Page 68 of Barely Breathing

I see confusion passing his gaze. “Try to remember. It’s important.”

“I don’t know,” I repeat, sounding lethargic, even to my own ears. “What does all this mean?

“It means the Freemonts are working with the Alpha to traffic in magic that could reshape the supernatural world. This magic is powerful enough and scary enough that it could get everyone involved killed just for knowing about it. And I have no clue what it is or how to stop it.”

“Are you going to eat me now?” I can’t take my eyes off him. Frankly, if he says yes, I’ll probably lean my head to the side and let him. I have no willpower left to resist.

“Is that an invitation?” He grins.

How can he smile at a time like this?

Before I can answer, he adds, “Sorry, castoff, not tonight. Your grandfather asked me to watch over you. I’m going to keep that promise.”

Costin cups my face, and his touch feels different than usual. The way his fingers caress my cheek is less protector and more... My mind starts to drift. …more something that makes my pulse quicken despite my fear.

“I should call my father. We need to report?—”

“Sorry, castoff, but you can’t remember this night. Some secrets are better left buried in the ocean.”

“No, wait?—”

But his eyes are already swirling with power. “Sleep now. Forget...”

The moment starts to blur and fade. His expression is neither triumphant nor controlling but sad. His face begins to disappear into the darkness as my consciousness slips away.

“Sleep now,” his voice whispers. “Sleep.”

Chapter

Eighteen

Consciousness returns like steady waves lapping against a shore, each one bringing more sensations than the last. I want them to stop. I don’t want to leave oblivion. My body aches from being thrown against the filing cabinet and choked. I feel the bruises forming along my back and ribs. The taste of blood lingers in my mouth. It hurts to breathe. Not only because I suspect my ribs might be broken, but my throat is strangled and raw. My head throbs with every heartbeat, a racking pain so deep I dread the next pulse.

“...couldn’t stop Elizabeth then, and now she’s allied with the wolves.” Costin’s voice drifts through the fog. He sounds exhausted.

What’s he doing here?

He continues, “The shipping manifest showed?—”

“You should have come to us immediately.” Astrid’s tone is hard despite its quietness. “Instead, you erased her memory and let my family continue working with the Freemonts.”

I’m lying on something softer than the floor. A couch, maybe? The leather feels stiff against my fevered skin and I’m sticking to it. My muscles protest as I try to move, so I don’t.

“I made a choice,” Costin says. “If she remembered what she saw that night, Elizabeth and the Freemonts would have killed her and made sure the body was never found. I cut a deal with Chester. With her memory gone, there was no threat. We made it look like the shipment was lost at sea. I did what I had to do to save her life.”

“You should have told us,” Astrid answers.

“I told George. He agreed with me. Tamara needed protection. She was already in danger with the amulet’s prophecy.”

“And you both should have toldme.” Astrid’s irritation is growing.

“Because you and I are so close?” Costin almost sounds mocking. “You’re a magic. As are the Freemonts. Your families are friends. They came to your country estate as much as I did. Why would I trust you with this if George didn’t?”

“We are hardly friends,” Astrid denies. “It’s easier to keep an eye on them if they’re close. Besides, Mabel leveraged that damned lost shipping container for those invitations. The woman is insufferable. I wish I had lost her at the bottom of the ocean.”

“I’m trusting you now.”

“What’s changed?” Astrid asks.

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