Brynne, Non-Vampire (The Non-Vampire Series Book 1)

by Jennie Taylor

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “Good.”

  “Teresa, are you... un-breaking up with me?”

  “What? Um...” she sniffled loudly. “I love you, Brynne. But I can’t be with you. I’m so sorry. But still, I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “Oh.” Well that sucks. Rip my heart out all over again. Thanks. “I love you. I gotta go, we’re there.”

  “Let me know you’re alright?”

  “I will.”

  “Bye. Love you.”

  We pulled into the rest stop and Barney found a parking spot. I looked around at all the people. Which of them are from the secret Venator immortuorom? Would they kill me in front of all these other people? Unlikely, but who knows.

  “Stay in the car.” I told Barney, as I opened the door.

  “No way, I’m coming with you.”

  “Stay. I’m serious.”

  “Hey,”

  “Barney, you have to go home and tell them what happened if this goes badly. You have to tell Jessica to run away. You have to protect your family.”

  “This sucks.” he said, slamming his fist on the steering wheel.

  “I know. Keep the car running. If anything goes wrong you just run.”

  I walked up the sidewalk, trying to look at every person I passed, trying to see if I could find anyone that looked foreign. Whatever that means. I sat on a bench and waited. Less than a minute later a man sat beside me. He glanced my way and smiled. I wasn't sure if he was one of them, or just a pervert that tries to pick up young girls.

  “Nice to see you, Brynne.” he said. Heavy accent. Same guy from last night.

  “Paolo?” I asked. He nodded. He looks as nervous as I feel. “How did you know it was me?”

  “We will wait until the others leave before our discussion, yes?”

  “Sure, I guess.” Wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt. “But you knew who I was?”

  “Yes.” He glanced around. “You people have a look. A perfectness.”

  “Oh.”

  “It is a pity that this disease which afflicts you seems more common among the beautiful. I suppose if you’re going to create someone as a companion you would choose someone beautiful.”

  “I was a mistake. Alejandro tried the rest of my family, too.”

  “Alejandro .” he said, nodding.

  “He said he was the last. I thought I was the last, after he died. Until recently.”

  “There are a great many of you around.” he told me. “So you know only of these two?”

  “Um,” Yeah, except the one I changed. “Yes, those two.”

  “There are more. You aren’t completely honest with me, I think.”

  “It’s not important.” I told him.

  “It is very important. This will go badly if I don’t trust you, Miss Brynne.”

  “Fine. There is one more that I know. I will not tell you who she is. She doesn’t hurt people, that’s all you need.”

  “And where did you meet this other one?”

  “Not important.”

  “It is.” he insisted. There is an intensity in his eyes that scares me.

  “I’m not risking her life by telling you about her.”

  “Fair enough.” he said. “And did you create this other?”

  “I...” I nodded. “How did you know?”

  “A hunch. Is she the only one?”

  “Yes. I didn’t even know how, but I had to save her.”

  “So this is your injured friend, Jessica Sloan, yes?”

  How does he know that? Have they been spying on me? They probably did check me out. Or maybe they were able to trace that cell phone and find out that it came from that hospital. It wouldn’t take much to find out that there was a girl there that was badly injured, but suddenly okay the next day.

  “Relax.” he said. He is smiling. “We’re just talking now.”

  “Relax. Easy to say when you’re not the one who is going to die.”

  “Nobody dies today.” he said.

  “She can never... you can never hurt her.” I said. I wiped the tears from my face. “She’s the most gentle person, you just... she would never hurt anyone. I promise you.”

  “We will see.”

  “No!”

  “Calm yourself. There are others here that should not know of this.”

  “If you want my help... I don’t even care about me, okay? You do what you want with me, but you have to promise me, you have to swear to me, that you will never hurt her.”

  He stared at me for a long time. After a while he smiled a little and leaned back. He shook his head and looked up at a man that was standing maybe twenty yards from us. They both shook their heads and shared a laugh. And then Paolo scooted a little closer to me.

  “I have never met one of you quite like this.” he told me.

  “Like...”

  “Gentle. Concerned. Civilized. I’m starting to believe what you said about not hurting others. This does not sound like someone who learned from your Alejandro.”

  “How do you know...”

  “We have a long record on Alejandro. He was brutal.”

  “He wasn’t always.”

  “Still, someone like you coming from him is amazing. You know it is almost unheard of to create someone so young as you. Most want a companion that is full grown. Able to reach their full potential. You would be no good in a fight.”

  “I’m strong.”

  “Stronger than most humans, perhaps.” he said. “Not as strong as most adult vampires.” he said.

  “I'm not a va...”

  “Most vampires are very territorial. It is hard to believe you survived meeting Julius and Joanna.”

  “I nearly didn’t.”

  “You have never attacked people for blood?” he asked.

  “I... haven’t for a long time. It wasn’t always so easy to get blood from a blood bank.”

  “So you have killed?”

  “Not on purpose. It’s been a long time, and I... I didn’t kill to eat, just in self defense.”

  “Ah.” He nodded. “You didn’t kill those you drank from?”

  “No.”

  “Never?”

  “Um... a couple of times at the very first. But I didn’t know what I was doing then, and Alejandro was no help.”

  “And you think your friend will not kill others?”

  “Not if I help her.” Of course if they kill me that means they’ll kill her, probably. Because they’ll think she can’t control herself. “She wouldn’t anyway. I’ve explained how to get blood other ways, and she would never attack someone. You can’t hurt her. Kill me if you have to, I deserve it for the things I’ve done, but she doesn’t.”

  “We will see.”

  We will see. Yeah, ‘cause I’m going to put her life on the line for a ‘we will see’. This can’t happen. Maybe I should signal for Barney to go now, so he can go warn her to run. Or maybe I should just run now. But I can’t let Joanna and Julius keep killing.

  “So look, put me in hand cuffs, chain me up, give me poison that doesn’t kick in for a few days so I have time to help you get these two before I die, I don’t care. But if you don’t promise that Jessica will be left alone, I’m not helping you.”

  “What would you like from me, Miss Brynne?”

  “Just swear to me that you will let her go. If you promise that then I’ll believe you. You work for the Vatican, right? I’m sure they would look down on you lying like that, right?”

  “You complicate things, you know?” he said. He leaned back and stared at his friend across from us. After a moment, he turned back to me. “This is not something I take lightly.” he said. “If your friend does not harm others, I promise you I will do what I can to make sure she is not harmed.”

  “You swear?”

  “Yes. Our mission is not to kill indiscriminately, it is to protect from those that are a danger. You tell me she is not a danger, yes?”

  “Jessica would never hurt anyone.
I swear to you.”

  “I believe you.” he said. “Now tell me about your previous encounters with these Joanna and Julius.”

  I filled him in on everything. I even told him about their attack on me at home, how they were enjoying torturing me and how Jessica showed up and startled them enough that they left. He was amazed that she was brave enough to help me back to her house at such risk to herself.

  By that point in my story his buddy across from us had made it all the way over to us. He had been inching forward since I began telling about the other two, and now he sat beside me.

  “Miss Brynne, let me introduce Benito.” Paolo said.

  “Um, hi.” I said.

  “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” he replied. He also had an italian accent, and his was stronger. “Please, continue.”

  I filled them in on everything else I knew about Joanna and Julius. They asked questions when I told them of the attack in the park. Apparently Joanna and Julius were inexperienced at living alone. They said experience vampires would not be so careless about leaving victims laying around to be found. Experienced vampires wouldn’t have been toying with me, they would have just killed me and gotten it over with. And experienced vampires would not stay in the same place after being discovered.

  “Perhaps they left their mentor.” Benito said.

  “Or killed him.” I suggested. “Or, like, ya know, maybe he or she died. Alejandro died.”

  “We would know more of that, one day.”

  “Take us to this park.” Paolo commanded.

  “Are you going to let me speak to Barney before we go? I’d like to send him home.”

  “Yes, do that. But nothing funny.”

  “And you promised not to harm Jessica.”

  “Yes.”

  “What about you?” I turned to Benito. “Will you swear to leave her alone?”

  “As long as she is no danger.” he said.

  Barney looked very nervous as I approached his car. Jessica’s car, really. The one I bought for her. He was eyeing Paolo and Benito, who were flanking me as I approached. Several others stepped nearer as we headed toward him, too. And you could see a couple of dozen others lurking behind cars, at the bathroom, and trying to look inconspicuous all over the place.

  “So hey,” I said. I bent down and placed my arms on the open window. “I’m going to go with these guys.”

  “What? No!”

  “It’s going to be okay now. They need to see where the others are at.”

  “But...”

  “Listen to me Barney,” I said. Tears were filling my eyes. “It’s really been great knowing you, ya know. You really are almost like a big brother to me the last few weeks.”

  “Stop talking like that.”

  “Jess has access to my bank account. Please tell her anything in there is hers now. I wish I had given her access to the rest of my money, but it’s too late now.”

  “You can’t hurt her!” he shouted at Paolo.

  “Barney, stop. There’s no time for this. They promised to leave Jessica alone. Tell her I love her, okay?”

  “Brynne,”

  “Please?”

  “Okay.” he nodded. He had tears on his face now, too. “Why can’t you just run away now?”

  “No,” I was shaking my head. “We have to stop them from killing people, no matter what. I have to go now. You guys were my family, ya know? I love you guys. Please tell Peggy and Ted I’m sorry I got you all involved in this.”

  Leaving him sitting there, crying, as we walked away was so hard. I wish I never got him into this. I wish I would have just left town instead of telling Jess. I let her being my best friend get in the way of doing the right thing, and I may have ruined her life in the process.

  “You’re not afraid to ride in the car with me? Just you two?” I asked.

  “You will not harm us.” Benito said.

  “So, do some of my kind have more trouble in the sun? I noticed that those two don’t seem to like being out in the day very much.”

  “Yes. I’m very impressed with how well you handle it.”

  “Jess can, too. Is it like a bloodline thing? Like we’re both descendants of Alejandro?”

  “I would speculate that at least part of it is your youth,” Paolo said. “But certainly, some families appear to handle it better.”

  “This is an advantage then, because Joanna and Julius will probably be sleeping right now.”

  “I believe they will know we’re coming and be alert.”

  That’s just great. Sure, they’ll know we’re coming. But we have a heavy numerical advantage. There has to be at least twenty people in our group. Maybe twice that. And I’m not exactly helpless.

  “Stop here.” I told them.

  We waited for the other cars to catch up, then we got out of the car. Paolo nudged me ahead. Suddenly he had a gun, which he waved about as he looked behind bushes and trees.

  “They’re close. This is where we found them before. I can smell them.”

  “He should not have come.” Benito said. I followed his gaze. Barney is at the road. “Get rid of your friend.”

  “Do it fast.” Paolo said.

  I started toward Barney, was halfway across the park, when I heard a shriek from behind me. Benito. I spun toward him. Joanna was clawing at his face as he screamed. She was... laughing. There was a crazed look of glee on her face as she tore at him with her fingernails, laughing and ripping flesh, blood squirting everywhere.

  I hurried toward them as guns opened fire. Dozens of guns. But she was gone, into the trees, before she could be shot. I knelt beside Benito. Paolo was already over him. Or what remained of him. His face was shredded and his jaws were completely exposed.

  “He’s still alive.” I said, fighting back the vomit.

  “Not for long.” He grabbed Benito’s hand. “Goodbye, my friend.”

  “I could... I could save him.” I said. I'm not sure how he'd be when he healed, what part of his face would... grow back, but I think he'd live. Maybe. “I mean... if... if you wanted.”

  “No.”

  “I don’t like it, but... he does good. He could do more good.”

  “Let him go in peace, Miss Brynne.”

  “Should I go after her?” I asked, unable to look at Benito any longer.

  “I don’t believe that will be necessary.” Paolo said.

  He was looking up as he said it. Before I could see what he was looking at, I caught site of a shining object arching through the air. I had no time to move before Julius buried the machete into my left shoulder. It went deep, at least eight inches. If it had been two inches to the left it would have completely chopped my arm from my body. Instead it went through my collar bone, all the way down into my ribs.

  Everything started going dark almost immediately. I would see clearly, then nothing, then clearly again. I couldn’t breathe. The pain was so intense that I had to fight not to black out completely. The blade had been treated with something, some salty substance I would guess.

  Julius made a quick attempt to pull the blade from me, then gave up without a lot of effort. As his hand slipped from the machete, I saw Barney crossing the playground toward us. Guns were going off everywhere again. I saw Joanna killing at least three men, one of their intestines spilling out onto the ground when she ripped him open with a metal rod she was using as a weapon. I saw Paolo falling back as Julius moved toward him.

  I lunged and grabbed the back of Julius’ jacket with my right hand, yanking him back to the ground with me. We rolled over, and I held tightly onto him with my one good hand. My left arm would not move, it was completely useless now. He clawed at me, he punched at me, but I did not let go. Even when things flashed black and I felt like I’d pass out, I kept holding onto him.

  “Shoot him.” I screamed as loud as I could manage.

  “You’re pathetic.” Julius shouted in my face.

  Someone stabbed him with a long stick. He let go of me and was u
p, turning. Turning toward Barney. Guns were still firing, but he still kept moving toward Barney. I stumbled to my feet in time to yank him back again. It was all I could do, I was in no condition to fight. He spun and grabbed my head and twisted, and I went numb from the neck down.

  Barney. He's going to kill Barney! No. No! I tried to move an arm, a leg... anything, but I couldn't. I got Barney killed. Please, someone kill Julius. Please.

  “Run Barney!” I mumbled. I kept repeating that as things went completely black again.

  I don’t know what happened then. I know I was laying on the ground, staring at the dirt, struggling to breathe. And Paolo was beside me, speaking softly. At least it sounded softly, it may have been loud. Is this what it’s like when you die? Everything starts going black and sounds become dulled and distant?

  “You promised... you... wouldn’t hurt Jess.” I said.

  “Brynne,” I heard Barney say. He's alive!

  I felt the light on my face when they rolled me over, but I couldn’t see anything, couldn’t feel anything below my neck. And then everything was a misty mixture of confused thoughts.

  Wednesday, June 2 9

  There was a giant rabbit preparing to attack me. I stared at it, trying to decide how much of a threat a rabbit was to me, giant or not. But I didn’t feel quite like myself, so maybe the rabbit would take me. Maybe one bite from its giant front teeth would do me in. Maybe it was a vampire rabbit and would drain my blood. It seemed content to stare at me, so maybe it would decide I wasn't worth the effort.