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
Suddenly and completely wide awake, I scrambled to climb out of bed, gathering my power while my demon roared to full awareness and slammed the blonde vampire so hard she impacted the wall with a thud shaking the entire upstairs.My demon kept her pinned while I trembled with alternating bouts of fear and fury and tried to decide what to do with her.She didn't struggle, but the hurt in her eyes was its own form of attack."Syd," she whispered. "Please, you have to listen to me."My demon barked a laugh and hit Sunny again, rattling the windows and making all of my pictures fall off the walls. My alarm clock skittered across the polished wood of my bed table and hit the floor with a crash."I can't believe you came here after what you did." And I kicked myself for not thinking to ward the house against her. She lived here for so long I never considered the new wards wouldn't do the job. Mom didn't know Sunny was a traitor at the time she rebuilt the protective net and I clearly ha
I had only once witnessed Dad's mortal form and even so I was still stunned. Gone was the red tinted skin, the horns. Like me, he looked human.But more than human. Super human. Like a god made flesh. Everything about him was perfect. His whole being vibrated with power without even trying. His deep blue eyes, so dark they were almost navy, settled on mine and he smiled."Hello, cupcake."His hug was so warm, so real. While I adored seeing him no matter what, feeling his arms around me, there was still a cold and stone-like quality to him when he came through his statue. As if he wasn't able to fully dispel the substance in exchange for his own.This Dad was totally different. Totally mortal.And it terrified me."We need to go." Sunny looked so relieved I was starting to believe her."After you." So he wasn't trusting her either. Good to know. I knew my dad wasn't stupid or anything. After all he was older than dirt. But when it came to Mom, he could be entirely irrational.Mo
The moment the Chosen were gone I lunged through the wards and reached out my mind even as my demon lashed out against the vampires in my yard.Quaid!He didn't answer. He didn't have to. The fury in his mind was all I needed to feel.Demon fire enveloped three of the vamps, sending them scurrying with inhuman squeals of agony. Nicolas spun on me, a vicious smile on his face and lashed out, a flash of white power reaching for me, trying to penetrate my body.I countered with more demon fire, melting his cold magic with a roar of sound.They were all around me, hedging me in. It was stupid, probably the stupidest thing I'd ever done and my mom and dad would kill me when they found out. But seeing Dad being torn away like that was more than I could bear.Now I stood, my demon's power wrapped around me, encircled by vampires. "Don't worry," Nicholas hissed. "I have no intention of killing you. I want your power too badly for that.""Come and get it," I said with more conviction tha
I took two minutes to change my clothes and spin my hair into a ponytail before pounding back down the stairs.To find my grandmother standing next to Quaid in the dark kitchen."How did she escape?" I was about to lead her back to her room all the while thinking I did not have time for this drama right now, when she reached out for me and touched my hand.It was like a light turned on in my body, power flushing through me. The feeling of it was infinitely familiar, a power I'd known my whole life. Not just because she was my grandmother, either. Her magic was connected to me in a way I couldn't begin to understand. I felt a rush of green magic under the blue, the touch of the Sidhe, and wondered as it spread out like a thin shield where it was coming from.Even my demon fed on it. When Gram was done, I felt fantastic.She sagged a little, Quaid catching her before she could fall. But she smiled at me, patting my cheek with her thin fingers."You have something for me," she whisp
The vampires weren't alone. Within moments, the Chosen appeared on the borrowed ride of another group. Nicholas crashed the party with a scowl as the leader let my father settle to the grass, still trapped in his bubble.Dad lunged to the edge, his mouth calling for Mom, but no sound emerged. She turned and saw him. Reached for him. I felt their pain and longing even from where I stood. She sagged with the weight of her understanding, a slow and crippled motion bending her forward like an old woman. I saw it in her face when Mom realized Dad wasn't there to save her, that everything had gone to hell. Her whole being crumbled and she buried her face in her hands to cry.Dad's power lashed out inside the bubble, knocking him to his knees."Yes, excellent," the man in the white robe said. "Using your power will only soften you for us. As you can see, your position is quite hopeless. Please, continue."Dad just glared at him.I couldn't bear to watch. But I didn't have a choice.Nich
Demetrius turned to his white-robed companion as the vampires, with Nicholas among them, retreated to the edge of the circle."Shall we begin?"Annick nodded, motioning for the other three. Two men and a slender woman, all dressed in the same white, came forward. The dark haired woman carried a bundle. She offered it to Demetrius with a bowed head. He took it from her, shook it out. Within a moment he was dressed as they were."Your power is valuable," he said to us. "You are fulfilling a destiny charged to my order over five hundred years ago. The creators of the Chosen of the Light understood the evil of magic. They saw sorcery was the purest form of power, beyond the silly Sidhe and their games, the demons and their distant plane, their overbearing superiority. Far greater than the vampires with their disease. And the masters of witches whose only cares were for their own struggles."The Chosen's mandate is to cleanse the world of your taint. And for five centuries we have labor
I couldn't watch. I turned my eyes away, held Mom as she tried in her weakened physical state to reach Dad. Held her tight and forced myself to block out the howl of pain my father released when Demetrius's crystal started to drain him of his power, glowing brighter as it drew his energy from him.It wasn't long before Demetrius scowled. He shook the crystal as Dad screamed his agony into the night. The Chosen leader snarled and gestured again as my dad fell to his knees. The crystal's light sputtered and went out."What is this!" Demetrius spun on Nicholas. "I demanded you bring me the demon!""I did." The vampire hissed and spit, looking less like his brother by the moment. "Exactly as you ordered.""Something is wrong." Demetrius turned to me, fury in his face and a murderous rage at the ready. More than ever I knew he planned to kill us all."You know," he said, cherub face now showing hints of his evil. "Tell me."I shrugged, reaching for my sarcasm, wrapping it around me l
How was this for a happy ending?Bittersweet, this walk down the halls of the newly restored mansion. I'd been through this before, but I knew this time, I didn't have anything hanging over my head.I loved Liam. But I was finally marrying the man I was meant to be with.The pressure was off this time too, our battles won. I could enjoy my wedding without worrying about Fate or the Brotherhood or Ameline looming in the near future.Awesome.I even found Wilding Springs was fine without the influence of the Gate, just as Fergus said. That it still felt like magic. Probably a combination of the century or so of the Gate's influence deeply mired in the whole town. Not to mention the presence of the Wild Hunt still snoozing in my back yard.And the coven.I didn't worry we'd have to move anytime soon. Good thing. I kind of liked being in one place for once.Made me think of Sonja, of Liam again. His mother disappeared after the night she met Gabriel. I tried to look for her, feelin
Another mirror. Another dress. Totally different experience.I stood on what amounted to a pedestal as at least a dozen or so giggling vampires tugged, pushed and laced me into the biggest, heaviest mass of fabric and jewels I'd ever seen in my entire life. The thing weighed so much I had to have my alter egos help me carry it so it wouldn't drive me to my knees.This was the punishment I got for picking out my first wedding dress alone.This one was, at least, the pale ivory I'd requested. White would have felt disrespectful to Liam's memory. And Mom happily acquiesced before losing her freaking mind.And when I appealed to Sunny for assistance in my mother's sudden loss of sanity?Yeah.I was surrounded by vampires, wasn't I?Shenka hovered, her ball gown sparkling, covered in as many gems as could possibly be stuck to her. Again Mom went with the jewel tones. I guess she figured a good idea was a terrible thing to waste.And considering only a handful of people had seen the
I sat on the side of my bed, looking out the window into the quiet street, the buzzing streetlight below me oddly comforting. I'd tried to sleep after returning home, put Gabriel to bed with Charlotte who met me at the front door after Sass, Galleytrot and I strolled home in the sharpening night air. Her massive scowl told me I was in horrible trouble as she took my son from me.Okay, so I didn't exactly put him to bed.Snort.Galleytrot and Sassafras naturally abandoned me for her room, leaving me alone. Which was fine, it really was. I had a hot shower, pulled on my favorite robe. Had a little cry. Not much. Just a pathetic little spill of tears I held over from the Gate.From Liam.And felt my heart ease at last.Wrapped myself in the love in my house, the people sleeping there. Shenka and Charlotte, Galleytrot and Sass. Gram and Demetrius. All of us, happy just to be home.But sleep wouldn't come. My mind struggled with belief. That Ameline was really dead. That Gabriel was
I looked down into my son's sleeping face before sinking into the rocking chair beside his crib and releasing of the last of my stress. He was really too big for the thing now, but I needed to do some thinking about a bed and a room for him and just didn't have the energy to deal.A soft, furry body landed in my lap, Sassafras purring as he kneaded my leg a few times before turning in a circle and settling himself."Nice to see them together again," he said.I knew exactly who he meant. Mom and Dad wasted no time taking off for Harvard for some private time. I blushed at the thought of my parents and what they were probably doing right now.Shudder.Galleytrot groaned from the end of the crib, eyes flaring with red fire as he looked up."What about you, Syd?" His rumbling voice shifted my shudder to a shiver. "Have you thought about a new mate?"Not going there. "I've been thinking," I said, totally changing the subject. Yes, on purpose. No judging. "About Gabriel and his power.
Meira grinned at me like it was funny. And it was, in a way. She sat behind Dad's old desk-Ahbi's, too-and bounced a little in the chair."Comfy," she said. Winked.Oh. My. Swearword.Dad laughed, hugged me abruptly. "Meems, pumpkin," loved his pet name for her, though I liked cupcake better despite years of protest, "I'm sorry to do this to you.""You've already apologized, Dad," she said, looking quite pleased with herself. Hard to remember she was only fourteen with that evil grin, hands rubbing together in expectation. "I'm going to do some housecleaning first. Then the real fun will start."I shook my head, giggling. "Just leave a few of the planes standing."She shrugged, inspected her nails. "We'll see.""I take it the Node is fine?" It felt fine, Demonicon still intact at least."It was in balance long before Ahbi took up residence," Meira said. "She was only just hitchhiking anyway."I looked up at Dad who sighed deeply, lines of anxiety leaving his face."You're cra
The sparkling kneepads attached to my heavy leather pants caught the light of the triple suns overhead as I shifted for the millionth time, foot bobbing on the end of my crossed leg. Sassafras hissed at me. The bobbing stopped.For the moment. The longer we sat here, the more agitated I felt. Didn't help it took Pagomaris an age and a half to dress me while Meira was being man-handled in her bedroom."Your demon form would be so much easier to dress, Your Highness." Hopefulness lit the aide's eyes as she smiled and scrunched her shoulders like talking to me as if I were a child would endear her."Not." I scowled at her. "Work with this or nothing." I gestured down at my human form.And she sighed.Gestured for her minions to come forward.Left me to them as though I was no longer worth her effort, returning to my sister who grinned at me through the open door of her bedroom.Argh.I did concede to shifting my size, remembering how small I felt next to Meira when she was in demo
I glared at my reflection in the mirror. "I'm not going.""You are." Sassafras growled softly at me before sighing heavily. "And so am I, remember?""They're not going to make you wear a ridiculous outfit and parade around like you're their property." More glaring.I. Was. Not. Going.Sass hopped down from the bed and waddled to my side, tail quivering. "You can't let Meira down," he said, leaping into my lap. I stroked his fur absently. "It would be a terrible thing for her to have to sit through Harry's marriage alone.""So maybe he shouldn't get married." Whiny much? But there was the crux, wasn't it?Today was my father's wedding day.And the last place I wanted to be was Demonicon. In fact, a hole somewhere deep and far away would have been preferable. Anything other than having to endure my father marrying a demon.That would be the end for Mom and Dad. The real end. And I didn't think I could handle it."Harry has made his choice," Sassafras said, meeting my eyes in the
I was already turning and moving back inside by the time Mom began her little speech to wrap up the trial. I had no desire to listen, moving on from it though Celeste's foul stench remained on me. A quick push of magic cleared my nose, clothes and hair of the stink, even as I strode with ever-increasing speed toward the back of the now-emptying chamber and the hall beyond.A startled Enforcer was the lucky recipient of the bag of marshmallows, slapped against his chest on the way by.I seemed to have lost my appetite.Was so focused on my final target I almost ran right into Payten when she dodged out of the shadows of an archway and stepped in front of me.My first instinct was to hit her so hard with magic they wouldn't find her body.Ever.Second instinct was to flatten her into a Paytensquish and smear her all over the floor with my shoes.Yum.Third impulse won, partially because I was a sucker for a sobbing girl, Enforcer or not.Hated enemy or not.She radiated grief,
I'd sat here before, on a bench in the Council chamber, watching a trial unfold before me, Shenka at my side. But this one was far different. I had no regrets, no old grief-at least not for the creature about to stand before my mother.Any sorrow I felt around Celeste Oberman centered on the Hayle family members she'd killed. Martin and Louisa Vega, the darling couple who loved and cared about me when there were times no one else in the coven seemed to. Sandra Crossman, leaving her husband, James, alone to raise their daughter.Old wounds long since healed over, but never, ever forgotten.Worse, Gabriel wasn't with me. Antsy pants wriggled my butt in my velvet skirt as I fidgeted and held him tight with my magic while he laughed at something and ignored me.My own son, a traitor.Sigh.Shenka squeezed my hand, smiled a little. "He's fine," she said."I know," I whispered back. Not needing to. We weren't the only ones chattering. The gathering for Mia's burning-it seemed so long