by Meg Anne
Lucas scrambled to his feet and faced off with the Druid again.
“You will pay!” he hissed, and Lucas saw the bastard’s first shred of weakness. The gun had hurt him.
Hope filled him, and Lucas raced across the room for the weapon that had slid away when he’d been attacked. Before he could reach it, the Druid’s booming voice filled the space as he began to chant.
The room around them pulsed with energy unlike anything he’d ever sensed before. Not that Lucas had much experience with magic. Less than a heartbeat later, the Druid was gone, but the diner still felt unclean, as if something was wrong on some cosmic level. There was no other way for him to explain it, it just felt wrong, and everything inside of him was screaming for escape.
“No! I need to go after him!” Lucas called over the sound of the buzzing in his head. He tried to call for his power, tried like hell to conjure another portal or whatever the hell it was, but nothing came to the surface. The buzzing intensified, and Lucas nearly fell to his knees.
“Where—where did he go?” Lizzie asked as Matthews’ lifted her to her feet.
Matthews shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“But why vanish?” Lizzie insisted, looking around the room warily, like the Druid was about to pop out at any second.
“Because we fucked with his ritual. For him to claim Lucas’ power, the deaths have to happen in a certain order.” There was another throb of power, and Skye’s face went bone-white. “We need to go!” she shouted.
Lucas had never seen her get up from the floor, but she looked mostly intact, minus the terror that had the whites of her eyes showing. Could she feel it too?
“Now!” she yelled, holding open the door for the others to rush through. They poured out onto the street barely a second before the diner went up in flames.
“No!” Lizzie sobbed.
Matthews pulled her against his chest.
“Fucking bastard!” Lucas howled. Why can’t I follow him? “Why is my magic not working?”
Sirens screamed as they got closer, and Lucas stared at the flames that completely engulfed his sister’s diner. He turned to look at the people he cared about more than anything else. Despair clung to the air around them, a reminder of his failure.
He should have been able to stop that asshole. He’d managed to transport them all the way across town and yet had been unable to perform once they got face-to-face with their tormentor.
Now, as he looked around at them, he couldn’t help but hate himself. Matthews’ face was tight, and Skye’s arms were wrapped around herself. Lucas turned back around to watch as his sister’s dreams went up in smoke.
All because he’d failed.
Chapter 40
Skye
Skye watched the flames reach higher, devouring their target. The firefighters tried like hell to put out the blaze, but she knew it would only go out once there was nothing left. She glanced over at Lizzie. James cradled her in his arms, rocking in place as she sobbed into his chest.
Lucas spoke to the police chief a few yards away. Both of his hands were bandaged, one only slightly, and the other completely eclipsed in white gauze. He glanced over at her as if he could sense she was looking at him, and she looked back to the flames.
The Druid had managed to beat them, again. While she would put the fact that they were still breathing firmly in her victory column, she felt the points were still stacking up on his side.
She turned back to Lucas just in time to see him shake the chief’s hand and make his way over to her.
She pulled in a deep breath to steady herself. “Hey.”
“Hey.” His voice was hollow, and the defeat so evident in the slump of his shoulders pained Skye. He looked back at the diner.
“You know this isn’t your fault, right?”
He spun to face her. “How the hell is it not my fault? I should have been able to stop him.”
“You aren’t ready yet, Lucas. You only just now learned that you even have power. Calling on that power isn’t going to be easy or even come naturally. It’s not going to be perfect right away. This guy has years on you in terms of knowledge and ability.” She reached to touch him, but hesitated, folding her arms back across her chest. “We’ll get there.”
“Yeah, and what the fuck is up with that exactly? I can make a weird light portal and move us across town within seconds, but I can’t manage an ounce of actual magic when we need it.” He groaned. “The whole thing was completely accidental. I’d be surprised if I was able to do it again.”
“You don’t know how you did it?”
He shook his head.
“You spoke in Gaelic.”
“I did what?”
“You spoke in Gaelic just before the portal opened. I didn’t realize you spoke the language.”
“I don’t.”
Skye stared at him. “That’s interesting.”
“I’d say it’s more than fucking interesting.” He ran his hands over his face. “What the hell are we supposed to do now, Skye?”
His eyes were so full of pain, Skye reached for him without thinking. The second their skin met, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end, and her skin began to tingle. Before she could get a word out, everything went black.
Skye stood in the center of a warehouse she’d never seen before. The world had lost all color, reminding her this was not reality.
Yet.
The Druid appeared in front of her, but he did not see her this time. He closed his eyes and began chanting in Gaelic, although the spell was said so quietly, Skye couldn’t make out any of the words.
He grinned, and his eyes opened just as the door did. Skye watched as she and Lucas ran in. Lucas’ face was contorted with rage, and her own was swollen and tear-stained.
“You fucking bastard!” Lucas shouted.
“I told you from the very beginning that I keep my promises. The detective and your sister’s deaths were merely part of my promise.”
Agony tightened its fist around her heart, and Skye covered her mouth to stifle a whimper. This is not real, she reminded herself. We’ve changed the course of their destinies before, we can do it again.
“You are a fucking murderer,” the Skye in her vision said.
“Oh, but I am so much more than that,” the Druid retorted.
“You will pay for this, you fucking piece of shit,” Lucas yelled, moving toward the Druid, who managed to disappear and reappear directly behind him.
Lucas grunted, and his eyes widened in surprise. Skye cried out as a blood-soaked blade protruded from Lucas’ stomach. Blood trickled down the corner of his mouth, and the Skye in her vision ran for him.
“No!”
“I told you, you can’t stop me,” the Druid said with a grin, throwing Lucas to the ground.
Skye closed her eyes and began chanting to herself, no, no, no, it’s not real.
“Now, there’s only one promise left to keep. I told you I have plans for you, Seer.”
Skye opened her eyes, watching as she knelt beside Lucas as he took his last breath.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, more blood gurgling from his mouth.
With those two words, Skye was snapped back to reality.
“No!” she screamed, burying her face in Lucas’ chest.
“What is it? What did you see?” Lucas asked as he cradled her. He brushed her hair off her face and pressed a kiss against her forehead. “Skye, baby, talk to me.”
Skye couldn’t even muster up the ability to speak. She’d Seen death so many times before, she’d become sort of numb to it. Or at least, she thought she had, until that day she witnessed the vision of Lizzie’s death.
That was the moment everything had changed. The moment she changed.
There were only so many times she could stand on the sidelines and let terrible things happen. Sure, death came for them all, but if she wasn’t supposed to do something with her knowledge, what was the fucking point of her visions? Her inacti
on had begun to make her feel like an accomplice, if not a willing participant, in the deaths she’d Seen.
Each death was a terrible burden, a weight she’d never be fully freed from. Even so, there was one death that had been worse than all others. She’d been grief-stricken over Lizzie and James’ deaths, and her very first vision, the one where her mother had died, had tormented her since she was a child. But watching the light fade from Lucas’ eyes as he drew his last breath was something she’d never get over.
Lucas’ heart beat steadily beneath her ear. She pressed her head harder against his chest, listening to the rhythm and allowing it to offer her even a small ounce of relief.
He was here.
He was alive.
She hadn’t lost him yet. But she was going to. The vicious truth began to taunt her with its haunting refrain.
She was falling in love with him, and he was going to die.
Chapter 41
Lucas
Lucas guided his sister’s car back to his apartment. No one said a word as they drove through the night in complete silence. Too much had happened tonight to try and cover it up with meaningless words. Not that they were even capable of uttering any had they wanted to. Each of them was exhausted, broken, and completely hopeless.
His fingers were intertwined with Skye’s, as they had been since she’d come out of the vision. He couldn’t tell who was holding on tighter, it was as if they were both afraid to let go.
Lucy greeted them the second they crossed the threshold, and after a cursory ear scratch, Lucas went to work verifying he hadn’t missed out on warding anymore fucking walls like he had in the diner and Lizzie’s apartment. Some fucking detective I am, missing details like that. Getting the Druid stuff wrong, fine I get that; it’s new. But you know better than to miss one fucking wall, MacConnell.
He stepped back into the living room, and his eyes wandered over the people inside. Lizzie and Matthews were sitting on the couch, she was leaned up against him, and he was stroking the hair that had fallen from her bun.
Skye stood on the balcony, staring up at the stars, much like the night they met at the art show. Her art show.
Had that only been a few days ago?
What the hell were they supposed to do now? He felt like their victory—if you could even call it that—tonight was only a temporary stay of their executions. The Druid was two steps ahead of them every time they turned around. How could they beat someone like that?
Skye turned, and their eyes held. She hadn’t spoken since she’d come out of her vision, and he wondered just what she’d seen that had her so shaken.
“What the fuck are we supposed to do now?” Matthews said, finally breaking the silence and echoing his own thoughts.
“I have no damn clue,” Lucas admitted.
“My diner is gone,” Lizzie whispered. “It’s all gone.”
Lucas knelt in front of her. “We can get it back, sis, I promise. Once all this is over, we’ll rebuild it.”
She nodded, but the tears still streamed down her cheeks. He knew what that diner meant to her, what it symbolized. Even if they rebuilt, it wouldn’t be the same.
She sighed. “At least we’re alive.”
“For now,” Skye murmured, settling into the big chair in the corner.
“What does that mean?” Lucas asked. His girl had a mouth on her, and while she could be sassy, she was hardly ever outright bitter or mean. Has she given up on me? He certainly wouldn’t blame her if she had.
“We’re all going to die.” Her voice was hollow, and she stared down at her hands.
“Skye.” Lucas moved to kneel in front of her and, using his finger, tilted her head until she met his gaze. “What did you See?”
She whimpered softly, and tears started falling down her cheeks again. “I was standing in a warehouse with the Druid. He was chanting something, but I couldn’t figure out what it was.” She shut her eyes tightly, and Lucas wiped a tear from her soft skin. “You and I came inside, and the Druid had already killed Lizzie and James.” She swallowed hard.
Her eyes opened, the amber glazed over with pain. “He killed you, Lucas. I watched him cut you down and stood there while you took your last breath.”
Lucas stared at her, not sure what to do with that information. It wasn’t exactly surprising, especially after the events of the evening, but what could he say? It wasn’t like tonight’s encounter had given him the confidence to promise they wouldn’t lose. That they would all survive this and one day it would be just some crazy story.
“We can change it,” Lizzie whispered. “We’ve proven that already. It doesn’t have to go that way.”
“How? How are we supposed to beat him? It’s not like there’s a Druid training manual for Lucas,” Skye replied, her wet eyes meeting Lizzie’s.
“There has to be a way,” Lizzie said, sounding more like her usual self. Lucas recognized the stubborn jut of her chin and the blue fire in her eyes. His sister was not about to back down.
Lucas stood and began to pace. He needed to learn to manage his power, he knew that. But they were running out of time. Every day that passed was another day the Druid had to plan, and potentially get them right where he needed them—again. If ritual wasn’t so important to that bastard, he may not have stopped with just burning down the building. A shiver ran down his spine; they’d come so close to losing everything.
“We’ll figure it out,” Lucas insisted. There was no other option, they had to succeed. As he studied the faces before him, his baby sister, his partner, and a woman he’d grown more than a little attached to, he knew there was no damn way he could handle it if anything happened to them.
“How?” Matthews asked. He absently stroked a hand down Lizzie’s back. “I mean, we hit him hard tonight and he still came out on top. This isn’t some typical perp, Lucas. This guy means business, and unfortunately for us, he has the means to succeed.”
“I don’t know, I’ll figure out my magic. Get it down and then we’ll attack.”
“You’ve been trying,” Skye pointed out, not unkindly.
Lucas turned to where she stood staring out of the window. She looked so beaten down, the usual strength in her iron stance was gone—eradicated by the night’s events. He stepped toward her and placed his hands on her shoulders.
To his surprise and delight, she leaned back against him, allowing him to run his hands down her arms. “I promise we will find a way,” he whispered for her ears alone. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head before releasing her to turn back to Matthews and Lizzie. “We will win.”
“I damn well hope so.” Matthews stood, pulling Lizzie to her feet and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “I’m guessing her apartment isn’t safe?”
Lucas shook his head. “Not until we figure out just how he managed to ward us in. I don’t want to risk it.”
“She can have my room,” Skye offered. “I don’t really want to be alone tonight.” She looked over at Lucas, checking to see if he was okay with sharing his room with her. Lucas nodded, he had no interest in being alone either.
“Great, come on sweetie. We need to get you into bed.” Matthews guided her toward the spare bedroom. The door shut softly behind them, and Lucas turned to Skye.
“Drink?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely,” she said, following Lucas into the kitchen.
Lucas got down his bottle of Scotch and poured generous amounts into the glasses he’d pulled from the cabinet. The way he saw it, they deserved a hell of a lot more than two fingers worth.
After offering her a glass, Lucas led her out to the balcony and they stood together, staring out over the city.
“Remember that night only a week ago when everything seemed to simple? We stood and looked out at the stars and the biggest concern—at least mine anyways—was how I was going to convince you to have dinner with me?”
Skye nodded, but despite his attempt at lightening the mood, she was still somber.
“You lo
oked pretty damn gorgeous that night.”
Skye turned her eyes up to him. “You weren’t so bad yourself, Detective.”
He watched as she lifted her glass and took a drink, and he followed suit.
“I know the circumstances aren’t great, but I’m really damn glad I went to that art show.” He brushed a strand of dark hair from her face.
“I am, too.”
An hour later, they were climbing into Lucas’ bed. Lucy padded over and got onto her own, snoring softly within moments. Oh to be a dog and not have a care in the world.
The mattress dipped slightly as Skye joined him. After turning off the light, Lucas pulled her against his body. The warmth that she offered him was more than physical. She was a salve to his wounded pride, and a Band-Aid for the fear that still plagued his mind.
“I’m sorry, Skye,” he whispered against her hair.
“For what?”
“For everything. He got to you, so many damn times he’s managed to hurt you, and I haven’t been able to stop it.” Lucas breathed in the scent of her shampoo and closed his eyes. “I’m the whole reason you’re in this mess in the first place.”
“I don’t see it that way.” She rolled over to face him, and the moonlight from his window cast a soft glow on her face. “I had that first vision, and even then he could see me. I honestly believe that even if I hadn’t warned you, he would have sought me out.”
Skye shivered as she said the words, and Lucas ran a hand protectively down her arm.
“I won’t let him hurt you again,” he promised. I swear I will protect you.
Skye cupped the side of his face. “I want you to promise me you’ll stay safe too.” A tear streaked down her cheek. “If anything were to happen—”
“It won’t,” he assured her. “Somehow we will find a way to take this asshole down.”
She nodded and snuggled closer. There was nothing more to say, at least tonight. Silence fell over them like a veil, separating them from everything and everyone but each other. No words could even come close to describing the growing feelings he experienced while staring into her eyes. The way his blood began to pound in his ears with only the soft whisper of her breath against his face.
