Page 11 of Barely Breathing

I touch Anthony’s arm to calm him. “It’s complicated.”

“Did he hurt you?”

I shake my head. “I’m having a hard time thinking clearly.”

Anthony extinguishes the magic, and I watch smoke trail up toward the ceiling like the last breath of a cigarette. “He mesmerized you?”

I nod. Out of everyone in my life, I feel like Anthony is closest to me. If you would have asked me a year ago, I would have said it was our brother Conrad. But Conrad betrayed me. His greed forpower and money had been more driving than I could ever imagine.

“The whole time?”

I nod again.

“Why?”

Paul’s face appears unbidden in my mind.

“Paul remembers me,” I manage.

Anthony’s eyes widen and he waits for me to continue.

I try to clear my mind to explain. “Paul showed up while I was waiting for Costin and said his memories were returning. But before we got too much into it, werewolves abducted him off the sidewalk. Costin appeared right after and acted like he gave pursuit but then said he couldn’t track them.” I force a deep breath. “I think he is lying to me. I get this feeling he knows more. Before I could do something to help Paul, Costin mesmerized me for a week without asking my permission first.”

Anthony stares at me, giving a small nod to indicate he’s listening.

“I’m not accusing Costin of having something to do with the kidnapping, but I don’t think he was helping either. I don’t think he tried to find Paul.”

“Political balances between the werewolves and vampires are tenuous. I’m sure he’s just being cautious,” Anthony puts forth. It feels like he’s defending Costin, and I don’t like it.

“I think he might have mesmerized me out of jealousy to keep me from looking.” I try not to hang my head as I try to shake this last statement away. “Not that I think Costin would be jealous of me.”

Anthony smirks. “You don’t think?”

He’s making fun of me again. I cross my arms over my chest and grimace at him.

“You don’t think a master vampire will get jealous?” He starts laughing, and I force myself to keep frowning. “Tam, what do you think happens when a powerful, immortal king, who reigns over dark armies, believes Sir Human Lancelot is making eyes at his woman? You might not call that jealousy, but it’s definitely a sister emotion, and that family?—”

I hold up my hand in front of his face to stop him. My foggy brain is not functioning at one hundred percent. “That example had a lot of metaphors and words in it, but I think I get your point.”

“All vampires have a little narcissism in them,” he explains, like it’s actually news. “They’re undead predators needing blood to live. They’re used to taking what they want without permission, and if they don’t take what they want, nature will force them to take what they need. Of course he will be possessive of what he claims to be his. Of course he’s not going to ask permission. Vampires don’t ask permission, especially not from humans.”

“I was raised in this family, but you all act like you think I’m two paces behind,” I mutter.

Anthony ignores my surliness. “That’s my point. You chose a vampire, Tam. Amastervampire. You can’t pretend to be surprised when he acts like a vampire.”

He does have a point. I don’t like it.

“Now, tell me about Paul…” My brother smiles, and I hear the need for drama in his tone. “All of his memories are back?”

“When we fixed the amulet, it reversed the spell. He remembers both timelines, like me. His daughter doesn’t, as far as I know. She’s in Kansas City with her grandparents.”

Anthony frowns. “Who’s looking after their dog?”

After their memories were erased, Paul bought a dog for his daughter. I’m a little ashamed I didn’t think of the animal before now. I shake my head. “I don’t know.”

“I’ll send someone to check,” Anthony says. “Poor little guy.”

“You don’t know where Paul lives,” I answer.

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