in our yard.
Damn him.
And damn my mother.
I turned my attention to her. 'He's yours isn't he? You're the council member.'
She looked like she was going to argue for a moment, then seemed to remember herself. She squared her shoulders. 'Yes. He's mine.'
I stared at the seat and the wiggling body inside it. 'I have a brother. A brother I've been ordered to capture so he can be killed. How nice.'
My mother stood with her hands on her hips-angry but not alarmed. She thought she could beat me. Who was I kidding? She was on the high council. Of course she could beat me.
But then I'd come here to tell Mel I'd defied orders. There was no reason for my mother to beat me, challenge me, even. We were on the same side, or should have been.
The infant made some gurgling noise. Our mother didn't look down, but I saw her twitch. She noticed; she cared.
For some reason that hurt.
'You defied the council for him,' I stated. She had never defied anything or anyone for me. I had never come first; I'd been an afterthought, someone who followed her around, got in her way.
'I had to,' she replied.
I laughed. 'You've never done anything because 'you had to.' Don't pull that now.'
Her eyes flared, more emotion than she'd shown me my entire childhood.
'The council wants him killed, you know.'
She tilted her head. 'I heard.'
I tapped a finger against my leg. She wasn't playing the game, not how I wanted her to. Of course, I didn't even know exactly how that was. Frustrated and pissed off, at her, the Amazons, and myself, I spun and left the room.
She followed me, pulling the door closed behind her.
That at least was somewhat satisfying. That at least said she was a little concerned over what I might do.
'He's your brother, Zery.'
I looked back. 'Half, I'm assuming. Unless there's something else you need to tell me.' This baby was the son of a son. If he and I shared a father. .
She shook her head. 'No. You're right
I licked my lips. For a second I'd thought. . I shook my head. I wasn't the daughter of a son. No reason to think about what that revelation might have meant.
'So, half brother, and the son of a son. Is that part true? Did you sleep with a son, Mother?'
'I wouldn't be the first or, I'm sure, the last.' She looked at me strangely then.
For some unknown reason my mind jumped to Jack. I growled. 'Was it on purpose? Did you do it to have some kind of superbaby?' A baby who could grow up to be everything she wanted him or her to be?
'Why would I do that?'
It wasn't an answer, but then again maybe it was.
'What happened at the high council?' I asked. 'When they found out.'
She did the damn head-tilt thing again, to one side and then the other, as if deliberating if I could handle her response. 'You got your orders. You know.'
Actually, I didn't. I had been kept in the dark more than anyone, but I didn't want to admit it to her.
'But you are on the high council. Was there a discussion? Was there a vote?'
She crossed her arms over her chest. 'Do you care, Zery? Does it matter? Is there anything I can tell you that will make you see my side?'
I'd already seen her side, but I wanted her to explain it to me. Wanted her to try and convince me. I'd say beg me, but that would be like waiting for a hyena to roll over and ask for a belly rub.
'Try me,' I responded.
She sighed, although from her it sounded more like an exasperated huff. 'The high council is split, but not evenly. Of the twelve members of the council, three feel strongly that we should return to the old ways, kill our sons. Three feel strongly we shouldn't and the rest are spineless, indecisive wastes of time.'
Now this was the mother I knew and genetics dictated I love.
I answered drily, 'So, you went to great lengths to woo the middle to your side.'
Anger flared in her eyes. 'They chose to vote with fear rather than strength. I reminded them we are Amazons. We have nothing to fear. Yes, one son surprised and attacked us when we didn't know about the threat, but we do now. We are prepared or can be if we get to know the sons better. The more we learn of them, the stronger we will be.'
'And the babies? Where do they fit into this? Are you planning on turning them over to the sons to raise?'
She glanced back at the door. 'That was an issue. Of those who agreed we should meet with the sons and learn more about them, we were split on what to do with male children. None of us wanted to return to maiming or killing, but some wanted to keep the boys and raise them with their sisters. Some felt only Amazons could or should be raised as Amazons.'
'So even in your splinter group you couldn't agree.' The revelation reminded me why having a certain element of sheep could be good. If everyone was trying to lead the flock, the flock had no solid direction in which to go.
'Which side were you on?' I asked.
'Turn over to the sons,' she replied.
A bit of tension left my body. In this, at least, she was the same.
'But. . ' She grimaced. 'I'd never spent this much time with a child I meant to give away before.'
A nerve near my mouth jerked. She'd never spent much time with a child period, at least certainly not me.
'The longer I care for him the more I think. . ' She held up a hand. 'But right now that isn't the issue. What about you, Zery? What side are you on? Do you plan to kill your brother?'
Did I? I had decided I didn't right after I found the dog, before I faced off against Thea, before I tossed away a lifetime of work and establishing myself as a leading queen, one who might someday herself be looked at for a position on the high council.
How ironic was it that now I knew my mother was involved I wished desperately I could stand on the opposite side? I toyed with the idea for a second. The temptation to tell her I was against her was tantalizing. She'd always had the power; now was my chance to change that.
But I couldn't.
'No. I don't,' I replied.
Her eyes rounded, telling me I'd surprised her as much today as she had surprised me. That at least brought some reward.
'I questioned the council's order and a new queen has been appointed to my camp.' The words were like sand in my mouth.
Her eyes were wary. 'You're here to. .?'
I bit the inside of my cheek. Why was I here, really? To help? To lead some kind of heroic battle for what was right? Or just because I had nowhere else to go?
I stared past her, lost and unsure. I'd never been unsure. Right and wrong had always been clear. My world had always been black and white. How did it become so gray?
'The gym is open.' Mel appeared around the corner. She must have come down the front steps. I couldn't see them from my current position. So I didn't know how long she had been standing there, hidden, listening.
She had her red Wisconsin Badgers cap on along with a white V-necked tee, denim shorts, and hiking boots. Even with the snake bracelet both she and her mother wore, she looked very human, not in the least bit threatening.
She cocked her head, her gaze shooting past my mother and on to me. 'Mandy said the self-defense group was back and looking to rent space. How many are with you?'
