Chapter 684: See What Happens
I planned to go right home. But Mom's prodding had me thinking and, finally, convinced me to stop being such a whiner and face the situation I'd created.
That Liam and I made together.
He looked surprised to see me when I pounded on his door, pushing past him and into his room, not even bothering to strip off my coat and scarf as I set my laptop bag on his bed and faced him.
"We have to talk."
From his expression, sliding from surprise to worry, he'd been dreading this as much as I had. Except he sat, offering one hand, pulling me down into his lap where I sat, stiff and shivering from emotion and stress while he stroked my hair back from my face.
"I know something has changed," he said. "I can feel it, Syd. You aren't the same with me as you were before you left." He sighed and sat back, still holding my hand and me across his thighs. "Whatever it is, whatever you have to tell me, it's okay." Hazel eyes sparked with green. "But I want you to know, if there is someone else, I'm going to fight for you as long as you'll let me." A sweet grin, crooked and charming, broke across his face. "And even after you ask me to stop."
Oh, Liam. I hugged him, resting my head on his shoulder, tension leaving me as sadness took its place.
"I just feel so trapped." I hadn't meant to whisper. Or to allow tears to rise. Stupid emotions. "And I don't want to make a mistake. Everyone is watching, speculating. Offering their own opinions."
"And none of them include me." Liam nodded before I could protest, so matter-of-fact I kissed his cheek softly in comfort. "I know your family doesn't consider me your ideal choice." He drew a breath before fixing me with a firm gaze. "I realize you would marry Quaid if he were free." Choke. "That I'm probably at the bottom of the line when it comes to husband material, because of my heritage." He bit his lower lip, the only sign of his distress. "And that you could have your pick of any witch here at college, anywhere, for that matter."
He wavered in front of me, my tears finally cresting.
"But Syd," he said, thumb swiping gently over the first of them to fall, "none of them love you like I do." He pressed my hand to his chest, his heart thudding heavily under my fingers, earnestness pouring from every cell of his body. "Not one of them adores you, worships you. Will do anything, give anything, to be beside you." He kissed me oh so softly. Breathed into my mouth. "Not like I do."
I didn't think it was possible to melt. But I was melting, my insides giving way, my resistance caving in to the absolute sweetness of the handsome, loving man who held me in his arms.
"No matter what comes," he said, "what trials we face in the future, I will always be here for you, Syd. Always."
I kissed him back, not with the heat of passion, but the tenderness of real love.
"I'll have to leave you alone a lot," I said. "You'll be left behind, Liam. I have a job to do and you know I'll be in danger." Okay, so that wasn't new. His eyes told me as much. "And I'm more powerful than you." Hit him in his ego, nice work. But Liam didn't flinch.
"I've always known that," he said. "I'm not envious. Just proud."
"What about your education?" He'd talked about staying a few more years, maybe becoming a teacher himself, working at Harvard. "You'd have to give that up to look after our kids." Gulp. "The family."
"I have the archive," he said. "And teaching is highly overrated."
Sounded like he had an answer for everything.
But were they the answers I was looking for?
Liam stood, setting me on my feet while I hung my head, misery winning over even his sweet nature.
"I won't push you," he said, pressing his lips to the top of my head. "But now that I've had a taste of you, of what our lives could be like... Syd, I won't let that go easily." I forced myself to look up and meet his gaze. "I may not be perfect for you, but I'll be the best husband I can possibly be."
I bobbed a nod, not sure what to say.
If I could speak, even.
"So," he said, hands going into his back pockets as though to keep himself from touching me, "where do we go from here?" He rocked on his heels. "Are we still dating or do you need space?"
It wasn't fair to him not to give an answer.
"I don't know," I said. "I guess... we see what happens."
Coward.
I left him then, after a firm hug and his whispered "I love you" tickling my ear. The dark embraced me as I stepped out into the Yard and began my trudge home. I could have ridden the veil to my dorm, but I needed the walk to clear my head and weigh options.
Why, if I thought Liam wasn't right for me, was I having such a hard time letting go? I paused as I slammed into the answer like someone hit me in the face.
He was family. And I couldn't just push him aside. My loyalty, ingrained into me my entire life, tempered by the last few years and all the disasters I'd survived, only strengthened my need to protect those I cared about.
Even from myself. When I was the enemy.
But did that mean I was done? That Liam and I were over? No matter how I rationalized my reaction to him, I still couldn't bring myself to believe my hyperactive protectiveness was the only reason. I did love him. Loved how we were together.
Could I picture him as my husband or not?
Sighing into the cold air, I resumed walking and beating myself up.
It had snowed all day, fresh paths carved out of the heavy white stuff, weighing down the branches of the trees. I paused part way home and looked around at the crystal night sky with the pinpoints of stars just visible beyond the glare of the lights in the Yard. The waning moon casting its cold glare over the snow. Beautiful. Quiet. Everyone was inside, leaving me alone in the silence of the winter night.
Almost alone.
I knew the sound of that giggle, the squeak of boots on frosted stone. I turned to find Kristophe and Jean Marc approaching, smirks on their ugly Dumont faces.
Rage bubbled, rage for Charlotte and her people, for all those years of their humiliation, for centuries of enslavement. My magic burned inside me, ready to tear them apart.
Just push me, asshats. See how far your posing and position will take you.
To the curb. You betcha.
They came to a halt a few feet from me, under a light so Kristophe could pull one of his model poses and show off his pretty, long hair.
Charming.
"What a pity," Kristophe said with a duck-lip mew. "It seems your Sidhe bodyguard has run off, too." He rolled his eyes at his brother. "Pity how she can't seem to hang on to the help."
"Must be something they smelled." Jean Marc's heavy brows pulled together.
Kristophe tittered, one gloved hand placed artfully over his generous mouth.
"If that was supposed to hurt my feelings," I said, "you failed miserably. Just like at everything else the Dumont family tries to do."
And snap.
They both looked shocked by my response, then a little afraid. Well, hell yeah. They should be afraid of me, the nasty little weasels.
Hang on. I wasn't that scary. Not enough they both backed off a step. Moved closer to each other, mouths hanging open.
"Hello, Jean Marc." A familiar voice drifted over my right shoulder, light and sweet in the stillness of the dark. "And my very dear Kristophe." Charlotte came to stand next to me, a deliciously pert smile on her face. "How lovely to see you both again under such auspicious circumstances."
Neither of them said a word as I gaped at her right along with them.
"I've been looking forward to our reunion." She drifted closer to the brothers, her power humming around her, reaching for them and not in a pleasant way.
"Back off, werewolf." Jean Marc's attempt at bravado fell so flat even he winced.
Charlotte's laugh tinkled in the cold air. "I'll allow you that one slip," she said, magic pulsing with fire and the thrum of the earth. "For old time's sake." The way she said it, the burst of fear on their faces, made me wonder just what they had done to her all those years she was their slave. Reminded me of Kristophe's parting remark about the lessons he taught her. "But from now on, you can address me as 'Your Highness'."
Can I get a whoop-whoop?
The brothers exchanged a look before backing off another step. A stride, really.
Charlotte cocked her head to the side. "What, going so soon? We have so much to catch up on. And I have so much to repay you."
I giggled into my hands as the pair turned their yellow bellies and ran like rabbits.
Charlotte turned back to me, a huge smile on her face. "That," she said, "was very satisfying."
"I bet." I hugged her hard, her arms winding around me. "Missed you."
"You too." Charlotte leaned back, teeth flashing as she grinned at me. "You look wonderful."
I always adored Charlotte, but this new version was even more awesome. "You too. How are things going back home?"
She shrugged, linking her arm in mine, turning me toward my dorm. "Fine, I suppose. But my life is much better," she said with a quaver in her happy voice. "Now that I'm back where I belong."
Um, what? I stopped us dead, staring again. Charlotte bounced on her toes, her excitement as clear as a kid's at Christmas. "Silly," she said, tears in her beautiful eyes, "what family did you think I was talking about when we had that conversation?"
I couldn't stop the sob that burst from me as I hugged her again.
"I might be heir," she whispered as we both laughed and cried in the snowy night. "But you are my real family."
I pulled back from her, wiping at my wet cheeks. "On one condition," I said.
"Name it." Her mittens dried her own face.
"No more bodywere." I hooked my arm through hers as she'd done to me just a moment earlier.
She smiled. Nodded.
"Friends," we said together. I forgot Liam, my obligations, the upcoming wedding, my battle with the Brotherhood. Charlotte was home.
Charlotte was home.
We laughed our way back to my dorm to tell Shenka the good news.
***
