Chapter 731: Back Doors
I leaped out of bed, Liam starting awake as I stumbled over the end of the bed and almost landed on my face. I jerked on a robe, ignoring him in my headlong flight out the door, still tying the thin terry over my naked body, and down the stairs, using magic to practically float down to the first floor.
I knew it was Piers before I turned the corner in the dark hall and entered the kitchen, just registering the fact he wasn't alone when I felt Enforcer magic reach through the emptiness of his sorcery.
And gaped at Varity Rhodes, collapsing on one of my kitchen chairs, falling from Piers's supporting grip. Both looked ashen-faced, feeling weaker than normal, my Steam Union friend's power crisping and powdering around the edges.
"What the hell?" I skidded to a halt, Liam impacting my back when I did. I hadn't noticed he followed me downstairs I was so intent on finding out what was going on.
"Syd." Piers panted, leaning on Varity's chair as the old Enforcer Leader sagged forward, face covered in her hands. "We need your help." He caught another breath. "Els." Right. Ellis Lowsley. His partner in crime and best friend. Redheads. Always getting in trouble. "The girls." I remembered girls. Sucked at names, though the images of a blonde and a brunette flashed in my memory. "They're still at the stronghold and the Brotherhood have them. We have to go back and save them."
Um. What?
"They're where?" Shenka joined us in silence, her magic connecting with mine as she slipped into the kitchen, her own robe tucked around her. I stared back and forth between Piers and Varity, anxiety waking up, understanding rising. "Oh. My. Swearword." Anger flared, temper my favorite reaction to fear. "You two." I jabbed a finger at Piers. "You went to the stronghold plane."
Varity groaned softly, dropped her hands. Met my eyes. Hers filled with remorse. "Syd," she said. "I'm an old fool."
"Yes," I snapped as Sassafras leaped up onto the table, tail thrashing. "You are. A total and utter idiot." I spun on Piers, fire crackling as my demon snarled her irritation, fear still fighting to win through anger. "And you." I wanted to shake him, smack him. "What the hell, Piers?"
Hard to be articulate when I could barely think past my need to kick his freaking ass.
He tried to scowl. Lost it in regret. "I know," he said, turning to pace away from the table, hands wringing. "It was stupid. But I had to do something." He turned back to me, long, blonde hair swinging in a silk wave. "We had to do something." His hands dropped, shoulders slouching. "It was just meant to be a recon mission."
Sassafras hissed, amber fire lighting his eyes as I bit back the string of curses I usually only used in my head and drew a breath.
"Tell me someone with authority knew you two were up to no good." His mother. Mine. Enforcer Leader Pender Tremere. Someone.
Anyone.
Piers's misery, Varity's silence. Both answered me loud and clear.
"Arrogant children," Sassafras snarled.
I groaned and sank into a chair, anger rushing out of me as I tried to absorb this latest disaster.
"Tell me everything," I said.
"We don't have time." Agony crossed his handsome face, lit his gray eyes. "The Brotherhood has my friends, Syd."
"I'm not running off to save them unless I know exactly what you were up to," I said. Because half-cocked wasn't my normal way of business.
Yeah, right.
Piers glared a moment before jerking out a chair and dropping himself into it as the scent of fresh coffee filled the kitchen. Bless Shenka, she started delivering hot, black cups all around as Piers began his sordid little tale.
"We wanted you in on this from the beginning," Piers said, leaning toward me over his steaming cup. "And I had every intention of telling you, I really did."
Varity sighed, shook her head. "I'm sorry, Syd," she said. "I don't know what I was thinking."
Piers reached over and squeezed her hand. "I talked you into it," he said. "The fault is all mine."
I knew how persuasive he could be and gave Varity the benefit of the doubt as I crossed my legs and my arms over my chest, one foot bobbing in agitation while my fingers tapped on my bicep. Because just one action wasn't enough to release the building frustration I felt.
Not nearly enough.
"We never intended to take on the Brotherhood," Piers said, all earnest. Uh-huh. "I thought if we could sneak inside, have a look around, check out their numbers, their positioning inside the stronghold, we could get a better idea of what we were up against when the Enforcers decided to attack."
Freaking idiot. "Failing to realize," I said with a snarl, "we already have a spy inside the Brotherhood." Well, not technically true at the moment, but I had no doubt if Demetrius wanted to return to the stronghold plane, he could. And do a damned better job of it than this young moron.
Piers flinched. "We're sane," he said.
"Debatable," I snapped back. Forced myself to calm. The Enforcers wouldn't stand a chance against the Brotherhood at this point. "With the stronghold under Brotherhood control," I said, "the Enforcers would be seen as the enemy to the protections guarding it." I looked to Varity for confirmation. She shrugged. "Okay, so we don't know that. But regardless, they wouldn't stand a chance against sorcerers and you know it. What makes you think they're going to try an all-out assault when such an attack is already off the playlist?"
Mom's orders.
I ground my teeth, hearing the squeak telling me I'd lost another layer of enamel. "Why you ever thought I'd agree to go-"
He shrugged, Varity staring into her coffee.
"He came to me just after conclave," Varity said. "We've all been so upset, Syd. Worked up about the loss. It's personal for us, for the Enforcer order." She shook her head. "I almost didn't listen to young Piers here."
There was that stupid honor thing again. The next person who brought it up to me was going to get a firm whack upside the head.
"You had your orders, Enforcer," I said, keeping my tone cold. "Your Council Leader told all of you to stand down. To leave this to me."
Varity's eyes narrowed. "Technically not true," she said. "I'm not on active rolls anymore. So the order didn't really apply to me."
Sigh. Double sigh. Freaking triple, quadruple, endless sigh.
"Varity," I said, all the weight of my disapproval in my voice.
She cracked a grin, weak and sorrowful, but a grin. "Yeah," she said. "I know."
"Mum refused to talk about it." Piers's frustration came through in his words. Knowing Eva Southway, I wasn't surprised. "And we knew we couldn't ask Pender. He might be tearing himself up inside over the loss of the stronghold, but he's too much a stickler for law to go against your mother."
And Mom was out, without saying.
Piers went on. "I needed an Enforcer," he said. "And Varity seemed the perfect choice."
"The back doors into the stronghold." The Brotherhood hadn't been able to access them, only the main mirror entry. That was why they needed to liberate one of the shards to trigger it.
Varity nodded. "Worked for me when we fought the Brotherhood during conclave," she said.
She was right. She'd snuck in, helped me break the sorcerous hold over Margaret Applegate by severing Vasyl Krajnik's connection to the stronghold and its vast power. Just before the wild magicks killed him.
"You had to know they must have hunted those back doors down by now." Were these two really that stupid? Because, if I were Belaisle-shuddershivergrossness-I would have done so the moment I lost my little pawn on this plane with the death of Vasyl.
Piers's shoulders sagged. "We checked them out," he said. "They were all intact."
Just like Belaisle. "Traps," I said.
Varity nodded, heavy with guilt. "I led them right into an ambush, Syd," she said. "Little lambs to the slaughter."
My stomach clenched, heart speeding up. "They're dead?" But Piers said-
"Just a figure of speech," Varity said. "Sorry."
Sassafras's tail hit my ribs as he lashed it back and forth. "Varity Rhodes," he said. "I have never been more ashamed of you. You know better."
She didn't say anything, returning her gaze to her now cooling coffee.
Sass turned to me, flames snapping around him. "We must alert your mother. At once." He glanced sideways at Piers. "And Eva Southway. Both must be prepared for possible repercussions."
"Not to mention the chance the Brotherhood could gain valuable information from your friends." Piers's miserable nod affirmed that little fact. "Piers, I understand your need to help, but this? Why this attempt at playing hero?"
His jaw clenched. "Because they've taken enough from us, Syd," he said. "And I'm done letting them think it's okay."
I let my arms drop, hands gripping the edge of the table in an effort not to fling them in the air and wash myself of this problem. "You two are in so much trouble, you have no idea."
Piers pushed his chair back, legs bobbing, tense and eager. "We really need to go," he said. "While Els and the girls were alive when we managed to escape, I can't be sure they'll stay that way." Tears rose in his eyes. "I should never have left them," he whispered. Turned to Varity. "Why did I leave them?"
She patted his shoulder with one thin hand, sorrow on her face. "We didn't have a choice," she said. "If we'd stayed, no one would know they are prisoners. I should have remained to fight, though, you're right about that. Only one of us needed to come back."
He shook his head with fierce intensity. "I had to have your power you to cross back to Harvard," he said. Drew a breath and sank back into his chair. "We both had to go."
Varity's little smile made me wonder just how fantastic a leader she'd been. A phenom, I was sure of it. Too bad she fell in with disruptive company.
Considering how much trouble I myself created over the years, I finally let go of my anger and cut them some slack. Wasn't doing me any good anyway. And I had people to alert.
"One last question," Sassafras said. "Why didn't you approach Syd?"
I forgot about that. Paused before reaching for Mom.
Piers's wry grin was a good match for the defeat on his face. "I tried," he said. "Several times. Including tagging along with you tonight." His fingers wound together in his lap as he lowered his gaze to watch what he was doing. "When you left me at the mansion, I figured I was out of options." He looked up again. "We were on a deadline, wanted to go in tonight."
"Nice last minute recruiting," I said.
"Figured if I gave you no time to think about it, you'd fall into place." He shook his head, met Liam's eyes. "You're in for a hell of a marriage, my friend."
My husband smiled, arm slipping around my shoulders. "Every day is an adventure," he said.
Hardy har har.
I turned away from the others, rising to leave the kitchen, retreating to the quiet, dark hall as the front door opened and the feeling of Trill's power entered. I left Piers to explain himself to my maji friend and reached for Mom.
Was really, really looking forward to waking her up with this.
***
