Chapter 428: Brotherhood
I was already in the hall, heading for the stairs, when Liam burst through the barrier and caught my arm, turning me to face him. He didn't speak, just wrapped his arms around me, holding me with his whole body.
One thing about Liam? He gave the most amazing hugs ever.
He let me go then, with a farewell wave and a smile just for me. And while part of me was embarrassed and ashamed I needed such confirmation of his feelings, the truth was his love did wonders for my mood.
And what right did I have, really, to be jealous? Considering my own personal predicament.
Sigh.
Though I intended to ride the veil to the mansion, when I stepped out into the open air I made a different choice. I had a lot to think about and the drive would give me time alone to work things out. Mind you, with Charlotte attached to my hip, it wasn't like I'd be going alone. But I was used to her by now, no longer feeling like I had to entertain her or anything. Liam dropped the van off at the house the day before, so I headed home, a heartbeat in the veil before I again touched down in my driveway, reaching for the kitchen door.
I felt someone watching me.
I spun, hair on the back of my neck rippling as goosebumps leaped into action all over my body. Charlotte snarled, low and deep, her body between mine and the end of the driveway. I pushed her gently aside, entire body tensed as I watched a black town car, the windows tinted too dark to see inside, cruise past my house.
My demon chuffed, sniffing around, but there was no sense of power, of magic of any kind about the vehicle. Still, a weight of dread pressed against me, shoving me backward toward the house and the safety of its walls.
I refused to retreat, Charlotte vibrating beside me, watching with a blank expression as the back window hissed down, a man's face visible for a moment on the other side as the car oozed past my driveway. He nodded once to me before the powered window closed again and the driver hit the gas. I walked down to the street, catching the ominous black car turning the corner at the end of the road and disappearing behind a neighbor's house.
No power. But emptiness. Unnatural emptiness. Like the way Demetrius Strong felt, the leader of the Chosen of the Light, the one sorcerer I'd had dealings with. So. I'd just met the Brotherhood.
Despite their creepy act, I was unimpressed.
"Feels like trouble." I jumped a little as Gram spoke, turning to find her standing next to me, a holey pink sweater wrapped tightly around her as she glared toward where the car vanished. She grinned at me suddenly, giggled. "I like trouble."
"Yeah," I said, "I've noticed." I met Charlotte's eyes. She looked anxious, confused.
"Nothing good will come of this," she said.
Great. Doom and gloom from my bodywere. Just what I needed.
Gram grasped her hand, pulling her close. "You have the sight?"
Foresight. Right. Sunny possessed the talent, though the beautiful vampire had only shared it with me once, when I was in danger. Yeah, being in danger for me was a regular occurrence, so it wasn't so much of a shocker. But Charlotte?
"Some," the weregirl said. "Enough." Her eyes flickered to me. "Barely enough."
Weird. So the sight wasn't just a vampire thing. How ironic, considering vampires and weres usually hated each other intensely, that they shared such a gift.
Or curse, depending on how it was used. Right now I had the sneaking feeling Charlotte had more control over hers than Sunny and was using it to keep track of me.
Not like I could stop her or anything.
"No matter." Gram let Charlotte go. "It seems your plan is working, though of course they know the Zornov children are here."
I felt myself relax a little, hoping she was right. If the Brotherhood could pinpoint the pair, they'd be at the library by now, not scoping out my house.
So, too close for comfort, but far enough away maybe things could work out after all.
One way to deal? I could make the Brotherhood leave.
Gram must have known where my thoughts were going because she jabbed me in the side with one if her sharp fingers. I clutched at the offended part of my person, scowling at her, but she just scowled right back.
"Don't be a fool," she said. "What will you do if you catch up with them?"
I felt my anger rise to her challenge. "Kick their sorcerer asses out of my territory." How dared they invade a coven town?
Mad was good. Really good. Raised all kinds of interesting thoughts and possibilities.
"Just when I think you're going to turn out all right," Gram said, "you revert into an idiot."
Ouch. "What do you propose we do?" If that car showed up again, I wasn't taking any chances. Engines used gas and demons used fire.
Easy math.
Brotherhood go boom.
Stupid Gram link. She grinned at me, sudden ferocity making me nervous. "You leave them to me," she said. "I'll track them, make sure they get themselves lost a time or two. But I won't act against them until I have all of my questions answered."
"Such as?" She turned and walked up the drive, leaving me to trail after her, Charlotte still humming with tension behind me as we entered the kitchen, Gram's power pulling the door shut behind me.
"Never you mind." She spun on me, one socked foot tapping the floor. "We have something else to talk about, miss."
Like I needed more problems. "One disaster at a time, yeah, Gram?"
She shrugged. "I'm getting tired of pulling your slacker weight," she said. "It's time you chose a second."
What, now? "But-"
Gram came to me, pinched my cheeks, kissed the end of my nose. "It's time, girl," she said. "I want a little freedom, you see?" Her hands dropped, squeezed my shoulders. "And you need to know what it's like to stand on your own."
I hugged her, heart constricting, fear taking me hostage. "You're not going anywhere, are you?" She couldn't leave me. Not ever.
Gram chuckled and shook me just a little. "Where would I drag this old carcass even if I wanted to?" She danced a little jig in the sunlight pouring into the kitchen, turning in a circle before coming to a halt, her eyes rimmed with extra moisture. "Just give an old lady a break and pick a damned second."
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