Chapter 650: Too Many Options
I didn't make it two steps inside, still flushed from my encounter with Quaid, when I felt demon power surge in the basement and went running.
Found Meira waiting on the other side of the veil and crossed into her open arms.
She hugged me so tight I could barely breathe, forgetting until she pulled away to allow my demon form to take over.
Red skinned and black horned, I settled on her divan while she held my hand.
"Thanks for letting me know they didn't kill you or anything." She grinned, taking the sting out of her words.
"I was getting to it," I said. "Besides, you really thought they could?"
Meira's smile trembled and fell. "I didn't know," she said.
We talked, about Gram, the Brotherhood. My new freedom. Meira's fierce, "Awesome!" mirrored my own.
"I'm worried about Demonicon now," I said. "The Brotherhood has failed with the Sidhe and at least one major vampire clan. They will probably be coming for you next." I paused, heart tightening all over again. "If they aren't here already. You know how insidious they can be. How subtly their invasion begins."
Meira just patted my hand with a grim smile on her face.
"Let them," she said, tossing back her long, black curls. "I'm ready."
Not "we". Made me wonder. "How's Dad?"
Meira's pause before answering told me volumes. "He's fine," she said. "Still settling in as Ruler."
I opened my mouth to comment only to have Meira shake her head with a look of guilt.
"I shouldn't say that," she said. "He's a wonderful Ruler. He's just..."
"Dad," I said. "Kind and loving and generous."
Meira's eyes told me I was right.
Which meant our demon family walked all over him.
"And Henemordonin?" At least he had a soul of steel.
"Grandfather is doing his best," Meira said. "But Dad has his own ideas."
Happiness and sparkly perkiness for all demons.
That would work.
"You know," I said, "you were the right choice. I'd have made a terrible Ruler. But you, you're going to kick ass someday."
She laughed. "I don't know if that's a compliment or not." Her nose wrinkled before she squeezed my hand. "It is," she said. "And I hope you're right."
I hugged her. "I really have to get back. But please, let's not have this much time go between us from now on." I pulled away. "Regular contact."
"Promise." She stood and I joined her. "But you can't go yet. Someone wants to talk to you."
I winced, thinking who that someone might be. Followed her to the sitting room adjacent to her bedchamber. Found Rameranselot waiting for me.
Meira kissed me, winked and left us alone.
Bratski.
Ram's smirk triggered my temper, but also made me laugh. I crossed to him, hugged him. Felt my demon's passions stir again.
Felt like a total trollop. Three guys, Syd? Really? Not counting Sage, my martial arts teacher. Oh, and Sebastian.
Damn it. I had to free Sebastian.
But I had less than a year, didn't I? Maybe the more the merrier, if it meant I made the best choice out of the options I had.
Since the right choice wasn't open to me.
Ram's lips found mine, with a hunger I wasn't expecting. I kissed him back, opening to him as I'd never done before, letting my demon have full reign. But she pulled away after a moment, as lovely and delicious as he was.
Comparing him to Quaid wasn't conducive to encouraging a relationship.
"Were you serious?" His amber eyes didn't show me anything but his natural sarcastic humor. He was a master at hiding how he felt.
I didn't say anything, trying to decide. Was I? I asked him if he'd consider an effigy, knowing full well he'd know what I meant. What I offered.
Before I could decide, Ram laughed and hugged me, broad chest hard under my hands.
"I'm not who you need," he said. "Who is he?"
Sigh.
"Someone I can never have," I said. Felt the sting of tears again.
Stupid tears. Piss off already.
Ram let me go, smirk gone. Kissed my forehead.
"I knew better than to open my heart to you," he said. "From the moment we met, I understood you'd never be mine. But it didn't work out the way I planned." He grinned, a boyish expression that made me smile. "Still. I guess you'll just have to keep looking, princess."
I stepped back from him, reaching for the veil. Felt my demon grandmother's spirit answer. Met Ram's eyes before I stepped through the gap. "Watch over her," I said. "Keep my sister safe."
He bowed, one hand pressed to his chest, absolutely serious. "I will give my life for hers," he said. "I swear it."
The echo of that was so familiar I stumbled my way through the veil.
Landed in the basement.
Realized only then, in the dark silence, I was alone.
Totally. Utterly. No, my egos were still with me. But one very important person wasn't.
Charlotte.
My head snapped up, terror punching me in the stomach.
"Charlotte?" When I had I seen her last? I dove for the stairs, took them two at a time, calling her name. I couldn't remember when I saw her. No, wait. I could.
Lying face down over the threshold of the back door. Blood pooling from her mouth and nose-
No. No, she couldn't be dead, they would have told me. And she'd only just chose to come back from the brink to be with me.
"Charlotte!"
I pounded up the stairs, hearing Shenka call for me from the living room, raced into Charlotte's room, my old room, without knocking. Guilt gnawed at my soul. How had I forgotten her?
How?
I froze at the sight of the perfectly made bed, the open closet door.
Empty.
Her things missing, not even the scent of her left behind.
My eyes fell to the quilt, to a piece of paper. Numb, lost, I picked it up. Unfolded it.
? ???? ?????. Carefully written in Charlotte's tight, efficient handwriting.
I sank to the bed, chest tightening around grief as Shenka burst into the room, concern on her face.
"Syd," she looked around, clearly as confused by the emptiness as I was. "Where's Charlotte?"
I bent over the note, the letters smearing from my tears, no idea what the words meant, but cherishing them anyway.
Because they were all I had left of her.
Charlotte was gone.
***
