Zero hesitation.Endless fury. No doubt.I dove through the veil after my sister's magic, my power already reaching out to squeeze the life from Ameline Benoit. Peripherally, I felt Max traveling with me, his magic humming through the veil with equal rage, the pair of us leaping out into my basement as I raised a hammer blow of maji power to crush the thieving bitch like a bug.Only to pull up short at the fact she wasn't alone.Not by a long shot.Iepa stood beside her, face a mask of misery. My maji guide/backstabbing pain the tuckus hovered there, barely able to meet my gaze, her eyes brimming with tears. And that wasn't all, of course it wasn't. Ameline's own little fairy godfather, the dark maji Trinol, waited on her other side, night-black skin shining in the glow of Demonicon on the other side of the veil tear.What. The. Freaking. Hell.They weren't looking at me, neither of the maji. In fact, the moment I touched down, Iepa's tearful face flashed with hope while Trino
Was it wrong I felt suddenly stunned, as though someone hit me on the head again?"Is it time, then?" I met Iepa's eyes, stunned to think this could be over very soon. Which meant rescuing Quaid and the Zornovs would have to wait.But every minute ticking by with them in Belaisle's hands could mean their death. Maybe not Trill and her brothers, not if he thought he needed them. But Quaid was a liability.Yes, I worried about him. A lot. Sue me for still caring.The quick shake of Iepa's head, her glance sideways at Trinol, unclenched the knot in my gut a fraction. "Not yet," she said. "There is still another to find before the prophecy can be complete."Cool. Enough time to make the daring rescue so I could focus.Ameline spun on the two maji, her anger flaring once again. Made me wonder how much influence Ahbi had over her and if it was my grandmother's temper showing."Prophecy." She spit the word at them both, magic swirling around her. "I am the Dark One and I will fulfill m
I thudded, breathless, into a hard, dark shape as Max, in drach form, swooped beneath me, banking to catch me across his broad back.My swearing was lost in the rush of wind, but I have no doubt from the rumbling chuckle rising from his warm, scaled body he found it amusing when I explained to him just how furious I was to be dumped out and left to fall to my death.And then there was no time for talking, or no breath for it at least, as he caught a thermal current and my stomach rose to my throat as I floated, weightless a moment, over the wide, emptiness of the barren landscape below.Shudder. Just. Shudder.And yet, lying there on his back, clinging on to the hard edges of his scales for dear life, as I looked out over the plane, I had to admit to myself this was the coolest freaking thing I'd ever done. Witches didn't fly, not in airplanes. Just in case our magic interfered with something important and made the aircraft plunge to fiery doom. And with my fear of heights, I never
I was in the veil before I could gulp down that particular tidbit, but had absorbed it by the time Max opened the other side and I stepped out into Center. I knew it immediately, felt the familiar pull of longing, as we stood on the edge of the great city that was the home of the maji.A soft sigh escaped me. Yes, I'd left here last time pissed off and ready for a fight, but that didn't mean its effect on me had gone away. Now my anger was cooled, my focus on finding what I needed to know to move forward, the call of Center and the peace it offered my soul was almost too much to bear.Until I caught Ameline smirking at me as if she knew what I was feeling.Screw her. And the stupid spell this place had over me. When this was done, I couldn't wait to go home to my family and never see Center again.New resolve in place, I marched ahead of the others, past the soaring fountains and through the beautiful streets, ignoring the watching eyes of the maji as I grew in size at the foot of
"You know he's nuts, right?" Yes, I'd learned to trust Demetrius, but holy. This was life and death of all planes stuff."His burdens are necessary," Fate said with sadness in her voice. "Everything has been, for both of you. You weren't able to kill Belaisle when you had him trapped with the oracles, because he is necessary." Oracles? Was he talking about the woman under the rainbow glass? "This fight will decide the course of Fate. Above all else, if you remember nothing I tell you or show you, trust Demetrius. Even when it goes against your heart to do so.""What happens if we win?" Might be nice to have some advanced knowledge.She shook her head, looking away, empty eyes on the water of the fountain. "The visions are dim," she said. "I can't see clearly past the battle." Why did I get the impression she wasn't being totally honest with me? Or maybe I was just paranoid.Naw. Trusting my instincts on this one.Fate's hand squeezed as her power swelled. "You don't believe," she
Ameline's unhappy scowl actually helped, pricking my temper and making my egos all surge in anger. A nice change from the spinning fear we all fell into after Fate's little "loss" pronouncement."Took long enough," she said before turning her back on me, confronting Mabel. "I take it my turn is coming sometime in the near future?"Her ass was right there in front of me, beneath the black cloak she wore. One swift kick-Do it, my demon snarled.Use earth magic, Shaylee sent.Temper, temper, my vampire's calm voice finished with, don't miss.If only."Travel safely." I turned, surprised to find Fate standing behind us, empty eyes on Ameline. "Listen carefully to what my brother has to tell you, Dark Child. Your Fate will lead you where you need to go."Ameline didn't turn, shoulders stiff, and the Light Fate sighed. Waved to me.I wanted to ask her, to drill her for information, but there wasn't time. Only the horrible knowledge someone I loved was going to be lost to me.That
I half expected to land in the empty plane right then and there, wind knocked out of me in a deep exhale of relief as Max delivered us into the basement of my house. Not that I wasn't up for the challenge or anything-sure, Syd, keep telling yourself so-the sight of Mom standing there, waiting for me, was almost enough to bring me to tears.Almost? Okay, so a few were involved, but I hid them in her hair when I stepped forward and into her arms.She held me a long moment, a solid rock, my rock, not speaking, her power saying everything she needed to say. When I finally pulled away, I felt more stable, less likely to fly apart, everything Fate told me kind of hitting me in one big blow.But yeah. I could take it. Just watch me.Intros all around, Mom didn't miss a beat, welcoming the drach to our plane, even graciously ignoring Ameline. Instead of, you know, beating her to an undignified pulp. Mom amazed me with her restraint."Anything we can do to help," Mom said, turning to me, p
I paused at the bottom of the stairs, caught Liam's hand where he stood, face a mask of emptiness, though I could feel his misery. He bent over me as I slid my hands into his hair, kissed him with all the passion I could muster. Felt the heat inside me, deep and thrumming, wake in answer to spread from my belly down my legs, anchoring me to the earth.To him.When I finally let him go, Liam pressed his lips to my forehead.I love you so much, he sent. And I'll be waiting when you get home.No doubt.I hugged him hard, let him feel exactly what my heart thought of him. Showed him the oak tree he was to me, felt his power flare in answer."I'll be home for dinner," I said, turning to smile at Shenka who blinked back tears even as she smiled in return."We'll be here," she said. Grasped my hand a moment. Let me go.I bent and lifted Sassafras into my arms, stroked his soft fur as his ears lay sideways, whiskers drooping, tail hanging low.But his power hugged me all the same, the