Chapter 74: Blood Clan DeWinter
It was turning into a battle. One where blood would be spilled and people died. I saw the panic in Uncle Frank and Sunny as they fought to pick sides. The vampires crouched, hissing and snarling. The family's collective fury rose into a column of blue fire, focused magic designed to bring down the undead.
Mom did the only thing she could do.
She stepped through the shield and saved us all.
Sebastian appeared visibly shaken. And impressed. "You take a great risk."
"Do I?" Mom's tone was so mild she might as well have been discussing the weather. "I thought we were fighting a common cause?"
"And your stolen power?" Anastasia came forward, her blonde hair shining in the light. As beautiful as she was, I hated her guts. She looked like a bitch.
Not that it mattered. Mom spun on her, her magic suddenly wrapped around her like a weapon. The rainbow of power lit her up, washing over the vampire and making her flinch.
"Come and get it."
Anastasia instantly backed down, though her grumbling didn't cease. Somehow I didn't think she was the type to let stuff go.
"I've underestimated you," Sebastian said, taking Mom's hand and kissing the back of it, even with her power still flaming around her. She let it go and curtsied just slightly.
"No doubt you've had bad experiences with witches in the past." She took her hand back. "That is about to change."
Mom dropped the shield. The family gasped as one, but they all held their peace.
Sebastian smiled. "You were right, Frank," he called over his shoulder. "I like her very much."
Uncle Frank and Sunny stepped forward at the same time I did. I hugged first him then her and turned to face the leader of their clan.
"And you, demon girl," Sebastian said. "And you."
Despite the near-battle experience we just had, the feeling was oddly mutual.
"Now," Mom said, "be welcome." She gestured into the site circle.
Without a moment's hesitation, Sebastian stepped across and into the family.
They parted for him like water, but without resentment or fear. Finally they were getting it. They were trusting Mom completely. And I knew the vampires could feel it because the rest of them followed.
As soon as the entourage cleared the circle, Mom put the shields back up.
"To protect us from the creature," she told Sebastian before he could protest. "And to give us privacy."
He agreed with a smile. "You think of everything."
"You flatter me. I'm merely trying to keep us all safe."
He got the point.
"Your brother has kindly shared with us what he knows," Sebastian said, "but I'd be happier getting it first hand."
"Of course. Syd?"
Really? This again? I sighed and offered Sebastian my hand. He stared at it like I asked him to hold a dead snake.
"What?"
I loved the way he laughed. Velvet over ice. "You are your mother's daughter." And he took my hand.
Freezing cold. He hadn't eaten. It made me shiver a little. "Hold on to your fangs," I said. And showed him everything.
Mom was there with us. The whole family was. And we held nothing back. By the time I was done and his hand slipped from mine, I felt like I'd gone through it all over again. But I also touched his power through Mom's and understood at last why we had to have them. He was very strong, all of his vampires were. And trustworthy. We needed them if we were going to win against the threat of this creature. So it was worth it.
"Thank you, Syd," Sebastian said. "Miriam. All of you." He clasped his hands behind his back, perfect brow furrowed. "You have been open with us. Time we reciprocated." He met my mother's eyes again. "We are not immune to the creature's waking, Miriam. In fact, many of us have experienced what your family has. We too feel the rise of its power. And its connection to our blood."
"You could have said," Celeste groused, but the sound was lost in the crowd and he probably didn't hear her. Then again, he was a vampire.
"And yet, there is so much more complexity to it than vampire power. I admit, I am more intrigued by it than anything." He held up one hand before anyone could protest. "It has not, as of yet, tried to take one of my people. If it did, I would feel as you do. And so, we give chase, yes? Together?"
He looked around the family and his own people, all of them nodding. He smiled at Mom again. "Will wonders never cease," he said to her very softly. "Vampires and witches are getting along."
"The Apocalypse must be around the corner," she murmured.
He laughed. "Indeed."
"This creature now has access to witch magic," Mom said.
"Troublesome. And yet, perhaps it will make it easier to track?" Sebastian turned to his people. "Spread the word. We are in coalition. The creature is our priority."
"And the information we were promised?" Celeste just didn't know when to let up, not to mention there were no promises made as far as I remembered. But Sebastian took it kindly, even though his people looked pissed.
"I must admit," he said in his elegant voice, bowing slightly to her, "I too am at a loss. Though, the age of the creature is surely beyond any of us." He gestured at Uncle Frank. "It's been suggested it is perhaps millennia old, though I have no proof." For a moment his eyes took on a glint of white light and the façade of his humanity slipped. Even Celeste paled though Sebastian wasn't looking at her, or anyone, seeming to be lost in his own thoughts. "If so, we could be talking about one of the oldest of our kind. And that would be a great thing, indeed."
"A great thing?" Celeste managed a sputter despite her obvious nervousness. "This thing is kidnapping witches."
He was instantly back to acting all suave and polished. "My apologies," he said. "I didn't intend to offend. But my people have been told we were the result of a gene mutation, an aberration of human DNA. To uncover one such as us who was perhaps of the first of our kind, why that would offer a great deal of insight I'm quite interested in examining."
Mom put a stop to further rebellion by putting herself between Celeste and the vampire leader. "Yet another reason for you to participate," she said.
"Indeed." His smile showed fang. But it was aimed at Celeste, not Mom, so that was fine with me.
"We have work to do." Mom turned to the coven as she dropped the shield. I felt the vampires leave, all but Sebastian, Uncle Frank and Sunny. To my surprise, Sebastian turned to me. "You feel odd, demon girl."
Mom looked startled at last. Her turn to be thrown a fastball.
Me too, I guess.
"Sorry," I shrugged. "My dad is a demon after all."
"No," he said, eyes never leaving mine as his power ghosted over me. It felt like fingers of ice running up my spine and I was very proud of myself I didn't shiver. "There is something more. But I don't know what it is. Intriguing." He spun on my mother. "All of you, a wealth of curiosity. But, my questions must be answered on another day. Miriam." He kissed her on both cheeks. "I will be in touch."
He was gone so fast it was like he was never there. My demon immediately pouted.
I ignored her while I tried to work out what he meant. How weird was that? I turned to gather up Gram and take her to the car when I felt something, like I was being watched. A shiver worked its way across my shoulders, goose bumps lifting on my forearms. I rubbed at them, hating the pressured feeling of hidden eyes on me.
Was Sebastian back? I looked around quickly but saw nothing. And my tentative probing into the darkness turned up a whole heap of nothing. I shrugged off the feeling and went to help my mother.
***
