Chapter 134: Sidhe Power
Even powerless as I was, I could tell something huge was going on the moment I crossed the threshold and entered the kitchen. An immediate shudder traced down my back as I passed through an icy barrier, every hair on my body standing at abrupt attention. I rubbed my arms and caught my breath, stolen by the sudden pressure of so much magic.
I guess I wasn't totally blocked off after all. Though the longer I stood there and struggled to get my anger back, the more the protective net in my mind tightened and the less I was affected by the weight of the collective coven.
The basement. I saw candlelight shining from the crack under the door and headed right for it. I eased it open and listened. Mom was talking, her voice was so low I missed what she said. My feet made little sound on the steps, and soon I was standing behind the closed circle of family witches.
The moment I touched down, I felt a thrill of something I'd felt before. And for a moment, the protective force around my magic unfurled, letting in a thread of green energy before slamming shut again, tighter than ever. As if that thread fed the spell keeping me blocked.
It made no sense. Green magic came from the Sidhe, the fairy folk. What did it have to do with me? I was half demon, or had been. And would be again. Better be. Not letting that negative thought take over. But except through Mom and her stolen Sidhe magic, I had no connection to the Fay as far as I knew.
I had about as many answers to that question as I did to everything else so I let it go.
Mom was in the middle, as usual, with Dad right next to her. I spotted Erica and headed straight for her, knowing Gram and Meira would probably be with her. No one noticed me, looked up or paid any attention. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or if I should be insulted.
When I reached Erica's side, she glanced sideways at me before doing a double take. Her eyes widened, one hand clamping on my arm as she pushed me back away from the circle.
"What are you doing here?" It came out in a near silent hiss.
I was so stunned by her question I didn't say anything for a moment. By the time I gathered myself enough to snap back, she winced and turned away from me.
Mom was talking, but it wasn't really language. More murmurs of words as she focused her power. It was visible now, a sheet of flickering blue laced with white, green and amber, all of the gathered magics making their presence known. I stepped back once and hugged myself, wishing not for the first time I hadn't been such a jerk and kept my demon with me.
Although, had I done that, we'd all be dead anyway, so none of this would have mattered.
Still sucked.
I jumped at the sound of thunder. The whole house shook above us, dust drifting down from the exposed beams above. One of the boxes we never unpacked actually rattled.
Mom's good china. Right.
The power around the circle flashed and everyone sighed, swaying as if a wind blew against them. The magic faded as the last rumble of thunder sounded in the distance.
Mom's face was lined with weariness, but her smile shone as supportive as ever. "Well done, all of you." She squeezed Dad's hand. "One more push should do it."
"Why are we bothering?" James Crossman was always a whiner, even more now that he had a daughter. I guess becoming a dad himself turned him into a worry freak. It also pissed me off, after everything Mom did for him and Sandra, that he sided with Celeste these days. "What good are we doing, really?"
I was surprised Celeste stood back and let him talk. Then I understood. She knew she was in Mom's bad books for stirring up trouble. Now she had an accomplice.
The smug look on the big woman's face made me sick.
"Every time the Hunt tries to rise," Mom said as if she'd explained it to them a million times before but was still willing to say it again, "we must do what we can to reinforce the spells that have kept the Wild in sleep for centuries. We have no other options."
"So you say," James said. "But I don't see or feel any other covens helping us in this one. Not even the vampires are here." A few of the family muttered sullenly in answer.
"I've contacted the Council," Mom said. "They have ignored our request for help yet again." She frowned and shook her head. "I have no idea why they refuse to offer aid, but it means we are the only ones who stand between the Wild Hunt and the destruction of the world. Would you like to stop, James?"
He looked away, but he was still angry, I could tell. At least he learned to shut up.
"What is she doing here?" Celeste spoke up at last, her brown eyes fixed on me, face hard, one hand tugging on the long, thick braid hanging over her shoulder and the other pointing right at me.
Everyone turned to look. Oh goody. Center of unhappy attention.
My favorite.
Mom's eyes flickered with concern as she came toward me, breaking the circle to wrap one arm around my shoulders. My little sister Meira peeked her head through between Erica and Gram. Her eyes were so sad I wished I hadn't noticed her there.
"Syd was just leaving." Mom fixed me with a no-nonsense look.
Which I naturally ignored.
"You could have told me." That came out all sullen and pissed off. Like a kid whining about having to go to bed early. Crap.
"We'll discuss this later." She turned to Erica. "Please escort Sydlynn upstairs. We have more work to do."
Everyone sighed, shooting me some nasty looks. Meira's little head disappeared. I wasn't surprised. Not like me showing up and making a fool of myself would change how she thought about me. Or acted around me for that matter. When she was around me. Which was never these days.
Yup. Even my baby sister couldn't stand to be with me anymore.
I let Erica lead me away, shot Celeste a scowl she ignored, growing angrier and angrier as my feet climbed the stairs.
Erica paused on the threshold, one hand on the knob. "Stay out of this, Syd," she said. And closed the door in my face.
I stood there for a long time, torn between tears and a frightening rage. I finally stomped my way outside to the back yard and spent the next several minutes picking up rocks and throwing them against the fence as hard as I could.
Naturally the rain returned. Within seconds I was drenched, but I didn't care. Rock after rock impacted the sturdy wood as I vented my fury. Lightning flashed around me, but I ignored it. It wasn't until the first clap of thunder came that I stopped, clamping my hands over my ears and huddling low as the sound literally tore through me. I gasped for breath and ran for the house, realizing only then how stupid it was to make myself a target.
Just as I reached for the back door, the rain stopped, like someone turned off a faucet. And through the tightly woven protection I was growing to hate, I actually felt the easing of power from all around me as the danger passed.
I sat on the bench and listened to the sounds of people moving around on the main floor, the slamming of car doors echoing around the sides of the house from the driveway, the hum of engines as they drove off.
I stayed where I was even when those sounds became less frequent. I didn't want to see any of them. Not even my own immediate family. I planned to sit there in the quiet dark forever.
The door creaked open and Dad peeked out.
"Hey, cupcake."
I ground my teeth and stayed silent. He came outside, sat beside me, tried to put his arm around me, but I was in no mood to be comforted. Dad sat back with a sigh when I jerked away.
"Are you okay?"
I wanted to smack him. "What do you think?" It came out louder than I expected. I hadn't wanted to shout at him. It wasn't his fault. But he was an easy target, sitting there, not fighting back, looking so sad. "I might as well not exist to you guys anymore. I'm worthless."
He didn't say anything. Good thing. I wasn't interested in hearing platitudes and attempts at comfort.
"You could have told me," I said after a long pause. "Instead of lying to me."
"You're right," he said. "But we didn't lie to you."
"You didn't tell me," I snapped. "Close enough."
"We were worried what affect it would have on you," he said. "We didn't want you to feel left out."
"Nice try."
"Obviously not." Dad's fingers touched my wet hair. "We're trying, honey. But so much is different now." His hand dropped away. "With all of us."
I refused to feel bad for him after what he and Mom tried to pull. "Whatever."
His weight shifted forward on the bench, elbows on knees.
"How was dinner?"
Did he just try to change the subject? No freaking way. And yet, it gave me something to throw in his face.
"Oh great," I snarled, "Alison's mom is a real peach. Invited me to the lake house when school is over. Perfect chance for all of you to get rid of me."
"That might be a good idea."
I spun on him, fury rising to the surface. "No way. I'm not leaving while all of you are dealing with this mess. I have to help." Tears fell then. I couldn't control them and was angrier for the weakness. "No matter what it takes."
Dad's face wasn't sad for me, or sympathetic. Just neutral. Smart Dad.
"There's nothing you can do," he said. "In fact, despite what your mother said, there's not much any of us can do."
That shock slapped the anger out of me and revived my fear. "What are you talking about?" He had to be wrong.
"We have five, maybe six days," he said, "before the Wild Hunt wakes completely and comes for us." He looked up at the stars. "Everything will be decided then." His eyes returned to mine. "You can't help, Syd. And you can't be here when it happens."
I shook my head as the door creaked again. "I agree with your father." Mom stood on the threshold, a shawl around her shoulders. She looked beat, but I wasn't allowing myself to feel any sympathy. "Whether you go with Alison or with the children we're sending to safer ground, you're leaving."
"No." I stood up and faced her. "I'm not."
"Yes," she said, voice calm but with anger in her eyes, "you are. I'm giving you a direct order from your coven leader."
"That won't work on me anymore," I said even as I felt the spell around my mind twitch. Seriously? Damn it.
She must have understood the look on my face. "You are not to come near the coven site until this is all over." Before I could say something I knew I'd regret, and probably to prevent me from doing so, she spun and went back inside.
I stood there in the darkness, body trembling from pent up emotion. Dad's hand settled on my shoulder and I let him leave it there.
"It's for your own good, Syd."
He had to say it, didn't he? But I let that go, too, in favor of the more important question.
"What's going to happen?"
Dad shrugged, but gave it to me straight for once.
"We don't know for sure," he said. "But we do know this family is the focus of the Wild's power. It's possible we'll find some way to stop it by then. But far more likely the coven will be destroyed with most of the town and its inhabitants."
I stared at him, mouth hanging open.
He nodded once, hand falling away. "And that's just the beginning."
Dad went back inside, leaving me to be alone in the dark.
This was one time I wished he hadn't told me everything.
