The Skye Trilogy: Isle of Skye, Isle of Night, and Isle of Dawn. * Bonus: Scrumptious Skye Confections Cookbook*

by Shannon Barczak

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Mathias asked

  “Willa when you did the spell that killed all those Rau, how did you feel afterward?” Patcoena asked

  “Drunk,” I answered. “It was intoxicating.”

  “Now imagine feeling like that only this time the power will be ten times greater.” Summer said

  “I can’t picture that.” I shook my head. “I barely was able to pull myself together.”

  “That is where Mathias comes in.” Summer said. “Mathias you will need to help Willa. She is going to be overwhelmed by not only power, but she is going to have an incredible sense of the elements.”

  “I’m not sure how much help I can be.” Mathias said. “Her grandmothers can assist her better than I.”

  “Willa is going to be like a drug addict.” Patcoena said bluntly. “She is not going to be in sound mind to listen to anyone but you. You are going to have to focus her energies elsewhere and teach her compartmentalize her new powers so that she may go about her day to day life.”

  “Focus my energies elsewhere?” My mouth twitched. “Are you saying Mathias needs to keep me occupied with sex?”

  “Willa.” Mathias said warningly

  “What?” I laughed. “You’re going to be my sexual therapy boy toy.”

  Mathias sighed. “When I get that feeling, I need sexual healing. Sexual. Healing.” I sang. “Oh come on, we’ll throw on some Luther Vandross and you can let the healing begin.”

  Patcoena and Summer both smiled until Mathias fixated his glare on them. “This is utterly ridiculous.”

  “Mathias this is the only way.” Summer said

  “What about Summer and Mathias?” I asked. “Where are they going to go while we are off doing the whole power grab thing?”

  “Mathias will take Summer to the Isle.” Patcoena answered

  “You know that may not be such a good idea. I just broke him out of jail.”

  “Mathias will not be punished.” Patcoena said. “He needs to bring her there so he can explain everything and help prepare Winifred for what is to come.”

  “How long?” Mathias asked. “How long will you be gone?”

  “No more than four or five days.” Patcoena answered

  “That’s it?” I asked in surprise. “That’s nothing. It’s not like four months.”

  Mathias’s eyes narrowed and I looked at him pointedly

  “Summer and I are going to need a few days to tie up some loose ends here.” Patcoena said. “We will meet you both on Mathias’s island in two days.”

  “How are you getting there?” I asked

  “I am part of the royal family and have always been able to make a mirror portal with relative ease.” Patcoena smiled

  I stood up and went to stand by Mathias, who was so still he could’ve have been mistaken for a statue. I grabbed his hand and proceeded to take the reins since he was giving me no direction. I focused on the blank wall in front of me and slowly an image of Mathias’s living room started to take shape.

  “We’ll see you in two days.” I said to Patcoena and Summer. They both nodded and waved goodbye. I pulled on Mathias’s arm and together we were sucked through the whirling portal to go home.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  We landed in the living room, and Mathias started pacing around the room. I watched as he raked his hands through his hair in agitation.

  “It’s four or five days Mathias.” I said reassuringly. “I’ll be fine.”

  “There’s no way I can do this,” he said. “I’m not letting you walk into the lion’s den without me.”

  “You saw me fight off over five hundred Rau vampires the other day but you’re having a problem with me basically taking a nature walk?”

  “Don’t be flippant.” he warned. “You can’t fight the Fae Lords.”

  “That’s why I have to go and do this.” I said. “To be honest you’re getting on my nerves right now. I’m the one who has to prepare myself to be some power drunken junkie. I don’t have time to deal with your macho, overprotective crap.”

  “I’m sorry Willa, but I cannot let you do this,” he said. “There are too many things that can go wrong.”

  “I promise to be on best behavior.” I grinned

  “What if you get caught?” Mathias asked. “What are you going to do then?”

  “We’ll figure it out.” I replied reassuringly. “You know I don’t know what you’re all uppity about. All you have to do is wait for me here. Then you can sit back and enjoy the ride, literally.”

  “I just don’t know how to do this.” Mathias said. “You’re asking me to not to worry and not to be protective of you but it’s all I know how to do.”

  “I get…” I started to say

  “No, stop,” he said interrupting me. “I realize that you can handle yourself. I also am very much aware that you are fully capable of doing anything you set your mind too. I’m not trying to be some macho man. I just need you to understand that the thought of you going off to Fairlia with just an older man as protection doesn’t sit well with me.”

  “What are you afraid Patcoena’s going to hit on me?” I had laughed before I started singing ‘Let’s get it on’.

  Mathias wasn’t amused. “That’s not what I am talking about, what I am trying to say is you need someone to watch your back not stand aside.”

  “I’ve been waiting a long time to say this to you Mathias.” I sighed. “I don’t have time for this shit.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Oh, you heard me.” I said angrily. “Did you not listen to anything they said? I am a weapon of mass destruction. I don’t need anyone to watch my back. Apparently the only thing I am going to need is for you to fuck me back to my senses.”

  “Do you have to say it like that?” he asked aggravated

  “I have enough to deal with right now. I’m not going to be censored or beat around the bush. Do you have any idea what I’m going through right now? Can you try to put yourself in my shoes? I just found out I was born to kill. They can spout all they want about me bringing peace but at the end of the day I might as well wear a black cloth over my head and walk around with an ax over one shoulder.”

  “Halberds,” Mathias said. “The weapon an executioner used was called a halberd.”

  “Are you freaking kidding me?” I asked. “You’re now correcting me?”

  “Well, an ax is not historically accurate.”

  “Well, forgive me for not being historically accurate.” I said. “Is there anything else you want to correct me on professor?”

  “I’m not trying to be selfish or minimize what you’re going through,” he said after a moment. “I just need you to understand how wrong this feels to me.”

  “I know exactly how you feel.” I replied. “I felt the same way almost five months ago when you walked out my door.”

  Mathias sat down on the couch. He leaned forward and rubbed his eyes. “I don’t think there was a single minute that went by that I didn’t think about you. I wasn’t going to tell you that because I figured you would probably call me a stalker.”

  I sat next to him on the couch. “I think I would give up almost anything in this world for you to be my stalker.”

  “Almost anything?” he asked

  “I can’t give up Cupcake or Oscar.” I answered. “Also just to let you know, I’m not saying it first.”

  “Say what?” he asked confused

  “Oh, you know what.” I said

  “I have to be honest with you, usually I can keep up with you and your conversations, but this one is leaving my mind blank.”

  “Three little words Wolfie,” I replied. “First word is an ‘I.'”

  Mathias’s mouth twitched. “Is that a challenge Ms. McCormack?”

  “No that’s a fact, Jack.” I said. “Kind of like ‘The Facts of Life.’. You take the good; you take the bad, you take them both and there you have the facts of life.”

  “I don’t believe I
’ve heard of that saying.” Mathias replied. His face scrunched up in thought

  “You don’t know ‘The Facts of Life’?” I asked. “Eighties TV show. There was a bunch of girls in a dorm at a prep school. Their house mother was Mrs. Garrett and then, of course; there was Tootie. She used to go around on roller skates. Well anyway, that was the theme song. I think the second part is there’s a time you got to go and show you’re growing now you know about the facts of life.”

  Mathias looked at me like I grew another head. “What in God’s name does that have to do with anything?”

  “You take the good, you take the bad.” I answered. “I think it’s pretty self-explanatory.”

  “I thought we were placing a bet, not quoting eighties TV shows?”

  “No you said a challenge.” I answered. “You didn’t say anything about a bet.”

  “If you say it first, then I want you to be subservient to me for an entire week.”

  “That’s what you want?” I asked, “Me being submissive to you?”

  Mathias grinned. “Yes, that is exactly what I want.”

  “Fine,” I agreed. “If I win, I want you.”

  “You have me.” Mathias answered

  “No, that’s not what I mean.”

  “You’ll have to be more specific.”

  “I just want to spend time with you.” I said softly. “Maybe go away for a week or two. I want to go somewhere in the mountains with snow and no phones, no internet, just you and me.”

  Mathias looked surprise at my words. “Well, now I feel an ass.”

  “Why because your idea of a bet is me being a sex slave and mine is to cuddle in a mountaintop chalet?”

  “I don’t cuddle.” Mathias scoffed

  “Oh, you do too.” I said. “I can sniff a cuddle man out a mile away.”

  Mathias was quiet for a few minutes. I sat and waited for him to speak. I could see the wheels turning in his head. He was still trying to win this discussion. I could almost see the arguments that he was thinking of forming above his head.

  “No matter what you say I’m going.” I said. “I promise to be careful and listen to Patcoena.”

  “Listen to your gut instead.” Mathias replied. “I still am on the fence about whether I trust Patcoena or not.”

  “I trust him, well as much as I trust anyone besides you, but I think he’s being truthful.” I said. “Besides, if he wanted to kill me, he could’ve done it a million times over the last twenty six years.”

  “Maybe he was watching over you for someone else,” Mathias said, “Maybe one of the Fae Lords who wanted to wait until you were older?”

  “I didn’t think of that.” I said biting my lip

  “It’s the first thing I thought.”

  “Then why did he save you?” I asked. “He could’ve let you turn into the Rau or he could’ve just killed you when you were younger?”

  “I know Willa, I know.” he said frustrated. Mathias got up off the couch and started pacing again. I sighed with my own frustration. Didn’t he realize that this was how it had to be?

  I was completely unprepared for him sweeping me up off my feet and slamming me into the wall. I saw a glimpse of desperation in his eyes that almost frightened me. When he crushed his mouth to mine, it took me a few seconds to respond but soon enough I found myself swept up in the most carnal and primal kiss that we had ever shared.

  Over and over our mouths and tongues came together almost violently. I grabbed his hair and pulled it hard enough to make his neck almost snap back. When his eyes flashed red, there was no fear, there was only passion. Mathias pulled away slightly and ripped my shirt from top to bottom. I pulled his shirt over his head and raked my nails down his chest. The sight of his blood that came to the surface made me almost smile in victory.

  The rest of our clothes came off in a flurry. When he pulled my neck to the side and sank his fangs into my flesh it almost reminded me off the night that he had fed from me when he came back. There was no preparation or tenderness in his touch and quite frankly, I didn’t want nor need it to be. I didn’t try to stop him even when I was teetering on the edge of consciousness. I knew that this was his way of testing me, and I also needed to show him that I wasn’t weak.

  When I knew it wouldn’t be long before I faded away, I tried to push him off but was greeted with a snarl. He was taunting me. He wanted me to fight back. I had no hesitation this time when I called the elements. Instead of calling on my fire though I decided to seek out the power of the air. I pulled my arm away from Mathias and could see the small tornado that was forming in my hand.

  I threw it at him with everything I had.

  I watched with satisfaction as he went flying across the room. Mathias slowly stood up, and I cocked my eyebrow at him. Serves him right for trying to mess with me, I thought. When he sank down to a crouch, the expression on my face went from one of smugness to amusement.

  “Are you going to pounce on me?” I asked in disbelief. When he growled in response, I prepared myself for a flight. I teleported as quickly as I could up to the bedroom before he caught me. I let out a short sigh of relief that I had evaded him, but it evaporated when he came stalking through the door.

  “Ok.” I said, holding my hands up in mock surrender. “This is crazy. I get what you’re trying to do. The whole ‘I’m a man, and I need to prove myself’ but seriously? I’m naked, and I just want you fuck me.”

  He flew at me so quick I didn’t even have time to brace myself. I was flung on the bed, and he pushed my legs open. When I looked up, I could see that his eyes had gone back to the warm brown that I loved. He placed his forehead against mine almost tenderly before sliding his cock deep inside of me. I just had let out a sigh of contentment when the tempo of his movements picked up, and suddenly I was caught up in the fastest, most intense act of sex in my life.

  Faster and faster he entered and reentered my body with a pounding force. I locked my arms around his neck and held on for dear life. Deeper and deeper he went until finally I couldn’t stand it anymore. My scream reverberated throughout the room and quite possibly the whole island. I was still so wrapped up in the aftermath of my orgasm that I almost didn’t notice when his body slowed down. I finally opened my eyes that seemed to have a cloudy haze over them and saw Mathias throw his head back and let out a shout as his body found its release.

  It might have been five minutes or fifty minutes before we both finally let out identical sighs. I giggled and turned to Mathias, who was currently sprawled next to me.

  “You’ve been holding back from me.” I said

  “I can’t let out all my tricks at once or else you’ll get bored with me and move on,” he replied. “Of course I’ll kill anyone who you move on to so you should probably stick around.”

  “Hmmm, you may be right.” I said. “I would hate to cause some poor guys death.”

  “I almost thought you would cause mine.” Mathias said. “You know on the trip across America? I actually thought at one point that it might be possible to kill someone simply by talking incessantly.”

  “Ha, ha, you’re so funny Wolfie.” I replied

  “I hate that nickname.”

  “I hate when act like you have a giant stick up your ass, but I’ve learned to live with it.”

  “You seem to have this fascination with this stick.” he mused as he began to caress my butt softly

  “Oh, I have a fascination with your stick all right but it’s not the one up your ass. Personally I would like to yank it out and set it on fire.”

  His husky laugh was the only thing I heard as he flipped me over on my stomach and began to explore my backside. I let out a small moan and all thoughts and concerns melted away with his touch.

  I would love to say that Mathias and I planned and strategized over the next few days but that simply was not the case. Instead, we talked about inconsequential things in between sex, sleeping and eating. I even let him talk me into posing for a portrait completely n
ude in the candlelight. All in all, it was the most glorious two days of my life. I found myself wishing that Patcoena and Summer wouldn’t come and spoil it with a big, fat dose of reality.

  We did find a new pastime which I loved. Mathias had brought a large atlas out of his bookshelf, and we had spent the last few hours making a list of places that we wanted to go together.

  “Tombstone, Arizona.” he said

  “I knew you had a man crush on cowboys.” I smiled. “I’ll give you Tombstone if you give me Paris.”

  “That can easily be arranged.” he replied before he pointed to another place on the map

  “Las Vegas?” I asked. “Funny I can’t picture you letting loose and gambling.”

  “Not Las Vegas, the Hoover Dam.”

  “You’re going to drag me around the world giving me history lessons, aren’t you?” I groaned

  “History is everywhere Willa.” he answered thoughtfully. “It surrounds us and dictates our future.”

  “Oh God, no, I fell in…” I stopped myself before I could finish my sentence. Mathias looked at me expectantly. “I fell into your trap. You’re a geek underneath it all, aren’t you?”

  Mathias smirked. I knew that our little bet was ridiculous. I also knew that I was going to lose in the end, but I still couldn’t bring myself to say what had been on the tip of my tongue.

  “Do you think it’s strange that we made a bet about…it?” I asked

  “Do I think it’s strange?” he repeated. “Well let’s see, I’m a Vampire-Fae-Gypsy and you’re a powerful Fae-Gypsy princess of mass destruction. We both live on a mythical island, and you’re heading off into an entirely different dimension. No, I do not see anything strange about us making a bet on who is going to spill their guts first. If anything, it’s probably the most reasonable thing we have done as a couple.”

  I started laughing so hard I could hardly catch my breath. “So we’re a couple huh? A couple of freaks when you put it that way.”

  Mathias chuckled and pulled me into an embrace. His lips explored mine leisurely. I had just thrown my leg over his when we heard a sound coming from the bathroom. We both let out a frustrated sigh before getting up off the couch and going to the bathroom.