The Portal to Sidhe: Book 2 Read online

  The Portal to Sidhe

  Book Two

  By Kelsey Schaeffer

  Copyright 2019 © By Kelsey Marie Schaeffer

  The Portal to Sidhe: Book Two

  First Edition

  Published 2019

  All rights reserved

  No part of this book may be copied by any method or reproduced without formal written permission from author Kelsey Marie Schaeffer (Formally, Kelsey Marie Hahn), or where permitted by law.

  Printed in United States of America

  Cover created by Kelsey Marie Schaeffer

  All names, characters, places, titles, and ideas are products of fiction and imagination

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Intro

  Part One

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Part Two

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Epilogue

  More by Kelsey Schaeffer

  Intro

  As soon as the bottle was empty, Emerlee said, “I’m sorry to say this, but it’s only going to get worse from here.”

  Taylor’s smile grew extra wide, and he said, “I’m sure I can handle it.”

  Emerlee gave my biological father a half smile. She placed several candles throughout his cell, and then threw special dust in the air that would allow us to use magic only from within Taylor’s cell. I felt my powers available the moment magic was turned back on. Emerlee immediately threw a handful of grey dust into the air and began loudly chanting a spell. The dust began to spiral and whirl around Taylor’s head, which he of course found humorous. Finally the dust lit up the air and popped before falling to the ground.

  I watched from the circle where we stood as Taylor suddenly grabbed his stomach and began to gag. My dad ran to the bathroom and quickly returned with a wastebasket, which he flung in front of Taylor’s face just as he began to vomit.

  As Taylor vomited, Emerlee nodded at the rest of us. We grabbed hands as we began to loudly chant. As the melody of our chant grew louder, the sicker Taylor became until he turned sweaty and pale, then collapsed to the ground.

  “Keep going!” Emerlee cried as she threw another handful of grey dust in the air.

  As the dust danced in the damp dungeon air and we continued chanting our spell, I began to feel my magic being yanked from my body. I instantly felt a crushing pain in my abdomen, as the magic grew more powerful. I clutched my stomach in pain, but chanted louder trying to disregard the ache. As the magic grew stronger and stronger, I felt a single drop of blood fall from my nose. As I looked around the room, I saw that Roger and Damon were bleeding as well. The full-blooded fairies, Emerlee, Elona and Sadie were holding strong, as their magical strength was greater than the three of us hybrids.

  Finally after several drops of blood fell from my nose, I felt something warm emerging from my throat, and as I chanted loudly, I began to choke on the warm thick fluid. My father instantly ran to my side as blood began to pour from mouth.

  “You have to stop sweetheart,” he cried. “Take a break…they can handle it.”

  The room was spinning, but I kept chanting. I wasn’t going to give up. But after a few moments, the blood was pouring from my mouth so fast I could no longer speak. My dad wrapped his arms around me as I began to wobble. I could hear the others in the background carry on, as my father walked me to the bed and sat me down. I leaned against the wall as I watched the fairies continue with the spell.

  Emerlee, Elona and Sadie were completely fine as they chanted with confidence, but Damon and Roger were both wobbling around as blood began to dribble from their mouths. It looked as if Damon would only last another minute, and I was terrified the three full-blooded fairies wouldn’t be able to finish the magic on their own. Just as I predicted, within moments, Damon collapsed to the ground. My father ran to his side and began to help him, but only seconds later, Roger crashed to the ground besides him.

  “We can’t do this on our own,” Sadie cried as Elona and Emerlee continued to chant.

  The bleeding from my nose and mouth stopped, and I was beginning to feel better so I stepped up to continue. As I walked towards the fairies, I said, “Dad, we need more fairies. Please, can you find help?”

  “I can’t leave you alone un—”

  “Dad, please,” I pled. Taylor was lying in the middle of the circle completely unconscious, so I pointed at him, “We will be okay.”

  My father finished wiping blood from Damon’s mouth. Then he stood up. He shook his head, but left Taylor’s cell to find help. “Be careful,” he cried as he walked from the cell.

  I nodded my head as I joined the circle and continued chanting on. It only took minutes before I began to bleed again. I chanted louder and louder as I choked on my own blood, but I kept going. Finally the room began to spin and my vision began to blur. I had to keep going until my father returned, so I kept chanting louder and louder as I fought through the pain. Suddenly my vision began to tunnel and the room was turning grey. I chanted, but my voice was growing weak, and suddenly everything went dark.

  Part One

  Chapter 1

  I sat in a chair just outside of Taylor’s cell. The once dingy and disgusting dungeon had been significantly remodeled and improved over the last several years. Eight years after Desmorelda’s death, my biological father, Taylor still remained locked away, but I made his prison a much more livable home. Although the cell floor was still cold hard concrete, I painted the concrete walls on three sides a much softer cream color. The nasty old cots were removed and a plain, but comfortable bed was put in its place. A small desk was placed near the bed for Taylor to sit and write, and a small bookshelf sat atop his desk, filled with several books for his entertainment.

  Only last year, after many years of good behavior, a small television was hung on the wall for Taylor to enjoy. Even a small bathroom had been added to his cell. I did everything in my power to make the dungeon as comfortable as possible. Unlike the prior Queen of Sidhe, I made a point to treat everyone, including prisoners, with dignity.

  After my high-school graduation when I learned Taylor was my biological father, I heard whispers of what a terrible beast he had been towards both of my parents. Several members of Pine Lake did not agree with Taylor’s comfortable living conditions in the dungeon; some even felt he needed to die. Despite keeping Taylor comfortable and alive, my parents never argued against my decision. I knew they despised him and deep down wished he were dead, but they also knew he was my blood and they respected my decision to keep alive and comfortable. I made a point to visit with Taylor for thirty minutes, once a month, as I was concerned that any more time with him may be unsafe.

  When I spent time with my biological father, he rarely said anything of use or interest. I tried to pry him, to learn more about my unknown self, but in the seven years I lived on Sidhe, I learned very little about him. He came across as charming and never evil, but he refused to speak details of his life prior to meeting me. I knew nothing about his past or his parents. I didn’t even know if he had siblings. Seven years after meeting him in the dungeon, he was just as much of a mystery as the day he rose from the dead.

  While his life was a mystery to me, Taylor knew I had two sons; Benny, my oldest was now eight, and my youngest son Luke was four months old. Beyond their names and
ages, I kept the details of my son’s life from Taylor, as I could not fully trust him. Even though he came across as trustworthy during our meetings, he had committed horrible acts against both of my parents, and for that I could never truly forgive him.

  That particular day I had been sitting on a chair outside Taylor’s cell for ten minutes watching him read. He did not seem to want to talk today, but I could tell by his body language, he was happy I was in his company. Finally after what seemed like forever, he glanced up and said, “How are you today my sweetheart?”

  “I’m doing quite well, Taylor.”

  “You know you can call me Dad!” he laughed.

  “I apologize, but I just am not ready for that. Alexander is my father, even if he isn’t my blood.”

  Taylor grunted, but he smiled and shook his head. “How are my Grandbabies?”

  “They’re wonderful!” I smiled. Just the thought of my boys could bring a smile to my face. There were a million things I wanted to tell him, but I stopped myself in fear of his knowledge.

  “Why don’t you come see me more, ma ‘dear and bring the boys?”

  I looked towards my feet. “You know I can’t, Taylor.”

  “But, I’m your ole’ Dad!”

  I kept my head bowed not knowing what to say. When I looked back up, Taylor had a goofy smile upon his face. He just shook his head and said, “Oh well, I guess.”

  Not much else was said for the next twenty minutes. Just some talk about the weather—snowy as always. I told him about our parties and feasts and promised him I would send him down some wonderful treats from the kitchen. Thirty minutes finally passed by, and I felt relief as I stood up to head back to my suite.

  “So soon?” Taylor asked.

  “You know I can’t stay. I have things to do.” I lied; I couldn’t risk any more time in his presence.

  “Well sweetheart. Until next month, I’ll miss you. Come visit your ole’ Dad now soon.” He blew me a kiss and smiled bright.

  I headed away from his cell, glad my time for the month was over. As much as I hated spending time with Taylor, part of me felt duty-bound to see him each month. I despised the feeling of obligation to see Taylor and the guilt if I didn’t.

  As I continued up the stairs and out of the much-improved dungeon, a strange thought swept through my mind. I thought for a moment of Roger and how long ago, his mother had taken his powers away because she claimed he was vile. While it was a horrible thing for her to do, Taylor was truly vile. I wondered if I could remove Taylor’s powers as the previous Queen, Desmorelda had removed her sons. As long as Taylor had superhuman powers, he would be locked away in the dungeon for the rest of his life. If his powers were taken away and he proved loyal and good, as Roger had, maybe one day he could come up to the castle and be a part of our family. As I stepped into the portal, I decided I would discuss my thoughts with Roger and Damon later on.

  I took the portal to Hall 1. Once Desmorelda was killed and I took possession of the castle, Damon and I had the Queen’s suite remolded and redecorated to better suit our family. Instead of looking like an eccentric sex lounge, we made the suite into a quaint four-bedroom apartment. While the castle had many guest rooms, we made sure a comfortable guest room was built in our suite for when our parents traveled from earth to visit. Both our parents loved spending time with their grandchildren and visited as frequently as possible.

  My parents were quite busy ruling Pine Lake on account of my absence, but they came through the portal at least once a week to see our family. Once a week never seemed enough as I missed my father and longed to build a relationship with my mother, who I had only known a few years. Nathen and Delia were also very busy on the Pine Lake council. Delia took my father’s seat on council when my stepped up to rule in my absence. As busy as everyone was, we always longed for them to visit us, so we could be reunited with the people we loved.

  When I entered our suite, Damon was waiting in the sitting room for me, looking through a book. As soon as I entered the room, a smile swept upon his face.

  “How was your visit?” he asked.

  “Oh, the same. He asked how the kids were. He asked why I don’t call him Dad and why I don’t see him more.”

  Damon gave me an encouraging smile, then stood up and walked to my side. He took my hands into his and kissed me on the cheek. He moved his lips towards my mouth and kissed me passionately before slowly pulling away.

  “Sydney has the boys,” Damon said smiling as he looked towards our bedroom. Sydney was a fairy who served as our nanny.

  “Oh?” I said, trying to pretend I didn’t know what he wanted.

  “We could go to the bedroom—”

  “Damon,” I said as I rubbed my forehead as if my head was in pain, “I’m just worn out from my meeting with Taylor, and I have some things to take care of.” The truth was, I just wasn’t in the mood.

  “Please Miranda, I just need some love from you,” he pled.

  “Ohhhh-kay…” I sighed, giving in to his needs as he smiled and kissed me on the lips again.

  He embraced me tight in his arms as I kissed him in return. He took my hand and led me to the bedroom.

  As soon we entered the bedroom, he shut the door behind us and tore off his clothes; then gently took off mine. As the two of us stood together unclothed, he led me to the bed and laid me down. He climbed on top of me and looked very happy as he began to make love with me. I wasn’t in the mood, but I quietly moaned to please him. It was quick but passionate, and I could feel his love in every touch.

  As we lay in bed, side by side, completely undressed, Damon gazed deep into my eyes. I could see the way he loved me just by the expression in his eye. He held me tight and kissed my forehead. We laid together in bed quietly for several moments with only the thoughts in our mind.

  Since Damon and I had married, I rarely enjoyed intimacy with him. We had an occasional fun night together, especially when magic was involved, but nothing compared to the passion I felt when I made love with Ben. After eight years, part of me still longed for my first love Ben. Nothing compared to the sweet taste of Ben’s lips or the warm embrace of his arms. I loved Damon dearly and he was a wonderful husband, but I felt something was always missing when we made love.

  After several moments, Damon kissed me on the cheek. I could tell he was growing aroused once more, but I pulled back and gave him a very serious look.

  “Damon, I need to tell you something.”

  “Is everything okay?” A worried look spread across his face.

  “Yes...yes of course. I had an idea and want to know what you think.”

  “What is it?” His worried look was replaced with relief.

  “Well…” I paused. “I was thinking...what if we use magic to take Taylor’s vile away?”

  Damon was silent as he pursed his lips.

  “Do you think it’s a bad idea?” I asked feeling stupid when he didn’t respond.

  “No…no,” he said. “I just don’t know why you would do that. We can never trust him...not with our children here.”

  “Yeah,” I sighed in agreement, but I was upset. I loved my father, Alexander, who was really my stepfather, but I wanted to know Taylor, my biological father; he was my blood. I had a deep desire to know where I came from. I desperately needed more than thirty minutes a month with my biological father. I wanted to know the story of my blood and the part of me that wasn’t my mother’s DNA. Hearing stories of the horrible things Taylor did in the past, twisted my mind. Half of my blood was evil, but I longed to know that side of me.

  After loosing Ben and spending time with Taylor, I sometimes felt like I was going crazy inside. My mind twisted, and dark thoughts ran through my brain. Ben’s death had brought darkness to my life, and Taylor’s presence twisted me inside. Despite all my sadness, I tucked the pain away. No one could see I was falling down a hole, not my parents and not even Damon. I hid it well and put on a show. I had so many responsibilities and so many people I couldn't
let down. The entire castle of Sidhe counted on my guidance, and I had two small children to care for.

  Sometimes I wondered if part of my sadness was the constant guilt I felt towards Damon for not loving him the way a wife should. It wasn’t that I didn’t love him dearly but after eight years, Ben never left my mind. I continued to fantasize Ben was still part of my life, and never could feel the love in my heart for Damon, the way I did for Ben.

  Little Benny was the image of his father, and even though Damon raised him, Benny compared to his biological father in every way. I loved my children dearly, but every time Benny raised his eyebrows the way his father did or let out his sweet laugh, it hurt my heart. It was always bittersweet to see the part of Ben that lived on in my son, but it always broke my heart.

  After several moments of lying quietly by Damon’s side, he said, “Are you alright?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” I lied.

  “Babe, you know if—”

  “Damon, I’m fine.” I rolled out of bed and quickly dressed. If I lay in bed any longer with my mind running wild, I knew I would lose control of my emotions. I had to go. I had to talk to Roger.

  I took the stairs to clear my mind as I headed to Roger’s room. When I knocked on his door, Roger seemed pleased to see me.

  “Roger, I need to talk to you,” I said without hesitation.

  “What’s wrong, Sweetheart?” he asked with concern.

  “Can we sit?”

  “Of course,” he said as he headed to his small couch.

  The two of us took a seat and I didn’t hesitate to get to the point. “Roger, please don’t judge me. Today after visiting with Taylor I had a thought. I was thinking…”

  “It’s okay, you can tell me?” he said as a smile spread across his face. He seemed pleased that I was confiding in him.

  “I want to take Taylor’s powers away. Kind of like what,” I hesitated before I said, “what your mom did to you. Except Taylor is truly evil. You’re not.”

  “I see,” he paused. He did not say anything, and it was hard to tell what he was thinking.