Chapter 618: Grown Up Sister
I gaped at Meira for a minute, her demon form taking me by surprise. Not that I didn't grow up with her red-tinted skin, thick, black nails and cute little horns peeking out of her hair, but it had been a while and she was so...
Mature.
Being on Demonicon aged her, took her lovely, sweet features and rounded them up at least a decade, if not more. She looked as old as me, though there were eight years between us. I took her offered hand, a little surprised to see my own was still human.
The dark creature at my side growled again and it was only when I looked down and met its eyes I realized "it" was a "her". Charlotte somehow crossed with me this time, her wolf form turning into an oddly reptilian and altogether vile looking, black-skinned critter with fangs like dagger blades and three jointed back legs giving her an odd squat.
I reached out and touched the top of her knobby head, rough like sandpaper as her giant eyes sparked her fury. "Sorry about this," I said. "No idea how she managed it. We won't be long."
Charlotte's voice was more a cry than a growl, high-pitched and painful.
"You have a tame rimoranolis?" I looked up, realized only then Meira wasn't alone. That my grandfather, Henemordonin, was with her. And, at the other end of the table, staring in fascination, sat Theridialis, Sassy's father.
"She's a werewolf," I said. Glanced down at her new form and tried not to shudder. "Well, at home, anyway."
"Fascinating." Theridialis heaved his bulk out of his chair, round belly preceding him as he approached. He hugged me briefly, amber eyes full of questions as he looked me up and down before turning to Charlotte. "Quite remarkable, really."
Right. I was still human. Had to have something to do with my tight hold over my humanity in the Sidhe realm. I relaxed my grip, felt myself stretching out, my skin taking on a red hue, fingernails growing slowly, thickening as my perspective changed from feeling really short to almost being at height with Meira. She wore a pair of her favorite platform boots, giving her a few inches on me and I did my best not to stand on my tiptoes in an effort to be taller.
My demon chuffed softly.
Thanks for letting me out, she sent.
Smartass alter ego.
"I take it you're not here by choice?" Henemordonin crossed his big arms over his wide chest, face furrowing in a frown as his steel gray brows descended in a sharp "V" over his eyes. Poser. Drove me nuts when he did that. But I guess centuries of being a politician embedded certain behaviors.
Still irritating, though.
"Grandmother didn't give me a choice." I'd stopped calling Ahbi that at one point, still thought of her by her given names. But it wouldn't hurt to remind Henemordonin I was his granddaughter.
Ugh.
Theridialis's eyebrows rose. "Your claim our beloved former Ruler lives on inside the Node is still up for debate."
Seriously? Sigh. When would people start believing me for once? "Yeah," I said, "well, debate it with her, would you? I have stuff to do at home and this little side-trip wasn't my idea."
The door at the end of the room opened as I finished. I glanced toward it and felt the little girl inside me who still missed her daddy squee in excitement. Everything fell away, all my worries and fears, as I ran to Dad and wrapped my arms around him. He hugged me back, lifting me from the ground to swing me around.
"Cupcake," he whispered in my ear.
Sheesh. I'd be an old woman-if that ever happened-and he'd always call me "cupcake".
Funny, I wasn't really upset about it anymore.
Dad set me down and pulled away first, smiling at me though a frown just visible enough I knew he worried. "Nice to see you," he said.
"You too." Couldn't help beaming. Man, I loved my dad. Hard not to let some sadness creep in, knowing he and Mom would never be together again. That being here was the only way I could see him.
Way to ruin the happy daughter moment, Syd.
His eyes went to Charlotte, brows rising to meet his hairline. "Something you want to tell me, Syd?"
It only took a few minutes to let them in on what was happening in the Sidhe realm. Why wasn't I surprised when Dad stopped me part way through with a stunned expression.
"The Brotherhood?" He sank into a chair, pulling me down into the one next to him. "I think you'd better start from your last visit, cupcake."
So odd going back through it all, my first trip to the Sidhe realm, the theft of the Dumont power, the attack of the Brotherhood. Miami and the machine I'd destroyed. Mom's fight with the Council power. I felt a little guilty as I filled them in, glancing sideways at Meira, wondering why she hadn't told Dad already. Knowing, from the look on her face, she had no idea.
And that it really was my responsibility to keep everyone up to date.
Turns out the vampires weren't the only loved ones I neglected.
When I wound down with my worries about the present struggles in the Sidhe realm and my fears about Ameline, Dad sighed and sat back, one big hand pressed to the black stone table, fingers tapping a slow rhythm while my grandfather stood and paced to the large window beside us, staring out with his hands clasped behind his back.
Meira had no trouble meeting my eyes, at least, a far cry from the cold and awkward relationship we'd shared since she'd fallen prey to Sassy's mother and her altered form of nectar. I worried about Meems so much, but here she sat, calm and composed, more poised than I was, every inch a demon princess.
While I felt like a shlump.
Dad finally looked up, eyes troubled while Theridialis rocked in his chair, tapping his chin with one finger. "Things have been quiet," he said. Grinned. "For Demonicon." Yeah, quiet. I bet. "But there have been subtle fluctuations in the Node."
"The monitors explained that," Henemordonin said without turning around, though, from the tone of his voice, he wasn't buying what they were selling, at least not completely. "The Node is still settling after the incident." What a lovely way to describe the fact Demonicon almost split back into its tiny parts shortly before my demon grandmother's spirit became lodged inside.
Incident. Okay then.
"There's no proof it's Ahbi," Theridialis said before Meira snorted, eyes sparkling, lips turning up into a smile.
"I'm with Syd," she said. "It might not be overt, but every time I use the veil, I feel something." She sat back with her arms crossed over her chest. Holy. Did she have a bigger rack than me?
And was I jealous? At a time like this.
Shallow, Syd. Really damned shallow.
"Regardless," Henemordonin said, turning to face us. "Demonicon is fine. No signs of interference."
Ahbi brought me here for a reason, though, didn't she?
"We need to be on alert." Meira stood, pacing past the end of the table. She'd taken up my favorite habit in times of stress. "If Grandmother brought Syd here, something has to be wrong."
Wow. We were thinking alike now.
Freaky.
And even better-or worse, depending on how I looked at it-as Meira came to a halt, one hand pressed to the table, shoulders back, face set, I realized what the real difference was. Beyond the fact she wasn't angry or sad or bitter anymore.
She fit. This was her place, her world. She looked, acted, felt like she should be here.
Lucky. I wondered if I'd ever feel like I fit anywhere.
The door opened for the second time, a tall, handsome demon closing it quietly behind him before approaching the table. A grin split my face, despite the pressures of home, the nervousness triggered by my unexpected arrival. Rameranselot grinned back before bowing to Dad.
"Ruler," he said. "You summoned me?"
Dad looked confused then nodded. "Sorry, forgot." He gestured at me. "Our visitor has broken my train of thought."
Ram smiled at me again, smirked. Yeah, I missed that smirk, no matter how much it made me want to punch him.
Kiss him.
Punch-
Aw, hell.
"I'll speak to the monitors." Henemordonin looked more troubled than upset, as though he didn't want to believe Ahbi still existed. "Double our protections." He met my eyes. Nodded. "Just in case."
I watched my grandfather sweep from the room, hoping whatever reason Ahbi had for bringing me here could be solved with doubled protections.
"And I." Theridialis came to me, bent to kiss my cheek. "You've made me consider perhaps my view of the Node, of our planes, is a narrow one. Imagine." He smiled suddenly, patting his wide belly. "Ahbi, still alive and in control." He chuckled. "Wouldn't she just love that?"
Did she ever.
And that left three. Dad stood himself, took my hand, helped me to my feet.
"I have something to take care of," he said. "But keep in touch this time?"
I nodded as he hugged me, squeezing him hard. I'd have to set up some kind of schedule with each of the races so I didn't forget anyone.
Dad left then, though when Ram tried to follow him, Dad winked at me.
"You two take a minute to catch up," he said, before leaving us with Meira.
Ooh. Dads and their matchmaking.
And then, naturally, it was my sister's turn.
"Come see me before you leave," she whispered in my ear as she hugged me, kissing my cheek.
So how did a life and death situation lead to suddenly being alone with a delicious demon who looked at me like I was good to eat?
I had the weirdest life.
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