Covet (Clann)

tornado, her ebony hair once again secured in a harsh bun low at the back of her neck, her outfit all black.
    The wrist cuff she carried was also black leather and stamped with a Celtic border along both its edges. In the center was stamped some kind of circular Celtic knot.
    “Give me your hand,” she demanded, her eyes and cheeks dry now, her lips set into thin lines.
    Sitting up, I held out my left arm.
    She wrapped the cuff around my wrist and snapped its buttons closed to secure it.
    “What is it?” I turned it around so I could see the Celtic knot. On closer inspection, it looked more like some kind of crest.
    The Clann’s group crest. I recognized it from the same design that had been carved into the back of the stone throne Dad sat in for all the Clann gatherings in the woods.
    “It’s a vamp ward,” she explained.

CHAPTER 27
    I reached for the snaps to take it off. No way was I wearing this thing.
    Her hand darted out to clamp over mine. “You will wear this, Tristan. Do not make me add a locking spell to it. I will have you safe.”
    She stared at me, her fingers digging into the back of my hand. She looked right on the edge of crazy.
    “Okay, Mom. If it makes you feel better, I’ll wear it. But you have to promise me something in return. Don’t do anything crazy in New York.”
    Mom scowled. “Oh please. Do be sensible. Do you think your father lasted this long as Clann leader by having a stupid wife?”
    Right. “Be careful.”
    At that, her scowl faded. “You, too, dear.” She bent over to press a cold-lipped peck on my cheek, then turned and walked out of the room, her heels clacking on the hardwood. A few minutes later, Dad and Mom exited the house, the wheels on the suitcases adding to the clattering of Mom’s heels before being cut off by the closing kitchen door.
    Emily came in and sat on the edge of the bed, her face drawn. “Can you believe this is really happening?”
    “Yeah, I know. Feels like a bad dream.” I hesitated. “Dad said Mom thinks this means war with the vamps again. Is she mental or…?”
    “I don’t know. Let’s hope she’s just overreacting. I heard things got really scary before the peace treaty was signed. At the very least, I’d guess vamp wards will become the new fashion accessory again, at least for a little while.” Staring at the open doorway, she didn’t seem to notice as her left hand grabbed a tiny section of my bed’s black satin comforter and rubbed it between her thumb and fingertips.
    She caught me staring at her hand. “What?”
    I nodded at her fidgeting hand. “I haven’t seen you do that since we were little.”
    Smiling crookedly, she let go of the comforter and clasped her hands tightly in her lap. “I haven’t been this worried in a while.”
    My smile faded. So it really was that bad. “Did Mom ever tell you anything about an old farmhouse?” At her confused look, I added, “I saw Mom thinking about it tonight. She seemed absolutely terrified of it for some reason.”
    “I don’t remember her telling me anything about that. But you really shouldn’t have listened in on her thoughts.”
    “I couldn’t help it. She was practically yelling. And you know how loud she can yell when she gets riled up.”
    Emily sighed. “Yeah, I guess I see your point. I couldn’t fully block her out tonight, either.”
    “Oh, but you could block her out a little more than me, huh?”
    She gave a half smile and shrugged. “Don’t hate me because I’m the gifted one.”
    Downstairs the front doorbell rang, interrupting the great comeback I was about to deliver.
    Emily stood up. “That’ll be Mrs. Faulkner come to stay with us for the week.” She glanced down at me. “Dad did tell you, right?”
    “He told me someone was coming, but not who. Why the heck did he ask her ?” Mrs. Faulkner was a polished Texas trophy wife on the outside. But on the inside, she could give the Wicked Witches of the East and West a run for their money. She’d taught the Brat Twins everything they knew about bigotry and then some.
    “Dad didn’t. It was Mom’s idea. She was the one who called and asked Mrs. Faulkner to stay with us.”
    The doorbell rang again. This time Mrs. Faulkner laid on it so that the chimes kept pealing.
    “Better answer that before she wears it out,” I muttered then rolled away to face the far wall.
    “You’re not coming down to say hi?”
    “No way. Make any excuse you want.”
    As soon as Emily was gone, I yanked