Chapter 772: Updates
Mom was already back and watching me as I turned away from where Sebastian had stood. Her eyes twinkled, a naughty look on her face as she closed the kitchen door behind her.
Damn flushing reflex. He'd just told me we couldn't be together, hadn't he? And I was still all fangirl gooey over him.
Mom had the decency not to say anything, just crossed the room and hugged me.
"I thought you had a meeting?" I didn't mean to be grumpy. She let me go, retrieved her wine.
"I rescheduled," she said. Shocking. "Not often my daughter and grandson come to visit."
I felt Gabriel twitch in his sleep, disturbed a little. Probably gas. Then, he sighed and settled again.
"He's still passed out," I say by way of a hint.
Mom's pout flashed across her face so fast I giggled.
We sat again, she at the end of the table with her wine, me picking at the cheese tray as we talked. Funny, I wasn't ready to go home yet, just enjoying my mother's company.
Until I had to open my big mouth and ask about the one person I told myself I wouldn't. Because now I'd stirred those feelings again, the memory of being held, being loved, flared into new life.
"How's Quaid?" Oh, Syd.
Syd, Syd, Syd.
Mom acted like I hadn't just torn the lid from Pandora's box. "He's doing very well," she said as the image of his face swam in my mind, the scent of his chocolatey goodness perked by the small tray of cupcakes next to the cheese. "In fact, he's excelling." She sighed, set down her wine. "He's being given more and more responsibility these days."
"You sound like that's a bad thing?" I liberated a cupcake and sniffed the icing, anticipating the burst of sugar while I stuffed down my feelings for Quaid with food.
Perfect coping mechanism.
Mom shrugged, helped herself to her own cupcake. "It's not," she said. "But I can see Pender trying to transition out, Syd. Makes me sad, that's all."
Pender Tremere, the present Enforcer leader, had been through a great deal, especially when Liander Belaisle had his people killed and their bodies burned, bones crushed so their magic could never join the rest of the order when he took over the stronghold. I didn't blame Pender for wanting out, but Mom hadn't let him resign.
Maybe she'd be better off finding another to take his job if he wanted out that badly.
Which led me to a small ah-ha moment.
"He's grooming Quaid to replace him." Of course he was. Made total sense.
Mom nodded, picking at the paper wrap on the bottom of her treat. "He's the finest young Enforcer we've seen in decades." Like she'd been at this that long. Sounded more like she was just repeating what Pender told her. Still, I believed it.
"I'm happy for him." I really was. Sad for me, though.
Yup, yup.
"You two don't talk anymore?" Mom seemed sorrowful herself, blue eyes concerned.
I leaned away from the cupcake, no longer hungry around the churning in my stomach that rose every time I thought of Quaid. I knew it was the magic trying to force us together, but knowing didn't make things any easier.
"I haven't seen him since Mia's trial." And subsequent burning. At least she was in a better place. Her poor, tortured soul gone on.
I hadn't meant for our conversation to turn maudlin. And Mom wasn't helping.
"I want you to know, I haven't stopped looking for Ameline." Mom's gaze dropped, cupcake slipping to the table uneaten, hand clenching around the stem of her glass as my breath caught.
I forced it out again, made my shoulders relax, drew a deep breath. "Thanks." Another long inhale. "No luck, I take it?"
Mom shook her head, curling black hair tumbling in bouncing coils around her. "It's possible she's left this plane, which means she's out of reach." And sight. And mind?
I had to do something about that sooner or later. Thanks to the drach, Max-though I had very little else to thank him for-I now knew how to track her through the vast expanse of the veil. My maji power allowed me to see her trail, though I doubted she'd be foolish enough to leave tracks behind if she could help it.
And with Gabriel now two months old in the body of a boy much older, maybe it was time I stopped playing Mommy and went after her at last.
I wanted to be able to tell my son, when he was old enough to understand, I'd killed the bitch who took his father away from him.
"The Steam Union has been very helpful." Mom must have decided herself to change the mood because her tone grew lighter. "They've rounded up most of the Brotherhood at this point and are keeping track of those who joined their ranks just in case."
I still thought accepting former Brotherhood sorcerers under their wing was a bad idea, but the Steam Union leader, Eva Southway, didn't seem to give a crap what I thought. Considering her son pursued me at one point and her concern about our possible marriage didn't make her my biggest fan, I was sure with Liam's loss she'd be worried all over again.
Let her. I was taking Dad's advice. Yes, I loved Liam, but my hand had still been forced. This time, I was only going to marry who I loved. Who I chose to spend the rest of his life with.
And that wasn't Piers Southway.
"What about the witches?" I welcomed the distraction as Mom rolled her eyes and laughed a little.
"As stubborn as ever," she said. "But working together, for once."
Would wonders never cease?
I knew as soon as Mom's face fell the forced lightness was a façade hiding something deeper than I'd suspected at first. And winced when she spoke.
"How was your father's betrothal?" Oh, Mom.
She just had to ask.
I stood, went to her. Hugged her as she clung to me, but didn't cry.
"Sassafras told me," she said. Right. He said he would and was good to his word. Is that why she left after all? To give Dad space to see me and Gabriel? If so, she was a bigger woman than I was. "Is Harry happy?"
I could have lied to her. Would it have made her feel better? Or worse? Didn't matter.
Couldn't do it.
"He's miserable," I said, choking up. "Like you."
That did it. Mom sobbed once, hands clutching at me. I pulled her to her feet and hugged her, doing my very best not to cry, to just embrace her with my power and my heart and let her release her sorrow.
She finally pulled free, sniffling, half-smiling.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart," she said. "You don't need to see me break down like this."
"Mom." I gripped her upper arms, shaking her a little. "I love you. And I'm not a kid anymore. I know exactly how you feel." First Quaid. Then Liam.
Yeah. Did I.
Mom nodded. "I know," she whispered. "That's why I didn't want you to see me cry."
I hugged her again and she hugged me back, not the desperate hold of a moment ago. Just a loving embrace between mother and daughter as we supported each other.
I leaned back, met her eyes. "I know you want me to move on," I said, amazed my voice was steady. "And I will, I promise. But someone needs to take her own advice."
Mom's face paled, two bright points of red on her high cheekbones as her eyes widened, then softened as she nodded.
"I know," she said. Drew a shaking breath. "It's time." She stroked my hair. "For both of us."
I couldn't bear it, this hovering weight of grief, the bubble of pain we stood in.
Couldn't.
"Maybe we could try a double date." Mom winked, shattering it just before it could smother me, suck all the air from my chest. "I'm sure we could find a father/son pair who would be very happy to find themselves having dinner with us."
Choke.
I loved my mother so much.
"Don't ever suggest that again," I said with a grin, wiping at the single tear that escaped. "Ever."
Mom laughed, wicked gleam back in her eyes before she fluttered her hands in front of her like a nervous bird. "I just... Syd, it's been so long. I don't even know how to date anymore."
Surely there was someone much better than me to give her advice on guys.
Shudder.
Saved by the boy child. Gabriel stirred, suddenly upset, agitated. He never cried. Well, only around Sonja O'Dane. His distress drew my immediate attention. "Nugget's fussing," I said, frown pinching my forehead.
Mom's mirrored mine. She followed me as I hurried to her room, his anxiety rising as I reached for the door handle.
Turned the knob.
Whispered his name in the dark as he fell quiet-
***
