The Portal to Sidhe: Book 3

by Kelsey Schaeffer

  I wanted to scream out for help, but I was still crippled from my son’s lightening bolt. All I could was let uncontrolled tears stream down my face as I watched my youngest son try to fight of his older brother. Benny was still holding tight, but I knew he couldn’t hold him for long. Luke would surly figure out a way to use his magic to win this battle. Just as I expected, a wicked look shot across Luke’s face, and I knew he was preparing to do something horrible.

  Just as before, I saw the silver glow flash in Luke’s eyes. I tried calling out to warn Benny, but my voice was much too shaky, and my warning came out as soft jabber. The lights began to flicker in madness and the room began to shake as if it were angry. Crippled, I watched in horror as Luke quickly transferred his lightening from his fingertips directly to Benny’s hands. Benny screamed in agony as he grasped his burnt fingers and collapsed to the ground in pain.

  I felt fear erode through my body by the uncertainty of what Luke would do next. Even though I couldn’t move, tears were still falling from my eyes, and my body was trembling in anxiety. As three bodies lay on the ground, Luke laughed intensely as if this was a great success—three bodies, two injured and one possibly dead. Luke took a step towards his older brother with pure spite written across his face. He threw his hands forward, prepared to do something awful, when Ben and Damon burst into Luke’s room. Damon didn’t hesitate as he charged after his son and tackled him to the ground.

  “You bastard!” Luke screamed as Damon held him down.

  “Enough!” Damon cried as he wrestled our son until he had him securely pinned down. Luke was incredibly powerful, but he was no match for his mighty father.

  “I hate you!” Luke screamed as he tried to free himself from his father’s grasp. Suddenly Luke appeared less demented and more like an angry child as he yelled, “You’re not my father.”

  “Then who am I?” Damon challenged as he held his grip tight. As Damon controlled our son, Ben was trying to help the three of us who were injured.

  “You’re just a drunken fool who sleeps with slutty fairies.”

  Damon ignored his son’s insults and said, “What did your mother and brother do to deserve this? Huh? What about that poor girl.”

  “My mother married you!” Luke screamed. “And that girl is a whore!”

  I watched as my son’s eyes turn silver once more. I opened my mouth to try and warn my husband, but I couldn’t yet speak. Thankfully, Damon was a trained fighter and didn’t need a warning as he quickly closed his eyes and said a quick fairy chant. Before the lights could even blink, Luke had collapsed into Damon’s arms in a sedated trance.

  Damon looked towards Ben who was trying to wake his son and said, “I’m taking him to the dungeon. Call the infirmary and get help fast. See if you can find some superhumans to heal them.”

  Ben was gone only a few minutes before he quickly returned and came to my side.

  “Miranda, are you okay?” he asked as worry spread across his face.

  I shook my head and mumbled, “no.” Although the shock of my son’s lightening strike was fading away, the effects were not completely gone, and I was still paralyzed from the blow to my spine. “I can’t move,” I whispered as tears still fell from my eyes.

  Ben looked as if he would burst into tears as he stroked his fingers through my hair. “Allison and Brandon are on their way. The healing fairies should be right behind them.” I nodded my head as best I could while Ben said, “shhh, just rest.”

  “Is Benny okay?” I choked through a whisper.

  Ben nodded his head and went to our son’s side. Only moments later, my aunt and Brandon burst through Luke’s bedroom door with a look of horror written across their face.

  Ben pointed to Benny and I, “Heal them fast. The girl is a fairy—you can’t help her.”

  My aunt ran to my side as she placed her hands on my shoulders and quickly began the healing chant. Shortly after she began, a crew of healing fairies stormed into the room as they began to examine each of us.

  I felt a jab in my arm as a healing fairy inserted an IV, while another was listening to my heart. The fairy that was inserting the IV continued to mess with the tubes as she asked, “What is wrong? Are you in pain?”

  “Not much,” I whispered. “Can’t feel my legs.”

  She nodded as she finished hanging a bag of saline. When she tested for feeling in my legs, I shook my head to confirm I felt nothing.

  She shook her head in dismay, but my aunt quickly said, “My superhuman healing should repair any damage that was done.”

  The healing fairy nodded her head, but she didn’t look convinced. “Monitor her,” she said to her assistant as she went to check on the others.

  My aunt continued to chant for what seemed like forever, but I finally felt a tingling in my toes. As I continued to lie still, hoping my aunt’s powers could restore my spine, I heard the sound of Benny’s voice. I smiled to know that my oldest son would be okay, but I was still concerned for the fairy girl. My anxiety grew worse when I heard on the fairies speaking nearby.

  “We’re losing her!” I heard a healing fairy yell, “She’s not breathing.”

  I felt tears grow warm in my eyes lids, as I couldn’t bear the thought of my sixteen-year-old son as a murderer.

  My aunt sensed my distress and said, “It will be okay. She’s a fairy. Surely magic can fix her.”

  “What about her parents?” I whimpered. “She’s somebodies child. I…I can’t believe my son did this.”

  “I know, honey,” my aunt said as she stroked my forehead, trying to comfort me.

  As I lay on the ground with my aunt still healing me, I remembered that I hadn’t seen Nathen, Delia and my mother since I had returned.

  “Aunt Allison,” I said, “have you seen Nathen, Delia and my mom?”

  She lowered her eyebrows and said, “No.”

  “They should be here. Nathen was supposed to be with my son, and I don’t know where my mom and Delia would go.”

  My aunt still didn’t know exactly what happened to the three of us, and she looked confused by my worry. She had been led to believe that Luke lost control of his magic and accidently electrocuted the three of us; she had no idea that my son was vile.

  “Please Aunt Allison, look for them.”

  She nodded her head as she stood up to find them, “Will you be okay?”

  I nodded my head in response. Full feeling was returning to my legs.

  A few minutes after my aunt left, the fairies placed me on a stretcher to transport me to the infirmary. Just as we headed down the hall, I heard a blood-curdling scream coming from Allison from another room.

  Somehow, everyone recovered from Luke’s brutal attack—even the black haired fairy. Once my mother and I were released from the infirmary the next day, she told me the whole story as the two of us headed back to our home.

  While I had been training with the warriors, Nathen had been in the living room supervising Luke, while my mom and Delia were in the kitchen making brownies. It all started when the two young fairies showed up at the door. Although Luke had never spoke of them before, he had invited them over.

  “I was excited to see that he had friends come over,” my mother said, “especially young women. He never really spends time with anyone but Alice and Nick—and lately he’s been spending his time alone. The girls seemed a bit older, but they were very polite. He even brought them into the kitchen so he could introduce us.”

  I nodded my head as I listened to her story.

  “He took them back to the living room.” My mom frowned and said, “That’s when the yelling started. At first it was just Luke yelling at Nathen, but I kept hearing Nathen say, ‘settle down.’”

  My mom paused for a moment as she gazed at the wall. She returned her gaze in my direction. “Delia and I knew something was wrong when their yelling escalated, so we quickly headed to the living room. The girls looked scared. They were standing against the wall like they were trying to melt into
it. Luke was pointing and cussing at Nathen, while Nathen tried to settle him down.”

  My mom sighed and looked horrified as she said, “That’s when I saw it. It was like nothing I had ever seen. His eyes turned silver as he threw his fingertips against his grandfather’s chest like he was ready to kill!”

  I gasped as I recollected the similar occurrence in Luke’s bedroom.

  My mom took a deep breath before she continued, “Nathen collapsed and Delia screamed. Delia and I tried to use our magic to sedate Luke, but he was too fast and too strong. He shot lightning from both of his hands, knocking both Delia and I out. After that, all went dark, and I woke up in my closet, tied up with duct tape.”

  “I’m so sorry!” I cried as I collapsed into my mother’s embrace.

  “It isn’t your fault Miranda. You raised him the best you could. No one can change who he is.”

  “Yes I can. I can take his powers away.”

  “But what if that made him worse?” she asked. “It destroyed Roger and turned him into an alcoholic, and it made Taylor so crazy he married Desmorelda and tried to kill your son.”

  “I know,” I said nervously, “but both Roger and Taylor seem okay now…Roger is part of the family…and…and I forgave Taylor. After what happened with those girls and everything else, I know Benny won’t show mercy. I should take his powers away…I have to.”

  “Miranda, you’re his mother, and ultimately the decision is up to you. You have to do what you think is best.”

  I nodded my head as tears fell from my eyes.

  “Now, now,” my mom sighed as she brushed the tears away.

  “I miss Dad so much,” I cried as so many emotions flooded my body. I had been away three years, and I had missed so much…so much. “He was so wise and had the answers to everything. He was my greatest teacher and biggest role model. He’s gone, Mom…he’s gone!”

  “I know…I know. I feel like my time with him was much too short, and it’s so very unfair, but honey, you are wise too. He wasn’t your biological father, but he shared so much of his wisdom with you. Now it is up to you to make your own decisions…to use your own wisdom to do what’s right for your family, and you have me now. You have Ben and Delia and Nathen…Brandon, Alison, even Damon when he’s in the right mind.” She embraced me tighter as I cried into her arms for quite some time.

  After Luke’s brutal attack, he remained in the dungeon, as he awaited the fate of his horrifying actions. While he remained locked away in the dungeon, I tried to visit him so he didn’t have to be alone, but he could hardly look me in the eye. He refused to speak to me when I talked to him, and he tried to focus his attention on anything other than my presence.

  “Luke, please talk to me honey,” I said on the second day of his imprisonment as I stood outside of his cell.

  Luke’s eyes didn’t move from the book he was staring at as he acted as if I weren’t even there. I sat down in a chair outside his cell, staying present so he knew he was still loved.

  Only a few minutes after taking a seat, I heard someone walking down the hall. I turned around and saw that it was Ben, and he was headed my way.

  “Miranda,” he said softly, “Benny has requested our presence.”

  I nodded my head and stood up. I knew it was time for my son’s fate to be declared.

  Before heading away, I looked at Luke one last time and said, “I love you.”

  Luke’s expression didn’t budge, so I turned around and headed out of the dungeon.

  “Do you know what it’s about?” I asked, even though I already knew.

  Ben gave me a melancholy look and said, “Benny is going to declare Luke’s punishment.”

  “I figured,” I said softly.

  Ben and I headed to the throne room, where we would meet with our son. When we arrived at our meeting spot, Damon was already sitting across from my son. Benny shuffled through papers as Damon sat quietly, staring at the wall in front of him.

  “Mom and Dad,” Benny proclaimed as he stood up and half-smiled at the two of us.

  “Hi, son,” Ben said as he respectfully shook his son’s hand.

  “Hi, sweetheart,” I replied with a nod.

  Damon let out a quiet grunt as if the formality of the situation was annoying him. I gave Damon a disapproving look, but Benny ignored his stepfather’s rude response.

  As we took a seat, Benny didn’t hesitate to begin, “I’m sure you already know why I called you all here today.”

  “Of course,” Ben replied respectfully as Damon rolled his eyes. Once again, Benny ignored his stepfather’s behavior. “As Luke is my brother, and…” Benny glanced at me, “in respect for you, Mother…I have decided Luke’s outcome will be determined between the four of us, instead of by the counsel.”

  “I really appreciate that,” I said, nodding with a hopeful look on my face.

  Benny nodded as he continued, “With that being said, I alone have come up with three options, and I will leave it between the three of you to choose what you feel is best. Please understand…these options are not negotiable. If you cannot come to an agreement in twenty-four hours, I will have to call the counsel to make a decision.”

  “I understand,” I said.

  Damon shook his head, but Benny continued to speak, “The first, Luke will be sentenced to a life in the dungeon. He will be given comfortable quarters, good meals and allowed visitors at anytime as long as he has good behavior and does not seem a threat”

  “That is fair,” Ben said.

  Damon grunted again, but Benny continued on, “For the second option, I will allow Luke’s vile to be removed, but Luke will remain in the dungeon for eight years. After eight years, his sentence will be determined based on his behavior and intense testing to verify he is not a threat to our realm.”

  I nodded, but I felt sick as I imagined my son being locked away for so many years.

  “Finally,” Benny said, “I will give you the option to send him to Hell on the condition that he never returns. If he returns, he will be sent to the dungeon for the remainder of his life, and any force deemed necessary will be used to ensure he is quickly placed in the dungeon with no mercy given.”

  I gasped as I threw my hand over my mouth. Ben wrapped his arm around me as Damon beat his fist against the table.

  “I know this is hard Mother, but I have to do this as king.”

  “I know,” I whispered, hardly able to speak.

  “No!” Damon growled. Damon had been behaving well for quite some time, but it appeared he was breaking down.

  The three of us looked him, “No?” Benny questioned.

  “My son won’t be locked away in the dungeon, and he isn’t going to Hell!”

  “I brought the three of you here as a courtesy,” Benny said. “If you can’t decide, I will put the decision up to a counsel vote.”

  “This is bull shit!” Damon hissed as he slammed his fist into the table so hard a huge line cracked underneath his fist.

  “Damon!” I cried as I placed my hand over his fist.

  “Do I need to put you in the dungeon too?” Benny asked his stepfather, trying to prove authority.

  “Boy!” Damon yelled just as two vampire guards raced into the room upon our commotion, “I raised you. I was once your king, and I taught you everything you know!”

  Ben sat quietly by my side appearing uncomfortable by the outburst between Damon and Benny. Benny’s guards protectively came to his side, but I spoke out before anything else could be said. “Enough!” I screamed. “I know we’re all angry. My heart is breaking into pieces knowing what has to be done, but whether any of you like it or not, we’re still family! This doesn’t have to tear us all apart.”

  Damon grunted.

  “She’s right,” Ben nearly whispered.

  “You shouldn’t even be here!” Damon growled at Ben. “He’s not even your son, so what say do you even have!”

  “Damon!” I shouted as I narrowed my eyes at him.

  “
He’s right,” Ben muttered softly with pain in his tone. This decision is not mine. It is between the two of you to make.”

  The guards were still standing behind Benny as to protect him, but he gently shooed them away. “I can handle this,” Benny said. The guards quickly left the room as advised.

  As soon as the guards were gone, Damon continued to yell, “That’s right. It is our decision, and I have made up my mind!”

  “But Damon,” I began, “we haven’t even…”

  Damon didn’t allow me to finish speaking as he quickly interrupted me, “I’m taking him back to Pine Lake.”

  “What!” The three of us spoke at once.

  “No!” I won’t allow it!” Benny cried.

  “It’s not up to you. I am still the true King of Pine Lake. I can do whatever I please when I’m there and I don’t have to answer to you. That is where I will take my son.”

  “And I am queen,” I said, “And I say no!”

  Damon grunted, “And how do you plan to stop me! We are equal rulers.”

  I was at a loss for words. Damon was right. He was the king, and I had no power over him, just as he had no power over me.

  “You’re right.” Benny said reluctantly. “You can take him to Pine Lake, and there is nothing I can do…but as long as he is in here, he will remain in the dungeon. There is no portal and no magic in the dungeon. You have no way to transfer him to Earth. I’m sorry Damon, but it’s not going to happen.”

  Damon’s face turned bright red. “I was king once, and I am a very powerful fairy. Do you think I can’t find a way!” With that, he stood up, pulling the chair out from under him so hard it flew across the room and slammed into the wall. Once more, the guards came charging into the room, just as Damon charged out.

  “I’ll lock him in the dungeon then!” Benny yelled as he shoved his fingers into his hair in frustration.

  One of the guards looked towards Benny, ready to take action. “Should we go after him?”

  Benny looked at me with worried eyes, the way he did as a child when something bothered him. As much strength as Benny tried to show, I knew that his decisions were causing him great pain—more pain than he would ever admit to.