Page 46 of Midnight Auto Parts

“Start talking.” She blew in like a storm and stomped over to stand next to Matty. “We’ve been patient. We gave you time. We gave you space. We gave you—” Matty whispered in her ear, and she cleared her throat. “I see Mary here read you part of the riot act while I was en route. Let’s skip to when you explain yourself.” She mirrored his pose and began tapping her foot. “Well? What’s up with you? Spit it out.”

So much for the shower. And the drink.

“You might want to sit down for this,” I said weakly, swinging my legs over the edge of the mattress.

“I prefer to loom,” she declined, “the better to instill fear in your heart.”

“I’ve already had too much excitement.” Matty sank onto the floor in front of the bed. “You take over.”

That earned him side-eye from Josie, but she was too worked up to hold still.

“You remember how badly burned I was after the train shed,” I began, my heart kicking up speed.

“Hard to forget.” Josie started pacing. “Aretha said it was a miracle you survived.”

“She more than earned her fee healing you,” Matty agreed. “She worked a miracle.”

“No.” I linked my fingers in my lap. “She was too late.”

“Too late?” Josie’s voice jumped an octave. “What does that mean?”

“Kierce brought you home. Aretha treated you. We were here the whole time.”

Panic sank claws into my chest, and I expanded my lungs. “I didn’t make it.”

“You didn’t make it,” Matty repeated, looking to Josie. “Is she speaking English?”

“I don’t understand.” Her knees wobbled, though, and she joined him on the floor. “Use smaller words.”

Nothing for it but to rip off the bandage. “I died.”

“And Kierce brought you back,” Matty supplied, waiting for me to elaborate.

“No, Mary.” I dropped my chin to my chest. “I died.”

“B-b-but you came back,” Josie babbled. “You’re sitting right there.”

Hand trembling, Matty gripped my knee as if checking to see if I was real. “Are you a vampire?”

“She’s not a… That’s not… No. She can’t be.” Josie lunged at me, capturing my jaw between her palms. “I want to see yourteeth, Mary.” She wedged her thumb past my lips. “Open up and flash your fangs.”

“I donth hath fangths,” I mumbled around her fingers.

“She’s not a vampire.” Kierce extracted her more gently than I would have if I had gotten to her first and set her back a few feet. “Necromancers can’t be resuscitated. Not even half-blood necromancers.”

Jabbing a finger of accusation at me, she demanded, “Then what are you?”

Shoulders bowing in, I made myself small. “A demigoddess?”

“You don’t sound convinced.” Matty climbed onto the bed next to me. “Are you sure?”

“There’s no denying it.” Kierce returned to me. “I can perceive the divine energy beneath her skin.”

“You told him before you told us?” Josie deflated. “You get that we don’t care if you’re undead, right?”

“He was there.” I could never forget his rage against Dis Pater. “That’s why he knew before you.”

“She’s as alive as I am,” Kierce said, eliciting the same blank expressions that I had given him.

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