Page 15 of Bloodhunter

I kept my stare glued to the unreadable Rhys. “What are you?”I asked.

A smile, there and gone, lifted his lips. “Nonhuman,” hereplied. Nothing more.

“You were bitten,” Miriam told me, and smoothing her skirt,sat down beside me. “But not just bitten for blood. Your wound is—was—torn andgaping, as though a dog attacked you.”

I reached automatically for my neck, pressing at the thickbandage I found there. It was only then, when I caught a movement against thewall, that I realized the golem was in the room as well.

I gathered the sheets in my hand and pulled them a littlehigher on my chest. I wasn’t naked, but Clayton made me feel as though I were.

“Tell us your story,” Miriam encouraged, gently.

I ran my dry tongue over even drier lips. “Can I get somewater?”

“Clayton,” Miriam said.

He detached himself from the wall immediately and went to doher bidding. I flushed, uncomfortable. “Don’t do that,” I told her.

Her brows rose. “What?”

“Don’t order him around on my behalf. I don’t like it.”

She shrugged. “Stop delaying, honey. Tell us what happened.”

I blew out a breath. “The woman on the news.”

“The one killed in New Gravel?” Angus asked. “What abouther?”

I kept my gaze on Miriam’s. “I went there, to where ithappened.”

“You reallyareinsane,” Angus roared. “Why the hellwould you do something that fucking stupid?”

And I looked at him then, confused. He thought I was insane?Was that the general consensus among the supernaturals? “I’m not insane,” Iwhispered, but something dark trickled like slick oil through my mind.WasI?

Miriam patted my hands. “Of course you’re not.” She shot aglare at Angus. “Keep your mouth shut, you moronic beast, and let me talk toher.”

To my surprise, he dropped his angry stare from mine,shamefaced, and gestured at her. “Go on.”

Clayton slipped into the room and gave Miriam a tall, icyglass. She grasped the straw and guided it to my lips, and I drank long anddeeply. The water filled my mouth, cleansing it, and gushed down my throat andthrough my body, and I widened my eyes in surprise. Nothing had ever tasted asamazing as that icy water.

My throat began to burn from the coldness and at last, Ispat out the straw and allowed Miriam to set the glass aside.

I put my fingers to my throat, still lost in the taste ofthat water, and they all watched me silently. When I looked at them, I sawsomething in their faces that made me almost afraid.

“What is it?” I asked.

Miriam touched my cheek, bringing my attention to her.“Nothing, Trinity. Continue, please.”

I folded my hands into my lap. “I killed the vampire whoattacked Carrie Alden. I killed him.” Suddenly vicious, I repeated it yetagain.“Ikilled him.”

Angus took a step back. “Trin.”

I wasn’t sure why he sounded so sad. The killing made mehappy, and confident, and proud.

“Dead?” asked Miriam, quickly, shooting him another warning look.“How do you know?”

“Because he dried up like a raisin and he didn’t move again,”I told her. “He looked like the husk of a worm when I was done with him. He wasdead, Miriam. I can promise you that.”

The four supernaturals looked at each other with shockand…wonder, maybe. Or maybe I was misreading everything.