Gatekeeper

by Patti Larsen

  Ah. So not Odette after all, not all the Dumonts. I had no idea his rage was so focused on Ameline, Odette’s old heir apparent. But it was Ameline who implanted the fake memory in Page, who in effect sentenced Uncle Frank to his present circumstances and almost death.

  I guess the hate made sense. Kinda shared it, actually.

  A sudden, selfish thought grabbed my heart and wouldn’t let go. “You can’t leave.” My mother turned on me, gaze flat. “Mom, the coven.”

  She jerked her shoulders as if settling the weight of her decision. “You’ll be fine,” she said. “I’m transferring control to you, just for the time being. Erica is already on her way. She’ll guide you in the interim.”

  No. Freaking. Way. A wave of panic grabbed me and shook me like a rag doll. Mom was already on her way to the basement door, Uncle Frank not sparing me a moment’s glance. Sunny eased out of his way, head down, while Dad silently reached out for Mom while she disappeared down the stairs.

  How did this happen? I found myself in the middle of the pentagram in the gloom of the underground as if in a dream, accepting a part of the writhing, churning tornado of family magic.

  “I invest our power in you, my daughter, my successor, and grant you the full power of coven leader in my absence.” I felt the magic flow into me, the twinge from my demon and Shaylee as they were forced aside to make way for the billowing entity that was the Hayle coven energy. The transfer instantly flew down the line to every witch in our family. I felt their shock, their fear, and knew Mom would have to deal with them before she left or it would be an all-out meltdown.

  Instead of reaching for them, she spun on Dad.

  “You have to be here for her, Harry.” For the first time I heard anger in her voice aimed at my father. “You can’t just hide down here and wallow in your pity. Syd is going to need you, now more than ever.”

  Dad flinched, half turned away. “Miriam—“

  “I need you.” She stayed where she was physically, but everything about her reached for him. “Please, Harry. Your daughter needs you. Your coven.”

  “Not my coven,” he whispered.

  The hint of softness in her vanished. “Haralthazar,” she said, magic behind her words, the blue power reaching out to wind around his body in a flickering dance. “Do your family duty, even if you won’t admit you belong.”

  Dad slowly nodded. Why didn’t I have a good feeling about this?

  Probably because the moment she turned away from Dad, Mom headed for the stairs.

  Um, hello? Coven to placate. But she was gone, her power passing through the wards in a flash I felt through our combined magic.

  Sassy pressed against my legs. Galleytrot let out a soft moan and turned, padding upstairs, my demon cat right behind him. I had no further comfort to offer them, too wrapped up in my own sudden terror. I turned to Dad, knowing my desperate need for someone to do something was clear in my eyes, but he just shrugged once, gaze falling from mine, before he quietly retreated to the far corner of the basement, leaving me alone.

  “Syd.” I spun around, gasping a breath, near tears. Not alone after all. I’d forgotten Sunny altogether. She embraced me, body chilly. Of course. They’d hurried here so fast, there was no way she had time to eat. I hugged her back anyway, clinging to her as I fought for calm.

  I could do this.

  Hell no!

  Yes, I could. I would.

  Crazy talk.

  But I had no choice.

  Sunny pulled back as I sagged a little, panic subsiding to fearful resolve. Her beautiful smile was sad, but I knew no matter what I could count on her. And it mattered a great deal. I forced a smile back.

  “Thanks,” I whispered. Cleared my thick throat. Tried again. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded once. “We’re managing.” You’d think an ageless vampire would have learned to lie better somewhere along the line. Just not in her, I guessed.

  “I’m worried about him.” She sighed, a left over human expression from someone who didn’t have to breathe. “He’s been so…”

  “Different.” There was no other word for it. Uncle Frank was gone, leaving a stranger behind.

  Sunny didn’t even try for one of her gentle smiles. Crystal tears filled her eyes. “Yes. I’m afraid I’m losing him and there’s nothing I can do to change it.”

  I didn’t know what to say and after a moment she did smile, even laughed a little.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “You have far more to think about than me.” She hugged me quickly again. “Your mother has asked me to set patrols around Wilding Springs and to keep watch over this house. So please don’t worry about your safety from the Dumonts.” That did make me feel slightly better. “I know there’s not much I can do beyond that, but if you need me or the clan, please don’t hesitate. You know I’ll be here as quickly as I can.”

  Sunny left so fast I didn’t get a chance to thank her. Or tell her what I knew already. She’d always been there for me, no matter what.

  If only she could help me figure out how I was supposed to fill my mother’s fancy witch shoes, we’d be all set.

  ***

  Chapter Eight

  I returned to the kitchen in a daze. The rumble of a Mini Cooper engine actually calmed me down. For some reason I refused to let Erica see my nerves, or at least the full extent of them. As Mom’s second and best friend, Erica Plower had spent my entire life treating me like her own daughter, not always to the best effect. In fact, from the look on her face as she walked through the kitchen door, my sudden rise to power wasn’t instilling even an iota of confidence in her.

  Which roused my anger and extinguished the last of my butterflies. I’d never been the best at following coven rules or toeing the company line, but when push came to shove, my family came first. From the moment her panicked eyes met mine, I was Sydlynn Thaddea Hayle, coven leader, damn it and there was no way I would let her see me otherwise.

  The shock on her face was priceless, even more so when I called up my power and let it hover between us, not as a threat, but so she knew who wore the pants in our particular relationship.

  “Mom’s gone already,” I said, amazed at how calm I sounded. “I need to contact the family and let them know what’s happening.” The fluttery wings of doubt returned, but I squashed them without mercy. This was no time to fall apart. I had one chance to prove to the coven I could handle things in Mom’s absence and one chance only.

  Erica reached out with her power. I could feel her anxiety grasping at me like I was some kind of life preserver and she was drowning. It did nothing to still my own nerves and, in fact, made things worse. I fumbled to send her soothing energy even as her doubt in my abilities leaked through and drove my attempt at confidence to the bottom of my feet.

  She offered a wavering smile. “You can do this,” she lied. “I’m right here with you.”

  Oh. My. Swearword. This was going to be a disaster of monumental proportions. I could already tell. But instead of fighting off the funk she dragged me into, rather than stepping away and catching my breath, doing it on my own, I let her influence the flavor of the family power as I reached out to every single mind and joined with them.

  I felt a few flinch from me as my magic surged at the last moment when Erica’s panic practically pinched me and made me jump. She barely held herself together, the feeling of her fear threading outward, one to the other, until the entire coven was in a frenzy.

  I tried. Oh how I tried to pull them together. But even as I sent my message, I felt their apprehension.

  Gram has disappeared. Mom and Uncle Frank are gone to look for her. In the meantime, Mom has left me in control of the coven. Doubt turned to reluctance to accept my leadership. I could feel it being fed, not just by Erica’s concern, but by the instigation of another.

  Celeste. Had to be. I never considered, in the few seconds I had to process what was happening before Mom dumped this crap on me, I’d be butting heads with the very woman who I was s
ure was in cahoots with the Dumonts. A former Purity witch, she was absorbed into our coven when her family was destroyed. That same night Gram lost her mind, but not the fight, Celeste was a constant thorn in Mom’s side.

  There was no reason to think she wouldn’t double her efforts now that I was in charge. I could almost taste her eagerness as she spoke.

  Where has Ethpeal gone?

  The coven muttered, argued, speculation and fear flying. I fought for calm, reaching out to them only to have a small group elude my power, shattering my hold.

  Everything is fine and under control. Why didn’t Erica put some magic behind that statement? If I didn’t believe her, no one else would. I’ll be right here with Syd the whole time.

  It did placate them, or some of them at least. Great. They only half trusted me if I had a babysitter.

  Fanfreakingtastic.

  That doesn’t answer the question. Celeste’s mind pressed against me and I pushed right back. Which only served to make the connection I had with the others even more unstable. Erica’s mind jabbed into me as if she was correcting an errant child.

  She so did not just chastise me, her leader, in front of the entire coven.

  Oh, but she did. Which firmly and completely shattered any possible chance I had at pulling them back into my influence. I felt their attention shift to her.

  I’d lost them. Way to play at being your mother, Syd.

  We don’t have answers yet. Erica’s magic settled a little. Speculation is worthless. When I know more, I’ll share it with you.

  She was using a singular pronoun now, not even pretending anymore. Nice.

  They left us then, a few at a time, until only a handful remained. I received a loving energy hug from both of the Vegas, Louisa brushing a magical kiss over my cheek while Martin sent a powerful shaft of support to me. They were the only reason I didn’t lose it completely when only Celeste remained.

  I expect you to keep control of that child, she sent, or I’ll be forced to take steps for the good of the coven. I didn’t get a chance to tell her where to shove it before she abruptly severed the connection.

  Erica sighed as she released her power, sagging a little. “Everything will be fine,” she whispered almost to herself. “It’s been quiet since the Dumonts left and your mother won’t be gone long.” She had the nerve to smile at me. “This will be a wonderful opportunity for you. To stretch your magical legs. Adjust to how it will feel to be a coven leader.”

  She paled as I threw up my shields and blocked her, but not before I let her feel how furious I was. “You’d be right,” I said in my coldest Mom tone, “if someone hadn’t undermined me and ruined my first chance.”

  I knew it wasn’t right to blame her, but neither did she have the right to treat me this way. I saw her own anger surface and hoped she’d speak up, but instead she simply turned and left.

  Just as well. Fighting with my mother was one thing. I’d been doing it my whole life. And Mom was, after all, my mother. Yes, Erica may have spent a lot of time around me, but she never bore the brunt of one of the nuclear arguments Mom and I were notorious for, only ever coming in to witness the aftermath.

  She had no clue. And she wouldn’t stand a chance.

  ***

  Chapter Nine

  I descended the stairs to the basement in search of my father. With Mom and Gram gone, and now Uncle Frank, he was the only adult in my life I could really turn to. Yes, I had my doubts. He didn’t exactly seem all that enthusiastic when Mom gave it to him earlier. Still, after the humiliation and failure I’d just gone through, I needed someone to lean on.

  Most of the lights were out, only the single bulb over the pentagram throwing illumination around the large space. My eyes readjusted to the dimness slowly. I expected to find Dad standing in the middle of said pentagram, working. Instead, he was nowhere to be found. I was sure he stayed downstairs… it wasn’t until I heard a soft shuffling sound from the far left corner I spotted a bit of movement in the dark.

  “Dad?” My sock barely touched pavement by the time he hurried toward me. His face was drawn into a distracted frown as he stepped inside the circle of light.

  “What is it?” I’d become somewhat used to his new attitude. Uncle Frank wasn’t the only one who’d changed. Ever since Dad’s effigy was shattered by Demitrius Strong, he’d been trapped here on our plane, unable to contact home or return there. And while I understood he had to be frustrated, this was the first time I refused to go easy on him.

  “I could really use your help.” I took a step toward him, tearing a page out of Mom’s book of no nonsense, but stopped when he shook his head, half turning away from me, back the way he’d come.

  “I’m busy, Syd.”

  This is what I had been afraid of. What Mom clearly worried about too, or she wouldn’t have made such a big deal of him helping me. He was always busy, doing things I’m sure he shouldn’t have been doing for his own health and well-being, things taxing his power and putting our very house at risk. Just this past summer he’d almost sent us into space like a magic-fueled rocket. And while I had a secret desire to travel to the moon someday, I didn’t intend for it to happen quite that way.

  “Dad.” I kept my tone level and calm. Part of me shuddered at how much I sounded like Mom, but hers was really the only influence I had to draw on. Pulling a Gram didn’t seem appropriate as much as I’d like to just find a nice, padded room to hide in. “I really need you. This is important.”

  I might as well have slapped him, the way he reacted. “The whole world doesn’t revolve around you!” His voice thundered through the basement, a hint of power behind it. I felt his rage snap out and feed his words. “Or your mother, despite what she might think. There are other ‘important’ things happening. Maybe you should remember that.”

  The power receded, his anger with it, settling around both of us in sullen silence. Dad had never, ever yelled at me, not in my entire life. I was so shocked it took a moment for my own anger to respond, though my demon had no part in it. She slunk into a corner of my mind and sulked.

  “Thanks anyway, Dad.” It came out harsher than I intended, but I didn’t care. “Your seventeen-year-old daughter can handle the entire coven herself while your wife and brother-in-law try to find my grandmother and keep her from starting a war which will probably be the end of us all. Just stay down here and tinker with your little projects.” I knew I was pushing it, but, like with Mom, I just couldn’t find the off button for my mouth. “Your whole ‘poor me, I’m mortal’ thing is definitely more important than the safety of the coven.”

  I expected him to react with anger. Half-wished he’d fight me just so I could vent some of my frustration and worry. Dad just turned away instead, back to me, retreating into the dark. I waited one more moment, considering some further biting remarks before spinning and running back upstairs, slamming the door behind me.

  The wood groaned softly as I leaned against it, breathing heavy more from my barely contained emotions than the jog up the flight. I found my respect meter taking a steep dive and tried to shake it off, but with little success.

  Where was my real dad? Maybe he was right about trying so hard to get home. The man downstairs was nothing like the demon who helped raise me. I wanted my father back.

  Which meant I was on my own with the whole coven mess. Lovely. As angry as I was with Erica for her betrayal, I knew she only ever had the best interests of the coven at heart. And mine. But I had to make her realize she stood beside me, not in front of me. That was when I understood, like Mom’s shawl settling around my shoulders.

  I may not have been fully ready for the job, but I was willing to do what it took.

  Okay then, Syd. Pull your crap together and be a coven leader. Bit of a stretch for someone who rejected her power her whole life, but I was a quick study.

  Worn out from all of the excess emotion floating around inside me, I trudged upstairs to bed. I stumbled over a wet towel at the top of the steps,
just outside the bathroom door, about a foot from the clothes hamper. Meira’s door was closed, but I could hear music coming from inside. She must have arrived home while I was talking to Dad. Okay, trying to talk to Dad.

  Something about the still warm, squishy dampness of the towel cracked my anger open again. I bent to it just as Meira’s door opened and she walked out. The makeup on her face, straight hair and human disguise only made things worse because I had no idea what she’d cleaned from herself to have used the towel in the first place.

  “Please put your stuff in the hamper after you’re done.” It came out quite calmly, to my credit. My little sister didn’t deserve to catch my temper for something like this.

  Instead of grinning like she usually did or shrugging, another favorite, Meira’s eyes suddenly flashed glowing amber, face twisting into a mask of her own rage.

  “Don’t tell me what to do!” She spun then and retreated back into her room at a full stomp, the door vibrating in its frame as she closed it as hard as she could. Considering she put some demon magic behind it, I was surprised there was still a door at all.

  I had been considering talking to her about Mom leaving, to make sure she was okay. The link she shared with the family was as strong as the rest, so I knew she had the details. It kind of surprised me Meira hadn’t come to me right away. After all, Mom was our mother, not just mine, and I was sure Meira would be worried.

  My feelings of sisterly charity disappeared with the slamming of her door.

  Teeth grinding, fist clenched around the now cold towel, I very firmly deposited it in the hamper before going to my room.

  Sassafras lay curled up next to my pillow, Galleytrot silent on the mat at the end of the bed. I huffed my way under the covers, whole body stiff from held-in anger.