Chapter 110: Betrayed
Erica took over while the rest of us just stood there and tried to figure out what to do next.
"Miriam left me with instructions," she said. "I have work to do. And so do all of you." She turned to me and Meira. Gram still clung to us like she was lost. "And you."
Mom left me a job to do? Wicked. Finally.
"Go home," Erica said. "And stay there."
I scowled at her, opened my mouth to protest.
"Syd," she said, softer, with great feeling, "someone has to protect the house. Your sister and grandmother. Your father. It was Miriam's order."
I hated it so much when she was right.
"Fine," I said, "but you better keep me informed."
Erica smiled a little. "I will," she said. Saw my look of disbelief. "Honest."
Best I would get from her. Hopefully she remembered the little talk we had in the kitchen. I wouldn't be ignored.
Speaking of being ignored, my demon was ripping mad.
We could have saved her.
I didn't answer. Because at this point, there was nothing I could do about it. Besides, I was already beating myself up over it. I didn't need my demon doing the same thing.
Quaid looked troubled. "I'm sorry." He seemed uncomfortable, almost awkward. It was so not like him, Mr. Poised and Perfect.
I found it oddly endearing.
"Not your fault." I set Meira down. She clung to me, still a little wobbly. Gram practically hung off my hand. Erica and the others moved off, having a whispered, heated conversation.
"I have a question," he said. "Why didn't Sunny turn me in, too?"
I wondered that myself. "Probably knew there wasn't much you could do on your own." I hated the thought she betrayed us. Hated it. I thought I knew Sunny, trusted her with a lot of intimate stuff over the years.
I had another question. Why did she tell me she loved me just before she turned me in?
Shadows fluttered on the other side of the barrier. I forgot it was still up. If Nicholas had the nerve to return I wasn't holding back this time.
Uncle Frank charged forward instead. Anastasia was close beside him, flanked by a small army of vampires. They pretty much filled the rest of the clearing.
I had no idea the blood clan was so big.
"A little late," I snapped even as I realized that wasn't fair. I remembered Mom making Sunny promise not to tell. Not that she would have anyway, it turned out.
"What happened?" Anastasia tried to cross the barrier, but a bolt of blue fire put an end to that. Gram's wrinkled mouth screwed up into a pucker, thin index finger pointing right at the vampire.
She wasn't impressed.
"Was that necessary?" Anastasia smoldered, and not just from the fireball.
"Considering Sebastian's brother just took our coven leader," Erica said, stepping up, "I'd say yes, Anastasia."
She shuddered as if struggling for control over her fury. "I see," she said. "And why was I not informed of this little meeting?"
"Miriam chose to act on her own," Erica said. "From what we understand you've been told in the past to keep Nicholas alive. She didn't want any interference putting Meira at risk."
Nice, Erica. Fresh tears trickled down my sister's face. But she was right.
"Fools," Anastasia snapped, cold white power flooding her eyes and flickering around her hands. "You know not who you deal with. Nicholas is too dangerous for mere witches."
I really, honestly thought she was wrong. The only reason Nicholas was still alive was because he had a hostage. I know my demon would have loved the chance to see just what kind of a mess she could make of him. And I was right behind her.
"Why did she do it?" Uncle Frank looked so distressed I wondered how he knew about Sunny. And spoke up.
"She said she couldn't resist him any longer."
Uncle Frank looked confused. "Miriam? What connection did she..." Understanding dawned, broke over his face which crumpled in grief. "This is Sunny's doing."
Oops. Well, he would have found out sometime.
"No," he shook his head, backing away from us. "She wouldn't. She was free of him." He looked at Anastasia, so much naked despair in his eyes the vampire's power drained away, leaving him with only a grim and regretful expression. "She wouldn't."
The blonde vampire met my eyes, not Erica's, as if she considered me to be in charge.
"I failed you," she said as she gestured at my sister. "I told you and your mother I would rescue Meira from Nicholas. I am happy to see you safe, little one."
Meira stuck her tongue out at Anastasia and turned her back.
"I see," she said. Looked up at me again. "This time I will not fail. Nicholas is my responsibility, one left to me when Sebastian left us." I wanted to stay mad but there was centuries of sadness in that statement and I just couldn't muster any anger. "The clan has assembled. We go now to retrieve Miriam."
Erica shocked me by shaking her head. "No," she said. "She is our leader and therefore we are the ones who will save her."
Anastasia looked shocked. "You refuse my help?"
Celeste spoke next. "We've had enough of your help," she said. "We've seen the kind of betrayal even your most trusted members have to offer." She shot a disdainful look at Uncle Frank I wanted to slap from her face. "Just stay out of our way."
Anastasia's anger was back. "If you think I will allow you to execute a vampire, you are sorely mistaken. That task is mine and mine alone."
"No," I said with more force than I intended. "It's Sebastian's."
Anastasia glared at me like I'd slapped her.
"Try and stop us," Erica said. She did a pretty good Mom impression. "Now I will ask you to leave. You are no longer welcome here."
Okay, this was going way too far. But before I could say anything, speak up, heal the rift between us, Anastasia hissed at Erica and flickered into shadow, taking her army with her.
The only vampire to remain was Uncle Frank. I felt Gram let go of the protective spell and step forward, finally releasing my hand. She walked right up to him and gripped his face.
"Your fault," she said.
I gasped. "Gram! No. Uncle Frank, it's not. You know she's nuts."
But it was too late. He seemed to shrink in on himself before the shadows took him and he was gone.
I couldn't believe it. That was the crappiest thing I'd ever witnessed, even when I was being bullied. Gram turned around and grinned at me like it was funny.
"Syd," Erica said. "We have to go."
Louisa tried to lead Meira away, but she wouldn't leave me. Quaid's hand touched mine and I stared up at him. How had this all gone so very wrong?
"Go," he said. "I'll see you later."
He turned and loped into the dark, toward where we'd left his bike. I watched him go, wishing he would have stayed, needing his strength and no-nonsense calm very much right then.
Because it wasn't until the dust settled and I realized we were leaving that it hit me like a ton of very hard and very painful bricks. My mother was gone and if this was screwed up any further, if Anastasia's vampires and the coven's witches turned on each other in their need to bring Mom back, there was a very good chance I'd never see her again.
Where the hell was Sebastian?
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