Chapter 154: Mom's Manipulations
The race through the forest back to the motorcycle went much more quickly now that we didn't have to worry about the Chosen. I was panting and feeling bruised and a little battered when Quaid pulled up and stopped, but just so grateful I was about to be whole.
I continued on, reaching for my demon as she settled on the ground next to Sunny. The look she gave me made me hesitate, pause, finally stop in front of her, my arms dropping to my sides.
She continued to glare at me while I tried to understand what was wrong.
"We don't have much time," I said, my voice trembling from the need I had to have her with me.
"I agree." She looked up at Sunny. "We have to hurry." My demon rose from the ground, her magic spinning beneath her in a soft whirlwind.
"Maybe you'd like to know where to go?" Quaid's voice was low, but full of sympathy and I hated it was aimed at me.
"The site," my demon said even as the wind supporting her stilled and she settled on the ground.
"No," Sunny said, her own brand of loving compassion in her face as she looked at me. "The site is no longer viable."
What? Since when? Her blue eyes fixed on me. "Your mother had to strip it clean," she said. "The magic of it was tainted by what happened with Demetrius. The site no longer has power."
Then what was she trying to prove, telling me I was forbidden... oh, she was so sneaky. And so very clever. My heart leaped. "She knew that when she ordered me to stay away! But why?" I was pretty sure I knew, but needed someone else to voice it for me to believe it.
Quaid filled that need. "She knew you'd never stop looking," he said. "And she really couldn't risk another war. She had to let you do this on your own."
"You knew?" I spun on him, furious. "All along?"
"She asked me to help you." He shrugged. "And I did."
"You could have told me." I felt my anger returning. How could she do this to me? Make me think I couldn't go home, that I would be banished? Oh, she'd ordered me to stay away from the original coven site, to keep clear of family business. But there was no power at the site anymore. And there was nothing, no command of hers, keeping me from going to the new site, wherever that was. Which was exactly where Mom wanted me to be.
Contrary, conniving, and all together manipulative. She'd been holding back not only because of the coven, but to force me to act. Damn her, why did she have to be right, in the end?
Sunny obviously knew where my mind was going. "She couldn't tell you," Sunny said. "Had she, your fear would have held you back. We all saw it happen to you, Syd. When you lost your demon." She glanced at the other half of me, sullenly watching us with her amber eyes that rolled in irritation. Sunny went on anyway. "We saw how hopeless you were. Lost. This was your task. And I am honored I could be a part of it."
No way was I letting her flattery and years of being my family soothe this wound. So how come it worked? I couldn't be mad at Sunny. Whatever. I'd have a talk with Mom when this was all over and make sure she knew how unhappy I was with how it went.
My anger snapped like a weak thread when I remembered if we didn't hurry we wouldn't get a chance to see her let alone help. And it was very likely even if we did make it, I wouldn't be having any kind of argument with Mom about anything before we all died at the hands of the Wild Hunt.
Moving on. Good then.
A patter of rain drifted through the trees, a few drops hitting my face. I looked up, only then noticing the rolling clouds racing by, heading toward Wilding Springs.
"I'll take Syd." Quaid was already on his bike, tossing me a helmet. "You two get back as fast as you can."
Sunny nodded, my demon rising beside her. She deliberately turned her face away from me and rose into the air beside the flickering shadow of the vampire.
Within moments, they were gone.
I scrambled on the back of the motorcycle, holding back tears of rejection and wondering what was happening. This was supposed to be a happy moment, a reunion, not another heartbreak.
"Where are we going?" I had to shout over the sound of the motor and the rising wind as I realized I hadn't a clue where the new site was.
"The only other place with a big source of power," Quaid called back to me as he gunned the engine.
Source of power? Of course. Only one other place in town was warded to the hilt.
My house.
All that time Mom and Dad spent in the basement. It had nothing to do with him. And everything to do with re-channeling all of the family power into the foundations of our home.
Rain came and went in sudden downpours, forcing Quaid to slow at times, though I felt the steady thrum in his body and knew he used his magic to keep us safe. Still, at this rate it was going to take us too long to get back. It was just shy of one in the morning, and with the way the storm was growing, I knew we were cutting it very close.
I needed to convince my demon to come back to me. And figure out what the source of Sidhe magic meant. Was that what kept me shielded from my power? Where did it come from? Had Galleytrot done something to me? And how could I get rid of it? So many questions spinning in my head, I felt wrung out just from the emotions behind them.
The bike shuddered under us as a giant fork of lightning struck up ahead. Quaid leaned low, pushing the engine hard as a thick tree, snapping and blazing fire, slowly toppled toward the road. The stink of ozone and burning wood choked me as I tried to scream. The bike skimmed under the falling oak, leaves and twigs just brushing my back before we cleared the wreckage and sped on.
Way too close for comfort.
The protective net in my mind spun tighter again, pulling my magic close, closing me up to the power around me. I jabbed my hand into my pocket and grabbed the crystal, refusing to let this happen to me again. Green magic sprouted, releasing the hold of the net just enough I could feel again.
It would have to be enough.
Wilding Springs was under full storm attack by the time we roared into town. Quaid poured most of his magic into keeping us moving and in the clear. I could feel that, at least, and the heaviness of the approaching, gathering magic in the very sky itself. I hugged him hard, tried to feed him more, but he didn't take it, just pushed harder. The last bout of rain came to an abrupt halt as we spun down my street and to my driveway.
I gulped air in my anxiety, trembling all over with the need to get inside. I could sense the tightening of the family wards and knew we were just in time. I leapt from the back of the bike, Quaid right behind me and slid inside the kitchen door just as I felt Mom slam the wards shut behind us.
The kitchen was chilly and dark and very empty. I tried using the green magic to feel around the basement, but it was also empty. How could that be? I knew they were here, could sense Mom.
"Backyard." Quaid and I said it together, jostling each other to get there first.
I won, pounding around the staircase and down the back hall to the door. I burst out onto the grass just as a giant roll of thunder knocked out the power and the whole town went black.
I could see them, the coven, rimmed in green, all of them standing there. I held onto the crystal, forcing my way through the family. It took a moment for me to register the entire family was present. Sandra and James Crossman stood nearby with their young daughter, Eliza in their arms. I spotted Gram huddled next to Mom while Dad held Meira against him.
I was shocked to see her, and Sassy too. The other kids of the coven all gathered together with the family. What happened to sending them away?
Meira spotted me, squirmed out of Dad's grip and ran. I lifted her into my arms.
"You're here." I kissed her cheek and cuddled her against me.
"Nowhere is safe," she whispered. "Not anymore."
I nodded and moved on, not slowing my forward advance until I stood in front of Mom. Her eyes were grim but filled with shock as she looked over my shoulder.
"We made it," I said, knowing who stood there next to me, wondering where my demon and Sunny hid while I made the first move and realizing it didn't matter.
Mom hugged me hard. "I knew you would," she whispered.
Rather than get mad, I set Meira down and squeezed her back.
Dad and Meira joined us, one big huggy circle. Like we had time for this. Still.
I pulled away, listening to the muffled sound of the storm around us, feeling like my ears were stuffed with cotton, realizing the wards kept the yard quiet and still.
"Now what?" I squared my shoulders, ready for whatever happened.
"Now we face the Wild Hunt together." Mom smiled at me. Glanced at my demon. "Really together."
I turned to her, catching her glowing amber gaze with mine.
"It's time," I said. "The family needs us."
"You just don't take hints very well, do you?" She snarled at me and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm done with you and I'm never coming back."
***
