Chapter 582: Ameline Again
We found her in her office, bent over a stack of paperwork. Didn't bother knocking. Or using regular channels. I was in a bad enough mood over the whole mess I simply slid us through the edge of the wards. The pentagram necklace I wore around my neck carried enough of Mom's essence to fool the shielding around her office into letting us through while the touch of Gram's Enforcer power, what she still carried with her, sealed the deal.
To Mom's credit, she didn't freak out. Just looked up with a resigned expression, blue eyes snapping fire as she waved at her door, sealing it with a rush of magic.
"I've been waiting for you," she said. "Hungry?"
Her attitude knocked me totally off guard. I'd lunged into the veil expecting a fight, ready for one. Couldn't wait. But, instead of our usual nuclear party-time, Mom rose from her desk and gestured at the small table beside the window. The scent of roasted chicken and veggies preceded the magical arrival of dinner, making my stomach growl and mouth water.
So not fair.
Charlotte remained by the door, eyes never leaving us as Gram sat with a cackle of delight, tearing the chicken apart with her bare hands, slapping a slab of torn white meat on my plate and a leg and wing on her own before she licked both of her hands clean.
Well, at least she did the licking after she served me.
Mom didn't flinch, sitting with a sigh, her knife and fork carving some of her own selection before she helped herself to carrots and a small stack of mashed potatoes. Gram shoveled a large dollop next to my chicken, followed by a ladle full of veggies while I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at my mother.
"You coerced me." This whole little show of hers, dinner, calm, yeah. Not buying it. And while I had to admit the edge was gone from my anger, my demon's bubbling rage could bring it back anytime.
Mom met my eyes as Gram poured gravy over my potatoes, smothering my chicken in the hot, fragrant liquid.
"I did," she said. Took a bite of chicken, eyes never leaving mine.
Damn her. How could I keep my temper up when she didn't fight back?
"Girl." Gram prodded me with one sharp index finger. "Eat."
Like I could think of food at a time like this. I halfheartedly chewed a mouthful, hating how delicious it was, even as Mom took a sip of water, dabbing at the corner of her mouth with her napkin.
"It was necessary," she said. "There's more going on than you realize. I had to protect you, Syd."
"No," I shot back, fork rattling against the side of my plate as I tossed it down. Ah, there was my anger. Right on cue. "You needed to trust me, Mom. But, as usual, you tried to keep me in the dark. Left me to find out things on my own."
"You went to see the Dumonts." Mom's expression didn't waver, still cool and collected, though the barb in her voice told me we were going to have a fight after all.
"The Brotherhood is behind this." Gram's words cut the air between Mom and me, jerking our attention from each other to my grandmother. She stuffed a large mouthful of chicken, veggies and potato into her mouth, a drip of gravy running down her chin as she chewed with great enthusiasm.
Mom cleared her throat, nodded. "They could be," she said. "We think."
"We know." The one bite of dinner I'd taken curdled in my stomach. "Demetrius Strong was at the Dumont mansion."
Mom's blue eyes flashed, one arched eyebrow rising. "What did he tell you?"
Oh, so she could keep things from me, but I was supposed to give up the secret recipe? Yeah, not happening. Sucked he didn't tell me anything. Would have been nice to have something to hang over her. Instead, I turned my face away, glaring over the top of her desk at the portrait of her hanging on the wall. Giant. Bigger than life.
Made me want to set the stupid thing on fire.
"Doesn't matter now," Gram said, belching softly into one fist before swilling down a large gulp of water. "None of it does." She stared at Mom a moment, then aimed her faded blue eyes at me. Power shone in her face, grim expression pushing against me as much as her magic. "If we've learned nothing, it's that we all have to work together."
Mom nodded slowly, sighing as she sat back, tossing her napkin to the table. "I know," she said. "But there are certain things Syd must stay out of. For the safety of the coven."
I'd heard that before. Pissed me off how true it was. "So, the Brotherhood." I reined in my temper, my demon snorting and snuffling as I shoved her down. "Not Ameline after all." But there was Rupe... Ameline had to have inside information.
Mom's right hand twitched, fingers tapping the table top. "She refuses to talk," Mom said. "Not even under Enforcer coercion."
Gram grunted. "They aren't pushing hard enough."
I had no doubt Gram wouldn't have the same trouble, but Mom shook her head, face relaxing as she rubbed her eyes with her fingertips.
"It's not that simple," she said. Looked up and met my eyes, hers full of sadness and fear. "She's managed to find a way to protect herself."
From the way Mom flinched, I knew I wasn't going to like what she had to say next.
"We originally thought she lost access to the powers she stole after they were removed," Mom said. "We now know that's not the case."
Um, what? "Todd is fine." I had just seen the young Happern yesterday playing with his sister. Ameline's theft of his soul and the subsequent return of it thanks to yours truly didn't seem to have done him any damage. Our demon family settled in quite nicely with the coven and seemed more than content. And from what I'd seen of Liam and his Sidhe soul, Cian, everything was fine there, too. Shaylee murmured her agreement, a quick check over of herself reaffirming what I already knew.
We were fine. All intact.
So what was Mom talking about?
Gram sighed out a breath, eyes narrowing. "She opened new pathways."
Mom nodded. "We didn't know until it was too late."
"Pathways?" I looked back and forth between them, pressure building inside me. "What are you talking about?"
Mom's hand stilled at last. "Ameline never intended to keep the power she stole," she said. "But she needed enough strength from the souls she took to burn open the pathways to those powers." Mom's fingers started up again. "She created new spaces inside herself, literally recreated herself."
Gram whistled, shook her head. "No matter how much we hate that girl," she said, "she's got guts."
My brain churned, trying to assimilate what Mom said. "She's made herself a demon." That was impossible, wasn't it?
Mom took another sip of water before answering. "And a vampire," she said. "And a Sidhe."
No way. Hang on a second. "How did she manage the Sidhe thing?" I reached for Shaylee again as my princess rebelled at the idea. She was whole. "She doesn't have a Sidhe soul."
Mom's jaw clenched, eyes dropping to her plate. "We believe the reason she wanted multiple Sidhe souls inside her had nothing to do with keeping them." When she finally looked up, her discomfort made me want to squirm. "However she managed it, Ameline now carries the soul of an infant Sidhe inside her. Brand new and growing rapidly."
Oh. My. Swearword.
Gross.
Just. Freaking.
Holy.
Shaylee lost it inside me, thrashing, fury raging, a film of power flaring over my vision, tinting everything before me green. "She got Shaylee pregnant?" With Cian?
Gram gaped at me before chuckling. "You wanted that boy for yourself," she said. "What's the big deal?"
Oh, this was a very big deal, thank you very much. Huge. Massive.
Shaylee shuddered, retreated, but not before Mom shook her head.
"We believe it was Cian and the queen's aide, Bronagh, who created the infant soul," Mom said.
Shaylee shuddered, calmed a little, though I could still feel her fury churning, joined with the anger of my demon. Even my vampire hissed her unhappiness, usual stoic quiet shattered at the thought of Shaylee being used.
"How do you know?" I slammed my chair back, lurching to my feet. I had to investigate. To be sure. Mom rose herself, power sliding around me, holding me still.
Oh no, she did not.
"We've had her tested," Mom said. Firmly. Very firmly.
"You're not Sidhe," I snarled.
"No," she said. "But Liam is."
Liam...
"I had to keep you out of it." Mom wrung her hands, face twisting in a mix of anxiety and grief. "I had no choice, Syd."
I shook off her power with a burst of demon fire, entire body going cold as my flaring temper faded to absolute icy fury. At her. At the guy who was supposed to love me.
Double betrayal.
"So now Ameline has all the power she needs," I said, words frozen daggers, slicing through Mom's defenses. "And thanks to the Council, she's been letting her magic grow over all these months while you try to figure out how to pull your fingers out of your butts and strip her magic." A hitching pressure squeezed my chest, the need to destroy something rising. "What the hell are you waiting for?"
Mom's own anger crackled suddenly, her worry turning to aggression. "I'm doing the best I can," she snapped. "My job, Syd. And as much as you clearly don't trust me to do what I have to, I have limited options."
Gram rose to her feet, fluffy socks silent on the floor. She stood between us, a wall of calm holding us apart. "That girl can't be allowed to grow any further," Gram said in the most reasonable tone I'd ever heard from her. "You know that, Miriam. If she has access to sorcery as well, which I have no doubt is the case, you have a baby maji on your hands."
Mom shuddered, visibly pulling herself under control as my skin goosebumped, rage washing away in a surge of fear.
"How do you think she's been able to keep us from breaking her?" Mom turned away, arms around herself, staring out the window. "Even as weak as she is, our power is no match for creation energy."
What an absolute disaster.
"Then let me do it." Gladly, with bells on, singing hallelujah in a pink tutu. "She might have maji power, but I'm stronger than her." All of my alter egos surged in answer.
Mom flinched. "We can't," she said. "We must follow the law. Ameline Benoit has to stand trial."
My teeth made a grinding noise as I fought my need to swear at her. "When, then?"
"The Enforcers are still gathering evidence." Mom dropped her arms, shoulders slumping forward. "It could take a few more months."
What were they doing, creating evidence? "Mom, you have more than enough to take her to trial."
She turned to me, eyes sad. "I know," she said. "But the law dictates we must be thorough, Syd. And Ameline's activities go well beyond her encounters with you and the Hayle coven."
Fingers in more rotten pies? Why didn't that surprise me?
"There's one way around this," I said. "Let me talk to her. Two minutes. I'll shut her down, at least. Seal off her new powers." Mom had to know if Ameline was allowed to continue to nurture her newborn maji ability, things would only end in disaster.
Gram answered before Mom could. "You can't," she said, voice grim.
She said what?
"She's been badgering me to visit her since she was captured," I said.
"I know," Mom said, shoulders going back, face returning to a mask of calm, clearly triggered by Gram's unhappy support. "But regardless, you aren't permitted to see her. Even if you weren't one of her main accusers, Ameline is being held in our most protected prison and isn't allowed visitors."
***
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