Discovery: Altera Realm Trilogy by Jennifer Collins Page A

right. "Are you a Vampire?" she asked, not sure she really wanted the answer.
    He slowly smiled. "Gabriel McMann. Pleasure to meet you."
    Syney's heart picked up speed. "Are you...going to kill me?"
    "No. I already told you that."
    "What do you mean about there being a price on my head?"
    He walked closer to her, moving almost like liquid. "Someone from Altera Realm put a hit out on you and your parents. Dead or alive."
    "Oh. So you want to take me to them?" Syney glanced at the door and then to the deck outside the window. She had a clear shot at both but had a distinct impression that escaping the Vampire in front of her would take more than she had in her.
    "You can't get to the either door." He looked her straight in the eyes. "I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to give you to whoever does want to hurt you. Unlike most of my kind, I am not fond of being seen as hired help when death is the job. I know who you are. I've heard of the prophecy."
    Syney stared into his eyes and felt something familiar in them. She wasn't sure what it was, but she did know he was telling the truth. "Why don't any of the other races want the prophecy to come true?"
    "Have you been attacked already today?"
    She nodded. "Shifters."
    He made a shivering motion. "Distasteful creatures. They're near even now. Creeping around outside."
    "What?" Syney jumped off the bed and looked out the window to the backyard. "I have to get out of here."
    "You wouldn't make it if you tried to leave. They're surrounding the house, waiting for you to make your move."
    "And you're too slow," a female voice said.
    Syney and Gabriel turned to look at their new guest.
    "Scorpina?" Syney asked the familiar girl. Syney started toward her, wanting to ask about Jess, but Gabriel grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him.
    "She's a Shifter," he said, a dangerous edge cutting into his velvety voice.
    "What? No...Jess. She's been living with Jess." Syney's already damaged heart seemed to physically break once again as a realization sunk in. "She's dead, isn't she?"
    The tiny girl snickered. "She doesn't matter. She was just a pawn. You, my friend, are the prize."
    Anger rose up and swallowed all of Syney's fear and sadness as she made a charge for the small girl, pushing Gabriel out of the way. She wrapped her hands around the girl's throat and squeezed with everything in her.
    Scorpina laughed and choked at the same time, making a sickening wet sound. She reached her hand up and slashed Syney's face with her nails. "You think you can hurt me?" she yelled, once her throat was free of Syney's grip.
    Syney fell to the floor at Scorpina's scratch and cupped her wounded cheek. She felt blood ooze out of her skin as a white-hot pain erupted in her brain. It was worse than any pain she had ever felt. Syney felt a numbness spread through her body, and her throat tightened and the air in her lungs seemed to disappear, only not to be replenished.
Is this what it feels like to die?
she wondered, as she struggled for any kind of breath.
    She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling, as tears ran down her cheeks. Everything seemed to disappear around her, all sounds dying down to whispers. She heard a muffled fight somewhere near her and a voice speaking. . .to her? She blinked and looked up into the face of her mother and father. She smiled. Of course they weren't gone—they couldn't be dead! Her mother's mouth moved. She was talking, but Syney couldn't hear her.
Pay attention to the lips!
she yelled to herself.
She's trying to tell you something!
    Syney peered a little closer. "Stay awake!" her mother mouthed. "Now drink."
    Syney didn't understand. "Stay awake," she understood, but "Drink"? She was about to muster all her strength to ask why, when something shoved into her mouth. She nearly choked as a warm, thick liquid invaded her mouth. It tasted wrong. It wasn't something she was supposed to be drinking. It was almost forbidden, but she swallowed anyway. Her mother had