Chapter 608: Never Over
Gram's arms squeezed me tight as I stepped through the veil and into the edge of the park. She must have felt me coming despite my attempts to keep her out.
"Girl," she whispered in my ear. "I worried."
"Me too," I whispered back. "Still am."
Gram leaned away, lower lip quivering a moment before she shook her head, frown pinching her brow. "She wouldn't let me near you," Gram said. We both knew who "she" was. And the way Gram said it sounded like Mom was in very hot water.
"There's more to it than we thought." I shared the understanding with her, the way Mom felt and Gram hissed, one hand covering her mouth.
"Miriam," she whispered. "Damn her. She could have told us."
Instead of trying to do it all herself? Not a Hayle trait or anything.
"Her hands are tied," I said as I crossed into the yard, the wards welcoming me home. Gram followed, one hand sliding into mine as the grass swished under her fuzzy socks. I looked up to find Charlotte standing in the middle of the green space, watching me.
Not freaking out I'd been gone so long.
I wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not.
My bodywere shuddered as I came to a halt in front of her, the wolf flickering in her eyes before she settled into her usual stoic stare.
"Hi." I hugged her, not knowing how she'd receive it. I'd left her for dead, no matter how I looked at it, twisted it. She'd hovered on the edge of leaving me forever and I'd left her to choose.
Charlotte's arms wound around me, pulled me tight as she whispered something in her mother tongue. I didn't catch the words themselves, but the feeling of her was as familiar as it could get.
"I love you, too," I whispered back.
She smiled at me as we released each other, blinking tears from her blue eyes. It always struck me so odd how young she looked when she smiled, just a girl like me, with too much weight on her shoulders.
I had to find ways to make her smile more often.
Charlotte's hand released me, a little frown of sadness flashing as her smile disappeared. But she didn't comment and though I had a million questions to ask her, and a whole heap of gratitude to share, I didn't get the chance.
The back door flew open and Shenka ran out, taking her turn to hug me just as Sassafras's silver body streaked toward me. I lifted him into my arms once Shenka let me go, feeling his purr rumble through my whole body.
My family. Who loved me.
They were worth all of it.
Even Demetrius's face, peeking out the door, big blue eyes wide, a foolish grin on his cherub face, filled me with joy.
"I'm making pancakes," Gram said, linking arms with me.
"At five in the afternoon." Of course she was.
I let the door squeak shut behind me, closing out the rest of the world.
Trouble could wait while I ate breakfast for dinner with the ones I loved.
***
Thud. Thud.
My fists pounded at the heavy bag in the quiet gym, body tingling with the need to just beat the crap out of someone.
Something would have to do.
The last few hours hadn't gone exactly as I planned.
I'd had about ten minutes of stogging sweet pancakes into my face before someone knocked on the front door. I could feel Liam before it even opened, felt a swell of gratitude he'd come to see me, rushed from my chair to hug him.
Almost took out Sonja who slid in beside him with her false smile on her face.
"Oh, Syd," she gushed as Liam's face tightened, "we were so worried about you, dear."
I. Just. Bet.
All of my warmth and welcome ran out of me like she'd punctured my soul. "Thanks," I said as I turned my back on them. Liam's hand settled on my arm, tried to spin me around, but honestly? I'd had it.
I didn't just spend three freaking days defending my freaking right to live after saving the freaking witching world just to have Liam's freaking annoying-ass mother scrape the peeling from my last nerve.
Shenka hustled them out, the sound of her soothing voice doing nothing for the rising irritation taking over. I slammed out of the kitchen and to the back door, letting the screen hit with more force than necessary.
Just as Quaid's power engulfed me.
He stood there, jeaned and t-shirted, chocolate eyes full of need, dark hair begging for my fingers to wind through, lips parted.
Lips I wanted to kiss, bite, crush with my own.
Damn them both, these men in my life. Anger flashed inside me, washed over onto Quaid who took a step back, hands up.
"I'm not him," he said in his deep, velvet voice.
"You're not mine, either," I said. "And you never will be."
Yeah, it was that kind of talk.
Quaid dropped his hands, face settling into calm. If I'd hoped to trigger a fight-okay, I did, so sue me, a good fight would have been perfect right about then-he wasn't taking me up on my attempt.
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay." He stuck his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. "And to tell you how amazing you are."
Not in the mood for flattery.
But he could keep going. Just in case I changed my mind.
"I'm sorry about Mia." Quaid's face fell at last. "She's totally broken now, Syd."
My temper cooled and I nodded. "I figured. I'm sorry, too."
Quaid shrugged, bitterness flashing in his eyes. "Our parents never gave us a chance," he said. "Our whole family was against us. I guess it's just one of those things."
His words made me flinch. I had the most amazing family and I knew it now. I would have argued that point once, but not anymore. I knew how lucky I was. How damaged Quaid and his sister were thanks to Odette and Claire and the mess their coven made of their young lives.
Quaid closed the distance between us, arms going around me. Not with heat or passion. With comfort, a safe place to harbor and I took it. Pressed my cheek against his chest, listened to his heartbeat, felt my body temperature warm to match his.
We'd severed our private connection over a year ago, when in a fit of rage I cut him off. When I thought he'd abandoned me. I still missed it, wished I could have it back, as selfish as that connection was.
Because he couldn't be mine.
That's why I was so shocked to feel it wake. Not broken, not severed after all. Just silenced.
Until now.
Quaid's arms tightened and I knew he felt it too. I didn't fight it, let it rise, shake, grow until it was as if it had never been gone. He trembled where he stood, and I know I shook too, tears rising at the joy of having him back again.
"Syd," he whispered. "I-"
He jerked free of me, spinning sideways, the sound of flesh hitting flesh loud in the back yard as Liam, face a mask of rage, threw a punch taking Quaid full in the jaw. I stared, in so much shock I couldn't react, watched Quaid stagger back, hand going to his face, heard the deep, rumbling growl come from his chest as he lunged forward.
Toward Liam.
Who snarled back.
They froze within inches of each other, Quaid's dark bulk against Liam's tall brightness.
"You're lucky I don't kill you for that, fairy boy," Quaid said in a voice like gravel.
"Don't touch her," Liam rumbled back, his own deep tone full of fury. "Don't ever touch her again."
Um, excuse me?
"I thought we were done with this." My cold rage turned them both to face me, Quaid sullen, Liam full of righteousness. "Neither of you own me. Or have any right to fight over me."
Liam's face crumpled, his hurt clear as he held out his hand, blood dripping from his knuckles. "You chose me," he said.
"I did," I snapped, "but I reserve the right to change my damned mind. And guess what?" I slashed my own hand through the air, letting a cascade of multi-colored sparks fall from the air. "You just blew it."
Quaid's anger turned to a smirk.
Wrong choice.
"You can both take yourselves and just go to hell." I turned my back on them, closing off the connection to Quaid no matter how much my demon begged, leaving them to beat the crap out of each other if that was what they really wanted.
None of my damned business.
I couldn't stay in the house, not now. Not while Gram watched me with slitted eyes and Shenka tiptoed around me.
I was in no mood for sympathy or a lecture, thanks.
My gym stuff sat near the front door. Begging me to get the hell out. So I did.
And ten minutes later, I hit the heavy bag with all the pent-up rage I'd kept inside me for days and days. For what felt like forever.
A shoulder pressed to the other side, sea-green eyes watching me quietly, without question. I stopped punching, panting to catch some air, dropping my hands to my sides as Sage dug in.
"You're a little off tonight," he said. "Out of focus. Won't do you any good in a fight. Now, jab, jab, uppercut, roundhouse. Hit it like you mean it."
I did. Over and over again, doing as he told me, losing myself, my frustration, my fears in the rhythm of the bag, my body, fists, feet.
"Good." Sage's voice broke the spell, his grin lopsided and delicious.
Damn it. Stop that.
"Thought you quit on me," he said as I sank to the mat to catch my breath. "Didn't seem like you."
"Just had some family stuff to take care of." I rested my forehead on my knees.
"Left your bodyguard home this time." He sat beside me while I looked up, startled.
Looked for Charlotte. Who wasn't there.
So. Weird. Charlotte was always there.
Sage bumped my shoulder with his. "Not to butt in or anything," he said. "But you look like you could use a night off."
I met his eyes, the steady seriousness tempered by a kind heart and felt myself let go at last.
"You know what?" I stood up and offered him my gloved hand. He took it with a grin. "That sounds like a fantastic idea."
And to hell with the rest of it.
***
