Chapter 6 #2
Skye, darling, I said gently. Are you alright?
Skye nodded. When everyone’s awake…we need to debrief.
I agree, I said. But are you able to go through with tonight? Is there something you need to tell me now?
No, Skye replied. Nothing you need to know right now.
I nodded, kissing her quickly. Skye pulled back too soon, and I frowned. I knew now wasn’t the time, but I missed her. I didn’t care that Lana was here, or that we were about to probably kill someone.
Lana stood with her back to us, giving us privacy while she watched the hallway. Skye looked at her back with narrowed eyes.
What do we do with her? I asked.
Not sure, Skye replied as her eyes traced over Lana. She’s not really the enemy, is she?
No, I agreed. No, I think Lana’s hit her limit with this cult bullshit.
Good for her, Skye said, flashing me a smile. She saved her own life tonight and doesn’t even know it.
We came to a stop in front of a set of massive double doors with an intricate leafy design carved across the wood. I leaned in, examining it closer, then almost laughed. These were a cheap replica of the doors leading into my father’s Palace office. Wyatt would also find this funny.
Fucking Wyatt. I mentally added another sucker punch to the tally I kept in my mind. We were at around nine at this point.
My dads are all here tonight, Lana explained.
I blinked. All of them?
My scouts had told me there were only two.
Lana nodded. Landon’s dad came back early from the compound. He was going to ask the Crusader for more security again.
Skye furrowed her brow.
My mom is a single-affinity Telepath, Lana explained. She’s extremely paranoid.
Maybe she came home because she thought you’d been kidnapped, Skye offered.
Lana rolled her eyes. My mother cares about two things: herself and Landon. And Landon’s gone.
Skye’s expression fell as Lana checked the hall again.
Alright, how are we doing this? I asked. Just rushing in?
We should be fine, Lana said. Jamie is an elemental. He can wield some strong fire but not for too long.
I sucked in a breath.
Stop him first, Skye ordered without even looking at me. I’ll handle everyone else.
My mom will knock me out, Lana said, sounding panicked.
No, she won’t, Skye insisted. Trust me.
I do, Lana replied without hesitation. But she’s strong. She could knock out the Crusader if she wanted.
Has she before? I asked.
Lana shook her head.
Then she lied to you, I replied. No one is stronger than Skye.
That’s what Landon said, Lana muttered. She rolled her shoulders back, missing Skye’s look of grief, then placed her hands on the ornate door handles.
Everything happened very quickly.
Lana pushed open the double doors, then burst into the room with Skye and I right behind her.
Lena shot up out of bed with a gasp. One of her Links swore, his arms beginning to glow, then flickering out as Lana threw up her hands.
“Lana?!” Lena cried. “What–” Lena cut off with a horrified gasp as shadows filled the room, snaking around Lena and her three Links, even as they were already frozen from Skye.
“Hello, Lena.” Skye said, stepping out from behind a shadow.
Lena’s jaw dropped. “You…you let her into our home?!”
Lana shrugged, and Lena shrieked, fighting the shadow’s hold on her.
“You betrayed us!”
“You betrayed me!” Lana cried back.
“You would align yourself with…with…she killed Landon!” Lena shrieked.
“No she didn’t!” Lana shrieked back, surprising me. Lana slapped her mother hard across the face, and I looked to Skye with alarm, but she didn’t react. My Key only crossed her arms, apparently in the mood for a little familial drama.
“The Crusader is weak,” Lana hissed. “He killed Landon!”
“You don’t know that!” Lena screeched. “He was falling prey to the other side! He didn’t believe in the cause!”
What in the fuck was this mystery cause? I was getting sick of hearing about it without anyone actually saying what it was.
“There is no cause!” Lana cried, confusing me even fucking further. “You’re blind!”
“I didn’t have a choice,” Lena said. She sniffled, her nose beginning to bleed as Skye allowed her to fight the attack. “You know no one can leave, even once they realize it’s a lie.”
“You took my choice from me. Twice,” Lana growled.
Lena whimpered, then her head lolled as she finally lost consciousness.
Skye and I shared a look, and then Skye teleported with Lana and Lena, leaving me to clean up the mess.
Several minutes later, I shadow-walked back to the farmhouse to find Lena tied to a rickety, dusty old chair while Lana stood guard. Skye gave me a quick nod, then teleported. She was back a moment later with Zephyr, who looked very surprised to see the turn of events.
“This is who knocked out Carrot Cake?” Zephyr scratched his head. “She doesn’t look very scary.”
He turned, freezing when he caught sight of Lana, who stared back at him like she was looking into the sun.
“Who’s this?” Zephyr asked.
“Lana Iykos,” Skye said as she emerged from the hall after checking on Wyatt. “Landon’s sister, the bitch’s daughter.”
“Hi,” Zephyr grinned, holding out his hand. “Zephyr, Skye’s older brother.”
“Oh…hi,” Lana whispered, blinking owlishly as she took his hand to shake.
I grimaced as Skye sat on the edge of the old, dusty couch to check on Aiden.
This place needed to be deeply, thoroughly cleaned. Or burned to the ground. Or demolished.
“Is Lana down with whatever’s about to happen in here?” Zephyr asked.
Skye paused, glancing back at Lana.
“Yeah,” Lana squeaked, then cleared her throat. “I’m helping.”
Zephyr’s eyebrows disappeared under his curls, then he shrugged. “Okay then.”
Suddenly, Lena let out a muffled scream, as if pissed she didn’t have everyone’s attention.
Lana slapped her across the face again, shocking me and making Zephyr laugh in surprise.
Skye’s affinity ripped the tape off of Lena’s face, and she screamed bloody fucking murder, the sound cutting off abruptly when Lana slapped her yet again.
“Lana!” Lena cried. “How could you? She’s…she killed your brother!”
“The Crusader killed him!” Lana cried again. “Landon knew the Crusader was going to kill him soon! The Ward told me everything.”
“The Ward is a lying brat,” Lena spat. “He can’t even cook his own dinner!”
Lana raised her leg, then kicked the chair down.
Lena yelped as she flew backward, slamming onto her back as the chair settled. The provocative sleep dress she wore rode up, revealing a lot of gross-ness under the skirt.
“Ugh,” Zephyr and I moved back at the same time. A shadow furiously pulled at the skirt, tucking it under her legs to cover her.
“Lana, listen to me. I know you’re not well, and it’s okay. It’s not your fault, it’s mine. So I forgive you.” Lena’s voice drifted from the floor.
Skye teleported around all of us, so that she was on the other side of Lena where she could better see what was happening.
Lana shook her head, her eyes welling with tears. Zephyr’s eyes widened as he moved a little closer to her, then stopped like he wasn’t sure why he’d moved.