I gaped at her for a long, long time. It felt like forever as the tiny hope I'd fought bloomed like a rose, flared and woke inside me while my soul leaped up and shouted in joy.Gabriel.Not his bones.My egos freaked out, shouting, buzzing with power, so violently I had to hold myself very still for fear I'd fly apart. We reached out for him, found nothing, not a trace, a sniff.If he was alive, if I could let myself believe... where was he?Alison continued to watch me, concern on her face, breathing heavily as she, too, must have fought her emotions.I finally felt my egos still a little, reined them in.Listen, I snarled.And they did."Whose bones are they?" Teeth clenched, throat tight, barely able to force the words out.I managed.Alison shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "Usually bones carry an imprint of the person who lived in them." Shiver. "But these felt blank. Black."Empty.Sharp pain wrenched at my insides as truth woke and punched me in the gut.Alison
I could see the tension in Varity's face as she performed her necromancy.And nothing happened.A frown pulled at her lips, lining her already wrinkled face with surprise and frustration."He was young," Lula said softly. "Have you raised a baby before?"Varity shook her head, deeply troubled as her power swirled around the skull. "I haven't," she said. "But he should have an echo.""He was Sidhe," Mom said, bringing up the argument I feared the most. "They don't have echoes. It could be he simply doesn't have one to show."But Alison was already shaking her head, her nerves gone, face determined as she held out her hands to Varity. For the skull. As though it were some special gift."Please," she said. "Let me."Varity met my eyes, but Quaid spoke before I could."Just give it to her," he said, voice rough, gruff and graveled. With grief? I didn't know. But his power around me never wavered and I sent silent thanks to him for his continued support.For his belief in me.I n
I had already taken a step toward the door, reaching for the veil.Power rippling in waves of near-uncontrolled vitriol.Mom's hand on my arm, her magic touching mine, broke enough of the hold hate had on me to stop me from going after Ameline right then and there.Barely."Syd." She pulled me back, face calm, though I knew it was a mask. That she was trying to keep me from tearing off.Good luck with that."We need to form a plan," Mom said, slowly. Steadily. Like she was talking to my son and not to me, as if I were the child."No." I staggered, feeling my physical weakness, reaching for strength to hold me up. Found it as Enforcer power slipped in beside me and supported me as it did only moments before. I looked up at Quaid who lifted one hand, pressed it between my shoulder blades, feeding me energy and healing magic."You need to eat," he said, chocolate eyes soft around the edges though his lips pulled tight in concern. "Get some rest. You've been gone from us for so lon
I was going to go alone. But there was no way my posse would allow me to leave them behind.Lula was called away before Gram and her bully pack made themselves very clear."You're taking us," she said, linking arms with Shenka even as Charlotte crossed her arms over her chest, scowling at me. Sassafras appeared through the kitchen door, leaping up on the table, tail thrashing in agreement.Made me happy, despite my one-woman crusade addiction. Filled me with a kind of brilliant joy, as though I'd swallowed the sun. Had to take a second to keep the lump rising in my throat from emerging completely.Nodded.Reached for the veil.We formed a magical daisy chain, my friends and family following behind me as I stepped through and into Ahbi's welcoming embrace. Sassafras leaped at the last minute, landing in my outstretched arms, first through with me as my demon grandmother released us and allowed me to take over.My maji power sought Maurice-and my son all over again. Though I knew
No more waiting. Not when I had a target to track down. And I knew the perfect person to help me do it. A small jolt of worry followed as I thought of Galleytrot. Realized I hadn't seen him since my wakening.Sought him out as I left Maurice to his broken mind. And I wasn't alone in my departure as the group crowding the room thundered after me, out into the open room then past the second door and into the hallway.Touched the veil with my maji power, through the kindness of the stronghold. Chased back home, to my plane. Floated above it, power seeking Galleytrot.Touched down in Wilding Springs as his trail led to town hall. Through the wards underground.Felt the black hound at last, in the first place I should have looked, his power, weak and distant, in the Sidhe cavern.Of course.Did another search. For Ameline. Came up empty.Gabriel. Same.And Rosetta... damn it.Galleytrot it was.I released my search, shaking myself a little as I returned to my body. Reached for the
They were waiting for me at the stronghold, my faithful ones. Gram took Demetrius's hand as he joined the others, facing me. I dug my fingers into Galleytrot's fur, the big dog sinking to his haunches beside me while I addressed them."I know I won't be able to convince any of you to stay behind," I said. Silence and grim expressions. Answered that question. My heart swelled with love and eagerness as I went on. "Okay then. Listen up. Charlotte, you're with Galleytrot." She'd been with me the night we tracked Rosetta and her Chosen and with her keen nose tied to his, I knew we'd find our target that much faster. "Sass, you stay with me." Amber fire flared in his eyes. "Demetrius, if you could handle any stray sorcery and intimidate your old followers, that would rock."He gave me a thumbs up, so odd to see him make such a normal gesture."Shenka, you and Gram clean up the mess I make, capiche?"Because once I found the Chosen and the dark maji, I was going to make a mess.Oh boy,
I landed in Center with my full rage on, not even blowing through on the edge of the city, but tearing a giant gap in the veil right smack-dab in Fate's lap.Tried to. Instead landing in the middle of the huge building with giant Zeon towering over me.Right. The little growing trick that seemed to keep the maji so amused. I forced myself into massive size, quickly rising to face him. His normal Santa Claus expression was missing, face pinched and guarded as I slammed him with my power."Out of the way," I said. "I'm not here to see you."Iepa appeared over his shoulder, fear on her face. Let her be afraid."You will go no further," Zeon said, power pushing back against me.Only then did I realize Iepa wasn't kidding. He was strong, don't get me wrong. But millennia of hiding out here must have weakened him. Either that or the combination of the magicks I carried packed a powerful punch, because, to his very obvious shock, he couldn't even budge me.This must have been what Max
I didn't go right to Core. There was something I had to do first.Max didn't say a word as I returned to the house, expecting to sneak in and do what I had to do then out again before the crap hit the fan.Before the family could react to me releasing the coven's magic.I'd already made my decision to leave the leadership even as I turned from Fate and marched back the way I came. Zeon continued to scowl at me, Iepa hanging back. I offered the maji leader a flash of my middle finger-while Max chuckled-before tearing open the veil and returning home.Good thing Max was on the ball. I'd have forgotten to shrink myself and probably torn the roof from the house. Yes, our neighbors didn't notice much when it came to magic, thanks to centuries of Sidhe influence, but I doubted they'd miss it if the top of the two-story was suddenly in the back yard.To my surprise, I landed in the kitchen in the middle of an anxious group of people, one cat and a very agitated black dog. The room was so