Bring Me to Life（Time Walkers 1）(2)

“But that makes no sense,” she whispered. “I didn’t write the book. It’s out in public now. There isn’t a way I can take it back. How are people going to know—”

He reached out and clamped a powerful hand around her wrist. “We have to go now!”

Wrong!

Whoever this man was, he felt all wrong. She knew way too much about this world to let some stranger carry her off into the night. She jerked back. “Let me go.”

“He’ll kill you.”

“Who?” she demanded as she still jerked to get her arm back.

“The Wraith.”

The Wraith? Oh shit. He was a nightmare, but more than that, he was the ultimate killer. Demons, vampires, ghosts, ghouls, hellhounds, you name the creature, and the Wraith was supposed to be able to kill it no matter how large the horde. According to Andy, there was no way to survive him once his sights were set. The Wraith wasn’t supposed to go after humans, but she supposed there was a first time for everything.

She stopped struggling and looked to where the dark figure in a black trench coat and hood strolled out of the darkness. He pulled his hood back to reveal black-rimmed glasses held together in the middle by tape and a face full of youthful pimples. His eyes were huge as he stared at Bryna and Draven. “Ma’am, do you need help? I…um…I-I can call the police.”

Bryna lowered her head and bit down hard on Draven’s hand. He yowled and snatched his arm back.

She gave the gothic geek a tight smile, somewhat relieved the Wraith hadn’t stepped out of the shadows to kill her. “That won’t be necessary. He was just leaving.”

A hint of elongated canine teeth showed in Draven’s mouth, and he hissed quietly at the teen. His silver glare turned on Bryna. “The Wraith is coming for you. No one can survive him.” Then Draven backed into the darkness and was gone.

This was just great. She directed the boy into the safety of the building, and then clutched her purse tight to her chest as she ran for her car. She got into her car where it was parked directly under the lamplight and locked the door. She crumpled against the steering wheel and willed herself not to cry. It had only been a matter of time before Vincent’s death would catch up to her. She supposed it was fate and justice. He was dead while she lived. That night wasn’t fuzzy any longer. His blood was on her hands and no matter how hard she washed, it was never going to come off. And now, she didn’t know how she’d ever be able to atone for it, or if she ever could.

She sat up and wiped at her eyes before sticking the key into the ignition. No matter what she did there was no way to undo it. The tears started again as she pulled her keys back out of the ignition. No, she needed to know exactly what Shawn did to Vincent’s death in his book. If he did anything that made what Vincent went through less or not as important, she’d find some way to make the bastard pay. It wouldn’t ever make up for what she’d done to her first, and probably only real love. She could at least make sure his memory wasn’t tarnished. She dragged herself out of her car and willed herself to move back across the parking lot. She got the book, went through the checkout, and got back to her car in a record-breaking ten minutes. There, now she could go home, cry herself to sleep, and then go do what she always did on his birthday.

She almost got her wish, too, but Peggy, the elderly woman from across the hall from her apartment, rushed out of her door the second Bryna opened hers. “Wait, I have a message for you.” She held a toy poodle in her arms and massaged the dog’s ears. Pookie lifted his lips at Bryna in a snarl, but didn’t growl. See? Even animals didn’t like her because they could detect a black heart when they saw one. No matter how good a person tried to be, animals could always see the truth underneath.

She shook her head and tried to refocus her attention. Strange men trying to make her go with them and now an even stranger message? She never got messages from anyone. This was peanut-butter-and-pickles not good. She offered Peggy the best smile she could manage. “Oh? What kind of message?”

Concern washed over the older woman’s face. “Oh, dear, there was a man looking for you today. I tried to call the police, but they said they couldn’t do anything because he hadn’t done anything threatening—but he did, I tell you! Just his existence was threatening.”

“I’m sorry he scared you,” Bryna said as patiently as she could. “What message did he leave?”

Her features went disapproving. “You know, dear, you really do need to date a different caliber of man.”

Bryna wholeheartedly agreed; only she couldn’t seem to make herself pick out a decent man to save her life. She suppressed the urge to snort at herself. There had been one…She shook her head. “We weren’t talking about my choices in men.”

“We should be,” Peggy declared. “I didn’t think you were into the hit-man type.”

She could feel the rise in her blood pressure. “Peggy, what did he say?”

“He said your boyfriend’s back, and there is going to be trouble.” Her faded brown eyes nailed Bryna in place. “I am telling you that whoever this man is, you should not let him into your home—and call the police immediately. I will not feel sorry for you if he beats you after I’ve warned you.”

Bryna was only half-listening to Peggy as she tried to figure this one out. She had to admit her choices of men since Vincent died had been specifically picked during a self-destructive phase. The only one after that had been two years ago, which was Shawn, and he wasn’t stupid enough to threaten her like that. He knew her secrets. She shoved down the guilt of never having told them to Vincent while he’d been alive. “I don’t have a boyfriend, Peggy. What did he look like?”

“A monster!” Peggy declared and shook a fist at her. “He was at least seven feet tall and built like one of those TV wrestlers. He had weapons on him. A sword and knives, Bryna! He wore all black and his eyes glowed.” Then she shuddered. “A hideous scar slashed across his face. He’s dangerous, I tell you. Pookie didn’t like him one bit.” She rubbed behind the dog’s ears and brought him up close to her face. “It’s okay, darling, mama will protect you from the big scary man.” She glared at Bryna. “He said he’d be by in the morning to pick you up.”

“Thank you,” she said in wobbling tones. Suddenly Draven the vampire didn’t seem like such a bad thing. What was being drained of blood to whatever it was Wraith could do to her? Yeah, she was pretty sure she should have taken the vampire’s warning. Though she wasn’t ready to die yet. She blew out a breath and thought for a moment. Would any kind of plan she could come up with this time keep her alive? Did she even care? Her shoulders slumped.

She left Peggy babbling in the hall.

No matter how wrong it sounded in her head, she needed to get the hell out of town. Her self-preservation instincts were good. Even when she knew her right to live had died with Vincent. She closed the door and leaned against it for a few moments before she went through her sparse apartment gathering up clothes and anything she’d need. She briefly wondered if she should call the restaurant she waitressed in and let them know she was quitting, and snagged the phone. She didn’t want anyone knowing there was a huge possibility she wasn’t going to make it to the end of tomorrow alive. They’d only get hurt.

After leaving a message that she quit, and then throwing all the valuables she had into her backpack, she hitched it up over her shoulder and left. She’d stop at an ATM to clean out her bank accounts. The creatures of the night were no longer scary; if they got her, it was no less than what she deserved. If they didn’t, Vincent was about to get justice. She got back out to her car and went directly to the one place she had no right to be. The one place she always felt safe.

Vincent’s grave.

She didn’t know how many times she’d ended up there over the last ten years. Usually when she’d messed up her life to the point she shouldn’t have been able to be pulled out of the tailspin. Now, it just seemed wholly pathetic and narcissistic. But she was here anyway. Cemeteries were sacred ground. A vampire couldn’t come there, despite what fiction said. While she didn’t know if the Wraith could come into a cemetery, she was more willing to take her chances with him. After all, the Wraith made his name killing vampires.

With a flashlight, a blanket, and her backpack, she got out of the car and carefully walked the memorized path to Vincent. She wiped at the tears dripping down her cheeks when she got to it. She laid her blanket next to the large headstone.

Her hand ran along the smooth, cold granite. Her fingers traced along the words engraved in to the stone. Vincent Asher. Beloved Hero. Then over the date of his birth and the date of his death. She looked at her watch and then sat next to the headstone. It was after midnight. “Happy birthday,” she whispered.

It didn’t matter now. Once, long ago, she promised him one person would always remember his birthday while she was alive. She still lived. Bryna wiped at the tears leaking down her face. “I’m in trouble,” she said. “Yeah, I know, I always say that.” She tried to smile, but failed. “I didn’t know where else to go. I hope you don’t mind me staying here with you tonight.”