Chapter 242: Liam's Rebellion
The sun was just starting to set when Meira and I arrived home. The moment we passed through the wards, I felt Dad was home, but was startled to find him in the kitchen. Not that he wasn't allowed upstairs. It was just such a rarity to see him there.
"Hey, Dad," I said, feeling my annoyance with him take a sharp notch upward. I could have used his help, if only for moral support but, as usual, he was either out or locked in the basement. I didn't mean to make him a target, but this was the first chance I had to confront him. "Where've you been?"
He heard it in my tone if not in the oh-so-casual words I chose. Hard to miss that much sarcasm.
"Watch the attitude, Syd," he snapped.
Um, hello? "Do you have any idea what's going on around here?" No way was he taking a Mom stance with me. "I could use your help, you know. Or do you even give a crap?"
Dad's scowl made him look demonic, a tough thing considering he was mortal now. "I asked you to mind your own business," he said. "Besides, you have Erica to help you. I'm in the middle of something, Syd."
He turned his back on me. No. Way. I'd been cutting him a ton of slack, we all had, knowing what he was going through, but I was about out of patience with him. Attitude? I wasn't the only one.
"Don't walk away from me." I strode forward and grabbed his shoulder, turning him around. He actually jerked free from my touch. The father I knew and loved didn't live in his eyes anymore.
"Dad?" Meira. I forgot she was there. She stepped up beside me, reached out to touch his hand. "It's going to be okay."
"No!" He pulled away from her, too. "Stop staying that! It's not, it never will be. And don't even think about telling me you understand because you don't!"
Meira started to cry, short, gasping sobs. She clung to me for a moment before running past us and up to her room.
His casual disregard for her feelings, after the crappy experience she'd been through, just fed my fury, my demon joining in. "Oh, that was just brilliant," I snapped. "Like she doesn't have enough to worry about with Mom and Gram being gone. You're all she has left and you have to go and be a total jerk."
He flinched, my dad coming back a little before his own helpless anger took him over again.
"I didn't ask for this," he shouted at me. "And don't you dare talk to me like that. Go to your room!"
I laughed in his face. Totally the worst thing I could have done, but my back was up and I'd been through too much to listen to him. He saw it, felt it, and it ruined him.
Dad deflated, anger gone like a popped balloon, only the horrible despair left behind. My own was gone as fast, guilt and compassion returning in a rush, but it was too late. He already turned away, shoulders slumped, feet carrying him to the basement door, closing it softly behind him.
I sighed deeply, tossing my hands up in the air. I didn't have time for one more problem. Dad's would have to wait. Besides, it didn't seem like I was helping things any so it was probably best I left it to Mom.
I found Meira under her covers, crying like her heart was shattered. Sassy and I took turns comforting her and I was actually glad when she finally fell asleep, exhausted from so much expended energy. As much as my sister was a powerful demon and witch, she was still a little girl.
"I'll have a talk with Harry," Sassy said in a tone that told me the talk would include some very serious language.
I shrugged. Whatever. My energy was already being sapped by lack of sleep, worry and anger. If Sassy wanted to give it a go, that was his prerogative.
I left him with my sister and retreated to my room, automatically checking my computer. No Quaid. The part of me still miffed with him about the whole jealously thing was crushed by sudden worry. What if he couldn't reach me? The connection between us was still there, no question. But what if the Dumonts figured out he wasn't really one of them and were holding him captive?
It took a lot of what remained of my strength to force the thought out of my mind. I couldn't worry about Quaid, I just couldn't. He chose his road, decided revenge against the Moromonds was his priority and let himself become embedded in the lion's den. That was his life. I had my own to handle.
I was doing that so very well, wasn't I?
The feeling of someone in the backyard drove all thoughts away. As was always the case I found myself pounding down the stairs to the door, flinging it wide, though I knew as I set foot on the grass the guy I ran to meet wasn't Quaid.
Liam stood on the edge of the walk, hands deep in his pockets. The last of the sun tinted his hair red and the green of his hazel eyes sparkled as he met my gaze.
He shifted his feet, looked about ready to run, but when he spoke his voice was at least reasonably calm. "My mom. There's something not right with her, isn't there? She knows all about this and always has."
I nodded slowly, not moving, afraid to spook him. I couldn't afford to have him take off again, amazed he managed to escape at all. He had no idea how much danger he was in. We simply didn't have time.
"Can you tell me what's going on?" He trembled slightly, shoulders twitching before he stilled again.
"I don't know for sure," I said, "but I think your mother is on the wrong side of this. Her people, the Unseelie, want the Gate to open."
"Why?" Liam's hands slid out of his pockets to run through his hair.
"I can only guess," I said as Galleytrot emerged to stand next to me.
"It is in their nature," he rumbled, the ground under my feet trembling as he put power behind it, the power reaching Liam, making him sway like a tall tree in the wind. "To cause havoc, bring Chaos. Though I am certain their agenda, their lord's, includes taking over the Sidhe realm before this one."
"Venner." Liam sighed before nodding slowly, looking away. I held my breath as he went on. "He's not here to take over as archivist, is he? Or an old friend of Mom and Dad's." We both glanced up at the same time, eyes finding the fat, heavy moon just clearing the horizon.
"Liam," I said, "how did you get away?"
He frowned at me. "From who? Mom? Just left." His shoulders twitched, a ripple of green magic passing over him. I reached out and blocked it immediately, but Liam didn't seem concerned or even to notice. "I wanted to leave so I did."
The Gate. It had to be protecting him. But the power that touched him, it wasn't his. Shaylee recognized it immediately. Venner searched for him, and he was very angry.
Time to move. Only Liam was still out of the loop, clearly, still talking.
"My dad told me," he said, "just before he died. That I had a destiny. A great obligation to my family. I forgot about it, until now." He straightened, face grim, the growing shadows masking his face, making him appear eerie and otherworldly. "The only way to find the Gate is to get Daddo out of that place."
I wrapped my shields around him, cocooning him from Venner's touch. The green magic rippled over my wards, finding nothing, moving on. I felt the Unseelie lord's frustration and knew we had little time. "I've thought of that," I said, refocusing on Liam. "But I'm not sure we can do it without alerting your mother and the other Unseelie mortals who are watching him. Not to mention Venner."
Liam shuddered. "He asked me so many questions. About Daddo and when I was a kid." Liam's whole body sagged. "I told him everything I could remember. I felt like I could trust him, because Mom was there and she didn't argue or say don't, like she usually does." His face settled into so much guilt I worried he might crack. "Did I ruin everything?"
"No," I said with as much conviction as I could. Even if he had, I needed him to stay with me. "If you had, he'd be at the Gate by now." Unless he was there after all. But no, I didn't believe that. Not with him searching for Liam still. I grimaced. "We need to figure out how to break Fergus from the hospital without fireworks. Showing magic to normals isn't permitted, Liam." Damn Erica. I'd just have to act without her.
"I can get him out," Liam said, "without any hassle."
"How?" Galleytrot shook his great head, mane swinging.
"Simple," Liam grinned, but with a harsh edge to it. "I just walk in and get him." He shrugged. "They want me to go to the Gate, right? I need Daddo to do that."
I hesitated. "It could work." But it meant facing Venner, more than likely. Shaylee's fear response was instant, but I shoved her aside and let her hide again. "Galleytrot, can you disguise the two of us?"
The dog nodded. "Though the Keeper's Unseelie guards will know we are there and surely try to stop us."
"I'd like to see them try," Liam snarled. "Let's go. Daddo will help if he knows we're taking him home."
"Liam," I said, "what if your mother shows up?"
Again that tremble, more obvious now. "Syd, I don't know." He crumpled briefly. "She's my mom."
"Then let me handle the Unseelie," Galleytrot said. "Gently, I assure you. You two take care of Fergus."
Liam looked relieved and nodded agreement.
Which meant it was back into the fire.
Oh goody.
***
