Chapter 674: Unhappy Miriam
I tore open the veil and addressed my grandmother. "Okay, Ahbi," I said. "Where can you put us inside the palace that won't land us in the middle of a battle?"
She hummed and hawed a moment and, I swear, was actually enjoying herself. Piers's frown told me he was more than a little confused, but he held his silence, bless him.
When the flickering image settled, we were looking at what seemed to be a kitchen. Empty. At least, for now.
"Perfect." I pulled Piers through the veil before he could think to speak up after all and stepped out again on the other side into the quiet room. The veil sealed shut behind us, Ahbi's power ghosting over Piers and me before she hugged me and was gone.
"That was..." Piers's whisper tickled my ear as he bent to speak.
"My grandmother," I whispered back. "Yeah, she's dead. Don't ask." I shrugged. "Let's go."
The door at the far end of the dark kitchen opened into an equally dark hallway.
"Any idea where we are?" Piers looked left and right. The elaborate décor of the main part of the palace was missing here, so I took a guess.
"Somewhere away from Yure's main stomping grounds." I let the kitchen door swing softly shut behind me. Did my best to perform a light exam of our surroundings. Difficult considering how heavy-handed I usually was with my magic. I brushed the familiar touch of the black zone as my hopes rose rapidly despite my attempt to hold any expectation of success behind a wall of tough girl Syd. "But close to Charlotte."
Piers followed my lead, his sorcery held in a tight net around him. I released the last of Ahbi's cocoon, no longer needing it, though the air in this part of the palace felt chilly, giving me the impression this wing didn't see much use.
"You know," Piers said, amusement in his voice despite our situation, "we seem to make an excellent team."
I snorted. "You mean, you do a good job of getting into trouble and I do a good job rescuing you."
His magic prodded me. "If you like. But I think you're underestimating me, Coven Leader."
We'd just see about that.
I felt the push of sorcery coming toward me, too late. Two skinny men flanked by a pair of hulking weres with guns burst around the corner ahead of us. The lead one pointed, shouted in Ukrainian while the guns blazed. My shields held while Piers dove to the ground, his magic seeping across the floor and under their feet. Shock rippled over the four faces as the floor beneath them almost immediately gave way, Shaylee adding a little extra zing to Piers's attack. Machine gun fire rattled into the ceiling as they disappeared through a large sinkhole and out of sight.
Kind of comical, actually. Like watching a cartoon.
Piers sprang to his feet and ran lightly forward, his long coat belling out behind him like a cloak. I followed, accepting his hand as he leaped across the gap, pulling me over with him. One look down and my vertigo kicked in, flickers of falling the endless drop from the top of the Seat on Demonicon to the Parade below. Made worse by the sight of the four bodies sprawled in what looked like some kind of dimly lit cellar.
Nothing funny about their twisted bodies after all, the scent of blood rising to tingle my sensitive vampire nose.
I wavered on the other side of the hole Piers had made, stomach rolling, caught in the flashback of my plummet to near death. Piers grasped me around the waist and tucked me against him, lips against my ear before he leaned back. His nose brushed mine, we were so close, his smile wicked as I panted into his mouth.
"You were saying about doing the rescuing?" Piers let me go, but took my hand again as the last tingle of my fear vanished at his touch. The linking of our fingers felt way too natural for a girl with a boyfriend who wasn't the one holding her hand.
I tried to pull Piers toward the black zone when we reached the end of the hall, but he fought me, shaking his head.
"None of this will matter if the Czar escapes." His handsome face pleaded with me, free hand rising to stroke my cheek. "His people will back off if he falls." Another stroke. "Please."
Sigh.
It was absolutely the wrong decision to make and pretty much guaranteed to start a war, but I agreed with his choice, damn it.
Charlotte would have to wait.
The fact I'd just committed myself to a fight I really should have run from screaming wasn't lost on me. Especially when someone cut through my shields in a surge of familiar power and blasted me one as a reminder.
What the hell do you think you're doing? Mom's anger was so powerful I flinched and pulled free of Piers in a reflex guilt action. He stopped, turned to frown at me, froze as I made a "we're screwed" face and tucked up against a wall to take my punishment. I said quietly. Didn't I say quietly, Syd?
Hey, Mom. Yeah, like the whole innocent routine was going to do me any good. I didn't have much choice.
Mom's sigh echoed across the distance. Why is it you never seem to have any other option than total mayhem? Her laughter came out breathless. Well, whatever it is you have planned, you'd better hurry up, my darling daughter. Margaret was just here, and she's screaming bloody murder.
You let her go? I tsked, amazed how well she was taking this and how much humor rippled through the connection between us as her initial jolt of alarm wore off. Mom, you're slipping.
I have no idea why I was struggling to keep a straight face and attitude all of a sudden, but Mom giggled, near hysterical herself.
You should have seen her, she sent. All red faced and foaming at the mouth. Spectacular.
You're one to talk, I sent back with a snicker. You're forgetting your own little meltdowns were a sight to behold. It shouldn't have been funny. Mom almost lost herself to the Brotherhood completely.
And yet, here we were, laughing ourselves into tears of hilarity.
Hysterics. Had to be. But the laughter helped to shake off my nerves and charge up my focus.
Hers too, I guess. She cleared her mental throat after a moment of snorting. Syd, I'm serious.
Me too. I gave Piers a push and got moving again. Charlotte wouldn't leave, the young Steam Union idiot I'm saddled with bit off more than he could chew and the weres are now captured. You wanted me to leave them?
I thought we agreed the werewolves weren't our problem. She sighed. Laughed again. I should have known our agreement wouldn't last, not when there are innocent lives at stake. She hugged me tight with her magic. Sweetheart, you know I'm behind you, no matter what happens. Mom's power finally released me. Just be careful.
Piers glanced back at me as I severed the connection.
"Let me guess," he said with a grin. "You have a mother just like mine."
He clearly knew that already. "Not quite," I said. "Mine just gave me the go-ahead to dismantle the world order and to hell with the consequences."
"Lucky," he said.
"Am I ever." My grin was tight with renewed tension and the need to act. "But we're about to have company who thinks to the contrary, so we'd better hurry."
I hated not having access to my full magic, fought with the idea of breaking the last mandate Applegate set and just say screw it. But as long as I kept my witch magic-read maji power-under wraps while I was here, the worst she could do was boot my ass from Europe forever.
She'd have to catch me first.
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