Page 40 of Barely Breathing

The implications hit me like a physical blow.

“That vampire you killed when I was sixteen? Robert? He said something about your sister.” I try to focus on the past. It’s easy since the memory feels new. “He said the North American territory is too vast for one master. He thought your control was slipping, and even your sister questioned your ability to rule.”

“That was one of her many attempts at an uprising,” Costin agrees. “Each time, she pushes further and tests more boundaries. The council fears what she might discover in her quest for power, what ancient laws she might break, what forbidden experiments she’ll perform. I’ve been tasked with keeping her in line.”

“If she’s a traitor, why do you put up with it?” I heard what he told the vampires in the study. Any traitors would be dealt with in the same manner he dealt with Robert.

Before he even answers, I know the reason.

“She’s my sister,” he says. “What’s happened to her is my fault.”

I wait for him to say more. I need him to talk to me.

His voice drops. “Elizabeth will not stop until she finds a way to destroy what matters to me.”

I feel his pain. “Who would have thought this is what we have in common?”

“My sister?”

“Siblings out to get us,” I correct. I loved my adopted brother, and he betrayed me. “Conrad framed me for arson and murder and then tried to kill me. Up until the very end, I didn’t want to believe the truth about him.”

“It’s not the same,” Costin says. “Elizabeth is dangerous, yes, but she’s not trying to kill me. She wants what I have. And she wants me to know she has taken it all away from me.”

Something in his tone makes me ask, “And what do you have?”

“Power. Control.” His eyes fixate on my amulet. “You.”

I laugh, but it comes out hollow. “Me? I’m just a mere mortal who happened to get caught up in supernatural politics.”

“You’re far more than that.” He moves closer, and I hate how my body responds to his proximity. “You tamed Draakmar. You survived the labyrinth. You’ve changed everything.”

“And that’s why you’re so desperate to controlme?” The anger rises again. “Because I’m what—some kind of supernatural prize to be won?”

“Because I can’t lose you.” His voice drops to barely a whisper. “Not to Elizabeth, not to the werewolves, not to Paul. I lo?—”

“Don’t say it’s love.” I cut him off. “You don’t love me. You want to possess me, control me, use me in this sick game against?—”

Suddenly, his mouth presses into mine, desperate and hungry. For a moment, I forget everything—the memory, the betrayal, all of it—and lose myself in the kiss. Then the amulet pulses, and reality comes crashing back.

I shove him away. “No. You don’t get to do that anymore.”

“Tamara—”

“I’m going to find Paul.” I grab my clothes from the floor, dressing quickly. “And when I do, we’ll figure out what this ritual really is. Without your help.”

“You won’t survive without me.”

I pause at his door. “Maybe not. But at least I’ll die making my own choices.”

The amulet is warm against my skin as I leave, and for once, I think Draakmar agrees with me.

Chapter

Twelve

The penthouse lobby feels too bright after Costin’s candlelit bedroom. Dawn is peeking over the city. The taste of betrayal lingers metallic on my tongue. Costin’s blood. My head still spins from the forced memory he pulled out of my brain, and from the threat of blood and moonlight. His vampiric blood magic is far beyond my understanding. I didn’t know vampires could extract memories like that. And I worry about how many other memories he might have taken from me.

The idea nags at the edge of my consciousness, like a shadow seen from the corner of my eye. I see tiny hints of flashing red warning lights. The battery backup on the wall at the gas station? Or something else? The smell of salt water tickles my nose, but itslips away before I can capture it, leaving only unease behind.

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