Skye's Arrival

Chapter Twenty-One

Gerrickson walks in silence as I hear Dawn and Rafi yelling at each other in the background. I wonder what their problems are. Dawn likes Rafi enough, and I’ve never seen Rafi so rude towards someone before.

“Those two are acting like two spoiled kids fighting over a ball.” Gerrickson mutters. “Forget the other two people here.” He mumbles as he sets me down after a long time of walking. I’m on something soft, and the scent reminds me of Gerrickson. “Now stay here, I’m going to pack up the camp. The faster we leave, the safer we’ll be.”

In the meantime during my colorful duration of paralysis, I just watched the colors as I listened to my surroundings. Most of it was the sounds of packing up the camp. Gerrickson mutters something under his breath when we can still hear Dawn and Rafi going at it.

“I’m just going to get the horses, so if you hear silence, please don’t panic.” Gerrickson warns me. I’m honestly okay with this. It gives me a chance to try to hear Dawn and Rafi. I can’t make out much, but I believe I heard the words “jealous pig.”

“Alright, I’m entering the camp with the horses.” Gerrickson calls to me as I hear his approach. I feel like he’s done this before, or has been in a similar predicament. Either way, it’s appreciated.

“What is wrong with those two,” he asks as he goes to pick me up. “Sorry Skye, I have to move you. The last thing I need to pack up is that bedroll you’re laying on.” He tells me, setting me so I’m resting against what feels like a tree.

“Alright, everyone is saddled and ready to go,” he tells me. “Okay, maybe if I tie each of the horses reins to the other’s saddle horn, I can get us moving. You’re still too limp to ride by yourself.” I can hear him shuffling around, and I assume he’s doing exactly what he said he would be doing.

“Alright, I’m going to pick you up, and saddle you with me.” Gerrickson warns me. I appreciate him telling me when he’s actually going to touch me. It gives me time to prepare myself mentally, and still the little panic jolt I get when someone touches me when I’m like this.

After he picks me up, I feel him place me onto a saddle. He swings up behind me, and then rearranges me so he can safely lean me up against him, but still keep me secure on the saddle.

“Alright, we’re going to start moving. Don’t worry though, I got you.” He informs me just before motioning for the horses to get moving. “Now lets go get the children,” he tells me with a sarcastic edge in his tone. He’s not wrong. They’re acting like children.

“She’s had enough heartbreak to last an eternity,” Dawn screeches as we grow closer. “That man abused her. You shouldn’t have even left a chance for her to go through that again. I can’t believe you left her behind.”

“We only left her behind because we heard Koan approaching.” Rafi says, defending himself. “If we had stayed, Koan would have found us. We tried calling you for help, but you didn’t answer. What the hell were you doing?”

“The only one that can call me, is Skye. She has to do it through her spirit. I’m in a stone, not a library. Sound does not travel to me. If you really want to summon me, tap on the damn thing. I can feel when her hand touches something, and that’s pretty much it. I can’t feel her anymore, or hear her. We can no longer have our internal talks. Do you know how devastating that loss is to me? And she’s out here talking to you? Why is she talking to you?”

“Because I can calm her when she’s scared. She told me two ingredients, that is it. Why don’t you ask her yourself?”

“Because that girl has more to worry about than me. I’m here to protect her, not you.”

“Will you two just shove it?” Gerrickson asks, clearly upset. “You both can protect her. She’s going to need more than just either of you to keep her safe. Have you seen Koan? I know you both are strong demons by yourselves, but you look like newborns compared to him. Why don’t you two try working together for once.”

“Where the hell did you come from?” Dawn demands.

“Camp originally,” Gerrickson answers. “Someone had to pack up and get moving before Koan sends his army to find us. Or did you forget that little detail?”

“Shit,” Rafi hisses. “Dawn, we’ll talk more later.”

“No Gerrickson is right,” Dawn says quickly. “Skye,” she starts, touching me. “I’m going to return to the stone. If you need anything call me immediately. I’m sorry if I missed any calls earlier. I can only hear you in there when you’re calling to me in your mind. It’s built pretty solid in there.”

On the bright side of being stardazed, I can’t feel unstable when she returns to the stone. At least the colors are pretty here. Though, after staring at the same thing for three months, I’m kind of over it.

“Okay, I’m saddled and ready to go. Hand Skye over to me, and I’ll take over.” Rafi instructs.

“Psh, like I’m going to hand her over to what has to be the bloodiest man on the planet right now.” Gerrickson urges his horse to start moving. “Besides, she’s settled and we’re ready to go. After the quarrel you and Dawn had, I’d rather you cool off too. Did you know that we could hear you two at the campsite? That’s a mile away. What is wrong with you two?”

“She’s jealous, I’m jealous, we’re both beyond exhausted, it’s a whole thing. Now where are we going anyway?”

“I thought you knew.”

“Why on earth would I know that?”

“You talk to her. I’ve barely been able to get in a few conversations with her. You’re the one that can calm her down when she’s having nightmares, and she told you what she needed here.”

“Only because she was half asleep,” Rafi retorts, sounding annoyed. “Let’s just get far from here, and we can ask her when she’s not in a damn trance.”

“You sound pretty pissed about that.” Gerrickson comments. I’ll admit he’s right about that. Rafi’s anger sounds more internal than external.

“I promised Skye I’d keep her safe. Now she has another fucking bite mark from my brother. Look at her. She’s stardazed once again. The girl can’t do anything but just watch colors. I failed to protect her. Dawn had to be the one that saved her, not me.”

“You act like that’s a bad thing.” Gerrickson says quickly. “Dawn was the one to save her, but you’re the one that was able to keep Koan from running off with her. You fought with him for twenty minutes before Skye showed up. I’m the one that basically told them the whole plan.”

“You didn’t know she was Adam,” Rafi says, trying to smooth him over. “You didn’t know what he could do.”

“I actually did. Skye told me who he is and what he can do. I just didn’t notice the change in her. He pretended to be her while asking me why we were here to pretend she was checking for a concussion. Why the hell would Skye care about that when that dead piece of her past is so close to us? I didn’t even think about that. She told me he was good, and you had to notice the little things to spot his tricks.”

“When did Skye deal with Adam when he was shapeshifting?”

Gerrickson stiffens. “You don’t know?”

“No, I don’t.” Rafi sounds confused, unsure how to respond to his question.

“Skye was the one to notice that Adam was pretending to be you when he had captured you.”

Rafi falls silent. “How did she know?”

“She said she had walked into a room and said it wasn’t you. She said you weren’t teasing Ada, and that isn’t your style. That’s a direct quote.”

“Ada said she was the one to notice.” Rafi says, his voice low. “But it never fit. Ada was defending him when I was found. It wasn’t until she physically saw me that she relented and said she had been pretending. Skye was there, but she was with Koan. Why didn’t she tell me?”

“If Koan is this possessive of her now, I doubt he was much better back then. She probably didn’t want to risk making him jealous.” Gerrickson suggests, sounding somewhat unsure. “At least, that’s what I would do in that type of relationship. Let someone else take the glory to hide from something worse.”

Rafi chuckles. “She always seemed to know me back then.”

“It seems like you two were really good friends.”

“Very good friends,” Rafi’s voice sounds off in his response, and I can’t put my finger quite on the reason why.

“So why were you and Dawn going at it so much? The real reason.”

“That’s not something I want to discuss Ger.”

“It’s been days of this. Ever since Skye woke up after vanquishing Esmeralda. What is with you two?”

“Dawn is just a little protective of Skye, that’s all. She doesn’t like that Skye’s getting hurt, and she hates that she can’t help more, okay? Skye has been through hell, and it would be best for her to spend the duration of this war in an underground bunker to get away from Koan, but she can’t. The only one who can stop Koan is Skye, but the only one that can finish his plans is Skye. Staying idle is not an option for her, and Dawn is not happy about it. It’s also a big change for her right now. Just let it go.”