Page 94 of Nearly Dead

The sire bond between Elizabeth and Costin twists visibly now, a dark red thread connecting them.I reach for it with my mind, not to break it—I don’t have that power—but to momentarily disrupt it.

Costin gasps as the pressure eases, rising to his feet.His eyes meet mine, filled with a mixture of pride and concern.

“This isn’t over,” Elizabeth hisses, backing toward her throne.“You have no idea what’s coming.No idea what forces you’ve set in motion.”

“Maybe not,” I acknowledge.“But whatever comes, I’ll face it on my terms.”

Elizabeth’s eyes dart around the room.The tide has turned.The vampires who moments ago seemed firmly under her control now look uncertain, some even fearful of the power I’ve displayed.

“Mortimer,” she snaps.“We’re leaving.”

My uncle doesn’t need to be told twice.He scurries to her side, all dignity forgotten in his haste to escape.

“This is merely a strategic retreat,” Elizabeth says, her voice hard.“Remember that, brother.Remember who made you what you are.”

“I remember everything,” Costin replies.“Every moment of the past five hundred years.And I remember what you were before Marcus turned you.Before the darkness took root.”

Something flashes across Elizabeth’s face.Pain, perhaps?Or a fleeting memory of humanity long buried?Then it’s gone, replaced by cold fury.

“This isn’t over,” she repeats, backing away.The vampires part for her, creating a path to the exit.“Not by a long shot.”

She and Mortimer disappear through an archway, followed by their most loyal supporters.The remaining vampires look to Costin, then to me, uncertain where their allegiance should lie.

“Go,” Costin commands, and they obey, filing out until only our family remains.

I rush to Astrid, checking her for injuries.“Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” she says, straightening her already impeccable clothing.“Your uncle’s betrayal is far more painful than anything Elizabeth could inflict.”

My father finally looks at me, his expression unreadable.“That was…”

I arch a brow.

“…impressive,” he finishes.

From him, it’s high praise.

Anthony joins us, rubbing his wrists where the vampires had restrained him.“Remind me never to piss you off, sis.That was some serious power you just threw around.”

I should feel relief.We faced Elizabeth and emerged victorious, at least for now.My family is safe.Costin is free of Elizabeth’s immediate control.

So why does this hollow feeling persist?Why does part of me remain cold, detached, calculating the next move as if this were a chess game rather than my life?

“Tamara?”Costin’s voice pulls me back.His hand touches my shoulder, warm despite his vampire nature.“Are you alright?”

I look into his eyes, trying to find my way back to the emotions that should be flooding me.Relief.Joy.Love.They’re there, but muted, as if viewed through frosted glass.

“I’m fine,” I lie, forcing a smile.“Just tired.It’s been a long night.”

He studies me, seeing more than I want him to.“We should return to the surface.Dawn is approaching.”

We make our way back through the underground city, our strange family procession drawing curious looks from the few beings still about.Anthony supports our father, whose energy seems depleted by the ordeal.Astrid walks ahead, her posture betraying none of the stress she must feel.Costin stays close to me, watching me with growing concern.

I feel it happening.The humanity in me recedes as the supernatural powers grow stronger.The ice spreads further with each step, making the world around me seem less real, more like a stage where I’m merely playing a part.

Is this what being a vampire is truly like?This detachment?This distance from human emotion?Or is it something else?Some side effect of whatever power I absorbed in the crypt?

As we reach the surface, the eastern sky is lightening with the first hint of dawn.Costin ushers us toward a waiting car.How he arranged it, I don’t know or care to ask.

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