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

by Shannon Barczak

  “What?” Patcoena asked confused

  “Yes!” I yelled. “Yes, I am afraid of freaking hot, burn my skin off on contact liquid substance known as LAVA!

  Patcoena sighed. “We’ll be fine. I have complete faith in your abilities.”

  “Do you?” I asked. “Can you call my grandmother Winifred and tell her that?”

  “Willa.” Patcoena said sternly

  “Fine,” I said. “But don’t get mad at me if you lose the first few layers of your skin.”

  “You’ll do splendidly, I’m sure,” he said reassuringly. “Now picture the same area like this one on the other side, only that side has a small country house in the valley.”

  “There is a country house on the other side of the volcano?” I asked. “You mean to tell me someone built a home for rest and relaxation here?”

  “Yes,” he said

  “I can’t wait to meet this person.” I said. “I’m sure we’ll have a lot in common.”

  Patcoena grabbed my hands and stared at me. I took a deep breath and tried to imagine us shooting up and over the volcano. Even though, it was very quick, I could still feel the heat of the land mass as we ascended around the volcano. When I felt my feet on stable ground, I quickly took inventory and was relieved that my body wasn’t on fire.

  I looked around and was surprised. The other side of the volcanos reminded me a little bit of where I grew up in Arizona. The black and gray landscape, where I initially had opened the portal, was now replaced with rich brownish red sand. Scraggly brown trees and cacti dotted amongst the surface. In the distance, I could see sharp rock formations jut up towards the sky.

  “Wow, it is so freaky here,” I remarked in wonderment

  “It looks a lot like home, doesn’t it?” Patcoena asked

  Before I could reply, I heard someone yell my name, and I turned toward the long, white stucco house that shone brightly in the late afternoon sun. I almost thought I might be seeing a mirage but when I realized the person running towards me was real, I broke out into a run.

  “Jeremiah,” I yelled in disbelief. I flung my arms out and wrapped them around his neck. I couldn’t believe my cousin was here.

  “Willa,” Jeremiah said as he returned my hug just as tightly. “God, I was so worried. What the hell is going on now?”

  “Oh my God,” I whispered. “Are you real?”

  “Yes, I’m real,” he answered. “I must admit though I’m a little confused as to why I am here.”

  I untangled myself from his arms and looked at him. His wavy blonde hair looked slightly unkempt, and his warm chestnut brown eyes were staring back at me in confusion. A part of me was gloriously happy he was standing in front of me. Another part of me felt nothing but terror that he was here.

  “Patcoena,” I said turning around to face him. “Why on earth did you bring Jeremiah here? You know how dangerous this could be for him?”

  “Jeremiah will be perfectly safe with us,” Patcoena said. “As to why he is here? We need him and his abilities.”

  “Why do we need him all of a sudden?” I asked

  “Jeremiah,” he said. “Aside from being an outstanding librarian and excellent at research, can you tell Willa what your special gift is?”

  “Special gift?” I asked. “You have a unique gift and abilities?”

  “Do you have to sound so surprised?” Jeremiah asked bemused

  “OK, we’ve known each for how long now?” I asked, “Not only that but we were pretty much roommates up until a few weeks ago. Why am I just now hearing about your special gift?”

  “It’s not a big deal, but the thing is I can sense magic,” Jeremiah said

  “I don’t want to minimize your talents J but I can sense magic too.” I said

  “No, Willa, I mean I can sense it from just about anywhere,” he said. “Even small amounts or pockets so to speak I can pick up from miles away.”

  “That’s why he brought you here.”

  “Why did who bring me here?” Jeremiah asked. “By the way, is this Patcoena?”

  “Yes Jeremiah, I am Patcoena, and you are here to help us find the source of the king’s power.” Patcoena answered

  “Can someone please tell me what the heck is going on?” Jeremiah asked. “I just want to know why I had to be pulled out of bed and from my mate’s warm body to come here. Especially since Willa is much more powerful than me.”

  “I would like to know that too.” I said. “Wait a minute, did you just say…?”

  Jeremiah smiled and nodded. I felt myself almost well up with tears. For months, now Jeremiah had been hopelessly in love with Mathias’s secretary Veronica. They both initially had returned each other’s feelings, but my former slain Guardian Serena had found them together and objected. At first, Jeremiah and Veronica had thought it was because he was a royal member of the Skye Clan, and she was a Guardian of Solas. But it wasn’t. Serena had been in love Veronica herself and Veronica felt so guilty she had pushed Jeremiah away.

  Apparently though, they had finally found each other again. I couldn’t wait to get all the details.

  “When did this happen?” I asked

  “The same night you broke Mathias out of the slammer,” he answered. After I had decimated the Rau, Mathias, my Gypsy grandmother Winnie and I had taken on the witch Sabine. When it was over, Mathias had unknowingly revealed his red eyes to my grandmother. She had thrown him behind bars to interrogate him and to find out what sort of vampire he was inside.

  I did not handle seeing Mathias in shackles very well. After performing an immense amount of magic on the Rau and Sabine, I went a little crazy. My mother had been so concerned about me that she knocked me out with a sleep spell. When I woke up, I said some pretty horrible things to her and my grandmother. Luckily they forgave me but when I finally figured out whom Patcoena was and had been shown a clue to bring Mathias with me to meet him; I broke him out of from behind bars, essentially making both him and me criminals.

  “I had to bring him with me to find Patcoena.” I answered sheepishly

  “I know,” he said. “Robert told us that and he also showed us you were able to open the paintings.”

  “So you saw them?”

  “Yes,” Jeremiah said sadly. “I’m hoping they don’t mean what I think they do.”

  “I’m afraid to tell you dear cousin that I am indeed a weapon of mass destruction or I will be once I go to each place in the different realms and absorb the king’s power.”

  Jeremiah was silent. I could see the concern etched on his face, and truthfully I didn’t know how to reassure him when I was just as freaked out by this information.

  “Well, I guess it’s no surprise,” he said after a pause. “You’re a bit of a Calamity Jane in the normal day to day life. You and Cupcake strolling down the road brings a certain amount of fear to anyone that has the misfortune to cross your path.”

  “Leave my puppy out of this.” I said smiling. Cupcake was my one hundred and sixty pound St. Bernard dog that Mathias had given to me for Christmas. He was huge but had a heart of gold. I adored my clumsy yet somewhat stupid furball of an animal.

  “I’m assuming that’s why I’m here then so I can help locate each of these places that are storing a massive amount of magical energy?”

  “I guess,” I said shaking my head. “I only just found out about all of this a few minutes ago.”

  “I’m a little surprised,” Jeremiah said. “When Lord Machall showed up, I wasn’t sure whether I should I go with him or not.”

  “What?” I whispered as the blood drained from my face. I whipped around and stared at Patcoena. “What the hell is he talking about?”

  “Willa, I need you to calm down and listen,” Patcoena said. “Machall is not who you think he is…”

  “I know exactly who he is,” I sneered. “I saw him conspire with Sabine before she tore down the barriers and tried to kill everyone on the island.”

  “Willa, you must…” Patcoena said />
  “Save it old man,” I said. “We’re out of here.”

  I grabbed Jeremiah’s hands and was just about to teleport when a wall of fire suddenly appeared in my path. I pushed Jeremiah behind me protectively and called upon my air to blow the flames away.

  “Now, Willa, darling,” A voice called out. “Is that any way to greet an old friend?”

  “No,” I said calmly before I called my own fire. “This is, you mother fucker.”

  I shot my purple flames at his and for a moment it seemed like time stood still. His deep garnet colored flames pushed against my purple blaze which was growing bigger and bigger by the second. We both flung our energies at each other until finally I could see his grow smaller under my assault. I grinned in satisfaction until all of a sudden I had been knocked to the ground.

  I felt ropes of warmth being wound around my ankles, and I looked on in disbelief as I was being dragged across the desert sand. I called upon the earth and out of the corner of my eye saw small but sturdy tree roots come up out of the soil. I imagined them in my mind looping around Lord Machall’s body. I could hear his sound of frustration right before the flaming ropes left my body.

  I stood up and almost laughed at the sight of the powerful fire Lord wrapped up in tree roots. The laughter died on my lips though when the roots started smoking. I briefly tried to call upon the power of water but dismissed that notion when I realized I was in the desert; instead I called upon air. I conjured a roaring miniature tornado with Machall wrapped up inside of a powerful wind tunnel.

  In an instant he disappeared, I had only a second to react before I teleported away from the spot I was standing in a few moments prior. I saw his lips turn into a smirk before he again disappeared. We went up and over the landscape as we teleported for several minutes, only stopping briefly to check on the other persons actions. Our bodies were nothing but flashes of vapor as we appeared and disappeared.

  I finally found my way back to Jeremiah and was about to leave when Patcoena grabbed me. I looked at him in disbelief. I could feel his magic come over me, and I was all of a sudden powerless to move. Machall landed in front of me and crossed his arms as we stared at one another. I used whatever supply of magic I had to erect a protective bubble around Jeremiah and waited for Patcoena’s small spell to lose its power.

  “You’re very powerful,” Machall said. His absently pushed his lock of black hair that had fallen across his forehead out of his face. His sherry colored eyes looked at me in amusement.

  “Not just with magic,” I said sweetly. “If you remember I also have a pretty good right hook. By the way, your nose looks good, must be nice to have a powerful witch as your whore. She’s dead though, so I would love to see your face with another broken and bloody nose.”

  Machall smiled and walked a few steps until he was a scant few inches away from my body. When he put his finger up to touch my chin, I did something that would have made my mother faint. I spit the biggest wad of saliva I could produce at his face.

  “Willa, please listen to Machall for a moment, please,” Patcoena begged

  “Shut up.” I replied without taking my eyes off of Machall. “Do not even talk to me right now.”

  “Willa, I am not your enemy,” Machall said

  “You’re not my enemy?” I asked. “Wow, I must have imagined that whole disgusting scene I witnessed between you and Sabine. You know the one where you both were conspiring to let the Rau come onto the island and kill everyone right before you tore each other’s clothes off?”

  “I’m sorry you witnessed that but in truth I have been trying to help you,” he replied

  “Yeah, you were a big fucking help, thanks by the way.” I said

  “Why do think I was trying to get you alone the whole damn time I was on the island?” he asked

  “Oh, I don’t know because you’re a sick, perverted, pig?” I retorted

  Machall smiled and started laughing. It was not the kind of laughter that you chuckled with amusement over something funny. This kind of laughter was almost maniacal. I looked behind me at Jeremiah, who was watching him with the same disturbed expression. Finally, after a minute of his deranged chuckles he stopped and flashed back over to me quickly.

  “I was trying to give you fair warning you silly girl,” Machall said. “Not only that but I realized immediately that you were what I had been waiting for all this time.”

  “I’m sorry but I’m off the market.” I said regretfully

  “I have been waiting for the person that could help me fulfill the only thing I think about every second of every damn day.”

  “What’s that?” I asked. “Getting laid? Not going to happen but I will be happy to introduce you to a few skanks that I know. What’s your opinion on women named Suzy?”

  “I know that you’re the one who can find and use the Fae Sanctities, and I will do everything in my power to help you on your quest to do whatever it is that you need to do.”

  “Why?” I asked seriously. “Why should I believe you? Why would you help me?”

  “Because I want you to kill that scum sucking piece of shit, Lord Fonn,” he said, his voice filled with hatred

  Chapter Two

  Mathias

  “Well, I’m almost positive that she is driving Patcoena crazy right now,” I said to Summer as I watched the remnants of the portal fade away.

  “Mathias, they only just left,” Summer laughed. “I’m sure that Pat and Willa are just fine.”

  I turned to Summer and smirked. “I’m pretty sure after what I just mouthed to her she is probably throwing quite the fit and poor Patcoena is the one that has to hear her rant.”

  “You mouthed something to Willa?” Summer had said before her face lit up in understanding. “Oh dear, I’m assuming you responded to her declaration of love?”

  I ignored her question and held out my arm. “Madam, we must get you to the Isle.”

  Summer smiled and gracefully took my arm before she clambered on my back. I shot off into the sky completely unaware of the sea that surged underneath us. My mind was too wrapped up in thoughts of Willa. She was now in an entirely different realm, and I wasn’t with her. I had no idea of the challenges that she would face because all I could think about was the dangers that her being there could pose.

  I did not want her to go without me, but Summer had a vision of me dying if I went so of course Willa was adamant that I stayed behind here on the Isle of Skye. My heart, which I had thought died long ago, had leapt with joy at her spontaneous speech before she stepped through the portal. Her declaration of love did not surprise me. I knew she loved me. I had known for a very long time.

  Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to tell her that I had loved her the second I saw her face.

  I remembered that afternoon very clearly. When the Queen had informed me that Cecily and Cormac were in trouble and that I needed to bring them back safely, I was only too happy to perform my duty as the head of the Guardians of Solas. I had been Cecily’s Guardian from the moment she came into this world. I thought of her, not as my daughter, but as a favorite younger cousin. I had always liked Cormac, and I had been the only one aware of their forbidden relationship in the beginning.

  Winifred had stopped me in my tracks though when she told me that they had conceived a child. We both were in shock. There had never been a child born between the Fae and the Gypsies. It had always been considered to be impossible. We also both were fearful because we did not know what this girl was capable of as far as magic. We did know that the Fae would view her as quite the prize.

  Winifred had asked me to perform an assessment of her and I agreed graciously. I knew that she was angry with Cormac for taking her daughter away and I also was aware that she did not want to get attached to Cecily’s daughter. I think we both figured that her being on the island would attract too much attention, and that was dangerous.

  I had gone to Arizona only to make sure that Cormac, Cecily and their daughter made it to th
e Isle of Skye. When I walked into their house, I had been taken aback by the hum of awareness that I felt in my system the moment I walked inside the home. I brushed it off because I thought I was soaking in Cecily’s and Cormac’s magic. I had been impatient to get out of there as soon as possible. When Cecily had yelled for her daughter, my only thought was that I hoped she hurried up so we could go through the portal and get back to the island.

  I knew that Frank and Serena were already somewhat enamored with her, and I hoped they didn’t fawn over her too much. The fact that she existed was going to make her a celebrity, and I had no desire to waste any more time watching them make fools of themselves.

  When the kitchen door opened, I felt her presence at once. It caught me off guard so much that I had stumbled back into the shadows by the front door. My hands started to shake, and I shoved them in my pockets. I was so thrown by my body’s response that I had no idea what was going on until she stepped into view and at that moment a swirl of emotions had almost overwhelmed me.

  Her clear blue-green eyes were wide and friendly as she was introduced to Frank and Serena. I could tell that they were charmed by her right away. When her mischievous laugh reached my ears, my knees almost buckled. I watched her long unusual colored golden red brown hair swing over her shoulder, and I closed my eyes as her scent reached my nose. I knew that Cecily had Willa’s scent masked, but I could still smell it faintly and my fangs immediately started to ache in my mouth.

  When Cecily turned to me, I straightened my stance and came forward. I didn’t dare give her my hand because I knew if I touched her that would be it for me. I saw her jolt of shock as she looked at me, and I could tell she felt the same. I reminded myself who I was and why I was there. I tried to ignore her quizzical expression as I dismissed her and went outside to check the perimeter of the house again. I had to regain control over myself.

  I also was deathly afraid that everything I had worked for was going to be ruined by Willa. When I woke up from a sound sleep in a St. Louis hotel room and almost tried to feed off of her, my fears were confirmed. I was disgusted with my behavior. I had almost killed her. The more I tried to pull away from her though the more she drew me in her innocent web.