“I’m jus a shadow on the floor wi’ out ye, Genevieve,”
Brennus murmurs and his words are just barely discernable over the music in the background of the club. “I have lost all sense of purpose, save one, and dat’s ta find ye. Ta be so close ta ye and ta lose ye—’tis almost more dan I can endure.” Brennus pauses then and the lack of light from the camera hides the true pallor of his skin. He almost looks normal, except for the fact that he is unearthly beautiful. In the haze of the club, no one would ever know that he is an undead faerie. He looks like a supermodel and no human could detect the sweet, cloying smell that the Gancanagh emit from their toxic skin. He is the perfect lure for any young female: the ultimate killer.
Brennus runs his hand through his dark hair and holds it to the back of his neck as a pained expression crosses his face. “I know ye will na believe dis, but I plan on doing tings differently dis time. I will na try ta change ye. Ye can decide when ye’re ready ta become one of us,” he says and I scoff at the computer, not believing him for a second. I can still feel the pain from the bites he gave me. The gnawing hunger registers in my mind along with the echoing agony of it. “I jus need ye near me, for now. I can make anyting happen when ye’re back wi’ me. Ye can come ta us now, or we can find ye. ’Tis yer choice, but ye may na like whah happens if ye make me come ta bring ye back home. I love ye, mo chroí, ye’re moin…but ye already know dat, do ye na,” he says the last part like it was not at all in question and a part of me believes him. I don’t know why I do—maybe it’s Stockholm syndrome, but I feel like one of his possessions, just waiting to be collected.
“I have been giving our situation some tought,” Brennus continues as he casually glances over his shoulder at where Molly is standing. She looks dopey, like she just took something, but I know that she hasn’t. It’s Brennus’ touch that is making her act that way. His toxic skin contains a highly potent drug that is now rendering Molly his slave. She will do anything he wants now that he has touched her—everything. Peering back into the camera, Brennus says, “I do na want ye ta feel alone when ye come home ta us, so I found a friend for ye. We will turn her, and den ye can have her wi’ ye for eternity. Ye see…I plan ta give ye everyting ye want…anyting yer heart desires will be yers. Tell me where ye are, and I will bring ye home—’tis time, Genevieve. ’Tis yer destiny.” The screen goes black then for just a moment until the email window engages again. As I stare at the blank email I feel as if I have gone into shock.
I’ve been lying to myself. No, it’s more like pretending that this wouldn’t happen, that somehow it would be prevented. I thought if I just keep things simple, just keep the few people that I love close to me, that I would be able to protect them. But, Brennus has eternity on his side. He can pick them off one at a time, until there will be no one left to protect. Will I then beg him to kill me, to stop the pain from the loss of everyone I love?
I don’t know when this video was taken. Am I too late to save Molly? I wonder as panic seeps into my mind. A rational voice in my head tells me that the answer is yes. I was too late the second he touched her. Molly will crave him now and she will be his stalker if he doesn’t either turn her or drain her blood and kill her. She will be like a junkie looking for more of the toxin in his skin, unless she could somehow be cured, but I don’t even know if that’s possible for a human. I survived the venom of the Gancanagh bite because Russell had fed me venison blood, which ebbed my craving to drink Brennus’ blood, but his skin does not affect me. Brennus can touch me and I’m not susceptible to him like other beings are susceptible—like humans and angels.
Brennus isn’t going to stop. He will come for me, but I already knew that. This is a game and it’s to the death, his or mine. This ends when Brennus ceases to be or when I become his undead Gancanagh queen. The only question is, how many of my friends will he kill before this ends? Maybe my defensive position is the wrong tactic to take with him. Maybe I should find him right now and destroy him, before he gets anyone else. The Gancanagh don’t respect anything but strength. Maybe I need to show them that it’s not in their best interest to pursue my loved ones or me. With that in mind, I begin formulating a response after I click on the reply button to compose an email.
Brennus–
You seem to have forgotten that I’m not like the others; your charms don’t work on me. My soul is not for sale and I will never surrender it. If you truly want to give me what my heart desires, then do not change Molly. If it is in your power, then I want you to let her go. It will NOT make me happy to have her as my Gancanagh BFF. What WILL make me happy is for you to go away and never bother me again. If you do not, I will make you leave me alone and you may not like what happens when I show you just how temporary you can be. If you refuse to hear me and you choose to come for me, I will see it as a declaration of war and I will not hesitate to kill you. Don’t make me do that. You are not my destiny. I’m your enemy.
SO COMPLETELY NOT YOURS,
Evie
P.S. I want my stuff back you creepy stalker.
Without contemplating the consequences of my actions, I click the send button and mail the reply to Molly’s account. Gazing at the screen, my throat tightens. Tears cloud my vision as what this means hits me. Molly is probably dead by now. Not dead, she’s undead, I think as flashes of the desolate cells beneath Brennus’ lair come to my mind. They won’t be in Houghton anymore so he couldn’t have locked Molly in one of those cells like he did to me. Dominion knows about the copper mine that the Gancanagh had inhabited, so they probably left the area. They couldn’t stay in the mine anyway, since Russell’s grenades blew it up when he rescued me from the Gancanagh.
Remembering Russell walking into the mine to save me, forces the tears from my eyes. He was magnificent, I think as I wipe my tears with the back of my hand. He faced Brennus for me and wouldn’t let me surrender to him. I owe him my life and I have left him out there to fend for himself without me. Just like I left Molly out there alone. Crushing sadness grips me as something in my chest squeezes tight. I am too new to all of this: naive and stupid, but I can’t claim ignorance. I know what Brennus is capable of and I had refused to listen to that voice in my head that was telling me that he’s coming.
Staring ahead of me, the email alert window flashes onto the screen again. Seeing the brightly illuminated pop-up, the hair on my forearms rises as a chill passes through me. Dragging the cursor to the inbox, I depress the button near the keyboard. One message is in my inbox. It’s from Molly’s account again, but there is no tag in the subject line. They are actively monitoring Molly’s email. It’s not just a programmed response, I reason. Brennus has been waiting for me to contact her. Suddenly, I feel like a butterfly caught in a spider’s web. I open the email.
My Dearest Heart,
Had I not known before that you are perfect for me, then your most exquisitely executed note would have solidified it for me. I hope that you do not mind, but I showed it to the fellas and they are all most eager now to get their queen back. You may have to put up with a wee bit of chaffing when you come home because the fellas may not be able to help themselves; you are just too tempting.