Betrayal: Book 2 of the Non-Vampire Series

by Jennie Taylor

  “Sorry? No, Brynne, they attacked me. I barely got away.”

  “I know. I... called them and told them where you were.”

  “You...” She was quiet for a long time. “That's effed up, Brynne.”

  “Jess...”

  She hung up.

  Well, at least she's still alive. That's wonderful! Even if she hates me now, it's wonderful!

  Tuesday, June 10

  I was feeling a little better when I woke. Celeste arranged for extra blood, which helped. But I was still really down about Jessica. I mean I'm happy she's alive, but I feel awful that I almost got her killed.

  “Will they still be after her?” I asked Celeste.

  “The Venator Inmortuorom?” she asked. “They think she's a monster who kills children. Of course they will.”

  “Can you call them off?”

  “Brynne,” she said. She put the pan down and sat across from me, giving me that look that parents give children when they are trying to break it to them gently that the puppy died. “There's a lot of evidence.”

  “I know, but I know Jess wouldn't do any of that.”

  “And just yesterday you were certain she did it.” she reminded me.

  “I know, but...”

  “You just need to stop worrying about Jessica and start worrying about yourself.”

  “What does that mean? What, are they coming for me next?”

  “No, but you were attacked by something, and you need to recover.”

  “While Jess is out there running from the VI?”

  “Yes! You're not going to be able to help her in your condition. And if you are so sure she is innocent then when you are well enough you can help us find the real assailant.”

  “I...” That makes sense. “Okay.” I said, nodding. “But promise me that you, at least, won't do anything to hurt Jess or help them find her.”

  “I have a duty...”

  “Look, if we're... friends, or whatever, then do that for me. Please.”

  “Okay.” she said, sighing.

  I always hate just sitting around when things are going on like this. Or at all, really. I'm the kind of person that has to be doing something. Even if it's just setting up a little tea party for Jenna and her friends.

  “Jess isn't a killer.” I told Jenna. “Right?”

  Of course one of the problems of having a friend that is a doll is that they never talk back. I wish she could. I wish she could just talk back to me, tell me that everything is going to be okay.

  I spent half the day trying to call Jess. It always just rang until it went to voicemail, she never answered. She's ignoring me. I guess I understand that.

  “Um, hello,” I said into the phone. At least Peggy is answering my calls.

  “You sick, awful... horrible monster!” she shouted.

  “Pe...”

  “How could you do that?”

  “I...”

  “Why didn't you just kill us all if you were going to do this?”

  “I didn't mea...”

  “How can you be like this, Brynne?”

  “No, I'm...”

  “Never call here again.” she said, then hung up.

  I wiped at the tears and thought about what she had said. She's right, I am a horrible monster. They are the only family I've had in over a century and this is the way I treat them? The way I treat Jess, who is like a sister to me? I wish I could explain to her that I didn't mean it.

  I sent a text to Barney, asking him to please let Jess know I was sorry, that I will do whatever I can to make it up to her and to prove she's innocent, I just need to hear her voice and know she's okay. He didn't reply.

  I laid in bed, trying to come up with a way to fix this, until sleep overtook me.

  Thursday, June 12

  “Would, um,” I said to Celeste. She was serving lunch. “Do you think, once this is over, the VI will just... kill me?”

  “What?” she said. She sat the plate of friend chicken in front of me. “No, I don't think they are going to kill you. You didn't do anything wrong. You've been...”

  “Even if I ask really nicely?”

  I've spent the past couple of days looking deep inside, thinking about my life and what I've done, and when I take an honest look at myself I see that all I ever do is cause problems for people. At least for people I care about. I can't let that happen anymore. I need to end this miserable existence for the sake of those I love and anyone I may ever care about in the future.

  “What about Marissa?” she asked.

  “Um,” I shrugged. “She isn't here, is she? Obviously I don't mean much to her.”

  “You can't think like that.”

  I can't? She's been a lousy girlfriend. She's never here when I need her, she takes off and doesn't answer her phone, she chooses to help someone move when I'm laying here half dead, and she treats everyone around me like crap.

  Oh, and she thinks my best... my sister is a killer.

  “Ya know, I'm feeling up to going out for a walk later on, I think.” I said.

  “It's not safe for you to go alone. I'll come along.”

  “And get killed.” I mumbled.

  “If you are attacked again, in your current state, you'd be defenseless. At least I can work a gun pretty well, which is better than nothing.”

  “Celeste,” I looked up at her. “If you met with the ones who did this to me you'd be dead before you could pull the trigger. They're way too fast.”

  “I might surprise you.”

  “You might not.” I said. I sighed. “I'll just stay in.” I got up from the table, no longer hungry. “I don't want your death on my conscience too.”

  I watched cartoons all day. Shortly after dinner Marissa showed up. She sat next to me on the sofa and didn't say anything. I didn't say anything either.

  “Oh good, you're here.” Celeste said. That's weird.

  “I said I'd come.” she replied.

  “Yes. I'm going out.” Celeste said, heading out the front door.

  That explains it. So Celeste must have called her. I wonder how she knew her number. Maybe she got it off my phone.

  “You suck.” I said to Marissa.

  “Don't say that.” Her face wrinkled up as if she were going to cry. “You have no idea what I've been through in the past few days.”

  “Enlighten me.”

  “I went to help my friends move and Ale... the father was livid. He was screaming and yelling and throwing a fit, so it was tough to be there.”

  “Why didn't you leave, then?” I asked.

  “They needed my help. And then last night I got in a fight with Miranda and she nearly killed me.”

  “You look very much alive right now.”

  “Hey, I've been through stuff. You're lucky to have me, ya know.”

  I am? She's been a terrible girlfriend. Except she did have stuff happen. And she needed to help her friends. And I'm lucky to have any girlfriend right now. Especially since my best friend is an accused killer.

  “I need to go find Jessica.” I said.

  “When you're stronger. I'll take you. I want to be there when you finish her off so I can spit on her body.”

  “She's not...” Not a killer? Of course she is. I made her that way. “She's not... um... going to be that easy to... she's strong.”

  “Call in the VI.”

  “Yeah, I guess I could. They'd help.”

  “She barely got away last time.” she said. “With you there helping they'd be sure to get her.”

  “You're right.” I agreed. If I were to help then I could at least slow her down enough that they could take her out, even if she is stronger than me.

  “I know it's hard, but it's better for everyone if she's gone.”

  “I know. I just wish I was strong enough to do it myself. I made her, I should end this.”

  I got tired and felt hazy, so I had to go lay down. She covered me with
my blanket and tucked Jenna in beside me. At least I think she did, I was so confused that I wasn't sure. All I know is she left and I faded into a fitful sleep.

  Friday, June 13

  “How are you this morning?” Celeste asked. She was standing at the foot of my bed.

  “Better.” I said, stretching. “Good enough to go after Jess, if you think the VI would be able to help today.”

  “Go after...” she stepped back and gave me the strangest look. “I thought you were convinced she was innocent?”

  “What? No, I know she did it, I know she's a...”

  What? Wait. No, I know Jessica is not a killer. I remember thinking yesterday that she was innocent, that all this is a horrible misunderstanding and we can clear it up. That I will find the real killers and clear this up.

  “I... what is...”

  “Brynne?”

  “I remember being so... confused last night, and then...”

  “Are you okay?”

  “No.” I said. I shook my head. “I... Jess... wouldn't do those things.”

  “That's what you keep telling me.”

  “So why did I wake up so convinced that she did?”

  “Well, maybe in your sleep you thought about it and...”

  “No!” I sat upright quickly. “No no, I remember. I remember that Marissa started talking about it, and then...”

  “She managed to explain to you how much evidence there is?” Celeste suggested.

  “No! I mean... she was telling me how bad her past couple of days were, and I was thinking about how lucky I am to have her, and...”

  “Oh please,”

  “And then... I mean it's like I got fuzzy headed, and... and just... suddenly felt completely overwhelmed and certain that Jess did those things.”

  “We don't know she didn't.” Celeste said. She sat on the end of the bed.

  “I know she didn't.”

  “Then why did you say...”

  “Because... because...”

  I kind of remember this happening in the past. I was so certain she was innocent, then after talking it over with Celeste and with Marissa I realized she was guilty. Except I know she's not. And it always seems to happen when I get hazy and after talking to...

  “Marissa!” I shouted. Celeste swiveled her head to the door. “No, not here. I mean... I mean...” I paused. “I don't know what I mean.”

  “You should go back to sleep.”

  “No, Celeste, is it possible for someone to, like, I don't know... control someone else's thoughts?”

  “Telepathy doesn't exist, Brynne.”

  “Are you sure? I mean there is a lot of things people think don't exist which really do, right?”

  “You're not making sense.” she said.

  “I think... I think... I think Marissa somehow makes me think Jess is the killer.”

  “That's because you care about her and her opinion matters. She's convinced, so you give in to her opinion and manage to convince yourself.”

  “No, I don't think so. I mean... I mean I'm lucky to have her and all, but I don't think I'd do that.” I sighed. “Oh.”

  “Oh what?” Celeste asked.

  “I mean... I mean... she's not.”

  “Not?”

  “A good girlfriend.”

  “I've been saying that same thing all along.” she said, sounding annoyed with me.

  “She sucks. I... but when I got hazy I remember thinking... I mean maybe she... uses some kind of mind control for that, too.”

  “This whole story seems very improbable. I think you need more rest, and I think...”

  “Celeste!” I pounded the bed with my fist. “I know how crazy this sounds, but... I don't even like Marissa!”

  There, I said it. It's true, too. When I'm thinking clearly, anyway. Has she been making me think things all along? I mean... well what does that make her? She isn't a striga or I'd be dead. Right?

  “I need to know what she is.” I said to Celeste.

  “Okay, if it'll make you feel better I'll give Paolo a call and see if he's ever heard of anyone who could do what you're describing.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Don't hold your breath, though.” she said, standing.

  Sunday, June 15

  After waiting for over a day to hear back from the VI to see if they have ever heard of anything like Marissa, we got back a big fat no. Well, not a no completely, because someone there may have heard something once about something that could control people's emotions when they were nearby. Which isn't exactly what is going on here. Plus, he said it could just be something he heard in a book he read once.

  Right.

  Great.

  Marissa tried to call four times yesterday, and I managed to ignore all of them. Once I had Celeste answer and tell her I was asleep. I figured it would be safer for Celeste to talk to her than it would be for me. For some reason Marissa has a huge sway over me. I think.

  “I have to find Jess.” I told Celeste. “I'm done waiting for answers, and I'm not going to be able to avoid Marissa forever. She'll eventually come around, and I really need Jess here when she does.”

  “Brynne, we don't even know...”

  “I know Marissa did something to me. I'm just not sure how or what.”

  “I just don't think it's safe for you to go out alone.”

  She's right, of course, but I can't wait around until Jessica ends up dead. Or I do, for that matter. Plus, kids are still dying around here and we have no idea why, because Roderick is still in France.

  I tried to call Jess-- yet again-- and she wouldn't answer my call. I really need to talk to her. Ted and Peggy won't answer my calls, either. Barney is my last hope. If I can get him to talk to Jess then maybe she'll give me a call and I can grovel.

  “Yep.” he answered.

  “Barney? This is...”

  “Benedict Arnold?” he asked.

  “I know I deserve that.” I said. “Please just listen. Something is going on, someone is making me believe stuff, and I know Jess didn't do anything wrong.”

  “She said you told her that before. Just before you sicced the Venator whoever-they-ares on her.”

  “I was... Look, I figured out who was making me think and say things like that, and I need to talk to Jess. I need to apologize, I need to get her help to stop them, and I need to make sure she is safe.”

  “I don't think...”

  “Barney! Come on!”

  “I'll call her and let her know you want to talk to her.” he promised.

  “Thank you!”

  “Don't get your hopes up, she's pissed.”

  “Tell her I'm sorry, and I love her, and I'm sorry, and...”

  “I gotta go.” he said.

  “Barney?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thank you. This means a lot to me.”

  “Bye Brynne. I hope she calls and you get this worked out. She sounded pretty miserable when I talked to her last night.”

  I waited around for hours, dodging yet another call from Marissa. I'm afraid if I don't answer soon she'll just show up. I'm kind of surprised she hasn't already, really.

  “Dad?” I heard Celeste say. She was in her bedroom, and had just answered her cell. “What? Hold on a minute, you... no. I said no. You did what!?”

  I wasn't trying to pry, I swear, but I could hear clearly from in where I was at in the living room, even over the television. Sadly I couldn't hear his side.

  “That's bullshit and you know it!” Celeste shouted. “No. I said no!”

  I quietly crept to her door and listened, hoping to hear the other side of the conversation as well. Yeah, okay, I was eavesdropping. I'm sure she would understand. Or not. But I was also concerned, I could hear her crying.

  “Why would you want to talk to her?” I heard her ask.

  I heard her feet padding against the floor, coming closer. And then she flung the door open an
d stared at me, a startled expression on her face. She jammed the phone into my chest and let go, leaving me to hurry to catch it. By the time I did she had slammed the door shut.

  “H-hello?” I said into it.

  “This is...”

  “Agent Marcus?” I said. “What's going on?”

  “Shut up and listen.” he demanded. “I don't like you,”

  “Sir,”

  “You are scum. A monster. Evil incarnate.” He sighed. “But my daughter has this... affection for you.”

  “I really like...”

  “Silence!” he shouted. “That is why you get this one chance, and only this chance. We have your friend. If you wish her to see another day you will come take her place.”

  My heart fell through the pit of my stomach. He's going to kill Jess! Or me. Or both! What have I gotten her into?

  “Where...”

  “Celeste knows.” he said. “She cannot come.” he growled. “If my daughter come near these horrible... If she comes along the deal is off. Everybody dies! Got it?”