by Patti Larsen
A murmur ran through the coven, and I felt them physically relax, their power now restored with the leaving of the cavern a welcome feeling as their magic, linked so closely to mine, rode through me like a breath of clean air. The family magic circulated among them, evenly distributed. Without a place to embed itself, I figured it was safer if everyone carried a piece, just in case.
Quaid. I met his eyes across the hall. You know this place the best. He nodded. Can you get everyone situated in quarters? And see if there’s anything to eat. I’m sure the family would love a hot meal.
You’re planning something without me. His dark eyes flashed with anger, even from that distance.
Shenka is gone. I let him feel the desperation in my heart. I need someone to take care of the family. Someone they love and look up to and trust. That’s you, my darling.
Your mother could do it.
Don’t argue with her, Quaid. Sassafras’s voice cut through like a whip. I ground my teeth at the intrusion. The family comes first.
Quaid didn’t respond, but when he turned and addressed the family, I knew he’d accepted what I asked, even if he wasn’t happy about it.
Dad, I sent. Can you help Quaid, please? I don’t want him to feel like I’ve cut him out. I really need the family comfortable.
My father’s chuckle warmed me up. I’ve been with a Hayle witch long enough—and fathered two more—to know when to stand back and get out of the way. I’ll take care of Quaid.
I smiled at my father as he crossed to my husband and clapped him on the shoulder. Heads down together, they spoke a moment while Mom came to my side, Piers and Zoe joining her. When Quaid looked up again, he nodded to Dad and the pair began divvying up family, assigning groups. I sank to the bench again, Sassafras leaping up into my arms.
“I’d rather you stayed out of my marriage,” I said. “We agreed to that a long time ago.”
“You agreed.” Sass sniffed. “Besides, this wasn’t about your marriage, Syd. It’s about the coven and what we’re going to do to protect them.”
“They’re safe enough now.” Gram sank down next to me, Demetrius joining us. I missed Shenka and Charlotte, Sage. Wondered how they were and if I should go looking for Tallah now that my family was taken care of. “This place won’t allow enemies in, I take it?”
That is correct, Ethpeal Hayle, the Stronghold sent, making Gram shiver. There was a time when I first heard his voice I had the same reaction, so I grinned at my grandmother.
“You get used to it.” I patted the bench on the other side, inviting Mom to join me. She did, as Varity Rhodes made her long legged but ponderous way to us. She’d been old when I first met her, but so vigorous and full of life I rarely considered her age. Now she was drawn, pale, shaking with a near palsy as she stroked a stray hair from the corner of her mouth. But when she spoke, her voice was as steady and gravel filled as ever.
“Now what?” I knew she had to want revenge. Frankly, so did I. “I take it you have a plan, Sydlynn.”
Not yet, but I was working on it. “Mom,” I said. “Since we can’t fight the entire council and the Brotherhood, there has to be a less physical way to end this.”
She hesitated before nodding. “I’ve been thinking about it,” she said. “We would have to have the council declared defunct and disbanded. That would nullify all laws created by this particular iteration of the council.”
That sounded perfect. “How would we do that?”
“You would need the support of every other world council leader,” Mom said. “Unanimous vote.”
Since the meeting of the council leaders was pending in the morning—was it morning yet? I’d lost track of time—then maybe there was hope after all.
“Syd.” She took my hands in hers, her power hugging me gently as her blue eyes, eyes I shared with her, locked on mine with serious intensity. “Consider what you’re going to ask of them. To declare another council rogue and broken. What do you think they will say?”
“What can they say?” And yet, even as I spoke, worry gnawed at me, frustration, too. I knew better than to feel much optimism. Witches were notorious for refusing to act, weren’t they? But. “This is different, Mom,” I said, going for reasonable. Who was I really trying to convince here? “Every witch could be in danger. If Belaisle succeeds, what are the odds he’ll stop at North America?”
She sighed. “I know that,” she said. “And you do. But as a former council leader, I can tell you this won’t be easy. You’ll have to convince them of imminent threat to their specific territories. And I have no idea how you’re going to do that.”
“I’ll just have to find a way.” Bullying them came to mind, while my demon snorted and offered a few burning piles of wood topped with empty stakes for emphasis.
There is no other way, my vampire sent. We must try.
I refused to relent under the pressure of my anxiety. If only I had Max and the drach, I could throw some serious weight around. Where the hell was he? Stronghold, I sent. Can you sense the drach anywhere?
He was silent a long time. No, I can’t, he sent, sounding puzzled. And I usually can feel them, even if they are far away.
Great, now I had to worry about Max instead of being pissed at him.
The portal shuddered and I leaped to my feet. The coven was already through, all my people here and safe. Who was coming? And though I was assured of our safety, fight mode kicked in and I was running for the shimmering pool of the mirror just as a pair of familiar faces passed through, a small knot of witches trailing behind them.
I closed the distance and threw my arms around Lula Kennecott, kissing her cheek before hugging her twin brother, Phon. The Council healers looked like they’d been dragged through hell and back, soot covering their clothing, cheeks dark with the stuff. The stench of smoke and Lula’s singed ponytail made me panic, checking her over for hurt which she stopped by grasping my face between her hands and making me meet her hazel eyes.
“We’re okay,” she said, voice shaking. “I promise.”
I nodded and she let me go, stepping aside to allow the other witches with her to slink through the portal. There were about a dozen, faces I didn’t know, and I nodded to them and offered them welcome through my power as the young woman who guided them past her finally turned to face me.
“Karyn,” she said, voice rough and deep, probably from the smoke clinging to her. “Barrett coven.” She looked around at the misery in her people’s eyes. “What few of us remain.”
Quaid appeared at the entry to one of the halls, frowning as he approached. I gestured to Karyn. “More refugees,” I said. “Can you find them a place?”
He nodded, guiding them away, though Karyn stayed behind, hands clutching her coat closed around her throat, tattered remains of what looked like party hair and makeup a mess, cocktail dress tattered at the hem and one stiletto missing a heel. “They were all I could save,” she choked out, bending over as her grief took over. I hugged her, comforted her with power as she pulled herself together. “They came out of nowhere. With Enforcers.” She pushed back her dangling bangs, blonde hair darkened by ashes, mascara raccooned under her hazel eyes. “You’re Sydlynn Hayle,” she said. “I recognize you.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “Have we met?”
She shook her head, managing a little smile as tears made tracks through the grime on her face. “No,” she said. “But my coven leader spoke highly of you.”
I wished I could recall the Barrett leader’s name. “Where is she?” Like I had to ask. I did it as gently as I could, but the expected answer followed.
“Dead,” Karyn said. Sobbed, really. “Like the rest of our family.” Again she hunched over, hands covering her face. “Danielle and our second, Mimi, both sacrificed themselves to make sure the last of us escaped.” She dropped her hands, panting air. “I watched them burn as we ran away.”
There wasn’t much I could say to that.
“Perhaps it would be best if you got some rest.�
�� Lula met my eyes over the young woman’s bent head. “Phon, be a dear?”
Her brother led the girl away, following my dad as he reappeared and showed them where to go. I turned to Lula, grasping her hands as she sighed out a shuddering breath.
“How did you find us?”
“Guesswork,” she said. I guided her toward Mom and the others, sat her on the bench. She stretched her feet out, the soles of her shoes almost burned away and I wondered how many she’d saved from the flames.
And how many she’d lost.
“We’d only just arrived ourselves,” I said.
Lula shrugged. “When we found out the Enforcers no longer had access to the Stronghold, I wondered if that meant we would be safe here. I didn’t know if you’d have the same thought, but from the talks we had about the battle against the Brotherhood and the fact the Stronghold has its own intelligence, I had to take the chance.”
You, too, are welcome here, the Stronghold sent to her.
Lula sat up very straight, eyes huge. “Well,” she said. “That’s something, isn’t it?”
I grinned weakly at her. “You have no idea.”
“I also ran into Charlotte and Sage,” she said. “Briefly. They were searching for Tallah.”
“Was Shenka with them?” Panic rose in my chest.
“Not at the time,” she said. “But Charlotte told me she was safe, that they’d split up to avoid the Brotherhood and the Enforcers.”
“When?” It felt like forever since they left, but it hadn’t even been twelve hours.
“Just a few hours ago,” Lula said. “Listen,” she leaned toward me, “whether the Brotherhood likes it or not, their attempt at containment is starting to fail. I can only imagine the amount of power it’s taking them to keep the entire continent on lockdown. But because some of the walls around territories are falling, people are hearing about you. About the fact you stood up to them, Syd.” Her hazel eyes shine with pride. “You may not know it, but you’ve given everyone hope.”
Nice to know I was good for something.
“That being said,” she went on, “you might want to prep for more arrivals.” I stared at her in shock. “I sent word back through when we arrived to some witches who volunteered to remain behind, in secret. They know you’re here now. And they’ll be coming, looking for someone to protect them.”
***
Chapter Twenty Four
Phon joined us a few minutes later while I pondered what his sister just said. He sat next to her, lifting Sassafras into his lap. The healer twins weren’t affiliated with any covens, keeping themselves outside the family system, working directly for the Council, but I couldn’t help thinking of them as mine.
“Did you have any idea this was happening?” If anyone had, it would be them.
But they shook their heads in unison, fraternal twins as identical as they could get being opposite genders.
“Not a whiff, Syd.” Lula’s face crumpled while Phon slipped his arm around her shoulders. “No, that’s not true.” She sighed away her tears. “The odd weird instance. But nothing that made us think Erica was going to betray everything to the enemy.”
“We’re going to go back out there and save as many as we can.” Phon’s face darkened with determination, as though he expected me to argue with him.
“That,” I said with the first hint of excitement I’d had in a while, “is an excellent idea.”
They both stared at me. “Really?” Unison again. They were so adorable.
“It’s dangerous,” Gram said, but I knew from the narrowing of her eyes she was ready to join them.
“I can’t go,” I said. “I have to try to figure out how to put a stop to this.” Still killing me. “But you lot can.” Piers and Zoe both nodded, my sorcerer friend’s unhappy eagerness making me sad for him all over again. “The more witches we save, the more witches we have to rebuild when this is over.” I couldn’t stand against the entire Council alone, all the Brotherhood. But damn it, I could do something, even if that meant rescuing a few here and there from the flames. “We need to assemble volunteer teams,” I said. “Distribute mirror shards so they can bring the ones they find here.”
“We’ve heard many are leaving their homes on foot, in car caravans,” Lula said. “Coming to Harvard to talk to the Council. Or, to seek you.” She broke down again, head on her brother’s shoulder. “Syd, I’ve never seen such devastation. Whole families devoured by fire, left to smolder where their caravans were captured. It’s disgusting and I’ve never hated anyone as much as I do the Brotherhood for destroying our people.” Phon rubbed her shoulder, cheek pressed to the top of her head.
“We’ll fall apart later,” I said, knowing my own collapse was closer than I thought if I didn’t get a chance to rest. But I refused to quit just yet.
She nodded, sighed. “A shower would be great,” she said. “Before we go back out there.”
Lula and Phon left us, heading for the hallway where Quaid and Dad herded the rest of the coven and refugees.
I didn’t have time to think the plan through any further, the pond-like rippling of the mirror spinning me around to watch for who was arriving. When Shenka’s dark head passed through, I let out a whoop of relief and pushed my body to run again.
Pulled up short at the sight of the woman floating behind her on a platform of blue magic, a small group of ten or so witches trailing behind with empty looks on their faces. Shenka’s crumpled into tears, but she held herself rigid as I bent and looked down on Tallah. Her ashen skin and shallow breathing worried me instantly, but at least she was alive.
“She’s hurt,” Shenka said. The sound of footsteps coming toward me made me glance up, the sight of Lula and Phon returning making me feel a whole lot better. I stepped aside as the pair bent over Tallah, their combined power sliding around her.
“We’ll take care of her, Shenka.” Lula smiled gently at my second who then collapsed against me and sobbed as though being told her sister would be all right meant she could finally fall apart.
I met Charlotte’s blue eyes over my second’s shoulder. She looked tired but fine, Sage, too.
“You have no idea how happy I am to see you guys.” No crying. Later with the tears and the crumbling into a weeping pile of messiness.
Shenka pulled away as the twins began to float her sister toward the corridor where the family had disappeared, the tiny group of witches trailing along behind. Shenka watched Tallah go with a frozen expression.
“It took longer than I thought to find her.” Shenka sniffed, wiping her nose on her sleeve, eyes glassy. Shell shocked? Probably. She turned to meet my eyes. “We spread the word as best we could, that you were fighting for everyone.”
“Shenka,” I said as gently as I could. “Where is the rest of the Hensley family?”
I needn’t have asked, was foolish to, considering the slight posse that had arrived with Tallah.
My second’s face showed me her horror a moment before falling back into her daze. “Gone,” she whispered.
I figured as much. And yet, it was so hard to accept. Seventy-five witches, minus their leader and the frail crew who made it through. Yet another tragedy in a long list of charges I would lay at Erica’s feet.
Shenka shook herself, grasped my hand. “I told everyone who would listen,” she said. “That help was coming.” She stopped, face twisting in grief. “Is help coming, Syd?”
I hugged her tight. “Like there was any doubt,” I said.
Quaid joined us, leading Shenka away. She tried to resist, but I waved her off.
“Please,” I said. “Go get something to eat. Check on your sister.”
“I’m your second.” She stopped moving, Quaid’s hand on her arm. “I’ll look in on the family.”
“The family,” my husband said as he planted a gentle kiss on her forehead, “is just fine. And will more than likely want to look in on you.” His mind touched mine as he led her away. You were right, he sent. I’m sorry, babe.
Love you. I let him go, turning to hug Charlotte while she make my ribs creak in protest with the power of her embrace.
She and Sage joined me when I returned to Mom and the others for the second time. I filled the werewolves in on what we’d been through since they left and Charlotte nodded.
“We’ve heard some whispers,” she said. “We arrived in California, but the house was trashed, everyone gone. We searched everywhere, crossing as best we could across territories. Syd.” Her blue eyes flare with magic, her wolf in her gaze. “There’s a lot of dead witches out there.”
I swallowed and nodded. “Go on.”
“The normals are starting to notice.” She stuck her hands in the pockets of her leather jacket, leaning sideways against Sage.
“There’s only so many fires you can explain away,” he said. “We were almost grabbed for questioning when the cops showed at a mass burning.”
On the one hand, I was proud of the witches for standing up to the Brotherhood. On the other… this was a time cowardice would have served them well, for once.
“The Brotherhood aren’t accepting surrender,” Charlotte said, as though reading my mind. I frowned at her, thinking of Erica and her assurances only those who stood against the new law would be harmed. “It’s wholesale slaughter out there.”
We had to act. Even if that meant putting our own people in the direct line of fire.
I told Charlotte of Lula and Phon’s idea, to send small parties out and rescue who they could. She and Sage instantly volunteered. As I knew they would. Together, Sassafras sashaying his furry way ahead of us, tail waving like a flag, we followed the tunnel to the interior of the Stronghold, to a giant cafeteria where the family gathered, cooking together, almost happy.
Silence fell when they saw me appear, everyone turning to watch, to wait and listen. Their fear was gone, the strength of the Hayle coven embracing me as I spoke.
“We are safe,” I said. “But there are those who could use our help.” Not one soul rejected the idea. In fact, a surge of relief and courage hit me like a blow. They needed to act as much as I did. “We need volunteers to go and infiltrate territories,” I said. So many hands shot up, I had to chew the inside of my cheek to keep from bursting into tears. “Please,” I said, waving their hands down. “This is dangerous. Very dangerous. You’ll be on your own with the Brotherhood and the Enforcers everywhere. Trying to do something that might only lead to your capture at best. Your death at worst.” Total silence. Total trust. “We are alone, but we are strong. And there is no one else.”
