Chapter 22 Part 3

       Dom didn’t move, didn’t blink knowing that they both knew that she didn’t have all of her powers and that she needed them to get her around in this time but dangerous none the less, so he asked cautiously instead. “What do you need? I can get it for you.”  He held the fear at bay that Skye was still in there trapped and what Georgia wanted had to be given and also knowing that the sisters couldn’t be together.

    Not wanting to play cat and mouse as she normally would have she answered honestly. “She is close but, her vessel is in trouble I can feel her screaming.” She paused concentrating for a moment on something none of them could hear. “Her vessel wants to end her life.” She added with distaste.

    Chase’s eyes shot to Dominic’s weighing the gravity of what Georgia had said. Without a Pack to police her on one hand she would be rogue, lost and wreaking havoc on anything or anyone she chose if body and soul were reunited. Despite the sisters, Caretakers and the Guardians being cursed, being that they were tied to one another there was an order to the way they had to do things. On the other hand if Carol Anne succeeds in ending her life all of the people tied to her would die and the Sister would be locked in another world of faded memories and empty space. At this point Carol Anne’s Pack was missing and her Caretaker had vanished too...if they weren't already dead.

   Georgia knew all of this and as much as she hated it she knew it had to be until she could figure out a way to release herself and her sisters from the curse. She didn’t feel much in the way of emotion but her Guardians and Caretaker were the only things she had to occupy her time and her games were always for their benefit, keeping them sharp and lethal as well as her own entertainment.

    “This cannot happen.” She said softly even though her anger was peaking with the knowledge that the reason her sister was going to end her life was because of the pain and suffering caused to her by the man that had her. They were all very powerful in their full forms and would have been unable to be put in this position by anyone if they were at full strength. Dominic could see her slipping into her thoughts so he moved slightly to catch her attention knowing she was aware of everything around her. Her gaze snapped to his as he expected and he stared steadily deep into her golden eyes and he took a slow easy breath before he asked again.  “What do you need?”

    Annoyance flashed in her eyes. “I need you to take me to my sister.” she spat with clear disgust that she needed his help at all. It made her feel weak which did not improve her mood. Dominic knew that he couldn't take her to that house. Even though she didn't have all of her powers she would still be deadly if provoked or if she or her sister felt threatened. He took a tentative step forward only because he was scared for Skye and this situation was far outside of anything any of them had been through. He knew he had to get her back as quickly as possible.

    “Bring back Skye and we'll go and check on your sister.” His voice stayed neutral and non-aggressive when every part of him wanted to shake Skye out of the Goddesses head with is bare hands or claws if he got angry enough. Georgia eyed him with suspicion before she took a long look around her, she was aware of the men in the room but she focused on the person in front of her.

    Gertie stayed on the floor too terrified to move, her experience with Georgia had always been inside her mind. She observed them all using her senses, Maury kept his place at Dominic's side but his eyes would shift to Gertie every few minutes. Chase was a tall, strong presence and by far the most impressive of them all regarding her with the eyes of a true Guardian looking immovable and deadly. While behind her the other two males took in the scene with increasing dread. She could hear all of their hearts beating steadily except for Gertie's and her attention refocused.

    For the first time Dominic saw something soft in her eyes as Georgia looked at Gertie. He thought it might be compassion but he knew from experience that Georgia didn't feel compassion. To his surprise Georgia moved forward and extended her hand to Gertie. Shocked energy rippled through the room from Ryan and Sig.  She continued to look into Gertie's eyes and she felt a smile tug at her lips. Gertie lifted a trembling hand and put it into the outstretched one in front of her noting how warm and soft Georgia’s skin was compared to her wrinkled one. Urgency flowed through Georgia now and she wanted to waste no more time even as she slowly helped the old woman to her feet. She knew she had to concede to Dominic's wishes if they were going to save her sister.

    Without looking at anyone other than Gertie she spoke over her shoulder, “As you wish Guardian but my sister must live.”

    Dominic seemed lighter then as he replied, “I can do nothing else but save her.”

    Her golden eyes still on Gertie's ice blue ones. “You Caretaker...” she spoke with sincerity “will be restored, I promise you.” She turned to Chase suddenly and yet he didn't flinch when she stepped towards him with a small mischievous smile. “You amuse me.” Her head tilted slightly. “You both amuse me with your games. Promise me you will help her.”

    Without hesitation he answered truthfully. “He will pay for what he's done to her.” With that promise and putting her trust in Dominic when she had no trust to give, she reached back into her mind to the place that she and Skye first met. The room was covered in fog so it had no edges like a dream that couldn’t hold substance, with the two comfortable chairs facing each other and a rug that she could see Skye pacing around like a caged cat. She had added things to her space in the mind as a bookshelf and fireplace made it less dreary.

    As soon as she stepped into the room Skye stopped moving. She could see that Skye understood but underneath that there was a thread of anger. She knew why Georgia had pushed her out but didn’t appreciate it. Georgia was fluent in Skye’s emotions now.

    Pacing across the floor Skye was shaking out her hands as though she was readying herself. Georgia approached her with renewed interest as she watched her prowl back and forth.

    “You broke through…again…” she said more calmly than Skye herself expected.

    Georgia raised an eyebrow. “You blame me?”

    Skye sighed. “I would like to but I saw what you did and worry for her too.”

    Georgia took a seat in one of the plush chairs and released a sigh herself. It was the first time since she had been invaded by the Goddess that she saw something even remotely human from her. That was saying a lot since there was nothing human about her at all. “I have asked the Guardians to save her but they will only move quickly if I let you go back.” None of them knew that she couldn’t hold the physical form for long before she had to let Skye take over. She was drained already and it had only been a few minutes.

    “I will fight for her but she has to want to go or else she will go back to him regardless of what he’s done.” Skye wanted to make a point of saying it so that Georgia wouldn’t take out repercussions on Dominic and the others if they couldn’t get Carol Anne away from Robert.

   Georgia anger rose sharply. “She wants to end her life! Does that sound like she’s going to stay to you?” She stood in a flowing motion, her eyes flickering with flames. “He has trapped her, abused her and broken her vessel. Her soul is close to the body or else she wouldn’t be screaming.” Knowing that time was short and she wanted time alone, she waved Skye away. “Please go.”

   Skye’s mouth opened to protest and she found herself back at the forefront looking into Chase’s aqua eyes, his face impassive and for just a moment she saw relief in them. The urgency hit her hard and she grabbed hold of his arms to remain standing. It flowed over her senses like a wave of sickness that heated her from the inside out forcing sweat to break out on her skin. He felt it through her… she knew he did.

    “I can feel her.” She whispered “We have to go.”

Ch 22 Part 2

    Skye paced the kitchen floor while Chase and Maury looked like they were watching a tennis match. Gertie had found a way to make herself useful and was quietly waiting for the kettle to boil so she could make tea for herself and Skye while pouring  two fingers of Bourbon for the men. Each pass that Skye made past them had Maury smacking her hand lightly out of her mouth unaware that she was biting her nails. After what seemed like the hundredth time she stopped and glared at him.

    “Why do you keep doing that?” she snapped.

    He smirked at her. “I was trying to see how long it would take you to stop wearing out the floor.”

    She stared at him for a moment with her mouth slightly open. “Fuck off Mo.”

    “Mo? Mo… do you have any idea how long it’s been since someone has called me Mo? He asked.

    “Stop Maury…” Chase warned.

    “It was back in 1883…” he started and every person in the kitchen groaned. Chase stood up to usher his friend out into the other room when Angel started whining and ran for the front door. Her stocky little body skidded to a halt as the door opened and Dominic came in with two other men following him. Normally the extra men would have caused some anxiety for Skye but with so many of them coming and going lately it didn’t faze her anymore and her thoughts were currently on other things. She had noticed that they weren’t even all of her thoughts, some were Georgia’s as she thought of her “sister” and what she might be going through.

    She could feel the other soul’s frustration at not having the full use of her powers and at the same time without her Sister freed she couldn’t find her without the help of the others adding to Georgia’s unstable condition. Skye had gotten the address of the couple from the shop and knew something bad was going to happen very soon. 

    She didn’t need Georgia's feelings to know it. She saw what was in Carol-Anne’s eyes too. The only reason why she had waiting for Dominic was because the red headed woman was a part of all of this. Someone that might on some kind of level be able to understand what she was going through and according to them she was not where she was supposed to be. Where her Pack was no one knew and where her caretaker and holding vessel were was also a mystery.

    The two men with Dom were from another Pack. A tall Norse looking man with long blonde hair and a lean build trailed in behind him while another man just as tall but with short dark hair, broad shoulders and piercing grey eyes came in last. Both man looked very unhappy to be there and at this point Skye didn’t care about pleasing anyone anymore. They watched her cautiously, with a hint of distaste but the man with the disconcerting grey eyes was the one that held her attention.

    Dom stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her as Chase and Maury stepped forward to shake the men’s hands in camaraderie. She trembled in his arms and he tightened the squeeze briefly in a show of comfort before letting her go.

    “Skye?” The blonde man's rough voice saying her name startled her out of her thoughts. "Dominic explained his concerns and it worries us as well.” he said softer than she thought possible. It fleetingly occurred to her then that the man with him was like Chase. Strong, silent and protecting his pack leader.

    “We have reached out to the other Packs and there is one missing. It’s like they just…vanished.” His attention turned to Dominic. “We are very concerned that this... being… is unaccounted for.” The distaste that entered his voice again could not be hidden and he spoke to Dominic with slice of contempt while his body language showed that he did not want to be involved. Skye tilted her head in interest as she watched his body tell her the truth. His involvement was tied to all of them but if he had his way he would leave them to fend for themselves.

    His term for Carol-Anne prickled at her and she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. At the same time she felt more than saw Chase come up behind her as he sensed her fast rising emotion. She looked at the man confused. “What do you mean being? She's a woman that needs our help. She doesn't deserve the pain he's caused her.” she said as calmly as she could but her body was humming.

    “Skye…” Chase warned cautiously and shot a glance at Maury who took up a space just to the left of Skye, between her and Dom. The room began to pulse gently with energy as Skye kept her eyes trained on the tall blonde man that stood solidly in front of her not blinking. The man beside him stepped forward to place his body slightly between Skye and his leader.

    At that moment Gertie stepped forward with a cup of tea seemingly oblivious to the tension building in the room and motioned to hand the cup to Skye. Both of the new men snarled at her and she flinched startled almost spilling the tea on her. To everyone's surprise Maury stepped in front of Gertie and growled his own warning at the men. As usual Chase was knowing in his silent sentinel persona but Dominic couldn’t hide the confusion from his face as his bewilderment was at the surface in the form of one raised eyebrow. 

     Like a blot of electricity slamming up from her feet up to her head Skye’s anxiety ramped up as Georgia’s anger swelled from the display of posturing.

    She felt Georgia’s soul rush alongside the electrical current to the surface and slammed into the wall Skye had built in her mind with Gertie's help. Her whole frame shook with the force of it and she swayed from the mental attack. Every man in the room stood still. Chase was still behind her ready to grab her if it was necessary, only the two new men were apprehensive at the situation but to their credit they stood their ground in a defensive stance waiting for the attack they were sure was to come. 

    Gertie stood frozen in between them all knowing that her presence had triggered the strangers. She had forgotten that even though the relationship between the Guardians and the Caretaker was strained at first that they had all become at ease with each other. Mostly Gertie as she relished the companionship of Skye’s family after being alone for so many years. Even though Maury still slung insults at her, she felt they had some neutral ground to stand on and some form of respect growing from how they both work to aide and protect children.

    Skye slammed down hard on her knees tearing Gertie from her thoughts and she quickly knelt down to her whispering softly in her ear. Every man in the room went still as they felt the energy change again. Only Dominic, Chase and Maury knew what was happening and Dom let out and exasperated sigh.

   “Something’s wrong!” Skye screamed, the noise in her head was so loud. “She wants out…now! I can’t hold her.”

    For the first time since they arrived in her home the two strangers looked like fear had finally found them. “Ryan,” Dom said loud pointing to the blonde man “You and Sig need to step back a bit please." His calm demeanor told them that he had been through this before. Confusion lit their eyes as they stepped back to watch. .” He glanced at Skye on the floor wanting to go to her but knew better. “Very slowly…” he added. They didn’t wait for an explanation as they immediately stepped backwards towards the entrance to the kitchen, with their eyes wide.

    Maury leaned down and lightly touched Gertie’s shoulder urging her to stand up and step away from Skye but before he could move her away Skye stood with celestial grace and her green eyes were gone, replaced Georgia’s golden ones. Her gaze settled on Ryan and Sig as her lip curled in anger as recognition registered but she pushed it aside and turned her golden eyes to Dominic.

    “You…Guardian…take me to my sister.” She snapped.

Chapter 22 Part 1

   

      Carol Anne watched the house approaching. It felt more like looming to her, the weight of the day pressing in on her steadily when she thought that she wouldn't be coming back to this place again. She didn’t even realize that she had already said her goodbyes to the place that had become her sanctuary and her prison at the same time. Tears burned her eyes as she stared hopelessly up at the house and she knew that Roberts silence on the way home was a cause for concern but she couldn’t feel the concern at the moment. All she could feel was the weight of sadness in every muscle of her body that she had because she had lost her chance.

    The painting that Robert had gone there for in the first place was in the back seat covered in brown paper. Usually it would have been boxed and shipped but after the incident he insisted on taking it as it was, right at that moment. She knew it was because he didn’t want to be in contact with them for a while and answer any questions about her health.

    Confusion was fleeting in her head in regards to the strange woman and man that were with her in the park. The only things she remembered were the strange golden colour of the woman’s eyes and the feeling of absolute power coming off of the man with her. The thoughts of them were small, inconsequential compared to what she knew was coming for her and…she didn’t care.

    Nothing could make her feel, her body was numb and she almost welcomed the Pit and the cold, damp solitude that would wrap itself around her.

    Robert stopped the car and put it in Park, he made no motion to get out of the car and neither did she. Her lashes drifted down in acceptance of what was to come when he finally spoke.  “You wanted him to touch you, didn’t you.” It was a statement. “Did you faint at his looks in hopes that he would whisk you away?”

    She slowly opened her eyes and sighed knowing that he really didn’t want an answer and that it really didn’t matter what she said anyway, it would just make him angry so she slowly shook her head. Her red hair swayed slightly. He wanted her scared but she had no energy to be scared, no will left to be.

   “Let’s just get this over with…” it slipped out before she could stop it, she didn’t want to stop it. She felt the car tremble as he shook with barely contained rage.

    “You want this over Angel?” he snarled “This will never be over…” He got out of the car and slammed the door. As he stomped over to her side she debated locking the doors but it would be no use he would just break the window, so she sat still willing her face not to betray her when she felt it. There was warmth that ebbed its way into her, faint but there. Robert’s hand went to reach for her door handle as his gaze went to his prize in the back seat and he stopped, suddenly deciding that he would take it inside first.

    Carol Anne let out another slow sigh but still felt nothing about what was to come. She would make him end it. She didn’t care about the money; all she cared about was that she could make it as difficult and messy as possible so that her brother could find some suspicious behaviour to investigate and hopefully get justice for her. She was determined for the pain to end, the imprisonment, most of all the control.

    She would make him end it.

    There was a small protest in her mind but she blocked it out. No more pain. She thought to herself and a tiny thread of anxiety tried to worm its way in. Oddly she found it curious considering that she had decided firmly the next step for herself. The draft from the back door opening drew her out of her own thoughts momentarily as Robert grabbed the painting gently.

    With the painting in his right hand he threw open the door with his left and grabbed Carol Ann’s shoulder in a strong firm grip nearly ripping her out of the car. Her body was a phantom to her; she felt him distantly and knew he was even angrier that she wasn’t reacting. She wasn’t cowering or crying, she wasn’t trying to protect herself or pleading and he hated it. She could feel the waves of intense rage coming off of him and she didn’t care. The protest came again and again she shoved the thought to the back of her mind. He grabbed the back of her neck and dragged her to the front door.

   “Take your key and open the door.” He snarled. She did as he asked and he pushed her through hard enough that she lost her balance and fell to the floor. He kicked the door shut with his foot before he gingerly set the painting down under the alarm and punched in the code to disarm it. He looked at her with disgust and contempt in his eyes as she stared into his, daring him as she knew her behaviour would. He prowled around her and she refused to move, to show fear. She knew the Pit would be waiting for her and for one second she wondered if she flung herself in… if it would it be enough?

    Seething he glared at her, reading her body language he softened his features in understanding. “I thought the Pit would be the appropriate punishment for you Angel, but I see now that I am wrong. The Rack seems more fitting for this don’t you think?” She said nothing but panic began to well up and she pushed it down. The Rack was a bit more of a challenge she would have to work around. She would be tied and gagged. Usually he used it to punish her sexually but she had a feeling that wouldn’t be the only way this time. She swallowed the bile that rose in her throat and kept her silence while she thought rapidly about how to provoke him before he could completely restrain her.

    She had run out of time. He grabbed her by her fire red hair and lifted her to her feet as he propelled her towards the stairs. She stumbled and he cursed her. “You cheating bitch!” he swore as he shoved her upwards. “You let him touch you! I bet you loved his hands all over you!” she laughed then… unintentionally and he hesitated. He stopped and shook her by the hair before he backhanded her causing her tooth to cut her lip and thin trail of blood slipped down her face. She saw stars at first but welcomed them…welcomed the pain.

    The protest in her head was faint now, like feather light touches inside her mind, a faraway voice. Before she knew it she was in the attic being pushed to her knees with her ears ringing as he stripped her down. She refused to fight or show fear. She needed to push him over the edge but as soon as her eyes moved to the attic window Robert saw her intention and took hold of her hair again to throw her across the room towards the Rack. Her back hit the wood with such force it knocked her breath from her but she didn’t cry out in pain. She bit down and grunted, from her knees she looked up and glared at him. Her invitation to bring it on, that she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. “Get it over with.” She ground out and to her surprise he faltered but regained his composure quickly.

    To her dismay she noticed that the front of his pants had gone tight from his excitement but she set her jaw while in her head she said a tearful goodbye to the people she loved.

    “Oh…Angel…” he purred “I think I’m really going to like this.”

Chapter 21 Part 2

    Georgia closed the gap quickly and sat down on the bench beside Carol Anne. Her golden eyes gazed into the other woman’s wide grey eyes searching. It had been so long, so many centuries since she had seen her sister that she felt another surge of emotion that she had long since forgotten. She would have thought it was love but she considered love a weakness so she equated the feeling to respect.

    She searched for her sister’s soul in the woman and felt hollow when she found no sign of her; instead flashes of pictures entered her sight. Flashes of tears and blood others of hatred and humiliation. The ground gently shook beneath their feet as Georgia’s anger raged to the surface. Knowing the guardian was coming up behind her didn’t matter; she would rip the man apart that she saw in the memories of her sister.

    “You are not at full power.” She heard in her head. “I saw what you saw but there is another way to handle this.” Georgia hated that she was right and grit her teeth against Skye’s words that did nothing to help her rage. “Or… Chase can kill you and I’ll be back to myself again.”

    That last sentence checked her and her expression softened as she took in the fear in Carol Anne’s eyes. Chase was directly behind her now and on full guard. He had a curved knife with a Hematite grip within quick reach of his hand. It was the only thing that could do long lasting damage to her. “Down dog.” She said sweetly and he stood perfectly still but ready. She turned her attention back to Carol Anne and spoke softly. “Sister…I’ve seen your horrors and this will be dealt with.” She reached out to touch her and the bonds restraining Carol Anne fell away but she didn’t move away. Carol Anne sat frozen before her staring into those eyes. “I know that your plan is to leave, I have seen this…but I need you to go back. I won’t lose you after finally finding you.” She paused. “It is not really you though…but I will keep your vessel safe until I find your soul.” Georgia could compel men and women but never a sister. She had to trust that Carol Anne would listen and Georgia never trusted anyone.

    She stood with the grace of a queen and her eyes never left Carol Anne’s face. “One more night sister and we will be together again.” As she turned, she looked up at Chase. “I know enough to know that if I go in there and see that man he’ll die by my hand and you will have to kill me.” She noted how fierce and handsome he looked at this moment. “I also know that since 2 souls dwell in this vessel, if you kill me, you will kill her and without a soul inhabiting this body…” her eyes flicked to the awning of the shop. “We will both die…and not return.”

    Georgia felt Skye’s immediate fear spike through her. Chase didn’t change his expression but his body visibly relaxed. She raised her hand slowly and placed it on his chest. He flinched, not so much seen as felt and when she looked into his eyes again her golden eyes were replaced by green ones and the hand touching him was shaking.

    Skye dropped her hand and turned to where Carol Anne was still speechless on the bench. She took in Skye’s now green eyes, the colour drained from her face and she fainted.

    Skye looked at Chase with pleading eyes. His only response was a grunt and leaned down to pick up Carol Anne. “We need to talk.” He said gruffly.

   “You think?” she snapped and he gave her an incredulous look as he lifted the unconscious woman. Feeling ashamed of her reaction she was reminded that she had been in almost the same position as the woman he was holding not so long ago. “Sorry.”

    The bell rang as the shop door opened and Skye held it open for Chase to sidestep through. They heard the voices in the next room and heard Robert haggling with Leigh. They exchanged a glance and understood. She motioned him towards a Victorian sofa made of dark wood and lush green well-worn fabric. The scroll work on the high back and arms was elegant and it creaked gently when Chase laid Carol Anne down.

    The creak drew Leigh’s attention and she gasped and ran into the room. Robert turned, saw his wife laying there with Chase standing above her and something flashed across his face. It was not care or concern. Both Skye and Chase caught it before it turned to feigned concern for his wife’s condition as he hurried into the room. Chase stepped back when Robert approached and kneeled down next to his wife. He didn’t look at anyone as he asked. “What happened?”

   The lie came easily to Skye and she had a feeling that it wasn’t her that the explanation was coming from. “I was outside talking to Chase and she just passed out by the pond!” She couldn’t stop talking. “I asked Chase to bring her here because you know, I couldn’t carry her. The poor thing I hope she’s ok!” She forced herself to put a hand on Roberts shoulder…she shouldn’t have. She felt his hatred, felt his enjoyment of hurting her and even felt his shame that he liked hurting her so much.

    Visions of brutal violence hit her but it wasn’t his violence, it was Georgia’s. Visions of her hand breaking through his chest, through the muscle and bone past the breastplate to his beating heart. The image of blood pooling around her hand and flowing down her wrist before it stopped at the elbow and splashed to the floor.

   The grotesque image of her hand closing around his heart and squeezing rattled her but only for a moment.

    To Skye’s surprise she calmly removed her hand and stepped back only to hit a solid body. Chase’s warmth soaked into her and she relaxed even though her emotions were a storm inside of her. Her desire to save Carol Anne was absolute.

    She felt Georgia smile.

Chapter 20 Part 1

    Georgia could feel the emotions that Skye was pumping out like water gently cascading over her, pulsating waves that seemed to breathe. If Skye felt excited or anxious the waves were like heavy breaths being taken but sadness and the shame Skye was feeling was a slow and infuriating event and she couldn’t relate to the feeling of shame that Skye was having right this moment but she knew it was an emotion she had never felt before…preferably never to feel it again. She took in the waves emotion that washed over her and even as she concentrated on the feeling, she felt the sadness and thought it curious.

    Being inside Skye’s head had woken her up to many emotions that she had not felt for centuries, some she never felt… ever. Typically Georgia had three states she resided in… enjoyment, boredom and rage, with the lacking of the first two directly causing the third but watching how this life worked and feeling what Skye was feeling began to wreak havoc with her own sense of self. Never had the vessel contained both souls at the same time and she missed the blessed peace within the body, missed the chaos she could cause and even missed having the Guardians chase her down with vows to kills her and bring the innocent one back.

    Forever it was the game they have played since she was cursed so many centuries ago and in truth the Guardians had been cursed along with her. Cursed to spend their immortal lives keeping her confined when they had been hers in the beginning and they protected her life with their own. Now they only protect the Vessel and only when the innocent soul resides with in it.

    Georgia decided right then that as soon as she had the chance she would push forward. Skye was weakest when saddened or ashamed as she is now but Georgia didn’t know how to drive so she sat back and waited until the moment would arrive for her. Through Skye’s eyes she watched with fascination as the garage door rose and she saw the road on the other side. When she was in control, her magic took her from place to place in a flash of light and being bound with Skye’s soul prevented that magic from taking hold. Instead of thinking about that she sat quietly in the armchair that she fashioned in Skye’s mind and watched the scenery go by, wondering what she would see on their journey.

    The ride to the shop was relatively silent with Chase’s eyes glued to the side view mirror. Skye had fidgeted with the radio enough that he had to grab her hand and put it on the wheel making her jump and leaving it painfully on a station that was having and 80’s weekend. Cindy Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’ was giving him a headache but he didn’t lose his focus. He couldn’t understand what passed as music as time went by but he could remember little girls everywhere being strangely inspired by the song when it first came out and whipped people into a frenzy of colourful clothes and wild hair. He didn’t even want to think about the Madonna influence.

     As soon as Skye turned left around the little park in the middle of the square he looked up and saw the Odds & Ends sign and let out a sigh of relief.

    “Oh don’t relax yet,” Skye said with a grin when she pulled into her parking spot in front of the store. “Wait until Anna and Leigh get a load of you.” Chase had handled women fawning over him before and just ignored it since none of them really appealed to him when they were like that. He shrugged it off before she continued. “Just wait…” her voice sang with amusement and for a brief moment he wished he could turn back.

    Skye grabbed her laptop out of the backseat and headed for the door, keys in hand so she could unlock it. When she stopped to fiddle with the lock, Chase turned his back to her and scanned up and down the street as his nostrils flared. When he was satisfied with their surroundings he turned to Skye who had stopped and froze before she actually put the key in the lock. Her hands were shaking. Aware that she was going to have a hard time keeping it together, he plucked the keys right out of her hands and inserted the key in the lock. Before he even had a chance to turn it the door opened wide and Leigh stood before him in blue jeans and a deep green blouse that set off her hazel eyes. Her dark brown hair swept up high on to her head in a tousled bun gave her a casual and yet sophisticated look.

    Skye immediately forgot what she was doing until she noticed Leigh’s wide eyes as they did a head to toe sweep of Chase snapped her out of her daze. Quickly she stepped past her nudging the stunned woman gently out of the way. She felt Georgia rise up just a little to examine the new person and Skye released and inner growl in her head.

    “Tsk tsk kitten, I’m just looking.” Georgia crooned and Skye shook it off turning to Leigh who was still staring at Chase while he stood solidly in the doorway looking unimpressed but waiting patiently for Skye to introduce him. She took a deep breathe to calm herself.

    “Leigh, this is cousin Chase.” She paused when he put out his hand, “he’s Deacon’s cousin and will be staying with me and the kids for a while.” Leigh gently, almost suggestively put her hand on top of his and gave a little squeeze. “Well, hello cousin…” her eyelids dropped to halfway and she stepped forward into him. Right before she could press herself up close and personal Skye took his other hand and began to lead him to the office more so far away from Leigh.

    “Chase is going to look at our books so no disturbing him ok?” she called out over her shoulder as she hurried him away. Not that he minded at all with the waves of sexual energy coming off of Leigh and her body language only showing one thing. He turned and took one last look at her who stood with her hip out, hands clasped in front of her. She gave a sly smile and licked her lips seductively before he was dragged into the office and Skye shut the door.

    Before she said anything Chase took a walk around the office and looked out the windows making note of what he could see, where people could hide and made a mental note of any possible escape routes. When he turned back to Skye she had a sour look on her face. “You’re really going to look at our books?”

He nodded.

    “Well I guess I should tell you the whole story then.” She took her seat behind the desk, took a deep breath, held his gaze and told him everything that happened with the bank and possible foreclosure.

Chapter 19 Part 2

                                                                    19-2

    Gertie felt the disturbance almost as soon as it happened. She felt the presence of her Mistress, just a shred but she knew it was her. Feeling the call of her Charge, she turned from Jack’s cage where she had been feeding him sunflower seeds and closed the cage door before she went to see what was happening. She wanted to be there for her Mistress in case she needed her. Before she made it even two steps out of the kitchen Chase was already in full stride running up the stairs in two’s.

    “Damn it!” Gertie cursed knowing she could never reach them before he could because of her age and restricted motion. Even so as she started to climb the stairs Maury stepped out of the front room and leaned casually against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. The smirk on his face did more than just irritate her.

    “Forget it old woman. You won’t win this.” The smugness in his tone rattled her more than anything else had. She was so used to being alone and she remembered why now as her hatred for the guardian settled over her like a blanket. Even as a young girl they had misjudged her. She looked at him with distaste as his mouth curved into a harsh smile causing her to turn and return to the kitchen instead of getting involved with whatever was happening upstairs.

    Opening the cage door Gertie cooed at Jack and tears threatened to spill over her eyes, but she kept it at bay by thinking back to her cottage that she missed more than anything at this moment. She swore that she would never let them see her cry.

                                                                             ~~

    Chase reached Skye’s bedroom and for a moment he felt wrong crossing the threshold. A brief flash of Deacon almost caused him to miss a step until he saw the terror on Skye’s face as she fought an invisible but all too real threat within herself. He knew his knowledge of the past wasn’t going to help him now and he couldn’t stop to think about what was going to happen next. He blocked everything out except for her when he crossed the room and took hold of Skye’s arms putting himself directly into her field of vision. Even though she was looking at him, he was well aware that she couldn’t really see him with the turbulent thoughts going on inside of her head. He cursed the fact that Georgia had a grip on her that he had no idea how to break.

    His first thought was to slap her again but seeing as it was Skye he was looking at he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Managing to gently move her over to the bed and sit her down he took a deep breathe. Every now and then her brows would crease in confusion but he had no way to be sure. “Skye…” he ventured softly. “Can you hear me?” when all she did was blink he took out his cell phone and called Dominic thinking maybe he knew something, a cold shower…something to help. He would question later why he felt so protective over her.

    He reluctantly stepped away from her and dialed Dominic’s number. He waited for him to answer as he paced back and forth across the room, his eyes constantly watching Skye. On his last pass in front of the bedroom door Savannah unknowingly strode in humming to herself a tune. He had at first ignored it thinking that she should not be near her mother at this particular moment in time and then a vague recollection of the notes niggled in his mind but couldn’t place from where.

    Bringing him back to the moment he remembered that he had a phone in his ear. “Chase…what’s the matter?” Dominic’s voice filtered through the receiver.

    “Hey Boss, we have a situation here…” his words trailed off as he watched Savannah climb up the end of the bed; crawl across the quilt and under Skye’s arm to sit in her lap.

    “What’s happened? Did she come back?” Dominic sounded calm at all times but with this all being so new he was a bit on edge, not enough to crack his strength or his resolve but enough to be frustrated and wary the same time held hostage by lack of knowledge.

    Chase took a breath to reply while he watched Savannah tuck herself into Skye’s side. She didn’t say anything, she continued to hum and play with a piece of Skye’s hair that had escaped her bun on her head. Within a few minutes Skye began to blink rapidly, trying to focus and looked around the room. Breathing heavy as she digested the situation Chase could sense the panic she was beginning build and moved towards her. Before he reached her she looked down at her sweet girl unaware of seeing Savannah come in.  The last visual that Skye remembered was seeing the girls in that backyard. Her mind cycled through what had happened in what had ended up only being a few minutes. When she looked up and saw Chase standing in front of her with his phone to his ear she felt the first pangs of anxiety.

    She hugged Savannah close and kissed the top of her head hoping to ease the panic and anxiety, keeping it in check. She didn’t want to scare her youngest daughter considering she was scaring herself. Even as that thought was going through her she felt the weighing presence of Chase near her and for the first time since they had dominated her home she was glad that she wasn’t alone. Daring to look at him she whispered harshly “What happened?” her eyes were pleading with him while every fiber of herself was hoping and praying that Georgia hadn’t broken through or hurt Savannah.

    Chase saw the additional question in her eyes and said softly “You’re fine Skye, Savannah just came in a moment ago. I was here the entire time” The sigh that she released was heavy but her body relaxed all except for her arms which had her daughter pinned in her lap.

    “Mommy?” The muffled sound of Savannah’s voice trapped in the crook of her arm made her jump and she let go of the little girl. After taking a few dramatic deep breaths Savannah got up on her knees and hugged Skye around the neck, kissing her cheek. “I love you Mommy.” She said before she hopped down like nothing was unusual.

    Chase still had the phone in his hand and the conversation forgotten. Dominic was trying to tell him that he was on his way over and they would figure this all out yet Chase never heard the last words Dominic said because he was too focused on Savannah as she strode from the room. Just before she reached the door she stopped and turned to face her mother. Her little smile lit up the room.

    “Don’t worry mommy, she can’t hurt you unless you’re sad.” She said and skipped from the room.

     Skye sat dumbfounded on the edge of the bed and Chase could do nothing other than hang up the phone. He was pretty sure that Dominic was still talking but at this point couldn’t care less as he processed what had just happened. He knew that Dom would not approve of the abrupt cut off and yet it was the furthest thing from his mind.  Chase stood speechless and in awe of one so small that could have an answer to something none of them knew the answer to. He turned then to look at Skye who by now white as a sheet.

    “I am going fucking crazy…” Skye turned to face him and her eyes were wet with tears but there was no sobbing, no wailing just quiet tears streaming down her face. Wanting to go to her and wipe her tears away overwhelmed him, it was completely unexpected. His training had taught him how to put emotions aside and he did so with ease once he had a handle on the feelings stirring inside of him. Deciding to focus on something else he turned Savannah’s words over in his head and took the chance that she might be on to something. The song was familiar and he held on to that.

    He tapped his cell phone on his wrist, something he did out of habit when his brain was turning. Something came to mind; he stopped tapping and looked at her.

    “If you don’t mind me asking, what were you thinking about before you tranced out?”

    Chase had a feeling he already knew and his instincts were usually right on the button. For once he prayed that the answer wasn’t what he thought it was because grief is the hardest thing to fight. Skye looked up at him, her green eyes lined with silver as she fought back the tears. Clearing her throat she said what he knew in his heart to be true.

    Between muffled breaths she managed to work her lips. “Deacon.”

    As soon as the word was out of her mouth Skye was up and pacing, now almost frantic at what Savannah had said and what had happened. Feeling relieved that Chase was there could only calm her so much. She had felt him and so did Georgia the minute he touched her. That was when the Goddess slipped giving Skye moment she needed to grab hold of the surface, but the struggle was like wading through quicksand. Suppressing the feelings that she had was all she could do at the moment until she figured out what it all meant. More and more Georgia’s emotions were flowing freely through her and the only one of them without pain was curiosity and sometimes mild amusement.  Georgia had been caught off-guard a second time and Skye knew that would not so easily happen again.

    “So what now?” she asked, “Georgia picked up an image of Deacon out of my head and she almost had me!” She wrung her hands together in front of her so hard that they hurt leaving her some reality injected into the situation. Her fear was beating at her, nothing seemed real anymore and everything that kept her grounded felt so far away.

    Leaning up against the dresser Chase followed her pacing with his eyes trying to find something that would help her calm down and think straight. He was at a loss with her, wondering about the other versions of her and how similar they were but the time periods produced different women and reactions. Even though at her core she was the same Skye he had seen over and over again, she had been submissive and he never really had to get to know her, she was Deacons Charge and where Deacon was easy and instructive Chase was an Enforcer and for the most part a silent killer.

    Not husband material.

    “Ok, listen,” he started off and realized that there was no way that she was listening to him. He could sense the anxiety and panic overriding her senses. Skye kept pacing ignoring him until he stood up and stepped into her path. When she ran nose first into his chest she was startled, not expecting his body to be so…firm. Georgia scoffed inside her head and Skye realized through Georgia that his close proximity distracted her from being afraid. For a moment when Georgia found the way Skye reacted to him amusing in return she would calm down, especially when he was close but right now he felt way too close to her. Too close in the bedroom she shared with his cousin for many years.

    Gently he put his hands on her shoulders and she visibly relaxed and began to breathe normally. Without warning she wrapped her arms around him and started to cry, as each sob rocked through her he felt the pull towards her, protecting her and her family.

   …His family now.

Chapter 18 Part 3

                                                                    18-3

    Carol Anne was feeling more like herself. Her ribs were still sore but she could move around again. Robert was surprised when he called her that morning and she was up and about already but she had to thank the iron will she had suddenly acquired for that. She embraced the pain and continued her day to day chores. Going about her day, her plan was always on her mind to get away from Robert and yet she wondered why she hadn’t done so before. Now… she told herself that all she had to do was make it to her brother before Robert could find her or take the money and run.

   He had been a gentle man over the past few days, almost as if he truly regretted what he did to her but she wouldn’t buy it for one more second. If she fell into that trap again then she would never build up the courage to get out.

   He was doting on her now, bringing her flowers and little presents when he came home from work and finally once he started talking about the little antique shop in town that he loved so much. Carol Anne knew that she would have to finalize her plan to escape soon. If she could get access to her bank account before he went into the store she could be gone right then. Even if she had to hide in an alleyway until he went away and then she could get to the police station further into the city. She would buy cloths later and had already stashed some of her belongings deep in the treeline on the property that she could go back for later with her brother. She knew those woods like the back of her hand but the main thing was her getting away from him long enough to go back and retrieve the bag she stashed.

    Robert never went into the woods. From the first time he heard the wolves howling in the night and the low growls of the bears he refused to get close to them at night. Fortunately for Carrie Anne that was exactly what she needed because when she went back for her things it would be under the cover of darkness. He kept everything related to the accounts in a safe she had no access to and on him at all times. More than once it occurred to her that she could hit him and knock him out, but the fear of that not going as planned prevented her from trying it.

    Sitting alone in her sun room she mulled over what she needed to do, putting everything in place. What would happen if she couldn’t get access to her card? She would have to come back and try again. It was the only option because he was not getting her inheritance; she was not going to let that happen. It had occurred to her that she could call the bank and report the card lost or stolen but then she would have no access either until she receives a new one. Even then it would be sent to the house. She wished that there was someone that she could trust to help her. She wanted more than anything to call her brother but once he saw what Robert had done and would do to her again there would be no stopping him and Robert would be a dead man with her brother in a cell instead.

    That didn’t sit well with her on any level.

   Carol Anne stood up and paced back and forth in the sun room slowly so she didn’t agitate her injuries. Absently she gently touched the leaves of the various plants in the room feeling a sense of calm while her brain moved from one thought to the next. She had so much in her head and it took everything she had to wait and be patient. Robert normally would have been very eager to go to Odd and Ends and his patience was a shock as well. Carol Anne had met a couple of the women that worked there when they first started going to the little shop and they seemed nice enough but after Carol Anne talked to them a bit too long one day Robert decided she was best left in the park outside of the shop where he could see her from the window and he knew that she wouldn’t dare leave.

    She stopped moving and turned her attention to the window. Her eyes automatically found the tall old growth trees towards the back acres of the property. She focused on a small cluster of trees that hid the path into woods where she had her few things that she could risk taking waiting for her. Once she could get free and to a phone she could start her new life and the only thing that was causing her any grief was knowing that she would have to go far away because Robert would not stop until he found her.

    Deciding that she didn’t want to think about that, she kept telling herself as she resumed pacing the floor that she would be free soon and would never let anything or anyone ever hurt her again.

    The violence that Robert exhibited towards her made her wonder how it was possible that he had ever loved her in the first place and when everything had gone and changed. She shook her head and decided that she didn’t care anymore why or how it happened just that it had and she was done being a victim.

    Suddenly she heard a car coming up the gravel drive and rushed as much as she was able to the Foyer. One look at the security monitors mounted in the wall by the door and she could see that Robert was home. Knowing that he would take a few minutes to collect his things from the car she walked back to the sun room and sat down in the chaise pulling a blanket over her legs.

    She had done everything she could around the house even though he told her to rest and with his new demeanor she didn’t want to rock the boat by not keeping things the way he liked them. She heard the key turn in the lock and the door swish open. Two steps to the right beside the monitors she could hear the soft beeps as his fingers swiftly put in the pass-code to the alarm. His footsteps echoed as he went into the kitchen and put the bags he had on the counter.

    Holding her breath Carrie Anne wasn’t sure what persona was going to walk through the archway to her and when she heard his steps coming towards the sun room she put on her loving wife face. She was right not to breathe because when he rounded the corner and entered the room. In his arms there were lilies, pink, orange and white all large and fragrant filling the whole room up with their aroma.

    He knew that she loved them, they were her favourite flowers and something her would buy her on a regular basis when they first started dating. Even on their honeymoon he had filled the hotel room with flowers. But then he spoke the words that let her know exactly what kind of mood he was in.

    “Hello Angel…” He purred with a smile.

Chapter 17 Part 1

17-1

    When Skye’s eyes finally opened she was on the couch in the front room. Although she felt warm she felt something move down the side of her face, the trail of it gave her the slight itch and urge to wipe it away until she noticed something cool and damp on her forehead. Before she moved, she assessed her surroundings without turning her head, only using her ears. She felt a sense of unease as she briefly remembered her strange dream yet at the same time she wondered about the story she was told about herself and her repeated lives.

     Panic kicked in wildly inside her chest as soon as she thought that she might have lost her life again as she had been told she would. Skye’s body heated, she became flush and her breathing laboured trying to calm herself and think rationally.

    The brain in her head was trying to make sense of it all. She looked around the room and her logic kicked in telling her that she wouldn’t have remembered the story or the room she was in if that was what had happened. Relief crashed into her with a force that amazed her. As she tried to take long slow breaths, she lifted her hand to her forehead and saw it trembling, immediately she put it back down beside her and tried to lock down her emotions.  Concentrating on the fact that her head hurt, she winced at the pain as she tried to sit upright until she noticed that her cheek was tender and throbbing too. She quickly decided that giving up on moving was the best thing and she would just stay where she was. Deciding that it would be a good idea just to close her eyes again and sort through her thoughts calmly.

    Everything was quiet for the first few minutes. Skye lifted her now steady hand to her face and let out a low moan when she touched her sore cheek, it was then that she heard footsteps. Skye could barely see the doorway without straining her eyes even in the dim light. Slowly she turned her head towards the door but the pillow made her rethink that movement even as the soft cushion caused her face to howl at her. Blinking, the first person she saw step through the archway was Chase.

    “Great,” she mumbled clearly annoyed. “You’re still here?” When he merely shrugged, she chuckled softly and rubbed her cheekbone tenderly again as pain throbbed it reminding her to stop doing that. On some subconscious level she poked at her face because she was trying to put the pieces together. “I must have passed out and hit something.” She thought to herself.

    “What the hell happened to my face?” she said more to herself knowing that Chase wouldn’t say much if he said anything at all, but he surprised her when his answer rumbled out of him “You passed out.” He said simply. “Wow,” she thought to herself. “Has his voice always sounded like that?” His voice was smooth and musical in its soft cadence.

    “Oh…” she replied softly and let the conversation or lack of, drift off as she heard more footsteps coming towards the front room. Dominic rounded the corner with a strained smile on his sour face; he made his way over to her like a man on a mission stopped in front of her and put his hand on Chases shoulder while Maury and Cy came in close behind him. Cyrus saw that his mother was awake he stumbled over to her, knelt down and took the now cold cloth off of her forehead. She watched is face and noticed the sadness and worry in his eyes. Her heart broke especially when he wouldn’t look her in the eye; it was at that moment she knew without a doubt that something bad had happened.

    “Cyrus?” she hedged gently lifting his chin to look at her with her hand. “What happened?” His eyes shot to hers for no more than a second before he turned and pleaded silently with Chase. Chase rose to his full height but said nothing, only turning away from her and deferred all explanation to Maury with a jerk of his head. Skye figured that since he liked to talk the most it would best be coming from him anyway. Maury didn’t hesitate as he told Skye about the invasion of her mind from Georgia and how Chase had to shut her up once Georgia had found out that there were children in the game now. Hearing her life referred to as a game made Skye want to scream, instead she listened intently remembering her odd dream.

    It didn’t take Maury long to recap for her and after wrestling with the chaos going on inside of her, all Skye could do was shake her head in what she wished was disbelief but then returned the favour of telling them about the “dream” she thought that she was having when she had been able to talk Georgia face to face.

    Once she finished her story the three men in front of her looked at one another clearly not knowing where to go from here. The less they spoke the more nervous she became. “How do I stop her from taking over my life?” The question was asked like it was no more than slight inconvenience that they could get around. Dominic ran his fingers roughly through his short hair. “I’m not sure,” he said with a growl, clearly exasperated with how things were going. “We’ll have to look through all of the journals and books that we have in possession, we might have to send out word to some of the others and see what we can do.” Skye bristled at the word others.

    “There are more of you?” she questioned in more disbelief. Dom looked to Chase who again shrugged. “Really, for the ones that are supposed to have all of the answers, you sure don’t talk a whole hell of a lot.” Before Chase shrugged again Skye held her hand up palm out to stop him. “Don’t bother big man, if you shrug one more time I might have to come over there and repay the favour you gave my face.” The blush that bloomed across Chase’s face was a complementing shade that set off his strawberry blond hair.

   In an attempt to save Chase the embarrassment that he never usually suffered Dominic answered Sky’s question. “Yes there are,” he paused, stilling himself, he noticed something was wrong. Skye could see it on his face. His eyebrows lowered, nostrils flared and a growl escaped his lips while looked out the door to the foyer, just now noticing that Gertie was gone and had been for some time.

“Where’s the witch?”

Chapter 16 Part 1

    In the dark… yet again… Skye felt light as a cloud. When she opened her eyes the first thing she noticed was the dense fog in front of her briefly panicking before she quickly came to a logical realization that she must be sleeping. With a slow groggy shift she reached out in front of her to feel for a wall and stopped when she could barely make out the shape of her hands or fingers in the mist. She wiggled her digits just to be sure that something was normal and when her eyes drifted down to her feet, she realized she couldn’t feel the ground let alone see it.

    She wiggled her toes and felt nothing like her pain receptors were on the fritz. Her eyes went everywhere trying to make out some kind of familiarity, something to grasp onto in this dream that she had no idea of what was in store for her. Her heart began to pound in her chest as the panic started to build up, her lungs were burning and breathing got harder. That’s when she noticed that she wasn’t breathing but instead holding her breath, not  that she needed to breathe in her dream but that moment of clarity could stop her from going through the freak out she was having.

    Laughter bubbled up from what she thought would be the corner of the room if it had walls and the evil tones swam in circles around her. Skye stepped in the initial direction that the sound had come from, something telling her to go that way even though the sense of a warning was telling her to run away…fast. Her feet didn’t seem to be touching the floor and she moved with no effort at all, almost gliding. As she got closer to the laughter it began to falter and then stopped abruptly. Moving forward, the fog began to lift and clear until she saw two chairs sitting opposite each other, on the edges of an ornate golden rug. At first they looked like simple wooden dining chairs with the padded cushions and she made a face at how 80’s they looked. Once the thought was in her head they slowly warped and changed into a couple of cushy leather Lazy Boy’s.

    “Have a seat…” Skye heard echoed from behind her and she didn’t hesitate, she spun around ready to defend herself. When she noticed nothing behind her she shook of the sense of foreboding and stepped around the chair. For all of the intense feelings though she wasn’t scared because she knew this was a dream and she was not going to wake herself up. She would stay and wake up naturally while hopefully satisfying her sense of curiosity. Already having accepted the weirdness that was going on, it felt easier in a way not to question what was happening to her but to go with it and see where it led her. It seemed not to mess with her head as much. She moved herself over and sat down, scooting her rear end all the way back and placed her hands in her lap while she waited for god knew what.

    As if reading her mind the disembodied voice was all around her again. “God?” it questioned “God has nothing to do with me.” Skye rolled her eyes; she knew that this was just posturing somehow.

    Resigned to waiting patiently for what seemed like forever, she finally caught movement across from her heading in her direction. Brief flashes of colour in-between the wisps of fog that still skirted the outer edges of the chairs caught her gaze as the flow of a deep purple gown with gold sequins criss-crossing across the bodice of the strapless fabric moved like a calm slow running stream as the goddess in question stepped forward. At first Skye was taken by surprise because the face staring back at her was her own, the only difference besides the way she dressed was that her hair was swept up away from her face and held in place by golden combs and ribbons.

    Skye felt the power coming off of her and swallowed hard. “So to what do I owe this pleasure?” She said in a voice that surprised her at being strong. That was when she realized that this was no dream. That this was going to be another person/soul trying to make her do something she didn’t want to do. Trying to keep her composure was tough and fear was not what was driving her emotions at all despite everything she was scared of, it was the frustration of feeling like she was being toyed with and commanded. Even though she didn’t know exactly what was going on right now in this moment, she was well aware now that this was not a dream cooked up by the stories that Dom and Maury had told her. This unrealistic vision for all intents and purposes felt very real in the marrow of her bones and she knew now beyond a shadow of a doubt while she looked into her own face that she was going to have a fight on her hands because she wasn’t going anywhere.

    Georgia looked over Skye with a cynical eye as she came and sat down in the chair opposite her. She fussed lovingly with the skirt of her dress until it fanned out and revealed the golden sandals on her feet. “We meet for the first time Skye, officially.” There was no shock at seeing her own face across from her in humble clothes because she knew what the score was. She knew all about Skye in the way that she was fully aware of. Soul swapping was always part of the progression and if she could only stop the Guardians from taking it upon themselves the dispose of her whenever they disliked her methods her soul would have more time in their shared body, and even though the having children situation was a cold blast in the face, she had recovered and already had her wheels turning that the Guardians could take care of them once she reclaimed what was hers. She could feel Skye though, her discontent as well as her strength. The energy pulsating out of her body in waves was completely full of displeasure.

    Georgia continued to play with the material of her skirt twirling the edge between her fingers while she looked Skye in the eye wondering how this encounter was going to progress. She quickly decided that there was only one way this was going to go. “You know it’s my time, correct?” she paused only for effect to make it look like she was giving Skye a chance to speak but when nothing came from her she shrugged and continued, “This is my body, first and foremost…it is mine.”  Georgia crossed her legs at the ankles and sat calmly as she waited for a response from her mirror image.

    She watched as Skye sat forward until she was on the edge of the leather chair and rested her elbows on her knees with her wrists crossed while she looked Georgia up and down. She knew where Skye’s thoughts were and at one point she was noting how insane it was that she was looking at a carbon copy of herself dressed like a Greek goddess and now…well now she was getting very angry. Georgia smiled in spite of herself, just waiting for Skye to concede at then she felt the shift from anger to clarity and relief.

    Skye while trying to keep everything in check in her brain was just about to lose her mind when the thought struck her that in fact, she had the upper hand. She had heard what was said about the incantation and without her saying it there was no way out for the woman in front of her unless…

   She would have to figure out if only she had to say it or if anyone could. All that swam around in her mind was hope that this was true and seeing as it had never happened before that it was possible. With the knowledge she had right now if it turns out that she might have the power to keep Georgia right where she was then she would do whatever she had to, except that Georgia had already punched her way through once already and clearly had no real control over how long she stayed in possession of their shared space but could probably do considerable damage in the time she had it.

   Now was her chance to assess the goddess carefully. “Can I ask you something?”

   Georgia frowned, “I’m not usually one to answer questions.”

    “Humour me then. I mean it’s the least you can do since you want me to vacate the premises right?”

    Georgia seemed to think about that and decide she had nothing to lose.

    “What did you do?” Skye’s eyes roamed the fog before settling back on Georgia’s face. “What did you do to be cursed to half an existence and does that mean I’m not real?”

    Georgia fiddled with her skirting again but didn’t answer, her lips were pressed tightly together and her brows low as she seemed to be remembering the past and not looking happy about it at all. When she did look at Skye again there was confusion and a hint of fear. Georgia stood quickly and with grace before Skye noticed that her hands that were still crossed at the wrists were fading, fast. Georgia was up and running towards her but she wasn’t fast enough, by the time she got to the other Lazy Boy… Skye was gone.

Chapter 13 Part 2

   Chase woke up ragged, drowsy and full of piss and vinegar to the sound of pounding on the door of his suite. As his eyes opened and focused, he swung his thick thighs over the side of the bed planting his feet on the cold laminate floor. Without looking at the clock he knew it was early, too early.

The pounding came again. “Hey big guy, You up?” the voice penetrating the tired haze.

    Chase knew buy the smell of the Brut 33 that was burning his nasal cavities that it was Maury. What he didn’t know was why he was waking him up now. After a long conversation with Dominic about the events last night at Skye’s, he had only about 3 hours of sleep. Usually with the ongoing revelation and acceptance of the mind and body sharing that Skye had to go through there was typically a lot more screaming, crying and hand holding on the packs part. This time though it was different and they had wondered how she was going to take it when she came across that retched soul again.

She had surprised them all.

    She was much calmer than expected and that must have been because of her kids. Her children were the thing that kept her stable right now, but for how long. She couldn’t hold out forever and Chase knew that, so did Dom but they were in new territory here. Kids were the addition that no one counted on and for 16 years now they had been waiting for the other shoe to drop and now it had, they had no fucking clue what to do.

    Again Maury pounded on the door and Chase let out a low growl. “Chase we gotta go, Skye got in touch with Dom and the Caretaker is in her house.”

    Chase’s head whipped around and in two strides he threw open the door. “She’s in her house?” Maury dipped his head in a quick nod. “How? How did she find her?” Maury shrugged “You know those Caretakers; the vessels they take care of are like a homing beacon. She must have followed it.”

    Chase ran his hand roughly through his thick strawberry blond hair “Ok, I’m on it. Be down in 5.” Maury didn’t wait around just turned and headed down the back stairs to bring the car around. While he threw on his jeans and black t-shirt over his 6 foot 2 muscular frame Chase wondered again how this was going to play out.  Never since he had been around had a Caretaker made any contact with living body of their Mistress except to hand over the vessel.

    Lack of sleep and too many questions made his head spin but as he pulled on his boots he got himself together and became the hard second in command that he was known to be as he put brass knuckles in the pocket of his leather jacket and a 9 mm in his holster in the back of his jeans he stretched his neck. The series of pops up the back of his neck told him he was ready. Dealing with the wicked witch could be a problem.

    When he came out of his room he took a deep breath before he went over and hit the elevator button. He lived in one of only 3 suites on the top floor of the motel behind the Pawn shop. The other 2 belong to Dominic and Deacon. Deacon had only used the suite when Skye was in her other form because the other would have nothing to do with him so it was always on standby. Although on the outside the motel looked run down and bad side of town wrong on the outside, inside it was completely modern with the best security they had access to.

    Not only were there video cameras in the hallways and the elevator. The front door was reinforced with steel doors that were covered with wood and aged to look old. All of the windows were bulletproof and there was an escape tunnel underneath the motel just in case something went terribly wrong. At the front desk is where their in house security team Bass and Tank were parked with 6 computer screens in front of them and on each screen there were 4 split views so they could see everything and anything within a 5 block radius of where they sat.

    Dom’s pawn business was a cover for his real ones and none of them were legal. The pack was tough but bullets still hurt like hell when one of them got shot, steel pipes left bruises if they got hit and they didn’t always deal with the stand-up honorable types. Forget always it was never. They didn’t make a habit of killing humans but putting them in the hospital was not a problem, breaking things was common practice and every now and then someone died.

    The elevator doors finally opened and after the quick ride down 2 floors he was standing in front of Dom who was talking to Tank. Chase stepped up to his Pack leader and took up space just behind and off to the right of him. Dom lifted a chin to him and Chase returned it with a nod. “You ready?” Dominic asked. Chase said nothing as the doors opened and Dom led the way.