Chapter 7 Part 2 - Revised

   

   Dominic came up behind Kyra so quietly that she jumped when his hand touched her shoulder and she dropped the piece of paper.

   “Oops! I’m sorry kiddo, didn’t mean to scare you.”  He said as he was reached out for the crumpled paper that she dropped. She bent quickly to grab it before him but then got distracted by movement from Skye. Her mother was calling her and that was more important so Dom got to it first. Reluctantly she gave up for the moment thinking he wouldn’t understand it either or he just wouldn’t look at it and move on. Kyra went to her mother who was still on the floor but sitting up now and drinking a glass of water as one of the paramedics removed the blood pressure gauge from her arm.

   Dominic wasn’t going to unfold the paper that Kyra dropped at first. He was just going to toss it on the table until he caught something out of the corner peeking out from the crumpled edges. There was a slight hesitation in his hands before he opened it as if he knew what it was going to be. The feeling of familiarity settled over him like a blanket and once he decided that he was going to invade his niece’s privacy he did so with a sad heart if this turned out to be what he thought it was. As he unfolded the edges he did his best to keep the look of dread from his face. Once he unravelled the single white piece of paper and saw what was written upon it his thoughts took a more serious survey of what had happened this morning.

   His eyes moved from Skye across the faces of all of the children standing protectively near her.  Cyrus being the man of the house and nodding in the places where the EMT’s told him he had to watch for things, Savannah trying to get the EMT to take her blood pressure and Kyra wrapped in her mother’s arms and was the only one watching him. She had seen him open the crumpled mess of paper. He was pretty sure she had no idea what it meant but he could tell in her face that she knew it was important. He all but confirmed that for her now by his stone cold reaction to what he held in his hands. Dom gave her a slight nod and turned quickly to head out the glass door to the backyard and see Chase.

   He was moving so quickly that he stumbled over a loose board that was kicked up in the deck but he recovered quickly without losing a step. The noise startled Angel who was concentrating so intently on the pepperoni ends that were coming her way and Kona briefly registered that someone was behind him shown only by how he tilted his head and scented the air before returning his attention to the human with salty goodness as he sat patiently in front of Chase waiting for more pepperoni to make an appearance.

   Chase smiled at the sudden clumsiness of his boss and pushed himself off from the railing to stand his full height of 6’ 2’’ in respect of this same boss he learned to pick out his tells so that he was on the same page with Dom’s emotions. It didn’t take long to see that as Dom got closer he seemed more than agitated and that was never a good thing.

“Is Skye ok? Did something else happen?” he asked quickly.  Dom stopped, turned towards the door with a look of momentary confusion almost forgetting why they were there in the first place and turned back to Chase.

  “Um…No, she’s fine.” He glanced at the door again and this time when he turned back to Chase he held out the crumpled paper to him. “She’s fine, for now anyway.” He walked over to one of the deck chairs and sat down across from Chase in one of them, put his elbows on his knees and head in his hands.

   Chase opened up the mangled page and saw the three symbols staring at him. His head came up quickly and his eyes also glanced towards the door. His head tilted back looking up at the sky made him feel helpless and small in the universe. Chase now understood the look in Dom eyes and knew that things were going to change again. They will lose another member of the family and have three kids to raise on top of it. “When?” he asked, “How long has she had this?” He paused again “How long has she had HER?” his voice was rising, getting more agitated.

   “Shhhh…” Dom said seemingly calmer and more controlled than when he had first come outside. “Kyra had this and dropped it but,” He looked around the yard and continued, “I don’t think she knows what she has yet.” He took a deep breath and sat up straighter.

   Chase finished his last thought for him out loud. “That’s why this happened.” And Dominic shrugged and said matter-of-factly, “Maybe, although we have seen this way too many times to think it’s a random occurrence and NOT know what this is.” Dom turned his gaze back to the family in the kitchen that were now saying goodbye to the EMT’s. He assumed that Skye flat out refused to go to the hospital against the recommendation of the professionals.

  Both men pulled themselves together and got over their initial shock rather quickly and settled into a damage control mode. “Where is she?” Chase asked carefully. “I can get rid of her before it’s too late.” This time when Dominic looked at the door Kyra was standing there right up close staring at them. I quick thought raced through his head ‘That’s kind of creepy.’ He promptly squashed it.

   He sighed and shook his head before he replied, “I think it’s too late for that son. I think Skye has already engaged without even knowing it and that door is open now.”  His eyes locked back onto Kyra and thought of Deacon. They needed him for this.

   Kyra opened the door and the two men watched her carefully but she felt like she needed to be there…with them…she could feel that they knew something and she wanted to know too. It wasn’t just morbid curiosity that had her wondering what was going on. She could feel in every muscle and see it in every twitch that something big was happening…she just couldn’t ask. She stepped slowly and cautiously towards them almost shyly until Dominic waved her over and patted the chair beside him.

   She picked up her pace and sat down quickly before they could change their minds about her being there. Chase held out the symbols to her. “Do you know what these are?” He asked her. Kyra shook her head and turned to Dominic as he spoke next. “Do you know where it came from?” Again she shook her head but then she stood up, walked over to the glass door once again and pointed inside. Dom, Chase and the two dogs in tow followed her and followed the direction she was pointing in. Once they saw her pointing at the White Oak Box sitting on the table they knew they were too late.

   “Fuck,” Dom cursed and gave an apologetic shrug to Kyra. He ran a massive hand through his dark hair. “It’s time to call a family meeting.” He said to Chase without taking his eyes off of the white box. “Get Maury to make the calls and let them know they’re all back on duty…vacation time is over.” Kyra didn’t understand why the stress level was ramped up after her mom was ok and that piece of paper seemed to make them even more stressed out but she watched Chase immediately go through the house and did what Dominic wanted.

   After Chase disappeared through the door Dom looked down at the beautiful little girl in front of him and put his hand on Kyra’s shoulder. “Do you want to hear a story kiddo?” He asked and she nodded emphatically.

Chapter 7 Part 1 - Revised

                When Dominic arrived the ambulance was already there and the paramedics were inside                tending to Skye. She had woken up with a slew of strange faces over top of her making her                  feel a bit more than claustrophobic.  Dominic did not come alone however, he never did. Even            though he was almost six feet tall and was a rather firm round man for his height, he was                      always protected. Skye’s ears waffled at the sounds around her but once she set her eyes on                Kyra, she stayed focused there.

    Kyra didn't know what to do or say as her mother’s gaze found hers. She was fascinated by her Uncle and the men he always had with him although she didn’t know why a pawn shop owner would always need people so big around all of the time. She wondered if the lived with him too because every time she say him he was never alone. He always had his driver Maury and his bodyguard Chase with him everywhere he went. Usually Maury talked too much and Chase barely spoke at all but both of them had been around as long as Kyra could remember.

   Kyra stood behind the female paramedic that was checking Skye’s eyes. She could see her mom was getting annoyed with the light in the eyes thing and the questions about if she had eaten that morning. Skye started to swat at pen light every time it came near her and that made Kyra smile because she hated that stuff too. Since she felt a little better that her mother was awake now and pissed off Kyra decided to go outside and escape all of the people in the house. She didn’t go far though, the farthest she got was the step directly in front of the front door and when Dominic caught sight of her and stormed across the yard towards her. Immediately he put his hands on her shoulders “Are you OK kid? How’s your mother?” Kyra shrugged and pointed inside.

    Dom didn't wait for an invitation; he barged through the open door bellowing for Cyrus as he went. Maury looked at Kyra and then over at Chase with his big eyes and said with a smile “We just can’t keep you chatter boxes from monopolizing the conversation can we?” When he attempted to elbow Chase in the ribs he received a solid unimpressed look from him and Maury decided that might not be a good idea to poke the bear afterall.

   Feeling like he wasn't really needed Maury went back to the car rapidly punching buttons on his cell phone while he walked. Chase watched him until he got in the car and then sat down on the top step and gestured for Kyra to sit down. His voice was soft as he leaned over and asked with a gentle voice, As he leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees he asked her, “Are you scared?” Kyra couldn't look at him for fear of him seeing the tears welling up in her eyes but instead she nodded. Chase couldn’t blame her for being scared after what happened to Deacon and felt the urge to console her. “Your mom will be OK.” He said “She’s tough like you are and you know we’re not going to let anything happen to any of you.”

   Did she really know that? They didn’t have much to do with Uncle Dom and Chase but they were family she supposed. Kyra tried to suck up her tears as they were about to overflow but she couldn't. She didn't feel tough at all. She knew something bad was coming and didn't know what to say or who to tell. What if no one believed her? What if they thought she was just being a silly little kid? Chase seemed nice… maybe he would listen but she didn't know him very well either.

   “CHASE!” Dom hollered from inside the foyer. “Come make these damn dogs shut up! I can hear a thing these people are telling me!” Chase let out a soft sigh and winked at Kyra as he stood up and went into the house. Kyra got up as well and followed closely behind him. He was built like her father and the looked a lot alike but Chase was not a jokester but always serious. As he walked past Savannah he ruffled her hair and her smile beamed at him, then when Kyra went by her, Sav wrapped her arms around her older sister stopping her in her tracks and didn't let go.

   As he slid past the paramedics who were still checking Skye’s vitals he dropped his gaze to her long enough to see her eyes rolling at everyone for fussing over her. “I’m fine, really. I just need to eat,” she kept saying over and over again. He could hear the frustration in her voice every time Dominic tried to tell them what to do. The only thing that kept her even somewhat calm was Cyrus crouching beside her, holding her hand being the man of the house. There fear in his eyes was evident by the way he was searching Skye’s face for things that weren’t normal and looking for her lies to the paramedics.

    Sidestepping the lot on the floor to get to the sliding door he could see why Dom was so upset with the dogs. They were barking and snarling at the paramedics from the other side of the glass door. There was drool and fur stuck to the glass and Kona continued to bark at the EMT's but Angel stopped and waited once she saw Chase at the door. Although she didn’t calm down so much as be ready to bolt through the door as soon as it opened but neither of them would get the chance.

He slid the door open slowly and Kona tried to bolt through it before it was opened enough and all he got for it was a knee under the neck as Chase put his leg in the opening, pushing him back out the door. The large dog tried to wiggle around it and even bared his teeth at Chase. Chase understood the urge to protect and the want to get to Skye but a firm knee across the opening worked and stopped the massive dog and he pushed him back further as he stepped outside himself. He closed the door behind him while Kona frantically paced back and forth in front of the glass but had turned the barking into snuffling and growling instead. Angel followed Chase across the deck as he crossed to the railing where he leaned back against it and… she sat down directly in front of him as attentive as ever. Quietly surveying the man and waiting, the only thing that Angel moved were her ears as she listened to the voices inside the house. Once Kona noticed that he was the only one putting up a fuss he trotted over next to Angel and sat right beside her with his tail swishing gently across the wood.

   Chase watched them both and when he was content that they were on their best behavior he reached in his jacket pocket and took out a plastic bag that had pepperoni ends in it. He knew these dogs and their weakness for pepperoni so he had brought them just in case he needed them…and it turned out that he did.

   In the kitchen Kyra watched Chase through the window...in her hand, half crumpled and damp from her clammy hands was the piece of paper she had taken off of Skye's dresser.

Chapter 6 Part 3 - Revised

     Downstairs there was laughter coming from the kitchen as Cyrus and Savannah poked at each other while getting their breakfast. Kyra had slipped the paper in her pocket without Skye noticing her doing it but she determined to find out what the symbols meant. Figuring it would help in some way and distract her from her own problems for a little while. She was going to the library after school anyway and figured she could check the foreign language sections to help her mother find out what they mean.

    After she tucked it safely away she dropped her arms from Skye’s waist and stepped back. Her mother’s warm loving eyes sunk right into her making her feel like she was who she had been before the death. A small smile graced her face for her mother and Skye took every bit of it into herself. That connection to each other would never be broken Skye realized. Even though her oldest daughter wouldn’t speak, she was still in there.

     Skye half jogged into the kitchen but approached Savannah with caution not really knowing why, but after the whole box humming thing she felt like she needed to be careful. Even though she didn’t hear the humming herself it was as if everything that was going on meant something but there was too much going on in the first place to sort out. She swore to herself she was going to slow down and take one thing at a time.

     "OK honey," she said to Savannah reaching for her at the same time. “Let’s get you fed and off to school.

   "Awww..." Savannah responded and slid off the edge of the counter into Skye’s arms where she swung around and put her dainty feet on the floor. Cyrus scooted Sav towards the table and put a bowl of cereal in front of her, he filled up her glass with milk just as Kyra moved silently between the bodies that were milling around in the kitchen to reach the refrigerator with her blonde hair pulled back in a tight ponytail and the green dress she was wearing set off the green in her hazel eyes.

    Cyrus smiled at her as she went by and Kyra smiled back. A shadow in the corner of the room caught her eye and distracted her for a moment but she shook it off and opened the refrigerator door.

   As Kyra searched the fridge for fruit for her breakfast, Skye was reaching into the cabinet for the white oak box so she could get a better look at the statue inside. When she touched the wood she could feel a gentle vibration from it just beneath her finger tips and a slight tingle travelling up her digits along her hands. As soon as she put the box on the island counter the vibrations stopped. So she ignored it, shrugging it off and ran her fingers over the carvings on the outside of the box. Her fingers traced the naked bodies that appeared to be writhing against each other. In between them she hadn’t realized until now that the carvings matched the symbols that Gertie had given her with it. Not that she would have considering she didn’t look at it very hard and hadn’t noticed the symbols at all until she opened the envelope a mere ten minutes ago.

   Cyrus and Savannah paid no attention to what Skye was doing but Kyra had stopped rifling through the fridge and was holding an apple in her hand while she watched her mother intently. Skye lifted the latch that secured the box closed and opened the lid. The scent of Sandalwood drifted out of it and the red velvet wrapping around the statue seemed lavish as her fingers unwrapped the treasure inside. Once unwrapped, Skye looked confused. "I could have sworn that she was on one knee when I bought it?" She mumbled to herself.

Kyra took a step closer...

   Cyrus heard her say something but didn't hear what she had said. "What?" he asked her. Skye shook her head and repeated. "I swear when I bought this statue that the woman was down on one knee petting the wolf..." she took a breath and continued, "but she's standing here, the wolf is sitting at her feet and her sword is sheathed." Cyrus stood up and moved to the counter. Kyra took another step closer as well... and the shadow appeared again and stayed just outside the fringe of her eyes in the peripheral.

   Skye shook her head to clear it thinking she must have been mistaken and removed the statue from the box. Before she had it all the way out of the box she felt a shock where her skin touched the delicately carved black and gold stone. The vibrating sensation returned and intensified immediately. It circled her body making her hairs stand on end electrical sparks up her arms, licking her throat and travelling to her head. She stood stock still taken in by the power she felt emulating from it and caressing every inch of her. Just as she began to mouth the words "Isn't she beautiful?" Savannah screamed and everything went black.

   Skye hit the floor hard and her head made a cracking noise when it connected with the floor. The statue slid out of her hands right before she hit the ground sliding away from her and stopping underneath the kitchen table sitting upright. Savannah kept screaming as Kyra tried to keep her quiet and block her view. Cyrus’ heart stopped. "MOM!" he yelled as his feet flew over the smooth linoleum. He rushed over to the other side of the counter to his mother lying unconscious on the floor. He didn’t move her but checked around her for any signs of blood running from her head. He had a terrified feeling in his gut as he looked at her so still but didn't want to scare the girls.

    "Kyra call 911!" he screamed at her, his eyes never leaving his mother but…Kyra didn’t move. She kept her arms around her little sister but she couldn't call 911. The most she could do was go get the phone for him and dial the numbers. Cyrus saw she wasn't moving and yelled at her again. "Kyra, for god's sake! Call 911 and tell them mom is hurt!" Kyra stood frozen with her arm around Savannah and quickly grabbed the cordless phone and held it out to him as he checked Skye's head for cuts.

   Satisfied that she wasn't bleeding he spun on Kyra ready to shake her violently until her little head popped off when he looked and saw that Savannah, sweet Sav had the phone and was telling the 911 operator that her mother fell down and her brother was trying to help her. Kyra couldn't handle the look of anger and disappointment in his eyes as he stared her down. "Can you at least be useful and text Uncle Dom or Leigh or both of them? You know how to spell right? You haven’t lost that ability?" he didn’t like being angry with her but he didn’t care right now. All he cared about was not losing another parent. "Someone needs to stay with you guys while I go to the hospital with mom." He turned his back to her now and took his place back beside Skye again praying for her to wake up.

Kyra felt awful that she froze like that.

   She went outside where her mother's cell phone was, scrolled through the numbers until she found Uncle Dominic and sent a text message. She typed one line. 'Uncle it's Kyra, come quick mom is HURT!'

    She hoped he wasn't too busy working or something to see his phone. He would know what to do and make them feel better. Her knuckled were white as she held on to the phone for dear life.

 The phone chirped an incoming message.

'I'm on my way.' Was all it said.

Chapter 6 Part 2 - Revised