Chapter 652: Last Semester
Book Seventeen: Shifting Loyalties
"That's what she said!"
I choked on a French fry as Tippy's punch line made me blush and laugh at the same time. As outrageous as ever, the red-haired Hensley witch winked at me, substantial rack pushing the rude hand gesture screen printed on her chest into everyone's face. She'd forgiven me for choosing Shenka as my second almost as fast as she'd gotten over the fact Liam and I were an item. Sort of an item. I glanced sideways at him, found him blushing just as brightly as I knew I was and realized he'd never survive Tippy even if he were into her.
Hell, I still worried if he'd survive me.
Not going there, not right now. I'd had a nice, quiet fall and a lovely Christmas holiday at home. Meira even made an appearance despite her permanent relocation to Demonicon. Mom acted like herself again, young, beautiful, enthusiastic. And though she still endured stress from her job, the control of the Brotherhood had been broken and her natural ability to balance work and home seemed almost eerie.
No complaining. I was just happy to have my mother back.
It felt difficult to return to Harvard for my last semester, to leave the happiness of my house behind, feeling, for the first time in ages, as though nothing changed since we first moved to Wilding Springs. Though so much had. Gram was the biggest indicator, quiet and withdrawn. Crabby most of the time, locking herself in her bedroom more often than not, her familiar touch in my mind so faint.
Broke my heart, knowing how much she suffered from the loss of her magic.
To Ameline of all people. I still owed that bitch for hurting my grandmother. Would kill her for it one day. Just as soon as my maji guide, Iepa, told me I didn't need the evil witch anymore.
Talk about a mood downer. I set aside my fork, shoulders slumping despite the giggling going on around me, the shuffling of other students, both witch and normal, coming and going. Talking, laughing, living. I wasn't really listening anymore. Besides, I felt tired, a little worn out. I'd let so many people down in the past, forgetting their problems, letting too much slide. No more. Which meant almost constant contact with a large group of loved ones. Regular visits to Austria to see Sunny and Uncle Frank, to the Sidhe realm to check in on the now single court of the Fey. The constant bickering between Seelie and Unseelie was always a treat.
The best part, though, were the almost daily chats with my sister, partly out of the need to keep her safe and partly because I just missed her.
And the coven. Always the coven. Shenka was great, better than great. I met her eyes as she rolled hers at me while Tippy brayed her excessive laugh. I loved my second, knew I'd made the perfect choice sneaking her out from under her sister, Tallah, though I wondered how she could stand the cold after growing up in California. Shenka insisted on joining me for every friend and family visit she could possibly attend, even trying to cross to Demonicon with me once. We both knew it wouldn't work out, her sad face peering at me through the veil from the basement when I crossed without her proving my point.
The only one who'd been able to join me on my father's plane was Charlotte, my bodywere. Which led me to believe she had demon ancestry somewhere in her wolfish makeup.
Thinking of Charlotte just made things worse. I still thought of her as "mine" even though she left me months ago, the bond between us broken. She came back from the dead for me, while, in hindsight, I thought she might have chosen to pass over in another circumstance. But then she'd left, with only a note in Ukrainian telling me she loved me. I hadn't heard from her in all this time. Yes, I focused on keeping an eye on those I cared about to be sure they were okay, but in Charlotte's case, she'd made it pretty clear she didn't want contact.
And no matter how much I hated the fact she was out there on her own, I had to honor that.
Mostly.
Shenka set aside her napkin, pushing away her tray. The dark, early evening sky pressed against the stained glass behind her, window rimmed in the frost of deep January.
"I'm off for home." Right, I'd forgotten. It was Friday already. We'd both acquired the habit of returning to Wilding Springs for the weekends. More family time. And while I looked forward to it for the most part, the idea of staying at school and getting some well-earned sleep seemed like a good idea.
No rest for the wicked.
Liam's hand fell on my arm as the small posse of girls rose. Donalda, tall and gray eyed, winked at me as she turned, one arm sliding through Tippy's to guide her away while Nicci blew us both a kiss, freckled nose wrinkling before mimicking Donalda's act, making a chain of witch girls as she linked up with Josie on the other side. It still amazed me at times I had real paranormal friends, people who understood me, the life I lived, because they lived it too. Looking up at the five beautiful girls made my heart happy.
Shenka paused, a sweet smile on her face, before turning her back to give Liam and me a moment.
Which made me nervous she knew something I didn't.
"I was thinking," Liam said in his deep voice, hazel eyes sparking with points of green as his cheeks pinked, tongue running nervously over his lips.
"That's got to hurt." I laughed, even more nervous, the giggling coming out a bit high-pitched. I squeezed his hand to cover my anxiety as he snorted. "Go on."
Liam relaxed, my irreverence seeming to put him at ease while my own butterflies beat their little wings against my ribcage. "You've been working so hard these past few months," at least someone noticed, "I thought maybe you could let Shenka go home this weekend." He paused. Swallowed. "Alone." Paused again while my chest tightened around those pesky insects. "So you could stay with me."
Oh.
Boy.
I'd been waffling over him, over what to do about us. Avoided anything involving making a commitment one way or another. Didn't help I only had a few months left before I was supposed to get married. Yeah, probably made things ten times worse. Still made me break out into a cold sweat and want to pack up and run for the hills just thinking about it. And while I felt pretty sure I'd be all over his sweet offer if the whole witching world wasn't in such a rush for me to find a husband, knowing the inevitable loomed made me squirm like a trapped rat waiting for the cat to pounce.
This was obviously some kind of bid on his behalf to spend some time alone and see if we could reconnect.
Shenka glanced over her shoulder, eyebrows raised. I knew then she was in full cahoots with Liam, but not in the way he thought. She waited, patient and 100% on my side, ready to support me no matter what I chose to do. As I looked back to Liam, the anxiety in his face, the way he bent his body toward mine, I thought of Gram.
She told me once he was too weak for me. That he was a terrible choice for a mate, a life partner. Her words held me back as much as my reluctance to bow to the pressure of centuries of witch law. Was it fair? No. At the time, I lost my crap on her, furious she would say such a thing. But the more I thought about it, the more her argument gnawed at my heartstrings.
And yet, there was only one way to find out if she was right. Which meant actually exploring this relationship at last. After all, I was running low on time. The coven law I had to be married by twenty-one loomed in my future.
I had to freaking choose already or step down as coven leader.
Images of other faces passed before me. Of Rameranselot, my demon friend who I knew now I'd never select to be my mate. But there were more, at least two more. One I pined for almost every day despite my best intentions. And the other I'd been trying desperately to free since August.
My appeals for the release of Sebastian DeWinter fell on deaf ears, both in my attempted communication with his queen, Pannera Sthol, and with Margaret Applegate, the leader of the European Council. Every attempt Mom and I made to discuss Sebastian's situation was ignored. I knew I could simply storm into the vampire mansion and take out their current leader, Celeste Oberman. Wanted to, so very much. Would enjoy watching her wither and burn in the sun. It was the very least I owed her after all the trouble the former Purity witch caused for my family.
But Mom insisted we use diplomacy despite both of us knowing Sebastian suffered at Celeste's hand, not to mention the rest of his clan. Anastasia, one of his lieutenants, already begged for my help, told me Celeste starved those she was meant to protect.
But my main concern centered on Sebastian. He was my friend, but more than that. He'd expressed his romantic interest at Sunny and Uncle Frank's wedding and, thanks to my immortality, choosing him was a distinct possibility. Yes, there were certain questions needing answers, such as if he was able to father children-blushing and having naughty thoughts-but no matter the truth, even if he was the perfect choice, I couldn't marry a vampire I couldn't reach.
That left one.
I just couldn't go there. To those chocolate eyes, that smirk. Delicious magic threading through mine. Creak of leather, the way his long, wavy hair hung, begging to be touched.
All of him. Begging.
Growl.
And snap. I shook myself a little as Liam touched my cheek with his fingertips just as Shenka's mind poked mine.
You suck at this, she sent with laughter in her mental voice. I'll see you later.
She left me there, a wave for Liam, as I pulled myself out of comparing the handsome, sweet guy in front of me to the other options I had for marriage like he was an under ripe watermelon.
What the hell was wrong with me?
"Sorry," I said, clasping his hands in mine. "Space cadet moment."
He bobbed a nod, started to pull away, his disappointment clear on his face.
"I understand," he said. "You have so much on your plate. We both have responsibilities and the family has to come first. It was stupid for me to ask."
I tugged him back, forcing myself to relax. A weekend off with Liam? Okay then. Time to pull on my big girl panties and see where this went.
Ah. Unfortunate turn of phrase. Blush.
"I'd love to," I said.
And after the words left my mouth, I realized I really meant them.
Imagine that.
***
