Chapter 425: Owen And Trill
Even though I felt bad for the boy, a twinge of nerves put my back up. After all, according to Iepa, weren't we going to war with sorcerers? How smart was it to have one in my house?
And yet, there was no way the sweet-faced kid standing in front of me, his crushed expression telling me how much he worried about his own abilities, could possibly be a threat. At least, not on purpose.
I'd take it.
His sister, on the other hand, had this way with my last nerve that was about to get her a serious smackdown. She grabbed her brother and shoved past me, heading for the door, a harsh, determined look on her face. I naturally reached for her to pull her back. No way was she storming out, not after I'd saved their butts from whoever was trying to hurt them.
My fingers slipped over the denim of her jacket, caught her hand. The moment our skin touched, power rippled between us. Trill came to an immediate halt, turning to face me, her eyes at my height, slim body quivering.
"Why haven't you finished it?" She held onto my fingers, a stab of anger passing between us through the connection. "You're so close to balance."
I jerked my hand free of hers and glared at her. "Maybe if I knew what you were talking about, I could answer you."
Owen looked up at his sister. "What's wrong?"
Trill held her hand against her body, as if touching me had hurt her in some way. "Never mind," she snapped. "If you're too stupid to figure out what you are, I'm not going to fill you in."
Violence wasn't in my nature. Much. But if this chick didn't stop being such a bitch, she'd be out on her behind and I wouldn't think twice about it.
Sigh.
I didn't get to wring her neck. Just as I was considering my coven leader options, the door slammed wide and Gram strode in, a huge smile plastered on her face, thin, lined hands rubbing together like finding two strange kids in the house was par for the course.
"Who wants pancakes?" Her faded blue eyes sparkled as she reached out and rumpled Owen's hair. He shook his head to resettle his do, but he was smiling so I liked him even more. Trill just scowled at the crazy old lady, one arm going around her brother, pulling him back and away.
"Gram." Relief flooded through me, the tension I'd been carrying since this fiasco began releasing in a rush. I was careful to stay calm on the outside, not wanting to give the nasty girl anything to criticize, but happily reached for my grandmother and let her feel how much I needed her.
Gram's gaze flickered to me, smile disappearing. "We have a lot to talk about," she said, voice low and vibrating with something making my anxiety return. Where had she been and now what? But when she finished, she grinned again and poked a finger into Owen's tummy. "I put chocolate chips in my flapjacks," she sing-songed in a little girl voice before giggling and covering her mouth with one hand. "Yummers."
I had to laugh. Had to. "This is Ethpeal," I said, "and I'm Syd. That's Meira," she bobbed her head, smiling shyly at Owen, "Sassafras," the silver Persian flicked his tail when I said his name, "and the weregirl is Charlotte." No response. Yeah, hardly a shocker. "Now, if we could all just get along for five minutes, I'm starving."
Trill opened her mouth, protest all over her face, but I held up one hand, the very idea of arguing with her making me tired. "Gram might be a little light in the load," I said, "but she makes amazing pancakes."
The maji girl caved, though I could hear her softly grumbling to her brother as they preceded us out the door. I sent Meira after them, her with a nod of understanding to keep the two occupied while I grabbed Gram's arm and held her back.
"Mind sharing where you've been?" I pulled her into a hug, felt her arms squeeze me back.
"After breakfast." She tweaked my nose with two fingers, a little smile on her lips though her eyes seemed troubled. "You had to bring them here, didn't you?"
"You're assuming I had a choice."
She moved off, dancing a little dance in her familiar fuzzy socks, humming to herself as she left the room. Sassafras leaped down from the bed and followed her, his tail high and quivering behind him. That left only Charlotte and me and I knew exactly what she was going to say before she said it. Partly because she waited to say anything until we were alone.
"You left without me." Ah, the guilt trip of the wereguard unable to protect her charge. I'd grown accustomed to Charlotte's poking me with shame ever since her meltdown when I was trapped on Demonicon.
"I wasn't given a choice." I crossed my arms over my chest. "Besides, I thought you watched over me so things like this wouldn't happen?"
A slow flush of red colored her cheeks. "Forgive me," she choked, but not in her own guilt. Oh boy, was she pissed at me.
I sighed and hugged her, waiting until her rigid body softened. "The next time a maji takes over, you'll be the first to know."
Charlotte's lips finally quirked, her version of a giggle. "I suppose it will have to do."
I was surrounded by smartasses.
The kitchen was a bit of a bustle when I finally reached it, kids and Gram and Sass hustling to set the table, make pancakes, pour milk and juice.
Within a few minutes, we were all seated and eating. Even Trill seeming to appreciate the deliciousness of Gram's pancakes. Owen laughed over the magic the old lady used to continue to make breakfast, spatula wavering in the air over the hot frying pan while the glass bowl full of batter rattled impatiently for its turn to pour more goodness. Gram seemed to ignore what she'd set loose while she piled her own plate with butter and syrup, eating large chunks while drips of stickiness trickled down her chin.
I sat back after my first batch was devoured and took a sip of milk. "Can I ask how it is the two of you ended up in the territory of the Hayle coven?"
Trill kept her head down, now frowning at the remains of her food, stirring the pools of syrup with her fork while Owen answered.
"Nona sent us," he said, like that meant everything. "We've been on the run for so long, but we've always managed to stay ahead of the Brotherhood." Sassafras's snarl was louder than his hiss had been at the name Zornov. I really had to talk to him, it seemed. "But somehow they knew where we were last night, found a way to track us." He turned sadly to his sister, fork clattering to his plate. "It's my fault, Trill. I'm sorry."
"You don't know that," she snapped back. "Stop apologizing. They could just as easily have found a way to track me."
Owen nodded, glum. "Nona felt someone watching, said she'd been sensing another for a while. She said whoever it was felt different, not a threat. When she cast her cards, they told her the person she was feeling could be trusted."
Confused. "Nona?" I hated to pause the story, but without further information I'd have to have him repeat it.
"Our grandmother," Trill said, for the first time with a soft tone. And worry.
"She's maji too?" The girl's nod, joined with Owen's agreement, answered that question. "What's this casting cards?"
Gram snorted before either of them could say anything. "Tarot," she said, as though it were some insult. "Still, seems they did the job."
Witches didn't use Tarot, finding them unreliable at best. Our magic tended to influence them one way or the other, depending on how we were feeling. But since maji were creationists, I guessed it was possible they would work better in their hands.
"It was a close call last night," Owen said, hands now clenched on the table in front of him as he stared sightlessly into his empty plate. "We'd just crossed over into Tennessee when we were cornered. Nona made us stay with the RV while she left us to lay a false trail."
"We should never have let her go alone." Trill had the biggest chip on her shoulder I'd ever felt, bigger even than the one I'd carried around for years. I let my magic touch her, felt her mix of guilt, shame, blame and terror, all smothered in so much rage it was a wonder she could function.
"We heard her tell us to run." Trill looked up at last, as though she knew I was feeling her out, met my eyes, gaze cold, but angry. "So we did."
"From the Brotherhood." I glanced at Sassafras who nodded to me.
"Sorcerer sect," he said. "I had no idea they were still around."
Definitely needed to talk. "How did you manage the portal?"
"Nona," Owen said. "She tried, but the sorcerers blocked her, using up the air around us. That's how they-we-work." He shuddered softly before going on. "Maji create but sorcerers, we destroy for gain."
"So your Nona reached for me." I set my milk aside, thinking about Iepa. "She was right about one thing-I'm the perfect person to help. With my demon power, I'm able to open the veil and do it all the time."
Trill was staring at me like I was a little simple. "It's not your demon power the gives you that ability."
Gram cleared her throat and sat forward while my demon rumbled her confusion to match mine. "Why are the sorcerers chasing you, children?" All serious again, no hint of the fruity nutcake she tended toward.
How much of it was an act?
"I won't let them take my brother." Trill's angry response didn't really answer the question, but did at the same time.
"Why do they want Owen?" I hated secrets, half-truths, bits of information. So not helpful.
Owen shook his head, reached out and took his sister's hand. "It's not just me," he said. "Trill's as much at risk because of me as I am because of her." He let her go, sitting back again, tone matter-of-fact if tinged with regret. "They want me for their army," he said, "and they want Trill so they can strip her maji power and kill her."
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