by Patti Larsen
“A vampire.” It came out in a hiss. “A vampire took her.”
That made my mind freeze for a moment. It couldn’t be. Sebastian and his blood clan were our allies. Why would they kidnap Meira?
“I tried,” he said, voice stronger as he healed. “I tried to protect her but the vampire was too strong.” He groaned as he climbed to his feet, shaking his fur so blood drops flew everywhere. “He struck so fast I didn’t have time to warn you.”
The anguish in his voice calmed me down, oddly. I hugged him as gently as I could. “It’s not your fault.” I felt Mom’s mind slam into me, hitting so hard I squeezed Sassy making both of us gasp.
WHERE IS MEIRA? I could feel Mom coming closer, knew she felt my sister’s cry as well. Tires squealed on pavement and a car door slammed. Mom came pounding up the stairs to Meira’s room, her eyes blazing fire, power crackling around her like a cloak of blue lightning. “WHO TOOK MY BABY?”
I had a flash to my sister, how scared she was, the nightmares. I knew better. I was so wrapped up in my self pity I failed to warn Mom about what Meira was going through.
“Mom,” I said, flinching as I climbed to my feet, glass slicing through my pajama bottoms and into my skin. “It’s my fault.”
“No, Sydlynn,” Sassy said, “it’s mine.”
Mom shook so violently I thought she’d explode outward in a cascade of power.
“I don’t care whose fault it is,” she hissed. “I want to know who took my daughter.”
“Vampire,” we said together.
The roar of desperate fury that came out of my mom was so loud and full of magic it almost knocked me over.
“Miriam,” Sassy said with deep regret running through his words, “there’s more. I recognized the energy, though it seemed clouded to me.”
Meira said the vampire felt familiar to her. My heart clenched as a horrible fear grew inside me.
“Tell me.” The whole house trembled with the weight of Mom’s desperate wrath.
“It felt like Sebastian.”
Gut punch. And what I was afraid he was going to say.
“But why?” I turned to Mom, my mind going right to Cesard. “The blood?”
“Come!” She spun and left, running back down the stairs. I followed her in a hurry, Sassy in my arms, knowing if we didn’t make it to the car before she had the engine turned on she would leave us behind.
I was wrong. She paused long enough to hustle my very agitated grandmother out of her room. For once, Gram didn’t give her any trouble. As soon as we were in the driveway, she tossed me the keys and climbed in the passenger seat, holding out her arms for the silver Persian.
I gaped at her. Mom never let me drive her car. Yes I just received my license, but her vintage blue Mustang convertible was her pride and joy.
“Sydlynn,” she snapped. “Drive.”
Gram huddled in the back, humming to herself. I caught sight of her in the rear view mirror. Her washed-out blue eyes were full of tears.
I guess even she was able to understand something horrible happened.
It wasn’t the smoothest drive, but I was constantly bombarded with mental questions and magic as my mother summoned the family in no uncertain terms to the coven site out in the middle of nowhere. It was carefully warded to keep normals out and the perfect place to have this particular conversation.
I was just worried where talking about it would go. Mom was still in a rage, but simmering now, absently using stray magic to clear the blood from Sassy’s coat. Her hands shook, thoughts so focused as she shot them out to the rest of the coven I was glad not to be on the other end. It had to feel like taking a bullet.
By the time I pulled into the site, it was already filling with cars. Mom didn’t even wait for me to come to a complete stop before she lurched out and half-ran to the center of power. She dumped Sassy as she jumped out so I bent and picked him up again, carrying him as I led my grandmother across the grass to the middle of the clearing.
Mom still vibrated, her power so hot no one could reach her. I couldn’t raise that kind of anger. I was still in shock, couldn’t believe any of this happened. I winced as I stumbled over an uneven patch of ground, and felt fresh blood run down my leg.
Right. I cut myself on the glass in Meira’s room. Whatever.
No one approached Mom, not even Erica, or Celeste, which surprised me. I figured the tall, severe witch would take this opportunity to challenge Mom all over again. Celeste was the one who opposed the coalition with the vampires in the first place, putting the family in jeopardy to do it. This would be a prime chance for her to drive another wedge of angst between her followers and Mom.
Despite the woman’s silence, I resented how she stood there, stroking her waist-length brown braid with her man hands and staring at my mother.
If it won through Mom’s rage, I never knew it. It wasn’t long before the coven assembled, the field packed with family, all horrified and afraid of what happened.
I felt Erica slide up next to me, her arm going around me as Mom finally snapped out of her silence and addressed us.
“Tonight a vampire broke through the wards of my home and stole my youngest daughter.” They already knew, but they still swayed as one at the news. Little Eliza, the Crossman’s six-month-old daughter, started to cry.
Very fitting. I wondered even as the others recovered why Mom didn’t mention Sebastian.
“What are your plans, coven leader?” Celeste finally spoke up. I felt Erica tense and knew she was as worried as me.
“I am going to find and bring my daughter back.” Mom’s voice was a guttural growl, full of power. The blue glow around her flickered with green and red and pure white. All of the magic she won defeating Batsheva Moromond, from Sidhe, to demon and vampire too, surged to life as her rage threatened to consume her.
I could feel her right there on the edge. Mom had never been pushed so far before. Even when the Moromonds forced her hand and made her give up her magic, she ensured Meira and I would be safe no matter what.
I found myself moving forward, leaving Erica behind, even as my love for my mother surged around me like an open flame.
She felt it touch her power, spun on me as though I were some attacker. But when her eyes met mine, I saw her anguish surged far stronger than her fury and that was what drove her to near insanity.
I was shocked when my grandmother tottered past me, her wrinkled old hands reaching out. She passed through the curtain of my mother’s magic as if it weren’t even there and took my mother’s hands.
“Miriam,” Gram said. “It’s going to be all right, dear.”
I have no idea if my grandmother was having a moment of lucidity or if she somehow just knew the right thing to say, but the moment she spoke the tension around Mom shattered. I staggered as her power released, feeling the wave of it pass over me and through me. I felt her pain as if it was my own, her anger and feelings of betrayal.
I heard the coven sigh around me and knew she shared it with them, too.
Mom was herself again. She hugged her own mother who cackled at her and did a little dance in her flowing white nightgown. I reached out and took Gram’s hands, gently leading her away.
“Miriam,” Celeste started, but she didn’t finish.
“There is only one way to find out the truth of this,” Mom said. Her voice still crackled, but she was at least thinking now, rather than reacting. We all felt her power build and heard her thoughts as she lashed out.
Frank, she sent, a javelin of command. Come.
Uncle Frank. Of course. At least he would be neutral. There was no way he would be involved in something that would harm Meira or the coven. Though from the look on Celeste’s face she disagreed.
No big shocker there.
I felt him react, the ricochet of his shock.
On my way.
His dark shape fluttered to the ground within moments, forming once again into my boyishly handsome uncle. He looked dazed, confused as he
spun around, realizing the entire coven was gathered, facing my mother in clear shock.
“Miriam,” he said. “What’s going on?”
Mom totally lost it. I hardly blame her, but here was her brother, someone she was used to, a follower of the one who allegedly took my sister. I got it. I just didn’t like it much.
“Where is she?” Mom surged toward Uncle Frank, her hands on fire with blue power, her face twisted in anger. “Where is Meira?”
Uncle Frank fell back, mouth gaping open so I could see the points of his canines. He rarely showed them, even when he smiled, but it was impossible to hide them now.
“Miriam,” he stammered her name. “What are you talking about?”
I heard more flutters, saw shapes land among us. Sebastian’s people, had to be. Anastasia, the second of the clan, came to a soft landing beside Frank. I couldn’t stand the arrogant blonde vampire, but I had other things to worry about.
Like Mom turning on Anastasia with her hands raised, power poised to strike.
“Where did he take my daughter, vampire?”
Anastasia’s magic surged around her, the pure white of it making her glow like a small star.
“Whatever are you talking about?” The blonde had no problem showing us her vampire side. Or her contempt.
Mom wasn’t in the mood. Her power wrapped around Anastasia’s throat while the other vampires surged forward. Uncle Frank held them back, him and the combined power of the coven ready to tear them apart if they threatened Mom.
Things were rapidly getting out of hand.
***
Chapter Sixteen
“Miriam,” Uncle Frank said, voice full of tension but calm at least, “we have no idea what you’re talking about. What happened to Meira?” His concern was real enough and managed to reach Mom.
Mom’s magic flickered white. Then red. Green. Back to blue. I could tell an imminent explosion when I saw one. Anastasia didn’t struggle but her white vampire magic rippled and dimmed the longer Mom held her.
I was inclined to believe Uncle Frank. Still, if he was innocent, where was Sebastian?
I didn’t think, just stepped between them. The hum of Mom’s power buffered me as I inserted my energy between her and the vampire and eased her hold. Anastasia recovered quickly, jerking herself free of my mother’s grip. I gave her credit for staying put. Trouble was, neither backed down, but I did feel a slight easing of the pressure so I was grateful.
That proved they were willing to listen at least.
I turned to the second of the DeWinter blood clan. Anastasia might have been a major bitch but Sebastian trusted her and so did Uncle Frank. She didn’t look at me, eyes never leaving my mother, beautiful face stunning but no match for Sunny.
“Anastasia,” I said, keeping my voice low and soft. Wouldn’t do to raise my volume in the middle of such a volatile situation. “My little sister Meira has been having nightmares. About a man who comes and hovers over her, asks him to join him.”
I could feel Mom’s confusion and the touch of Sassy’s regret. He hadn’t told her either. Or thought much about it. Mom wasn’t listening when I told her about the bad dreams back at the house, but she heard me now.
I plunged on. “Tonight, while she slept, a vampire made it past the family wards, broke into her room, attacked Sassafras and kidnapped Meira.” I could feel the vampire’s growing concern. There was understanding in it, and a level of fear. Not the kind that went with her seeing my mother’s side, but something deeper.
She knew who took my sister.
Before I could say anything, she spoke up. “What did she say about this man? The one who haunted her dreams.”
“That he felt familiar,” I said. “Like she should know him and trust him but not quite.”
A hiss ran through the vampire ranks. Another vampire leaned forward as if to say something to Anastasia, but she silenced him with an upraised hand.
“How did he break the wards?” Her eyes devoured me as if my answers were all that held the clan together. Now I was really worried.
Where was Sebastian? I know Mom must have been wondering the same thing, while a tiny seed of doubt planted itself and began to grow.
“There’s only one way,” I said. “And we all know it.”
The only way he’d made it inside the house was if he was invited in before. This was looking worse and worse.
“Would she have invited him into her room?” Anastasia’s intensity was painful.
“I don’t—“
“Sydlynn.” It was the first time the blonde vampire used my name. She gripped my upper arms and shook me just a little. “If she thought she knew him, would she have let him in?”
I glanced over my shoulder at Mom. She looked very troubled, but nodded.
“If she thought she knew him then yes, she would have.” My sister was far too trusting.
“It would not be totally her fault.” Anastasia stepped back, power surging once before fading away. She met my mother’s eyes. “Miriam,” she said, “I am so very sorry.”
Mom’s magic faded too, enough so her grief started to win. It was as if her elemental energy was all that kept her from falling apart. “You know who took my baby.” I watched tears trickle down Mom’s face. “You know who he is.”
The blonde vampire didn’t say anything.
“Anastasia,” Mom said. “Where is Sebastian?”
The coven gasped out loud, the ripple of it feeding their anger all over again. It was if they only then noticed the absence of the blood clan leader.
“This isn’t what it looks like.” For the first time since I met her, the arrogance left Anastasia and she actually sighed. “We need to talk.”
Mom nodded curtly, body rigid. “Very well.” She turned toward us, back to the vampires as Anastasia snapped her fingers. The male vampire leaned in again. Even his arrogant face creased with worry. “Track him,” she said.
He and the other vampires were gone in a flutter of shadows. All but Uncle Frank and Anastasia.
Mom’s anger returned as they left. “Find my daughter,” she snarled, “no matter her kidnapper. I want her found and in my hands right now.”
The coven scattered. Erica remained a few moments, doing Mom’s job of soothing the more skittish of our family while Celeste stood and watched my mother like a dog eyeing a juicy bone. I glared at the woman so hard she finally turned to meet my eyes.
“I believe you have a job to do,” I said.
Celeste frowned at me, fingers flicking in my direction as if I had no consequence. And yet, with one more look at Mom, she left.
Small miracles.
As soon as we were alone, Mom surged forward. “Tell me what’s going on.”
Anastasia hugged herself, glancing at Uncle Frank who looked confused himself.
“Sebastian is gone,” she said.
“Gone?” Mom stared at her. “Gone where?”
The blonde vampire shrugged and looked away as if uncomfortable admitting she didn’t know. “There have been some… problems with the clan. Since the destruction of Cesard.”
I knew it. Now Uncle Frank looked really troubled.
Mom nodded. “Sebastian told me. Some of the clan had issues with control. He said he dealt with it.”
“He did,” she said. “The only way he could.”
Uncle Frank was beside her, anguish all over his face. “Why didn’t he tell me?”
She didn’t meet his eyes either. “He was certain he could keep it contained.”
Uncle Frank turned to Mom. “This is very bad, Miriam,” he said.
“Worse than him taking Meira?” Mom’s shaking was worse.
“He didn’t take her,” Anastasia said with some heat. “I told you that.”
“But you know who did.” I knew Mom was doing her best to keep it together. I reached out and took her hand, feeling her fingers squeeze mine.
“Yes,” Anastasia said. “And his timing couldn’t be worse. In fact, if I di
dn’t know he had nothing to do with Sebastian’s problem, I’d accuse him of it.”
“You still haven’t told us what happened,” I said.
She shot me a look that told me she wished I hadn’t brought it up again.
“Some of the weaker members of the clan have been showing dark tendencies. The effects of the blood we took from Cesard. The only way to take it from them was for Sebastian to ingest the blood from their bodies.”
Taking it on himself. “He couldn’t just drain it?”
She shook her head. “It has an intelligence,” she whispered, sounding almost afraid. “It hides from us when we try to bleed it out but goes willingly if drunk.”
“So Sebastian’s been taking on the infected blood of others,” Mom said. “How many?”
“A few,” Anastasia said. She was clearly lying.
“How many,” Uncle Frank repeated.
“Most of us.” Her eyes lifted to his. “You and Sunny were spared because neither of you drank from Cesard.”
“But the rest of you did.” He shook his head. “All of them?”
She nodded, face now creased in misery. “At first he seemed fine, stronger than ever even.” I remembered meeting him in the yard, how he seemed to glow and looked fantastic. “But the longer it went on, the darker he became.”
Uncle Frank was nodding. “And his power is leaking,” he said. “The death glow.”
Anastasia didn’t have to say anything. Mom and I had both seen it.
“So now he’s what, Cesard?” I couldn’t believe it.
She shook her head. “No, nothing like that. The actual entity that lived inside the mage is dead. But the blood itself has a life of its own. And it has lived a dark life.”
“What makes you so sure it’s this mystery vampire you’re talking about and not Sebastian who took Meira?” It was a fair question and I was glad Mom asked it so I didn’t have to.
“Because,” Anastasia said, “Sebastian isn’t here. He’s gone. As for the other… we’ve suspected he’s been lurking for some time.”
Uncle Frank looked surprised at that, then concerned.