Covet (Clann)

smile with a gentle one of his own, looking for a brief moment like any other human father might. “You are more than welcome. Tai chi has always brought me great peace when I needed it most. I can only hope it provides you the same.” He glanced at the darkening world beyond the windows. “Unfortunately we will have to conclude today’s training now. It is growing late and I have not fed in a week, so I must leave for a while.”
    Peaceful feeling gone.
    He talked about feeding on some poor person as casually as if he were mentioning that he needed to make a quick run to the grocery store. Even if that person was a so-called evil-doer, as he referred to them, it was still wrong to go shopping for a blood donor like it was no big deal.
    I went to my room, put on my headphones, cranked up the music and tried not to think about my dad and his “grocery shopping.” Or how I might end up just like that soon.

CHAPTER 11
    TRISTAN
    “Quit faking, I know you’re awake,” Emily grumbled from somewhere at my right side.
    I cracked one eyelid open. The coast was clear, no parents or other descendants in sight. “Hey. How’d you know?”
    She shrugged and crossed her arms.
    “Where’s Dad and Mom?”
    “I told them to take a break and go get something to eat. You know, I’ve gotta say, I always knew you were a brat, but this totally takes your selfishness to a whole new level. I ought to hit you, but I’m pretty sure the nurses would throw me out.”
    “What? What the heck did I do? Shouldn’t you be giving me some sympathy here instead of grief? I’m wounded .”
    She rolled her eyes. “Oh please. Like I’m really buying that whole line from last night about your brakes not working. Everyone knows you weren’t supposed to be out there. They think you tried to kill yourself in your truck.”
    “Give me a break. I needed some fresh air, that’s all. Mom and Dad have been treating me like an inmate lately. Can’t a guy get two minutes to himself without everyone assuming I’m suicidal?”
    Emily stared at the floor. She looked like she was ready to swing a bat at my head.
    Then I noticed the tears gathering at the edges of her eyes. “Aw, sis, don’t cry. I’m all right now.”
    “No, you’re not, you moron. You crushed practically the whole left side of your body! It’s going to take months to heal you.”
    I glanced down at myself. Was she serious?
    “And you nearly died. Did you know your heart actually almost stopped beating? If not for Savannah—”
    “Wait, what? What does Sav have to do with this?” I didn’t believe her about my heart nearly stopping. She was being a drama queen. But her mentioning Savannah was pretty random for her and a huge coincidence for me.
    Had my truck wrecked because I’d unleashed that spell for Savannah while driving? Maybe the energy blasted out my brake system or something.
    “She was the first one who knew you were hurt. She came tearing across the cafeteria at the dance to tell me she could literally feel your pain. She didn’t know where you were, but we were able to use that pain connection to tell if we were getting closer or farther away from you. Then we found you, and she helped me pull open the door and get you out. And then…” She took a shuddering breath. “Then I had to do a healing spell on you to keep your heart going.”
    “Huh.” So the connection spell had worked. Though not exactly in the way I’d meant it to. Sav was supposed to have felt my emotions, not my physical pain.
    Her eyes squinted in sudden suspicion. “What did you do? You were out there using power, weren’t you?”
    Time to switch gears. “Is she okay?”
    “Is she— You nearly died , you idiot! Are you not hearing me? Your heart almost stopped ! You even managed to make Dad cry.”
    I cringed. Maybe she wasn’t kidding about the near miss after all. “Okay, okay, I hear you, stop shouting. But I don’t know what to say about it. Thanks for bringing me back?”
    She scowled at me. “You’re welcome. And yes, she’s fine. When your heart started to fail, so did whatever spell you’d put on her.” She leaned in closer and hissed, “You do know our parents would go mental if they knew about that, by the way.”
    I tried a smile. “So don’t tell them.”
    Emily sighed loudly. “What spell did you use, anyways?”
    I tried to shrug, forgetting about my hurt arm and wrist, and had to freeze and hiss through the resulting pain. When I could think