Why did I bother going to school that Monday morning? Call it habit, sucker for punishment, whatever you want, but up I was, showered even, and off I went.Yeah, probably one of the dumbest moves I've ever made. Ever.No one waited for me in the nook by the front door. Big surprise. And not a soul stood by my locker to say they were sorry, either. Still not a shocker. What was the worst? How they hovered in their new favorite spot, my former friends, Benjamin lording over them with that sickening smile of his.I had to walk past them to go to Chemistry. Someone snickered. My memories of bullying at pretty much every school I'd ever attended came rushing back and, like the coward I hadn't been in a long time, I ran.Slumped in my seat, I struggled with tears. I'd only imagined that snicker. I was sure of it. They knew how much it hurt, would never, ever bully me. They just wouldn't.Right. Like I knew them at all anymore.My test was a total fail. I think Mr. Prusse actually hande
Sassy immediately flipped out."You are not going out there," he said, leaping to his feet, fur standing on end, ears laid back so flat they were practically lost from sight. "Absolutely not, under no circumstances."I scowled at him as I shoved my chair out of the way. I didn't really want to go, but his overbearing bossiness made it easier to push past my fear."You're right," I said as I turned to go to the door. "I'm not going outside. But I am going to find out who he is and what he wants."I was pretty sure I already knew who he was. But I had to see for myself. It was safe enough to at least go to the door. Mom reinforced all of the wards, severing Meira's welcome, so I knew the vampire wouldn't be able to enter. Not to mention he'd be fried by Mom's power the moment he tried. It also helped vampire magic was keyed to places and their occupants, only allowing them to pass if they had permission.Sucked to be them.I heard a heavy thump behind me and felt Sassy press agains
It was only a couple of blocks and I covered the distance in less than a minute. Which wasn't long enough for me to bring my mind to order or figure out how I was going to make Quaid listen when he had a serious hate on for me right now.Not that it mattered. And I refused to stop and think he was the first person I thought of when I needed help. Because that would mean admitting I needed him.I just wasn't in the right headspace for that at the moment.I snuck around the back of the house, trying to quiet my breathing so Martin and Louisa wouldn't hear me. My luck, just as I hit the corner, I heard their door open and the sound of their voices. I threw myself behind a bank of rose bushes and hoped they hadn't seen me."But, Martin," Louisa was saying, "she can't do this.""We have to trust Miriam," he answered. I heard a car door open. "She knows what she's doing."Door slam. "I hope you're- " cut off by another door slam. The engine of their Econobox fired up and they spun away
I eased through the last line of trees and peeked out at the people gathered in the center of the site. Someone lit a fire, not as large as our Samhain or Beltane blazes, but it glowed with the blue light of the coven so I knew it had to be Mom.She was sending a pretty clear message. Don't mess with the family.Somehow I didn't think Nicholas would be all that impressed.I made sure to shield myself very well, despite my demon's distress. The last thing I needed was for Mom to catch me before I could be of any use. This was supposed to be a surprise attack, after all. The only problem with this plan? I had no idea where Quaid lurked.I crouched in the long grass outside the fire light, finding a rock ringed by weeds for cover. While the family kept the center of the site mowed, the rest was allowed to grow wild. All the better for me. My vantage point was maybe thirty feet from the edge of the circle, far enough I hoped I could stay out of sight, but close enough I'd be useful whe
Erica took over while the rest of us just stood there and tried to figure out what to do next."Miriam left me with instructions," she said. "I have work to do. And so do all of you." She turned to me and Meira. Gram still clung to us like she was lost. "And you."Mom left me a job to do? Wicked. Finally."Go home," Erica said. "And stay there."I scowled at her, opened my mouth to protest."Syd," she said, softer, with great feeling, "someone has to protect the house. Your sister and grandmother. Your father. It was Miriam's order."I hated it so much when she was right."Fine," I said, "but you better keep me informed."Erica smiled a little. "I will," she said. Saw my look of disbelief. "Honest."Best I would get from her. Hopefully she remembered the little talk we had in the kitchen. I wouldn't be ignored.Speaking of being ignored, my demon was ripping mad.We could have saved her.I didn't answer. Because at this point, there was nothing I could do about it. Besides,
Erica handed me the keys to Mom's car. "I'll follow you," she said.Twice behind the wheel. Normally this would be a dream come true. Now I just wished Mom would appear in the passenger's seat and give me a hard time about what I was about to do to her transmission.I impressed myself with my driving skills, actually. Especially considering life was fairly crappy at the moment. Erica didn't even pull in, just tooted her horn on the way by. Her red Mini Cooper scooted down the street and out of sight.Meira helped me maneuver Gram into the house after a brief moment when my sister's magic was reaccepted by the family power. Mom must have left a safeguard in place to ensure she'd be welcome despite severing her from the wards previously to guard against Nicholas's entry. We left Gram in her room while my sister stayed close as I closed the door behind us.I felt the wards waver again and my stomach lurched before I recognized the feel of Quaid's energy entering the house.Meira foll
I woke up to a sunny morning and the realization it was Tuesday and I had to go to school.Screw that. I rolled over on my right side and looked at my book bag. Just the thought of dragging myself to that miserable hole yet again for another day of ritual avoidance by my former friends wasn't the kind of thing I wanted to heap on myself right then. I'd been tough last week, but now, with Mom missing and everything going to hell?They could keep it.Someone messed around in the kitchen. The sound of pots and pans being shuffled indicated the perpetrator had no intention of being quiet about it. I reached out to find out who it was and remembered in a flash who slept on my couch the night before.Quaid. Was he making me breakfast? Really?Okay, that was something to get out of bed for.I peeked in on Meira and found her still sleeping. Sassy lay curled up next to her, staring at her like he was scared she would disappear again. He glanced up as I approached.How is she?Bad dream
By the time Quaid returned, I'd lost the edge of my anger and the need to tear things apart and was further along the road to bawling my eyes out.He took it all in stride, his chest the perfect place for me to pour it out.When I was done, he looked down into my face, fingers swiping at my tears. "You cry a lot," he said.Jerk. I whacked his chest with my fist, feeling the solid muscle beneath my hand. "Thanks a whole lot," I said, pulling away even as he chuckled and hugged me again."Just practicing," he said. "For later. You know. When we're an old married couple."That thought didn't make me cringe anymore.Still. He was a jerk. "How did this turn into such a mess?" I wished I could fix it. That he could. But I knew I probably just ended my friendship with Alison permanently because of my temper."What do you have against Benjamin, anyway?" Quaid sat at the kitchen table. I joined him, slumping over with my head in my hands."He gives me the creeps." I shuddered at the tho