Chapter 619: Love And Renewal
He started moving the moment the door closed, my demon rumbling a welcome as he entered my personal space. Ram's handsome face bent over mine, the shine of his horns catching the light from the window, wide lips welcoming me.
What's a little kiss between friends?
Strong hands cupped my face, his mouth covering mine, gentle but hungry at the same time. And my demon-hell, all of us-leaned into him, fingers sliding over the bare skin of his chest where his tight tunic gaped open, showing off the chiseled muscles under his red flesh.
Ram tasted delicious, like honey and cinnamon and heat. I let myself relax into him, trying to picture us together.
Pulled away.
Sigh.
"What are your thoughts on an effigy?" Weak joke, but I was half serious. Like Sebastian, at least Ram wouldn't die on me. Not for a long time, anyway. Except being with me would mean giving up some of his personal safety, tying him for eternity to a statue on my plane.
Not much to ask or anything.
The frown pulling his face into a squint told me I'd thrown him a curve ball.
"Sorry?"
"Never mind." I hugged him quickly before releasing him. "Thanks for kiss. I needed it."
Ram's frown disappeared, a troubled look crossing his face.
"You're not okay," he said.
"Just... stuff at home." Which I really, really had to get back to. I reached for the veil, felt it resist me. What the hell? The touch of Ahbi's spirit was so clear, her intent so vivid, I gasped and stared at Ram.
Wait. I was here... for him? My grandmother brought me across the veil, dumped me here while the Sidhe were in imminent danger, all because Ahbi wanted me to have a demon for a mate?
Was she freaking kidding me? Talk about skewed priorities.
But there was more. Much more. As I let her in, let her wind her power through mine, I finally understood.
I'd need them. And they'd need me. Sooner, rather than later. The Brotherhood would come and I had to be able to act without worrying about politics.
Which meant having good relationships with everyone involved.
So not about Ram, not really.
I hugged him again. Kissed him gently. "I have to see my sister."
He let me go, watched me leave, and I felt Ahbi's sigh of sadness as I did.
Okay, so maybe it was about Ram for her.
Sheesh.
Charlotte's reptilian form glided along behind me, her freaky three-jointed legs making her bob up and down like a really hideous carnival ride. I couldn't look at her, instead focusing on the corridor in front of me. The door at the end.
The door I knew. Because it was next to the room I'd lived in when I was here on Demonicon.
Meira waited for me, smiling when she greeted me at the entrance to her quarters.
Hugged me tight.
"I missed you so much." The tears in her voice were as powerful as the choking tightness in my throat and chest.
"Meems," I whispered. "Oh, Meems."
We leaned back, smiling at each other, blinking away mutual tears as Ahbi's spirit hugged us both. Meira shivered, looked around in shock only to grin.
"Grandmother."
I nodded. "I think Dad and Henemordonin are in for a bit of a shock when she finally figures out how to take form again." And I had absolutely no doubt it was on my grandmother's agenda.
Like she wasn't powerful enough before. Now she had the very core of Demonicon at her disposal.
"She feels different, though." Meira sighed. "I suppose dying will do that to you."
"Not to mention being bonded to a planet's power source." I rolled my eyes. "Don't worry about Ahbi. She's got it covered."
Meira took my hand, led me to the small divan placed in front of her gaping window. I tried not to look outside, the vision of falling, falling toward the Parade below still haunting me, though it had been ages since our cousins attacked us on the elevator and pushed me to what should have been my death.
"I've wanted so much to see you." Meira looked down, long black lashes fluttering a little before she met my eyes again. Hopeful. With longing. "I've been such an idiot, Syd."
"No way," I said. "Not even a little. We both... went through a lot." Her more than me.
Meira shrugged off my attempt to let it go. "It changed me," she said. "The nectar. For a long time, I hated who I was. Hated everyone, including you." She squeezed my hand. "Mom. Dad. All of it. When Mom sent me to Europe for school, it just made things worse."
I should have checked up on her. Why didn't I check up on-
Meira laughed. "I can see it in your face," she said. "You're beating yourself up over it."
Guilty.
"I snuck home." She sat back, one foot bouncing at the end of her crossed leg. "Talked to Dad. He agreed to let me live here."
"I didn't know." Mom never told me. Then again, Mom and I weren't really talking.
"I've made my choice, Syd." Meira's smile reminded me of the lovely girl I used to know, the kind, gentle and caring girl I adored. But she had a new edge, one I knew she'd need to survive here. Thrive, even. "I'm living here full time, now. Attending to my duties as heir. And I love it."
"Does Mom know?" She had to.
"I asked her not to tell you." Meira looked back over her shoulder, out the window, her beautiful profile so much like Mom in demon form at that moment I felt more tears rise. "I was carrying a lot of crap around. I didn't want you coming after me. Until I worked it out."
"Looks like you did." I felt myself relax as Ahbi's touch rejoiced at our reunion.
Meira laughed. "I did. And kicked some serious demon butt in the process."
Of that I had no doubt.
She was a Hayle, wasn't she?
Meira leaned toward me, finger tips running over my cheek. "It took me some time to hash things out. Mostly through challenging every demon I could." She wrinkled her nose. "Sassafras wouldn't be impressed with me. Most of the time, in the beginning, I wasn't all that elegant about it. But with each battle, I changed. Learned more about myself." She rubbed her thumb and index finger together, a tiny flame bursting into life before dying in a wisp of smoke. "I hated so deeply it took the power I gathered to teach me there were more important things." She laughed. "Funny, right? Most demons would spiral deeper into darkness. But for me, it reminded me who I was and why I was here in the first place."
She felt much stronger, now that I thought about it. And her easy confidence was tied to her extra strength.
"Once I decided I needed to be heir, to take my responsibilities seriously, everything fell into place. And in a way, I have you to thank for that."
Me?
She bit her lower lip before going on, pinpoints of amber light dancing in her eyes as her emotions rose and tinted her power. "Every battle I went into, whether I liked it or not, I thought of you." Her dark curls bobbed as she shook her head. "Most of the time it pissed me off. At least in the beginning. But the further I went, the easier it was to remember how strong you are. To keep asking myself, what would Syd do?"
Holy. I wavered between loving her so much I could barely stand it and worrying I'd given her a really flawed working model to work from. And yet, she seemed to have done all right.
Maybe I didn't suck as a big sister after all.
"I've been waiting to see you." Meira hesitated, looked up through her thick lashes, the girl she was showing up for a moment. "But I was scared. I'd been so cruel to you. I didn't know how you'd take me now that I was different."
I hugged her hard, pressing my cheek to hers. "I'm so proud of you, Meems." My words barely made it from my lips, my throat was so thick with sadness and joy.
Her breath tickled my ear. "I wanted to tell you how much I love you. How much I admire you." She cleared her throat, her own voice rough. "How much I want to be like you."
Holy. "Meems..." I stuttered a few times before being able to go on. "You're amazing all on your own."
"I know." She winked, kissed me. "But I have an equally amazing big sister to look up to. And I'm so grateful."
More hugging. This time I didn't want to let her go. I'd missed her so much, missed just knowing my sister was there, that I could talk to her, have her in my life. A fierce love I'd never felt before surged inside me, passing to her through my demon magic, returned from her in equal measure.
"Whatever you need," Meira said as we finally parted, wiping at one cheek and the moisture there, "whatever, you call me. I'll be there."
"Meems," I said. "Same here."
It was hard to go. Even knowing I had to, that I had a job to do, the Sidhe to save, it was very, very hard to reach for the veil, to leave my sister behind.
As I entered the rubbery membrane, I reached out to Ahbi directly.
Is that what you wanted?
Her happiness filled me with the giggles. She followed with a suggestive image of Ram.
Blushing.
And then, just before I slid free, home again, a warning of feeling rather than words.
To stay in touch. It was only a matter of time before the Brotherhood came calling.
***
