Chapter 595: Crystal Magic
Mia shivered in my kitchen while Gram gave her the once over. I didn't have the time to coddle the Dumont leader, not while Demetrius linked his mind to me to show where we were going.
"A high rise?" The looming sky scraper towered over a city I didn't know. My fear of heights triggered as he swooped my view toward the base of the building, flinching as we almost impacted it only to fly upwards like some mental roller coaster, passing row after row of windows as his mind led mine all the way to the top.
Where we slammed into a barrier of emptiness, bouncing back from it so hard I snapped out of the vision.
Demetrius shook his head, staggering. "Oops," he said. "That's new."
A fireball headache burst behind my eyes before slowly fading into a dull ache.
"The roof?" I pressed my hands to my temples.
Demetrius bobbed a nod. "All the way to the top," he said.
Of course it was. Wouldn't do to have their weapon of mass magic destruction on the ground or anything. Put it up on the pinnacle of some giant building where falling was a real possibility.
Wasn't afraid of heights, I realized. Just the ahhhhhhhh splat at the end.
Gram's faded blue eyes narrowed. "We have to do something about that little problem of yours someday," she said.
Leave it to her to know exactly what I was thinking. Quaid frowned, but I ignored the questioning look behind his worry and shrugged in the fading light of the setting sun. We'd lost the whole day already. Time to get moving.
In the dark. My favorite.
Why couldn't bad crap happen in the morning for once? Just to break up the creep factor monotony?
Demetrius pointed at my hand. "You need it," he said.
Right. I ran upstairs to my room, and rooted around in my underwear drawer until my fingers encountered cold stone. The crystal pulsed in my palm, waking as I touched it, bubbling with happiness like an eager puppy, its tiny soul bouncing and wriggling in pleasure. More guilt. I'd been ignoring it lately, despite the fact I knew it was alive-or as alive as something inanimate could be, thanks to the power of the vampire essence. She soothed it personally, helping it settle, her cold, white magic pulsing inside the crystal until the wee soul calmed. I still felt it tickle against my hand as I slid it into my pocket, the chill of it warming to my body temperature.
I really had to take better care of it. And, as I hustled back down stairs, I had my second epiphany in this madness. I worked the exercises to connect to my maji power and had done so, but the maintenance of that power, the final connection, always evaded me. I admitted to myself there was serious shudder factor tied to my sorcery, holding me back. But the crystal would make things much easier.
Gram was right. I really was an idiot sometimes.
Demetrius clapped his hands in excitement when I returned to the kitchen and let him see my prize. One finger stroked it gently, a spark of white magic jumping between them.
"Excellent," he said in a clear, crisp voice, jumbled mind coming together in lucidity for a moment. His whole body shifted, shoulders going back, face serious. "Though I wish you'd spent more time with it, Sydlynn. Your tie to the crystal is the support system for your sorcery. Not necessary, but definitely an advantage."
Yammer yammer. I already beat myself up about this, thanks.
The kitchen door opened as I looked up, met Shenka's eyes. She looked tired, but determined and I was again thankful I chose her for my second.
She took one look at our little group, at Mia shivering, Quaid standing over his sister and nodded. "I take it you're off again."
No resentment. Just support. I loved her so much in that moment, I went to her and hugged her, feeling the warmth of her arms as she hugged me back.
I need you to stay out of it. Tears prickled in my eyes, my chest tight as I held on to her. If this goes bad, and there's a good chance it will, I need to know you're here. That someone I trust can protect the family.
She clung to me as much as I to her. I want to come with you, she sent. But I'm your second. And I've known all along what that means. That you, my crazy friend with your crazy life, will always be running off and I'll be here, making sure home is still here for you to come back to. Shenka leaned back, smiled bravely. I'll die before I let anything happen to our coven, my leader.
No way I was crying. No. Way.
Sniffle.
"Are we doing this, or what?" I turned and met Quaid's eyes, voice gruff with emotion, needing to go before I broke down into a weeping mess resembling Mia. Charlotte hovering behind the tall Enforcer trainee. To my surprise, Sassafras leaped the distance between himself and my bodywere. She caught him easily, lifting him to lie across her shoulders.
"You're not coming," I said.
"Try and stop me." He dug his claws into the leather of Charlotte's jacket. "We have no idea what you're walking into. And I refuse to let you go without backup."
Considering I had Quaid and Charlotte, not to mention Demetrius's considerable sorcerer abilities, I was hardly alone.
Until I thought about the empty place we headed to.
"This is a bad idea." My hand fisted around the crystal. "There's a very good chance none of you will have access to your magic where we're going."
"All the more reason I should join you," Sass said. "If it comes to a fight we're losing, I can run for help."
Insufferable ball of fluff. "That's stupid," I said. "If we're in a fight we're losing, we all run for help."
Gram snorted, but shook her head at me. "Take the cat," she said. "He has more resources than power at his disposal."
Fine. Whatever. I was surrounded by stubborn.
Wonder where I got it from.
The night air had cooled, a skim of moisture squeaking under my sneakers as I crossed the dew-laden grass of the backyard. Gram's magic, tied to the family and to me, bubbled over us. I could feel that same protective touch she'd used in the Enforcer stronghold slide outward, this time forming a kind of generalized lack of interest as well as a false image. I glanced up and to the right, caught sight of two Enforcers hovering on the roof. Neither looked our way, staring out over the street.
Good thing someone was paying attention. I totally forgot they were here.
"Be quick," Gram said. "I can't fool all four of them for long." She winked. "Without doing some damage, that is."
Quaid gaped at her. Gram giggled and smacked him on his very attractive ass, ending her blow with a little pinch to his tightly-jeaned right cheek.
"Didn't teach you this trick yet, did they, boy?"
Quaid's surprise vanished, a wicked grin on his face as he bent and kissed her on the corner of her mouth.
"Know it now," he said.
Gram's wicked cackle made me grin. Despite the desperate situation, despite where we were going, I could still find joy in the most amazing places.
Mia wasn't quite so able. "Can we go?" She shivered beside her brother, eyes huge, face sunken and ghostly white in the low light over the back door.
Right. Fun time over.
Without another glance at the now useless Enforcers, knowing Gram had my back, I crossed the last few feet to the edge of the park and sliced open the veil. Quaid took my hand, Mia his, Demetrius reaching for my other while Charlotte tucked in on the end, both hands around Mia's waist while Sassafras clung like a fur stole to the weregirl's neck.
All aboard. Hands and feet inside the Syd at all times.
Here we go.
I opened to the emptiness of Demetrius, felt his power touch my crystal-and he wasn't empty anymore. I saw the building, felt the path, dove into the veil.
Just as Trill's mind touched mine.
Syd-
She was gone, her mental connection severed by the rubbery membrane between planes. That one word, my name, had concern behind it, real fear. Was she in trouble? I had no way of knowing. Not while we slid through the darkness.
My demon welcomed the touch of the Node, the source of balance on Demonicon, and I paused one moment to embrace the warmth of its power as it drew me close, the tang of my demon grandmother's soul alive and well. Ahbi's power wished me well before the veil tore once again and we were free.
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