Unseelie Ties Read online

  “While you're gone,” Mom’s words cut the air, “reconsider your tone and your attitude toward my daughter and her companion. Carefully.”

  Maurice's shock seemed so genuine I had to shake my head.

  “Council Leader,” he said. “I am your personal secretary.”

  “Are,” she said. “At the moment. But these things can change. Now go.”

  He seemed to deflate, paling, hands fluttering before him. Mom stared him down, arms crossed over her chest, cold and imposing until he turned with a small cry and rushed past me, eyes full of tears. I almost applauded. Almost.

  So close.

  Mom sighed when he left, dropping her firm stance, sadness on her face as she came forward and took Charlotte's hands. “Forgive him,” she said. “He's a fool. I would have fired him long ago if he weren't so good at his job.”

  Charlotte's eyes widened, cheeks very pink as she bowed to Mom. “It's no matter,” she mumbled, clearly touched by Mom's defense of her.

  What had she gone through in her life she didn't expect her friends to stand up for her?

  Oh, right. She was raised with the Dumonts who treated her worse than Maurice ever could.

  I squeezed Charlotte's hand, keeping a hold on her as I faced Mom. “Thanks.”

  She shook her head. “I've looked past many things,” she said. “But there is only so much I will tolerate.” Mom's blue eyes darkened before she grimaced, shoulders setting.

  So I'd guessed right. Bad news behind door number one had been the basis for her temper. Whatever she was about to tell me, I wasn't going to like it very much.

  “Just spit it out,” I said. “You know I'll blow up and then we'll deal with it.”

  Mom laughed softly before kissing my cheek. “Syd,” she said. “I love you.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” I said, “I love you too. Now dump it.”

  She nodded once, face set. “We've taken on a special lecturer this semester,” she said. “I just wanted to warn you before you met him again.”

  Okay. “Who is it?” I ran through the various jerktards I'd met over the last few years, stomach knotting.

  Mom hesitated. “You must understand,” she rushed out, “he might have issues with his own people, but he's never been accused of wrong doing against witches.” She winced. “Not officially.”

  This had to be very bad or Mom wouldn't be soft shoeing her way around me.

  “Mom,” I said.

  “I'm sorry, Syd,” she said. “I'm under a great deal of pressure to accept him.” Her eyes pleaded with me. “Don't freak out. Promise me.”

  “No promises,” I said, whole body tense, Charlotte's too, from the grip I still had on her hand.

  Mom turned and headed for her office, gesturing for me to join her. “It's a complicated and delicate situation,” she said, lowering her voice as her hand settled on the doorknob. “Do you understand?”

  I sighed, forcing myself to relax before nodding. “Okay fine,” I whispered as I crowded behind her, not sure I wanted to uncover her mystery guest or not. “No freaking out. But I might swear.”

  Mom was already opening the door and striding inside, so I wasn't sure if she heard me. My eyes swept the large room, over the three leather chairs before her desk, the matching three gray heads turning to smile at me. But it was the tall, silver haired man with the green eyes and silky smile who brought me up short with a gasp.

  Mom needn't have worried I'd freak. I was too shocked, numb and breathless while Shaylee screeched in fury.

  “Your Highness,” Hall Venner said, the Sidhe Unseelie Lord Venemeth bowing at the waist. “It's a pleasure to see you again.”

  ***

  Chapter Three

  It didn't take me long to go from stunned silence to fury. Okay, so Mom was right to worry. So. Right. The last time I'd seen the back end of Venner he'd been trying to kill me. Had almost killed Liam's grandfather, Fergus, forcing us to send the old Gatekeeper through the Gate so the seal could be rebuilt after we failed to answer the knock.

  All so whiny fairy boy here could run home to his Sidhe momma or something equally pathetic.

  Before I could gather myself enough to ask what the bloody hell was going on, a small, slender witch of advanced age stood from the leather chair she'd claimed in front of Mom's desk and smiled at me. Well, kind of smiled. More like barracuda'd. I'd never seen that many teeth in someone's mouth before.

  “Welcome, Coven Leader,” she said in a voice so graveled I was amazed she could speak. “It's a delight to finally meet you.”

  “Sydlynn,” Mom rushed into the conversation with a forced smile of her own and tension in every line of her body, “may I introduce Gertrude Santos, the head of our school's board of governors.”

  So that was the way things were, huh? The other two women, equally as ancient, turned to face me though neither bothered to get up. Tall and lanky hunched into her seat on one side, almost Gertrude's height even sitting, while portly and round, with tiny glasses she couldn't possibly see a thing out of, perched on the other, sausage fingers picking at her lower lip over and over.

  “This is Elegance Faster,” Mom gestured to giant witch. Elegance? Holy. Her mom had a terrible sense of humor. “And Periwinkle Rhodes.” Seriously. What was wrong with witches and naming their kids? Every witch mother needed to be taken out and shaken vigorously.

  My own included.

  I bobbed my head, eyes returning to Venner and his smirk. I hated smirkers. There was just something about the expression that drove me so close to the edge I could barely stand it. And while Quaid was an expert and Ram, my demon friend, could pull off a rather impressive show, Venner had centuries to polish his, elevating his smirk to sparkly shine.

  Oh how I would have loved to rub it in the dirt and see how much stuck.

  “Mom,” I said, not even trying to play nice. “You do know who this is, don't you?”

  Venner actually winked. While smirking.

  He was a dead fairy.

  Before Mom could answer, Gertrude spoke up, thin hands flapping, tiny nose wrinkled as though she smelled something bad. I knew I did. “Lord Venemeth has been completely up front with us about his reasons for being on our plane,” she said, my ears aching from the harshness of her voice.

  “No,” I said, “I'm pretty sure he hasn't. Because if he told you everything, he wouldn't be standing here right now. Not without chains, anyway.” Chains would be a nice touch. I could probably find a way to make some out of the metal in Mom's office.

  Gertrude's little face crumpled in anger, beady eyes flickering to Mom and back again. “We are aware of his attempt to overtake the Gate in your territory.” Why did it sound like she blamed me for the mess he'd almost made? Oh no she did not. “But seeing as his infraction,” oh, just a minor mistake almost setting the whole of the Sidhe free in the streets of Wilding Springs, right, gotcha, “had nothing to do with witches,” she said what? “there is no cause for retribution.”

  “What do you think I am?” I had a temper. I was well aware of the fact. And there were times I let it carry me off when perhaps I shouldn't. But standing there with this pompous, arrogant, hideous old witch telling me all was forgiven for no good reason fired up all of my magic parts until my demon roared her rage. Shaylee shuddered in her fury, her fear of Venner long gone. Even my vampire hissed and squirmed inside me, and she hadn't had contact with him at all. I drew a breath to hold back what I wanted to say before going on. “He attacked me, Governor. I'm a witch, remember?”

  Elegance cleared her throat, a surprisingly squeaky girl voice emerging from her lips. “You were acting as Princess Shaylee,” she said. “And so the attack itself was against the Sidhe, and not other magical beings.” She glanced over her shoulder at Venner, smiling at him. “Which we wouldn't be willing to tolerate.”

  Oh. My. Swearword.

  “It's true, Your Highness,” Venner said in his smooth voice, stabbing Shaylee with each and every velvet word. “I had no idea who y
ou were when we first met. It was you who revealed your additional powers to me in the Gate room.” The bastard. THE BASTARD. “Had I known, I certainly never would have acted the way I did.” My mind scrambled over my memories, hating he was right. “And indeed, when I discovered who you were, I left. Did I not?” One crystal green eye winked again, slowly.

  Not exactly. But damn it. Close enough.

  Damn damn damn damn.

  “I've since reformed,” Venner said, smile widening as he adjusted his perfectly tailored suit, long, silver hair falling over one shoulder. The three governors nodded with him as he stepped around their chairs toward me while I clenched my hands into fists and tried to keep myself from punching him in the guts. “I know now I will never be able to return to the Unseelie court or my home.” So sad. Boo freaking hoo. “And because of that understanding, I've decided to stop fighting my fate and embrace it.” He turned to take Gertrude's hand, bending in a fluid bow over her fingers, pressing his wide, full lips to the wrinkled skin while she simpered.

  Actually simpered. Shaylee's internal gagging noises almost made me laugh.

  Almost.

  “Sidhe teachers are so hard to come by,” Periwinkle finally spoke up, round cheeks pinking as she focused on Venner. “And Lord Venemeth is so knowledgeable.” Yeah. I could just imagine. Gross, ew, thanks for the mental image.

  “You're actually going to give a felon,” I glared at him, not caring what the ladies thought, frankly, “who has been kicked out of his own realm and committed acts of violence against humans tied to the Sidhe access to young witches? As a teacher?”

  They had to be out of their little biddy minds.

  Gertrude's face darkened as Periwinkle gasped and Elegance's large, bulging eyes widened further. Mom's hand on my shoulder was the only thing holding me back.

  “While I understand your concerns,” Mom said, “this meeting is a courtesy.” Please, just trust me, Syd. “I requested you be told in private,” there's more to this than you know. “Because of your history with Lord Venemeth.” She nodded to Venner. “The decision has already been made. My lord, thank you for joining us. Governors.” Mom bowed her head again as the other two witches stood, Elegance towering over her two compatriots while Periwinkle's hips almost knocked over her chair on the way by. “I look forward to attending Lord Venemeth's lectures myself.”

  They knew a dismissal when they heard it. Gertrude led the way with a harrumph and a glare at me, waving one hand at Mom over her shoulder while Elegance bent carefully, shoulders almost brushing the top of the doorway, Periwinkle linking her arm though Venner's on the way out with an outrageous blown kiss he accepted graciously.

  He caught my eye just as he pulled the door closed behind him.

  His sparkled.

  I spun on Mom the moment we were alone, a million swear words on my lips. “You know this is a really bad idea, right? He has something planned.”

  Mom sighed and took her chair, gesturing for me to sit. I couldn't, choosing to pace instead, wondering how I was going to tell Liam the Sidhe who most likely murdered his father, almost killed his grandfather and blackmailed his mother was here on campus.

  “I know,” Mom said.

  “That's helpful,” I shot back. But at least she agreed with me.

  “Syd.” Mom fixed me with her blue eyes, power reaching for me. She felt stronger than ever, the full weight of the Council's magic behind her, but she didn't use it to force me to stop. She just let me feel her and know she stood behind me completely.

  That pulled me up short to stare at her.

  “If you know,” I said. “If you're aware he's no good, why are you letting him into the school at all? Why haven't you had the Enforcers arrest his skinny Sidhe ass?”

  “Because he has the support of the Council majority,” Mom said, so calm and level I actually sank into the first chair, wrapped instantly in the sickening scent of roses Periwinkle wore, sitting forward to avoid it. “And the board of governors. Which makes me wonder how he managed it.”

  My mom was one smart cookie. My temper cooled a little as I rested my elbows on her desk and my chin in my hands. “So now what? Mom, this is nuts.” The thought of him teaching made me want to stand up and pace again.

  “Now,” she said, “you and I attend his lectures.” Sparks of blue magic fell from her fingertips as she gestured to the door, her own anger finally showing. “Between the two of us, we will uncover what he has planned and put an end to it.”

  I found myself grinning. “How did you get so clever?”

  Mom laughed, a deep, rich sound, eyes shining. “I had a good teacher.” Her power hugged me. “Now, will you trust me and help me handle this?”

  Wow. Her offer was a total first. Which meant there was no way I could turn her down.

  “I'm in,” I said.

  ***

  Chapter Four

  The first place I headed after leaving Mom was Liam's dorm. Normally, the Yard housing was only for freshmen. But that was a human rule. For the duration of our stay, witches had our own private floors in each of the brick buildings surrounding the Yard, the same rooms in fact for the entire three years. So I had no trouble tracking back across the grass to Matthew Hall and Liam's room.

  He answered my knock with a smile, as always, though his happy expression faded when he saw the look on my face just before I pushed past him and inside. Charlotte stopped outside the door, closing it behind me, giving us privacy. Not that we needed it, but I could only guess the weregirl had no desire to listen to me rant.

  Neither did I, for that matter. I clenched a firm hold on myself, swearing I wouldn't go nuts on my sweet Sidhe friend, and spun to face him.

  “I just wanted to warn you,” I said. Level voice? Check. Temper in control? Check. Plans for murdering Venner? Checkarooni, yes indeedy doodle.

  Liam's answering frown held concern for me. “Okay. What happened?” He reached for me, drew me against him, hugging me to his broad chest, one hand stroking my hair while the other tucked against the small of my back. Just being in his arms made me feel better as Shaylee sighed and welcomed the touch of her people's magic. “No matter what it is,” Liam said, voice rumbling in my ear, the scent of fabric softener and fresh turned earth all around me, “we can handle it. Right?”

  I nodded, hugging him back. “We can,” I said. Sighed. Relaxed. He was so right.

  Liam leaned away and smiled down at me. “Now hit me,” he said. “What's going on?”

  My fingers clenched around his t-shirt as I bit my lower lip. “There's a new teacher here this year,” I said, struggling with just dumping it on him or easing him into the news.

  Liam's brows came together, eyes flickering away from mine as his large body tensed. “Oh?”

  A terrible and aching understanding flowered inside me. “Yeah,” I said, pulling away from him as Liam ducked his head, sunlight from his window catching the red in his blonde hair. “We both know him.”

  Liam sighed deeply, shoving his hands in his back pockets, shuffling his feet. “Syd,” he said. “I already know Venner is here.”

  Explosion imminent. “And you were planning on filling me in when?”

  His hazel eyes sparked with glints of green as he finally met my gaze. “I didn't know how,” he said. “I knew you'd be upset.”

  He hadn't seen upset. Nope nope. “Well,” I snarled, “I just found out in front of the board of governors and my mother. So thanks for the heads up.” I'd always considered Quaid a bit of a jerkasaurus. Okay, more than a bit, depending on the circumstances. But Liam? No, not my Liam.

  “I'm sorry.” He reached for me, but I batted his hands away. “I really am.”

  Grumble, mumble. “How did you find out?” I was willing to let it go. Fine, whatever. Until he winced and looked away for the second time.

  Tell me I wasn't going to have to kick his butt.

  “Mom told me.” Liam's shoulders slumped as he spoke, hands once again returning to his back pockets.


  Second major shockage of the day. “Your what?” The last time I'd seen Sonja O'Dane, she'd been whisked off against her will when Venner took her and that hideous, despicable woman, Hortense Spaft, with him when his attempt on the Gate failed.

  Ms. Spaft. My old Vice Principal when she wasn’t conniving to steal Sidhe power and take control of the Gate. The Mistress of Detention herself.

  If she was with Venner, she was toast.

  Liam turned from me, sitting on the edge of his bed. “Mom got in touch about two weeks ago,” he said. “When you were on Demonicon for the funeral.” This was what happened when I left the plane? Really? And why hadn't Galleytrot told me? The giant black hound of the Wild Hunt was supposed to keep an eye on Liam, not let him interact with possible risks. “Don't blame Galleytrot,” he said, quashing that particular lecture I'd planned for later. “He doesn't know.”

  I didn't bother telling Liam it was the stupid dog's job to know. And he'd be about as happy as I was Liam was back in contact with his Unseelie mother.

  “Are you crazy?” I wanted to shake him, but he looked so miserable all I could do was stand there and fight the need to shout. “What were you thinking?”

  Liam lifted his head, tears in his eyes. “I know you think I'm weak,” he whispered. “But no matter what happened, Syd, she's still my mother.”

  Ack. Okay. Family loyalty I understood, even misguided loyalty. Deep breath, girlfriend. “When were you going to tell me?”

  He wiped at his eyes, frowning. I could see his back straighten, knew I'd pushed him as far as I could. Liam was sweet and gentle, but he had a breaking point and I guessed his mother was at the top of his “do not push” list.

  And honestly? I was out of line and I knew it. Jeeze. I really had to do an inventory of my temper if my friend had to use anger in return. Get a grip, Syd.

  Liam confirmed what I was thinking. “You've made it pretty clear you don't want to be with me,” he said, long arms hugging himself as he half turned away. “So it's none of your business, is it?”