me, but not me. I lifted a forefinger and moved it back and forth in front of the mirror. But there was no image reflected there.
My hands went numb, and the mirror fell to the floor and shattered.
CHAPTER 4
E than had watched the reactions cross Lilithâs beautiful face as heâd revealed, bit by bit, the truth to her. First there had been confusion, followed quickly by amusement when she finally got the gist of what he was trying to tell herâbut thought he was making a joke.
But even then, there had been something more, something lying beneath it all. Some instinctive, living part of her being that recognized the truth when she heard it. And as he went on, slowly, ruthlessly, convincing her, showing her, her expression had turned to one of disbelief and then, as she gaped at the glass, to one of horror.
As the mirror fell, her body sank heavily, all at once, onto the sofa. She didnât fall, but she didnât sit down, either. She justâ¦let go, landing hard on the cushions, her head hanging, eyes unfocused, gazing at nothing.
âLilithâ¦â he began as he moved closer, knelt in front of her, wished he could have found an easier way to tell her what she was.
âI knew,â she whispered. âI mean, part of me knew. It didnât even sound untrue when you said it.â Then shesnapped her gaze up to his, focusing at last. âHow did you know? Do you know me, Ethan?â
He averted his eyes. âVampires can sense other vampires. I knew what you were before I ever set eyes on you in the stable. What I didnât know was whether you had come here to kill me.â
âYou keep saying that. Why?â she asked.
He sat in the chair again and let his own head fall forward as he rubbed the back of his neck and wrestled with his conscience. How much should he tell her? Because the thing was, he did know her. Though theyâd had almost no interaction at The Farm, he knew her. Heâd watched her, seen her, learned her nature. Her reaction, once she remembered, would be as predictable as her need for blood, her aversion to sunlight.
She would go back. He knew she would.
âI need to know,â Lilith said softly. âIf there are vampires out there hunting down and killing other vampires, then donât you think I need to know?â
âYouâll be safe as long as you stay here.â His head came up then, and he plumbed her eyes and her mind at once. âAnd as long as you arenât lying to me.â
âIâve told you everything thatâs happened since I woke up beneath that bridge. It feels to me as if I were born in that moment.â
He tipped his head to one side, ran a hand over his chin. âI suspect you were.â
âWhat do you mean?â
âI believe, Lilith, that you were made over into a vampire, just prior to thisâ¦sleep. I think it likely that you awoke to your new life tonight for the very first time.â
âDo vampires normally forget everything that came before?â
He shrugged. âI didnât. And Iâve never exactlyâ¦known any other vampires.â
She flinched when he said that, her head jerking slightly to the left as her eyes squeezed tight.
âWhat? What is it?â
Brows furrowed, she pinched the bridge of her nose with thumb and forefinger. âA flash, maybe. I donât know.â
âA memory?â
She opened her eyes and speared him with her steady gaze. âI saw a personâat least I think it was a person, though it looked more like a decomposing corpse. It was bound in chains, and I felt its agony. And that was all.â
He tipped his head to one side, studying her and wondering what horrors she had seen at The Farm that he had not.
âDo you know what it could mean?â she asked.
He shook his head slowly. âNo, I donât.â
âWhat do you know about our kind?â
How could he answer that? He only knew the
J.A. Konrath, Jack Kilborn