The Goddess Crystal

Chapter 14: Never Again

The guards don't look at me as we walk, but Skye tightens his grip on my hand. I like to think that I'm the only thing stopping him from struggling.

The second the door closes behind us, I hear them lock the door. I guess they won't be taking any chances this time. I wonder what will happen to this 'Johnson'.

I turn to Skye, and then realize there's a bucket of water in the corner, next to a small wash basin. I nod towards it. "Do you mind?"

Skye studies me like I'm some alien or some animal he can't quite understand. "No, of course not. Go ahead."

I walk over and grab the rag next to the basin and soak it in the water. I start rubbing at my face, scraping all of this makeup off, scrubbing harder and harder. A sense of relief washes over me when I fell the thick covering come off. Maybe it's only, I don't know, tear-proof?

After a few minutes, I look up at Skye. "Is it all gone?"

He walks over and takes the rag from. He kneels down next to me, eyes on my face. He rubs at a spot near my eye, stops, and then returns to removing whatever it is. His voice is terribly quiet as he says, "I'm glad you didn't go g through with it, Jill."

I giggle. "Good. I did it for you, you know."

He smiles. "I know."

I'm quiet for a few seconds, then, taking Skye's hand, I bite my lip and say, "You two scared me. The both of you."

Skye pauses. "Why?"

I sigh. "Ever since I met you, you've never been truly angry, at anyone for anything. Even towards your father."

Skye doesn't say anything, so I bulldoze ahead. "And that scared me so much that you lost your temper, you know? No matter how much I yelled at you or whatever, you never cracked. What happened?"

Skye takes a deep breath, tightening his grip on my hand. I can feel his heartbeat through his fingers. "I never had anything I cared that much about, Jill. You have to realize that."

I pull his head closer, taking, finally, his injuries. "But, the price you paid..." I reach for the rag, left forgotten on the floor, and wash it out in the water. "Here, let me help you. You still have those painkillers, right?"

Wincing as he gets to his feet, Skye limps his way to his bed. "Of course."

As he pull sup the blankets, I try cleaning the rag as best as I can.

"Jill, I nearly forgot!"

I turn around. Skye is standing next to his bed, pill bottle in one hand and a few papers in the other. I get up and head over. "Forgot what?"

He hands me the papers. "I believe these are for you."

The familiar looping hand written in turquoise ink makes my stomach churn. "When did you get these?"

Skye swallows a couple pills. "They got here yesterday, after the boy came here to tell me about the wedding."

Pushing my impatience away, I pick up the rag and set to cleaning his injuries. Again. Beneath the drying blood, he has a cut on his cheek ("His ring," Skye says), bruises and what looks like a knife wound on his side, just under his ribcage.

I look at the cut and tilt my head, squinting. "What the hell? Leith didn't have a knife, did he?"

Skye shrugs. "No, he didn't. I think it was his Goddess Gem."

My eyes boggle. "He stabbed you with his Gem?"

Skye chuckles but ends up wincing. "Yes, i think so. I don't think a knife would glow like that."

"Well, then." It looks like a wound that will fester. I look around for something—anything—that I can use for bandages. I wince as my still throbbing cheek twitches with a smile as I spot a Spartan wardrobe. "Wait a sec."

I get up, open the wardrobe, and grab a clean sheet (surprising amount of sheets in there, actually—maybe the previous occupants of this room didn't pack up all of their things) and, making the first tear with my teeth, rip it up into strips. When I turn around, Skye has placed a couple pills on the small table I walk by on the way back.

"What are these for?"

Skye nudges them towards me, taking the cloth I offer to him. "For your cheek. It looks like it still hurts."

I smile, flinch and take the pills. After dressing his wounds as best I can with the makeshift bandages, Skye, miraculously, falls asleep. I only have a few moments' peace when there's a knock at the door.

Skye mumbles something in his sleep and rolls over. I stare at the door.

Then, "It's Leith."

I sigh angrily and walk over to the door. It's still locked from the outside. I roll my eyes and remark, "I can't do much with it locked, genius."

There's a mass of clinking (keys, maybe?) and then a click as the tumblers line up.

I open the door a crack, look out, and find myself staring into...an ashamed face? Leith's face is flushed and he's having trouble looking at me. "Yes?"

Leith's voice is quiet. "Can we talk, Jill?"

I notice he calls me 'Jill' instead of 'Jillian', but it still takes all my strength to not slam the door in his face. "Too late."

"Please, Jill, I'm so sorry."

Skye stirs in his sleep. I sigh and tiptoe out of the room, softly shutting the door behind me before looking at Leith. "Pardon me?"

I can see him swallow. "I'm terribly sorry, Jill. You have to belie me when I say it won't happen again."

I tuck my arms around myself, sighing again. "Leith, you've hurt the people I love and you've hurt me. And all you can say is 'I'm sorry'?" This is sickeningly reminiscent of all those times I apologized to Skye. But am I really in the wrong here?

"Yes, I know it won't make u for anything, but..."

I sigh and shift my footing. "There's always a 'but'."

Leith takes a deep breath, looks away. "I was hoping you would, uh..."

I narrow my eyes. "If it has anything to do with the wedding, forget about it."

"No, it has nothing to do with, uh, with that—"

"With what, then?" I snap in a scream-whisper. "Spit it out!"

"Would you help me find the goddess Crystal?" he sputters, which nearly makes me laugh. He's usually so eloquent that it's hilarious to see him like this, stuttering and grasping for words.

"Are you insane? It doesn't exist!"

Leith takes a deep breath and sets his jaw. He finally looks at me. "I'm asking you to come to the excavation tomorrow. I do not care whether or not you consent to coming—you're coming either way. I'm simply asking as a manner of courtesy."

I stare at him, mouth agape. "Are you kidding me? No, I will not help you! Drag me kicking and screaming if you have to, but I won't go willingly, you got that?"

He sighs. "I was afraid you would say that."

I sneer. "Oh, yeah? Gee, I wonder why? Could it be that you, I don't know, slapped me in the face?"

"I said I was sorry, Jill."

I roll my eyes. "You're clearly not sorry, Leith. You wouldn't be asking if you were."

Leith leans in close and I'm afraid he might try to kiss me. "You are coming tomorrow. End of discussion."

I glare at him. "I'm going, yes, just not with you."

He growls and starts stalking away. I can feel myself breathing again, but then he turns back around.

"Jill, how about this?" His gem has turned back to its usual black and orange.

"Yeah?"

"You come or your boyfriend—" He almost gags on the word. "—gets an early trial."

"Wait, trial?"

He laughs and walks away. I sigh, heading back in, knowing a guard will come and lock us both in, in a few minutes.

Key deep within

Sharp and lean

Lost and driven

In stone, still keen

Here lies the key

Old but not forgotten

Enchanted and she

Frees the knotted

Find the Princess

Her wishes fulfill

This choice, best

And you will find the hilt

Tempest Bound: Hey, guys! New update? Sorry for the wait, but school's been hectic lately with the ed of term stuff. Hope you aren't too angry, and I'm excited to get into the next bit of TGC, because of what happens. I will, most likely, be very fun to write. :D can be such an jerk sometimes with the line skips and such, so I had to drop in a few extra dividing lines to separate the poems. Sorry!