Chapter 713: To The Rescue
My demon reacted well before the words Ameline spoke made it through my stunned mind. She lunged forward, taking control of me, driving my right fist toward the other witch's face.
Ameline was clearly ready for my reaction, dodging to the side, though she underestimated my demon's speed. My knuckles impacted her shoulder as she twisted to the side, sending her spinning as my right foot lashed out and caught her in the ass, propelling her forward into a tree.
Ameline spun, snarling, power surging.
"If we fight," she said, "it will attract the Enforcers. And this will be over before it began, the Brotherhood the victors. Is that what you want?"
"You." I cut the air with one hand, back in control as my egos boosted my fury. "Stay." I lashed at a tree, sending a vibration through it so powerful the top of the evergreen shook and swayed. "Away." A deep, rumbling tremor made Ameline stagger while Shaylee held me still. "From. My. Sister." I ended with a pulse of spirit power that took her full in the chest.
She absorbed most of it, but the attack left her gasping even as Galleytrot's desperate mind reached for me.
Syd. Thunder rumbled in his voice. I felt him running, covering the miles, heading for me.
Stop, I sent back. It's fine. Protect the family.
He skidded to a halt. You're sure?
Nothing you can do, I sent as I faced down my opponent, both of us panting a little. Just having a chat with Ameline.
Ah. Galleytrot paused. Have fun, then. Don't break the plane, okay?
No promises. I let him go, grateful for the aside. Talking to him calmed me enough I was able to speak without hurting someone.
"You heard me," I said. "Touch one hair on Meira's head and the prophecy can wait for another dark maji to come along."
"Fine," Ameline snarled. "Fool. But when you change your mind, when you realize this is the only way, I'll be waiting."
Blue magic flared around her, the power of the Enforcers as she drew on Gram's magic, and vanished.
I cursed a long string of vile words in a variety of languages while stomping a useless circle in the spread of fallen pine needles. That's how she'd managed to avoid notice, set off the wards. She felt like an Enforcer.
And I was an idiot, for real.
I finally cooled enough to stop and evaluate.
We can't let her have Meems, my demon growled.
Never. Cold day in hell, I sent.
And yet... I hated it when my vampire said that.
There will be another way, Shaylee sent.
We can hope, my vampire sent. Though perhaps we need to ask Meira herself before we choose for her.
There's nothing to choose, I sent in a snarl before jerking open the veil.
What a ginormous waste of time.
Ahbi hugged me fiercely as though agreeing with my determination to keep Meira safe before depositing me just outside my pavilion. With a whisper of warning.
Didn't take long for me to figure out why Ahbi spit me out here. Not while Belaisle and Vasyl stood talking. With Celeste Oberman in their midst.
They spotted me before I could overhear, Belaisle's fake smile widening as he waved for me to join them. Vasyl's shark eyes watched me, cold and silent as the tall vampire clan leader glared her hate for me.
"Look who decided to make an appearance," Belaisle said as he turned to Celeste. Full dark had just settled. She didn't waste any time. "As a representative of Blood Clan Sthol and her majesty, Queen Pannera."
I was so over the show, he had no idea.
"How nice for you," I said before turning my back on them and walking away.
Not the response Belaisle was expecting, I don't think. It took him a few trotting strides to catch up to me, smile still in place.
"I just wanted to thank you for such a lovely event," he said. "Though I've enjoyed my time among you all, duty calls."
Leaving so soon? Damn, I knew he had more on his agenda than aggravating me.
I stopped and turned to face him, seeing Celeste and Vasyl watching from the corner of my eye.
"I'll see you soon," I said, pouring sunshine and rainbows into my tone. "Oh, Ameline says hello. She's looking forward to it."
His smile flickered, hardened around the edges. "I'll be waiting," he said.
Opened a hole in the veil. And stepped through it with a small salute.
I ignored Celeste's laugh at my expense, refusing to acknowledge her at all. She was a minor player in this. It was Belaisle I had to worry about.
What the hell was he planning?
That man was giving me an ulcer so big it was about to eat my liver for dinner.
The touch of Mom's mind, almost desperate, broke the nasty spiral of my thoughts and spun me around. She wasn't calling for me or anything. In fact, I think the connection was a mistake. But there was no way I was leaving her to face whatever it was that freaked her out.
I didn't run.
Not quite.
Her office was crowded with Enforcers, Pender right in front of her desk. I had to push my way through, saw Quaid glaring in fury. But not at me.
Their anger bubbled like a volcano waiting to erupt. Mom met my eyes as I joined her in facing down the need of the order.
Pender's gaze flickered to me, determination failing him for a fraction of a second. "We are ready to reclaim our stronghold, Council Leader," he said, voice vibrating and crackling with power. "Just give us the word and we will fight to the death."
A murmur of agreement ran through the watching Enforcers.
And I thought I was bad.
"My hands are tied," Mom said. At least she held steady, reasonable. "With the supporting information we received from the maji Iepa, it is clear we no longer have a right to the stronghold or the plane in which it rests."
Yeah, they took that well.
Mom squashed their furious response with a dose of Council magic. "Listen to me, all of you." They fell silent, all that duty and honor stuff shutting them up. Good for something, at least.
Oh, Syd. So cynical.
Mom went on. "There will come a time our people will stand again in the halls of the stronghold." They swayed like saplings in a strong wind at the formality of her words while I choked on how much she sounded like a bad epic fantasy novel. "But that day is not today. You must believe I will do everything in my power to restore our honor." There it was again. Stupid word, really. Foolish sentiment. What good was honor when all it got you was a pack of mindless drones hell bent on throwing their lives away for nothing? "For now, I ask you," her tone shifted, voice throbbing with power, "I order you, my Enforcers, to stay the course and have faith in me."
They shuddered as if she'd scratched them behind the ears and nodded as a group. All but Pender who jerked himself around and led them out.
I spotted Quaid leaving, head down and, on impulse, went after him.
Thank you for coming to my rescue, Mom sent softly as I ran after him.
My power hugged her in answer.
He was easy enough to corner in a dark alley between pavilions, my magic sliding around him, my hand on his arm turning him around. The guilt of the slap I'd delivered returned in a flare of hurt, but Quaid didn't seem to hold it against me.
Though he held something against me. The full length of him, crushed to me as he wrapped his arms around me and pressed his hungry mouth over mine.
I kissed him back, wanting to devour him, opening my power to his fully. Thoughts of Payten, of Piers and Liam, of Belaisle and the poor, dead Enforcers left me as the bond we shared, the link to our destiny, smothered my will and swallowed me whole.
When he came up for air, I panted against his throat, the heat of him the warmth I craved. Such an odd understanding. I'd lost the ability to feel heat and cold, at least environmentally. Had always showered in the hottest water I could, missing even that small joy now. But standing there, in Quaid's arms, in the circle of his devouring magic, I finally understood what I'd been longing for all along.
"I have to go," he said in a voice coarse from emotion. "My leader needs me."
I grasped his arms, anger flaring. "You promise me, Quaid," I said. "You swear to me you won't go to the stronghold."
He shivered. "Syd."
"It's your duty," I said, using it against him, "to uphold the command of the Council Leader." Quaid tried to look away, agony on his face, but I shook him from my hold on his arms and he met my eyes again. "You must protect your leader and your Council. And that means keeping Pender-and your sorry ass-away from the Brotherhood. Do you hear me?"
Quaid wavered, groaned softly. Bent his head over mine and touched my lips with his, the softest kiss, hot breath trickling over my skin and down into my lungs.
"I love you," he said. And left me there.
He might as well have just ripped out my heart.
"You believe him?"
I shrieked and spun, both hands pressed to my chest, to find Piers watching me from the shadows. His face showed no expression as he came to my side, looking up to where Quaid had gone before sighing and meeting my eyes again.
"You scared the crap out of me." I swatted his arm.
"Do you?" Piers's intensity freaked me out. "Do you believe him?"
"Yes," I whispered. Bit my lower lip.
The tall sorcerer nodded. "So do I," he said. "But that doesn't mean he's going to do the right thing."
I hugged myself, not wanting to have this conversation. I had enough going on, didn't I?
Piers didn't seem to care what I wanted.
"Love can only take you so far," he said. Paused. "You love another, too?"
I nodded, feeling miserable. I couldn't believe I just stood there, allowing Piers to strip my heart raw.
Oh, wait. Quaid did that already.
Right.
"Sometimes love isn't the important thing," Piers said. "Not at first."
I just stared at him a moment before speaking. "I don't love you."
He nodded. "I don't love you either," he said. "But I adore you. And I know we are compatible." He didn't try to kiss me. Far too practical for that at the moment. "And I have enough of a backbone to stand up to you when necessary." Damn him. He'd been talking to Sassafras. "Your Sidhe suitor doesn't have that quality."
That cat was a pelt for my floor when I caught him.
Piers backed off, blonde hair rippling in the light as he stepped out of the shadows. "Time does wonders," he said. Opened his mouth as if to say something else. Shrugged. "I spoke to Mum," he said, his abrupt about face making me twitch. "She's willing to try an infiltration, but fears we don't have the power to stand against the Brotherhood if they choose to expel us."
"Even if this conclave agrees you are part owners of the empty plane," I said, "Belaisle is under no pressure to allow you in." In fact, would probably enjoy crushing the Steam Union and laugh at the wails of anger from the Councils and other magic races.
"We need proof the Brotherhood are as evil as we know they are," Piers said. "To show the conclave they aren't to be trusted."
Because Belaisle had effectively hamstrung us when it came to warning the others.
Grrr.
"There's only one way," I said, knots loosening in my stomach as I finally decided to act. Funny how my tension eased when I was about to walk into danger. "We need a demonstration. And a willing witness to testify."
"Care to fill me in?" He followed as I strode off.
"I'm surprised you haven't thought of it yourself," I said. "We're out of options and, risky or not, we need to free Margaret Applegate."
***
