Chapter 637: Connected
Had anything ever felt so wrong and yet as though it was meant to be? My entire body burned with the joining of my power to Ameline's as her darkness raced around my edges, my light setting her on fire.
I felt the vampires appear, but only peripherally. Knew Iepa and Trinol had gone. Didn't matter we were alone because we weren't alone, Ameline and I.
We had each other and the multiple souls we carried. My vampire hissed at her budding undead spirit, my demon snarling at her young fire. Even Shaylee hummed unhappily at the small child who was the Sidhe within my nemesis. But our reactions to each other didn't matter. Not while the maji power, dark and light, combined and bonded us together.
It wasn't until I felt Charlotte's distress I pulled free of my hold on Ameline and turned to find Celeste and her vampires had us cornered. Thought they did, at least. And Charlotte stood with her back to me, bent in half, her wolf emerging, clothing torn in places from her shift as she snapped and swiped at the wary vampires.
I met Celeste's eyes, felt her fury turn to fear, set my hand on Charlotte's shoulder. "I'll be back for Sebastian," I said before tearing open the veil and pulling my bodywere after me.
And Ameline.
Always Ameline, from now on.
I could still feel her inside me. The connection felt similar to the one I shared with Gram, how we remained a part of each other through the family magic and the bond left behind by her power, magic I carried with me since infancy. But this was different, and as much as I loved Gram, more fundamental. Raw, down to the bone, settling into my cells, the core of my spirit, until there was nothing we didn't share.
Creeped me the hell out. But I had no options, and as much as I fought it on an intellectual level, my maji power welcomed her with open arms.
And her mine. Not only was she in me, I was in her. Felt the stirring of her heart past her icy shell. Didn't want to think of her as having a heart, for that matter. But she did. And it now beat in time with mine.
As we stepped out of the veil, I felt a moment of concern. I'd been aiming for Liam, as I always did, using him for my target when it came to traveling to the Sidhe Gate cavern. But instead of emerging in the side yard of town hall or even at the top of the stairs, I found myself stepping out onto the stone floor of the cavern itself this time, stopping only a few feet from the very startled Gatekeeper.
"The Sidhe?" Had they fallen? Was I too late? But no, the look on Liam's face told me he was more bemused than worried.
"No change, from what I can tell," he said. Looked down the hall to the entry and back to me again. "How?"
I shrugged, pretty sure I had an answer, but didn't get to give it. Not while Liam gasped and took a step forward, hands fisted, Galleytrot rushing forward with a low growl, black fur standing on end.
Oops. I stepped in front of Ameline as the pair finally noticed and then threatened her, hating I needed her even as our bond strengthened by the moment. "Ease up, guys," I said. "She's here to help."
Did I really just say that? Did those words really pass my lips?
"I'll believe that when it happens." Liam did back down, though Galleytrot didn't sit, fur trembling on end, eyes blazing red fire. Considering she'd almost killed him the last time they met, I hardly blamed him.
For that matter, she tried to kill most of the people I cared about.
Why was I working with her again?
Ameline ignored Liam's threatening stare and Galleytrot's rumbling growl shaking the ground under our feet. She brushed past me, past Charlotte, eyes locked on the Gate.
"This is a delightful reunion," she said, "but we really have work to do."
Liam's jaw jumped. I would have loved to see what he planned to do to her, I really would. But one touch of my hand made him settle, the Sidhe's plight more important than personal vendettas. His hazel eyes sparked with green magic as he looked down at me.
You can't be serious. His hands trembled as he brushed his fingers over my cheek. Syd-
I cut him off before he could give me a lecture. If you can think of another way to save the Sidhe, I'm all ears. I glared at Ameline's back. Until then, it's her or nothing.
Liam nodded after releasing a gust of air from his pursed lips. "Fine," he said, pressing a kiss to my forehead quickly before spinning and striding to the Gate. Green fire crackled around the edges as he pushed his power into it a little more aggressively than necessary. "I just hope this is worth it."
No kidding.
Ameline's smiled, condescending and freezing cold. "Just do as you're told, Gatekeeper," she said. "And leave the rest to us."
Wow, she was really asking for it.
I think Liam would have gladly opened the Gate just to be rid of her at that point. I just wished I had a way to cut myself loose, too. No such luck. But even as I wiggled and wriggled against contact, the longer we remained linked, the more powerful I felt.
Okay then. If I had to work with her, I could accept that. But if this connection tried to make me like her, I was out of here.
The moment we passed through the soap-bubble edge and into Sidhe territory, Ameline's tall, dark-haired form shrank, a little girl with pale green eyes and long brown hair replacing her. I stared down at her, forcing myself to swallow the lump of disgust rising in my throat at the sight.
Not Shaylee. She looked nothing like my Sidhe princess. And though I'd been sure Ameline hadn't used my alter ego to create this young Sidhe soul when she held her in thrall, I still worried, just a little bit.
Not an infant. Mom told me she'd used two Sidhe souls to create a baby spirit. Looking down on her, an actually little Sidhe girl, I had a thought. Bronagh's daughter, and Cian's. The Queen's adviser and the force behind the Gates.
And, in a weird, gross way, Liam's.
I could not go there. Not. My brain would not process that in any possible hell Ameline's Sidhe soul was Liam's child.
Oh. My. Swearword.
I couldn't think that way, had to tear my eyes from her flat stare, turn and force myself to march toward the border. Charlotte flanked Ameline's young form, loping along as the blonde wolf while Ameline's little body had no trouble keeping up with me. I was so focused on not looking at her, on just getting to the Unseelie side and dealing with the Brotherhood, I missed the fact we weren't alone.
Ameline's huff of irritation joined Charlotte's soft chuff of warning as I looked up.
And found myself surrounded by shining, golden Seelie soldiers.
Seriously? Annoyance bloomed as a large white horse emerged from the circle, Aoilainn mounted on its back. She'd traded her flowing gown for golden armor of her own, long hair caught up in an elaborate braid draped across her shoulders like a cloak. She glared down at me as the great horse pawed the ground beneath him.
But Aoilainn's attention didn't stay on me long, and while I gathered what was left of my temper and tried to put together a civil response to being ambushed like this, the queen's eyes settled on Ameline.
Her face flashed to rage so fast I almost missed it when she flung her arm forward, a ball of green fire arching toward the Sidhe girl form beside me. I reached out to block it the exact moment my co-maji did, the sphere bursting in a cascade of rainbow sparks.
"Arrest her!" Aoilainn's face contorted, tears standing in her eyes. "Thief and murderer, you've stolen the child of our most beloved Bronagh!"
Ameline smirked. Bad choice, as far as I was concerned, but she didn't seem to care.
"Come and try it," she said.
Aoilainn did, though her soldiers held back, her power pounding against us. I could feel the weakness of it, though, caught the decay in the air around us, in Aoilainn's armor, flashes of the dead grass painted green by her glamour as she did her best to destroy Ameline. I stood next to the witch turned little Sidhe girl, felt her gloat as Aoilainn's power failed, hated that Ameline enjoyed the queen's downfall so much.
And that I wasn't any better than Ameline when it came right down to it.
I finally put an end to the cascade of power, cutting Aoilainn off. The queen sagged in her saddle, weeping openly as I supported her with creation magic. She stared at me, mute and desperate as the sky overhead darkened and the grasses finally flickered to brown as her glamour failed. The girl next to me shifted to Ameline's form before settling into a child again.
The soul called to the realm. Either that or Ameline chose to remain as she was. Interesting choice.
Charlotte, in human form again, stood just behind me, eyes locked on the weeping queen.
"We are doomed," Aoilainn said.
"You're not," I said. "We can fix this. But only if you do what we tell you."
She shuddered, but nodded. "I will," she said.
Would wonders never cease. Mighty Aoilainn had crumbled. Shaylee took no joy in it, but I had to admit I wasn't really all that empathetic. "We have to go to the border," I said. "And talk to Odhran."
Aoilainn's hesitation had to be instinctual. Old habit or born into her. Whatever the case, she visibly struggled with her answer before she bowed her head and sighed.
"Our people will die if I don't act," she said, humility radiating from her, probably for the first time in her entire existence. "I will do whatever is necessary."
I would probably have enjoyed the moment of triumph more if it hadn't been for the nasty grin on Ameline's little girl face.
***
