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?"
I gestured to Bern, who had been standing quietly by the side door that led outside. "Plus two more, hearth-keepers."
Surprise flickered behind Mel's hazel eyes, but she didn't comment on my lack of companions, or the fact that hearth-keepers wouldn't be anyone's first choice in a battle, unless it was a cook-off.
At least, that is what I had thought just a week ago. Recently I'd seen a side to Lao I'd never realized a hearth-keeper possessed. Maybe Tess had more to offer too.
Mel nodded. "Plenty of room if you don't mind sharing." She tilted her head toward my mother. "Your mom is staying there too." She zeroed in on Bern, who had taken up position by the side door that led outside. "Let's find the others and get you settled."
She walked past me on the way to the door. I wrapped my fingers around her bicep. "Thanks."
A hardness shone from her eyes. "Don't thank me. I haven't said how long you can stay yet." Then she kept moving. Bern followed and in thirty seconds I was alone with my mother again.
I stared at the woman who had given birth to me. Then I moved to follow my friend. My mother's voice stopped me. "If you don't say why you're here, she won't let you stay long."
I turned back. "You and Mel get close?"
She lifted one side of her mouth in an imitation of a smile, then gestured with her head toward the workout room where we had left the baby. "We have something in common."
Of course, they both had sons from a son. Mel was looking for hers. She'd only found out about her grandmother's deception last fall. She'd been looking for him, or as far as I knew she had. I hadn't heard that she had found him yet-and I was fairly certain I would have. Even in the unplugged world of the Amazons, that kind of news would have made it back to me.
My mother was still watching me, waiting.
I let out a frustrated grunt. "My camp turned against me, all but the three I mentioned. I'm not sure what that means, where that leaves me."
She frowned. "What do you mean, 'where that leaves you?' Where could it leave you?"
"I lost my position of queen. It was stripped from me."
She shook her head like I'd said something she couldn't quite believe. "Says who? And what made you queen anyway?"
"The council. . or. . " Thea had said it. There was a possibility she was lying. Confused, I pressed my fingers to my forehead.
"What council? I'm on the council and no one asked my opinion."
"But you left."
"Did I? That's news to me."
"You had to; the council voted to kill the. . your baby. And you haven't. . he's still-" The conversation was uncomfortable. I was uncomfortable.
She walked toward me, her face grim. "I'm still an Amazon, I'm still a warrior, and I'm still on the high council. Do you honestly think I'd walk away from any of that? What about you, daughter? What are you?"
Dana walking into the room with a baby in each arm gave me a good exit point. I left the basement through the side door without answering.
Darkness had fallen while I was having my mother/daughter chat, but Mel's outdoor lights had clicked on. I got as far as the walkway between the main building and the old gym/cafeteria where we would be staying before being stopped by another surprise.
Jack.
He was leaning against the door that opened into the old cafeteria part of the building, right across the walk from the outside stairwell I'd just climbed up, out of the main building's basement.