Unlocking Adeline (Skeleton Key) (30 page)

F
ighting off death is a lot of work. You don’t do much, but feeling like you’ve been sleeping for eternity takes a toll on your body. Before I even open my eyes, I know where I am. The thick air permeates my nostrils and I know I’m in Wren.
But how did I get here?
I try and piece together my memory, but it’s jaded. I remember the fight with Locke. I was so upset, but I was going to go back to fix things. Then I was home.
Farah.
The painful memory of her stabbing me comes to mind. Just the thought has my side throbbing. As I slowly become more lucid, I realize there are hands on me. Touching my side. Panic shoots through me. I whisk up all the energy I can and grab for the hand that is touching me, preparing to snap it off. It’s then the screams of a familiar voice startle me fully awake.

“Oh dear heavens!” I open my eyes to see a pale Ellie staring at me, while I death grip onto her arm. I release her instantly, grabbing for my side in agony.

“Oh my good Lord, yer awake! Yer awake!” I wish she would stop screaming at me.

“Ellie, tone it down a notch,” I groan, as more pain suddenly shoots up my side. I feel like I’m going to be sick, so I turn in case I need to yak all over the floor.

“Oh my, Miss Adeline, ye gave us all quite a scare! The gods must be shining down on us to have ye awake. I must go find Locke!” She pulls away, but I call for her.

“Ellie, wait, don’t leave. I need to tell you something.” I need to warn them about Farah. Then I need her to find me some painkillers or knock me back out.

“Oh ye can tell me once I get Locke, he will have my head if I don’t retrieve him this second.” She leans down and places a kiss on my forehead, then is running out the door. I lay back down, trying to catch my breath. The pain is making it hard to breathe, and I feel a bit dizzy. I close my eyes and count, hoping the nausea will go away. I hear the door open again. When I open my eyes, hoping to see Locke, it’s the one person I need to warn everyone about.

Farah.

“I tell ye. Ye are becoming a lot harder to get rid of than I expected. Locke’s door has been guarded since ye landed back in Wren. It’s a shame yer father brought ye back.”

My dad?
Oh no! I remember now. “Where is he? What have you done?”

She shrugs. “Nothing he hasn’t done to himself. Offering his life to save yers. It’s a shame ye won’t make it either.” She lifts her hands once again from her dress, revealing the dagger.
Oh, not again
. I grunt, trying to shift so I can get off the bed, but the pain in my side is so fierce. I scream in agony, causing my body to stiffen.

“You won’t get away with this. They are going to know it’s you. And you’ll have nothing. Locke will know and he will never want you.”

“We shall see about that. Stay gone this time, alright?” She makes it to the bed, now hovering over me. As she lifts the dagger in preparation to slice and dice me, I notice the shadow behind her. A vase is brought just above her head, and as it makes contact with her skull, the vase shatters and along with the broken pieces, Farah’s now unconscious body falls to the floor.

“Oh that bloody tramp!” Ellie yells, standing over Farah’s still body. “Miss, are ye all right? Did she hurt ye?” Ellie looks frantic. Farah grunts, and Ellie shockingly, offers her a strong kick to the stomach.

“Jesus, Ellie,” I groan, totally shocked by her aggressive behavior. I try and sit up to get a good look at Farah, but my body won’t allow for it. “I needed to tell you it was her. She was the one who attacked me.”

“I know. I had my suspicions. I must go find Locke. I saw her sneak into his room once I left. Oh dear, he is going to have my head for leaving ye unattended!” She starts to panic.

“Ellie, it’ll be fine, please find him. I need him.” Since Ellie is on the verge of losing it, and is clearly distressed on leaving me alone again, she makes it to the door and instead of
fetching
him, she begins screaming her bloody head off.

There is immediate commotion outside and the door is quickly flung open, all eyes on me. “What? What is it?” I see Locke, almost naked, running into the room. He stops instantly when he sees me. Then he takes notice of the unconscious body on the floor.

Just seeing him again causes my emotions to overflow. I want to tell him so many things right now, but instead I begin to cry. He runs over to the bed, blanketing his warm body over mine. Bringing his hands around my face, “Please tell me ye are awake and this isn’t a dream.” He bends down placing his lips over mine. Pulling away, he catches my eyes again, using his thumb to wipe away my tears.

“Are ye in pain? Can ye speak?”

I open my mouth to say something but my lip begins to quiver. So many emotions are flowing through me; I don’t know where to begin. But then we hear a groan coming from the floor and Locke turns into attack mode. He jumps off me as Farah begins to regain consciousness. It’s when she begins to stand that Locke brings his fingers around her neck, lifting her into the air. Slamming her back against the wall, he looks murderous. Everyone in the room surrounds us, unsure what to do.

“How dare ye betray me and my trust.” His words are lethal, his tone chilling.

“Locke, I love ye. I did this for us. She wasn’t meant to be yer queen. It was supposed to be us!” As she finishes her sentence, Locke roars, rattling the fixtures from their hooks.

“She was and will always be my QUEEN!”

“Locke, no…” she chokes out, the hold he has on her tightening.

“Ye are dead to me and this village. And soon, for what ye have done, will be dead in this world.” She begins kicking, Locke cutting off her oxygen. His eyes are blazing. I reach out just enough to brush my fingers along his side that he snaps out of his craze to look at me.

“She isn’t worth it. Please.” I don’t have any more strength, but it seems to do the trick.

He nods and turns back to Farah and with one last stare; he releases her as she drops to the floor. Turning to his men. “I want her taken to the cellar. Jail her with nothing until I give ye further orders. Get her out of here. NOW!”

His men scurry to grab for Farah. She fights and screams, yelling for Locke and screaming her love for him. Locke ignores her, trying to block me from any further injury. Turning to me, he brushes the hair away from my cheek and I allow my eyes to drift closed.

“No, please. Don’t shut those beautiful eyes again. I cannot take it.”

I open them to see a look on Locke’s face I have never seen before. He appears broken, almost defeated.

“Are you okay?” I ask him, as if I’m not the one with stab wounds in my side.

Locke begins to laugh, shaking his head at me. “Ye are the one fighting for yer life and ye ask me if
I
am okay? Yes. I am now that ye are awake.” He brushes his fingers gently down my cheek, guilt in his eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m so bloody sorry for what I said. I was angry. But I should have believed ye. I will never forgive myself for what I have done.”

He bends his head down in shame. I lift my arm as best I can, without causing intense pain, and I cup his cheek. “You don’t need to be sorry. I understand.”

His head lifts in shock at my words. “Ye cannot mean that. I need to be sorry for so many things. What I said. What I caused. I trusted someone, who almost caused me to lose ye. My life would not have gone on if I knew that it would have resulted in losing ye.”

“But you didn’t lose me. I’m here.”

“And by God, this time I am never letting ye go.”

I
’m slow moving but able to get out of bed on my own. Everyone continues to fuss over me, including Locke, but I threaten and swear any chance I get that I’m fine. My dad has to return home today and I refuse to be held up in my bed.

With Ellie’s help, I dress in a sheer-patterned tea gown, with a soft sash to cover my shoulders. The corset rubs against my still healing wounds, but I refuse to let that stop me from looking my best. I hear the thunder sound, which means the door has already been summoned.

“What? Why have they summoned it so early? I’m not even ready!” I cry, grabbing for my dress and running out of my room.

Ellie is behind me, trying to keep up. “Miss, ye will strain the stitches, please, slow down.” I can barely even hear her. The thought that my time with my dad is so short has me in a state of panic. Fighting not to cry before I even see him, I view them in the short distance, a small group crowded around him. Locke is standing next to him, along with Greta, William, and Faith.

When I was able to speak without breaking down, they finally explained to me what had happened. How my dad had found me. How it took some time, but thankfully he realized what had happened and brought me back to Wren. He saved my life. He also risked losing his. As thankful as Locke was for bringing me home, it still didn’t cancel out all the hurt and pain my dad caused. He wasn’t sentenced to death or anything, but from the small-talk of the maids, it was said that my dad took a not so nice beating from Locke.

I only started talking to him yesterday, because he broke down and confessed that he needed to make my dad feel the pain he felt every day he was without me. That he didn’t start feeling alive inside until I returned back into his life. He was lucky I was such a sucker for his sappy words, so I allowed him to show me how sorry he was. And you would be amazed at what someone can do, or how they can bring you complete pleasure, without interfering with a few minor stab wounds.

Berta wasn’t as forgiving as I was. Dad tried his best to make amends with his mom, but she sure was one stubborn woman. With a scowl the whole time, she cooked him his meals, and talked with him about his children and his wife, but never did she accept his apology or offer him penance. I did hear he hugged her and for a quick moment she hugged him back. I guess sometimes some burnt bridges can’t be fixed. I just hope that Berta doesn’t regret missing out on that opportunity to make peace with her son.

As I make it to the crowd, they all look my way. I stop as I see my dad smiling sadly at me.

“Why is the door summoned? I’m not ready. I thought we had more time?” I step up and into my dad’s awaiting arms. I wrap my arms around him as he hugs me tightly to his chest.

“It’s time for me to go, Addie Bear.” I can’t stop the tears that flow. I begin to cry into his chest.

“But I’m not ready. I’m not ready to say goodbye yet.” I knew that once my dad walked through that door; I would never see him again. The skeleton key would have finished it’s journey. The moment the door disappeared, so would the key, and the chance to ever enter this realm again.

Locke didn’t pressure me this time to stay. He asked me. He gave me a choice. I could leave with my dad and live the life I wanted, or I could stay in Wren. With him. It was unthinkable that I was being asked to make this decision: Locke or my family. But in my heart I knew my destiny. So as I cried, I announced that I was going to stay.

“I will always love ye, baby. Just because we are apart doesn’t mean I will ever stop thinking about what ye are doing. What such greatness ye will blossom into.”

I pull away, wiping at my soaked face. “I love you, Daddy. Please tell Mom and Liam I love them too. I will always have you in my heart.”

It’s those words that break my dad. His eyes fill and a tear falls down his face. “Ye are the best thing to ever happen to me, Adeline McAllister. I want ye to always remember that. I know ye will strive and become someone yer family will be so proud of.”

I can’t say any more. I throw myself back into my dad’s arms and cry. I cry that this will be the last time I ever see my dad again. That I will miss him terribly. I will miss out on seeing my mom healthy. My brother grow up. But in some sad way, I know it’s meant to be this way.

“It’s time, Addie.” I feel Locke’s hand on my shoulder. I pull away, making eye contact with my dad.

“It’s never forever, okay? We will see each other again in this life. Be safe. Be loved. And be unstoppable. Ye always have been.”

I nod, trying to force down another breakdown. “I will. I Promise.” Trying to sound brave.

With that he steps to the side of me and shakes hands with Locke. “Take care of my daughter. I trust that ye will watch over her and keep her healthy and happy.”