Chapter 6

Chapter

Six

Twenty-Eighth Birthday Fire, Manhattan, Three Months Ago…

"Tamara."

My head is fuzzy. I can still smell Conrad's flesh burning. Fear has me locked in the horrible moment.

"Tamara."

One second, I'm standing in my birth mother's living room in California, and the next, I'm on a sidewalk in New York, choked by the acrid smell of smoke and ash from a burning building. I stare at the hand that had been stained with Paul's blood. I can't believe Conrad shot him. My vision blurs and I'm forced to blink. Instead of red, it's now smeared with black soot.

What's happening ?

"Tamara!"

I turn toward Lady Astrid. She's patting my face, saying, "You're all right. Don't move from this spot. I'm having them bring the car around."

"Paul?" I try to speak, but my throat is raw.

Time feels accelerated for everyone except me. People rush around, trying to manage the fire while I remain completely still. I hear crackling voices on a radio giving out commands.

Lights from emergency vehicles illuminate the scene, but they pale compared to the orange glow emanating from the windows of the old stone building. Smoke pours out of the broken windows of the banquet hall, drawing my eyes toward the night sky. Familiar embers flicker against the darkness like dying butterflies, and their ashes gently fall to the ground like a fine snow covering everything.

This isn't right. I've been here before. It's my birthday party.

This is not what happened. I was dragged out by a fireman and taken to a hospital.

Confused, I look over the crowd. I see Louis jogging backward down the sidewalk as he watches the building burn. Anthony stands near the paramedics, watching his secret boyfriend. Lady Astrid is ordering people about. My father is talking to a group of powerful supernatural men. They were all dead.

They're not. They survived. Relief floods me.

Is this a second chance?

Has time reset to make things right?

Was it all a nightmare?

My head is dazed. Am I still high? I remember smoking with Anthony and Louis in our little side party inside a janitor's closet. What the hell did Anthony lace that pot with?

Where's Conrad?

I instinctively reach for my necklace, seeking the reassurance of the amulet's presence. My fingers comb through the hollow of my collarbone, but it isn't there. I slide my hand against my chest, looking for it, but I don't find it loose in my clothing.

A glint of green on the sidewalk by my feet catches my attention. The red stone has changed color and is now shattered into pieces.

Conrad stole the amulet from me, thinking he could steal its protective power before he killed me. His plan didn't work, and I watched him die instead.

I find it hard to concentrate as I kneel on the ground to lift one of the shards. The broken edge cuts my finger, and I drop it with a tiny yelp of surprise. I stare at the dot of blood, confused.

A figure appears next to me, and cool fingers wrap around my wrist. The temperature shocks me back to awareness.

"Hello, castoff," Costin says, his voice soft.

I hate that nickname .

I inhale sharply and belatedly try to jerk my hand away. The vampire keeps a firm grip, refusing to release me.

He focuses intently on my blood, breathing deeply as he brings the bloody digit between his lips for a taste. His kiss is warmer than I thought it would be. To my surprise, he makes a small sound of pleasure. It's a bold move, considering anyone can see us.

I'm not sure how to react.

An inner light swirls within the depths of his gaze, and I worry he's trying to mesmerize me. I try to look away but can't. My finger slides out of his mouth, wet from his tongue, and he lets go. Bloodlust churns in him, and I can see he wants more.

"You can't…" I start to panic, but his words stop me.

"You saved me." The vampire licks his lips, showing me the tips of his fangs. "Now I can always find you."

Before I have a chance to reply, he vanishes. My hand lingers in the air, still in the position he left it, with my damp finger pointing skyward.

What was that?

The chaos of the moment recaptures my attention. Emergency workers talk over their radios about survivors and deaths. I try to listen through the drugged fog, trying to calm the nausea bubbling in my stomach.

My mother appears next to me. "You broke your necklace."

Her words prompt me to gather the pieces, careful not to cut myself in case Costin takes it as another invitation to dine.

"It's Conrad." Anthony appears stricken. "That body they found. It's Conrad."

I don't know how to feel. They stare at me on the ground, clutching my broken necklace. I feel moisture trailing down my cheeks as I reach to make sure Anthony is really there.

I'm not crazy. The wizard sealed him inside the tomb. They were all dead.

Everything feels like it's happening to someone else.

"Anthony," Astrid orders, "get her off the ground. We need to get her to the car. People are staring. This is a private family matter."

Anthony loops his forearm around my back and pulls me to my feet. I lean against him for support.

"You're alive," I tell him.

"What the hell happened in there?" Anthony asks, guiding me toward a limo. His eyes are as glazed as I feel.

A driver opens the car door, and I'm urged inside. I collapse onto the seat, clutching the broken amulet like a lifeline to sanity. The door slams shut.

"Hand me the yellow vial, then go find your father," Astrid says. "Tell him we're going to leave without him if he doesn't hurry."

Anthony leaves. Astrid appears next to me, stroking back my hair. "Sit up. Drink this."

She forces me to drink the potion before I can form a coherent thought. The small grip I have on reality fades like the last swig of too much alcohol before passing out.

"That's it. It will calm you down," Astrid soothes. Normally, her voice is so cold. The warmth in it now lulls me to close my eyes. "Just rest. Let the potion take all your pain away."