Page 149 of Dance of Thorns

“I understand.”

I bring my black coffee to my lips, blowing across the steaming surface before I take a sip.

“How did she die?”

He frowns. “Who?”

“Mom.”

Dad sighs as I take another sip of coffee. “Honey, youknowhow. There were complications during your birth. She hemorrhaged, and they couldn’t stop it.” His jaw sets. “If it’s a comfort, she was on pain meds and didn’t suffer,” he says.

I stare at him, a cold knot forming in my stomach.

Why is he lying to me?

In the video, she’s very much alive, and Dove and I are very much born.

“You were there?”

He frowns. “Of course. It was a very sad day, but it’s how I got you.”

He’s still lying, and I’m starting to realize how frighteninglygood at ithe is.

I bring the cup back to my lips. When I take another sip, I feel my head spin a little. I quickly set my coffee down, steadying myself with a hand on the couch.

Dad frowns. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I just…” The lightheadedness comes again. “I just feel sort of dizzy…”

Just as he’s opening his mouth to reply, the color drains from his face.

“Dad?”

His eyes blink rapidly.

“Are you okay?”

“I…yeah…” He groans, his face twisting. “No.”

As I try to tell him to take a breath, the whole room tilts a little.

The coffee cup falls from my hand, shattering on the tray in front of me. I barely register it, my vision swimming and my body swaying.

What the fuck is happening?

“Dad, I…I don’t feel?—”

“Didn't anyone ever teach you not to steal things?”

The voice is startling, but I’m slow and sluggish to turn. When I do, I frown in murky confusion.

Melinda has a gleaming silver gun pointed right at me, her mouth a grim line.

“Melinda!” Dad sputters. “Melinda, what the fuck are you?—”

“You shouldn’t take things that aren't yours,” she mutters coldly, looking right at me. “IfI’dbeen your mother, I would have taught you that.”

My vision swims as I try to hold my hands up.