Celestra Forever After (34 page)

Skyla

The sky tosses and turns in a constant state of unrest as the fog swims through the Paragon West End Mall. I’ve spent the last few hours with Bree and Giselle trekking through all our favorite haunts. It really stinks not having any money to spend. I’m trying to save every last dime to help Gage and I get on our feet. Of course, Giselle has kindly offered to pay for whatever we want, but there’s no way I’m taking even the tiniest handout from the Counts. Bree, however, managed to score a butter-soft, oversized tote from the Banana Republic. She claims she could use it as a diaper bag, but I think it would look a lot nicer with my books in it.

To say Giselle enjoys the fringe benefits of being a Kragger is a grave understatement. Giselle’s new superpower involves an American Express Black Card. She can swipe with the best of them. Turns out Big Daddy K doesn’t give a flying rip how much green his little princess can burn through. On the upside, the economy on the island is booming.

“Let’s take a seat.” I’m so exhausted my thighs burn from the unexpected workout. I navigate us toward an empty table and give a weak smile because it just so happens to be the very same table where Gage once told me I’d marry him someday. Of course, I didn’t believe him back then. In fact, if I remember correctly, I was slightly pissed at the implication. But, nevertheless, his prophecy skills proved ninja-like once again. “I think we’ve hit every store twice,” I lament.

“Not The Naughty Hawty.” Brielle gets a wicked gleam in her eye at the mention of her favorite one-stop shopping for all things G-string.

“No way,” I protest. “There’s nothing in there Giselle needs to see. You either for that matter,” I mutter that last part under my breath. God forbid she and Drake add another diaper dweller to the nursery residing in my mother’s bedroom.

“The Naughty Hawty sounds fun.” Giselle inverts a smile, and her dimples dig in deep just like her brother’s. “You don’t have to shield me from life, Skyla. I know more than you think.”

I take a breath and hold it. Freaking Ellis.

“Like what?” I probe. I’ve never seen Ellis do more than make out with Giselle, and even then it looked rather tame.

“Ellis wants to do it with me.” She says
do it
as if it’s a foreign concept to her—and it
so
had better be.

“Do what?” Brielle looks genuinely mystified by what
it
might be.

“Sex, Bree.” I flat line while staring down my newly minted sister-in-law. She’s so innocent she has no clue what Ellis has in store for her. “And the answer is no, Giselle. You need to tell Ellis to back off and take a cold shower.”

“A cold shower?” She shrinks in her seat. “That sounds uncomfortable.”

“Really? Because he wants to make
you
uncomfortable—very uncomfortable.” My girl parts still cringe at the burning sensation that hit home the day after Gage and I did
it
for the very first time. It’s safe to say Gage was being literal while referring to his weapon of vaginal destruction as a baseball bat. Mmm, but how I love to play American’s favorite pastime with that boy.

“Ellis would never in a million years do anything to make me uncomfortable.” She lowers her lashes and tries her best to extinguish the budding elation on her lips. “He loves me. He tells me that all the time, and then he kisses me.”

Something in my heart warms at the idea of Ellis telling Giselle he loves her. I guess his love honey days are long behind him. What am I saying?

That logical, overprotective sisterly side of me bitch slaps Cupid right off my shoulder. If anything, Ellis belongs with an entire gaggle of love honeys, not sweet, innocent Giselle.

“Don’t listen to him,” I hiss. “He’s just trying to land you horizontal.”

“Skyla!” Brielle cackles as if this were the funniest conversation ever.

“You can’t tell me what to do,” Giselle snaps. “Besides, he say’s we’ll use protection and everything.”

Oh. My. God. We’ve just entered DEFCON one.

“Giselle”—I flatten my palms over the table to keep from shaking her—“he wants to put things in you. He wants to put
himself
inside you.”

Her mouth falls open as if it were the best idea ever.

Shit.

“Anyway”—her dimples dig in deep—“Ellis says he’ll go blind if we don’t do it soon.”

“Tell him whiskey cures blindness,” I growl.
“Giselle—Gage will have a heart attack and die a slow, painful death if you let Ellis defile you like this.”

“Geez, Skyla”—Giselle shoots me the stink eye—“is Gage defiling
you
? What Ellis and I have is beautiful. He reads steamy books to me and takes me to see movies that my mother would never approve of. Ellis doesn’t treat me like a child.”

Gah!
Dirty books and X-rated flicks! Ellis is going to roast on a spit once Gage hears of this.

“He even lets me sit on his lap while he races over the dunes.”

Double gah!
Doesn’t he realize she was
killed
by way of a car last time? Holy crap. Harrison is a loose cannon.

“Hi guys!” A girl’s voice comes from behind, and I turn to find Laken and two younger girls with her. The one on the left looks vaguely familiar.

“Laken!” I’m more than relieved. “Please join us.” Who cares that there aren’t enough seats—the subject has changed. Personally, I really don’t want to battle it out with Giselle. I’ll simply turn the reins over to her brother and let him do the dirty work. Giselle is the last person on the planet I want to see hurt. And I know for a fact, Gage will go to extremes to make sure that doesn’t happen. Ellis and his never-ending stash had better watch their backs.

“Oh no, it’s okay.” Laken waves off the idea. “We were just about to get some ice cream and head home.”

Brielle squints at her as if the mere sight of Laken nauseated her. “By all means take my seat.” She jumps up and yanks Giselle with her. “We have one more store to hit and, Skyla here, is too much of a prude to join us.” She smears it with a forced grin. “Enjoy your bestie. Be back in a few.” They head off toward The Naughty Hawty, and I cringe.

“I can’t believe this,” I whisper. “She’s like an enabler.” A bitter enabler. Things have gone from bad to worse. Brielle can’t even stand the sight of Laken anymore.

Laken pulls out a few bills from her purse and hands them to the girls.

“A scoop of chocolate on a sugar cone for me. You want anything, Skyla?”

“I’ll pass, but thank you.”

The girls take off. “That’s my sister, Lacey, and Coop’s sister, Marky.”

“That’s great that they’re the same age. And the fact their hormones haven’t got the best of them yet is a plus. Trust me on that one.” I glare up at Bree and Giselle already on the second level.

“I’m glad about that, too.” Her expression dims as she takes a seat. “Skyla—Lacey was in the tunnels.”

That’s where I recognize her from.

“I’m so sorry,” I whisper. “Thank God she’s out.” Fuck, fuck,
fuck
! I was supposed to help her. I was supposed to help little Lacey any way I could. “They haven’t called me down,” I stammer. “I can’t get in—” I shake my head in disgust. “Never mind with the excuses. I need to end that violence once and for all.”

“It’s okay, Skyla. I know you don’t have access.”

“No, it’s not okay. I’ve been the overseer for three months, and jack shit has changed. I’ve been to one lousy meeting, and, even then, I couldn’t help feel as if I were simply my mother’s puppet.” I glance up in the event a lightning bolt decides to fly my way.

“I don’t think it’s your place to change anything. Coop says the meetings run like a well-oiled machine, and nothing shady ever seems to come up.”

I let out a breath that streams on for miles. Three months in, and I can’t help feeling that I’ve already failed my faction.

“Coop is right. The Counts aren’t going to bring me their wicked plans on a platter. I’m sure the Steel Barricade already has an entire crowd of renegades willing to take down Celestra. The Counts still want to rule whether they admit it or not.”

Laken leans in. Her eyes bear into mine, kind but firm. “Do something. I’m here for you, Skyla. We can do this together.” Her expression hardens. “We can, and we will.”

“We will,” I affirm. A thought comes to me. “I think I might have found a loophole.” Just as I’m about to fill her in on the fact that the Justice Alliance can’t go on using the whole prisoners-of-war stance anymore, a dark shadow clouds over us.

“Well, well,” a sinister voice chirps from behind, and everything in me freezes—Chloe. “Nice to finally meet you, Laken.” She takes a seat between us while leering over at my poor friend. “It’s okay”—she wrinkles her nose—“you don’t have to pretend to like Skyla. Nobody else does.” A dull laugh rumbles through her. Chloe is a lean, mean, wicked machine. Her long glossy hair, those dark, knowing eyes stain the grey sky with a razor’s edge beauty.

“Nice to meet you,” Laken says, inspecting Chloe Bishop as if she were a snake slowly wrapping around her neck.

Chloe picks up a lock of Laken’s hair and fondles it. “Wesley’s love burns bright for you.”

“Shut up!” I snap. The last thing Laken needs is Chloe making her miserable. Not that she wants Wes anymore, but I can tell where Chloe is headed.

“He’s not that good in bed.” Chloe makes a face. “But then, according to him, you wouldn’t know that.”

“I think I’ve heard enough.” Laken spears her with a barbed look.

“Oh?” Chloe feigns curiosity—her go-to emotion. “But you didn’t hear the best part. He can’t get you out of his mind when we do it. I mean—the poor guy tries. He’s even fantasized about Skyla a time or two.” Chloe flicks a smile that says fuck you without even trying. “Anyway, he’s practically a girl the way he pines for you—the way his emotions get the better of him. Of course, he’s been channeling his frustration much more creatively than some silly girl ever could. You see, he’s not out for your standard revenge, he’s out to change the world.” She says that last part with mocking air quotes.

“And then what?” Laken withholds a smile, amused as hell, because she knows for a fact Wes will never have her. “I’ll run back to him because he’s destroying half the planet? You can tell him I’m no martyr with a heart of steel. I’m with Cooper, and soon I’ll be his wife. He’s my everything. Wes can kill a third of the planet, but let it show that the blood is on his hands alone.”

“Oh dear, sweet, Laken.” Chloe closes her eyes a moment. “As much as I’d love for you to be right, the bloodshed will very much be on your hands as well.”

Laken postures in her seat a moment. “Does Wes have the authority to shut down the tunnels?”

Shit. The last thing I need is for Laken to go willingly into that not-so good night with Chloe as an offering to Wes.

“No,” I say emphatically. “And please, do not engage in a conversation with this beast. Chloe Bishop is nobody’s friend. She’s a
witch
, a devil, a murderer, and a world-class con artist. If you see her coming your way, run like hell in the other direction.” I turn to my longtime nemesis. “You can leave now, Chloe. It’s
you
nobody wants.” My body shakes with rage just looking at her. “Only you would be capable of giving the middle finger to your banishment.” I leave out the part that her false imprisonment has made her that much more stunning. Who knew, evil becomes her? Me—that’s who.

“Zip it, Messenger. I’m here to do you a favor. And nice expository by the way.” She blinks over at Laken.

“It’s Oliver,” I correct.

Chloe chooses to ignore the most vital piece of information and turns to Laken. “I’m a Celestra. Skyla here just can’t stand that there might be two of us working for the good of our people.”

“Have I mentioned
liar
?” I gag on the words. “Chloe has sworn her allegiance to the Counts.”

“So has Logan,” she smarts. “You know how that goes. Anyhoo, I’m not here to discus the dead. I’m here to talk about my favorite Oliver—your husband.”

I swallow hard because Chloe actually referred to Gage in the proper sense.

“Skyla, let’s go.” Laken tries to pull me up, but I’m immovable.

The sky rotates above us in swirls of grey and crimson. It’s as if the blood of those slaughtered in the tunnels is calling me to do something heroic—to save those left to rot in that demonic haunt, and here I am wasting time with Chloe of all people.

“I don’t want to talk to you about Gage, not now, not ever. If you really care about Celestra, you’ll help think of a way to shut down Tenebrous. Nobody here is buying your bullshit, so you can leave. And, by the way, I have a meeting with my mother. You, and this incredibly long leash you’re strapped to, is the first order of business. I don’t need you getting in my way or picking on my friends. Your days on the planet are numbered.”

“Fine.” Chloe hardens. Her mouth shrivels to a nub. Her eyes slit to nothing. “But I didn’t come here to annoy you or your
friends
.” She shoots a death ray to poor Laken. “I came here because I happen to be in on a little secret that just about everyone in the universe is keeping from you.” Her eyes glow a strange nuclear green, a wicked grin flirts with her lips. “I’ll give you a hint. Remember my diary, Skyla? The one that you burned just before you killed me?”

I sink in my seat, careful to avoid glancing at Laken. I may have forgotten to tell her the little tid-bit about my murderous past, but, then again, Chloe deserved it.

“You do, remember, don’t you, Skyla?” Chloe leans in. Her entire person brightens as if she finally has me under her thumb. “Well, there’s a little more to that ‘well-placed boyfriend’ business than you might have suspected. Everything you were told was candy-coated bullshit. And now the truth is right here”—she glances down at my wedding ring—“staring you in the face.”

I slap my hand over hers and pull her in. “What is it Chloe? Tell me.” She’s right. Something enormous is right in front of me, and, for the life of me, I can’t figure out what. Marshall won’t tell me, my mother, well, she’s pretty much useless. “If you know what it is, Chloe…” I let my words hang there because I don’t have any plans of making her a single promise.