Chapter 255: Sassafras
I think Mom guessed the same thing at the same time I did. She gasped, one hand reaching toward the young man. He actually backed up a step, gaze dropping to the floor, a twisted and uncomfortable look on his face. Sassafras understood it the moment we did.
"It's not my fault." So odd to hear that voice out of a human mouth. His whole body tensed, sneakered feet shuffling on the floor. My brain flickered to a million questions, one of them asking where he'd found clothes. I didn't recognize the dark striped shirt he wore, the deep denim jeans. "I tried to help, I swear it."
"He did," Dad whispered. Our attention swung back to him as he smiled at Mom, a soft and loving expression. She cried out, a small sound, hands stroking his face. He looked so ordinary, so normal, I realized how much his power had maintained his demon appearance, even as reduced as he had been. My Dad now looked like any other dad-still handsome, still tall and broad, but ordinary.
That fact struck me like a blow as he went on.
"This wasn't Sassy's doing," Dad said. "It was mine." He struggled to sit up, Mom supporting him. He didn't look away from her, acted like they were the only two in the basement and not surrounded by frightened witches. "He would never have allowed it, if he knew. I know you wouldn't have either, Miriam, which is why I didn't tell you I was going to try blood magic."
And just like that Mom's attempt to keep the secret shattered into a million pieces, slicing through the gathered coven members like tiny knives of hurt.
"You did WHAT?" Erica began to shake, as if unable to control the tremors taking over her body. She sank with a thump to the floor, all of the strength seeming to run out of her as if she'd been the one who supplied the blood for the attempt, staring at him while someone in the group moaned in horror.
Dad cupped Mom's face in his hands, still lost in only her by all appearances. "I love you," he said so intimately I felt my cheeks heat, almost embarrassed by the intensity of his emotions, "but I couldn't live with myself anymore, Miriam. I had to try. And I failed, more than failed." He looked down at himself, a grim and twisted smile making him look like he was in terrible pain. "I'm nothing."
As much as I wished I could turn back time, make this never happen, I was grateful to Dad for owning up to what he'd done. Mom clung to him for a moment, the two of them locked in a desperate embrace while the coven breathed a collective sigh of regret.
"There is only one course of action here," Celeste said. Of course she spoke up first, why wasn't I surprised? Not by her coarse intervention nor by the hint of satisfaction in the heavy demand of her voice. "He has shattered our most sacred pact, broken our most valued law. In calling on negative magic, he has doomed himself, Miriam. He must be put to death. Immediately."
I felt the coven's need to protest almost as one, joined with them, but knew in my heart we had no choice. We had to obey the law. The world wavered before my eyes as what felt like endless tears welled and ran, welled and ran, my soul dying at the thought of losing my father. Yes, he'd been a jerk lately. But he was my dad and none of this was his fault either. He'd done what he could, risked his own life, his immortal power, to save the people he loved.
And now he was going to die because he gave up everything to save us.
Yeah. That was fair.
Dad gently pushed Mom away and met Erica's eyes. "I accept my punishment," he said quietly, as if to soften the blow. "I acted with knowledge and of my own volition. Though I stress no one in my family knew what I planned and none of them are responsible."
I wasn't sure Celeste would let that go. This was her chance, after all, to get rid of all of us in one fell swoop. But she didn't say a word, clearly satisfied with killing my mother slowly through the ritual death of my dad. She stood there over my parents as if she owned them, fighting the nasty smile I knew lived in her heart, man hands tugging over and over on the thick braid hanging from her ugly head.
Before Erica could accept, however, Mom spoke up. "It's basic coven law," she said. "But only if the accused is a witch." She met Dad's eyes as he frowned a little. "Harry isn't."
Celeste's wide mouth opened, her own scowl forming, but Erica raised her hand. "Explain, please, coven leader." Excellent wording. I wanted to hug her, no matter the difficulties we had in the past. Erica had Mom's back just like always and I was grateful.
And suddenly hopeful. Of course Mom would have a plan.
"Haralthazar isn't a witch," Mom said. "He is a demon lord." She looked away from him, as if not wanting him to hear what she had to say next, not wanting to see his reaction to her words. "He was never one of us, and now that he his mortal, he never will be." She opened herself to us, let us feel the truth of what I already knew-Dad was normal, powerless, nothing. The coven sighed as a collective, latching onto the lifeline Mom offered them.
It was a relief they were as hesitant as we were to end Dad's life, even over something as serious as blood magic.
"Irrelevant," Celeste snapped, though I could see from her expression she knew she'd already lost the argument, felt the coven pull away from her and side solidly with Mom. Her face twisted in fury for a moment when she realized she stood alone. But that fact did nothing to silence her. "He performed blood magic at our sacred coven site. Witch or not, powerless or not, he is still guilty."
"His powerlessness is a death in itself," Erica said. "I accept this punishment."
Murmured agreement passed around the coven in a rapid rush. I could feel them all through the house, packed as closely to the basement door as they could reach, the stairs clogged with witches who didn't have the heart to come any closer.
Mom bowed her head, tears dropping like tiny jewels into her hands. Celeste's fury bubbled, her hate openly written all over her face for the first time.
"Very well," she hissed. "I too accept this punishment. But if he ever recovers his power, if even for a moment he regains what he's lost, he will be subject to our laws and will be executed for this crime."
The coven agreed quickly, too quickly for my liking, but it was enough they were able to reconcile the truth of the incident with their own sense of honor if only to preserve the coven and their leader.
Celeste shoved her way out, rough and furious, past witches who flinched back from her, wouldn't meet her eyes. Once she'd gone, her angry energy passing the wards, I felt the family release from their vigil and begin their own sad exodus.
I didn't care about them, not even for a second. I didn't even give a crap about Celeste and her plans. Because I knew she had to have plans, some way in her mind to make this work to her advantage. And to the Dumont's advantage. There was no hiding from me she was their little tattletale and would be handing this information over to that hideous woman, Odette Dumont, to feed her plots against Mom. I could almost hear the horrid old lady's cackling laughter but shoved it away.
At the moment, I didn't care even a little.
My dad was safe, Mom too. Meira. Me. And that was all that mattered.
Meira crept to my side, peeking at Sassafras. He stepped toward her, offering his hand, but she shrank from him, burst into tears and ran upstairs. I let her go, using Galleytrot as a support to help me up, my knees wobbling beneath me. Sassy stared at me, guilt warring with anger on his handsome face.
"Now what?" He stuck his hands in his pockets, eyes on level with mine. He wasn't very big, and quite lean, shaggy black hair tucked behind his ears, olive skin making him look almost tanned. He seemed uncomfortable, awkward, as if he didn't know what to do with himself. A part of me tried to feel sorry for him.
Mom didn't share my empathy, it turned out. She glared at him like he'd done all of this on purpose. "Now," she snapped, "we return what you've taken, cat, and find a way to send Harry home."
Sassy scowled at her, sullen and resistant. But he nodded before turning his back on all of us.
***
