Semua Bab Hayle Coven Novels: Bab 371 - Bab 380

The dark basement, stone walls weeping with moisture, was full of more bodies, though most of these had their own wits about them. Charlotte hissed, crouching as the wolf inside her reacted to the dozen or so vampires who lurked around the edges of the large space, though the leader, the vamp I recognized from the attack on me in the Yard and from just earlier that night as he escorted my friends into the house the first time, stood next to Ameline on her left as though they were friends. If the evil-to-the-core witch had friends. Most likely she was simply using him and would discard him when it was convenient for her.Or whenever he became inconvenient.About another dozen witches, all young, hovered behind Darin who stood at Ameline's right hand. The smile on his face, so twisted he lost all semblance of humanity, made me want to shove it through the back of his head.Couldn't wait, actually.Only two thralled subjects remained amid all the magic users and creatures in that base

I knew there was nothing I could do against so much blood magic, but no way was I giving up, not now, not ever.My Sidhe power held her back as Ameline drew in the rush of magic suddenly available to her, flooding the basement with a mist of red stinging my eyes and skin and making my lungs ache. Shaylee cried out, tried to flee from the touch of the cloud as we all, my demon and Sidhe princess and I, realized what it was at the same moment-not just magic, but blood itself, infused with power and suspended and feeding Ameline with every single pinprick of it when it touched exposed skin or reached our lungs.Which meant it was attacking everyone in the room. Yes, even the vampires themselves, Ameline's so-called allies now crumpling with horrible cries, their skin seeming to weep red where the mist touched them. Piotr collapsed to the damp stone, one hand reaching for Sunny.She, at least, wasn't down for the count yet, thanks to my shielding, but I was weakening too fast, more and

Mom's face told me everything I needed to know. Sure, she'd been all official and supportive when the Enforcers were around, when the Council demanded an emergency meeting and we were presented as heroes, my friends and me. But now, hours later, in the wee dawn of an approaching new day with no one around to see it, she didn't look happy.Nope. Not happy at all."What were you thinking?" She faced down Uncle Frank first, shaking she was so furious."We did what we had to do," he said."This was none of your business." Mom slashed the air with one hand, face mottled red, shoulders so tight I was worried she might snap in half."Wrong." Sunny stepped forward, cold and beautiful. "This was every bit our business. Those vampires are our responsibility."Mom drew a breath. "Fine, perhaps them." She glared back and forth between them. "But you had no right dragging Syd into this mess with you.""They are here because I asked them to come." I stared her down. Two could play this game.

I settled into life at school pretty well after that. No more trouble. With no sign of Ameline or Rupe, things stayed that way. Even the Dumont brothers seemed more reserved, subdued, after Mom cleared them of wrongdoing when they claimed they knew nothing of Ameline's involvement in the Star Club.Yeah, right. Still. Seeing them walk around campus with their heads down, expressions nervous did it for me.As for the club itself, Mom saw to it the doors closed forever. When the older members involved were revived, drained of so much power they had to be fed from the Council magic, they didn't put up much of a fight, clearly shaken by their near death experiences. Still, I couldn't help but wonder if they would just trot off and start a new one all over again once the dust had settled.Traditions and all that.Sebastian contacted me the night after the attack to tell me he was in negotiations with Yvette, the queen of the Blood Clan Wilhelm, Sunny's old family. The following night he

I grabbed Meira's hand, feeling Charlotte rush forward to my side as I turned to her. "The veil."She nodded quickly and took my other before I pulled open the barrier between planes and rode it home. I loved the freedom of riding the veil between planes, the rubbery surface welcoming me as always. Not only was it fun and exhilarating, it meant we were saved running for five minutes through slush, instead dumped a heartbeat later into our very toasty kitchen and Dad's arms.Not a moment to waste. At least Mom had brought his effigy home with her from Harvard for the holidays instead of leaving him alone there. He used to visit more often, now that he had his new and improved diamond statue to feed him energy. But those frequent trips from Demonicon to us had tapered off again. I could only guess he was busy because of his responsibilities as a Demon Prince of the Second Plane, a promotion he'd acquired since Sassy, my demon cat sans demon boy, almost died to give Dad the power to cro