As Yure gaped, I let him feel what I'd done, what Charlotte and I accomplished. Together. No master, no bonded. Equals."Impossible," he whispered, the sound carrying in the cold night air."Not so much," I grinned at him. "Now, let her go." I glanced at Raoul and Oleksander, both watching me with burning eyes as I faked a thoughtful expression and tapped my chin with one finger. "Come to think of it, I want all the werewolves," I said. "How does that work for you?"I only had a second to gloat as the Czar stared, unable to comprehend I'd beaten his delusions of godhood. This time I was ready for the burst of witch magic overhead, expected it long before now, to be honest. I was just grateful Applegate waited long enough for me to free Charlotte before showing up to blast me one.I wasn't disappointed. She burst into view, surrounded by Enforcers, power crackling around her in a halo of fire."COVEN LEADER HAYLE." Her voice boomed through the darkness. I'm sure they heard her in S
Nice of you to make the party, I sent as she settled on the other side of Sunny. Pender and a large group of Enforcers remained afloat, facing off with the European guard. Things could get ugly really fast, but for some reason I wasn't feeling stressed about it.I guess I really didn't think the Brotherhood would risk a confrontation with so much firepower on my side. And the fact I was surrounded by those who loved me made a huge difference, when Applegate was pretty much on her own.Not for the first time, I wondered where her Enforcer Leader, Elliot, had gone. Had a sudden sick feeling about him.Hoped I was wrong."You've brought our two territories to the edge of war." Mom was in Applegate's face so fast the woman retreated, Meira stepping away to give our mother her kick at the can. Mom turned to her, smiled up at my sister like nothing was going on and patted her hand. "Hi, sweetie."Meira bent and kissed Mom's cheek. "Hi, Mom."Surreal.Their simple exchange had an amazi
I was just funneling my power back out through the others when I felt the whispered touch of maji magic in my mind.Sydlynn. Iepa, my maji guide/pain in the rear embraced me gently.Don't tell me this isn't allowed, I snapped at her in auto-defense mode. Because that would be just like her, popping in at the time when happiness was a thread of power away.She released me, sighed softly. To the contrary, she sent. What you're about to do, the freedom you offer them, is how the werewolves were meant to be.Huh? What do you mean?The sorcerers didn't create them, per se, she sent. Yes, they finished the job, sealed the shifting race to them. But the initial creation was mine.You again. I wished I could throttle her. Why didn't you rescue them?I couldn't, she sent. But you can.Why am I so special? Bitter? Naw.Because you share a bond with one of them, she sent. Had me focus on Charlotte again. Your black hound friend had the right of it. She showed me what he did, the quaking
Home. Wilding Springs had never looked so amazing. Early daylight embraced me as I stepped out of the veil and into the dawn-lit kitchen. It only took a second for Shenka to come running, Sassafras bounding at her side, his furry body leaping into my arms as she hugged him between us.A cup of coffee at the table later and the pair were sitting back with headshakes and snarky comments about troublemakers.It was actually kind of funny."Who knew Sydlynn Hayle aspired to be Creator." Sass swiped his tongue over one paw before rubbing his nose, amber eyes sparkling with mischief."Oh dear," Shenka said, clasping her hands in front of her chest. "I forgot we have greatness among us." She slid to one knee at my side, looking up at me with fake adoration while trying to keep a straight face.I was surrounded by smarty-pants.I swatted at her, giggling while Sassafras laughed."Pick on me all you want," I said. "But it was pretty cool."Shenka relented, taking her seat to squeeze my
I stood outside the throne room at the palace, trying to figure out what to do with my hands as I forced myself to smile and nod at guests as they passed by. The slim black dress Mom made me wear didn't have pockets, so I caught myself fidgeting between clasping them behind my back and toying with the thin silver band I wore around my thumb as a show of some kind of decoration.When the invitation to Oleksander's coronation came to me at Harvard a few days ago, I had to say yes. If only for the chance to see Charlotte again so soon. It had been less than a week, but the werewolves made themselves very much at home in the old palace, more and more of them arriving from far-flung shores, free of their captivity.Mom's smile was much more genuine as she slipped up beside me and took my elbow in one hand.It will be over soon, she sent as she accepted cheek kisses from a Steam Union member.The throne room beyond was packed with people, from vampires to sorcerers, witches to werewolves
I sat on the edge of Liam's bed, trying to study, failing miserably. He lay beside me, one hand stroking my leg as he read from a textbook. He hadn't pushed me for much information about what I was now calling The Charlotte Incident, and I was grateful. Partially because whenever I thought about my werefriend I either started to cry and couldn't stop or I thought about Piers.Way worse. Especially considering the company I kept.Liam finally closed his book over and tried to pull me down beside him. My whole body resisted, to the point I shut my laptop lid and stood up to avoid him.The hurt look on his face was almost too much."What's wrong?" Green glittered in hazel."Nothing." I was a record scratched so deep I couldn't come up with another answer to his almost constant question."Syd," he said. "You keep saying there's nothing wrong. But you haven't been yourself since you got back from the Ukraine."Sigh. "I just have a lot on my mind." Wow, nice line, Hayle. Oh, and don't
I planned to go right home. But Mom's prodding had me thinking and, finally, convinced me to stop being such a whiner and face the situation I'd created.That Liam and I made together.He looked surprised to see me when I pounded on his door, pushing past him and into his room, not even bothering to strip off my coat and scarf as I set my laptop bag on his bed and faced him."We have to talk."From his expression, sliding from surprise to worry, he'd been dreading this as much as I had. Except he sat, offering one hand, pulling me down into his lap where I sat, stiff and shivering from emotion and stress while he stroked my hair back from my face."I know something has changed," he said. "I can feel it, Syd. You aren't the same with me as you were before you left." He sighed and sat back, still holding my hand and me across his thighs. "Whatever it is, whatever you have to tell me, it's okay." Hazel eyes sparked with green. "But I want you to know, if there is someone else, I'm go
And life, as complicated as it was, went on.And on.The Steam Union never did uncover Vasyl, so I figured he'd show up again when I least expected. Because, yeah. That was the way things rolled for me.Piers went to great lengths to keep me up to date on the trial of the Black Souls and the continuing Vasyl hunt, though, so he had lots of opportunities to just show up and make himself available. With lots of suggestive comments and kissing thrown in for good measure.At least I'd managed to keep him from running into Liam. So far. Wasn't looking forward to that disaster if it ever happened.I'd seen jealous Liam before, and it wasn't a performance I wanted him to repeat.The worst part was I knew I could send Piers away at any time. But I didn't want to. And that made me a truly wretched human being and a despicable girlfriend. Though I wasn't much of the latter lately, to my credit. Despite our conversation, his assurance he would never stop trying, I pulled away from Liam comp