Steam Union

by Patti Larsen

  ***

  Chapter Thirteen

  When I finally stepped through the veil and into the basement, I was under control enough to wipe the tears from my face and not go looking for a cardboard box to kick with my sharp toed high heels. Barely.

  Sassafras perched on the bottom step, staring up at me with huge amber eyes. The moment I saw him the tears started again, though I didn’t know why I was crying. I sank to the step and hugged him, not caring if I got silver fur on my nice navy suit. His purring soothed me enough I made it to hiccup stage and was able to tell him what happened without hitching a breath.

  “The idiot!” Sassafras’s snapping tone told me he was behind me all the way and that make me feel so much better. Mostly because I knew I had a temper and was worried maybe I jumped the gun, overreacted. But the way my silver Persian’s body quivered in anger I knew I was right, had the right to be angry and upset. “What was Quaid thinking?”

  “He thought I’d oppose it,” I whispered, wiping at my nose with the cuff of my jacket. “Am I that mean, Sass?”

  He shook his head, butting me solidly with it. “Of course not,” he said. “But a little family consultation would have been nice. And Femke.” Sass sighed. “I know she’s under a lot of pressure, but if she was trying to alienate Miriam—and the other Council Leaders for that matter—she did a wonderful job.” I stared at him, blank. “Syd,” he said with gentleness that made it through to me, “she stole him, plain and simple. Do you think the other Council Leaders won’t be nervous she’ll do the same to them? They won’t trust her from now on. And that’s trouble.”

  I hadn’t thought of that. They were a suspicious lot to begin with. Damn her! If only she’d mentioned it to Mom, to me…

  Water under the crumbling bridge.

  No time to continue my pity fest. Not when Karyn Barrett’s mind reached for me. The young coven leader may have sensed something was wrong, but the mix of sadness and excitement in her mind helped distract me.

  Syd, she sent. You’re going to want to come visit. I have someone here who’d like to see you. And, with that, she let me see who she was talking about.

  I lurched to my feet, Sass still in my arms, reaching for the veil. I’ll be right there.

  A heartbeat later I stepped out into her living room and crouched down next to the filthy, lopsided form of Pender Tremere.

  Sassafras leaped down from my grasp and into the former Enforcer Leader’s lap, purring loudly as he head butted the limp man. Pender sat, long legs folded under him, leaning softly to one side, face covered in a dirty, scraggly beard, hazel eyes slightly out of focus. His hair had grown longish, receding hairline seeming more pronounced. His skin had a pale, yellowish pallor even under all the dirt, long, lean body draped in a grime encrusted old coat, pants torn and stained. He’d never carried much extra weight and the last six weeks hadn’t been kind in that department.

  Pender’s tongue ran over his cracked lips, eyes finally registering me. A faint smile lifted the corner of his mouth, though the light was so far gone from him I almost starting crying again. Pender had spent the majority of his time as leader of the North American Enforcers doing things that broke his heart. And now, I feared, whatever the Brotherhood had done to him finished the job.

  Mom. I reached for her with desperate need. Her crackling anger hadn’t eased much, but she felt my distress and focused immediately. Pender.

  She froze. I’m coming. And her power left mine.

  “Hello.” Pender’s hand lifted, the scent of decay and body odor so strong I almost flinched away, but couldn’t. I let him run his dirty fingers over my cheek. “Pretty lady.”

  “Hi, Pender.” I took his hand in mine, squeezed it. He looked away again, mouth slack as he stared into the distance, though he other hand slowly stroked Sass’s fur as if by automation.

  I looked up when Karyn sat delicately on the edge of the couch with a sad expression on her face. “Where did you find him?”

  “On the street,” she said. “It was pure luck, Syd. One of the girls recognized him by accident. He was homeless, eating out of dumpsters, living in a shelter. His power is still there, but it’s like he’s forgotten who he is.” She wiped at one cheek, a single tear escaping. “Can you help him?”

  Blue fire flared and Mom appeared, face crumpling at the sight of Pender. She crouched next to me and I moved out of the way as her hands cupped his face.

  “Dear Pender,” she breathed before looking up at Karyn. “Thank you for finding him. We’ll take it from here.”

  Karyn nodded to Mom, glanced sharply at me, but I shook my head. Damn it, the stupid shadow council. And Karyn was worried I’d told Mom. If only I’d found the right time and place.

  I stood as Mom tried to help Pender stand. My eyes drifted around the small living room, the run down appearance of the furniture, how crowded it seemed to be with a least a dozen people peeking out from various doorways.

  “How many are living here?” Concern bloomed.

  “Sixteen,” Karyn said, blushing, rushing on as though she needed to explain. “Our family money disappeared when the coven was attacked. We’ve been doing our best to recover, but it’s hard.” She smiled at the two little girls who tucked in between the legs of an older woman from what looked like a small kitchen. “Besides, no one wants to live alone right now.”

  So, the Brotherhood had pulled the same trick on her he did on my family, using his hacker ways to siphon off the family fortune. Well, I had a possible solution to that if my old friend and recent new ally, Simon, was up for the challenge.

  “Let me look into the family money,” I said as Pender tottered to his feet, leaning on Mom. “I might be able to help you recover what you lost.”

  Relief flooded over Karyn’s face. “Thank you,” she said. “That’s exactly why we—” Her gaze went to Mom, faint panic flaring. “Thank you.”

  Sigh.

  A few minutes later, after a brief farewell, Mom and I settled Pender onto a soft bed in the back of a coven house in Wilding Springs. Lula and Phon Kennecott both bent over the man, their power flaring as they examined him. I stood back, Sassafras’s eyes glowing where he hovered on Pender’s pillow, adding his power to the healer twins.

  When they pulled back, their matching faces were grim.

  “He’s been broken,” Phon said, one hand running through his dirty blond hair, freckles crinkling as he wrinkled his nose. “By the Brotherhood. His mind is shattered.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Lula patted the fallen Enforcer’s hand. “We can make him comfortable, but his recovery is unlikely.”

  Mom turned away, cheeks bright with color, eyes moist. “Do the best you can,” she said.

  “Miriam?” Pender’s voice cracked, spun her around, drew me closer. He smiled up at her, childlike, sweet despite the ground in filth, the beard. He looked so young suddenly, sparkling.

  “Pender, my dear.” Mom sank to the edge of the bed, held his hand. “How are you feeling?”

  “So lovely for you to come visit,” he said. “I’ve missed our talks.” Pender picked suddenly at the beard on his face. “Someone left me a donut.”

  Okay then.

  “You’re safe now,” Mom said. “Lula and Phon are here.”

  “Syd.” His head snapped up, eyes blinking.

  “Me, too,” I said, bending over Mom’s shoulder.

  Pender’s face crumpled. “They’re gone.” His voice wailed out so sharp I flinched from him at last. “Gone just like that.” His fingers snapped, the sound of cracking bone though it was just his index and thumb rubbing together. “Sebastian tried, so hard. He almost saved me.” Pender’s lower lip trembled. “Alison, so sweet, her ghost is a demon, did you know?” I had no idea what he was talking about, but this was the first I’d heard of my vampire friends in ages and I had to get as much from the damaged Enforcer as I could.

  “Where did they go, Pender?” I prodded him softly with magic while Mom hissed at me. I ignored her. �
�Show me where.”

  His eyes glazed over a moment. “All gone,” he whispered.

  “Did the Brotherhood hurt them?” If it was Belaisle I was going after him right now and not stopping until I turned over the rock he was hiding under.

  But Pender’s mind was already spinning, his power reaching for mine in a herky-jerky twitch of magic. I let him make contact, saw images spin through his head, broken pieces I could barely make sense of.

  Only one sliver of a vision made any sense and scared the crap out of me. I pulled away, examining the moment with growing fear while Mom patted Pender’s hand.

  Not the Brotherhood. No, not even close. If Pender’s damaged memory was to be believed, Sebastian and Alison—and their entire blood clan by association of blood ties—were sucked through a glowing white hole in the veil and vanished.

  I spun back to ask more questions, only to find Pender in Mom’s arms, choking huge sobs while she rubbed his back and murmured comfort.

  ***

  Chapter Fourteen

  I went home. There wasn’t much else I could do. Mom joined me a few minutes later, sitting at the table with me over a cup of coffee. For a brief moment I wondered where Shenka was, knew I should fill her in on everything, but I was too heartsick and tired to do much more than talk with my mother.

  “What are we going to do about Quaid?” I really didn’t want to have this discussion but it was important.

  Mom shrugged, a bit of her residual anger showing. “There’s not much we can do.” She sighed it out, toying with her spoon. It made musical clinking sounds against the side of her mug. “He’s made his choice. I just wish he’d let me know so I could have found a replacement.” Her eyes met mine. “He didn’t tell you? Not even a hint?”

  I snorted. “Claimed he thought I’d tell him to be a good baby daddy and stay home.” Whatever. “Considering I was excited for him to take the job with you? His argument is invalid.”

  “Is that what you call it?” Sassafras sniffed from over his bowl of fresh milk, clearly offended.

  Mom stroked his fur in absent irritation. “We’ll just have to make do,” she said, stopping her petting of my silver Persian to rub one temple, a sure sign she’d developed a headache. “Varity didn’t take it well, but she’s going over the list of candidates now.”

  That was good at least.

  “I have to go, sweetheart.” Mom swept to her feet, hugging me before pulling away. “I’ll see you for dinner. I think a nice family meal is in order tonight, don’t you?”

  I smiled and waved to her, turning away as she flared in blue fire and vanished. Only to turn back with a curse on my lips.

  What the hell was wrong with me I kept forgetting to talk to her about the shadow council?

  Perhaps you don’t want to tell her, my vampire sent.

  Sounds legit, my demon piped in.

  You always were one for standing against authority, Shaylee sent.

  Thanks for that, I shot at them. I’ll tell her tonight before dinner. For now, I had a job to do for said shadow council that had less to do with acting behind Mom’s back and more with helping the smaller covens regain their dignity.

  I had no idea how many of them lost their family money, but I could guess the Brotherhood would make a sweeping effort and had to assume it was all of them. I was already crossing the back yard with Sassafras at my feet, the pair of us entering the park on the other side by the time I reached for Apollo Zornov.

  He came trotting toward me a few minutes later from the far side of the green space, his younger brother, Owen, in tow. I waved at them from the swing I rocked back and forth on, heels scraping the sand beneath me, waiting for them to join me before speaking.

  “Nice suit.” Apollo had this flirty, arrogant way about him that showed up less lately than it used to. And while I knew I should have been offended at times, I couldn’t help but grin at him when he winked at me in brazen flattery.

  “I need the help of our mutual friend again,” I said. “Care to take a trip to visit BitsandBytes?” Simon was brilliant, though I didn’t think much of his screen name. Still, my former close friend from high school who Ameline and the vampires ruined was now a hard core hacker. He’d freed up the Hayle family fortune, returning it to me less a hefty fee I figured was well worth it just to thumb my nose at Belaisle.

  Owen extended one hand, impossibly blue eyes glowing with amusement.

  “We’d be delighted, Coven Leader Hayle.”

  I left the cranky and offended Sassafras behind, letting Apollo take the lead, showing me again where to go. The warehouse on the quiet street overlooking the small city I’d yet to identify looked far different in daylight. But the moment we stepped inside I realized it wasn’t just the lighting that had changed. The whole place felt super charged with leftover magic. Heart pounding, I led the way this time, Apollo and Owen trailing after me, to the office door with the smoked glass now shattered and scattered over the concrete floor. I pushed past it, high heels grinding over shards as I stared in shock and fear at the shattered monitors, smashed banks of CPU’s. Simon’s precious computer system was destroyed and there wasn’t a trace of him.

  “The Brotherhood.” Owen’s brows pulled together, his sorcery slipping out in thin ropes, ends twitching as if sniffing the air.

  Apollo nodded, grim and angry. “They found him. Took him. In retaliation.”

  For helping me.

  Oh, hell no.

  “We’re going to find him,” I snarled through clenched teeth. “And rescue his scrawny ass.”

  Apollo was already on the move, slipping a smart phone from his pocket, fingers racing over the screen. “Leave it to me,” he said.

  As much as I wanted to do otherwise, I knew he would get the job done. And then I would deal with whoever hurt Simon. They would regret the day they were even a glimmer in their momma’s eyes, you betcha.

  There was nowhere else to go but home. I had Max to contact, planes to search. I was surprised the big drach hadn’t reached for me already. I knew if anything happened he’d let me know right away. But I had to tell him about what Pender saw, share the vision with him. Max worried, as Ameline did, the spirit magic of our Universe was in trouble. Was the disappearance of the DeWinter blood clan part of that?

  If so, what did that mean for Sebastian and Alison?

  I slipped off my heels at the border to the yard, wanting the cool grass under my feet. I could have landed in the basement, but I needed another dose of the outdoors to chill me the hell out. Of course, coming face-to-face with my angry husband halfway to the back door wasn’t conducive to releasing my stress.

  “Tell me you wouldn’t have fought my decision?” Quaid vibrated with anger, his t-shirt taut across his chest, thighs jumping in his jeans. I’d never seen him so upset.

  “I wouldn’t.” There was no other way to say it. Plain and simple and honest. I let him feel what I was feeling so he would know the truth.

  It just seemed to make him angrier.

  Quaid spun away from me, hands tossing in the air. “I needed to do this for me, Syd. For me. Not the family, not you and the kids. I know that’s selfish, but damn it.” He stopped, head down. “And for all of us.” His gaze lifted to meet mine. “I was powerless when the Brotherhood came to hurt this family. I won’t let that happen again.”

  My words choked off in my throat as he stomped away, slamming the door behind him. The sudden flare of his departing magic told me he’d left again and I let him go. More stuff for those around me to work through on their own.

  Goody.

  And though I wasn’t in the mood to deal with more, I forced myself to walk into the kitchen and confront my second. Shenka’s face was pulled tight with anxiety, though when she noticed me watching her standing at the counter, staring at nothing as if the weight of the whole plane sat on her shoulders, her expression stiffened to forced casualness and a polite smile that didn’t reach her dark brown eyes.

  “Shenka,” I sa
id. “We have to talk.”

  “About what?” She turned her back on me, pouring a sloppy cup of coffee as her hand shook. She slammed it down again, frustration radiating from her. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

  I couldn’t let this go. “Please, tell me what’s wrong. I want to help.”

  She barked a laugh, so bitter it hurt. “Like you helped Sunny?” How did she hear about that? And, besides, I had helped Sunny. “Like you helped Quaid just now?” She was eavesdropping?

  “That’s none of your business,” I snapped before I could stop myself.

  Shenka froze, half turned to face me, expression hard and sad. “I guess you’re right,” she whispered. “Thanks. You did help.”

  Before I could ask her what she was talking about, Shenka pushed past me and left the kitchen, the sound of her feet stomping up the stairs ending with the slamming of her bedroom door.

  I forced a deep breath in and out of my lungs before my shoulders would unwind, my jaw unclench. It felt like I was suddenly living with a pack of irresponsible teenagers or something. The world had fallen apart and what? That gave everyone permission to become assholes?

  Not on my watch. I spun, ready to go beat down Shenka’s door and demand an explanation for her behavior when darkness flooded the back yard. I spun and ran for the door, heart thudding, though the feel of the sorcery was familiar, if not entirely right. I realized as I skidded to a barefoot halt, my heels still clutched in one hand, that the power I was feeling was Southway all right, but not Eva or Piers.

  Clover, my friend’s younger sister, stood shivering outside her tunnel, long, black braid swinging behind her, dark eyes full of worry.

  “Syd,” she said. “I’m sorry to drag you into this. I really, really am.”

  Another disaster? Yeah, I could handle it. “Where’s Piers?”

  “That’s why I’m here,” she said, voice shaking. “You have to help him, all of us. Mom’s lost her mind.”