I hurried down the hall behind the Council's exit, in yet another long corridor lined with wooden doors. It still wasn't hard to find the one hiding my mother-her power came through loud and clear.I paused at the furthest and knocked quickly, heart racing. I hadn't been allowed a moment alone with her since, almost an hour ago, she'd been led out by the Council to prepare for taking on her new role. My attempts to talk to her mentally got me nowhere so storming my way to her door was a last resort.We just had to talk about this.The door jerked open after a moment, the annoying little secretary standing on the other side, looking down his nose through his glasses at me just like before."Yes?"I rolled my eyes and held my temper. "I'm here to see Miriam Hayle."His rat-like little eyes narrowed. "She's far too busy," he said. "I'll schedule you an appointment for next week. If you think it's important."My jaw ached from grinding my teeth and not his irritating self into the g
The bench was cold under my legs as I sat in the back yard under the light of the bulb over the door. It had been almost twenty-four hours since the power transfer was completed and while I'd shared the family magic with Mom before, I didn't realize until I took on my half she'd only shouldered me with a portion of it in the past.I flinched from the memory of standing in the Council chamber, all those eyes watching and weighing me, as the power flowed out of Mom, happily through Gram and into me.One question was finally answered without a doubt as the surging Council power, the most I'd ever seen, burst into life the moment Mom was free. Stripped from Batsheva Moromond in that moment, it returned to the chamber in search of a new host.I wasn't the only one who gasped as sheets of red fire fought it, a battle waging overhead as Batsheva's blood magic fought to contain and control it.Now we know how she became leader, Gram sent. How she does everything. By force. And she's not re
One last grief.I hesitated in the funeral home parking lot, not sure I could keep moving after all. Mom's hand took mine, squeezed gently and I squeezed back. She'd come, no questions asked, just showing up that morning in the kitchen, and held me while I cried and fought to pull myself together.I hadn't seen Alison's ghost since the Dumont's attack and hoped her echo moved on. But for now, in the moment standing outside the place of the dead, I felt like the echo."You don't have to do this." Mom waited, as patient as ever. "Syd."I nodded, snuffling a little. "Yes," I said, "I do."My feet crunched over the asphalt, the small stones poking my feet through my shoes, anchoring me to the ground. My demon hummed softly in her sadness, Shaylee singing a gentle lament over and over again. As much as it could have been annoying, I took great comfort from the two of them and welcomed their pain into mine.Some things were better shared.Beth and Simon stood in the entry of the squat
Happy endings are highly overrated.With Batsheva still in the wind, Celeste, Ameline and Demitrius supposedly under her control, I couldn't help but feel like a ticking time bomb sat outside the sleepy confines of Wilding Springs, just waiting for an excuse, any excuse, to blow up in my face.At least they were weakened, stripped of coven power. Though if Batsheva was able to handle using blood magic, I had no doubt the others, the sorcerous Strong not included, would master it as well given enough time.Gram and I did the deed together, severing the absent Celeste from our family magic. I have to say it was immensely satisfying and would happily have welcomed her back just to do it again.And again.It was weird in the house without Mom around, but I was getting used to it. Though I can't count how many times I passed her room in the run of a day and thought about her.A lot.Even weirder, Mom took Meira with her. I knew it made sense, cried as my sister hugged me, her possess
Book Nine: Divided HeartI grunted from the weight of the suitcase as I heaved it out of the back of the van. What had I packed again? I didn't remember it being this heavy when I loaded it into the car only seven hours ago.Seven long and painful hours. I forced a smile as Esther and Estelle stepped up onto the curb, matching prim skirts and twin sets as much their uniform as their very comfortable looking shoes.They didn't smile back, but through my connection to them from the family magic, I was sure their flat expressions had nothing to do with how they felt about me.Well. Pretty sure.Charlotte didn't say a word as she popped out the handle at the top of the suitcase before standing just behind me, waiting. The weregirl's insistence on joining me as my bodyguard hadn't ended with me leaving for college. Quite the opposite. Here I was, first year at Harvard, and I had extra baggage outside my clothes and personal items.Story of my life.I kind of felt bad for Charlotte.
The fourth and fifth floors of Hollis Hall were home to witches alone, warded against normal students. Not that they weren't aware the floors were there, but instead felt no desire to visit. The entire campus was like that, places where the ordinary and the magical existed side-by-side, but never met, at least for the normals.I peeked inside the room calling my name and found myself pleasantly surprised. Yes, it held two beds. Mom insisted I have a roommate my first year. Something about making connections with other witches. But I was pretty sure she really just didn't want it to look like I was getting special treatment. In all honesty, I should have been housed at Gray Hall, the home of the elite. Not all covens were as wealthy as mine, and not all as powerful. Some had more money, some stronger witches, but it was a rare few that had a combination of the two. And though the thought of being segregated with the rich witches no matter their abilities was kind of horrible, I'd taken
Unpacking took less time than I expected, and it wasn't long before everything I had was in order. Turned out all the clothes fit perfectly inside the wardrobe, no doubt a quirk of living on a witch floor. Just when I thought I couldn't stuff one more sweater inside, the hangers parted and room was made. As I stood back to close the door, I realized how much of a clotheshorse I'd actually become.Alison's fault. I shied from thinking about her, setting the photos of the boys next to the one of Meira and me last Halloween, Gram sticking her tongue out at the camera in the background. I frowned a little, remembering how I'd looked for a picture of Mom, something to bring with me, but hadn't been able to find one. Of Dad, either. Though my vampire Uncle Frank and his undead girlfriend, Sunny, graced my night stand.I pondered my computer. It would be easy to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening lost in video games or TV shows, but I felt the need to escape the room, to get out an
Another round of apologies to my roommate did nothing to thaw the tension between us. Out of energy and really not caring anymore, I left Sashenka shivering and saying she was sorry-for what I had no idea-to once again curl up with my back to her.This time when I tried to call up sleep it ignored me completely. Partly because my demon was still riled and even Shaylee upset by what happened with Alison. I did my best to reassure them, but neither was really talking to me, so I just let them stew and settled into my own version.My thoughts went instead to Alison, to the vampire virus trapped in the jewel I wore around my neck. I glanced down at it, the softest of glows escaping the piles of shields I'd placed around it. I felt it at times, stirring, though there was no way it could break free. Or so I told myself.Despite what Dad said when he gave me the thing, trapped in a marble of stone after he and Theridialis tried to contain it on Demonicon, it turned out Sebastian and the va
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