mother? What did that have to do with me? I wasn’t either of them; why couldn’t she just leave me

alone? I’d always thought antimatter girls grew out of it. That it was just a phase or something.

Guess I was wrong.

“All sorts of things. Things you’d do well to leave alone, too.”

Jesus. I’ve had enough of this. “Oooooh.” I mimicked a shiver. “So scary. Why don’t you go play

your mind games somewhere else? I’m busy with important stuff.” Like surviving. And trying to

figure out who here wants me dead.

A cold finger touched my spine. Other than you, that is. The same nasty thought that had been floating around in the back of my head came back to the front, but I didn’t have time to chase it down

because Anna’s face contorted and smoothed itself out in one swift motion. She bolted forward two

steps. I braced myself and felt the warm oil of the aspect sliding down my skin.

Anna pulled up short. Her fangs were out, too, and we stared at each other over a field of air gone

hard and hurtful, full of sharp edges. I heard soft muffled wingbeats and hoped Gran’s owl wasn’t

about to show up and complicate things.

I ignored little flickers of motion in my peripheral vision. The back of my throat ached, the bloodhunger throbbing restlessly in its special place. I tasted copper, and the scent of warm perfume that

followed Anna around turned thick and cloying. It was damn hard to breathe with that reek all

around me.

Then, something meowed.

No, seriously. I glanced down and saw a large tortoiseshell cat twined around Anna’s ankles. It put

its ears back, its head a wedge shape like a snake’s, and hissed at me. Blue sparks crackled from its

blind-looking eyes, and I exhaled sharply.

It was an aspect in animal form. Some powerful djamphir have them. It was the first time I’d seen

one.

“You’re a very impolite little girl,” Anna said softly. I think she meant to be terrifying, but I was

busy staring at the cat. “You should be taught a lesson.”

I looked up just in time to catch her fist with my face.

Jealousy

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

I’ve been socked in the face before. It hurts like hell, but if you’re wanting to put someone down, a

face-shot isn’t the best way. Especially if they’re used to it, or if they know not to pay attention to

the shock factor of getting a shiner. Most people who haven’t been trained flinch and think about

saving their good looks.

No, if you want to put someone down, go for a gut-shot. Which is what I did. My head snapped

back, I loosened up my knees and dropped down, then nailed her a good one right in the belly. My