by Patti Larsen
“I intend to,” I said. “Though I have a feeling she'll be taking care of me more often than not.”
Tallah coughed out a laugh. Rolled her eyes. “Fine, you pair. You're a good match.” Tallah turned to Mom. “I approve the release of my sister to the Hayle coven.”
More damned politics. Mom smiled and nodded. “I'm happy to witness.”
Tallah hesitated before crossing to her sister and hugging her. “I love you. Don't be a stranger.” A tear tracked down Tallah's face before she sniffled and stepped away. Taking the Hensley family magic with her.
Shenka shuddered as the blue power flowed out of her, snapping off at her fingertips as she dropped her hands.
Hurry up, girl, Gram sent, breaking me out of watching mode and into action. Don't make the poor child wait.
Oh. Crap. Right. I reached out to Shenka with the power of the Hayle coven, feeling it welcome her, gliding around her, sliding inside and settling where the Hensley magic had once sat. She smiled at me as I grinned like an idiot.
“Welcome to the family,” I said. “Second Hensley.”
Shenka hugged me, laughing as our power connected along the bonds of the coven, spreading out to the rest of the family who embraced her with magic as I did with my arms.
Finally, Gram sent. Took you long enough.
Smartass grandmother.
***
Chapter Thirty Eight
Well, hello there life. Back to quiet, are we?
We'd just see about that.
I wasn't all that shocked to learn Hortense Spaft escaped custody. But with Ameline still firmly in the clink, I didn't really care what the tall, scary Unseelie woman was up to.
Not while Ameline sent me almost constant messages, asking to see me in person. I refused to read them after a while, accept them at all shortly after that. The poor court pages had their hands full and though one of my scowls sent them scurrying when they continued to try to deliver, Ameline didn't quit.
You’d think I’d be feeling all heroic and confident now that Ameline was behind bars and magic. I just couldn’t muster much past nervous anxiety.
Let her rot in her cell until they burned her alive. I'd be happy to watch.
So much for Quaid and his worry about me and death. He had no idea what I was capable of.
I was a little disappointed Mom decided to pardon Sonja O'Dane, though. I knew she felt sorry for the woman, but having Liam's mother hanging around all the time, doting on him and insisting she spend as much of his free moments alone with him as possible put a definite damper on any attempt we made to see where our mutual love was going.
I started to despise her, honestly. And from the long-suffering looks I caught from Liam, I wasn't the only one annoyed with the whole thing.
I found I was tired of being alone, carrying the burden by myself. Having Shenka next to me, firmly ensconced as my second, really brought that truth home. Almost losing Liam taught me how much I loved him, my immortality be damned. I was ready to have a steady relationship with someone who could give me all of his attention.
Guess I just couldn't catch a break.
At least my free time away from Liam gave me the opportunity to start checking into the Brotherhood. I'd been very lax in the duties Iepa set me. I also dove into learning to understand my maji power, with help. Quaid's, of all people. I liked that it kept us close, friends. I missed him still, in my heart. But at least this way we maintained a relationship. Even if it was only about work.
I was feeling a bit put out by the lack of communication I had with my vampire family, though. I wanted their input on the Brotherhood issue, but any attempt I made to talk to Sunny, Uncle Frank or Sebastian was met with quiet. I nervously mentioned it to Mom, only to have her tell me Sunny and Uncle Frank were very busy with their new clan and Sebastian was likely doing the same.
Still. They could at least check back to say hello once in a while.
Shenka was fitting into the coven just fine. More than fine, really. Even though we were still at school through the week, she took the time every day to contact the family as individuals for little chats. And, on her insistence, though she didn't have to twist my arm, we went home to Wilding Springs every weekend for face-to-face contact.
Oddly, the Lawrence twins, Estelle and Esther, adored her. I wasn't sure why I found that weird, but I did. Maybe it had to do with the fact Shenka wasn't a Hayle until I made her one. The former Purity witches treated her with respect and I even caught them giggling with her once.
Almost died of shock.
The Happerns, our stray demon family, also welcomed her, and she them, insisting they become more involved in coven activities. I just stood back and let her do her job, silently thankful it was hers and not mine.
I sucked at bringing people together. Need a little destruction and mayhem? I'm your girl. But don't ask me to chat over sandwiches and tea.
Shenka was the perfect second.
She was right about Tippy's initial reaction to the fact Shenka had the second job. But after about an hour of sulking, she shrugged and asked to join the family anyway. It took her a little longer to get over the whole Liam thing. But even that didn't faze her.
So I considered it. Looked around at the young witches I hung out with and thought seriously about adding some fresh blood to the family. The idea of a recruitment program crossed my mind, I have to admit, starting with the Kennecott healer twins.
Why did the idea seem to make Mom so nervous?
The second Sassafras returned from Demonicon, he reached for me and firmly scolded me about going to the Sidhe realm before demanding I come get him and bring him to Harvard so he could trounce me in person. A quick trip on the veil had him in my arms while he purred and hugged me back.
I was happy to hear the transfer of power on Demonicon went more smoothly with my grandfather, Dad's father, beside him in Second Seat. Sassafras admitted it was more because Henemordonin was willing to kick butt behind the scenes to keep everyone in line than Dad's leadership skills. As a good Second Seat should. Reminded me of Shenka, only she was making friends, not bashing enemies.
While Sass congratulated me on my choice of seconds, I wondered if Dad was really the right Ruler for the job at all.
Shaylee had happily settled back inside me, but her aggressiveness wasn't easing off. I found it rather amusing, actually, and caught myself laughing at some of her more choice suggestions when Ameline's notes arrived. Tried to arrive.
I think Aoilainn created a monster.
One thing we agreed on, Venner still wasn't to be trusted, even if he said he owed me a debt. But Shaylee's attitude toward the Unseelie king and queen had shifted from horror and disgust to thoughtful contemplation. Nice to see her shedding her old cultural biases.
Considering I figured we'd need Odhran and Niamh's help in the future, that was a very good thing.
If I thought Galleytrot was protective of Liam before, I had another hound of the Wild Hunt coming. Despite the fact he was supposed to be guarding the Gate, I caught him, time and again, lurking in the darkness around campus. When I asked him how he was traveling, he refused to answer. I could only guess Mom was helping him out.
No. Not Mom. Gram. He finally confessed when he was at Harvard watching Liam, she was happily curled up on one of the fancy chairs in the archive of the Gate cavern, Rionach, her Sidhe soul, content to read and rest in the comfort of the Sidhe chamber.
According to Gram, the storm we’d seen in the Sidhe realm was still building, so I wondered if Ameline had anything to do with its creation after all. Or if the reasons behind it were far more sinister, the Brotherhood its cause as I’d suspected.
Funny how Gram knew about the storm. Her excuses about wanting to spend time in the archive, sending Galleytrot along with a big smile, might have made me nervous if I didn’t trust her to protect the Gate. I fully suspected she and Fergus, still with his fragment of Cian’s soul able to access the Gate, had their little visits.
Despite the unhappiness of the board of governors trio at my outright rebellion concerning Ameline, no one came to arrest me. So I counted it a win and moved on, though I knew I had to be careful from now on. No way was I ending up in a cell matching Ameline's.
That would just make her day.
And school? Really? Really. Seemed like every time the world threatened to implode, I had school to worry about after it was all over. Oh well. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing after all.
Quiet and boredom would tide me over.
Until everything went to hell again.
###
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Find more at www.pattilarsen.com
***
Coming in March, 2013
The next installment in Syd’s saga
Ancient Ways
Book Fifteen of the Hayle Coven Novels
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I’m sorry I don’t have the first chapter ready. I’m hard at work on Pins and Needles, the first book in the Blunt House Series, for Gryffynperch Books. But maybe this little synopsis will give you the insight you’re looking for…
***
Second year is finally over and Syd is happily back at home in Wilding Springs. Her new love with Liam has yet to be explored very far, thanks to his meddling and over-protective mother, and Syd is beginning to lose patience with the whole thing. But when a desperate call for help comes from an unlikely place, Syd finds herself once again charging into danger, a danger that puts every single witch at risk.
Look for Ancient Ways the end of March, 2013.
Happy reading!