Chapter 702: Pay Attention
Shenka rushed toward me as the wild magicks threw themselves into a frenzy of fluttering, battering me with their power.
"What do they want?" She was calm, at least, though the faces of the other witches, from various covens, now gathered in the large center common room weren't quite so composed.
"I don't know." I gritted my teeth against the constant pecking of the magicks and threw out a soft net of my own power. They stilled immediately, coming to heel almost like trained creatures, though they didn't calm so much as focus.
Again with the images, the shattering crystals, the broken machine. Belaisle, me, and the darkness. I clung to them, my power teasing out more information. The mirror again, cracking in the center, shattering into a multitude of shards.
Why did that image tweak a memory?
But which memory?
The wild magicks shrieked and fled so suddenly I staggered, realizing as they disappeared through the canopy of the pavilion it wasn't they who screamed.
The sound instead came from outside. Shenka and I both ran to see who was torturing a cat, and why, skidding to a halt with the growing crowd of onlookers as a pair of Enforcers man-handled a small bundle.
The bundle was doing the screeching. And when they finally jerked her to standing, her hood tossed back from her face and I groaned in a gut-punch moment.
Mia's caterwauling cut off abruptly as she spotted me.
"Tell them to let me go," she said, suddenly pompous. "I am a coven leader and have every right to be here."
Syd, Shenka sent. Don't.
Sigh.
Someone pushed past me, shoving so hard I staggered into a witch in front of me. My temper boiled as Jean Marc Dumont glanced over his shoulder, a smirk pulling his lips, dark brows shadowing his eyes. Fingers traced my cheek as his younger brother, Kristophe, drifted along in his wake. He tossed his long, pale hair, striding along as though on a catwalk as their father, Andre, glared at me on the way by.
I wasn't his target. Not by a long shot.
"I demand this creature be ejected from conclave." Andre crossed his arms over his chest, aristocratic features pinched with disgust. The entire Dumont family shared the same brilliant blue eyes-all, oddly, but for Andre's sons and Quaid-so when coven leader glared at coven leader, icy matching gazes could have set fire to the place.
"You have no right to kick me out." Mia jerked her arms free of the Enforcers. "I am a duly recognized coven leader." She spit at Andre's feet, Jean Marc lunging for her, held back only by a glare from one of the black-robed witches standing guard. Her eyes met mine. "I have as much interest in this meeting as you do."
Maybe if Andre wasn't such an ass. The first male coven leader in, well, ever, had never endeared himself to me. Sure, he'd done me a solid and admitted I hadn't interfered with the Dumont succession when the freed family magic went to him instead of Mia. But that was about where our nicey-nice play time ended. I hated his arrogant guts and he despised me and wished me dead.
All good, in other words.
But when he pointed a finger at my old friend, his magic-her magic-crackling in threat, I had to act.
"Why don't we ask our Council Leader," I said, putting myself between Andre and Mia. "Since she's, you know, in charge and everything." I leaned closer. "The boss of you."
Burn.
Andre's blue eyes glared his hatred. Hurt my feelings, sure did.
Asshat.
And, right on schedule, Mom appeared, face calm, power thrumming so loudly most of the onlookers found somewhere else they had to be.
Oh, Syd, Mom sent. "Coven Leader Dumont," she spoke out loud as though she hadn't just sighed in my head. Turned and faced Mia. "Coven Leader Tinder."
So Mia had taken her father's name like Quaid. Interesting.
Mia pulled her robe around her as the Enforcers standing guard focused on Mom. I knew whatever Mom decided, they would follow through, end of story.
And, frankly, now that I'd spoken up, I really just wanted her to make this go away.
"I wish to attend conclave." Mia's voice shook a little, but she faced Mom with her head high.
"And I wish to have this piece of worthless garbage expelled from my sight." Andre's power loomed.
Funny, Mom's was bigger. Crushed his like a bug even as she ignored him.
"You are a coven leader," Mom said to Mia. "Thus, you have the right to attend. But you failed to express your desire to join us, and so a place was not prepared."
Technicality?
No, Mom sent. Each and every person must be invited and accepted before conclave begins. It's law.
Phew. Saved by witch rules. For once.
Mia shook her head as Andre and his nasty offspring gloated.
"Not so," Mia said, pointing at me. "I was invited."
Um, what?
Mom turned slowly to fix her eyes on me. No one else could probably tell I was about to get a butt reaming.
They didn't know my mother as well as I did.
"Do you mind explaining that, Coven Leader Hayle?" Her voice had a definite chill.
I was in so much trouble.
"Coven Leader Hayle," Shenka jabbed me a fast one in the ribs, a sign to keep quiet, "did no such thing, Council Leader."
Mom's tension eased a bit as she turned back to Mia. "A misunderstanding perhaps, Coven Leader Tinder?"
Andre snorted. "Calling the likes of this thing a coven leader is an insult to-"
The council power roared like a lion before slamming down on top of Andre, driving him, breathless, to his knees. Mom ignored him even as he struggled, his not-so-cocky sons staring between their pinned father and my very irritated mother.
"Coven Leader Hayle has invited me to join her coven," Mia said. "And that invitation, by witch law, whether accepted or not, includes me on her available roster for attendance of conclave."
That was the most ridiculous law I'd ever-
Mom sighed. A tiny little sigh.
Tell me you didn't, Mom said.
That's a real law? I choked out a mental laugh. Who the hell came up with that stupidity?
Syd. Mom's power crackled in my head.
I did, I sent, angry myself now. Back when she first lost the Dumont power. I offered her a place and she screamed at me and accused me of interference. It shouldn't count.
And yet, Mom sent, you never once rescinded the offer. And she can now take you up on it at any point. And use it as leverage to gain entrance to this conclave. Mom's annoyance eased. Please, tell me you won't make it formal?
Hell, no. If only because Mia had just officially pissed me off.
"If you accept," Mom said out loud, "it will mean you are giving up your right to lead your own coven. The Tinder coven you've built."
Mia sagged. "What coven," she whispered. "I want to be a Hayle."
I'm going to kick your ass, Shenka sent in a tight, furious thread.
Great. Just. Great.
Mom turned to me, lips in a grim line. "You are to accept, as with all your people, full responsibility for Mia Tinder. While she may not yet be part of your coven, you are now her guardian during these proceedings."
Oh no, she did not.
Mom-
My mother then spun on Andre, magic spinning in a vortex around her, sending what few gawkers remained scrambling for cover. "Andre Dumont," she said in a voice that would have given Odhran of the Unseelie a run for his money, "the next time you challenge your Council Leader will be your last as master of the Coven Dumont. Do I make myself clear?"
He struggled one more moment, as though to show her he could before bowing his head.
"Of course, Council Leader," he said in an oily tone. "Whatever you say, Council Leader."
Barfaroni.
Mom let him go, sending him and his two scowling boys, Kristophe no longer posing, Jean Marc with his head down, scurrying for cover. I pictured three rats as I fought off a smirk.
Good thing. Mom was not in the mood.
You watch her, Mom sent, turning her back on me and striding away. If anything happens, I don't care if you're maji, coven leader, queen of the known universe-I'm going to ground you for the rest of your life.
I didn't comment, let her go. Because I had bigger things to worry about.
Namely, one very pissed-off second who glared back and forth between me and the girl who approached with a smile on her pale face.
And Mia herself. The two Enforcers bowed to me before rising into the air in a rush of blue fire. I didn't have time for them. Not with Mia hugging me.
"Thanks, Syd," she said. "I knew you wouldn't let me down."
She grabbed my hand, pulled me between two pavilions, trembling, grinning, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. "This is perfect," she said as Shenka kept her distance, still radiating her fury at me. "It has to be you."
Had to be me what?
Mia glanced to our right and left, all covert all of a sudden. Before jerking me toward her, lips pressed to my ear.
"It's time," she said. "And conclave is the perfect venue. Time to take back what's mine."
Ruh-ro.
She leaned away as my heart stopped, skipped. Pounded a painful beat. "With your help, I'll be Dumont Coven leader again before tomorrow night."
***
