Chapter 37: Lurking
It hadn’t been easy for Jacob Fowler to sneak into Moonstone Castle undetected. The guards and servants were everywhere, in preparation for the royal wedding. He’d left the courtyard gate open in the guest quarters he’d stayed in, giving him easy means of entrance. The getting around part had been harder. He’d needed to duck into the servant’s quarters once, scaring one of the young female servants.
Jacob had played stupid. Saying he’d gotten ‘turned around’ while coming back from his guest quarters. The young lass was smitten within moments due to his good looks and flirtatious manner. She’d happily reopened the door and sent him on his way. Paying no mind to the direction in which he was heading.
Jacob had slipped into Skye’s room and slid under her bed. He’d only needed to wait about fifteen minutes or so before his targets and that bitch of a servant had showed up. When Jacob had heard the old woman say she needed to run back and get something, he couldn’t believe his luck. As soon as he’d felt Skye sit down after shutting the door, he’d begun to inch out from underneath the bed, to the side closest to her closet. When he’d heard her say ‘Come on out’ to someone, he knew that she must’ve been speaking to the fairy.
Jacob sprang to his feet and jumped off hard enough so that his knees landed in the middle of the bed. He quickly bagged up the wee fairy, and smacked the sack off of Skye’s headboard; rendering her unconscious. Skye had gasped when she’d seen him, and it brought a huge, conniving smile to his handsome face. To Jacob, she was even more beautiful in her fear.. And he would have her screaming in it by tonight.
Skye was reeling from Jacob’s appearance. ‘The sick bastard must’ve been hidin’ under me bed! Ugh! So bloody creepy! And that Son of a Bitch Hurt Maevis!’ Skye’s inner thoughts began to run rampant as her fear changed and escalated to fury.
Jacob looked at her like the lass was a new toy that was still wrapped. The glint in his eye let Skye know just how badly he wanted to tear her apart, and in more than one way. The two stared at each other down as Skye began to tap into the power within. As she took her hand from her mouth and put it back down to her side, Jacob chuckled.
“Good.. Ima normally not a fan of intelligent women, but yer makin’ things easier on both of us by not screamin’ out.. And it means yer wee friend here can remain unharmed as well,” Jacob sneered as he’d spoken.
.....
“Ye mean harmed no more than she already has been?!” Skye said sarcastically.
The sarcasm was lost on the fool as he tapped the side of his head with his finger as he replied: “See.. Smart.”
“Now, come over here and let’s be off. If anyone asks ye what we’re doin’, ye will say that ye did not want the prince after ye met and fell in love with Me. That ye be runnin’ away with me. And to not to tell anyone,” Jacob puffed out his chest like he’d won some imaginary game against Tidas.
Skye scoffed out loud at the brute. She crossed her arms over her chest, gave him an incredulous look, and mimicked fear-fueled defiance. He needed to believe she was still afraid of him, or at least the situation. Skye needed to stall him, but the idea of doing it in a seductive manner made her want to vomit. And her fear seemed to be having a similar affect, anyway.. Which creeped her out more.
An image of Felicia’s face popped into her mind’s eye. It was beyond sick to her that he found pleasure in causing anguish. Skye thought about how many more Felicias there must be, but weren’t saved. Just bones on the side of the road now. Like he had intended the young servant lass to become.
Skye felt her magic reaching out to water that was nearby. The bath tub inside her closet was still full. She readied the connection to the water while Jacob stared at her breasts. He had been looking her up and down since his last comment, waiting for Skye to come to him.
Her outward appearance was that of a timid rabbit, or so Jacob thought. He wasn’t looking at her eyes.. If he had, Skye’s intentions would’ve been very clear. Her rage seethed from her, but Jacob was too caught up in his own plottings and fantasies to notice. As she built her water magic, she also focused on Maevis.
Knowing that her Fae friend would need some kind of healing as well, Skye focused on the warmth in her heart for Maevis. In doing so, her Shaman trait activated and began to build. Controlling both was difficult, but her will and mind were focused. First and foremost; Maevis needed to be rescued. Second: Jacob Fowler needed to die.
It was an unsettling thought to her, how quickly she’d decided.. But in Skye’s eye’s, he was just like the man who tried to take her from the market when she was a child. Taking and breaking whatever he wanted, just because he could. Felicia was just Jacob’s latest victim. Skye didn’t know for sure if he had done it to anyone else. Based on what she’d seen; from the poor lass in the next room, to how he looked at her now.. It all screamed ‘experienced monster’.
“Well? Are ye comin’ with me willingly, or do I need to snap a wing? I really don’t want to, it’ll just drive her price down. Damaged goods and all that..” Jacob had held up the sack that contained Maevis.
Skye swallowed audibly, adding to Jacob’s excitement. She took a shaky breath before asking; “Yer gonna sell her?! Why? Who would want to buy a fairy?!”
Jacob laughed at Skye loudly before replying; “Oh, me honey... People buy people all the time. I know: I sell them. Everything from humans to beast men. Women, children... Whatever the client fancies.”
“A fairy is exceptionally rare. I know a few people that would love to buy her, “Jacob began to walk towards Skye slowly as he continued: “Some, just so they could pick her apart to see how she works..”
Jacob was about three feet from Skye, with her back up against the wall. Earlier, she’d allowed her rage to fuel her. But now, looking about her room; Skye realized it was exactly like one of her nightmares. One where Jacob strangled her to death. Real fear crept into her heart, disrupting the flow of magic she’d built up. It expanded and twisted, making Skye feel like her heart might burst; just like in the woods.
Jacob was now a foot away from Skye as she gripped at her chest due to the pain. The arrogant bastard thought it was fear of him that caused her panic. In a very small way, he was right. But it was more about what her life with him would’ve meant for her, had they married: death.
Everything Skye was would’ve been stripped from her. Jacob would’ve locked her away and used her however he would’ve seen fit, and whenever he would’ve wanted. Running away or fighting back would’ve been pointless and painful. Skye knew she would’ve killed herself long before she would’ve ever brought a child into that kind of life. Now the very life Skye thought she’d escaped was now reaching out for her through Jacob’s brutish hand. Trying to drag her back..
An earthy smell invaded Skye’s nostrils, just like when she and Maevis had created the hot spring. Her legs felt heavy, and her mind began to fill with information on the minerals around her. Everything Skye needed to know about the elements that made up the ground she walked on crammed into her mind. It nearly overwhelmed her with the sheer amount of information.
Jacob had taken a few nervous steps back when Skye’s eyes had started to glow and the ground shook for a solid ten seconds. Her gate had changed drastically within moments of him getting closer. Fear traversed his features, but was quickly replaced with a hostile grin. He laughed nervously before stating, “I know yer a Shaman, Skye.. Tis a passive magic, and not one for me to fear.”
Skye smirked at Jacob, causing him to lose his smile. He was getting annoyed with how long it was taking to get her out the damn door. He knew she was scared of him, he just needed to remind her of why. If the threat of hurting her wee friend wasn’t enough, maybe a little demonstration was needed. He scoffed at Skye’s attempt to intimidate him before resuming his jerk smirk.
Jacob quickly reached inside the sack to pull forth Maevis. When her limp body was displayed to Skye, her rage overcame her irrationalities. She clenched her teeth and squared her shoulders to face Jacob head on. The glow in her eyes slowly faded as she regained control over her magic.
Taking ahold of the torrent in her heart, Skye channeled it down to her feet. She focused on the composition of the ground underneath the white marble slabs at Jacob’s heels. Her idea was to make a pitfall, but it would only work if he stayed still. As much as Skye didn’t want to, she would have to get closer to Jacob. To keep him in place and grab Maevis.
Deciding the timid approach would be best, Skye slumped her shoulders slightly while placing her hands on her arms, like she was chilled. This gave the impression of her being scared while pushing her breasts up in a provocative manner. Jacob had taken her actions the exact way Skye had wanted him to. He put Maevis back into the sack he held with his right hand, and extended his left hand to her with another cocky grin.
Skye looked down at the floor, then back up at Jacob. She gave a fake, sad-sounding sigh, as if she’d been defeated. Continuing to milk it, she slowly reached her hand out towards his. He snatched Skye’s hand and yanked her against his chest as he wrapped his arms about her. She was so short and small compared to him. The sack Maevis was in hung next to her right arm; against her left hand’s fingertips. She’d kept her dominant arm tucked in on purpose. She now used it to prop up her breasts more, keeping her left hand positioned next to the bottom of the sack. Her right hand laid near the top of his left shoulder.
Jacob looked down at the beautiful woman that was finally going to be his. Her citrusy floral smell filled his nose as her beauty clouded his other senses. He smirked at Skye again before burying his face into the side of her head and hair. He inhaled deeply, causing Skye to shiver in disgust.
Jacob straightened back up and sneered at Skye before saying: “I can’t wait to show ye how a real man treats a woman...”