Page 15 of Barely Breathing

When I left him, Conrad had his face deep in an old tome in the family library. I don’t know what answers he thinks he’ll find there, but I doubt they’ll change anything. We’re mortal. There is very little we can do about that. At least, that’s what they keep telling us.

I guess vampire bites or werewolf attacks might do the trick. Or we could be broughtback from the dead as a necromancer’s plaything. Do zombies count as immortal? I mean, they’re dead before they’re undead. Then they rot and eventually will become dead again.

It’s a gross thought, but it’s where my mind wanders.

My clothes lie in a heap on the bank, hidden beneath low-hanging branches. I didn’t have time to change into a swimsuit before sneaking out of the house and into the woods to hide. The water is cool against my bare skin, contrasting with the peeks of hot sun streaming through the branches. I feel weightless. It’s just me, the water, and the rustle of leaves in the trees.

I’m perfectly safe. The pond on my parents’ land is deep. It’s protected by magic, so no one comes out here during the day without permission.

Night is a different story. That is when the monsters come out to play, and my parents force me to hide away in the protected wing of the estate.

The truth is I’m out here because I’m bored and restless. The alternative would have been staying in the house where my mother would find me and make me run off calories on the treadmill. My mother is a cold bitch who only thinks about image. I guess, in a way, it’s my own fault. I wasn’t careful when I stole that pan of brownies out of the kitchen.

Oh, but they were delicious.

My father is traveling. He’s always traveling. Belize, Belarus, Beirut, or some other B-name place... I can’t remember. I was only half listening when they mentioned it at dinner.

Anthony is away at his special paranormal private school. The golden boy is so lucky. He gets let out of the jail cells that are our family homes. I would give anything to live in a dorm away from Lady Astrid and her endless rules of etiquette.

A loud crash in the underbrush makes me flail and sink into the water to hide my nudity. I hear Anthony’s laugh and an answering howl.

Shit. What is he doing at home, and who is with him?

I look at the distance between me and the willow. Crap, crap, crap. I start swimming frantically toward it. I don’t make more than a few strokes before a brown wolf runs to the pond’s edge and bursts under the willow’s branches. My clothes scatter, some landing in the mud along the water’s edge.

Fucking Peter. He’s bigger than a normal wolf, but not by much—he hasn’t grown into his full supernatural size yet.

I tread water, helplessly watching as he loops around the tree. Peter skids to a stop at the water’s edge, tongue lolling out in a panting grin.

“Cheater!” Anthony emerges from the trees, his shirt half-unbuttoned and hair wild from the chase.Magic sparks from his fingers like tiny fireworks. “Using four legs is grounds for—” He freezes, finally noticing me. “Oh, hey, sis.”

I sink lower in the water, grateful for the pond’s murkiness. “What are you doing home?”

“Someone set fire to the dorms and…” Anthony eyes me and then my clothes. He starts laughing. “Are you naked?”

“Can you get him out of here so I can get dressed?” I motion toward Peter, who’s staring at me.

My legs kick frantically. I hide my chest with my arms the best I can while staying above water.

I hear a loud crack as Peter’s wolf form shifts. His bones sound like they’re breaking as his body morphs into his human form. I flinch at the sickening noise and have to avert my eyes. The sound reminds me of branches snapping in a storm. When the sound stops, I find my brother’s gangly friend completely naked on the shoreline.

“Hey there, Tam! Want some company?” Peter laughs, still high from the chase. He stares at me like he can see through the water. In turn, he’s oblivious to Anthony’s focus on him.

My brother’s little crush is obvious, at least to me. He hides it well, and I don’t call him on it. In this family, we all need space to have our secrets.

“What are you doing out here?” Peter continues. “Lady Astrid said you were studying.”

Anthony finally snaps out of his daze. “Peter, for fuck’s sake, you’re naked, and that’s my sister.”

“We used to swim naked out here all the time when we were kids.” Peter stretches, utterly unselfconscious. I notice Anthony’s shoulders tense. “Remember that time your dad caught us and lectured us about proper behavior for like three hours?”

“That was because we were here naked with the fairy king’s virginal daughters,” Anthony answers.

Peter doesn’t lose any of his humor. “I hate to break it to King Sylvaran, but his daughters werenot?—”

“Hey, do you mind turning around so I can get out of here?” I yell, tired of trying to tread water and hide my chest at the same time.

I remember hearing our father lecturing them about that. I also remember the way Anthony watched Peter that whole summer. But Peter never notices, too caught up in his own supernatural world. It always amazes me how prudish supernaturals can be about image. They cheat, have orgies, kill people, kill each other… And they still care what their pretty portraits look like to the rest of the world as if a glossy smile can hide all the depravity and darkness.

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