Ancient Ways by Patti Larsen

Author:Patti Larsen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: young adult fiction, young adult romance, ya fiction, ya romance, ya paranormal romance, young adult paranormal romance, young adult paranormal, ya paranormal, young adult magic, ya magic, ya witches, young adult witches
Publisher: Patti Larsen

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Chapter Twenty One

Home. It felt like a trap to me. Like we were sitting ducks, just waiting for the Brotherhood to show up and take our magic, burn our bodies, crush our bones.

I couldn't let it happen.

Shenka returned from visiting some of the family, only to leave again when a panicked call for support came. Not because we were under attack. But because the family was afraid.

Didn't help I was, too. And they felt it, through me. Felt my rage against Mom, my absolute loss as to what to do from here. Gram huddled in the kitchen, sock feet drawn up on her chair, hugging her knees to her thin chest, glaring into space. Charlotte constantly patrolled the house and yard, a ghost of a girl in and out of wolf form. I'd already warned Galleytrot to keep Liam safely in his cavern, away from any harm that could arise.

I'll watch over him, you know I will. The big dog's power hugged me, his fear as real as mine. But what about you and the family?

We'll manage, I sent. I'm so close to maji, I think I can handle it.

Liar.

Liam tried to reach me too, but I cut him off. I felt his mother in the background and just couldn't take it. Let him keep her wrapped up in Sidhe magic. Let them run through the Gate and save themselves if the time came.

I didn't have that luxury.

When I finally stopped pacing, I spun to find the only person in the house who didn't seem all that worked up making a house out of an old deck of playing cards. Demetrius stacked them with eager precision, humming happily to himself, tongue sticking out the side of his mouth, clamped between his teeth as he focused. Sassafras sat watching, tail thrashing back and forth, amber eyes on fire.

“Demetrius.” He jumped at the sound of my voice, his tower collapsing in a sigh of cards. The sad look he gave me fueled my frustration. “Tell me about this machine.”

Eager puppy returned. “Don't know,” he said. “All crystal, all metal.”

Crystal. Like the one that made Dad's statue an unbreakable diamond and the one in my dresser drawer which saved us from the Brotherhood last time?

“So they’re storing the magic.” I sat at the table next to Gram, caught her head movement as she focused on me. Terrible focus. I wished she'd look away again. “But why?”

Demetrius shrugged, fingers sliding over the cards, dealing them out in an imaginary game, the soft fwap of each one landing on the table almost hypnotic. He snuffled, rubbing the side of his nose against the fresh t-shirt I'd given him to replace the ratty one he'd shown up in.

“Is there a way to retrieve magic from the crystals?” I'd been able to use mine to save Sebastian, to free him from the vampire inside me. Let it out again.

Demetrius's eyes lit up, his dealing silenced as his hands fell still. “Yes,” he said. “Yes, brilliant, have I told you how brilliant and shiny?”

Gram's head whipped around.

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