Wounded(55)

“You think to kill me?” She slurred her words, sounding like she was still under water.

“Only if you start something.” Mermaids were not known for their kindness. They were more known for the shit they would pull when you weren’t looking, and their temperamental love lives. If eating your mate after he knocked you up could be called temperamental.

She grinned at me. “Whoever broke the hull broke it just enough for us to get in.”

Us. Oh, that did not sound good. “And why would you want in?”

She spread her hands and rested her face on the floating body I’d pushed her way. “A banquet awaits; a feast of proportions we rarely see. The flesh of supernaturals the elementals haven’t yet put away, that is something we don’t often get.”

“Fine, eat away, but leave me the hell out of it.”

“Or you’ll do what exactly?”

There was a splash behind me and a voice I’d been waiting for whispered, “She’ll have her little sister drain your body of every last drop of your sea ridden blood.”

The mermaid hissed and dove under the water. I turned to see Berget, her skirts swirling on top of the water, her eyes narrowed.

“I told you to go.”

“I’m not leaving you here, Rylee, any more than you’d leave me.”

“India and Kyle?”

“Alex is taking them to Erik and Amelia.”

Unspoken words flowed between us. She didn’t call Amelia ‘mom’ or ‘mother’. I didn’t ask her why. Nor did I ask why she didn’t help our mom.

I sloshed to her and she put an arm around my waist. She pushed off with her legs and we shot up three levels to where Frank and Pamela sat. Frank’s arm was around Pamela’s shoulders, helping her sit up, but he nearly dropped her when we appeared at the edge of the railing.

Grabbing the metal railing, I pulled myself over. “They killed Dad.”

Berget sucked in a sharp breath and stared down into the water.

Alex, Erik, and Amelia appeared at the far end of the walkway with India and Kyle. Amelia was stumbling, her hands buried deep in the ruff around Alex’s neck, no doubt for warmth as much as stability. He waved a paw at me and gave me a grin that showed off his teeth. Nothing ever truly fazed him for long.

Amelia’s head was lowered so she didn’t see me, nor did she see Berget.

“I have to go. I don’t want her to know I’m alive,” Berget whispered and in a flash only a vampire could accomplish, she was gone.

Amelia slowly lifted her head, saw me and stiffened. “You couldn’t be content with killing your little sister; you had to murder your father too.”

“Shut up, you ungrateful wretch,” Erik snapped, and I was intensely appreciative he defended me. But it didn’t stop the emotions that engulfed me.

My guts clenched and I fought the instant pang of guilt that sliced through me. Mostly because she was right. If I hadn’t gone to see them, there was a good chance Robert and Amelia would be home having their nightly drinks, discussing their day.

Teeth gritted, I ignored her, turning my back to her. That had always been the best way in the past. The best way to deal with her accusations.

“That’s right, you did it, you killed him,” she said.

Alex whimpered. “Rylee not bad.”

Amelia jumped as if just noticing her companion was a twisted werewolf who could talk.

Alex, oblivious to her surprise kept talking. “Rylee good, you are bad mom to be mean to Rylee.”

If nothing else, I did have my supporters. Ignoring Amelia, I crouched to check on Pamela. She blinked groggily up at me. “What happened?”

“I think you got a backlash that was meant to kill you.”

Frank nodded. “I saw it coming, saw it was tuned to magic users. Death magic doesn’t bother necromancers, so I—”

Pamela’s eyes shot wide and her hand covered her mouth. “He kissed me.”

He blushed. “Thomas told me that some sort of exchange would have to happen if I was to stop death magic on someone else. Something like a kiss or blood. I didn’t have time to draw blood on her or me, I swear!”

I held up my hand. “Thank you, Frank, for taking care of her. You did the right thing.” I reached down and helped Pam to her feet. She wobbled and leaned on me, pushing me back into the railing. I glanced down. Nope, that wasn’t Pamela making me sway. The boat listed hard as a rush of water swelled through the broken hull.

“Time to go.”

Amelia let go of Alex and I gave a nod to Frank. He stepped close to my mom and let her lean on him, leaving Alex free to move near me and Pamela.

“Mean mom.”

“Alex, enough,” I said, though there was no force behind my words. I was battered through and through and so fucking confused with what Orion had done that I barely knew what to think. India ran to my side and slipped an arm around me. “There are so many spirits here, Rylee.”