Unseelie Ties Read online

  “Rough day?” Quaid's deep, rumbling voice vibrated between us.

  I’d missed his voice. His magic. The power of his embrace. The way his body felt when we—

  Oh, Syd.

  I shook off the sadness rising at what could have been and answered him. “You could say that,” I said. “You too?”

  He shrugged, resting his cheek on my hair. “Yes,” he said. “And no.”

  It had been so long since I'd just sat in a comfortable silence, I actually felt a little angry when he spoke again.

  “So what's up?” His thumb gently rubbed the back of my hand, arm tightening around my shoulder.

  Yeah, like I was falling for the trap that would lead to his inevitable judging. “Nothing I can't handle,” I said, more sharply than I intended. But he hadn't had my back in the past, not the recent past, anyway. And I wasn't in the mood to hear him pontificate about how much of a screw up he thought I was.

  Instead of the jab about being a trouble magnet I expected, Quaid sighed. “I'm sorry, you know,” he said into my hair. “About how many times I’ve doubted you.”

  This was new. “You should be.” Nice, Syd.

  Quaid's chuckle made my demon purr and stretch her power toward him. I shut her down. No way was I ending up in his bed just because she thought he was being nice.

  For once.

  “Just tell me,” he said. “I swear I won't say a word.”

  Against my better judgment, knowing I was making a colossal mistake and would end up calling him all kinds of mean names in my head and likely out loud because of it, I dumped my worries on him. All of them. About Ameline, Venner, Liam, Sonja. Ms. Spaft. All of it. Quaid was good to his word, keeping his damned mouth shut until I wound down with Mom's warning.

  And my own fear for the coven, whispered in the dark.

  “What if I ruin it for the family, Quaid?” I met his eyes at last, tears welling, but not embarrassed by them. “I've never had a choice, have I? But maybe I have.” I sniffed, wiped at the moist track down my cheek. “Maybe you've been right all along and if I hadn't butted my nose in, none of this would have happened.”

  Quaid let out a gusty sigh and turned his body toward me, releasing his hold so he could grip my upper arms and shake me, ever so gently. “Syd,” he said. “Stop being an idiot.”

  I tried to pull away, but he was too strong, enfolding me in his arms, pressing me against his broad chest, the scent of him all rich and lovely filling my world until I just let him hold me.

  “You're the bravest person I've ever met,” he said, shocking me right down to the tips of my toes. “And I promise you, no matter what happens, if you need me, for anything, you just ask. And I'll be there.”

  Big words. “Until you can't be,” I said.

  He was silent a moment before he spoke again, voice thick with emotion. “Of all the things I regret most in my life,” he said, “saying no to you is the worst.” I wasn't about to encourage him, but then again, this supportive Quaid disarmed me enough I stayed where I was and listened. “I've seen things, Syd,” he went on, words dropping low and quiet in the darkness, “things I can't even describe.” His chuckle warmed me, sent zinging sparks through my blood. “I've even made my own trouble a few times.” Hot lips found my temple, the heat of his breath adding to the thrill of fire coursing all over me. “I will never let anything slide again.” More sadness. He was running the gamut of emotions with me tonight.

  “Thank you,” I whispered. Cleared my throat. Tried again. “I'm really worried about Liam.”

  Quaid's whole body tensed and he half pushed me away before his head dropped, shoulders slumping under his black robe. Way to ruin the connection, Hayle. “I know,” he said, yet another surprise from Mr. Sarcasm. “And from the sounds of things, you should be. Have you told your mother?”

  “I don't have any proof, remember? Just a mysterious note. I know it’s from her. But that ‘A’ could be interpreted otherwise.” I missed Quaid’s warmth as he turned away, gaze lost in the distance.

  “Then we’ll find some.” He turned back, smiled, a real smile, not the smirk I always wanted to wipe from his handsome face.

  I have no idea why I brought her up. Except maybe with Liam hanging between us, it reminded me. “How's Payten?” I said it softly, gently even, but my mention of his tawny-haired “friend” made him frown.

  “I don't know,” he said. “We're not together. And I've been away on assignment.”

  I wondered how long the situation would last, now that he was back.

  My question finally shattered the last of our togetherness. Quaid stood, offered his hands and I accepted them, feeling a bit better at least, if guilty for wrecking a perfectly good moment. We had so few of those, he and I.

  I felt him hesitate before he bent over me, lips brushing across mine. I could have had more. Could have gone with him back to his room, spent the night with him, allowed my demon to have her way. But I wasn't that kind of girl and the agreement we'd had, to just love each other, felt thin and cold there in the darkness.

  “Keep me posted,” he whispered over my lips before leaving me, disappearing into the Yard, while I hugged myself and wondered if I'd ever allow myself to get over him.

  ***

  Chapter Nine

  Shenka wasn't even in our room when I arrived home and didn't show up until long after I went to bed. I almost confronted her on her cone of silence, but just didn't have the energy.

  Drama. Jeeze, did I hate drama.

  Instead, I lay in bed and focused on the next morning and my alternating worry about something diabolical happening during Venner’s lecture and the fear I was overreacting, after all, and putting Mom and Quaid on edge for no good reason.

  All I had to do was think about the note Ameline sent and I swayed back to the diabolical.

  What had she meant? That she knew about Liam? It was the second time she'd said it, once in person, now in a note. Knew what? I assumed she was aware he was the Gatekeeper. Kind of hard to keep that little tidbit a secret, honestly. And if she was in contact with Venner, even more so. What was it she knew I didn't—or wasn't taking seriously enough?

  Fretting never suited me but I couldn't seem to avoid it.

  The fact Ameline was working with Venner, or more likely, he was working for her, only made things worse. Even if Venner wasn’t up to something, even if I’d horribly misjudged him, there was no way Ameline’s involvement spelled anything but trouble.

  And while I lay there and told myself I had to alert Mom about this new development, there was no proof.

  No. Proof. A note signed with a single letter “A” only I could identify as Ameline. I could have put Charlotte’s nose, the fact she didn’t smell a thing, an impossibility only tied to Ameline, but she was a werewolf. Not a witch. And the lack of a scent wasn’t much in the way of concrete evidence anyway.

  How much did this politics stuff suck?

  Another night with little sleep left me grumpy and out of sorts, but at least Shenka fled early yet again and saved me the effort to be nice to her despite her frigid treatment of me. I grumbled out loud around my toothbrush at my reflection in the mirror, but the conversation got me nowhere except in a fouler mood.

  Peachy.

  I avoided breakfast, not wanting to go through the whole Tippy and Liam scene again, instead stopping at the on-campus cafe for a banana and a bran muffin, eating my cold and tasteless meal alone while my mind churned around the possibilities. If I wasn't going to be able to act, things could get very bad, very quickly. And though I knew I had to do something if the need arose, would I now hesitate, flinch, thinking about Mom and her warning?

  Would it blunt my edge? Because in a lot of cases, my edge was all I had to keep me alive.

  I really needed to find a new hobby besides giving myself an ulcer over things I couldn't control.

  Coven Hall buzzed with excitement as I entered, only one door open and available for entry. The massive lecture theat
er on the other side looked familiar, in that it shared the same décor as every other classroom on witch campus, but was three times the size of what I was used to. The little trick Coven Hall used to only allow students into their assigned classes seemed to be able to alter the size and shape of the rooms themselves.

  I spotted Liam and Tippy, Shenka huddled next to them, near the middle of the room. Nicci looked up and waved, but I just couldn't bring myself to sit with them. I waved back, wondering how I could avoid them without hurting more feelings when I spotted a familiar face three rows back, dark brown gaze fixed on me. I pointed at Quaid so Nicci would understand and saw her turn, spot him, then roll her eyes at me with a wink. Let her think what she wanted. All of my friends heard some version of my Quaid saga, so she was well aware I still waffled when it came to him.

  Let Liam choke on it.

  Syd. Bad, Syd. Bad.

  I spotted Mom as I slid through the row toward Quaid. She sat at the front with the rest of the Council and the three board of governors members I'd met. I flopped into my seat just as Tippy pointed back over her shoulder. Liam turned around and spotted me. My first thought was how pale he seemed, cheeks hollowed out, bags under his eyes. My second was irritation at the flash of jealousy passing over his face.

  He did not get to be jealous. No. Freaking. Way.

  It didn't help matters Quaid grinned, waving at his rival. Seriously? Children, both of them. I jabbed handsome and jerkly in the ribs as Liam turned back around with a surly look on his face.

  “If you don't mind,” I snapped. “Can you focus, please?”

  “Just having some fun.” Quaid's smirk had made a comeback.

  Fun. Holy. “Grow up,” I said. “Or get lost.”

  He must have known I meant it. I was so tired of the pair of them battling over something neither of them could have, the way they were acting. Not without my permission, anyway.

  “You're right,” Quaid said, sitting back. “Sorry. He just makes me...”

  “What?” I dumped my backpack on the floor, still zipped, not even thinking about taking notes. Shaylee knew more about the Sidhe than poser Venner could ever dream.

  Her thought. Not mine.

  My Seelie princess had an attitude. Surprise, surprise.

  The place filled quickly, almost every seat taken, the full complement of students chattering in excitement as the door finally swung shut. I wondered, looking around me at the innocent faces, the rim of Enforcers lining the hall, if any of them had any idea just how dangerous their new teacher really was.

  Or that he worked for someone worse.

  I almost missed the grand entrance, and trust me, missing it would have taken some doing. Venner swept into the center of the lecture space in a rush of green fire, perfectly tailored charcoal suit a stunning counterpoint to his shining silver hair and milk-white complexion. Ms. Spaft appeared at his right hand to the gasps of most of the watching students. Did Mom's shoulders twitch at the pompous showmanship? Or did I imagine it?

  I knew her better than that. Mine jerked in answer.

  “Students,” Venner began, his voice velvet and mist, power rumbling through the floor in a soft vibration of earth magic, “board of governors,” he bowed to the three ladies and several more, all of whom waved to him, “and High Council,” again with the sweeping bend at the waist. Mom didn't move. “I thank you for this invitation to guest lecture at the revered and honored Coven Hall.”

  Perfect mix of arrogance and humility. He had them eating out of his slim-fingered hands.

  I have no idea what Ms. Spaft's role was. Not with Venner launching into a grandiose speech about his people and the goals of the lecture series. I really didn’t pay attention to a word he said. Shaylee did, better believe it, and I had to snap at her on occasion over the next ninety minutes so I could focus. Hard to do while she snarled and snorted and called him names.

  His power continued to embrace the whole hall, but that was it. At least as far as I could tell. It just sat there in a pool beneath us, humming.

  Anything? Quaid's mental voice broke my concentration.

  Nothing. Grumpy Syd was grumpy. There had to be something. Some proof. Some plan.

  Just stay focused, Quaid sent, which triggered an internal tirade he really didn't want to hear.

  Really, really.

  It wasn't until the final moments of the lecture Shaylee stopped swearing and judging and started paying attention. And when she did, I felt what I'd missed without her. The power beneath us wasn't dormant. Not precisely. Ever so subtle, it radiated outward, a soft kiss of magic, touching each and every soul in the room.

  My eyes widened as I looked around and caught traces of green Sidhe power. The barest hints here and there, but not everywhere. Just around certain students and faculty.

  Do you see that? I jabbed Quaid's mind.

  What? He looked around quickly. What are you seeing?

  He's doing something with his magic, I sent back as my soul crowed. Finally, proof! But of what? The green tendrils didn't damage anyone they touched, just softly explored their surface. It wasn't until Shaylee's touch drifted over the closest of Venner's victims I understood what was going on.

  I could see it because of Shaylee. Because, like me, like her, the dozen or so souls in the hall who Venner's power tracked had Sidhe blood, too. It was confirmed to me when a rope of magic slid up Liam's back and stroked his hair before falling away.

  I had no idea why Venner needed to track Sidhe carriers at my school. But no way was it for good reasons.

  He's locating those with Sidhe blood, I sent, stomach cramping with nerves.

  Why? Quaid tensed beside me. What good will that do him?

  I don't know, I sent, but I'm about to show him it's a very bad idea.

  Shaylee didn't wait for me. She snaked her power down the rows to the source of the explorations and cut Venner's magic off like she turned off a faucet.

  Everyone jumped when the hum of earth magic ended abruptly. Venner met my eyes, smiled at me even from the distance and bowed to my mother just as the ending chime sounded.

  “And that,” he said, “is our lesson for today.”

  Just what had he learned?

  ***

  Chapter Ten

  I stayed in my seat, Quaid next to me, fuming while Venner shook hands with the board of governors and the Council. I noted Mom was the only exception, as she carefully dodged his outstretched hand with a diplomatic smile, moving another witch forward to take her place in a smooth but obvious snub.

  There were times Mom and I didn't get along, and times I wished I was more like her.

  Guess which this was.

  I was less surprised than I should have been to spot Sonja standing just inside the now-open door, small next to the hulking Enforcers in their black robes. Liam spotted her about the same time I did and left Tippy to hurry through the departing crowd to hug his mother. I left my row more slowly, doing my best to keep an eye on Venner, Spaft and Sonja all at once while Quaid stayed close behind me, his scent and the heat of his body where he brushed against me a sizzling distraction.

  Hormones? Really? At a time like this.

  Classy.

  I paused at the edge of the seats while Quaid passed me. Stopped. Bent and kissed me with such deliberation I didn't really enjoy it, knowing he had motive.

  Okay, I enjoyed it. But I still wasn't happy about it when he pulled away.

  “I have a trainee meeting,” he said, hovering over my lips, rumbling voice cutting through me despite the raised level of noise as the student body trundled off. “But I'll see you later?” His voice caught at the end. As if he wasn't sure he was welcome.

  Well, Syd? Was he?

  If my demon had her way, that would be a hell, yeah. But I had other things to consider. Like my immortality. And his uncanny knack for abandoning me. And yet, it was Quaid, and my heart, my traitor of a heart, refused to let him go.

  “Okay,” I said, squeezing his hand,
my lips smiling even as I fought to stay calm and level and not freak out over the attention he offered.

  Lost.

  Quaid's answering grin warmed me before he kissed me ever so gently one more time and spun, marching off.

  I barely had time to sigh out the breath we'd shared when Liam appeared at my side, towering over me, a scowling, strawberry blonde cloud of doom.

  “What did he want?” Liam jerked one thumb in Quaid's departing direction. Like Liam hadn't just spent the last day or so flirting with Tippy. And hadn't given me the brush-off.

  Sizzling desire for Quaid turned to snapping temper in a flash. “Nothing,” I snapped. Lied. Knowing Quaid wanted a whole lot of something I wasn't sure I was willing to give anymore.

  Liam's jealousy raised bright pink points on his cheeks, showing like blows on his pale face. His freckles stood out so much they almost seemed to float over his transparent flesh. He opened his mouth to argue with me only to catch himself with a coughing fit. My temper cooled immediately, worry for him pushing me forward to pat his back while he grasped my shoulder for balance, his other fist over his mouth.

  Sonja appeared, looking as worried as I was, taking his free arm when he dropped his hand.

  “We need to get you to bed,” she said, Mom authority undeniable. There was no sign of the nervousness she showed me yesterday, all smooth and under control again. “You've caught a terrible bug, sweetie.”

  I reached for him with my magic, to offer healing, but this time it was Sonja's power holding me off. Her eyes met mine, a frown bending her mouth.

  “I can take care of him,” she said, as if I'd insulted her. Sonja then smiled kindly up at her tall son as he sighed and rubbed his forehead with one hand. “Come on, baby,” she said. “Some of Mom's soup and some sleep will fix you up.”

  Soup? Was she kidding? The boy needed healing magic. Then again, it was just the flu. Stupid flu.

  “Thank you for your concern, Syd,” Sonja said over her shoulder, “but taking care of Liam is my responsibility now.”