She turned back to face her reflection, but she was unprepared for what she saw. Her heart skipped a beat when she focused on her flesh. It felt as if all the air had been sucked out of the room. A gasp escaped her as she took a startled step away from the mirror.
“Wean?” Ailean called from outside the door, instantly aware of the sudden panic she was experiencing.
Skye stared at her reflection in shock. There, in place of her newly flawless, smooth skin, was the horrid, all-encompassing scarring born of a decade of torture. Her eyes welled up with tears as she shook her head and covered her mouth with a trembling hand. It was back – all of it was back.
“No…no, no, no…” she pleaded in a whisper as she frantically pulled off the lingerie.
“Whit’s wrang?” Ailean called more worriedly as he tried the handle.
But Skye could only focus on the chaos in her mind and utter lack of sensation in her flesh. She could not feel the fabric that she was pulling away or her own hands against her skin. The nerve endings that had been so recently restored were deadened again – smothered by the thick scarring that she had lost with her first transformation.
“No!” she cried as she stared down at her arms in disbelief. This could not be happening to her – not now.
With a deafening CRACK, the dressing room door gave way. Wooden shards rained down on Skye as Ailean effortlessly shouldered his way through. She looked up with tearful eyes to find him charging in to reach her.
Ailean’s deadly golden gaze took in his surroundings as he grabbed her arm and pulled her to his side, completely disinterested in her lack of clothing. Seeing one another nude was a regular occurrence among their clan, but in that moment, she could have been wearing a whipped-cream bikini with flashing LED pasties and Ailean would not have even noticed. His only concern was with whatever was causing her to scream. Everything else could wait until the threat was eliminated.
“Whit is it, wean?!” he demanded.
At first, Skye could only shake her head in response. It took all of her energy to suppress the sob that was building in her throat. Oh God, Ciaran and Elijah… she thought to herself in horror. They were going to barge in any second. Neither of them had ever seen her like this. They would see the layers upon layers of bites. The burns. The whip marks. Her stomach turned at the thought. They would know what had been done to her. They would read the marks like a book and never look at her the same. She would have to face the sadness in their gazes – the pity, the disgust.
“My skin…” she finally croaked out against Ailean’s shoulder with her eyes closed tightly.
“Eh?” Ailean asked in confusion and abandoned his search for an external cause for her current state. “Whit aboot it?” he asked as he gave her a thorough looking-over. “Yer skin’s weel an’ alrecht, bairn.”
“No,” she insisted and shook her head. “It’s not! It’s–”
She stopped abruptly when she opened her eyes and found only pale, unblemished flesh again. She stared at her arms in abject bewilderment.
“What the fuck?” she whispered.
“Aye. Ah second 'at,” Ailean stated in frustration as he gestured to the shattered dressing room door and frame. “Wa did Ah jist buy a new duir?”
“A stóirín? What’s goin’ on?” Ciaran demanded as he skidded to a halt inside the now-cramped dressing room. He pulled her close, trying to simultaneously check her over for injury and scout out any potential threats.
A second later, Aodh, Elijah, Donnach, and Eògan all collided with one another in their effort to stop just outside the dressing room.
“Oh no the fuck you did not just break my fucking door!!!” Luis screamed as he stepped up behind them. His brow arched in disbelief as he narrowed his accusatory gaze on Ailean. He pointed down at the debris littering the floor. “You do know you’re paying to fix all of this, right?”
“Aye, it hud occurred tae me,” Ailean grumbled before motioning to the naked woman currently clinging to Ciaran. “If ye dinnae min', we’re needin’ a moment.”
Luis sucked his teeth in irritation and scowled. After casting a withering glare at Ailean, he walked away muttering, “Weirdest god damned customers I ever seen in my life. Sexy as HELL, but weird as shit!”
“What happened?” Ciaran pressed, surveying the interior of the dressing room suspiciously. “I felt your fright, heard ya cry out.”
“I…” Skye shook her head, not knowing what to say. Her eyes met with Ailean’s pleadingly as she lied, “I saw a spider.”
The men’s eyes all nearly popped from their heads.
“Come again?” Eògan asked in disbelief.
Ailean’s brows drew together. His jaw flexed as he held her gaze.
Please. Please go along with this, Ailean, she begged in her mind. I don’t know what to tell them.
Ailean’s eyes widened in response, alerting her to the fact that she had just unintentionally broadcast that plea to him. She swallowed hard and waited to see whether he would call her out. His eyes narrowed on hers before he sighed and nodded to her in discrete agreement.
Thank you, Ailean, she sent before turning to the other men. “I’m sorry. I just… I get freaked out by spiders. It’s stupid, I know, but I can’t help it.”
The look of pure, amused disbelief on Eògan’s face was priceless. “Ya can fight a bloody war, take on thousands upon thousands of undead abominations, and yet ya still get your knickers all up in a twist over the itsy-bitsy spider?”
Skye shrugged in feigned embarrassment.
Elijah was eyeing her suspiciously, but mercifully, he seemed to realize in that exact moment that he was eyeing her… while she was naked. He was still young enough to have a sense of modesty and, given the fact that he had known her when she was a child, it was incredibly awkward for him to see her nude. He turned away and suggested anxiously, “How about we let you get your clothes back on, pay for the door, and get you back home to King Taran before the shop owner out there calls the cops on us?”
“Great idea,” Skye agreed before eagerly waving for them to leave.
Ailean paused before exiting the room with his eyes searching hers for an explanation. She had none to offer – no idea what the hell had just happened or how to explain it. She settled for giving him an appreciative smile. Grudgingly, Ailean sighed and nodded. He knocked twice on the splintered door frame before pushing off of it and walking out into the hall to wait.
“A stóirín, what…?” Ciaran tried, but his voice failed him. The whole experience had left him completely rattled. Out of reflex, he returned to checking her over for injury. “Are ya hurt, love? It can’t have been a spider. It just can’t have been. Nah with the fear and pain I sensed. It was something to do with your body,” he insisted as he pushed her hair back from her face and searched her eyes. “I thought for sure…”
She reached up and held his hand where it cradled her face. “I just want to go home. Will you take me home?” she asked wearily.
Ciaran kissed her brow and nodded before gathering the clothes she had been wearing upon arrival. While she dressed, he handed the pile of lingerie out to Ailean.
“Take these and pay for ’em,” Ciaran instructed. “Tell Luis to put an extra $10,000 on the card. Tha will more than cover his door and the hassle of having it repaired. And hey – flirt like your ancient arse depends on it, yeah? Don’t want to risk pissin’ off any locals.” Ciaran flashed a knowing smile. He knew damned well that Ailean would have been hooking up with the shop owner with or without this little incident.
Ailean gave a wide grin in reply. “Nae problem. Ah will see tae it aw is forgiven,” he assured before setting off to smooth things over.
5: A Heavy Secret
By the time they walked the two blocks home and made it through the crowd of waiting press to reach the safety of their den, Skye was wiped out. She just wanted to crawl into bed and stay there for a week. Unfortunately, Miko was full of energy and waiting for her at the gate.
/> “Mamacita! You’re looking lovelier than ever today, have I told you that?” he said with far too much enthusiasm.
“Why are you kissing up?” Skye asked suspiciously.
Miko opened his mouth to deny it. Seeing the impatient look in her eyes, however, he gave up. “Finnneee,” he groaned dramatically in defeat. He pointed over to her mate who was walking out to meet them. “I asked big King Tar over there for a credit card earlier. Wanted to order that ‘Ultimate Gamers’ Package’ deal they’ve been advertising. There’s a huge price break on a super sexy TV if you buy it with all the systems. But since Taran has no freaking clue what a ‘gamer’ even is, he said I couldn’t buy anything unless you said it was all right.”
Skye tried not to laugh at the hopeful glint in his eyes or the fact that every pup in the surrounding area was now discretely holding their breath awaiting her response.
“So basically, Daddy said you had to get Mommy’s permission first?” she asked in amusement.
Miko rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. “If you must make that comparison,” he sighed.
“Oh, I must,” Skye laughed. She put her arm around his shoulders, giving him an affectionate squeeze.
Regardless of her exhaustion, she still was thankful for every second Miko spent trying to get under her skin. His near-death just a few weeks prior had brought an end to her failed attempts to feign indifference for him. She studied him sympathetically now. Miko was focusing on video games and bonding with his fellow pups in an effort to distract his mind from the relentless countdown to his first transformation. It was also driving him crazy to be confined to the den. He was forbidden from partaking in any of the nightly hunts. He had made it inescapably clear just how frustrating it was to be taken out of the action.
But Skye had to agree with the clan’s laws on this. They could not risk Miko being beyond their reach during his transformations. If he was arrested or captured by the fògaraich, it would mean the deaths of innocent mortals and the potential outing of their kind to the world. To keep him – and the rest of her pups – distracted and alleviate their growing restlessness, an epic entertainment system was a small price to pay.
“You can buy the set up…” Skye began.
Three words in, Miko’s arms had already shot skyward in a traditional ‘Touchdown!’ pose. He and the other pups were well into a victory dance by the time she finished her sentence.
“…but I recommend you don’t put it in your bedroom or else you’ll never get any sleep or privacy,” she advised with a laugh.
After a moment of celebration, Miko retrieved the credit card from Taran’s outstretched hand and pressed a rough kiss to Skye’s forehead. “Ooh – this is why I love you! You officially rock my world! Yes! Thank you!” he gushed excitedly before turning and dashing away with the others to undoubtedly place the order for the gargantuan TV and other new electronics.
Skye shook her head and exchanged smiles with Ciaran and Taran. “Kids…what’re ya gonna do?” she joked tiredly.
Taran kissed her in greeting before taking her arm in his. “What news, my Queen? Ya look greatly diminished. There’s been an upset – your scent betrays ya.”
Skye leaned heavily against him and shook her head. “If you take me to bed, I promise tell you about it. Deal?”
Taran nodded and, sensing the full extent of her exhaustion (mainly due to her willingness to accept his aid and quick agreement to tell him about what happened), he lifted her up off of her feet to carry her.
“At least the ‘kids’ will all be occupied for the rest of the afternoon,” she said as she rested her head on his shoulder.
“Funny how so many of the ‘children’ ya’ve adopted are three times your own age,” Ciaran mused as they set out together toward the towering front doors.
“Aye, but they only surpass my wee one in years,” Taran reminded with a smile. “They’re eager to overlook such a trivial thing as age when it means having her as their matriarch. It does their hearts well. This generation of pups is the first in four millennia to have a Queen. I have it on good authority tha those within our own pack wear it as a badge of honor tha they are Skye’s whelps.”
“I hear the same,” Ciaran agreed. “And Miko – well, he’s just the envy of every pup in the clan, isn’t he? To have the very Queen as his Maker? Receiving your bite has made him quite the celebrity, a stóirín.”
“And you’d better believe he’s taking full advantage of…” Skye began, but trailed off. She went rigid. She brought her ear closer to Taran’s chest, then moved her hand to its center and pressed her palm against him. A sharp change in her pulse and scent caused both of her men to look at her in concern. Her breath was coming in fast, staggered bursts. Her expression was one of overwhelming confusion and devastation. “I… I can’t…” she whispered.
“Wee one? What is it?” Taran asked, leaning down to try and catch her gaze. He tried to see if there was something on his chest that could be causing her such distress but found nothing.
“I don’t… I mean, I can’t…” Skye tried with an anxious laugh, but they could clearly sense that something was terrifying her.
SKYE! Ciaran’s voice echoed through her thoughts, effectively startling her enough to draw her attention.
“What’s wrong?” Ciaran asked slowly and purposefully when she finally raised her tearful eyes to meet his gaze.
Her mouth opened and closed uselessly as she attempted to form words. She turned back to Taran, her brows drawing together as she returned her palm to the center of his chest. Relief was instantly evident in her features. She inhaled deeply, looking if at all possible even more exhausted than she had a moment earlier.
“It um… It was nothing. I just…” she tried, clearly struggling to keep the emotions she had just experienced from her voice. It was no use. Tears quickly began streaming down her cheeks. She shook her head and wrapped her arms around Taran’s shoulders, clinging to him. With her face hidden beneath his chin, she sniffled and asked in a strained voice, “Can you please just take me to bed?”
Taran and Ciaran exchanged alarmed looks before swiftly making their way to their temporary bedroom. To their deepening concern, once Skye was in bed, she clung to Taran and wept for nearly 20 minutes straight before falling asleep. Even after she was unconscious, she refused to relax her hold on Taran.
“D’ya know what tha was aboot? What did ya feel from your link to her?” Taran asked in a whisper as he stroked her hair.
“She was remembering when…” Ciaran shook his head and paced beside the bed as he fought back his own emotions at the memory. “…when ya were dead. More specifically, the way ya were so cold to the touch and had no heartbeat.”
Taran sighed and frowned remorsefully. “My poor, wee Queen… I’d’ve given anything to have spared her that pain.” He watched her for a moment before asking, “What of when ya were out? What happened then?”
“She’s nah the chance to tell me the truth, but it was strange,” Ciaran recalled. “She was in the dressing room and all was fine, then all the sudden she was terrified and utterly heartbroken. Her mind was pure chaos. She was convinced something had happened to her body. She just kept thinking ‘my skin’ over and over again.”
“Her scars,” Taran breathed in understanding.
“Come again?” Ciaran asked.
Taran nuzzled Skye’s cheek a moment before kissing her temple. He looked back to Ciaran sorrowfully. “Before her first change, most of her body was covered with… extensive scarring,” he recalled tearfully. “Thick and layered. Remnants of a decade of suffering. It was so dense, she could nah feel a thing in most places.”
Ciaran sank down onto the edge of the bed and stared at Skye in remorse. “She never mentioned…” he whispered weakly.
“She was beyond relieved to be rid of it all. It’s understandable tha she does nah speak of it,” Taran offered. “So… nah only is she having horrid nightmares every time she dares attempt sle
ep, but now she is being tormented in her waking hours, as well.”
Ciaran frowned. “Ya think she’s havin’ hallucinations? Seein’ her scars returned? Feelin’ as if ya were dead again?”
“Aye,” Taran agreed. “The question now is the cause of this cruel torment. It seems unlikely in Skye’s case, but… it would nah be so hard to imagine tha a life filled with such trauma might cause a fracture in one’s mind. A fracture worsened by returning to the place of so many painful memories.”
Ciaran looked as if he had been punched in the gut in response to that speculation. “Ya mean to say… Ya fear she’s goin’ mad?” he asked in disbelief. He watched Skye’s sleeping face and worried his bottom lip between his teeth as he thought it over. Finally, he shook his head. “No. I just can’t believe tha to be true. Skye is a bloody master of compartmentalization. She does nah strike me as mentally ill. I’m linked directly to her mind repeatedly throughout the course of each day and it does nah feel in disarray. I mean, yeah, she’s weary. And, for sure, there’s a ton of tightly-sealed-yet-bursting-at-the-seams baggage in there. And, okay, lately there’s…” He trailed off, biting his lip and thinking better of finishing that sentence.
Taran looked over at him instantly, knowing there would be great importance to whatever Ciaran was attempting to leave unsaid. “Lately there’s…?” Taran pressed, giving a determined look.
Ciaran shook his head, grudgingly finishing, “There’s something… dark hiding deep inside her mind, and I can nah reach it. Skye has nah even allowed herself to touch it. Hell, I’m nah even sure she’s aware of it. And she’s been…” He swallowed hard, fighting back the sense of rejection that came with the next item. “She’s been hiding something from me, brother. I can feel it. Like a strand of our link is being consciously withheld. It’s been there since before we left Faol Seunta. A source of indecision and sadness. She’s devoting a great deal of energy to guarding it from us all. It feels like a secret. A damned heavy one, too.”
Goddess Rising Page 7
