Patcoena said almost laughingly. “Willa, you were born from two powerful people. You’re not an alien or the result of a spell. You’re flesh and blood.”
“But I was born into this world to be a murderer.” I stated
“No, no Willa. You were chosen by the fates to balance out the evil and bring peace. You’re very existence is for one of hope not one of death.”
“I don’t know how I’m supposed to make peace when I was primarily created to kill.”
“You were born into this world because you are the only one that is capable of holding the power of the elements within you. Anyone besides the queen would almost spontaneously combust if they even tried to absorb the great power of the king. I’m not saying you should kill anyone. Unfortunately, there is a very real threat, and you are the only one that can put an end to all of this.”
“Why is Willa the only one to put an end to this?” Mathias asked. “If she has the same power as the queen then why doesn’t Sidra just take care of this herself?”
“Ah, yes.” Patcoena sighed. “It’s a bit more complicated. As queen Sidra must think of the political ramifications.”
“So Willa is to do her dirty work?” Mathias spat. “God forbid Queen Sidra gets her hands dirty.”
“Willa is more powerful than the queen.” Summer said. “She is not only a dynamic Gypsy Caster. She also has shown extremely impressive Fae skills.”
“Combining her power with the kings will make her the most powerful being in any world.” Patcoena said
“Fine,” I said almost dispassionately. “Just tell me who the Fae Lord is, and I’ll take care of him so I can get my life back.”
Patcoena looked at me sadly. “It’s not just one Willa. We believe it’s all four.”
“That’s impossible. I met all of them, and I can’t see Cual or Bran being behind some evil plot.”
“You forgot Machall.” Summer said. “Lord Fonn is the one who hatched the plan long ago. The others have gone along with him because frankly I think they are afraid of him.”
“So I’m to be their judge and executioner?” I asked. “How will we even know if it’s all of them or just one?”
“The most important thing right now is that we travel to each realm.” Patcoena explained. “We need to activate the king’s power within you. Once we have safety done that, we will go to court and try to convince Sidra to come to the Isle with us.”
“Why does Sidra need to come with us?” I asked
Patcoena grew silent and alarm bells went off in my head
“I’m not sure what will happen to you once you come into the powers.” he finally answered
“What the hell do you mean by that?” Mathias snarled
“Like I said, Willa already has immense power flowing through her. I’m not sure what the addition of the King’s powers will do to her.”
“What’s the best and worst case scenario?” Mathias asked
“Best case is that Willa readily accepts the elements.” Patcoena said. “The worst case scenario is that they will be too much for her to handle, and she will either die or go insane.”
“Well, since I’m already a candidate for Looneyville all I have to worry about is death then.” I said
“Absolutely not,” Mathias said. “This is too dangerous.”
“Mathias this is not your decision to make.” I said
“I would never ask Willa to risk her life if I didn’t honestly believe that she would be fine.” Patcoena said. “After all, this is her destiny.”
“You can take all this bullshit talk of destiny and shove it.” Mathias said angrily. “I will be the one to decide whether or not the risk is too great.”
“What gives you that right?” I asked amused
“I was chosen as well, wasn’t I?” Mathias asked. “I was chosen to be her Guardian and it is my job to make sure Willa is protected.”
“You were not chosen to guard Willa.” Summer said gently. “You were meant to be her watcher. Willa does not need protection. She needs someone to help guide her and watch over her. That is what you were always fated to be Mathias.”
“It was you, wasn’t it?” I asked Patcoena. “You were the one that made sure Mathias didn’t turn out to be the Rau?”
Patcoena had looked thoughtful before he began to speak. “Mathias, do you know much about your family’s history?”
“Not particularly,” he answered. “As far as I know my family is from Wales.”
“Your great-grandfather was Jardin. He was the head of the clan of Skye in England until they fled the Rau and joined Queen Elspeth in the Bavarian mountains.”
“Oh my God,” I said. “Are we related?”
“No.” Patcoena smiled. “His family is from another branch of the Skye Clan. Jardin unknowingly had impregnated a daughter of the aristocracy. When he left suddenly, she sought out the Gypsies and found a small band of them that had settled in Wales. They welcomed her and her unborn child with open arms.”
“When your grandfather Merrick was born, I actually thought that he may be the watcher that Summer had foreseen but when I saw him fall in love with your grandmother, I knew I mistaken. Your grandmother Miranda was also a distant relation to the Clan, and they decided when she became pregnant to settle further into Wales so they could raise your mother without the stigma of being a Gypsy.”
“Your grandparents had within them modest powers. They passed those on to Morgan and she to her children.” Patcoena continued
“My grandfather was a Gypsy?” Mathias asked disbelievingly
“Yes he was.” Summer said. “He was quite good at being a farmer was he not?”
“He used earth magic.” I said rather than asked
“Yes, he did, and qui
te successfully I might add.” Patcoena said. “Your father and brother were not targeted for gaming debts. They were targets because the Rau could smell a hint of Gypsy blood in Darias.”
I glanced at Mathias whose expression was caught between confusion and disbelief. I knew how much he hated for anyone to bring up his family, especially his father, but I think he was too stunned even to care right now.
“Your father believed that he convinced them that they were worthy to be turned but the Rau simply wanted Darius’s blood and any relatives that he might have. I will say this about Benedict he knew enough to keep your existence and that of your sister a secret, not because he wanted to protect you but because you were his meal ticket, and he hated to share.”
“The night you were turned everything went horribly wrong. Elizabeth was never meant to die. Sadly her Gypsy blood called to Darias, and before your father could stop him, he killed her.”
“My father could’ve cared less about Elizabeth.” Mathias said
“You are right.” Patcoena agreed. “But you cared about Elizabeth and he wanted to use her as leverage. That’s why he wanted her alive.”
“I didn’t see until the last minute what was to happen.” Summer said. “We tried to get there as soon as we could but we were too late.”
“You were going to save Elizabeth?” I asked softly
“We took an oath not to interfere with your life or that of your watcher but I knew that seeing Elizabeth murdered would make Mathias wild with rage. That anger was dangerous. We stood silently in the corner under a concealment spell as his father took Mathias’s life. I watched in horror as he embraced the darkness.”
“We knew we had to do something.” Summer added. “It was imperative that Mathias retain some of his humanity.”
“I willingly poured a small part of my light and soul into Mathias’s.” Patcoena finished
“Wait a minute.” I said quickly. “Mathias is the ultimate hybrid then. Part Gypsy, part Rau, part Guardian, and part Fae.”
Mathias gave Patcoena a piercing glare. “Is that true?”
“Yes.” he sighed in resignation. “You are a combination of all of them.”
“Did you also see us become true mates?” I asked. “Did you put a spell on us so that we would feel this way?”
“No.” Summer said smiling. “There is no spell or enchantment that dictates the coming together of true mates. That is something that only fate can decide. There are some that say true mates are made up of a certain DNA and that when they find each other the cells in their body recognize each other. Their very beings call out to one another and then they merge as one.”
“Mathias can drink your blood Willa, not because you are true mates but because Mathias is part Gypsy and Fae.” Patcoena explained
“This is all a little overwhelming.” I said. “Do you have a bottle of something I can take a swig off of?”
Summer and Patcoena just smiled at me indulgently. Mathias still looked like he had a million questions.
“Did you see Willa as well?” he asked Summer
“Willa was the easy one.” she replied
“Funny, I’ve never been called that.” I mused
“All we had to do was keep an eye on the Fae and Gypsy gatherings.” Summer continued. “We knew that the couple would come from both royal families and so we waited.”
“You saw my parents fall in love?” I asked
“Yes we did.” Summer replied. “We shadowed them from the time they left until the time they came back to the Isle.”
“And you put spells on me so I wouldn’t remember you?” I asked Patcoena
“Every few years.” he answered. “I figured it would make you suspicious if an old man were following you.”
“Suspicious, creeped out, whatever word you prefer,” I said
“You almost remembered on the day you opened the bakery.” he smiled. “That’s when I had the brilliant idea of adding the last line in the diary. Only when you heard that would you remember and the spell would be broken.”
“I’m still unclear on the significance of the paintings.” Mathias said. “Why not just use the diary to lure Willa out when she was ready? And why did anyone even know about the Fae Sanctity to begin with? That’s a massive breach of security.”
“I started the rumors of the Fae Sanctities.” Patcoena said
“What?” I asked confused
“There were whispers after the king died so suddenly. The rumors were quite ridiculous that were swirling around court. I wanted the Fae Lords to know that, yes the king did create a weapon to kill them in the event of his death, but I didn’t want them to know that it was a single person. I wanted them to believe in the myth that there were weapons out there that could take away their lives and their powers.”
“You wanted them to live in fear so that they would think twice before trying to overthrow Sidra?” Mathias asked. “Not bad. Not a bad idea at all.”
“Does Sidra know that it’s me?” I asked
“Sidra is perfectly aware that there are no Fae Sanctities.” Patcoena answered. “That was a silly story that we made up so we could explain Summer and I’s absence. The queen does not know that it is you, but I think she suspects.”
“You said we needed her. Why?”
“Only both queens will be able to help you learn to control the power that is being given to you.” Patcoena replied
“What if I can’t learn to control it?” I asked. “Will it control me?”
“You are fully capable of mastering the elements.” Patcoena said
“You know what I don’t understand? What does the Clan have to do with this?” I asked. “The Gypsies have no interest in Fae politics. Why would the Fae Lords want to destroy us?”
“The Clan of Skye thwarted their master plan.” Patcoena said. “Lord Fonn came up with the idea that the Rau would be perfect protectors or Guardians of the Fae. Not only would it give each royal family an added protection but it would also, in the long run, help control the Rau population.”
“But how would they control them?” I asked. “They’re ruled by blood.”
“The Rau are much more adept at controlling themselves around the Fae.” Patcoena answered. When I still looked a little confused Mathias jumped in with an explanation.
“Just imagine that the Gypsies are like the richest, creamiest ice cream imaginable. The Fae, however are more like frozen yogurt.”
“Gotcha,” I said. “You want the best but you’ll settle for something slightly inferior if you have too.”
“Sometimes it’s best to apply food analogies to Willa when she doesn’t understand quite grasp something.” Mathias said to Patcoena
“Yes, well, the queen had caught wind of this and that is when she had a vision.” Patcoena said. “Not only would she be helping the gypsies but she would also be safeguarding her people. Sidra did not trust the Rau nor was she going to allow them in her realm.”
“So Lord Fonn has held a grudge against the Clan because essentially Sidra took his idea and applied it to the gypsies?” Mathias asked. “Instead of using the Rau though she gave them the Guardians of the Solas.”
“Yes.” Summer said nodding her head. “I’m afraid Lord Fonn is using the clan to act out his vengeance.”
“Why would my grandmother allow her daughter to marry him?” I asked
“She didn’t have any choice.” Summer said. “Lord Fonn kidnapped Alvie and before the royal guard could catch up to him, he had married her, bedded her, and took her powers. To be honest, I do not think Alvie put up much of a fight. She had been charmed by him since she was a child.”
We all sat quietly. Mathias and I were both just trying to take everything in that had been told to us. There was so much information rolling around in my head that I wanted to lie down in a dark room for several hours to absorb it all.
“So what do we do now?” I asked. “I assume we’ll be leaving soon to Fairlia?”
Patcoena an
d Summer exchanged an anxious glance before answering
“Only you and I will be travelling to Fairlia.” Patcoena announced
Mathias and I both smirked. Like that was going to happen.
“I realize that both of you would put up a fight over this.” Patcoena said. “That is why Summer is going to show you what will happen if Mathias travels with us Willa.”
Summer grabbed my hand, and instantly a vision started to flood my mind. I could see Mathias surrounded by at least fifty Rau. I was standing off to the side in what looked to be a castle courtyard being held down by Lord Fonn. Patcoena and Summer were lying dead at my feet. The screams that were coming out of me were horrific.
When the Rau tore Mathias apart, I tried to break free but the Air Lord was so strong. I called upon my fire, but he used his power to fan my flames around the Rau. I finally slumped to the ground in defeat after several minutes. Lord Fonn leaned over me and using his air tore my powers from me, leaving me helpless against the Rau, who began to tear into my body with their sharp fangs.
I released my hand from Summer and looked at Mathias frightened. What I saw had shocked me to the core, and I could barely speak.
“He’s right Mathias.” I whispered. “You cannot go with us.”
“Willa, whatever you saw could very well be false.” Mathias said. “How do we know those images weren’t planted in your mind so that we would agree to this?”
“They weren’t false.” I replied
“How do you know?” he asked urgently
“I just do.” I said
Mathias got up from his chair suddenly and started pacing the kitchen. “There is no way I am going to allow Willa to go anywhere without me. We can take preventive measures against whatever this vision is of coming true.”
“I’m afraid that is impossible.” Summer said. “I’ve had other visions but all of them except for one end the same.”
“What’s the plan?” I asked Patcoena
“The plan is that you and I will travel to each realm. When we are done, we will go to court and collect the queen. We will then travel to the Isle of Skye. Once we get there, it is imperative that Mathias takes you to his island so that you can…acclimate to your new powers.”
The Skye Trilogy: Isle of Skye, Isle of Night, and Isle of Dawn. * Bonus: Scrumptious Skye Confections Cookbook* Page 63