Page 34 of Nearly Dead

“That’s not a smile,” Mortimer whispers.“She looks insane.”

I remain still, forcing both sides of my nature into an uneasy truce.

“Interesting,” Decimus says, coming down the stairs toward me.“She maintains control even without the suppression.”

“For now.”Elizabeth’s smile doesn’t reach her eyes.She lifts her hand, and I see the glint of metal.“Fetch.”

She throws the coin in the air.I twitch as I track it to where it lands.It clinks on the marble floor, and my nerves jolt at the sound.

“But for how long?”Elizabeth asks.

Zephronis approaches the edge of the circle, his foot coming to stand on the coin to break my concentration.I feel the magic surrounding me is connected to him.He’s doing this.

“Tamara Devine,”his voice intones, though I don’t see his mouth move.“Do you understand why you are here?”

“Because I’m unprecedented?”I whisper.It’s the nicest way I can think to describe what I am.“Because you need to decide if I’m a threat.”

“Yes.”He nods, his magical eyes seeming to see through me.He’s in my head, listening to my thoughts.My eyes dart to Costin, trying not to think of the last time we had sex.Dark, bloody images instantly emerge.

Fuck.Did Zephronis see that?

He nods his head.

Fuckety fuck fuck.

Okay, I need to think of something good.A benign memory.Diana’s giggle.Her stuffed dog named Plop.Donuts with fairy sprinkles.Sunshine coming through the car window to land warm across my hand.

My heart aches.I’ll never see sunshine again.

“What is happening?”Decimus asks.“What do you see?”

“Tamara in the circle,” Zephronis answers wryly, not revealing my thoughts even though I still feel him in my head.

“The circle you stand in compels truth and reveals nature,” Decimus states as he appears behind Zephronis.“We will ask questions.You will answer.Your responses and your control will determine much.”

I nod.

“Does she agree?”Decimus stares in my general direction but doesn’t see me.

“I understand,” I answer.

Decimus taps his staff.“First, we must establish baseline facts.Are you a wolf or a vampire?Which faction has claim on you for you cannot belong to both.”

“She’s mine,” Costin states.

“Thane bit her first,” Sully says at the same time.

“She’s a Devine,” Astrid states.

Zephronis whips his hand up for silence.I feel his irritation with the process growing.

“What do you remember of your transformation?”Decimus demands.

The question seems simple enough, but as I open my mouth to answer, memories flood back with visceral intensity.I remember Thane’s fangs tearing into my shoulder, the ritual circle, the moonlight pouring through the glass dome, Elizabeth’s knife, Costin’s wrist at my mouth as darkness claimed me.

“I was bitten by Alpha Thane during his and Elizabeth’s ritual attempt to steal all the magic for themselves,” I say, the words pulled from me by the circle’s magic.

“Liar!”Elizabeth shouts.

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