Chapter 227: Sister Fight
I headed straight for home after my little encounter, mind running with possibilities. Shaylee seemed tired, unwilling to communicate any further. Maybe she was just frustrated or maybe Venner was right-her power was diminished being in a mortal body. Whatever the case, I was left with my fuming demon for company and she wasn't helping any.
The house was quiet when I arrived, but I heard the sounds of giggling the moment I set foot on the top of stairs. The bathroom door gaped wide, light blazing. I glanced inside, scowling over the scattered makeup and general mess covering the countertop.
Whatever. Meira could clean up this disaster herself. I wasn't taking her crap on anymore.
I knocked on her door, annoyance making me tense. The voices inside fell silent and no one answered. My eye roll was a classic.
"Meira," I snapped, "it's not like I don't know you're in there." Her glowing amber magic was muted, but easily detectable. My demon snorted over her attempt to hide while I gritted my teeth.
No answer. Whispering, a giggle. Seriously?
Rather than beat the door down with my power, I took the high road, retreating to my room. I paced back and forth, tightly encased in a bubble of energy so no one would hear me swear like a sailor. Sassafras watched me from his place on my pillow, half-lidded amber eyes tracking me.
When I finally allowed the protection to collapse, I turned and flung myself onto the bed, eyes locked on my sparkly pink chandelier. Soft footfalls disturbed the surface of the comforter, warm breath and whiskers tickling my ear.
"Meira?" Sassafras's whisper made me turn my head so we could meet gazes.
"Who else?" I sighed. "Not just her." I sat up and stroked his fur while he stared up at me, thick tail twined neatly around his paws. "Where's Galleytrot?"
"He left again this morning." Sassy sounded worried.
"He said we'd talk." No use fretting over it, but I needed someone to talk to. Until I remembered I had someone right in front of me. I filled Sassy in on the whole Sidhe thing, what I'd found in the archive, Venner and Shaylee's reaction to him and what I'd discovered about Liam and the O'Dane family.
He nodded once or twice, hissed softly at the mention of the Gate. "You think there's some kind of portal between us and them?"
"That's pretty much a big yes." Shaylee took the time to send out waves of fearful affirmation. "And this Sidhe, who shouldn't be in our world, seems to have plans for it."
"And the boy, Liam. Does he know about it?" Sassy's fur quivered. Was he scared?
"No clue," I said. "I kind of fumbled that whole conversation with him."
"No," he said. "You did the right thing. Especially now, with your mother gone." His pink tongue snaked out and swiped over his nose as his gaze seemed to drift. Finally, he shook himself. "Any idea why the Gate is going to open?"
Shaylee flashed an image of the moon while the sound of someone knocking echoed in my head. "Something to do with the full moon," I said, wishing she'd stop that. It triggered the beginnings of a headache. "And a knocking on the other side."
Sassy's tail twitched. "Someone's at the door?" He sighed. "I can't help, I have no idea what it means." Amber eyes narrowed, one paw landing on my leg. "My advice? Stay away from the fairy for now, at least until Galleytrot returns. Hopefully he'll have answers."
Shaylee scurried for cover, but not before agreeing with him so I didn't argue. I scratched his cheek, bending to kiss the top of his head. "Thanks, Sassy," I said. "I needed someone to listen."
His ears flattened softly to the sides, whiskers sinking. "I'm happy to help."
I'd never heard him so sad. "What happened?" It had to be Meira. My anger and frustration with her resurfaced as he spoke.
"I'm just not welcome anymore." He perked a little. "It's fine, Syd. Really. I just miss our old Meems. But she's growing up and having me around while she entertains her normal friends doesn't work for her."
Friends or not, Sassafras was family. And family always came first.
I carried him downstairs and fed him his favorite raw tuna for dinner before leaving him well scratched and purring softly upside down on a cushion in the living room.
Good thing Gram left a casserole in the freezer. A half hour later and supper was on the table.
I stood at the top of the basement stairs. "Dad! Food!"
It took him a minute to emerge and when he did, he was so distracted I just handed him his plate with a sigh and sent him right back down again. Not like he'd be great dinner company anyway.
Meira, on the other hand, was going to come downstairs and eat if I had to drag her by the collar of her stolen sweater.
Instead of going up to get her, I sent a very sharp message. Kitchen. Now.
I felt her resistance, her power wiggling and squirming in an attempt to escape me. My demon chuffed her annoyance and grasped Meira's magic firmly, giving her a bit of a mental shake. Sullen and pouty, she finally complied.
Fine. She shot back. But I'm not hungry.
Now, Meira. Not for the first time or the last, I wondered where my sweet sister had gone. As I listened to the sound of two pairs of feet coming down the stairs, I had a moment of fear. What if it wasn't Meira? What if something did happen, a possession, or worse yet, what if she was some kind of changeling? But as she and her little friend slunk into the kitchen, I gave my demon permission to search her mind and power. Meira glared at me, but didn't resist.
So no magical explanation, then. Just my formerly adorable and loving sister now a nasty little brat.
I almost wished otherwise. At least that I could handle. This emotional transformation I wasn't so sure of. I watched her go to the fridge and retrieve two cans of diet soda, handing one to her friend. The other girl was lovely, blonde and blue-eyed like Alison, dressed in the latest designs. She seemed to be a bit older than Meira, but who knew at that age?
"Who's your friend?" I tried to keep my tone light as I turned and shoveled a scoop of the chicken and pasta concoction onto three plates.
Silence. Really, Meira? I turned back to see the two of them whispering to each other, ignoring me. Their plates landed loudly in front of them, rattling before they settled. The girl finally met my eyes, so much contempt and insolence in her gaze I immediately clenched myself against my demon who growled low and deep at the challenge.
"I'm not hungry." She shoved the plate away from her like I'd tried to poison her. "And I don't eat carbs."
Meira immediately copied her before crossing her arms over her chest. "Yeah," she parroted. "I don't eat carbs either."
Her friend turned away from me like I wasn't even there. "Let's go to my house." She climbed to her feet. "We won't be disturbed there."
Meira stood up while my brain screamed, oh hell no. I grasped her magic with mine and held her still. She spun on me, fury in her eyes. Hate. This couldn't be my Meems. At yet it was.
"I'm going," she said.
"No," I told her, my voice low and soft so I wouldn't scream at her. "You're not. But she is." I pointed at the kitchen door. "Get out," I said, "and don't you dare set foot in this house again until you learn some manners."
The girl tossed her hair at me, an impudent twist on her lips, before heading for the exit.
"Guess you're not one of us after all," she shot at Meira on the way out. I was just happy to see the screen door close behind her.
The moment she was gone, Meira jerked herself free of my demon power and spun on me. "How could you do that to me?" She was literally hopping mad, bouncing from foot to foot, shaking all over. "Now Alicia will never talk to me."
"That's the brat's name?" I snorted as I crossed my arms over my chest. "Honestly, Meems. What the hell? You can do way better than her for a friend."
"You should talk!" The venom in her words cut the air and actually stabbed into me, backed by her demon power. "Loser!"
I'm not sure what hurt more, the fact she used her magic against me or the word she chose as a weapon. Her calling up her power wasn't exactly inside coven rules, but it wasn't what worried me. And it's not like she put all of her weight behind the jab. No, it was the fact my sister could do such a thing, especially to me. It made me waver rapidly between threatening tears and surging anger.
Sassafras suddenly appeared, leaping onto the table between us.
"Girls," he said, "gently."
"Shut up!" She actually swung at him, forcing him to dodge. "I hate you, get away from me!"
Sassy's whole body shuddered before he slunk to the floor and left.
"I've had enough," I snapped. "Your attitude needs some serious adjustment. I have no idea why you think you have the right to treat Sassy or me like that, but you don't." I shook from the energy it took to keep from exploding all over her.
"I hate you, too," she snarled. "You've ruined my whole life and I hate you for it." This time when her power lashed out, my demon was ready. She countered it easily, crushing Meira's power slowly, forcing her to relent. I didn't want to hurt my sister, but she was out of control.
"How exactly did I ruin your life?" I pushed her down into her chair, letting the family magic do the job, walling up my furious demon once the initial attack was blocked. "Sending your horrid little beast of a friend away? Tough." My demon snarled and chuffed. She loved Meira as much as I did, but I didn't trust her temper. Or my own, really.
Meira just scowled at me, arms crossing over her chest as she settled low under the pressure of the coven power. "Our family sucks."
"Says who?" Okay, so I'd been her once. Maybe I should have tried a little more understanding, a kinder, gentler Syd. But I'd been down the road she was in a hurry to travel and it only led me to years of frustration.
Besides, I had a very good reason to dislike magic. Meira was whole and always had been.
She turned her head away from me, lips a thin line, but not before I caught a flicker of real self loathing on her face. "Says me."
As much as I would have liked to try, I knew I wasn't really equipped to deal with her when she was like this. I had a flash of me attempting to explain to our mother why my little sister was suddenly slimy and green with a hankering for flies.
"Go to your room," I said. "Mom will deal with you when she gets home."
"If she ever comes home." Meira let her power ebb enough the family magic released her. "Like I care."
She ran off in a huff, the now familiar sound of her bedroom door slamming ending our conversation.
My demon paced and snarled and complained when I let her free again, but there was nothing either of us could do.
I was just regaining my temper, scraping uneaten food back into the casserole dish, when I felt Erica reach for me. I grasped onto her instantly, fearing the worst.
What's wrong? What's happened? The plate I held clattered to the counter, but I caught it before it could slide to the floor.
Didn't break. Awesome.
Nothing's wrong, Syd. Erica sent soothing magic. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.
Then what? I wasn't being the nicest, I know, but after the snub I'd gotten from her, she was lucky I was talking her outside of a disaster at all.
Just checking in. Her tone became more subdued. Do you need anything?
No, thank you. I would have loved to dump the whole Meira issue in her lap and let her deal with it, but the memory of her stabbing me in the back just fed my anger further. And while the flicker of guilt telling me I probably should also inform her about Liam and the Sidhe mess coming our way was stronger, I smothered it as well. Did you need something?
The long silence was filled with her disappointment. No. I can come over if you want?
I'm going out. I'd just decided, but I realized I really needed to get away from my house. Night.
I cut off the connection before her regret could make me feel bad. I'd talk to her about what happened the other night, but face-to-face and not while I was still wired from a fight with my sister. Mom taught me that much at least-my temper and calm conversation wasn't the ideal combination.
With firm orders for Sassafras to stand guard and the kitchen scrubbed clean, I headed for the door. I sealed the wards behind me as an extra precaution. If Meira tried to leave or someone tried to enter, I should know about it the moment it happened.
Minnie's engine had just fired up when my phone buzzed. I checked it, a text. Surprise, surprise, it was from Alison.
SO SRY PLZ 4GIVE ME
Sigh.
I sat there for a long time, staring at the message. My phone buzzed again.
M A JERK DT H8 ME
Double sigh. Did I really want to go there again? I loved Alison, don't get me wrong. But her spiral into neediness and jealousy was almost more than I was willing to take. I had enough problems. And I'd made it through most of my life without friends, so going back to a 'just me' state wouldn't be the end of the world.
The phone vibrated one last time.
LV U
Damn it. My fingers found the keyboard.
On my way 2 Jnyz
I was such a sucker.
***
