Lahat ng Kabanata ng Hayle Coven Novels: Kabanata 681 - Kabanata 690

Home. Wilding Springs had never looked so amazing. Early daylight embraced me as I stepped out of the veil and into the dawn-lit kitchen. It only took a second for Shenka to come running, Sassafras bounding at her side, his furry body leaping into my arms as she hugged him between us.A cup of coffee at the table later and the pair were sitting back with headshakes and snarky comments about troublemakers.It was actually kind of funny."Who knew Sydlynn Hayle aspired to be Creator." Sass swiped his tongue over one paw before rubbing his nose, amber eyes sparkling with mischief."Oh dear," Shenka said, clasping her hands in front of her chest. "I forgot we have greatness among us." She slid to one knee at my side, looking up at me with fake adoration while trying to keep a straight face.I was surrounded by smarty-pants.I swatted at her, giggling while Sassafras laughed."Pick on me all you want," I said. "But it was pretty cool."Shenka relented, taking her seat to squeeze my

I sat on the edge of Liam's bed, trying to study, failing miserably. He lay beside me, one hand stroking my leg as he read from a textbook. He hadn't pushed me for much information about what I was now calling The Charlotte Incident, and I was grateful. Partially because whenever I thought about my werefriend I either started to cry and couldn't stop or I thought about Piers.Way worse. Especially considering the company I kept.Liam finally closed his book over and tried to pull me down beside him. My whole body resisted, to the point I shut my laptop lid and stood up to avoid him.The hurt look on his face was almost too much."What's wrong?" Green glittered in hazel."Nothing." I was a record scratched so deep I couldn't come up with another answer to his almost constant question."Syd," he said. "You keep saying there's nothing wrong. But you haven't been yourself since you got back from the Ukraine."Sigh. "I just have a lot on my mind." Wow, nice line, Hayle. Oh, and don't

And life, as complicated as it was, went on.And on.The Steam Union never did uncover Vasyl, so I figured he'd show up again when I least expected. Because, yeah. That was the way things rolled for me.Piers went to great lengths to keep me up to date on the trial of the Black Souls and the continuing Vasyl hunt, though, so he had lots of opportunities to just show up and make himself available. With lots of suggestive comments and kissing thrown in for good measure.At least I'd managed to keep him from running into Liam. So far. Wasn't looking forward to that disaster if it ever happened.I'd seen jealous Liam before, and it wasn't a performance I wanted him to repeat.The worst part was I knew I could send Piers away at any time. But I didn't want to. And that made me a truly wretched human being and a despicable girlfriend. Though I wasn't much of the latter lately, to my credit. Despite our conversation, his assurance he would never stop trying, I pulled away from Liam comp

I retreated to my room, my favorite refuge since I was a girl. Different geography, maybe, but the idea was the same. Escape from the family, from responsibility, if only for a little while.Sassafras wasn't interested in giving me space, it turned out. As I tried to close the door behind me, he slipped through the gap, sauntering his fat cat body to the bed before leaping onto the quilt. I sighed inwardly, expecting a lecture as I crossed the room and glared at him where he perched, watching me with those judging amber eyes."You're being ridiculous," he said. "The law is the law. And it's not like you don't have choices.""So, you're telling me I should just get married and oh well if I make the wrong selection. Is that it?" I prodded him with magic, stomach churning.Sass's tail thrashed once, but when he spoke again his tone was lighter. "I know you're worried," he said. "There was a time you put yourself first. But these days, like the great leader I always knew you would be,

I tried to count the months since I'd seen him as I stepped outside into the cool grass and deep of evening. Unable to process how long it had been, all the while not really caring the moment my eyes settled on him.His hands bulged in the pockets of his jeans, fisted inside the denim, dark head down, wavy hair longer than I'd ever seen it hanging over his face. His broad shoulders rounded inward, black t-shirt wrinkled over his wide chest, the scuffed toes of his leather boots damp from dew.I had no control over myself, the way my breath caught as our power linked. How his magic, reluctant in the instant I saw him, surged in answer to mine and wrapped me up in the heat of his power. It was so hard not to run to him, to throw my arms around him. Now that I understood the connection we shared, it was all the more painful. I knew I'd carry this aching longing the rest of my days.My demon moaned her unhappiness as I forced myself to a halt a few feet from him, arms tight to myself to