Chapter 716: The Test
If I had to sit through the creation of one more silly law, I was going to attack Applegate openly just to get the party started.
"Surely you agree," a portly witch with a strong Spanish accent, a coven leader from the South American territory, appealed to first her Council and then to Mom. "Adding this clause to present law will ensure the purity of witch blood."
I rolled my eyes, lower lip aching from all of my irritating chewing. At least they weren't talking about the power reveal yet. Petty lawmaking could go on all day as far as I was concerned. Anything to keep the gathering from passing legislation on exposing us to normals.
Mom's sigh was unheaved, but I heard it in her voice. "I understand your concern," she said while I tossed my hands in the air before I could stop myself. "And though I really do believe your worries that dogs and cats," snort, okay, it was kind of funny for all that, "will rise and try to seize power from our kind, I'm comfortable accepting your addition to law that will deny them power and the ability to evolve into magic users."
The witch beamed at Mom while the gathering chittered like a pack of nosy monkeys.
Was this chick really serious? And how was Mom keeping a straight face?
How offensive, Sassafras sniffed. As if cats would care.
Snort.
I tuned out again, grateful for the distraction when Piers's mind brushed over mine.
It's time, he sent. Just as Tallah stood up, beaming, surrounded by smiling witches.
Was it ever.
Finally. I sat up straighter, Sassafras perking, pointed ears twitching in response to my movement.
Wish us luck. Piers's magic embraced me, wrapping me in emptiness. An emptiness that changed as my sorcery blossomed beneath me and welcomed him in. Suddenly he was all richness and depth, heat and coffee touched with mint. I let him hold me a moment longer before breaking the contact.
I take it they are ready? Sassafras's mental voice crackled in my head.
As they will ever be. I shot a very thin line toward Ameline. You'd better be here when I need you.
Her mental laughter was my only answer.
"Council Leaders," Tallah said. "We now bring before you the proposal to begin our contact with normals in power and open dialogue between our people."
Piers was already slipping around the back of the benches, heading for the European contingent, while Tallah spoke. My stomach clenched, made worse when I felt a different mind latch onto mine. A mind filled with panic.
Syd! Trill's maji power zapped me like a lightning bolt. Stop him!
I tried, trusted her absolutely. The panic in her wasn't something I could ignore. But the moment I reached for Piers, I felt it, too late, as his sorcery lashed out and impacted Vasyl's.
This time there really was lightning, thick white bolts of it, streaking from the former Black Soul sorcerer. The gathered witches cried out, Tallah ducking as the lightning ricocheted against Piers and, through him, in a cascade of protections, thundering across the short distance to strike each and every Steam Union member in attendance.
I jumped to my feet as three people fell from the bleachers in front of me, realizing then Eva secreted her people throughout the pavilion as, en masse, they all collapsed.
The snap-crackle-boom died away, flashover of light forcing me to blink several times to clear the tears of pain from my eyes. By then, the whole pavilion had fallen deathly quiet.
All but for Vasyl Krajnik's laughter.
Fools, Ameline snarled in my head, even as a black-robed Enforcer spun, her hood falling back, power lashing at the amused sorcerer.
Why wasn't I surprised Ameline was here all along?
Whatever protections Belaisle left with Vasyl, they pushed Ameline away, too, though she was spared the sizzle of super-charged electric retaliation.
Syd, Trill sent, listen to me. Vasyl isn't alone. He has all of the power of the stronghold at his disposal.
Um, what?
That's why Belaisle was here, she sent. To test the connection, to make sure it would work. He wanted you to attack. I'm sorry, her voice wailed in my head as the gathered witches finally shattered their trance-like silence and roared in sudden reaction. I ignored the mayhem, focusing on Trill. I found out too late. I should have warned you, but my connections inside the Brotherhood didn't tell me until just before I reached for you.
Not your fault, I shot back. Wait. She had Brotherhood connections?
Since when?
You must attack together, she sent. You and Ameline. It's the only way.
She's not full maji yet, I sent, teeth gritted as I reached for my rival even as she leaped into the air on a ball of blue fire while a handful of Enforcers rushed toward her. Besides, attacking him with power will only feed him.
Not if you're together, she sent. You already know this, you've seen it with my brothers and me, how our combination rejects Brotherhood attacks. She sounded irritated to have to be explaining things to me. Because you both have sorcery, and you're maji, he won't be able to draw on your power. He'll have to fight you or fall.
Okay then. Good to know.
Gram's hand suddenly latched onto my arm, her mind interjecting, cutting through into our conversation.
And Vasyl's connection isn't perfect, she sent. Feel it.
We both did, Gram along for the ride. The empty darkness was vast, massive. But the edges felt rough, cracked and warped.
There's weak spots, Gram sent. Focus on those and you'll sever the connection.
Did you do this? I turned to her, eyes wide.
Varity helped, Gram sent. She's in the stronghold now, hiding. But she won't be able to hold on much longer without you.
She was what? Is she out of her mind?
Gram's eyes sparkled with a hint of her former self.
Crazy old ladies.
We're coming, Trill sent, the image of her running for the pavilion in my head. Just do what Ethpeal says and we'll back you up.
I lashed at the Enforcers, sending them back, eyes locked on Ameline's. Will this work?
Trill gulped. It has to.
Lovely.
Well, I wanted a way to show the witches exactly what they were up against. The means to shake them free from their complacent, apathetic need to mind their own business.
Time to see if I could wrangle me some attention.
Sassafras squawked as I twisted and dumped him on Gram, rising into the air myself, drawing Ameline to me, linking my power with hers yet again. I could feel her weaknesses, like blank spots inside her, not the emptiness of sorcery, but more like unfulfilled potential.
She had enough of each I knew we could manage. Hoped.
Mom's mind crashed into mine. Don't you dare, she sent.
You should have thought of that before you told me I could do whatever I wanted, I sent. Let me handle this, Mom.
Vasyl was on his feet by then, facing me down while Margaret Applegate pointed at me with a shriek of fury.
"If she touches him," she cried out for all to hear, "I demand her death!"
I felt Trill arrive, knew if we were going to act it was now or never. Before the other Councils decided to throw the weight of their Enforcers against us.
Syd, now! Gram's mind reached me, a flash of Varity Rhodes in my head, crouched in a dark corner, her power undermining the magic keeping Vasyl linked to the stronghold. I only had a second to realize the old Enforcer leader had sorcery before Trill's power flared, the touch of darkness in her creation energy calling to the sorcery beneath me. I opened wide to my maji magic and fed her even as Ameline's power siphoned from me to fill in her own gaps.
A quick glance down and to my right showed me the maji girl and her brothers, Owen on the far end with his brilliant blue eyes flat black and Apollo in the center, his body swirling with light and shadow.
You must be the focus, Trill sent.
Naturally. I funneled their considerable power into path with mine, Ameline's darkness joining me as we aimed our attack at Vasyl.
At least he finally had the good grace to look scared. "You will allow them to attack me under the protections of conclave?"
Could I do this? What if we failed? Even as I committed to what we were about to do, I doubted.
Until I spotted Sassafras bounding over one of the risers to land in Eloise Brindle's lap. The coven leader shuddered as he head-butted her, his demon power flaring. She immediately sagged to the side, shook her head and looked up at me, pale face full of rage and hurt.
"This sorcerer is not my second," she screamed as her family magic surged around her in outrage, my demon cat snarling in her arms. "My coven is under attack!"
Syd, Mom sent. Now.
Awesome.
Eloise cried out, swayed as Sassafras screamed in what had to be pain, the Brindle family magic collapsing in a spiral of blue, even as Margaret Applegate, her lips twisted in hate, slashed at the coven leader.
But the damage was done.
Together, I sent. And crushed Vasyl Krajnik with all the power at my disposal.
***
