It didn't take me long to go from stunned silence to fury. Okay, so Mom was right to worry. So. Right. The last time I'd seen the back end of Venner he'd been trying to kill me. Had almost killed Liam's grandfather, Fergus, forcing us to send the old Gatekeeper through the Gate so the seal could be rebuilt after we failed to answer the knock.All so whiny fairy boy here could run home to his Sidhe momma or something equally pathetic.Before I could gather myself enough to ask what the bloody hell was going on, a small, slender witch of advanced age stood from the leather chair she'd claimed in front of Mom's desk and smiled at me. Well, kind of smiled. More like barracuda'd. I'd never seen that many teeth in someone's mouth before."Welcome, Coven Leader," she said in a voice so graveled I was amazed she could speak. "It's a delight to finally meet you.""Sydlynn," Mom rushed into the conversation with a forced smile of her own and tension in every line of her body, "may I introduc
The first place I headed after leaving Mom was Liam's dorm. Normally, the Yard housing was only for freshmen. But that was a human rule. For the duration of our stay, witches had our own private floors in each of the brick buildings surrounding the Yard, the same rooms in fact for the entire three years. So I had no trouble tracking back across the grass to Matthew Hall and Liam's room.He answered my knock with a smile, as always, though his happy expression faded when he saw the look on my face just before I pushed past him and inside. Charlotte stopped outside the door, closing it behind me, giving us privacy. Not that we needed it, but I could only guess the weregirl had no desire to listen to me rant.Neither did I, for that matter. I clenched a firm hold on myself, swearing I wouldn't go nuts on my sweet Sidhe friend, and spun to face him."I just wanted to warn you," I said. Level voice? Check. Temper in control? Check. Plans for murdering Venner? Checkarooni, yes indeedy doo
Charlotte hissed softly at me as I mounted the last step and headed down the hall to my room. I was lost in thought, head down. Good thing one of us paid attention. Her hand on my arm, pulling me back as she eased around me, brought my head up as Charlotte put herself between me and the woman standing outside my door.Sonja O'Dane met my gaze over Charlotte's shoulder, her hands clutching reflexively at the strap of her shoulder bag as she pushed off from where she leaned against the wall. I approached slowly, gesturing for Charlotte to stand down. My wereguard grunted softly, sniffing the air, but allowed me to gain the lead again, though I knew how fast she could react if Sonja meant me harm.I almost hoped she did. It would be awesome to see Charlotte take the woman down.Syd. Be nice. Liam's mom.Grrr.Sonja seemed hesitant, almost apologetic, as I finally reached her. She fidgeted, manicured nails scraping over the leather strap of her purse, lips twitching nervously as she f
I took my suspicions to Mom, sharing them with her over a freshly baked chocolate cake I brought with me from a cute little bakery on Harvard Square. I could tell from the guarded look in her eyes and the tightness of her smile she was onto me and the gooey offering I set on the table in her small kitchen, but that didn't stop her from fetching a pair of forks from the silverware drawer after Charlotte shook her head at the offer of a third. I set out a single glass, filled it with milk for us to share, the carton left out as I knelt on my chair and helped myself to a big bite, not even bothering to cut it first.Mom sighed and dug in herself, a shadow passing over her face. My eyes drifted to her empty neck and I found myself frowning too. She'd lost her pentagram necklace last year and, despite the fact Meira and I replaced it, Mom never wore the new one. Made me a little angry, actually. Like our present didn't matter to her or wasn't good enough. I knew such thinking was just my r
I didn't sleep very well that night. Tossing and turning courtesy of Shaylee. My demon. My vampire.My own anger.Shenka was already asleep when I arrived back at our dorm room, and it was just as well. I didn't have time to deal with her weird coldness from earlier at lunch, not with my head spinning and my temper rising now that I was out of Mom's reach.They are fools, my vampire sent with heat, showing her rare temper.Agreed, my demon snarled.Venemeth is evil, Shaylee spat.Tell me something I didn't know. If Mom's worried, I sent to them, there's good reason. Why hadn't she told me how much trouble I'd been causing her?Probably because it wouldn't have changed anything, my vampire sent. You've done only what comes as natural-saved them all from destruction over and over again. Imagine if we hadn't been there to prevent Batsheva from the inevitable destruction of Pannera and her blood clan?Or the discovery of the Brotherhood infiltration in the European Council, Shaylee
I ran all the way to Coven Hall, Charlotte right behind me, wanting to ride the veil, but hearing Mom's voice in my head, begging me to play it cool even as the terror I felt at Ameline's cryptic note drove spikes of panic through my chest.The last time she'd contacted me about someone I cared about, I'd found my demon grandmother dead in her apartments and was accused of her murder. So I didn't think anyone would blame me for the blinding fear gripping me as I raced after Liam.Only to crash into his back as he stopped to allow Tippy through the door ahead of him. Liam turned, frowning a little, hazel eyes flat as his strawberry blonde hair hung over his forehead. But his gaze lightened as though he only then realized I was there. He reached for me as I staggered, concern rising in his face in answer to what had to have been open terror on mine."Syd." He hugged me gently before letting me go, the old Liam back again. Now that I knew Ameline was involved, I immediately suspected s
Shenka wasn't even in our room when I arrived home and didn't show up until long after I went to bed. I almost confronted her on her cone of silence, but just didn't have the energy.Drama. Jeeze, did I hate drama.Instead, I lay in bed and focused on the next morning and my alternating worry about something diabolical happening during Venner's lecture and the fear I was overreacting, after all, and putting Mom and Quaid on edge for no good reason.All I had to do was think about the note Ameline sent and I swayed back to the diabolical.What had she meant? That she knew about Liam? It was the second time she'd said it, once in person, now in a note. Knew what? I assumed she was aware he was the Gatekeeper. Kind of hard to keep that little tidbit a secret, honestly. And if she was in contact with Venner, even more so. What was it she knew I didn't-or wasn't taking seriously enough?Fretting never suited me but I couldn't seem to avoid it.The fact Ameline was working with Venner,
I stayed in my seat, Quaid next to me, fuming while Venner shook hands with the board of governors and the Council. I noted Mom was the only exception, as she carefully dodged his outstretched hand with a diplomatic smile, moving another witch forward to take her place in a smooth but obvious snub.There were times Mom and I didn't get along, and times I wished I was more like her.Guess which this was.I was less surprised than I should have been to spot Sonja standing just inside the now-open door, small next to the hulking Enforcers in their black robes. Liam spotted her about the same time I did and left Tippy to hurry through the departing crowd to hug his mother. I left my row more slowly, doing my best to keep an eye on Venner, Spaft and Sonja all at once while Quaid stayed close behind me, his scent and the heat of his body where he brushed against me a sizzling distraction.Hormones? Really? At a time like this. Classy.I paused at the edge of the seats while Quaid pass