The Elements Trilogy: The Secondaries

Chapter 54: Air

"I'll do it." An all too familiar voice sounded in my ear. But before I had time to protest or even panic, Skylar shook her head.

"No, Derek, absolutely not." Her lips thinned, and she gripped the dark wooden table in front of her. "I'm not going to let anyone do this, except me."

"What? Skylar, no, come on!" Harry reached over and grabbed his girlfriend's arm. "I won't let you!"

"Well it's not fucking up to you, now is it?" Skylar spat. "This is my decision. And I choose to die with Bryner."

"Why? Why are you deciding this without even discussing it with anyone?" Harry continued to beg Skylar.

Skylar stood up so suddenly and violently, she knocked over her chair. "What's there to discuss, Harry?! Someone has to die, okay? But nobody wants too! Nobody wants anyone too! Discussing it will be pointless, and painful because it means eventually, we'll have to choose someone to die! And it'll kill the person we choose, both emotionally and psychically so no, we're not having a discussion. Someone in this group is going to die with Bryner, and I'll be damned if it isn't me."

"Skylar, you don't have to do this. I can." Derek said gently, standing up, and resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Derek," my voice broke. "What are you doing?" Skylar was my best friend, my leader. But Derek was my soul mate; ultimately, I needed him more.

"No, Derek. I'll do this, I have too."

"No, you don't!" David shouted, brown eyes swimming with tears. "You don't have to do this, someone else can!"

"Like who, David?! Huh? Are you volunteering?!" When David didn't answer, Skylar swore loudly.

"I have to do this, okay?!"

"Why?!" Evie demanded.

"Many reasons!" Skylar leaned over and placed her hands on the table, palms down. "I'm the one who ultimately agreed to bring us here! I'm the one who couldn't kill Bryner last year because of my cowardice! I don't have a real, decent family! I was adopted! My father was emotionally abusive and because of that, my mother was a maniac depressive! My twin brother was a demon infested pyschopath, and because of that, I pushed my older brother away to the point where he moved away! You guys are my family, I have to protect you! And finally, none of you have someone waiting for you on the other side! I do! And I am ready to die! When I die, within two years, so will Kyler. And then I will be happy."

"With Jamie." Harry said quietly, fury evident in his voice.

Skylar's look of outrage suddenly melted into one of horror as she realized what she had said. She quickly turned to face her fiancé. "Harry, I-"

Up until this moment, Peggy had been watching this exchange with silently, with wide eyes. But at the mention of her son, she interrupted. "You loved Jamie?"

Her eyes were burning with unanswered questions, and she looked hesitant to ask, but her curiosity won her over.

Skylar appeared broken as she looked at Peggy, with sad blue eyes. "I did. I still do, a bit. But he died, because I wasn't strong enough. And then with Stacy..." She looked down at her hands, and shuddered, presumably remembering ripping the wolf apart in her rage. "Well, he died protecting me."

"Stacy was his clone?" Peggy inquired.

"Yes, he was. And your son was a brave man, and a good one at that. I loved him very much, and I'm so sorry he is dead. But if you want answers, you should maybe go talk to Kyler. She has access to my memories now, and I have more pressing matters to discuss."