Bound Book 2

Chapter 38 - Explanations

Skylar

I felt bad for Mira. We were here at her villa, a day after her wedding, making her dredge up memories that were harder for her to explore than I think we knew. She was tough but the kind of tough that she was made of came at a cost.

We are all sitting quietly at the table, silently mulling over what Mira has said while she tries to compose herself. She is looking away, almost embarrassed about her tears while Andrea moves his body to shield her, gently whispering in her ear. The arrogance I saw on the stage yesterday nowhere to be seen.

After some time Andrea straightens up, Mira's now more composed features facing us.

"So much for not crying," she says, smiling at us.

Ally gently grasps her hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

"I really appreciate you telling us all of this. I don't imagine it was easy for you," I say to Mira, giving her a small smile which she returns.

"That's the bulk of it. After the accident, hunters followed some other leads to find the chosen one but they were all dead ends. Left my father bitter as he never was able to take over as head of The Guardians. Something that festered inside him for years." Mira's tone holds disappointment. I think of what her father had become.

"It was only when you moved to Willow Falls that you once again appeared on the hunter's radar. We were trying to infiltrate the Silver Wood Pack. Their land is right next to one of our headquarters in that area. Well, one that was in that area. Some witch or warlock wiped out that whole headquarter one night and released over one thousand supernaturals while capturing the same amount of hunters. It was one of our biggest blows to The Guardians to date, " Mira says, looking from me to Dmitri.

"Alpha Jacobson's pack," Dmitri says, his face skewing in disgust. I would have to ask him about that later. He clearly disliked that Alpha.

"Yes, that's the one. Before that, while our surveillance guys were watching him, he received a report from the sheriff of a new resident in the town. None other than Skylar Morgan. The girl from Maine all those years ago. My father didn't believe in coincidences. He had some of his guys follow you. They could never get close enough. Jacobson was onto the hunters in the area and then when Dmitri came onto the scene everything changed. It was impossible to get near you." Mira's words have my eyes drifting over to Dmitri.

If it wasn't for him, would I even be sitting here right now? The question causes a shiver to run down my spine. Part of me was glad I didn't know this news sooner. I didn't want a sense of feeling indebted to Dmitri prompting my feelings, especially in the absence of my memories during the time we were together. At least this way I knew my feelings stemmed from a place that was real. Feelings that were growing the more time I spent in his company. It was at this moment that I fully comprehended how I had fallen in love with Dmitri before. At this realization, I open my imaginary tap, allowing my feelings to flow down our bond. It is like watching a flower as it follows the sun in the morning, unfurling in its presence. The smile on his face spreads as he turns his head, beautiful green eyes looking at me, as he quirks his head to the side. The sun needing the flower as much as the flower needs the sun.

The moment is broken as Andrea clears his throat. I whip my head around, embarrassment flooding me as I look at the smiling faces around me. The blush on my face is fierce knowing that the moment I had with Dmitri was intimate and intense, while at a table full of people.

"I know the feeling. It was the same after Andrea marked me," Mira says laughing as she grabs hold of Andrea's hand.

"Enough of this mush," Raina says, as Ally swats her hand playfully. She was as soft about Ally so she had no leg to stand on. She just wouldn't admit it.

"Back to the story then. So we know that either Chris or Gael cursed you when you were eight," Raina says, breaking the lighthearted moment from seconds ago. "That's why you couldn't remember anything. That must have been when your parents ask one of them to hide the marks of the chosen on your wrist."

"Chris? Why Chris?" I ask, confused. From what I was told I stayed with him for a year. He even professed to love me.

"He was a powerful warlock that could teleport two people at once and had the ability to mask and even alter scents. He was also much older than you Sky, it's absolutely possible he was around when you were younger." Raina is frowning as if she cannot understand my reluctance at believing Chris would curse me. Would he? I start wondering as I look at the faces around me. Ally is looking at me with pity, a similar expression on Andreas' face.

"But he said he loved me." This is the only response I can furnish. It sounds naïve and immature but I can't understand how someone can do that if they say they love someone.

"Over time perhaps. But if it was him then he met you when you were eight. He didn't know you enough to love you. Maybe he didn't even know about the Legend. If he did then he would maybe not have cursed you. The curse caster and creator are not always the same people. Selinah for all we know could have created the curse as she knew about the Legend. She was widely known as one of the best curse composers of our time." Raina's words come out so matter of fact that it annoys me. She forgets I know nothing about any of this. All this supernatural stuff is quite new for me.

"If you looked at it differently you could say he saved you. If it wasn't for him hiding your true marks, you would have been killed by Mira's father." All I can do is look at her in bewilderment as I try and make sense of what she is saying. It doesn't help that I can't remember the time between meeting Dmitri and Dmitri marking me. All of my experiences with Chris are locked in that timeframe.

"It's all speculation Sky. He is dead so we will never know. But we looked into his death. The way his body was drained...its was dark magic. His powers were absorbed. We can all assume who did it..." Raina says ominously as she looks around.

Gael. It can only be.

The nausea I felt earlier has returned, threatening to spill the contents of my stomach.

Dmitri, thankfully, senses my turmoil.

"I think that's enough for now," Dmitri says, his hand finding mine under the table.

It was too much. All of it. I needed time to process everything. It wasn't just what Mira had said but Raina too. The betrayal I felt sat heavy in my chest. If people could say they love you but still do something so terrible then what did love even mean? It happened with Ben keeping secrets from me. Even my aunt and uncle. Now Chris. All lies.

My eyes focus on the hand holding mine. My gaze meets Dmitris as I suddenly wonder if he is hiding anything from me. All too soon the spotlight changes as I'm overcome with guilt, realizing the hypocrisy of it all. Was I not doing the same thing by concealing the page that my parents left for me in the lockbox? The very piece of paper all of this was about.

I look up at Dmitri, and then around at everyone at the table.

"I'm so sorry. I should have told you sooner," I say, bracing for what they might say.

"What Skylar?" Dmitri asks, his hand still holding mine.

"The Legend. The page from Elsabeths book," I hesitate as I look up at Dmitri, his expression expectant as he waits for me to continue.

"I have it."

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