by Patti Larsen
Queen of Darkness
Book Twelve of the Hayle Coven Novels
Patti Larsen
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2012 by Patti Larsen
Find out more about Patti Larsen at
http://www.pattilarsen.com/
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
***
Cover art (copyright) by Valerie Bellamy. All rights reserved.
http://dog-earbookdesign.com
Edited by Annetta Ribken, freelance Goddess. You can find her at-http://www.wordwebbing.com/
***
Chapter One
The giant wave crashed over my head about a second after I turned to see it coming. Blue water closed around me. The fading sun shone through, dispersing as I went deeper, shoved down to thud against the sandy bottom as inertia took over. My lungs spasmed, body begging for air I hadn't had time to draw before going under. The brightly-painted surfboard rocketed to the surface without me, tether line jerking on my ankle. My body tried to figure out which way was up while the foaming rush of water drove me down and rolled me forward, headfirst into the gritty bottom.
I suppose I should have panicked, considering. Anyone else would have, I'm sure of it. But even in that moment of mortal terror, my logical mind shrugged.
Immortality had its benefits.
My demon wasn’t quite so calm about the whole thing. She started to shriek the moment we went under, clawing for freedom while Shaylee screamed at me in counterpoint. I barely had time to catch myself as I began to flip butt over end before my demon shredded the edge of the veil and threw us all into it.
Sometimes sharing my body with three other consciousnesses was a bit of a pain in the ass.
I hit the dry beach hard as my demon dropped us free only feet from the surf, coughing up the bit of water I'd managed to inhale. The sound of screaming, yeah, I was familiar with screaming, headed my way, my name being called in panic.
Strong hands grasped me and flipped me over. A pair of arctic blue eyes fading from human to wolf staring into mine told me I was in a world of trouble. Charlotte growled softly under her breath, my ever-faithful bodywere recovering from yet another freak out I caused her.
Hardly my fault. Surfing had been Sashenka's idea.
My college roommate and best friend fell to her knees beside me, concern clear on her face as she reached for me around Charlotte, even when the weregirl snapped at Sashenka with her teeth as a warning to stay back. I pushed Charlotte aside and sat up, spluttering out a mouthful of sand, looking down in disgust. What a mess.
“I'm fine,” I said.
Seriously, how embarrassing. Sashenka's surfer friends had come to crowd around and check on me too. And while I really wasn't interested in any of the guys, my love life about as complicated as I was willing to have it, it still kicked my ego hard in the soft place knowing how much of an idiot I'd made of myself.
No more surfing. My demon chuffed her full agreement.
The gang backed off with cheery comments: “Great ride, Sydilicious!”, “Watch those big ones, Syderino!”, before running off to leap once more into the brink of yet another gigantic wave.
I tried all week to learn to surf, and though I'd even thrown in a little water magic as a cheat, I just had to admit there wasn't an athletic bone in my body. Outside soccer. And I'd given it up years ago.
Sashenka stayed with me, her hand lifting the severed tether, surfboard nowhere to be seen. “Tallah's going to kill you,” she grinned. “That was her favorite board.”
I grinned back, wiping at the abrasive sand covering most of my body. “Good thing I'm immortal then, huh?”
Charlotte was not taking this well. “That's no excuse to pull a stupid stunt,” she snarled. Her accent was stronger than normal, a sure sign she was losing her temper.
“I didn't purposely try to drown, Charlotte,” I said. “The wave just took me by surprise.”
Her eyes narrowed, the wolf in them restless and full of anxiety. “You might be immortal, but if you are hurt doing something like this again, I'll kill you myself.” She stood and stalked off, grumbling and muttering to herself in her native language. Had to be swearwords.
Had to be.
I sent Sashenka off to keep surfing, taking a quick dip to clean off the sand before lying back in the dying daylight to watch the others ride the waves. I wasn't sure why, but as I did I thought of Trill and Owen. The Zornovs had been gone about two months with no word from them. I knew they had their own destinies to deal with, and Trill was hopefully busy building a maji army now we knew the Brotherhood was planning a world and plane-wide takeover. I still worried about them.
All alone.
There was a time when family didn't mean much to me, my desire to get out of the witch lifestyle and leave it all behind the driving force in my life. But since I'd regained control and taken over half-leadership of the coven, family meant more to me than I expected. And now I knew I was immortal, thanks to my demon blood, the Sidhe princess and vampire essence living inside me, being part of something bigger was even more important.
I didn't even want to think about what Trill said, how I was evolving into maji—not just one of the blood line, but an actual maji like the meddling Iepa—nor consider what being a creator would mean. Hard enough knowing I'd outlive every person I loved. Well, almost. I had a few undead and demon family members who shared my longevity. And yet, I couldn't help but worry about them, too.
They were long lived, yes. But I was immortal. Never grow old, never die.
Ever.
Shudder.
Made me want to curl up under the covers sometimes and hide from the world. Or hug my family so close to me they'd never be free. The truth was so big, the reality of it so overwhelming. I just couldn't deal.
So I shoved it down, smothered it in a healthy dose of denial and pretended nothing changed even though I knew everything had.
Besides, most people would kill to have what I did. And here I was, complaining? Maybe if being immortal came with a quiet, peaceful lifestyle, I'd be less anxious. But mine tended to the “nothing, nothing, nothing, save the world before it explodes, nothing” variety.
Sashenka and Charlotte finally returned, the Hensley second carrying her board, my bodywere lugging the one I'd lost in the surf.
“Saved by the werewolf,” Sashenka grinned, bumping shoulders with Charlotte who looked startled at the contact. “Tallah will forgive you now.”
I climbed to my feet, grinning at the weregirl. Not very often did someone catch her off guard. “Thanks for saving me,” I said with a perfectly straight face.
Sashenka had to go and ruin it by giggling.
Charlotte shoved the board into my arms and snarled, stalking up the beach to the house, body tense, her motions jerky and abrupt, a far cry from her normal flowing walk.
“I didn't mean to make her angry.” Sashenka and her empathy. I winked and hefted the board, following Charlotte's path with my best friend beside me.
“Trust me,” I said, “she's having fun. She gets to punish me for all of this later.”
Sashenka's laughter shattered the last of my pensive mood and, waving together at her friends, we headed home.
***
Chapter Two
A quick shower later and I settled in a deck chair
next to the Hensley's pool, the last of the sun sinking into the ocean. As much as I sucked at surfing, I loved the West coast. I'd had to wrangle some concessions out of my vampire core, convincing her to allow me time in the sun. She'd finally caved somewhat, agreeing to most of the morning and from late afternoon on, though she just couldn't bear the heat and full sunlight of midday of the California summer.
Fair enough. I could compromise. Honest.
I even managed a little bit of a tan, amazing. Being part vampire had its uses, even better since I wasn't tied completely to the whole turn to ash in the sun lifestyle. But the thought of going through the rest of eternity without a tan actually made me a little weepy.
Vanity, thy name is Syd.
Sashenka sank into the deck chair beside me with a huge grin, her wet hair in a rough bun at the nape of her neck, dark skin shining in the sunset. “These past two weeks went by so fast.” She reached out and took my hand. “I had so much fun, Syd.”
Me too. “I can't believe you liked Wilding Springs,” I said. She'd come to my place first, spending time in the nuthouse. Willingly. Brave girl. “With a place like this to live?” I drew a deep breath. Yup, could get used to it.
Too bad I was tied to the Wild Hunt in my back yard and could never leave Wilding Springs, our coven magic linked to it until the end of days.
Way to bum yourself out, idiot.
Sashenka rolled her eyes. “Trust me, this place can get old fast.”
Right. The clubs and the parties and the food and the endless summer. Compared to humdrum, boring, oh my swearword we're going to die, yawnfest. And cold. I shivered in the sun at the memory of snow.
Just seemed like sacrilege to even consider going home.
Sashenka sighed and stared into the red horizon. “I was happy to have you here,” she said. “But even more so to see where you live.” She flashed her very white teeth in a smile. “Your family is so amazing. And it was nice to see Liam.” She flushed a little. “Not like that or anything.”
Oh dear.
“It's cool,” I said. “We're not together.” So why did saying it make my stomach clench into a knot of "hell no she couldn't have him"? “Remember?”
She nodded a little, biting her lower lip. “I still don't get it,” she sniffed. “He's so... you know. And Quaid is such a...” She thumped both hands down on the arms of her chair. I had, naturally, in a fit of poor me, told her everything that happened between Quaid and I between moment one and the present ignoring of each other.
“Yeah,” I said, thinking of his little friend Payten and her big rack and how I'd love to hurt her. Just a little. “Whatever.”
“On the other hand,” she cast me a wicked look, “how about that Sebastian? I know he's a vampire and all but, yowza. I was happy to lay my eyes on him again.”
I snorted, my turn to blush. Sashenka and I had both been present when he'd addressed the Council during Mom's trial, his deliciously sexy body covered, if you could call it that, in the barest of fabric scraps.
I still had naughty dreams about him.
Giggling like a little kid, I kicked her chair as she waggled her eyebrows at me.
“Stop,” I choked. “I can't breathe.”
She rolled sideways, smiling at me, hand under her cheek. “You just have so much cool stuff at home,” she said. Followed my eyes as they swept over the ocean stretched out before us. “Yes, I know,” she said. “I'm very lucky. But you have the Wild under your yard,” thanks for the reminder, “a hound, a demon cat,” true, very true, “a sweet younger sister who is half demon,” I missed Meira with a sudden pang of pain when Sashenka brought her up, “a Sidhe cavern full of amazing books,” not mine, but I got her point, “a vampire and witch family, the most amazing of all is your grandmother, Ethpeal.” Sigh. Gram. “A whole demon plane to explore when you decide to go back.” Not going to happen willingly, but whatever. “And,” she poked my foot with one finger, “a maji historical archive to dig around in.”
When she put it that way, I felt homesick. “Thanks,” I said. “You're right.”
She shrugged, looked away again, face falling from a smile to sadness. “I don't mean to be ungrateful either,” she said, volume of her voice dropping as she went on. “I guess I'm just restless.”
Hmmm. “What do you mean?” Was it wrong my mind went immediately to Gram and her insistence I find a second? She'd been badgering me lately, saying she wanted to pass on the family magic sooner rather than later, so she could have some kind of retirement. And don't get me wrong, she'd absolutely earned one. But even if I could bear the thought of not having her right there with me all the time, there was no one in my coven I felt comfortable having as a second.
And don't think Sashenka hadn't crossed my mind as a candidate once I realized I had to look outside the family. But she was already filling the role for her sister, Tallah. Off limits, in my opinion.
Nothing mattered more than family.
“I've never lived anywhere but here.” Sashenka spread her arms. “We've never had to leave, isn't that weird?”
I guess. I'd moved about a million times in my childhood thanks to some magical indiscretion forcing us to pack up and take off in the middle of the night. More for the protection of the normals around us than because of any risk to the family.
“California.” Sashenka grinned, the light coming back into her face. “Everybody is so into themselves here, no one notices a little weirdness.” She paused. “I wish I could go home with you.”
“Me too.” Though I really wished I could stay. But I had to go back, to prepare for school in a few weeks, but more so to get ready for Uncle Frank and Sunny's wedding. The vampire pair were so excited, and Sunny chose me as her maid of honor.
No way I was missing it.
“You could come back with me,” I said, but Sashenka shook her head even as I spoke.
“It's cool,” she said. “I'll see you at school anyway.”
“Are you having trouble with Tallah?” I didn't want to ask. It wasn't my business. And it could have been seen as interference in another coven. Big no-no. But Sashenka didn't take it the wrong way, like I knew she wouldn't.
“It's not that.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I would just like to get out there on my own for once. School's been a bad influence.” Sashenka squeezed my hand. “And so have you. I'm seeing there's more to life than being my sister's second.”
“You want to lead a coven?” I knew it happened, how some witches broke free of their families for various reasons to start their own little communities. But Sashenka's snort told me I was off base.
“Not,” she laughed. “But I don't know if I want to be in Tallah's shadow the rest of my life, either. Not when it feels like I'm her choice out of duty.”
Don't do it, Syd. Don't. Do. It.
Ah, crap.
“Speaking of which,” I said, all casual like. “Gram's been after me to choose a second of my own. In prep for her handing over the rest of the family magic.”
Sashenka met my eyes, hers full of questions. “Really,” she said.
“Yup.” I was going to hell. No way I could break up a happy family.
No way.
The glitter in Sashenka's eyes did amazing things to my resolve. And maybe we would have said or planned things we shouldn't have, if we'd been left to do so.
Fortunately—I think—we were interrupted. Tallah strode out into the cooling evening with a big smile, her power preceding her as she crashed our little party.
“You girls have fun?” Only a few years older, but already a force to be reckoned with, Tallah was my only real friend among the other coven leaders. Guilt drove me to my feet and to hug her.
“Had a great day,” I said, smiled as I pulled away. “And an amazing vacation. Thank you for having me.”
Her answering smile was open, honest. “Our pleasure, Syd,” she said, holding out her hand to Sashenka. My bestie took it, coming to stand next to her sister, head down, shoulder
s a little slumped. “Any time. Right, Shenka?” Tallah hugged her with one arm, apparently unaware of how Sashenka's mood shifted.
Then again, Sashenka always acted the same way around Tallah. So maybe the older Hensley had no idea. And I wasn’t in any position just yet to make a formal request. If Sashenka even considered joining my coven as a possibility.
Charlotte appeared over Tallah's shoulder, motioned for me.
Right. Time to go. I hugged both of my friends again and turned to pick up a bag. Which Charlotte immediately liberated. I reached for another, only to have it pulled from my grasp. Who were we, the Two Stooges? I rolled my eyes at her before hugging Sashenka again on impulse.
Whispered in her ear. “We'll talk at school.”
Her eyes lit up and she grinned like I'd given her a gift.
Definitely going to hell.
***
Chapter Three
The edge of the park was wreathed in night when Charlotte and I stepped out of the veil on the other side of the family wards. One look around at the dark houses on my street and I groaned. It was three hours later here, well after midnight.
Time zones sucked.
That meant everyone was sleeping. I'd have to save hugs and hellos and gift giving for the morning. It also meant, to be fair, we had to be quiet going in. Hard to do when my family magic yearned for the center of my coven's power, Shaylee sinking herself into the ground to check on Gwynn and the Wild while my demon yammered to see Meira and Sassafras. At least my vampire, as quiet and calm as ever, didn't prod me.
I appreciated her for her stoic nature. At least one of us had her head screwed on straight.
Charlotte held the door for me, winding her way down the hall and up the stairs without a backward look. Leaving me to have a heart-to-heart with the fluffy silver Persian waiting for me at the back door. Sassafras stood up on his hind legs, front paws on my thigh. I immediately obliged his request for up and lifted him into my arms. I snuggled him against me, inhaling the scent of his soft fur while he purred in my ear so loudly I expected Gram's door to slam open any second. I hurried past her room and to the stairs, avoiding the creaky step. I really needed to fix it. All it would take was a touch of magic, but I was so used to the step now, avoiding it seemed easier than repair.