-Chapter 18-
*Ty's POV
*Next day
Even though it's only been a few days, I feel lonely. Without Sky here, nothing is the same. Everyday so far, I've hoped that Sky would come home early and today is no different. I did my regular routine: get up, put my headphones on, eat food, miss Sky. I sat on the couch, thinking about random things, when I heard a knock on the door. Everyone else was hunting like they did yesterday so I answered the door with an iron sword in my hand. I dropped the sword and froze in happiness and shock when I saw Sky smiling at me.
"Hey Ty. I'm back." He smiled at me and pulled me into a hug.
"Y-you're actually here!!" I cried tears of joy. "I've missed you so much!!"
"I've missed you too, baby." He kissed my lips. "This is Maddie." He motioned to a girl standing next to him that I was too happy to notice.
My heart broke a little at the sight of the girl. Just by looking at how nervous she was, you could see that something went on between my Sky and her. "Hi." I waved to her.
"Hi!! You must be Ty." Maddie waved back. "I've heard a lot about you."
I motioned for them to come inside. I sat on the couch and Sky closed the door before sitting next to me. Maddie sat on the other couch. I looked between the two and asked, "Did anything happen last night?"
Sky looked at me like I was going crazy, but the way Maddie blushed confirmed my suspicions. "Of coarse not!! I don't have feelings for her. I have feelings for you." Sky said to me, pulling me into a hug.
"Then why is Maddie blushing so much?" I asked.
Sky looked over at Maddie who was as red as a tomato. "Is... Is that true?" He hesitated.
Maddie nervously giggled. "No..."
"Tell me the truth." Sky ordered.
"Yes." Maddie sighed. "I'm sorry. I used a potion to make you in love with me for a night to see if it's what I really want. Even though you were great," Maddie winked, "I don't have feelings for you like I thought I did."
My heart, which was only slightly broken before, shattered. I know I may be over thinking this, but what if it was just an act and Maddie didn't use a potion? What if Sky actually liked Maddie more than just a friend? "Excuse me for a minute." I choked out before standing up and running to the bedroom. I slammed the door shut and opened the secret chest under my bed. I searched for my knife that my father crafted for me on my last Christmas. When my hand touched the cold metal and the smooth wood, I pulled it out of the box and looked at it in the sunlight. The knife was small, but it was razor sharp. I slid it across my skin and a shallow cut appeared. I added more pressure with each cut until I had five deep cuts, all representing the pain I felt inside. I wiped my eyes, cleaned off the knife, cleaned the blood from my wrist, and put some bracelets on before going back to the living room and sitting on the couch.
Sky ended his sentence and turned his attention back to me. "Are you ok?"
I cant began to count how many times I've been asked that recently. I nodded, but didn't say anything in fear that my throat was still tight from crying.
"Will you excuse us?" Sky asked Maddie as he stood up. Sky motioned for me to follow him.
"Sure!! No problem." Maddie replied.
Sky walked into the bedroom and I hesitantly followed. He closed the door and sat on the edge of the bed, patting the spot next to him. I sat down and Sky did something I wish he didn't do: he grabbed my wrist. I winced at the shot of pain.
Sky looked into my eyes. "Why?"
"I'm scared of rejection." I spit out.
Sky sighed and let go of my wrist. "I know that. That's not what I meant. I know you cut yourself. I just want to know why."
"Something happened between you and Maddie." I truthfully answered. "And I feel like you let it happen."
"Of coarse I didn't let it happen!! I didn't even know anything had happened until today. I think she poisoned me or something."
I looked into Sky's eyes, searching for any sign that he's lying. Nothing. His beautiful brown eyes housed only love, honesty, and sorriness. "She poisoned you?"
Sky slightly nodded. "I think she put some kind of potion in my water. She did tell me she learned a bit of magic."
I gave Sky a small smile. "I'm sorry I cut. I guess I just felt depressed about what happened these past few days."
Sky hugged me. "I'm sorry I ever left." He whispered.
"I love you." We both said to each other at the same time.
Out in the living room, I heard a door open and everyone come home. I heard a lot of talking. "Want to go back to the living room?" I asked Sky who nodded and stood up.
In the living room, Maddie was telling a story of how she got here and what she's been through. "I was born in a small village, but most of my life was spent in the Bacca castle as a slave. I spent a few years in the Sorcerer village. When I finally did find where my village was, all that was left was ashes."
Mitch spoke up. "Your village burnt down?"
Maddie nodded. "I'm guessing yours did, too?"
"Yeah. The Bacca king burnt it down. How did your's burn down?" Mitch asked.
"Same way." Maddie nonchalantly replied.
Rheanna, who stayed quiet this whole time, cut in. "What village did you live in?"
"Benja village." Maddie smiled.
Rheanna and Mitch looked at each other. "I don't remember seeing you before." Mitch said.
Maddie giggled. "I didn't expect you to remember me. How's mom and dad?"
"They're dead," Rheanna mumbled. "But why do you care?"
Maddie waited a few seconds before replying, "Because I'm your older sister."
Rheanna and Mitch froze in shock for a couple of minutes. "But... How? We didn't grow up with you. I don't even remember meeting you before the thing at the King's castle." Mitch spoke up.
"Like I said, the king took me when I was three. You guys were only one and two." Maddie smiled.
"I knew I saw you from somewhere." Rheanna whispered.
Everyone turned towards her. "Huh?"
Rheanna looked around. "There was a picture book mom and dad didn't want us to look in. One night, I 'borrowed' it from their room and looked at all the pages. Almost every page had a picture of you." Rheanna said to Maddie.
"You looked in that book?" Mitch asked.
Rheanna nodded. "Yeah. I know I wasn't supposed to, but I couldn't help it!!"
Mitch sighed. "Whatever." He turned back to Maddie. "We have an extra room if you want to stay."
"Is that ok?" Maddie asked.
Everyone of us nodded. "The last door on your left." Jerome pointed to her room.
"Ok. Thanks." She said to Jerome before asking Mitch, "Did the king himself burn the village down or did one of his workers?"
"Of coarse one of his workers. The king was lazy." Mitch laughed.
Maddie looked happy at the fact that the king didn't burn the village down by himself. "Do you know who it was?"
Everyone went silent because we knew. It was in the past, but shouldn't Maddie know?
Jerome slowly raised his paw. "I-I burnt down the village."
Maddie looked towards Jerome with an evil look in her eye. "Excuse me? I think I heard you wrong. You burnt down the village?"
Jerome slowly nodded, but didn't have enough time to say anything because in a matter of seconds, Maddie teleported in front of his and grabbed his throat, choking him.
"Maddie!!" Mitch stumbled to get up from the couch. "Stop!!"
"Why in the world are you dating the one who burnt down the village?!" Maddie asked.
Jerome's face was a pinkish purple from the lack of air. He was struggling to break free from Maddie's iron grip, but to no avail. "P-please." He choked out. "L-let go."
Maddie tightened her grip. "Why should I? You burnt down my village and killed my mom. I should just kill you right here, right now."
"Maddie!!" Mitch yelled. He started pulling her away from Jerome, but the grip on his throat only pulled him forward too.
"N-need... A-air..." Jerome sputtered. He was clawing at Maddie's hand which was scratched and bleeding.
She quickly pulled her hand away when the pain got to her. "Ow!! Stupid Bacca." She growled.
"Are you alright?" Mitch hugged Jerome.
Jerome nodded. "Yeah." He coughed. "My neck hurts."
Mitch turned back to Maddie. "Why the f*uck did you do that?!"
Maddie glared daggers at Jerome. "He burnt down our village and killed mom. Ever heard the saying 'an eye for an eye'? In this case, it would be 'a life for a life'."
"You were actually trying to kill him?!" Sky shouted.
Maddie shrugged as if murdering someone is no big deal. "Yeah. So?"
"So?!" I spoke up. "You were just about to kill a member of our family. He is a member of your family and you were just about to kill him. Is that, to you, no big deal?"
Maddie leaned on the wall. "Tell me, Ty, if someone were to burn down your house and kill your mom, wouldn't you want revenge or something along the lines?"
"No." I flatly replied. "I hate my mom just as much as she hates me."
"Fair enough. Here's a new scenario: someone burns your home and Sky dies in the fire. Wouldn't you want revenge?" Asked Maddie.
She had a great point and I knew she was right. I knew that whatever I said to deny that fact was going to be a lie so I kept quiet.
"See? I loved my mom. The fire started by the Baccas killed her," She glared at Jerome and stood straighter. "And I want revenge."
Rheanna put her hand on Maddie's arm. "Jerome didn't burn the village just to burn it. The Bacca king ordered him to." Maddie's eyes softened a bit, not not much. "If you want revenge, kill the Bacca king."
*Jerome's POV
*Few minutes ago
My ears were still ringing from the previous lack of air. I may or may not have been hiding behind Mitch... Ok, I was. I was scared of Maddie who was still staring at me.
"Jerome didn't burn the village just to burn it. The Bacca king ordered him to." I heard Rheanna say to Maddie. "If you want revenge, kill the Bacca king."
"Really?" Maddie smirked. "You expect me to believe that?"
Everyone looked at her in disbelieve. "Yes. We do expect you to believe that." Sierra said.
"Hmm... I don't know. Yes, I do want to kill the Bacca king, but that story just doesn't fit." Maddie shrugged. "Why are you dating our mom's murderer?"
"Love at first sight." I spoke up.
Maddie smiled and her eyes softened, but they still had a dangerous glint in them. "Love at first sight." She murmured to herself. "Something I believe in."
"There are two couples in this house." Sky informed to Maddie. He grabbed Ty's hand and I grabbed Mitch's.
"Aww..." She cooed. "Ok. For now, I'll leave you alive." She joked to me.
A voice somewhere in my mind told me she wasn't joking and she would kill me later. Oh Notch, I hope she doesn't.
"Your bedroom is just down the hall." Rheanna smiled. "You should organize it. I don't know how the previous owners did it."
Maddie nodded and walked to her room, Rheanna and Sierra followed. I'll admit that I wasn't 100% sure on rather or not I should let Sierra go, but I believed she could beat Maddie in a fight.
Mitch pulled me to the couch and sat down. Sky and Ty sat on the other. "Are you alright?" Ty asked me.
I nodded. "Yeah." Well, I sorta was. Are my ears still supposed to be ringing?
Mitch touched where Maddie's grip laid and a small shot of pain came through my neck, causing me to yipe. "Bruised. Not that I didn't expect it." Mitch whispered. "The black and purple is showing under your fur."
I tried to cover the dark colors, but it only caused more pain. "How tight was her grip?"
"We don't know. You looked on the edge of passing out though. If she held on for a little longer, you likely would of fainted or something." Sky answered.
"I'm scared of her." I said, touching my neck again only to have the same painful outcome.
Mitch grabbed my hand. "Stop touching your neck. It's bruised."
I laid back on the couch and sighed. "I think sooner of later, she's gonna kill me."
No one said anything to deny it which only scared me further. "We'll protect you." Ty said.
"You'll never be alone." Sky agreed. "Trust us. She won't even be able to get near you without someone else here."
"Thanks guys." I smiled. "I love you all." Mitch fake pouted next to me and I whispered in mid ear, "I love you by far the most though."
In the other room, I heard laughing. Maddie's mood sure changed quickly and I was happy about that. "Is Maddie really your sister?" I heard Ty ask Mitch.
Mitch shrugged. "I don't know. Rheanna says she is so I'm guessing yeah. I've never seen a picture of her, but Rheanna says there was pictures in the secret picture book."
"I was happy when Rheanna was your only known sister." I said and everyone nodded in agreement.
Mitch sighed and changed the subject. "What should we do today?"
We all shared a look. "Christmas is coming up. In less than a week. We still need a tree. Maybe we can go out and find one." I said.
"We skipped Thanksgiving?!" Ty asked.
We all nodded. "We forgot about it. We were so focused on surviving that it slipped our minds." Sky answered next to him.
Mitch grabbed the axe from the table. "Let's go find a tree!!"
The four of us walked out after telling the girls where we were going. The air was cold, but the snow wasn't on the forest floor because of the canopy of leaves above our head. After a few, freezing minutes, we found the perfect tree. It wasn't too tall, but it also wasn't too short. We chopped it down and took it back home.