Chapter 415: Love Sucks
So much for a Merry Christmas.
Mom went from mournful to cold and brittle by the time I trudged my way home again, tears spent on the wide shoulders of the guy who loved me no matter what. I knew it was a defense mechanism of hers, but we needed her, damn it. I needed her. Still, I couldn't blame her for retreating into her Council Leader persona, abandoning her promise and diving into Council business to stay distracted.
Let's just say Christmas morning was a real downer and leave it at that.
It took me a few days to break Meira out of her angry shell. When I did, trapping her in her room with Sassafras for backup and letting her pummel me for a few minutes with her fists and her power-not telling anyone she broke the rules no matter what-she finally collapsed on her bed, sadness surfacing at last, and finally admitted to me the worst part of all of it was she felt like a traitor.
Despite what she told Ahbi, Meira wanted to go back to Demonicon someday.
Honestly, I was the last person to tell her how to feel, to reassure her she wasn't a bad person. Not when going back meant seeing Dad again.
Speaking of whom, we hadn't had a word from him and despite what Liam said I was starting to worry maybe he was gone from us forever too. The breaking of the thread between him and Mom-did that mean he could never come back? Yes, his effigy remained, but maybe it was their connection that held him.
I didn't have the heart to ask her.
Just wouldn't be fair.
Of course, I could always have just gone down to the basement and called him myself.
Sure. Just as soon as my heart put itself back together.
I did look in on it regularly, just in case. It hurt to see Sassafras curled up on Dad's feet pretty much every time I did. My demon cat was taking this as hard as the rest of us.
The thought of going back to school was so ridiculous I actually had a fight with Gram over it. She insisted I return to Harvard and I finally relented. Maybe absorbing myself in study would help me shake the deep melancholy holding the whole family in thrall. Even the coven was affected, power dim and sad as they mourned with us.
Charlotte seemed to recover quickly, though I caught her staring at me all the time and the first night I was home I found her sleeping in a nest of blankets at the foot of my bed when I stumbled over her on my way to the bathroom.
I didn't protest until the third night, gently steering her to her own room at last, knowing she had to break her fear of me disappearing somehow.
I tried to examine the bond she'd formed to me, but every time I reached for it I'd catch her glaring. After a few attempts, I dropped the effort and let her be. Her choice, her problem, though I hoped it wouldn't become a major issue for us one day.
The only one who seemed to be fine with the state of affairs was my demon. Not that she was pleased Dad was gone or anything, but her growth of power made her very, very happy. Funny, but I felt like I'd grown, too. No more poor me, this time.
About time, really.
The rebalancing of my powers did take my mind off things when I focused on figuring out what other changes my demon's new status meant. As long as Shaylee and my vampire were okay with it, so was I. When my demon started to puff up with her own importance, it was actually funny to feel the other two smack her.
Oh, the joys of being multi-me.
I tried several times over the first few days to reach Quaid, but he'd cut me off again. So be it. Not like I was in the market for a boyfriend anymore. This whole immortality thing hung over my head, feeling like finality, not infinity. And even though Liam still acted like nothing changed, that with enough time I'd soften, my sadness didn't go away. I could never be with Liam. No way was I doing that to the two of us. Dad and Mom's split was the icing on that particular cake.
Either I found someone as long-lived as I was going to be or I was on my own.
The second option had the most appeal.
In the last days before I left for school again, I found myself watching Gram a lot. This whole immortality thing was really dragging on me. Was she a little slower these days? Not quite so perky? Jokes not quite so quick on the draw?
I just couldn't go there. Not Gram. Not ever.
If only I could shake the nightmares waking me almost every night. The beast inside me laughing, roaring in triumph as she stripped first my father, then Ahbi, of all their power before ascending the Ruler's Seat.
Shudder.
Maybe I was a monster after all.
End of Book Ten
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