Mom spun on the other side, eyes wide, waving at me with urgency while a crowd of Enforcers flanked her. Three familiar old faces, pinched in fury, stared at me through the wavering bubble. The board of governors had come, probably looking for Venner. Though, as far as I was concerned, he wasn't their problem anymore. If he ever was at all.Damned witch politics.Looked like it was frying pan to fire time.Bring it.I couldn't hear Mom through the barrier, probably Thalion's doing. Or the fact she didn't have Sidhe blood.Not that I did anymore either."Thank you." I turned to Thalion. "Hopefully we're not too late." Please. Please, let us not be too late.He bowed his head to me and backed away. I caught Gram hugging Fergus out of the corner of my eye and a spark of curiosity bloomed. I'd have to ask her about the little smile they shared as she let him go.Later. When Shaylee was safe and Ameline was dead.I plunged my hands into the barrier, but felt myself repelled. "I can
Why does it always seem to be what goes around comes back again? I left the confines of the Sidhe wards, with Gram's help, stepping out into the cool, musty air of the basement hallway. And reached for the veil while my demon sniffed out Shaylee.She was surprisingly easy to find. Just like Gram said. And it was all because of greed. The veil parted and welcomed me, Quaid and Charlotte beside me, Galleytrot at our backs, sliding the short distance through the flexible membrane toward our target.I leaped from the edge of the veil when it opened, power surging, rage rising as never before, almost consuming me as I prepared to confront Ameline.She wasn't there. But the trace of her was. Outside the gaping hole of a cavern I knew well, that I'd once thought would be my death at the hands of Cesard and my vampire essence, tied to the demon trapped there. And once to save Sebastian and, through him, my mother when she stood trial.So like Ameline to try to hide. I stomped my way past t
I resealed the entrance to the cave again before turning to watch the six Enforcers, led by leader Pender Tremere himself, bundle up the still weak and hurting Ameline in their grasp and whisk her off to prison.It wasn't until they finally disappeared, the witch girl firmly wrapped in Enforcer magic, her eyes never leaving mine with that old, cold smile on her face, that I actually let out the breath I'd been holding.So sure something would go wrong. Any second now.But I had other things to think about. Charlotte shuddered a few times, her wolf emerging in her eyes as she struggled to settle the Sidhe soul inside her. While Bronagh's spirit had gone to the weregirl willingly, it was clear the two weren't really happy with the situation.Quaid simply stared at me, in a bit of a daze, though when I reached for his hand, his magic slid over my skin, love tied to Liam's.Freaky weird.I tore open the veil and pulled them along with me, slipping through the welcoming edge of the ba
I didn't go back to Harvard right away. The Kennecott twins wanted to watch over Liam in the cavern for a few days. And I needed to stay near him.When I finally went home to my house, collapsed on my own bed, the quiet night outside soothing me close to sleep, I was thankful for the break. Shenka returned to school, promising to catch me up on work if it killed her. I wasn't worried, not really.If I failed Elemental Interactions, it wouldn't be the end of the world.Snort.When I felt him in the back yard, tears welled in my eyes, but my body was already moving, carrying me down the stairs and to the door. I sat next to him in the chill September night, my hip tucked against his on the bench, so familiar, this meeting place, it almost felt like it would never end.But everything ends. Everything. Eventually.Quaid slid his arm around my shoulders and I settled against him, though without romantic intent. Just a comfortable, calm and soothing moment, two friends supporting eac
School. Wow. My dorm room felt like an alien planet. But Shenka's smiling face and an eager hug greeted me when I finally returned, so that made all the difference.She immediately began to grill me, dragging me down to sit on her bed beside her. "How's Liam?""He's completely fine," I said, tucking one leg under me. "The healers said he's made a full recovery." And from what I could tell, from what Shaylee felt, that was true. I still worried, especially now I'd decided I was going to throw caution to the wind when it came to him.When, I still hadn't settled on. I wanted to make sure he was back and life was even a little normal before trying the relationship thing.Shenka smiled and squeezed my hand. "I'm so happy for you two," she said. "You know Tippy's going to be all kinds of jealous?"Let her. "Oh well," I said. "She's got lots of prospects."Shenka laughed. "Tell me about it.""Thank you, by the way." I hugged her impulsively. Her scent always reminded me of her home in
Well, hello there life. Back to quiet, are we?We'd just see about that.I wasn't all that shocked to learn Hortense Spaft escaped custody. But with Ameline still firmly in the clink, I didn't really care what the tall, scary Unseelie woman was up to.Not while Ameline sent me almost constant messages, asking to see me in person. I refused to read them after a while, accept them at all shortly after that. The poor court pages had their hands full and though one of my scowls sent them scurrying when they continued to try to deliver, Ameline didn't quit.You'd think I'd be feeling all heroic and confident now that Ameline was behind bars and magic. I just couldn't muster much past nervous anxiety.Let her rot in her cell until they burned her alive. I'd be happy to watch.So much for Quaid and his worry about me and death. He had no idea what I was capable of.I was a little disappointed Mom decided to pardon Sonja O'Dane, though. I knew she felt sorry for the woman, but having Li
Book Fifteen: Ancient WaysSweat stung my eyes, the thud of my hands against the heavy bag vibrating up my arms and into my chest. I leaned back and lashed out with one foot in a roundhouse, connecting solidly with the cracked vinyl, the chain creaking as I sent the bag swinging."Nice hit." I turned, wiping my face on the shoulder of my t-shirt to the grinning face of my kick-boxing instructor. Sage steadied the bag, deep green eyes smiling as much as his mouth.A rather yummy mouth, as it turned out. Nice little chin-cleft, too, a bit of beard shadow roughing up his wide jaw, dark brows framing that sea-colored gaze. Thick lashes framed his eyes, lashes I was jealous of the moment I walked into the gym and he looked up to greet me.With that same smile he gave me now."I'm feeling more balanced." I drew a deep breath, bobbed up and down on my toes as I faced off with the bag again. "That tip you gave me about staying lower really helped."He shrugged, his tanned skin rippling
Sashenka Hensley tossed her heavy suitcase, the last of her belongings, onto the bed and spun in a circle, hugging herself and grinning. I grinned right back, as weird as it felt to have her living in Meira's room."This is perfect." My second ran her fingers over the pink walls, her magic sparkling out, tinting the paint as it traveled. A glittering wash converted the shade to a more demure taupe. "Well," she said with a wink, "now it's perfect."I laughed as her magic completed its course with a final flare, job complete. "I never knew I could do that," I said, possibilities running through my mind. The house could use a spruce up.Shenka unzipped her bag, tossing the top back. Charlotte's "she" ran one hand over the carefully arranged interior. I shook my head at how neat and orderly Shenka's stuff was, all folded and sorted by color and item. I sprawled on the bed and tried not to think of my little sister's absence as Shenka began removing her clothes from the case."Tallah wa