Chapter 305: Plotting With Vampires
This time I didn't wait for everyone else to file out. I needed to talk to Sunny right away. For once, I really believed Batsheva was right, though for totally different reasons. Sebastian was important in all this. If we could find him, free him, bring him here...
If he fulfilled Batsheva's promise, showed up and ordered the witches out, this could all be over very quickly.
I reached out to the beautiful blonde vampire as gently as I could and felt her latch onto me. Her anger was still turned to HIGH but she was doing a better job hiding it. I rushed out into the main hall and found her there, waiting for me, surrounded by jittery, pissed off vampires. But there were only two faces in her particular group I cared about.
Uncle Frank held himself rigid next to Sunny and I made no attempt to hug him or show any kind of personal attachment. Not while we were being watched by Enforcers and other witches who seemed uncertain as to what to do now, milling about with uncomfortable looks on their faces.
At least Gram finally let him off the hook like I asked and called him back.
I was glad the gathered group of witches seemed embarrassed by the whole situation. They should. I wasn't as furious as the vampires, but such disrespect still made me mad. The only bright point in this particular mess was the fact Batsheva had been caught in a lie of sorts-or at least proven she'd misled the Council. Her slip had to count for something.
Only trouble was, the Moromond witch wasn't on trial.
Yet. Though, if I had my way, she'd never stand trial. Ever.
"Is everyone all right?" I kept my tone low and calm as my energy reached out to both vampires, drawing them in. Sunny nodded brusquely while Uncle Frank's mouth pulled down, the damaged side of his face distorting further.
"We are." She allowed a flicker of white power to race over her, a sign of her unhappiness. "For now. Syd, how did this happen?" She held herself as stiffly as Uncle Frank, but her distress was more obvious than his. "We went to our rest without a sign of their arrival and woke to our house full of witches."
"We have a lot to talk about." I fed them both my feelings of caution. "But not here."
Uncle Frank finally reacted, nodding himself. "We'll meet you at the house."
Sunny seemed to want to protest. "I can't leave our clan exposed like this," she whispered to him. "What if the witches decide to evict them on some groundless charge?"
"They wouldn't dare." Uncle Frank's handsome side looked about as scary as his damaged half.
"They would," I said, "if Batsheva thought she could get away with it. Sunny," I focused on her, "I know it's risky, but you need to hear what I have to say. Both of you."
Anastasia, one of the vampires I at least knew by name, joined us. "I'll watch the clan," she said. Her eyes met mine, the coldness I remembered from her nowhere to be seen. "I trust the Hayles," she said, her words aimed at me. "They've only ever done right by us. Unusual for witches."
Wow. A compliment. Cool. I just hoped this wouldn't be one of those times she wished she hadn't spoken.
Sunny finally relented. "Do nothing until I return," she said. "Keep the others from instigating anything." Her power flared and I was suddenly surrounded by glowing vampires. The flash lasted only a moment, but when it was over they felt more relaxed. "If anyone in the clan acts without provocation, I'll deal with them personally."
"But if we're provoked?" Anastasia's beautiful face was as cold as a glacier.
"You do what you must to protect this family." Sunny gripped her arm firmly before dropping her hand.
"Consider it done." Anastasia nodded to me before turning. She flickered into shadow, the large group of vampires doing the same, for the second time leaving me feeling chilled and empty at their passing.
"See you at home." Uncle Frank and Sunny did their own disappearing act.
It was a lonely walk to the exit with all of those eyes staring at my back.
My mind grappled with what I needed to do in the next few hours, attention lost to the future. I was on autopilot, my hand reaching for my keys, the soft bee-boop of Minnie's alarm disarming a peripheral fact. I ignored the crunch of gravel under my sore feet, even the fact my toes ached from Mom's stupid shoes. A plan was forming and I gave it my full attention.
I didn't have time to react when I heard the shout. It seemed the exact moment someone called my name I was being carried to the ground by a tackle from the side, landing with a thud and a whoosh of expelled air as whoever hit me landed on top of me and smothered me with their body.
I had just enough of a view to watch as my sweet blue Mini Cooper exploded outward in a ball of fire.
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