Chapter 198: Disappearances
I came pounding down the stairs when I heard voices in the kitchen, almost running right into Dad.
"Cupcake," he said. He looked distressed, like he had bad news or something. My heart constricted, but he simple stepped aside. "Please be careful."
Okay, not good at all. I ran into the kitchen with him following, Galleytrot panting beside me, to find Uncle Frank sitting with Mom at the table. He looked up as I entered, normally boyishly charming face grim.
"Hey Syd," he said, going for all casual despite the tension in the room. Sassafras hissed softly from the end of the table, eyes glowing amber.
"What happened?" I looked back and forth between Mom and Uncle Frank while Dad's hands settled on my shoulders and squeezed.
"Nothing," Mom said, while Uncle Frank said, "It's okay, kiddo."
"What's okay?" I was so close to blowing my top I shook Dad's hands off and spun away from him. "Tell me what's going on."
"Two vampires are missing," Mom said softly. "Sunny is sure they were taken down by the werewolves."
"Any proof?" I was shaking for a different reason now. Were we that close to the end of this little exercise? I was so ready.
"None," Uncle Frank said. "We have nothing, no recourse, no reason to accuse or strike. But we're sure."
Not that I was a huge fan of all of the vampires in the blood clan or anything. I barely knew most of them. Anastasia was the only one I'd had much contact with outside of Sebastian, Uncle Frank and Sunny and she was a bit of a bitch. Still, they were our vampires, damn it. Or at least I thought of them as ours. Mom's magic was linked to theirs. No one touched them and got away with it.
"Miriam, we need to act." Sassafras vibrated with anger. "This can not be tolerated. They are chewing away at our edges like a rat at a piece of cheese."
"There's more to this, isn't there?" I knew it, there had to be.
Mom sighed. "Nothing specific," she said. "But some of our number have mentioned their dissatisfaction with the coven and have expressed desire to leave in favor of the Dumonts."
That was a massive blow. Though I understood how convincing Odette could be.
"She's cheating," I snarled.
Mom nodded. "She is," she said, "and that's against coven law. So if she succeeds, we'll have her on counts of thralling other witches. A severe penalty. She'll be forced to step down as coven leader if convicted."
"But you don't think it's enough." I forced myself to unclench my fingers from the fists I'd made when Galleytrot shoved his huge nose under my hand. His warm fur was enough to soften me just a little.
"I do," Mom said, "but your grandmother doesn't. And she has far more experience with these things than I do."
What was that supposed to mean? And speaking of Gram, where was she?
"Miriam, we have to do something." Dad's voice was low and soft, but tinged with anxiety. "They will simply continue as Sassafras said, wearing us down until someone makes a mistake."
He was right. There were about a hundred of us all told. All the Dumonts needed was to trip up one of our number badly enough. Mom was responsible for us all. But I was less worried about the others in the coven.
"She wants us," I said. "Odette's not going to settle for just anyone bringing the family down, is she?"
Mom stared back at me. "No," she said. "She's after me."
"In the meantime," Uncle Frank said, "those grandkids of hers are wreaking havoc with the locals."
The party. I'd forgotten about it. "Many at the hotel?" Not that I cared. Except some of the kids in town were actually nice. Okay, most of them.
Uncle Frank nodded. "The place is packed," he said. Grimaced. "Syd, I saw Alison there."
My heart skipped, sped up, crashed against my ribs. "What?"
He glanced at Mom. "She looked pretty drunk."
I was heading for the door before anyone could stop me, but Mom was quicker. She bolted toward the exit, putting herself between me and the Dumonts.
"Syd, listen to me." She gripped my upper arms in her hands, her magic wrapping around me. "You can't go up there."
"I have to." I gritted my teeth against the need to slap her power away. My demon howled her outrage and even Shaylee protested with some heat so I knew if I let my temper out I was in serious trouble. "It's Alison, Mom."
"Who they will use to get to you." She let me go slowly, with great sadness. "Honey, they won't dare hurt her. But if you show up and try to stop whatever it is they have planned, they will find a way to push you past your breaking point. It's what they do."
She was totally and completely right. But I still had to go. Mom must have seen it in my face.
"Don't make me order you." She sighed softly. "Oh Syd, just listen to me for once."
I shook my head. "I can't. Mom, I have to go."
"Miriam," Dad said. I turned as Mom looked up at him. He approached the both of us, face sad but expression firm. "She has to go." He leaned forward and kissed my forehead. "Because if things were reversed, you would."
Mom struggled for an argument, her face contorting with it. Finally she slumped and nodded.
"Just be careful," she whispered. "I have to stay out of it. You know I do."
I nodded. "I know, Mom," I said. "I won't let them get to me. I'm going to find Alison and take her home. End of story."
"You're not going alone." Galleytrot pressed his huge head against my legs as he slid around Dad. "I'm coming with you."
"Me too," Uncle Frank said. "But only as far as the parking lot." Dad stepped aside as Uncle Frank stood up and hugged Mom. "I'll be watching her," he said, like I needed an undead babysitter along with my Fey dog. His blue eyes met mine. "But she'll be fine, won't you, Syd?"
We bumped fists. "Piece of cake," I said.
I left before Mom could change her mind. Because with or without her approval, there was no way I would let the Dumonts have my best friend.
I paused only long enough to pull an old blanket out of Minnie's trunk for the back seat before Galleytrot heaved himself inside. He took up the entire space, his muzzle sticking out between the front seats.
"Drool on my car and you're toast," I said.
He chuffed a laugh in reply. Uncle Frank leaned down, looking in the window. "I'll meet you there," he said before flickering into shadow and vanishing.
It was a quiet drive, punctuated by Galleytrot's soft panting and me trying to decide how I was going to rescue Alison if she didn't want to leave. I finally decided if she fought me on it I'd leave her there. Magic thrall or not, I had to choose my family first.
But she was family too.
Man this sucked. A lot.
The parking lot was packed. I had to leave Minnie near the entry to the road, pulled sideways to protect her in case someone else arrived in a hurry. Good thing she was so compact. I could hear music all the way from where we were, lights on in every room in the place, the sounds and sights of the party in full swing.
Galleytrot leapt from the back seat, shaking vigorously as he landed on the gravel.
"Let's go get her," he growled, his deep voice calling up his magic, the very ground beneath me rumbling from it.
I suddenly felt a whole lot better having him with me.
The werewolves were all around me in the dark. I felt them watching, pacing us, following from where they hid in the shadows all the way to the front door. Raoul stood there, watching us approach. I didn't slow, but kept walking at the same pace, as though I intended to walk right through him.
I did, actually. No rules against hurting the weres. None whatsoever.
I think he finally took me seriously because he raised his hands, suddenly flanked by three more of his people. Charlotte wasn't one of them and I found myself disappointed by that.
"You may pass, of course," he said, "but no pets allowed."
Galleytrot growled, the most menacing sound I'd ever heard. Green power flowed down the length of him, rippling his fur. His huge eyes flared with red power as he seemed to grow and fill out, becoming the black dog of the Wild Hunt.
He scared the crap out of me and he was my friend.
But instead of insisting he be allowed entry, he said, "If any harm befalls Sydlynn Hayle while she is in your care, I will call up the power of my ancestors and I will drag all of you to the halls of the Unseelie for an eternity of torment."
He was pulling out the big threats. The Unseelie were the more chaotic side of the Sidhe, less mischievous and more murderous from what I understood, but I had no idea if Galleytrot was bluffing or not.
I had a feeling he wasn't. And from the actual fear I saw on Raoul's face, I'm sure the bodyguard believed my furry friend.
"I am just a servant," he said. "I do my Mistress's bidding."
"You will obey," Galleytrot said, the ground beneath my feet humming and sparking, "or you will be punished."
Raoul actually whined like an injured puppy, shoulders slumping, head twisting to the side as if the magic of the Sidhe hurt him. The three other werewolves slid to their knees, clutching their heads in their hands. "I will obey." Raoul panted out the words, the werewolf in him bowing to the might of the black dog.
Galleytrot let his power ebb, but held it close as he sank to his haunches. "I will wait here, then," he said, "for her safe return."
The werewolves all shuddered, fawning with their faces close to the ground as Raoul straightened and bowed his head. He stepped aside, gesturing for me to enter. I did with my spine straight and my head high, refusing to glance over my shoulder at Galleytrot. He'd won me some cred and I was not about to crush it by looking back.
The door swung wide, the volume of the music assaulting me immediately, along with the haze of smoke making me choke. Kids were everywhere, faces I knew from school. Three football guys hung out at the bottom of the stairs, singing at the top of their lungs, drinking beer. No surprises there. I let my mind drift outward, searching for the feel of Alison while I strode deeper into the house. Someone stumbled out of the parlor and right into me, giggling hysterically. A cheer girl, how original. One glance in the room told me this was the source of the music and most of the smoke. A huge hookah stood in the middle of the carpet, multiple pipes running from it. And from the scent in the air, they weren't inhaling tobacco.
I had to move fast before breathing alone got me stoned. A whispered call to the air element cleared a path without being noticeable to normals. Though I was sure I could have pulled off some pretty spectacular magic and none of them would have noticed.
The dining room overflowed with more drunk kids. I spotted the remainder of the football team playing drinking games with a couple of werewolves, but saw no sign of Alison. Nor did I spot the brothers. Which made me even more nervous. I did see Brad, chugging a huge can of beer, and shuddered inwardly, wondering what I ever saw in him. Graduation and going to college in a month had done nothing for his personality. In fact, he'd turned into one of the jerks he used to despise.
So long, good riddance.
It wasn't until I stepped back into the hallway that I allowed my mind to drift upward. And felt her immediately.
I shoved past the guys at the foot of the stairs, taking the steps two at a time all the way to the top. I hit the landing and almost ran right into Kristophe. He blocked my path, dodging right and left as I tried to get around him.
"You made it." He sipped from a glass of what smelled like whiskey, his shirt gaping open while one of the cheer girls left a room, buttoning her own with an embarrassed look on her face. She brushed past me, cheeks flaming and I knew he'd used his magic to make her do something she would definitely regret.
I couldn't wait to turn him into a smear on the ground.
Soon.
But Alison was more important and I needed to get her and escape before something happened. I felt my anger brewing, knew my fuse would only last so long. I shoved him aside at last, physically pushing him out of the way while I stormed toward my friend.
I felt her behind another door, but before I could open it, Kristophe slid between me and it. "Come on then, Syddie," he said. "Let's have some." He leaned close, free arm hooking around my waist as he bent and tried to press his mouth to mine.
He. Tried. To. Kiss. Me.
And I didn't kill him. I simply slammed a wall of magic between us and let him smooch about five hundred volts of Hayle coven power.
He flew backward, crashing through the door and into the room, landing on his backside, whiskey all over him. I looked up, not caring about him anymore. He'd done it to himself, and couldn't say otherwise. My eyes met Jean Marc's and the bastard actually smiled at me.
Movement to the right. I whipped my head around and spotted Page. She was staring at me, looked suddenly afraid.
She held a video camera.
My mind could barely process what I saw. That Jean Marc was stripped to his jeans, the zipper undone, hanging open, as he reclined on the bed, someone's naked legs beneath him. And Alison, my best friend, lay there, the owner of those legs, with her shirt undone. Unconscious or at least out of it, blonde hair spread around her like a shining curtain.
My heart stopped. And for an endless moment, I died inside. But not for me. For her. For the innocence she'd never been allowed, the wasteland of her life.
The moment broke when Page giggled. A nervous sound. I turned to her, murder in my eyes. She backed away, gasping, hand over her mouth, but her eyes were glazed. Thralled to the brothers, then. Their creature.
They could have her. But they could not have Alison.
I know they were expecting me to explode. It took every ounce of control I had not to. My family was counting on me and so was my best friend, whether she liked it or not.
Instead of losing my mind and enveloping the room in blue fire, I stepped forward and shoved Jean Marc from Alison's prone body. He rolled aside and lay there, arms behind his head, watching me with slitted eyes. I ignored him and Kristophe, even Page, as I sat Alison up and pulled her shirt closed, fastening each button with calm care.
Don't get me wrong. I was miles from calm. But Shaylee saved me. Took over when I could barely think, while my demon thrashed and howled and raged, doing what she could to return Alison her dignity.
My friend groaned softly as I eased her to her feet. I turned with her, one of her arms around my shoulders while the Sidhe magic held her upright and spotted Page and that hateful video camera.
A thread of magic melted it in her hands. Page dropped it, watched in horror as it dissolved into a puddle at her feet. I wasn't worried about showing her magic. The brothers had done that particular damage themselves.
They let us leave. I almost wished they'd pushed me. Until I reached the top of the stairs. Mia stood there, watching, her face full of scorn.
"She always was a drunk," she said.
The brothers I couldn't touch. But my old friend was another thing entirely.
"Find your mother yet, Constance?" It came out in a low, deadly snarl.
Her eyes flooded with tears, all mockery gone.
I left her there, not caring even a little I'd made her cry.
***
