Betrayal: Book 2 of the Non-Vampire Series

by Jennie Taylor

  “Would have been nice to know that when we got here.”

  “I didn't expect to have nosy neighbors who sit out there all day.” she said, her brown eyes bright and wide and full of gorgeous life today. “Sorry.”

  “Uh, um, yeah, it's alright.” I said, feeling my face heating up. “I better go get the rest of our stuff.”

  I brought our boxes in and Jessica and I unpacked things in our room. I was feeling kind of down, and very nervous, and I guess Jess noticed, because she stuffed my doll into my arms, then pulled me in for a hug. I guess I was just overwhelmed by everything, because I was crying.

  Celeste called us into the kitchen for dinner. She had been cooking while we unpacked, and the homemade pizza she made smelled wonderful. But as we sat to eat, I noticed Celeste's eyes on me, and she had a bit of a smile on her face. I felt butterflies again, but then I noticed I was still holding on to Jenna. As embarrassed as I felt, I still tugged her up against me and ignored Celeste's look. So what if she thought I was a baby?

  “Mmm.” Jess moaned, chewing on the cheesy masterpiece.

  “Tell me what we're doing here.” I said.

  “Don't you want to enjoy your pizza first?” Celeste asked me, smiling toward my plate.

  “Not really.”

  She huffed out a breath and wiped her pouty lips with her napkin. Ugh, Jess was right, I do think she's hot. Why did we have to have a hot agent in charge of this? When she was done wiping her mouth, she took a sip of water and gave Jess and I each a little look.

  “There have been teenagers showing up dead around here off and on for a while now.” she said. “Usually girls.” she said, giving us pointed stares.

  “So we're bait?” I asked.

  “Yes and no. We need to catch whatever is doing this. If it were to come after one of you two we think you would be very capable of taking care of it. Probably.”

  “Probably doesn't sound very reassuring.” Jess told her.

  “I'd prefer it not attack either of you. I just want you two to find it so we can send in someone else to take care of it.”

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “We're not sure.” she admitted. “We think it's a striga.”

  “A what?”

  “A striga. Uh,” she looked away from us, up at the ceiling in the corner, as if the answer were somewhere up there. She has a really pretty chin. “They sort of suck the life force from you. Not you, necessarily,” she said, her eyes landing on me. “Anyone. They usually prefer children.”

  “Why children?” Jess asked. “They don't do anything else to them, do they? Because that's just beyond disgusting, and I don't want to even get near the things if that's what is going on.”

  “But killing the kids is okay?” I asked her.

  “Well no, but... I mean if they're going to die anyway...” She shrugged.

  I get what she's saying, I guess. If you're going to kill the kid, just do it. Don't take away their dignity and humanity in the process. Killing is awful, but at least they can go in peace.

  “So what do these str... stree... whatever... what do they look like?” Jess asked Celeste.

  “Like you or me, maybe. A normal looking human.”

  “They could at least have the decency to look like a monster.”

  “Like a vampire?” Celeste asked, a slight smile.

  “We are not vampires!” I said, probably too loudly. “I'm sick of being called that. We're not monsters.”

  “Okay, okay, so you're a...” Celeste said, making a face as she was thinking of what to call us. “Non-vampire?”

  “Right.” Jess agreed.

  “Whatever.” I said shaking my head. “Sorry, I just get touchy sometimes.”

  “Noted.” Celeste said with a slight chuckle. “So anyway, we just want you to find this thing-- or things-- and then we'll take care of them. The last few victims have been teen girls working in the area shopping centers.”

  “Yay, we get to hang out at the mall!” Jess said, nudging me. “You love to shop, Brynne.”

  “Yeah, well, you don't.” I replied.

  “Jessica, you will be working at a store in the mall.” Celeste told her. “That makes it easier for you to see if anyone suspicious is around.”

  “Wait, we have to work?” Jess asked. “That's not right.”

  “You do. Brynne is too young, most of the stores wouldn't hire her.”

  “What! But Brynne is... I mean she can pretend to be... She just needs...”

  “We have other plans for her.” Celeste said. “She's going to be working with me at a local homeless shelter. Some of the victims have been homeless, too. The shelter serves lunch and dinner every day, and they can always use volunteers.”

  “Um... what if I'm not a very good cook?” I asked.

  “You'll be serving and cleaning up, so don't worry.”

  Well, I mean their plan puts us in the parts of the population that are being targeted, but it separates us. I promised Peggy I'd take care of Jess. How can I do that if we're apart?

  “I'm afraid I have some bad news for you, Brynne.” Celeste said. She looked... scared? To tell me.

  “Go on.” I told her.

  “The VI council has determined that they cannot support someone's, uh, ill-gotten gains.” she said. “I tried to argue in your favor, Brynne!” she added quickly. “Lord knows your life has been a living hell, and you deserve everything you've got in the bank. But the council doesn't see it that way, so...”

  “You're taking my money?” I asked.

  “It's already done. As of this morning, all your bank accounts that we know of have been seized.”

  “You can't do that!” Jess said. “That's her money, she...”

  “That's not fair.” I said. I even managed to do it calmly.

  “I know, Brynne.” Celeste told me. “They let you keep one checking account you had with about twenty thousand in it, I think, but the other accounts were confiscated.”

  “Are you taking the stuff she bought already?” Jess asked.

  “No, they're not...”

  “Because you can't take away her stuff!”

  “Jess,” I said, trying to calm her.

  “It's not right that they would take your stuff, Brynne!”

  “No, it's... I mean I... kinda get it.” I said. “I stole that stuff, at least at the start, so...”

  “But they can't take...”

  “They're not taking the car!” I snapped.

  “Jenna.” Jess said. “I don't care about the car, we can get another car, but they can't take Jenna.”

  Seriously? She is worried they will take my doll away. Wow. Um... I guess I really drove home the point that this doll has been a friend to me for a very long time. I feel sort of bad that she got so worked up about it, but... I mean it's really sweet that she's that concerned about it.

  “They're not.” Celeste finally said. “They aren't taking any of the items you currently have. They at least agreed to that much.”

  “You okay?” Jess asked.

  “I'm fine.”

  “You, um...” she pointed to my cheek.

  “Oh,” I wiped the tears from my face. “Sorry.”

  I'm broke. Almost literally broke. I just went from having millions to having only a few thousand. That sucks, big time. I get it, it was wrong to take the money from people, but I repaid it many times over after I started making more from my investments. I mean... isn't that compensation enough?

  “I'm sorry, Brynne.” Celeste told me. “I think you've done pretty good with what you've had to deal with, and I think that money is rightfully yours now.”

  “It's okay.” I said, trying not to sound too upset.

  “Why don't you go lay down for a while? You don't look so good. We can talk more later.”

  “I really... you guys said you knew stuff about Alejandro. Paolo seemed to know a lot about him when we talked before. I need to kn
ow that.” I told her. “Right now, if you could.”

  “Do you know anything about him?” she asked. “Where he came from, how he got to be a vam... I mean a...”

  “No, you can call him a vampire, that's okay.” I said. “And no, I don't know anything about him, really.”

  “Thought so.” she said. “Let me take care of this first.”

  She was up and gathering plates before I could put up much of a protest. She rinsed them, put them in the dishwasher, then started in on some glasses. I was going nuts by the time she got back to her seat.

  “He was a VI agent.” she began.

  “What? No, that can't...”

  “It's true. He was one of the first, in fact. They had entered a town in Northern Spain, tracking three vampires, and were attacked. He fought them off the best he could while his partner and most of their assistants escaped. But he was turned.”

  “That's horrible!” Jess said.

  “He became the VI's worst nightmare. He knew all their secrets, all their plans. Something went wrong when he was turned, and he was very violent for the first few centuries. We think he killed at least ten thousand people before his death.”

  “Ten... ten?” I asked. “Thousand?”

  “Yes. Mostly before the year twelve hundred. After that he mellowed quite a bit.”

  He was a mass murderer. How could I believe anything he said at all, ever? He said I was the last, and he had to have known there were a lot more. He said he tried to change my family and failed. He said he was lonely and needed a companion, someone to talk to and spend time with. Was I just... I mean why would he pick me? Unless it's because I am a girl, and he thought he could control me and make me into his... whatever it was he wanted. He was a true monster.

  “And now I have his blood in me.” I said. “I'm like him,”

  “No,” Celeste said.

  “What?” Jess said at the same time. “No, honey, you're not like that at all.”

  “Jessica is right, you aren't like him.”

  “I am.” I said. “He made me what I am, and I'm... whatever was in him is now in me, and that means I'm just as evil and awful and soulless as he was.”

  “Brynne, honey, you're sweet and...”

  “You're the most gentle and kind vampire I've ever seen or heard of, Brynne.” Celeste told me. “Non-vampire.” she corrected.

  “Anyway, um... I think I will go lay down for a while.” I said.

  I laid in the bed and thought about our situation. Okay, we can handle this. Right? As long as I keep Jess away from these things, these striga. Whatever they are.

  This room is different than back home. We don't have bunk beds, for one thing. Instead we have two twin beds, along opposite walls, and a big walk in closet that we have to share. And one dresser. It just doesn't feel quite right. I hope I can sleep. Plus, I can hear the couple upstairs arguing over who got the last pickle, so... it's noisy here.

  A homeless shelter. She wants me to work at a homeless shelter. I guess at least I'll be helping people. Jess is going to be stuck at the mall. The thing is, I'd totally rather be at the mall, but not working there. No, working there would ruin the fun. Watching everyone buy all the things I want. And now suddenly can't really afford. I wonder what I'll do for money.

  Jess and Celeste were watching a scary movie when I came out after my nap. They were on the sofa, sharing a bowl of popcorn, while the vampires on the screen chased the screaming girls through the dilapidated house. That's just so realistic. Honestly Jess, don't you know better?

  “Oh, here, sit.” Jess said, scooting over and making just enough room for me to sit in the middle.

  “Um, I don't... I can't really...” This is embarrassing. Why is she doing this to me? “Those movies scare me.” I said. I'm sure I'm all red now.

  “Oh, we can turn it to something else.” Celeste offered.

  “No, I...”

  “It'll be okay, Brynne.” Jess said. “Come on.”

  She pulled me over and down onto the sofa. She shoved me over against Celeste. I tried to protest, but Jess smiled and her eyes went from me to Celeste, and then she winked.

  “Seriously?” I mumbled.

  “Have some popcorn.” Jess said, plopping the bowl in my lap.

  The thing is, this is really uncomfortable. I wish Jess would stop trying to set me up with people. I had my shot at love, and it didn't go too well. I'm okay being alone now. Forever. This sucks. But I mean... come on, Jess, Celeste works for the people that just took millions of dollars from me. Yeah, sure, I'm going to be all over her now. Right.

  Why must Celeste be so dang hot, though? Isn't life hard enough without having to see yet another girl I can't have? Ugh.

  Tuesday, May 20

  “Hey, wake up honey.” I heard Jess saying. She shook me again. “Time to get up, sleepy head.” she said in baby talk.

  “Leave me alone.”

  “Come on, I have to head out and I need your help.”

  “What?” I sat up. “Head out where?”

  “Work.” she said, curling her nose up. “Can you believe I have to start already?”

  “That was quick.”

  “Yeah. Anyway, you're better at this stuff than me, so do you think the blue shirt and brown boots, or maybe the white shirt and the black flats?”

  “You're wearing those pants?” I asked, looking at the black jeans she had on. She nodded. “Wear the blue shirt, but the flats.”

  “Uh, okay.” She slid her t-shirt off and pulled the blue button down on. “And maybe tonight or tomorrow I can get you to take me shopping so I'll have work clothes. I really kinda should have decent clothes if I'm working at a clothing store, I guess.”

  Okay, I admit it, I laughed at the thought of Jessica working at a clothing store. It was rude, and I apologized to her, but I laughed. She's not exactly... um... she's not really interested in fashion, let's say.

  Harsh reality hit when I went in for breakfast. This is really happening. I'm really being forced by these people to search for whatever these striga are. They really did take away all my money. Suddenly my granola bar didn't look so tasty.

  Celeste didn't really talk to me much at first, just went about setting things up and unpacking her things. She did offer to make some coffee, but I don't drink it. That's about all she said until 10:00.

  “You need to get dressed, we have to leave in ten minutes.” Celeste told me. I had been sitting on the sofa, watching cartoons.

  “To go where?”

  “To work at the shelter.” she told me, giving me one of those looks that said I was irritating her. The feeling is mutual, lady.

  “Can't we wait until tomorrow?”

  “No.”

  “Celeste, I just... I don't feel like it today.”

  “Brynne, we have to go.”

  “I just...”

  “Look, you're going!”

  I don't know, something about the way she said it made me think she meant business, so I went in and got dressed. And then I dragged myself to the parking lot, to her car. I was expecting a blue or black sedan, but she led me to a tiny yellow two seater, which was maybe slightly bigger than a go-kart and had a sticker on it claiming it was a hybrid.

  The car was actually quite roomy inside, but I still couldn't get comfortable. I was thinking of how much I miss Teresa. How much it sucks that I lost the only person I ever cared that way about because of what I am. What Alejandro made me.

  “I know it was a lot of money, Brynne.” Celeste said. We were at a stop light and she was turned toward me. “I tried to tell them it was yours now, that most of it was legit, that you paid back people and put money into charities. They didn't care about that, and I'm sorry I couldn't convince them.”

  “Whatever.”

  “If it helps, you two are getting paid pretty good for this.”

  “It doesn't.” I said. “How good?”

  “Same as a field a
gent.” she told me. The light turned green and she pulled away. “The same as I am making for this operation.”

  “Which is what?”

  “It works out to about a hundred thousand a year, in the end.”

  Well that's not too bad. It doesn't make up for the millions they took from me, but it does give me something to reinvest.

  “So, uh, how do you know so much about me?” I asked. “You know how I got the money, what I did with it, pretty much everything else about me.”

  “I spent a lot of time studying you.” she said. “Everything anyone with the VI has learned in the past year, since we've known of your existence.”

  “But most of that you wouldn't...”

  “You'd be surprised what we can find out once we have a description, a name, a few details here and there.”

  “I never told you guys enough to...”

  “But you were out of it for a while, healing.”

  “I... you... talked to Jess?”

  “Not me personally, but the VI, yes.”

  “That was just...”

  “You shouldn't be angry with her, she probably saved your life. If the agents didn't think you were worth keeping around they would have taken care of you right then.”