Chapter 664: Pinned Down
I fumed as I paced the suite of rooms I'd been assigned, arguing with myself. I could have done more to escape this predicament. How had I gone from rescuing Charlotte-easy peasy in and outsie-to being pinned down by a pair of European stalkers in an ancient hotel in the outback of the Ukraine?
So much grief in so little time. I really should have been used to being imprisoned in fancy quarters. Happened pretty frequently. But this time, I was here by choice.
Okay, not really. I had put my foot down when Finlay tried to deliver me back home, taking a firm hold on his power and forcing him to put us down outside the gates to Yure's territory. For the first time, I saw the young Enforcer's temper flare, but I didn't really give a damn what he thought.
Thanks to him, Charlotte was still back there. And now I knew her fate, no way was I leaving her in Yure's clutches. Not when the girl I knew was so broken she couldn't even fight to protect herself.
"I'm going back in there," I snarled at Finlay and Gwendolyn while Isabelle pushed back the hood of her robe, revealing her pinched features while she stared at the gate as though confused. "And I'm getting Charlotte out."
"No," Finlay said. "You're not."
"Coven Leader," Gwendolyn put herself between me and the hulking brute. Good thing. For him. My demon snapped and snarled her need to launch his ass into orbit while the young witch went on. "Please, don't do this. Our two Councils are on shaky enough ground as it is."
"If you're asking me," I said, jabbing her in the chest with one finger while Finlay growled like a were himself, "to leave Charlotte behind because your Leader happens to have an agenda, you can just forget it."
She flinched. Looked away. How much did she know-suspect? Was she aware Applegate was under sorcerous control? "We will do everything in our power to free your friend," she said, meeting my eyes again. "But I beg you, allow us to handle it."
"I'm not going home." I crossed my arms over my chest, glared at Finlay who glared back. "You're stuck with me until I get Charlotte back. So unless you want that incident you're trying to prevent, I suggest you work fast. I won't wait long."
Gwendolyn seemed relieved, bobbed her head in a nod, nervous smile returning. "As you wish."
Which was how I ended up pacing the top floor of a very old-fashioned hotel. The only hotel, it turned out, in a picturesque town only a few miles from Yure's fenced-in territory. The whole place was a throwback to history. Square, whitewashed buildings lined with balconies, with red tiled roofs lined the streets, octagonal architecture topped with multiple spires towering over the narrow, cobbled ways. I shivered as my anger dissipated, hating how my fear for Charlotte and the choice I had to make caused me to feel colder.
A cheerful older woman and her husband, both dressed in traditional garb, greeted the group of us. Her flowing white blouse and massive black velvet skirt reminded me of Mom, though this woman was almost a head shorter than me and twice as wide. His round belly was tucked behind a wool vest, a cap perched on his balding head. It took me only a heartbeat to realize they were, in fact, witches.
"Yutsk is a coven town," Gwendolyn said as she turned to the couple who bowed to me, faces eager. "?????, Nataliya." She gestured to me. "Coven Leader Hayle, this is Coven Leader Nataliya Makosky and her husband, Fedir."
The woman grasped my hand, kissed the back of it, her round cheeks pink, equally round body quivering in what seemed like excitement. "???????, welcome," she said in very thick English. "You come." She pulled me into the building, still clutching my hand, while her husband bowed over and over again.
"They are very honored to have you," Gwendolyn said. "Nataliya may be Coven Leader here in Yutsk, but you are legend."
Seriously? Kind of freaked me out, considering I wasn't even legal to drink back home. I smiled at the woman as I freed my hand. "Thank you," I said, not sure what else to do. Glanced at Gwendolyn. "I'm not supposed to use my magic," I said. "But can I greet her?" Traditionally, Coven Leaders shared a tiny fragment of family magic, a show of respect.
Finlay scowled, but Gwendolyn's face brightened with a relieved smile. "I'm sure such a personal use is fine," she said, kicking her Enforcer's foot.
I turned back to Nataliya and held out my hand again, letting a small ball of blue form over my palm. The family magic came willingly, happily, though I could feel its discomfort at being contained. I soothed it with love and begged for patience while Nataliya's eyes widened. Fingers shaking, she slid hers across my skin, her own small magic mingling with mine.
The family power surged and offered her more than the usual. She beamed at me, lunged forward, kissing both of my cheeks before turning, arm around me, pulling me tight to her soft body, chattering to her husband in Ukrainian while he smiled at me and bowed yet again.
Thank you, Gwendolyn sent. That was very generous.
I didn't do it for you, I sent.
Mean? Totally. So?
I intended to find a small room to use for my base of operations and keep a low profile while I figured out what to do. Didn't go so well. Within moments, the hotel lobby flooded with witches, all come to stare at the visitor. Most didn't speak English and, though I did my best to be polite, playing gracious guest wasn't on my list of things to do at the moment.
Isabelle tucked her cold body next to mine after about twenty minutes of chatter and the beginnings of a tension headache. She spoke to the coven in Ukrainian, translating in my head as she did.
Your welcome is most kind, she sent/said. The Coven Leader is honored to be among you. But she is weary from her travels and must rest.
Nataliya clapped her hands abruptly, eyes wide. Reached for me.
Our forgiveness, most revered, Isabelle translated as the witch spoke. The feast can wait.
My stomach growled. Feast?
Isabelle's eyes met mine. You're to be made an honorary coven member, she sent.
How sweet. Just get me out of here, I sent. Weariness settled over me, the despair returning.
Within moments, I was moving up the broad staircase, hand running over the blackened wood of the railing, into the darkness of the upstairs. An ancient elevator carried me the rest of the way to the top floor and a giant suite of rooms. The place felt like a Goth girl's dream and made me think of Mia. The arching ceiling heights paired with dark walls. A black canopy loomed over the massive four-poster. Deep gray upholstery of the furniture and heavily patterned area rugs and morbid paintings rounded out the Halloween atmosphere.
I firmly turned my back on Nataliya after three curtsies and a few farewells, letting Isabelle handle the woman while Gwendolyn and Finlay stood together, one of his big hands on her shoulder, watching me.
Isabelle turned after closing the door, leaning against it with a sigh. Again, I found it odd vampires, breathless, used such mundane habits despite themselves.
"They are lovely," she said, a smile lifting her lips. "I'd forgotten the people of my homeland can be so wonderful."
"Charming." Sarcasm came easily as I rubbed my temples with my tense fingers. "I take it pinning my ass to the ground was part of the plan?" They had, effectively. Yes, I could ride the veil out of here, but any attempt to leave would be noticed, and fast. And I was positive now that an entire coven kept their power locked on me, if only out of curiosity. Their attention would lure Applegate's if I stepped out of line.
Gwendolyn's face fell, whether from guilt or hurt I didn't know. Or care. "We will return shortly," she said. "The coven will protect you." Guard me, she meant. Finlay's little smirk told me as much. "I promised you we would do everything we could to return Charlotte to you. And we will. You just have to trust us."
"Frankly?" I was this close to snapping her in half for being such a freaking idiot. "I don't believe a word you say. Have zero reason."
Gwendolyn's lower lip trembled.
I refused to feel sorry for her. Time to slam them face first into the truth about Applegate and see what shook loose. "Your Council Leader is under the thrall of the Brotherhood." The young witch flinched, but didn't argue. "And you know it." Again, she didn't fight me. Neither did Finlay. "You allow a thralled Leader to dictate your policy and threaten peace between our territories, not to mention the safety of your people." Gwendolyn rocked with every word, as though I struck her physically, while Finlay's lip curled into threatening snarl.
"That's enough," he growled.
"Not by a long shot," I snapped back. "But I'm done with this conversation considering the fact you're both clearly too weak-minded and brainwashed to actually wake the hell up and do anything about it." I turned my back on them. "You both make me sick." How could they know and not act? How many of the people in this territory knew and did nothing? I clenched my arms tight around my body, shuddering with the need to smack the both of them. "Get out of my sight."
I felt them go. Unwound long enough to kick the back of an antique sofa. The wooden frame cracked, the heavy piece flying across the room to slam into the wall.
Didn't help. Worth a try, though. Maybe breaking a few other things would do the job.
"I have my own investigating to do," Isabelle said. I spun to face her, startled. Forgot she was there. Her frown of curiosity triggered a memory and broke my fury in half.
"What?" It was only three steps to cross to her side. She shook her head as I came to a stop in front of her.
"The Czar you just met," she said, "is not the Czar I remember."
"You left a long time ago," I said. Hadn't she?
"I did," she said. "But Yure Danko has been leader of the Black Souls for most of my life and I have a very good memory." She ran her hands through her golden hair. "The brilliant sorcerer I knew, the dangerous man, is gone." She shook her head. "I wasn't told he'd begun to lose his mind and I'd like to know why."
"I'll come with you." It was clear she had somewhere else to be, likely somewhere I might find answers about Charlotte.
Isabelle stepped away, shaking her head in a tight motion, eyes sparking with white flame. "This I must do alone," she said. "But I will return, Sydlynn Hayle. With the information we seek."
She shuddered into shadow and vanished before I could grab her. My lunge as she shifted to darkness sent me through the place she'd been and forward, stumbling into a chair. Where I swore. For a long time, swear words I'd learned from friends, from enemies, on and on in a vile string until I clenched my hands into fists and let out a tight shriek.
Are you finished? My vampire sighed. Really, Sydlynn.
Leave her alone, my demon sent. I have a few more for you to try out, if you want.
I could feel Shaylee blushing. Sighed myself as I turned and sank into the chair I'd almost fallen over, shoulders slumping as I collapsed into the seat.
Sorry. Wasn't really. But the response was automatic.
So, what now? Shaylee's voice quivered. We can't just leave her there.
We're not, I snapped. Cooled off again. But if Gwendolyn and Finlay can free her...
They would have already, my demon growled.
We wait, my vampire sent, the voice of undead reason. A war between territories will only feed the needs of the Brotherhood. And while we all know Applegate is under their control, if there is a way to defeat her without bringing hardship, we need to take that path.
First Charlotte, I sent. And then we deal with Applegate. This couldn't go on any longer. Not while witches in Europe knew full well what was happening and no one acted.
Agreed. Three egos hugged me, the family magic rising to swirl around us while the sorcery beneath me shivered with the need to feed.
We'll give them twenty-four hours, I sent. Then we go get Charlotte and to hell with Applegate.
Murmurs of acceptance. I thudded both fists down on the arms of the chair, so hard I almost missed the knock on my door.
I know I was supposed to be nice and everything, but visiting hours were over, thanks. I strode to the door to banish whoever was behind it, jerking it wide just as a wave of black crashed over me. My alter egos gasped even as the black blossom of my sorcery opened, but too late.
The darkness washed over me as my anger burned, crackling with irritation I'd fallen into a trap.
***
