Damned and Cursed | Book 10 | Fallen Skye

by Bullion, Glenn

  Marie only had one answer.

  “Uhhh … ”

  “So,” Tiffany continued. “Just call Kevin. Have him do a wormhole. I can go with him, and you both can go get Skye.” She shrugged. “It’s that simple.”

  “Oh? Is it that simple?” Jack said, laughing.

  Tiffany nodded, and grabbed the remote for the TV to find a new show. Jack rose to his feet and awed at the marvel of his daughter. Marie shook her head behind him and laughed.

  “Wow. She’s just a little adult, isn’t she?”

  “She’s smart. And she has eyes. Of course, she knows. I’m an idiot. I’m supposed to be taking care of her. But it seems it’s usually reversed.”

  He sat on the end of the bed next to Tiffany and put an arm around her.

  “I’m sorry I never talked about this before. I know you’ve seen things. But I never talked to you about them. I was … a coward. I can’t tell you everything. But I promise, from now on, I’ll try to do better.”

  “It’s okay, Dad. You’re not a coward. You’re the bravest person I know.”

  A tear nearly came out. Jack forced it aside. It was not the time for tears.

  He hugged Tiffany tightly. She wasn’t emotionally stunted like Jack, and cried freely. He wiped a tear away and gave her a smile.

  “Every single day,” he said. “You find a way to amaze me.”

  She laughed and snorted.

  He held her hand and pointed at her bracelet, which still glowed brown from Marie’s presence.

  “This present Glinda gave you. It’s special. If you ever need to talk to him, just hold it up to your mouth, like it’s a phone. He’ll hear you. But only do it when it’s important. Okay?”

  “Oh my God! Really?”

  He gently pulled her wrist toward him.

  “Glinda,” he said, sighing. The witch was the last person he wanted to hear. “Are you busy?”

  Tiffany jumped at the voice.

  “Jack?”

  She yanked her arm back, excited.

  “Kevin! Can you hear me? This is Tiffany!”

  Kevin’s surprise was obvious.

  “Tiffany? W-What’s going on?”

  Jack grabbed his phone as he looked at Marie. The display of magic was a surprise, but she wasn’t overwhelmed. She’d seen some magic Kevin was capable of. A rock-phone was simple in comparison.

  “I’m sending a picture,” he said, snapping a shot of the wall. “We need a portal.”

  “Actually, I’m really busy. And that’s not a joke. Victoria’s got me researching like a term paper is due—”

  “Glinda. Portal.”

  “Alright, alright. Just … wait a second. I have to send this to the workshop. Print it out.”

  “Take your sweet time.”

  Minutes passed. Jack waited impatiently. With every passing second, Tiffany grew more excited. She paced back and forth.

  “This is so cool. I saw Kevin’s wormhole before, but I didn’t get to really look at it. Bad guys were chasing us, so it was crazy.”

  “Tiff, relax.”

  “You’re not excited?”

  “No.”

  “Oh, right. You probably do this all the time, right? When you’re out catching bad guys?”

  “I try to spend as little time with Glinda as I can.”

  The familiar hum emanated from the wall. Jack pulled Tiffany back. A circular portion of the wall faded away, revealing another room. Jack stepped through the portal, taking the lead, with Tiffany and Marie behind.

  “Wow!” Tiffany shouted, before sprinting away. “What is this place?”

  Jack had the same question. He studied the large space, taking in details. A crude jail cell took up a quarter of the room. Bookshelves lined the walls. Half of the books were spread across the floor. A TV was mounted in the corner.

  He noticed what remained of a restraining chair in the center. The mount was busted, the chair broken in the corner. His mind put the pieces together.

  Kevin jumped to the side as Tiffany ran past. He still held his portal potion in his hand. A familiar face was in the back, moving a pile of books.

  “Well, hi, Stray,” Jack called. “Finally doing something useful?”

  “Ha, ha,” Zoey said. “Hi, Jack.”

  “Zoey, hi!” Tiffany called. “Hey, Dad! Look! I’m in jail.”

  Tiffany had stepped into the cell and shut the door behind her. She grabbed the bars playfully and shook them, laughing. Jack didn’t understand where her energy came from.

  “Be careful in there, sweetie,” he said. “And stay locked up just for a second. I have to talk to Glinda.”

  Kevin flashed a smile at Marie and gave her a quick hug. They exchanged a greeting and some words before Kevin realized they were missing someone.

  “Skye,” he said. “Where’s Skye? Is everything okay?”

  “Not at all. Let’s talk for a minute.”

  Jack wrapped an arm around Kevin’s shoulders, but not out of friendship. He steered him away from the others, through a doorway that separated Skye’s former prison from a large living space. Marie and Zoey could hear them easily, but Tiffany could not, and that was the goal.

  He wanted to be honest with her, but in small doses, and they were at the limit for the night.

  “Skye’s gone,” Jack said.

  “What?!”

  “Mortals took her.” His lip twitched in anger. “They burned down our house, and took her.”

  “Oh, God! Who?”

  “That doesn’t matter, does it? Just men, like the one who built that cage in there for her.”

  “Shit, Jack. I don’t … I don’t know if I can leave. Victoria really is onto something. We found some vampire. Like, a crazy vampire. I’m here trying to figure out a spell.”

  “I don’t need you to leave.”

  “No? What do you need?”

  “I need you to watch Tiffany. Order a pizza. Put on some Netflix. Whatever. Can you handle that?”

  “For how long?”

  “Maybe a few days?”

  Kevin took a deep breath. The stress was clear in his eyes. For one brief partial second, Jack almost felt bad for him. The witch was getting pulled in multiple directions.

  “Yeah,” he said. “Between Zoey and me, we’ll handle it. Maybe Leese can help, too.”

  “Tell the Blonde I said hello. Thanks, Glinda. Sometimes, you’re okay.”

  “I try my best.”

  The pair rejoined the others in the hidden room. Tiffany waved her arm from behind the cell when she saw Jack.

  “Dad! Check out my bracelet.”

  Jack took notice. Every stone glowed, indicating the presence of a witch, vampire, and werewolf. Jack regarded the people nearby that had invaded his life over the past few years. He shook his head, amused. They needed less supernatural beings in their lives. They could do with fewer mortals, too.

  He approached Tiffany. She leaned her head against the bars, making a funny face.

  “Okay, we’re all set,” Jack said. “You’re going to stay with Glinda and Stra … Kevin and Zoey. We shouldn’t be too long, and I’ll call you as much as I can.”

  “Can I sleep here in jail?”

  “No, you can’t.”

  “You and Marie are going to save Skye?”

  He avoided the question with a smile.

  “So, you be good. Listen to them, okay? They’re young, and stupid. But, they’re watching you. They’re in charge.”

  “I know, I know. Kevin’s watched me before. I’ve had plenty of babysitters, Dad.”

  Jack swallowed the lump in his throat. Technically, she was right. Him being away wasn’t new. But her home was always there. Their wonderful kitchen, her bedroom. Her Spongebob sheets.

  That had all been taken from them. She didn’t have her bed. She was lounging in a jail cell.

  He extended his arm.

  “Hug time.”

  Tiffany left the cell and hugged her father. Every eye was on the two of the
m, and that irritated him. He showed so little affection that it was a spectacle whenever he did.

  “What the hell are you all looking at?” he said, standing. “Don’t you all have shit to do? Glinda, back to the hotel, if you would.”

  Kevin had already gone back to his research. Zoey stood at his side, and the pair looked over an old book. Without looking up, he fished a second copy of the hotel room picture from his back pocket. He handed the book to Zoey and approached the closest wall, ready to make a portal.

  He stopped halfway through drawing the circle.

  “Jack.”

  Jack sighed.

  “Glinda.”

  “What’s your plan? How are you going to find Skye? I never gave her a stone.”

  He lowered his voice.

  “He gave me an alias, and wired money to me. It’ll take some digging, but I’ll find him.”

  “Hold on. Maybe I have something better.” He jogged to his coat, hanging on a chair near a table. “When did the fire happen?”

  “A few hours ago.”

  “Okay.” He looked at Zoey and held up his hand. “Five minutes.”

  Zoey laughed and shrugged. She tossed the book in a pile and joined the group near Marie and Tiffany.

  “I don’t care. I’m not your boss. I’m not paying you.”

  Kevin grabbed his coat and held it up. With one shake, it hovered in place. Jack smirked at the magic trick. Kevin grabbed another photo from an inside pocket and marked a portal on its surface.

  “Wait here,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

  He opened a portal and stepped through. Tiffany let out a gasp behind him. On the other side was the workshop Kevin had built with Jack’s money. It was the first time he’d seen it.

  There was work to do, but it was a good start.

  Kevin grabbed an old camcorder from a box and a potion from one of many shelves. Jack noticed an array of combat vests hanging on the wall, with neatly written signs above in the witch’s language. He tried to stifle a laugh at the thought of Kevin in a combat vest.

  “That is so cool,” Tiffany said. She tapped Jack’s arm. “Can I go over there?”

  “No.”

  Kevin was already preparing another photo as he left their workshop behind. He closed one portal and opened another. Tiffany’s silence surprised him. Jack turned to see her playing with Kevin’s hovering coat. Only when she saw the second open portal did she look up.

  “Oh,” she said, her eyes turning sad. “Is that … ?”

  Jack turned to see a portal leading to their ruined home. The horrid smell drifted through, and he scowled in anger. He followed Kevin quickly, wanting to keep the sight away from Tiffany.

  “We’ll be right back,” he announced.

  Kevin closed the portal behind him. Jack didn’t hide his anger as he stared at Kevin.

  “What?” Kevin said.

  “You want to throw out a warning next time before you open up a trauma portal in front of my daughter? She doesn’t need to see this right now.”

  “Sorry.”

  “What are we doing here?”

  Kevin opened his camcorder and rubbed a few drops of a potion on the viewfinder.

  “Trying to see who took Skye.”

  They were quiet as Kevin pointed the camcorder. Jack peered over his shoulder. The magically aided technology showed Jack’s house as it was several hours ago.

  His pain and anger returned. He looked up at their ruined living room and kitchen. Everything was charred and destroyed. Rebuilding it wouldn’t be a problem. But the damage done to his daughter would be more difficult. Would she feel safe again? Would she be able to crawl under her Spongebob sheets and drift off to sleep without nightmares? She’d seen terrible things. Demons, vampires, mortals. Tiffany was an amazing, resilient mortal.

  Still, he worried.

  Kevin frowned as he glanced between the past and present. He coughed and covered his mouth.

  “Wow,” he said. “Tiffany was here when this happened?”

  More anger. Jack wasn’t sure how many people he would kill.

  “Yes.”

  “So, the bracelet worked.”

  Jack looked at him as he waved the camcorder around, sliding his finger back and forth across the viewfinder.

  “What?”

  “Tiffany’s bracelet.” He searched for the right words. “It’s not fireproof. But … it bends fire. Repels it, like two magnets. It only works with humans. It’s not perfect. With enough fire and time, it will fail. But it looks like it worked here.”

  Jack said the only thing he could.

  “Thank you.”

  “Sure.” He held up the camcorder. “Uh, you’d better come see this.”

  Jack crossed the room, passing his old breakfast bar, and peered at the viewfinder.

  Only Tiffany was visible.

  She was on the couch, then jumped up at a disturbance. Skye was nowhere to be seen. Tiffany hid behind the couch, seemed to fight with someone. An invisible force shoved her to the floor. There was a flash of light, and the couch burst into flames.

  Kevin stated the obvious.

  “They’re using magic, too,” he said. “They’re masking themselves. I … can’t find them.”

  “I see.”

  “They really planned ahead.”

  “I see that, too.”

  Kevin carefully moved upstairs. The stairs creaked and cried with every step. Jack was a step behind. He could see the flames taking over their home in the camcorder.

  They stepped into Jack’s old room. Kevin wisely moved away from Jack. He let the camcorder hang at his side, not wanting to see any more destruction. He opened the nightstand and pulled out what remained of Jack’s timepiece.

  His magical trinket was no more. The surface was black, the glass broken. The hands had melted away.

  “Shit,” Kevin said. “Give me some time. It’ll take some searching, but I’ll make another one.”

  Jack shook his head dismissively.

  “Sleep is the last thing on my mind.”

  “I’m sorry. I thought I could help.”

  “Tiffany’s safe. That’s the important thing. Like I said, I will find them.”

  Kevin’s eyes lit up, and he held up a finger. He muttered to himself a moment, under his breath.

  “Use your words, Glinda,” Jack said.

  “They planned for magic,” he said, pulling out another photo. “But I’ll bet they didn’t … ”

  He drifted off, and Jack clenched his fists. The witch was driving him crazy. How hard was it to complete a sentence?

  Kevin opened another portal, just large enough to fit an arm. He reached inside and fumbled around, searching for something.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Looking for a potion. I don’t keep it with me.”

  He swiped his palm across, enlarging the portal, and leaned inside. Jack recognized the workshop. Kevin had created a portal using the back wall of a shelf, and rummaged through his inventory.

  The depths of Kevin’s preparation settled on Jack, and he would only admit to himself that the witch impressed him. Kevin had prepared portal photographs ready to all corners of his workshop.

  “Ah,” the witch said. “Here it is.”

  He popped the cork from a vial and sniffed. His face wrinkled in disgust, and Jack understood why. He could smell the foul-smelling magic from across the bedroom.

  Another portal, this one back to the magical library housing Skye’s old prison. Kevin’s space-bending magic was difficult to keep up with.

  Marie and Zoey were together, leaning against the cell. They both looked over a worn book while Zoey poked at her smartphone. Tiffany was spinning Kevin’s floating coat in circles, giggling. Hearing her laugh almost brought a smile to Jack’s face.

  “Tiff, don’t play with that,” Jack said. “You don’t know where it’s been.”

  Kevin and Zoey spoke without words. They made eye contact, and Kevin nodded towar
d Tiffany. Zoey nodded in return. She handed the book over to Marie.

  “Hey Tiffany,” Zoey said. “Let’s go find the fridge, get something to eat.”

  “Okay. Can I bring Kevin’s coat?”

  “Sure.”

  Kevin raised a hand to protest as they left. Tiffany dragged his coat behind her like a puppy.

  “Uh, be careful with … ” He shook his head. “Never mind.”

  Marie approached with a small smile, glancing at the potion in Kevin’s hand.

  “Do you remember what Skye smells like?” Kevin asked her.

  She frowned.

  “Yeah. I’m not sure I’ll ever forget the stench. But I lost her scent not far from the house. I think it’s the beach, messing with my nose.”

  “Or … they’re using magic too, to hide her. Drink this potion,” he said, holding the vial up. “And your nose is going to go crazy, for thirty minutes. You should be able to smell her.”

  She accepted the vial and turned it over in her hand, studying the shimmering liquid.

  “But … ” Kevin said.

  Jack and Marie both eyed him.

  “When it wears off, it’s going to knock you out. For a while.”

  “You mean unconscious?”

  “Yeah.”

  “How long is a while?”

  “About twelve hours?”

  Marie looked at Jack, silently asking for his opinion. He took a breath.

  “It could save time,” he offered.

  “Alright,” Marie said. “Let’s see what happens.”

  CHAPTER 21

  VICTORIA SLOWED HER pace as she crossed the street and approached the entrance to The Eighth. The two men at the door noticed the redheaded vampire, and leaned closer to talk with one another. Victoria tried to listen, but their conversation was over before she could focus. The one on the left took a step forward, while his partner leaned against the brick wall. They tried to exude confidence, toughness, but all three of them knew better.

  “Ma’am,” he began, holding out his palm.

  She winced.

  “Ooh. Please, don’t call me that. It makes me sound old.”

  “I’m sorry, but we were told not to let you inside.”

  “I need to see Zeke.”

  “Zeke doesn’t need to see you.”