Collateral Damage: A Tethered Novel

by Wayne, Jessica

  “Sometimes things can come back from the dead, you of all people should know that by now.” She tried to sound light, but her voice was full of emotion.

  He turned to her and the pain reflected in his eyes broke her heart. “I’m not entirely sure how to handle this.”

  “You aren’t alone.” She took his hand between her palms. “I’m here with you, I will help you. Please let me help.”

  He took a deep breath and turned back towards the house. “I suppose we should go back inside.”

  She released his hand and watched as he walked back towards the house. She knew that every step he took towards his past was a painful one. And each time he made a move towards moving beyond the pain, the man he’d been before was surfacing.

  Chapter 16

  Timothy stepped back into the house and took a deep breath. After confirming Paislee was behind him, he moved back towards the couch. Myria stood, and he forced himself to face her.

  He had loved her all those years ago, and after that had convinced himself he hated her. He had wanted to hate her, it made things easier. But standing face to face with her, he could still feel shreds of the friendship they’d once shared.

  “Somehow the spell kept me here too.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

  “I don’t understand how, and why only come back now? Why have you stayed away all these years?”

  “I’m not sure why, I imagine because I was in that clearing with you that day. Or perhaps because I was emotionally involved in the event as well. Either way, I was trapped. And as for why I didn’t return, I hated you when I discovered what had been done to me.”

  Myria’s eyes filled, and she covered her mouth. The man who’d come in with her, put his hand on her shoulder but to his credit, didn’t say anything.

  “I buried my wife. A woman I loved more than anything in the world and the thirty years I had with her hadn’t been enough. I wanted to die with her, and you took that right away from me.”

  “I didn’t know, Timothy, you have to believe me,” she pleaded.

  “I know you didn’t. You were still fairly green in your magic. You couldn’t have known there would be consequences.” He looked over to Aengus who had his arm around Abby. “I’m glad you two found each other again, I truly am, and I am working to forgive you Myria. But I’ve been carrying a grudge for over two hundred years, and that’s going to take some time to let go of.”

  Myria nodded. “I understand.” She took a deep breath. “I know that it probably isn’t what you want to hear, but I’m so happy to see you, Timothy. Aengus and I have both missed you.” She cleared her throat. “Now, what brings you back here today?”

  Paislee raised her hand. “That would be me. I have some magic that I have no idea how to use.”

  To Timothy’s surprise, Myria let out a small laugh. “Well, that I can help you with.”

  “Tomorrow,” Timothy said and turned towards the door. “We need to check into our hotel.”

  “Hotel?” Abby asked. “Why don’t you two just stay here? We have plenty of room.”

  “No, we can’t do that to you guys.” Paislee stepped towards Timothy.

  “We insist.” Aengus stood. “Please,” he said to Timothy. “Two hundred years is a long time to go without my best friend.”

  Timothy hesitated but eventually nodded. If he were truly honest with himself, he had missed his friends more than he cared to admit. They had grown up together, and they were the only ones who truly knew who he had been before the curse had dug its ugly claws into him.

  “I’m Sheamus by the way,” The red-haired man introduced himself. “Myria’s husband.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Timothy shook hands with Sheamus and then turned to Paislee. “Should we go get our bags?”

  “We can do that.” Aengus, Sheamus, and Timothy headed out to the car leaving Paislee, Abby, and Myria inside.

  “So how long have you two known each other?” Abby asked after a moment of silence.

  “About two months.”

  “How did you meet?” Myria questioned.

  “He was bleeding to death in an alley, and I saved him.”

  Both women stared at her in stunned silence, she imagined that was not what they had expected to hear.

  Abby spoke first, “That’s a hell of a way to meet someone.” The men came in with the bags and she stood. “Come on, I’ll show you to your rooms.”

  They followed her up some stairs and down a long hallway to two rooms at the end.

  “Myria and Aengus used this as a B&B for a while,” she told them as they walked. “Our daughter will bunk with us so you two will have the rooms to yourselves down here.”

  “Thank you, Abby, I hope we aren’t going to be too much trouble.”

  “You won’t be. Timothy is family,” she said with a smile and gestured to two rooms.

  Aengus and Sheamus set down her bags and then headed back downstairs. Abby smiled. “We’ll leave you two to decide who gets which room. Dinner’s at seven.” Then she turned and disappeared down the hall.

  “Shall we?” Paislee asked and pushed open the nearest door. The room was large and held a huge four poster bed covered in pale green bedding, that sat opposite of a dresser with a large mirror. She stepped further into the room and was ecstatic to see an attached bathroom and a door leading to a balcony.

  The room was gorgeous. She spun in a quick circle and ran to look out over the balcony. Her view was of a large pasture where she saw horses grazing on the green grass. She’d always known Ireland was beautiful, but from where she stood now, she couldn’t imagine a more magical place.

  Paislee turned to see Timothy watching her from the door. The strange look on his face had her rushing to him. “Are you alright?”

  He nodded. “You don’t know the kind of man I am Paislee, the things I’ve done would give you nightmares.”

  She stepped so close she could feel his breath on her face. “And just who are you, Timothy McGinley?”

  “I’m bad for you.”

  “Don’t you think I should be the one to decide that?”

  “I am not a good man, Paislee.”

  “From where I’m standing I really don’t fucking care.”

  “Be careful what you’re asking for.”

  “I’m not afraid Timothy, show me who you are.”

  Timothy’s heart pounded in his chest as he looked down at her. Paislee’s eyes held nothing but understanding and a promise of a future he absolutely didn’t deserve. What would she think when she got a look inside at the demons that raged within him? At the things, he had done over the years. Did he even care? Perhaps that’s what scared him the most. If she knew all those things and still wanted him, he knew he would never be able to let her go.

  “One day,” he said and stepped away from her.

  Paislee’s chest heaved as she stared at the space he had occupied only moments before. The door shut, and she closed her eyes. Why would fate be so cruel as to put her in front of the only man she’s ever cared for, only to make him untouchable? What was he so afraid of her seeing?

  * * *

  Timothy shut the door gently behind him and pressed his forehead against the smooth wood. Denying himself, Paislee was getting more difficult the more he got to know her. She was witty, smart, and had a good heart—regardless of what she seemed to think. He had meant it when he told her that he was not good for her. What could he offer her? He was a broken man. A man who wasn’t sure how much longer he wanted to continue this life. Now that the curse was broken, he could die. Wasn’t that what he always wanted?

  He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he made his way outside. He stood for a moment and breathed in the sweet scent of his homeland. How he had missed the clean, crisp air of Ireland.

  Timothy walked to the edge of the flower garden, which had been barren the last time he had seen it. Now it flourished with brightly colored petals, and herbs he imagined had been planted by Myria. She’d al
ways had a knack for gardening.

  “Hi.”

  Timothy turned to see Myria standing behind him. He faced her but didn’t respond. She was still beautiful, just as she’d been the last time he had seen her. The years, granted she’d been frozen in time for most of them, had been kind to her. So why didn’t he feel the same attraction to her now as he did back then?

  “Can we talk?” She folded her hands in front of the light blue dress she wore. He nodded, and together they walked through the gate and into the garden.

  “Paislee seems nice.”

  “She is.”

  “She is powerful.”

  “That’s why we’re here.”

  “I could sense her magic the second I walked into the room. I honestly would say she’s the most powerful witch I’ve met. Caipre and myself included.”

  Timothy growled. “I’m assuming he is gone for good.”

  “Abby killed him two years ago when the curse was broken.”

  “The curse was broken two years ago?”

  Myria nodded. “You didn’t know?”

  “Until Paislee healed me in that alley I’d assumed I was still immortal.”

  “It’s strange, isn’t it?”

  “What?”

  “Facing mortality again after all this time.”

  “I suppose it is.”

  “Timothy, I really am sorry. I don’t understand what went wrong, it should have only affected Caipre, Aengus, Aine, and I. Not you.”

  “Yeah, well it did.”

  “And you hate me for it.”

  “I have for a long time, yes.”

  “Why didn’t you ever come back? I mean, I know you said it was because you hated me, but why not return? At least let us know you were okay?”

  “After I buried Cait, I spent years trying to die. I starved myself, tried to drink myself to death, fought in wars that weren’t mine to fight.” He laughed but it was empty. “I even climbed Mt. Everest fifteen years ago and tried to freeze to death.”

  “But why?”

  He stopped and looked at her. “Because even after all of my anger, the pain I felt, I knew that if I came back here I would take one look at you and all would be forgiven. I knew we would all fall back into a routine like we’d had when we were younger and honestly Myria, I wasn’t ready for that.”

  She nodded in understanding. “I hope you know that you two are more than welcome to stay as long as you like.”

  “Thank you, and you’ll help Paislee?”

  “Absolutely. I would do anything for you Timothy, you have always been one of my closest friends.” Her hands fisted at her sides. “Can I hug you?”

  Timothy stared at her momentarily stunned by her request and then nodded. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. “I’m so glad you’re back,” she whispered and then released him. “I need to go get my kids.”

  “Kids?”

  She laughed. “Yes, Sheamus and I have three.”

  “You all have been busy.”

  “Never a dull moment.” She turned and headed back up the path and Timothy continued to gaze out over the flowers wondering just what he was supposed to do about his feelings for Paislee.

  Chapter 17

  The next day, Paislee sat in the living room with Myria. She couldn’t help but feel jealous in the presence of a woman who was so beautiful, especially when the man Paislee was interested in had spent the majority of his life, pre-curse anyways, in love with her.

  Timothy sat in a chair in the corner, a book in his lap. His presence alone helped calm the nerves building up inside her. What if when they started peeling back the layers of her magic, they discovered she really was a monster? That was what she was truly afraid of, wasn’t she?

  When it had just been her, and she was only looking for a way to kill Malcolm it hadn’t mattered. But what if all those times Malcolm had told her she was not human, that she was nothing more than a murdering monster, he’d been telling the truth?

  Myria smiled kindly, and Paislee wished she could hate her. But there was something so incredibly honest and kind about her instructor, that made Paislee feel as if they’d been friends for a long time.

  “Are you ready?”

  “Yes. Let’s do this.”

  “Okay, so tell me what you know about your magic.”

  “It’s frustrating and tends to blow up at random times.”

  Myria let out a laugh. “Do you practice often?”

  “No, because of the whole blowing up at random times thing.”

  “Magic has a tendency to build up if you don’t use it. That’s when it will randomly blow up, as you say.”

  “I shot a man across a bar one time because he grabbed my ass.”

  Timothy growled so low in his throat that Paislee knew she must have imagined it.

  “So, anger is a trigger for you. Tell me, when was the first time you used your magic?”

  Paislee’s back straightened. Digging into her past had not been part of the deal. “I don’t think that’s necessary.”

  “It is if we are to determine the root of your fear.”

  “Fear?”

  “Anyone who spends more than ten minutes with you can tell you are afraid of your power. If you are going to learn how to use it, then you need to address that fear and move on. Your magic is nothing to be afraid of, you should embrace the gift.”

  “Gift?” Paislee’s cheeks reddened. “I’m sorry, I need some air.” She got up and ran up the stairs and into her bedroom. Not two minutes into her training and she’d already made an idiot out of herself.

  There was a knock on the door a moment before it opened, and Timothy walked in. He shut it gently behind him and turned to stare at her.

  “Dredging up my past was not part of this whole training thing. I cannot tell her the things I’ve done.”

  “You healed an injured dog. How is that anything to be ashamed of.”

  Paislee shut her eyes tightly. “That was not the first time I used my magic.”

  “Okay,” he crossed his arms. “When was the first time?”

  Paislee turned to the window and stared out at the grassy hills before her. Horses grazed on the green, and Abby and Aengus were out pushing their kids on swings. She turned back to him and folded her arms.

  “About two months after Malcolm kidnapped me, he started pressuring me to use my magic. Magic that I still had no idea I possessed. He kept telling me that I would be powerful because I was a virgin and that all I had to do was tap into a little of what I had.”

  “I refused and begged him to let me go. I told him that he had the wrong person and I was not a witch.

  He was so angry with me and sent two men into my room. He told me they were going to ‘teach me a lesson.’”

  Timothy’s jaw tightened, but she was lost in her past and paid it no notice.

  “I knew they weren’t going to rape me because Malcolm had told me repeatedly he was glad he’d gotten me so young, so my magic would be stronger. But they scared me, and when they got close, I held my hands up to defend myself.” She shut her eyes, and a tear rolled out. “Their screams were so loud that I don’t think I will ever forget it. When I opened my eyes, there was nothing but piles of ash where they used to be.” She wiped the tears away again. “I was twelve, and I killed two men. They weren’t even the last.”

  “That is not your fault Paislee. None of that is your fault.”

  “I’m not done.”

  Timothy got quiet again and listened.

  “After I escaped I took it upon myself to try and lessen my power. I went to bar after bar picking up men. I lost my virginity in the bathroom of a nightclub to a man whose name I can’t even remember. I spent nearly two weeks screwing random strangers, my silent protest to the hold Malcolm had possessed over me for all those years.”

  Timothy’s throat rumbled thinking of the men who’d put their hands on her. The jealousy was nearly too much for him to handle, but he stayed silent.

 
; “I went back to this man’s hotel, he was in town for business, and he seemed nice enough. But when we got there, I knew something wasn’t right. His phone kept ringing, and I noticed a ring on the counter. He stepped out to answer, and I realized he was married.

  I tried to leave, but he kept pulling me back in, forcing his hands on me and I got so angry that I felt something snap inside of me. When I opened my eyes, he was gone, and the only remnants of him were in a pile of ash on the floor. I am dangerous, I cannot even count the number of lives I’ve taken Timothy. The years I spent with Malcolm blended together in a horrible array of deaths because of me.”

  Timothy stepped to her and gently wiped a tear from her eye. “You are not responsible. You were a victim Paislee, a kidnapped child who was forced to do horrible things to survive.”

  “If I tell her that if I give her that information she is going to refuse to help me. I cannot take the horror that will be on her face afterward.”

  “You aren’t giving Myria a lot of credit . I assure you, she is not going to be any more horrified with you than I am.”

  She turned her bright eyes up to him. “Are you horrified? At what I’ve done?”

  Timothy leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek. It was so gentle, so incredibly sweet, and yet her body roared to life. Even with the memories swirling in her mind, she wanted him.

  “Not in the least,” he whispered. “You are not the only one who’s done terrible things Paislee, but yours were because you were backed into a corner and had no other option. What happens when a predator is cornered?”

  Her mind drifted back to that day in his office, where she’d asked herself whether she was predator or prey.

  “They attack,” he said. “Don’t ever feel like you are anything but a predator. You will never again be his or anyone else’s prey.”

  He stepped away from her and closed the door gently behind him.

  * * *

  As it turned out, Timothy had been correct. Paislee told Myria everything as far as her magic usage was concerned. She was completely and utterly fascinated when the witch began to glow with anger at Paislee’s past.