Silverthorn by Sydney Bristow Page A

straws, are we? Always coming up with some reason for me to pay attention to you. I can’t blame you. Who doesn’t want to feel important?”
    “Do you remember killing me last week?”
    “I don’t feel guilty about that. You had it coming. Besides, you’re not dead, so…nice try.”
    “Oh, you’ve been there, done that? I’ll be sure to return the favor some day.” I gritted my teeth at her righteousness. “After you… killed me, Kendall retrieved the wooden box.”
    “I know.” She shrugged. “I watched it happen. So, why should I care?”
    “Because that box held Zephora’s soul, and right after I killed our mother, Zephora entered her body.”
    Alexis’s brow furrowed. “Really? That’s what you’re going with?” She tossed a hand in the air, dismissing me.
    “That’s why your daughter visited me. She knows the truth. After Celestina revived our mother, Zephora’s soul entered her body—”
    “Our mother’s body? You get some paranormal gifts, and now you think anything is possible.”
    “Now she’s working behind the scenes to gain control of every paranormal creature.”
    “If you’re trying to blackmail me, you’ll need to try harder. First, I’ve killed you before, so I obviously don’t have a problem doing it again. Second, Celestina would never sneak out of the house. She’s not—”
    “You?” I asked.
    Alexis smirked. “Thank God for that!”
    “Like I said. She’s scared. Zephora is back. Darius is turning humans into vampires left and right. Zephora plans to create an army of paranormal beings, so she can rule the world. And yes, Celestina snuck out of the house to see me!”
    Alexis walked across the room, opened a wooden hutch, which contained various sexy outfits on hangers, and reached up to the top shelf. It held four bottles of liquor. She selected a near empty bottle. She twisted off the cap and took a giant gulp. Then she exhaled a vapor of alcohol at me, closed her eyes, and shook her head. “Does the body good!” Alexis opened her eyes, acting startled to see me standing before her. “What are you still doing here?”
    “You don’t believe me?” I asked. Seeing a smirk light up her features, I swung an open hand into the bottle she held.
    It smashed in half. I’d destroyed bottles and wooden boards before with an open-handed chop during my martial arts training years before, so it didn’t surprise me.
    Alexis stared at the top of the bottle…that she still held, since the bottom half crashed against the ground, leaving behind shards of glass and the liquid it contained around it. “Holy shit!” One side of her lips curled upwards. “That was fuckin’ awesome!” Her smile slowly dropped. “But you owe me another bottle.”
    “Take away your magic,” I said, “and I could do that to your head.” I glared at her. “Do I have your attention now?”
    The other side of her lips lifted in admiration, but a second later, she turned serious. “So Celestina snuck out of the house because Zephora is stuck in Mother’s body. Do you know how messed-up that sounds? Body swapping and what-not?” She returned to the hutch and took out an unopened bottle of watermelon-flavored vodka. “I think you need this more than I do.”
    I grabbed the bottle from her hands, twisted the cap, and took a swig. I cringed at the burn in my throat but appreciated the heat that slipped through my chest. “There!” I held the bottle at my side. “Satisfied?”
    Alexis nodded as though she didn’t trust anyone who refused to drink. She grabbed the bottle from my hands and took another gulp. “All right, you’re serious then.” She considered my words. “I’ve noticed Mother’s been out of sorts this past week. Thought maybe it had to do with the shakes. Withdrawal. I’ve always wondered if she was addicted to one drug or another.”
    Now I could comprehend why Delphine had abused Celestina. She wasn’t in her right mind. Not that substance abuse gave anyone the