Chapter 539: Powerless To Act
I took my suspicions to Mom, sharing them with her over a freshly baked chocolate cake I brought with me from a cute little bakery on Harvard Square. I could tell from the guarded look in her eyes and the tightness of her smile she was onto me and the gooey offering I set on the table in her small kitchen, but that didn't stop her from fetching a pair of forks from the silverware drawer after Charlotte shook her head at the offer of a third. I set out a single glass, filled it with milk for us to share, the carton left out as I knelt on my chair and helped myself to a big bite, not even bothering to cut it first.
Mom sighed and dug in herself, a shadow passing over her face. My eyes drifted to her empty neck and I found myself frowning too. She'd lost her pentagram necklace last year and, despite the fact Meira and I replaced it, Mom never wore the new one. Made me a little angry, actually. Like our present didn't matter to her or wasn't good enough. I knew such thinking was just my reaction to her lack of enthusiasm for my visit, but bitterness was an old buddy I still hung out with from time to time, despite everything I'd learned about myself.
How could I kick it to the curb when we had so much history?
"I know what you're going to say." Mom jabbed at me, chocolate icing clinging to the tines of her fork. "I thought we agreed to observe until we knew more."
"There is more," I said, tapping the polished silver of my own fork against the tabletop in irritation before hooking off another large bite from the chocolate layers. "It's about Liam's mother," I said through a mouthful.
"Don't talk with food in your mouth," Mom said, attacking the cake and stuffing in her own large bite. "What about her?" A few crumbs flew as she ignored her own order.
"Shaylee thinks she's been glamoured." I swallowed, taking a long drink of milk.
Mom's eyebrows shot up as she chewed, but she remained silent until after she took her own drink, the glass thudding back to the table.
"You have proof?"
Proof shmoof. Mom knew me better than that. Proof and I had a very testy relationship. But I was always right, damn it. Wasn't I?
Shaylee grumbled in my head while I sat back, stomach churning too much to enjoy the sweet cake any longer. "Not yet," I growled. "But I'll get it."
"Syd." Mom leaned forward, pushing the cake aside, dropping her fork to take my hand. "Even if she is." She drew a deep breath before letting it out very slowly. "Even if she's under glamour, as long as it's Sidhe glamour, there's nothing we can do about it."
She did not just tell me such a thing.
"Mom," I used her exact same tone, setting sparks off in her eyes. Button successfully pushed. It had been a long time since we'd had a nuclear meltdown. And while I didn't really want to shove my mother into a corner, damn it, she needed to learn to listen to me. "This is Liam's mother." I grit my teeth, sugary yumminess turning sour in my mouth. "Liam. The Gatekeeper." Pause for effect. "Mom."
She sat back, looking away, face creased in a scowl though I could tell from the way her lips twitched she struggled with what I said. Of course she understood.
"Lord Venemeth," she ground his name out without meeting my eyes, "has made powerful friends, Syd."
"Maybe he glamoured them, too." I wouldn't put it past him, the slippery slime ball.
"I can assure you," Mom's head swiveled around, angry blue eyes meeting mine, "I considered that possibility and, unlike you, it seems, I investigated before accusing."
Oh. My. Swearword.
I had buttons too. Still active after all this time.
"Not one of his supporters shows any sign of tampering," Mom said. "None." She looked like the fact hurt her, which made me feel a little better. "So there is nothing. I. Can. Do."
"What's the good of being Council Leader if you can't act?" My frustration with her churned in my stomach along with the cake, body wanting to reject both. "How many times will you stand by and let something terrible happen, Mom? When you could have acted before I had to clean up the mess?"
Mom's chair made a horrible scraping sound as she lurched to her feet, towering over me with her power rippling around her.
"I can't!" I'd never heard her so furious, so desperate. So full of despair. "Don't you understand? I can't." Mom's hands shook as her tone quieted, both pressed to her chest as she sank into her seat again. I caught Charlotte backing off out of the corner of my eye and wondered just how bad it looked and felt if my bodywere was about to come to my rescue against my own mother.
"Mom." I forced myself to calm the hell down and pull up my big girl panties. "I'm sorry." And I was, honest. I didn't think I could do her job, bound by rules and laws and stupid politics. I'd last about two seconds before they'd either burn me at the stake or the whole shebang would become a dictatorship under Queen Syd the Only.
Hell yeah.
Mom nodded while I pulled myself together. "I'm doing what I can inside the law," she said. Her blue eyes met mine, now full of sorrow. "Don't you think I wish I could just act without concern? I know he's a threat, Syd. But trying to convince those he's wooed is like beating my head against a brick wall."
Sympathy choked me a moment, joined by frustration and a healthy dose of guilt.
"I have Enforcers watching him," Mom said. "And there is no Gate here at Harvard for him to access. And as long as we keep an eye on him," she reached for my hand again, squeezed it, "there's nothing else either of us can do."
I almost pulled away. "You mean, that you can do."
Mom released my hand. "I've protected you in the past," she said. "Even though I knew you were right, Syd, you've gone against the law. You've included other races in witch matters and become embroiled in them yourself. Do you have any idea how much work it's taken me to smooth over the whole Europe incident?" Oh, like it was my fault the vampire Queens decided to kidnap me. Yeah, whatever. "Or the fact you were accused of murdering your demon grandmother?" How the hell did they find out about Ahbi, anyway? "Not to mention the countless small infractions I hear about every single day." She rubbed her forehead with both hands. "Please don't misunderstand." When she dropped her arms, she was smiling, a soft, sad little smile. "You've done more to protect this plane, and others, than anyone else. But I'm forced to follow the mandate of my office."
"You accepted the job," I said, sympathy fading. "It was your choice, Mom."
Anger flashed on her face again. "I'm not complaining," she bit back. "I'm explaining." Her jaw worked, lips vibrating. "And were another witch the head of this Council, you would have been brought before a conclave long before now."
Whoa. "Just let them try."
"I don't want to give them a chance, Syd!" She was on her feet again, pacing, hugging herself. I glanced at Charlotte, seeing the concern flicker over the weregirl's face as she met my eyes. "Just for once, play by the rules. Please." Mom stopped and stared at me, hands falling to her sides. "Think of the family, your coven. Don't give anyone more reason to question your ability to lead."
My heart paused, fluttered. Beat again as my entire body went cold. Now that my anger had chilled out, I finally absorbed what she was saying. "Mom," I said. "What the hell?"
She slowly sat, hands in her lap, face falling into weariness. "You scare them, sweetheart," she said. Barked a sudden laugh that made me jump. "You scare me sometimes, you know that?" I shook my head as she went on. "And if they fear you, they will try to destroy you. You have to believe that."
"This is ridiculous." Talk about ungrateful. Maybe it was time to stop saving the Council's sorry asses, all of witchdom. Let them catch fire and burn in their own filth.
Okay then. But not okay. Not by a long shot off a short pier.
"Fine," I said, shoulders slumping even as I felt my soul shrivel at the thought of giving up, of caving. "But when the bad crap happens and the whole show falls apart, do you think any of them will step up to do what needs to be done?"
She shook her head. "I know they won't," she whispered.
Just. Freaking. Lovely.
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