Chapter 187: Dinner With The Enemy
Dinner was served by the small man and his equally small wife, both of whom bowed and scraped to the Dumonts and their werewolf security, but who were treated in turn like trash. I had to clench my teeth and my hands to keep from reacting, knowing Mom would be disappointed if I acted too soon.
The woman set a bowl of soup in front of me. "Thank you," I said.
The brothers snickered while one of them tripped her casually on the way by. She actually stammered an apology.
We must tolerate it, Mom sent. But not for long, I promise. Patience, Sydlynn.
She was a heck of a lot more composed than I was, but I did as I was told.
I barely tasted my soup, forcing myself to eat a few spoonfuls in an attempt to unclench my tight stomach. I'm not sure if it did me much good or not. The sight of Gram flinging hers across the table one scoop at a time did way more for my state of mind.
Andre snarled as a chunk of carrot lodged in his hair. Gram squealed with laughter, clapping her hands together.
She's okay, right? I set my spoon down, sipping my water to prevent the huge grin threatening to take over my face. This is an act?
Mother thought it best. Mom ignored Gram, calmly eating her soup while my grandmother continued her quest to annoy the hell out of the Dumonts.
"Take that from her, would you!" Andre gestured at the hotelkeeper who rushed forward and took Gram's bowl. She grunted in anger, fighting him for it, sending the remaining contents slinging down the table. Gram cackled her best crazy laugh and let the man have the dish.
"How very sad," Odette murmured, watching Gram with slitted eyes. "I was under the impression Ethpeal recovered from the madness that took her so many years ago."
Mom shrugged delicately. "She had a momentary return," she said, "but the damage was just too extensive, her time lost in the darkness prolonged. The battle with the Wild Hunt was simply too much. She slipped away from us again almost immediately after."
Odette's eyes settled on Quaid for a moment. Was that disapproval? I hoped so. I hoped his ass was in a crap load of trouble.
Jerk.
I didn't get to enjoy his discomfort for long. The sound of the front door slamming was followed by angry voices. Sunny and Uncle Frank stormed into the dining room, both looking furious. Mom let out a soft sigh, a gust of frustration.
"Sunny," she said, setting aside her napkin. "Frank. I didn't know you were joining us."
"Neither did we," Sunny said, voice cold and harsh. White fire flashed in her eyes. "We were simply following stray dogs to their kennel."
Oops. I knew this wasn't in Mom's game plan. The werewolves standing at attention around the room snarled and huffed at the two vampires who snarled and showed fang back.
"Shiny!" Gram lurched to her feet, leaning all the way over the table, belly pressed into the soup stain, to grab at Sunny. The blonde vampire snapped out of her anger and met my grandmother's eyes, her face softening. "Chocolate!"
Sunny smiled then. "Hi, Ethpeal," she said. "I don't have any, but I can find you some." She snapped her fingers at the nearest were, who happened to be Charlotte. "Fetch Ms. Hayle some chocolate, dog."
The redhead's eyes tightened, but to my amazement she turned and left the room. Tension began to build again while Gram hopped up and down on one foot, humming off tune while conducting her own inner band.
I was starting to wonder if it really was an act. She had crazy down to a science.
"Please," Odette said with an edge to her voice. "Join us."
Sunny took an empty seat, Uncle Frank beside her. He continued to glare at the werewolves while Sunny sat straight backed and full of anger. It wasn't until Charlotte returned a moment later with a bar of candy that the mood snapped, but not for the better.
Gram raced around the end of the table, using Odette's chair as a spring board to launch herself at the were. The Dumont leader cried out as her seat rocked from the pressure, spilling her wine. Gram ignored her, snatching the bar from Charlotte's hands and ripping off the label, stuffing the entire mess into her mouth. Gram stood there, rocking back and forth, a huge grin on her face, drool and chocolate running down her chin to stain the front of her flowered blouse.
Charlotte gently guided Gram back to her seat and stood behind her. I nodded just a bit to the redhead who returned the gesture.
She was nice to Gram at her most nutso. Not that I trusted her or anything, but at least Charlotte was a human being.
Mostly.
Even the brothers seemed uncomfortable with the sudden oppression in the room. The only person who appeared unaffected sat with great poise, her expressionless face turned toward me, eyes empty. I was sure at that moment Ameline was an alien. Or a robot. Or something totally make-believe. No one was that cold.
The guest list wasn't complete yet, but I didn't know it until the front door opened one more time. The voice murmured in the distance was familiar, the blacked out clear blue eyes and Goth styling equally so. I gaped as Pain entered, nervously glancing about from person to person. Mom tensed beside me even as I kicked myself for not telling her about the brother's invitation. I glanced at her, ready to apologize, only to see the sadness on Mom's face, a flicker only, enough to tell me what I refused to believe.
Mom already knew. Of course she did. And she hadn't told me a thing. Just like Quaid. If we hadn't been sitting there, with our enemies around us, I would have started a fight I'm not sure I was prepared to finish.
Mom's expression told me everything I needed to know, confirmed my worst fear.
Pain was a Dumont. And she had no idea.
Odette surged to her feet and rushed forward, hands outstretched to Pain. She gripped my friend's face in her hands and kissed her softly on both cheeks.
"Mon petite chere," she said in a voice throbbing with emotion, "you've come home to us at last."
***
