by Patti Larsen
“Sydlynn Hayle,” Piers said, gesturing to his friend. “Allow me to introduce you to my team. This is Ellis Lowsley.” Ginger nodded, hands spread out on the table before him. “Flora Husher.” The pretty brunette's dark bob reminded me of an old friend and, in a rush of emotion, I missed Beth and wondered how she was.
“And this is Liard Meath.” Crooked teeth grinned at me, his dark skin and brown eyes betraying his Indian heritage. Which made me think of Shenka,
Seriously, Syd? Find some freaking focus already.
“Last but not least, Perty Lins.” Blonde, pert, pretty. I smiled a little and nodded to each of them, certain I'd forget their names in about two seconds even as I wondered why they all seemed so young. Where were the older Steam Union members?
Piers leaned over the table as Oleksander chewed the rim of his mustache, scowling at the map.
“Els,” Piers said to the red-haired sorcerer. “Lay it out for us, if you would.”
Ellis nodded, straightened up. “Our previous plan had to be altered, thanks to our new information.” He gestured at me. Isabelle huddled next to him, misery on her face as she stared at the map herself. “Our main target remains the same, but we need to be more careful if the Czar is able to call on backup.”
“Where are they holding Charlotte?” I peered at the map in frustration.
“We're not sure.” Ellis might not have been, but Isabelle twitched with guilt and refused to meet my eyes. “But we'll find her once our main target is taken out.”
Hang on. “Wait a second,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest as I glared at Ellis. “Charlotte is the main target.”
Piers hesitated before leaning close to me. “Actually,” he said. “That's not exactly accurate.”
What the hell?
“Our goal has always been to remove the Czar,” Oleksander said, looking back and forth between Piers and me, confusion mingling with worry on his face. “Yes, my granddaughter is a priority, of course. But she would be the first to tell you the only way to free her would be to kill her oppressor.”
Oh hell no.
Killing was not on the menu.
I didn't say a word, just spun on my heel and marched out. I felt someone following me, was grasped and turned around before I could make it half way across the foyer. I spun on Piers with a snarl on my lips as he pulled me to a halt.
“Please,” he said, voice low and urgent, “allow me to explain—”
I jerked my arm free of his grip and hissed up into his handsome face. “Explain?” My whisper was so loud I knew the others heard me in the dining room, but I could barely contain my fury even as Oleksander came to stand in the doorway, watching, listening with a scowl on his face. “What's to explain, Piers?” I shook with anger, wanting to wring his damned neck. What was he thinking? “You kidnapped my ass, promising it was because you wanted to help me rescue Charlotte.”
“I do,” he said. “We will. It's just—”
“Just.” I jabbed him in the chest with one stiff finger. “Just nothing, smartass. You do realize you're asking me, a foreign power, to interfere with another magical race.” Was he off his rocker? “You want me,” I poked him again, a little Sidhe power behind it, saw him wince, “to break all kinds of international magic laws so you,” this jab had to hurt, the thud of impact making my own finger ache, “can take down a sect your people should have dealt with in the first place.”
The air beside us shuddered as Isabelle appeared. She grasped my arm, pulled me away from Piers. “She can't get involved this way,” the vampire said. “You know that. I told you already she would turn you down if she knew the truth.”
Piers's jaw jumped as anger snapped in his gray eyes. But, to his credit, he took hold of his temper and blew out a whistling breath between tight lips before speaking.
“We'll fail without you.” He backed off a step, shoulders tense while the guttural sound of Oleksander’s startled grunt echoed softly to me. I guess Piers hadn’t been forthcoming with any of us on this little adventure he’d concocted. “It's that simple.”
“I'm sorry.” I turned away from him, glanced back at the towering werewolf leader. “I'm only here for Charlotte.”
“I'd heard you were the one to do the impossible.” Oh no, he did not. “The one who took on the rules and won. Who did what was right,” he almost spit the word, “not what was law.”
I spun back, shaking with rage, hating he poked at my weakest points like any of this was my fault. “Don't you think I want to grind Yure under my heel until he's a smear for what he's done to Charlotte?” Piers's face remained flat, stony as I went on. “I'm not a total moron. I know the guy is a dirtbag who deserves what he gets. And were he in my territory, he'd be toast. End of story.” I backed off again, frustrated, irritable. “But we're not on my turf, are we? And unless you want a war between territories, you're on your own.”
Piers swayed, face crumpling as he reached for me. I let him take my hands, felt his need, the power of his conviction, his own determination. He reminded me a lot of me, actually. Standing against wrongs that needed righting no matter the odds against him. It broke my heart to have to turn him down.
“We'll hide you,” he said, his desperation coming through. “With our power. And as long as you don't use witch magic, there's no harm, no foul.” So he knew about that, huh? Isabelle flinched, guilty. Was there anything she hadn't told him?
I thought about it. I really, honestly did. But, in the end, my mind went to my mother, to our own battles, the fight yet to come with the Brotherhood and Ameline, and I knew I had no choice either.
His warm hands fell from mine as I pulled away for the last time. “I'm sorry, Piers,” I said. “I really am. But this isn't my fight.” I turned to Isabelle. “I'm going after Charlotte,” I said. “And I need your help to find her.”
The young vampire ducked her head, but nodded.
I left him there, heard his footsteps as he turned and walked away himself, kept a firm grip on Isabelle as we left the foyer and reentered the hall near the red door.
“Okay,” I said, trying to push down the horrible guilt in the core of my stomach at the thought of not being able to help the werewolves. Wasn’t Piers right? I was the one who said screw the rules and did what I wanted anyway. When did I become the person who had to say no when there was work to be done? Not fair, nope. I’d saved the world and my family more times than I cared to count, kicked more bad guy butt than anyone in this house. And yet…
What had I told Vasyl? I didn’t do ‘no’.
Guess I was wrong.
I gave myself a little shake as I fixed the young vampire with my sternest Mom glare.
“I know you know where she is, Isabelle.” Time to beat myself up later. At least with Charlotte to focus on, I could forget for a bit the hurt and desperate look on Piers’s handsome face. “I need you to tell me.”
Isabelle trembled. “I don't know if I can trust what Maksym told me any longer.” She shuddered before taking my hand. “But I can get you past the guards into the black zone.”
“Black zone?” I reached for the veil, felt it answer my call, but didn't open it yet. I had an idea I wanted to try, but I needed a target first before I could test it.
“The place where no magic can see,” Isabelle said.
Must be shielded with sorcery. Probably like the Coterie Industries building in Miami and the now burned down Brotherhood mansion. I could handle any dead area cut off from regular magicks, as long as I knew where it was. Too risky sniffing around on my own, but with guidance, I could pinpoint the location and attempt a focused peek at Charlotte's situation.
At least, that was the hope.
Isabelle showed me, her vampire magic linking with mine. Piggybacking on her power felt weird, but wasn’t the strangest thing I’d ever done so I just held on and kept my senses open. It wasn’t long before her power flowed onto the Czar’s property and to the palace. I shuddered as we rounded the far side and hit a cold,
black zone.
My turn. I filtered my sorcery through Isabelle’s vampire magic, hoping to disguise it, and had a peek. Shivered as the darkness parted and I had my first look at the cellblock. The feeling of emptiness confirmed my guess about the shielding. Isabelle chased back to our location, a straight line to where I could find Charlotte before releasing me.
I hugged her on impulse, felt her strong, thin arms embrace me in turn.
“Thank you,” I said, leaning away. “I need one more favor.”
She nodded quickly.
“Go home,” I said. “Tell Sunny what's happening. And stay there.”
Isabelle's eyes welled with tears. “I can't leave Maksym.”
Whatever. “Let the Steam Union do their jobs,” I said. “Just go home, Isabelle.”
She let out a soft sob before shuddering into shadow and vanishing.
I did my best to protect her. What she did was up to her.
Time to finally rescue Charlotte and get the hell out of here before something else happened.
***
Chapter Twenty
I walked back down the hall to the bedroom I'd found, grateful Raoul was long gone. The door snicked shut behind me as I used a little magic to lock it.
Reasonably sure now I wouldn't be disturbed, I reached for the veil and tore it open. Ahbi's power poured out toward me, my demon grandmother's spirit now part of the Node keeping Demonicon’s multiple planes stable. I held back as she tried to draw me into the veil, instead allowing my demon ego to connect with her.
“Grandmother.” I felt her power ripple, pause, listen. “I need a favor.”
Her magic shuddered, hugged me.
“My friend Charlotte has been kidnapped.” I let Ahbi feel Charlotte as a reminder, but she shoved that aside with impatience. Okay then, she got the message, knew exactly who I was talking about. The flashing image of my werefriend as a freaky creature with black scales and oddly jointed legs made me shudder. “Right,” I said. “Exactly.”
Her magic prodded me, now impatient. Nice to know some things never changed. Ahbi Sanghamitra had been powerful and commanding in life and was no different now only her spirit survived. Though I kind of loved her this way, to my delight.
Weird to prefer my demon grandmother dead to alive?
Tell me about it.
“I need to see where she is before I go to her so I know if it's safe to rescue her.”
Ahbi's magic seemed to mull that over. I traced the path Isabelle showed me, sharing it with her, all the way to the black zone. Ahbi's magic balked, angry.
“I know,” I said, feeling a little self-conscious about talking to her out loud, not sure why I didn’t just speak mentally like I did with others. As odd as it was, it somehow felt comforting to use my physical voice with her. “But I have sorcery, remember?” I opened the blossom of darkness beneath me. She felt it, shivered back from it. “I think I can link you to it, enough you can see through for me. But you can't tear the veil all the way on the other side. Just enough for a glimpse.”
Siphon. Her voice whispered in my head.
Right. “I think I can keep it from taking any of your power,” I said. “I know it means risking the Node's balance, but it could also mean the difference between war and peace on my end.” I needed to get in and out fast, without being spotted, if this was to work. Of course, Applegate would know I was the one who rescued Charlotte, but she'd have no proof and neither would the Czar if I could nab the weregirl without being spotted.
At least, if this worked.
Ahbi's magic surged around me again. Try.
Awesome. The only real stumbling block to the plan had been Ahbi’s agreement. Now I had it, I could see if my theory was correct.
I’d been riding the veil for years, going to and fro without really thinking about how it worked. When I’d gone after the Brotherhood the first time, I’d been able to use Demetrius’s guidance to tell the veil where I wanted to go. But I’d always wondered if there were other uses.
Including spying. I hadn’t had the opportunity or reason, until now, to give it a try. But as far as I could tell, my idea was sound. The veil opened on my end, carried me to my destination as it sealed behind me, then tore on the other end and let me out. So why couldn’t I open two tears at once and have a look between them?
I was about to find out. From the curiosity in Ahbi’s power, she hadn’t thought of using the veil this way before either. Made me chuckle to myself. Had she, I was sure she’d have used it to her absolute advantage while she’d still been alive and Ruler of Demonicon.
Carefully, with my vampire, demon and Shaylee all forming a protective shield between my grandmother and my sorcery, I opened the tiniest sliver and linked her to my dark magic. For a moment, she shuddered, the tear in the veil wavering even as my sorcery surged, starving for what Ahbi and the Node had to offer. But the pressure of my other magicks held it back just enough Ahbi was able to latch on and complete the link.
I eased back, my egos, too, until the shielding was gone. Weird, having Ahbi's power pulse inside mine. I'd carried her soul for a while, back when she was first murdered by Ameline, but this was far different. She was connected to all the magic on Demonicon through the Node. And now, she had sorcery at her disposal.
I grinned at the thought of my grandmother's spirit now having access to the one power we all feared and hoped her brilliant mind, obviously still awake and aware, could somehow come up with the means to use that knowledge to our advantage.
Ahbi wasted no time, the glow of amber fire of the tear flashing with images. I held my breath, stomach clenched. This idea of mine was a long shot, but it looked like it just might work.
I gasped a deep breath of air as the flickering view solidified, firmed up.
And Charlotte appeared. The image was dull, dark, a narrow tunnel. Ahbi had to be keeping the tear on the other side to a minimum as requested, but I didn't expect it would take long for someone to notice, so we had to hurry.
A quick hug for Ahbi was returned as I forced myself to slow down, catch my breath as my heart pounded in relief.
“Can we have a look around her?” Ahbi was one step ahead of me, already panning the view even as I spoke. My werefriend sat in a cell, bars making her door, though she had a canopied bed and a tall, narrow window shrouded in a curtain, as though the Czar made some attempt to give her small comforts despite her captivity.
Sick bastard.
Charlotte was alone, eyes downcast. She didn't look up or take notice I was watching. Maybe for the best.
“Okay, Ahbi,” I said. “Let me through.”
I leaped into the veil, followed the set path and, within a heartbeat, stepped out of the tear on the other side and into Charlotte's cell.
She looked up, eyes huge as I quickly glanced around, the hole still open, waiting for our retreat. I grinned at my friend, holding out my hand to her even as I kept one foot inside the veil.
“Hey, Charlotte,” I said. “Nice to see you. Coming?”
I watched the shock in her eyes turn to despair as she turned her head away.
“I can't,” she whispered.
Holy. Freaking. Elements.
“Raoul is fine,” I said, glancing out through the bars. Any second now someone could show up. We didn't have time to discuss this. “So you don't have to stay.”
Charlotte didn't react, hugging herself, huddling into a small, compact heap.
“I know,” she said, voice breaking.
My anger crackled around me, sparks falling to the stone floor as my frustration got the better of me. “Okay then,” I said. “Get your ass over here and let's go.”
A headshake. Was she kidding me here?
Damn it, I knew this might be a fight. But I didn't expect Charlotte to be an idiot.
“The bond is broken,” she said, tears in her voice. “I failed you. I deserve what I get.”
Choke. Splutter.
“I watched it happen,” she went on, a t
hin wail rising through her words. “I felt you drift from me, further and further. Leaving me behind.” She turned back, face a mask of grief, tears streaming down her face, so young looking, frail, beaten. “You don't need me and I failed you.” Charlotte's hands shook as she held them out to me. “You were shot.” She shuddered. “Shot. And I was too late, Syd, too late to protect you.” Her accent thickened with her voice as she struggled to swallow. “This is all my fault, you almost died, my mother did, Danilo.” She sobbed, a wrenching sound as though her insides were torn in half. “I failed all of you and I deserve what I get!”
I gaped at her, anger falling away. I'd never seen her so emotional. Hell, I rarely saw her crack a smile, as far as that went. Her wolf emerged, whining like a beaten puppy, only to retreat again as she clawed at the metal collar around her neck.
I didn't have time for her pity party. As hard as it was, I shoved aside my own emotions and reached out to her with my spirit magic, feeling along the edges of the collar.
It's keeping her from shifting, my vampire sent, sympathy aching inside me.
I think it's making her a dumbass, my demon snarled. Cut that thing loose and let's hit the road already.
“Charlotte.” I left the edge of the veil, felt Ahbi reaching for me, anxious, trying to pull me back. “We have to go.” Sigh. “We've been through so much. Don't quit on me now.”
Her shoulders twitched, though her broken expression didn't change.
“Don't quit on your people.” If I had to flog her with guilt to get her to act, I would.
Another twitch. She turned her head away. “They are better off without me.”
“They beg to differ.” What would it take? This wasn't my Charlotte. Maybe my demon was right. Maybe the collar was affecting her. After all, the Brotherhood were known for their subtle manipulations, weren't they? But when I let my vampire's magic try to sever the metal, Charlotte cried out and grasped at the collar again.
There has to be another way, my vampire sent. Your sorcery perhaps?