Skyla Rossi: A Game of Deception and Lies (The Rossi Legacies Book 4)
Skyla Rossi: A Game of Deception and Lies Chapter 56

ROYCE.

I'm shaking, and it's not from the injuries but the broken state of her wrists, legs and ankles. The darkness disappeared the moment she fell unconscious and Delsanra's magic slams through. "Royce, you're hurt!" She murmurs as she begins healing me, but can't they see she's hurt more?

"Heal her," I say quietly as I pick up her slender hand. She's broken several bones, and her wrist is mangled. This is the result of her fighting it. "We can't expect her to fight it on her own." My eyes sting, and the pain in my chest as I see her like this is killing me. I wish her pain was mine.

Why her?

There's silence as Kiara and Scarlett rush in and both women and Alejandro kneel beside Skyla.

Kiara's hands go to both of us as I gently snap my goddess's bones back into place.

"She's trying to fight it," Alejandro says quietly, and I nod.

"At what cost?" I ask, looking into his eyes. It hurts too much seeing her like this.

"We need to do something else, we can't let her carry on like this," I whisper as Kiara finishes healing her and wipes her hands clean.

"I agree," Scarlett says,

I see Leo already scooping some of the poison up.

"It's not touched her, has it?" He asks.

Kiara shakes her head. "Not internally, and I'm assuming the way she tried to cut Alejandro first meant she needs to make sure it touches the body internally." She says quietly. That makes sense...

Leo's already taken a sample of Skyla's blood and tested the one I had, but I don't know what we will replace, if anything, from them.

"Let's kill him." I say quietly, "When Aleric dies... this will all end."

Hearing a gasp, I turn sharply to see Mom standing in the doorway. "Royce..."

"No. He's a monster, Mom. It's foolish to let him live." I say coldly as I scoop Skyla's fragile body into my arms. "He's abusing and mentally controlling her. He is not the son you think he is." "Lock him up, make him see that he is on the wrong path, but killing him... how can you say that, Royce?" Her eyes are filled with pain, but 1 am standing by it. He doesn't deserve to live.

"How? Because he's abusing his fated mate, he is father's son, nothing more than an abusive, vile, pathetic excuse for a man. How can anyone do that to someone? Look at her!"

Her eyes fill with guilt as she looks at Skyla, and she nods, looking away.

I know she understands where I'm coming from, she just can't deal with it.

"Skyla will be the one to defeat the evil within him," Kiara says quietly, her voice sounding a little different...

Everyone turns sharply to her, and I frown. I had heard the queen has a kind of sixth sense. Her words hold a powerful weight and I stare down at the woman in my arms.

"I don't see how that is possible without her destroying herself in the process," I say quietly.

I know this was a test, ever since she had been kept under surveillance they were trying to get proof that she is up to something. To prove to the council she is under his control, but she's my woman, not a fucking experiment to observe. I get that they want to help, but I can't do it anymore. I can't put her through this anymore.

"Let's move to Plan B," I say quietly.

I look down at her, my eyes running over her body.

Her clothes are torn and there's blood all over her.

My blood... "I'll take her," Alejandro offers.

"No, it's fine, I'll take her," I say quietly.

"You can't be around her..." Mom reminds me gently.

"I know. Just give me some time." I reply curtly before turning and leaving the room.

I carry her up the stairs and to the room I'm staying in.

I'm trying to stay strong, but I'm done with this plan, Aleric deserves to die, even if this is something that perhaps Sky is meant to do, it makes no sense to me.

They want her to defeat him, yet they are so adamant about the laws of the council because of

me.

I know it's the allegations against me. Right now, half the people don't trust me, and I don't care. I appreciate the help of Skyla's family, but I don't care what happens to me, I just want her to be ok. There needs to be a way to bring his truth before the people...

I place Skyla down as I summon water running it across her to clean the blood away that she's got all over her and begin undressing her.

I grab a shirt and pull it over her before tucking her into the bed. It's barely been ten minutes when there's a knock on the door.

"It's open," I say, my eyes blazing as I use wind to turn the key in the lock.

The door is opened by none other than Alejandro.

With him are Kiara and Mom.

"I thought you could use this," Kiara says holding up a tray that holds a steaming mug of hot chocolate and brownies.

"You changed her." Alejandro frowns as he looks at Skyla.

"Al.." Kiara scolds gently.

I cock a brow. I've seen her naked before...

"If it's any consolation, I was far too worried about her to check her out," I say, making Mom cough and Kiara smile.

Alejandro sighs as he sits on the bed and strokes her hair.

"Can I keep her for the night?" I ask quietly,

Ok, that sounds weird, but I just want to at least give her the comfort that I know deep down she wants.

"Royce... should she be with you... I mean, I understand that there's something going on... but seeing a woman scream to be away from someone.

What if makes her more distraught? How are you-"

"You know your son Luna Catherine, and I know him too. He would never harm our Sky." Kiara says quietly.

Mom nods as she walks over to me and gives my shoulder a squeeze. She looks tired as Kiara offers me the plate.

I have no appetite, but to be polite, I take a brownie, thanking her as I look down at Sky's hand, caressing the rose tattoo along her wrist.

"She fought... as hard as she could... but we all saw what it did to her," I said quietly.

The image of her struggling against herself reminded me of one of those fucking possession movies, and I won't deny it was disturbing. Seeing her body twist and even break to succeed in what her aim was - or more like what Aleric's aim for her to do was, is not something I want to see again.

"She's strong, and-"

"Stop," I say quietly, trying to calm my emotions as I look up at Kiara. I can see the pain in her eyes, but I can't justify my girl getting hurt.

"Strong or not, she doesn't deserve this kind of pain," I say. "I know that everyone is trying to clear my name here, but if the cost is at her expense, I'm fine with everyone forever considering me the villain."

"Only you are the Solaris king, and with that position, you need to think carefully." Leo's cold voice comes from the door.

"And on top of that, when shit gets better, I don't want my girl with a criminal," Alejandro says pointedly.

"Let me talk to Aleric," Mom says suddenly. "I know that no one here has faith in him, but what if I can get him to see what he is doing is wrong and make him see that this is wrong?"

"No. I don't think that will work." I say quietly.

"Allow me to try."

"What if he tries something?" Kiara asks, concerned.

"I don't think he can. He's locked up and spelled, is he not?" Mom asks. "I refuse to give up on him. I want to know why."

I know she's stubborn and she won't rest until she gets what she wants.

I know that until she saw what went down in that office tonight, a small part of her did wonder if perhaps Skyla did want her mate. Her trust in Aleric is far stronger than the trust she had in Dad. It's a blind judgement on her behalf.

A mother's hope...

I zone out as I drop onto the bed and pick up her phone, wanting to show Mom the video of the conversation between him and Skyla that she had luckily managed to record. We had found it earlier today. 7

We are gathering proof to show he isn't what he is portraying and with memories being manipulated and magic being of no help; we have to fall back onto man-made electronics to gather proof. "Look at this, Mom," I say gently.

Skyla's voice fills the room.

"Oh, you aren't? Reign?"

"Royce." Aleric's voice is full of rage.

"Royce? No, he never knew you were fucking pretending to be him. He didn't know what a snake his f*****g brother is. "You lied to me! I hate liars."

"I didn't lie, Royce is manipulating you-"

"Are you actually going to stand there and pretend that you aren't in the fucking wrong?! Royce is my Reign and you, you're a f*****g snake!" Skyla screams, smacking him across the face.

The silence in the room as everyone looks at the phone that I'm holding out seems to intensify, so far only Leo and I have seen this.

"We found this on her cloud," I say quietly.

"SKYLA!" Aleric snarls. His hand grabs her throat tight. My eyes flash as a low growl rumbles in my chest.

I've watched it before... but that fucking triggers me.

Mom gasps, as she stares at the phone.

Skyla grabs his throat. "Do not fucking bark at me!" she snarls.

"Do not disrespect me."

"I'll do whatever the fuck I want, and you don't deserve any respect. If I tell my father, whose arse you were trying so hard to lick, what you did - any respect you think you fucking have will be gone! And remember who you're talking to!"

I glance at the adults as the scene continues to play out, seeing the anger in Alejandro's eyes, the disappointment in Mom's...

"You will regret this, Skyla, I assure you, you will regret this with every fibre of your being." Aleric's threat lingers in the room as the rest of the video plays out.

"There's the proof that we can use... even if it's not enough to fully rule against him, it will place the seed of doubt in the people. This does not look like a loving couple at all." Leo says, just as Azura shows up, she's carrying Phoenix who seems a little restless and she looks tired herself.

Leo holds her close, taking his daughter from her arms and kisses Azura's lips. I look away, giving them their privacy.

Everyone is going through a lot.

"Fine, we try this current route... but if it doesn't work, I will do this my way," I say quietly.

"Royce..." Mom begins.

"It's not up for discussion."

"You will be turning a lot of people against you," Alejandro warns.

"I'm the Solaris King, I will have to eventually move to America and their support will remain," I say quietly.

"There's more to being a king than that," Alejandro says.

"Hence why I don't want to be one," Leo mutters, and I can't help but smile faintly.

Me too.

"Well... When it comes to Skyla, I don't care." I say coldly.

"The Shadow Wolves pack also needs an heir." Kiara reminds me. "You are the next in line."

I frown. If being a leader meant Sky has to suffer, then I don't want to be one.

"What is happening with Dad?" I ask.

"Well, he is currently arguing that he has done nothing wrong, but looking at his crimes at a glance, he's facing life in confinement," Alejandro says, sighing heavily.

"I'm ashamed I let him on the council despite my better judgement. I needed the financial support for the academies, and I never thought he'd be this fucking twisted." He continues.

"I am his mate, I mean I was... but I never knew either. He is just far more shrewd." Mom says, and Alejandro nods.

"He won't hand the pack over, so it would mean we would have to duel it out," I say.

"That's..." Mom trails off and Kiara puts her arms around her.

She's tired, she shouldn't be here.

"I'll deal with it. We've wasted enough time. Let's get the Aleric business sorted first." I say, as Malevolent walks into the room and jumps into my lap.

I smile down at her before stroking her,

"Meow." She nudges against my stomach, and I look down at her.

Bastet...

Skyla is favoured by her, surely there are benefits to it, but for some reason, it's not working... I mean Bastet should be here with her. What is Skyla missing?

I tilt my head for a moment before I look up.

"We haven't tried to channel Bastet... nor have we offered anything..." I muse.

"What?" Leo says, now looking at me sharply.

I stand up, placing Malevolent down beside my goddess.

"We as werewolves worship, thank, and channel the moon goddess. The Solaris pray to the sun god, too.

We have symbols of both Selene and Helios around our homes, in our temples and shrines and we acknowledge them and make offerings to them..." I say, my heart racing, I look at them, but they aren't following. "Tell me, why do we pray?" "To show our appreciation and to create a connection..." Kiara trails off as all eyes look at me sharply.

Now they are getting it.

"Exactly, so we need to strength the connection Skyla has with Bastet, to strengthen the bridge between them," I explain.

"Meow," Malevolent says staring at me intently and for a moment her eyes look extremely intelligent, and I know with every inch of my being I'm onto something.

This is it, the missing piece.

It has to be.

"So, we need to create a shrine?" Alejandro asks, cocking a brow.

"A shrine, a temple or anything to protect Skyla from the hold that Apophis and Aleric have upon her," I say,

"I will gather the crystals that are associated with Bastet," Delsanra says quietly from behind Azura and Leo.

"The eye of Ra too, Bastet was greatly devoted to her father," I say thoughtfully.

"Then let's move Skyla to the Arden Palace." Mom suggests. "The entire place holds the essence of Helios. That will help."

"I'm not that f*****g religious... but this shit is..."

Alejandro trails off.

"Weird." Leo agrees, finishing his sentence for him as he and the others step into the room. "But I think it f*****g makes sense."

"Exactly. I think it's time you worship the gods,

Father, wouldn't you agree?"

We all turn as the powerful aura fills the room, and my eyes land on Dante's large frame, filling the door frame. His hair is windswept, and he's wearing only black sweatpants. "Dante..." Alejandro says.

"Congratulations guys, you finally got it," Dante replies with a small smile.

Our eyes meet, blazing blue meeting burning red...

It's time to turn this bloody shitshow around.

Once and for all.