Tears gathered in myaunt’s eyes, her expression so pained. There was so much she wantedto say. I could see it in the slight tremble of her jaw, in thetight way her lips pressed together.
A shiver spiralled upmy spine. Sofia, what the hell have you seen? What haven’t you toldus?
“I have seen ...everything. You will see things, sense things—like you alwayshave—but they will be hard to understand. You may not even realizewhat you are seeing until you are actually within that moment, thatsituation. But no matter what you do—and I know what you will dobecause I know you, I know how strong you are—” She smiledslightly. “You must walk this path. It will be difficult, buttrust me. Trust yourself. You must stay on this path and faceeverything head on. I’m just so sorry that I’m not with you andthat I can’t help you.
“That is why I haveasked Carter to send Brendan, because I know he is the only one whocan help you. Brendan, come here, laddie, so she can see you.Otherwise, she won’t believe you are who you say you are.”
Shoving my blade backin its holder, I then rummaged in my jacket pocket, retrieving myphone, quickly opening the camera.
“She seems like apain in the arse,” a male replied.
The camera moved,stopping on a man. “Heather, this is Brendan Daniels.”
He was tall, withbroad shoulders, sandy blond hair, striking green eyes. Handsome,if you liked the surfer type.
I knelt down and tooka photo of the man on the screen.
Why was he the onlyone that could help her? She had family. Why did Sofia call upon astranger?
“Try to be nice,for your own sake. I love you, Heather. So does your mother. Sheloves you so, so much. Goodbye, my wee pet.”
The DVD stopped. Greystatic filled the screen.
“Well, that waspossibly one of the most messed up things I’ve ever seen,” Nathanstated. “Why t’hell is there a Mission Impossible type message inyour cousin’s DVD player?”
I fell back onto mycalves, my blurred eyes lost in the sea of black, white, and greydots before me. “How did you—?”
“I wanted to check thenews,” He cut in quickly. “T’see if me or Freddie … I’m sorry, itjust came on, and—”
“It’s fine.” I pulledmy focus from the screen and looked down at the photo on my mobile.“I kind of knew there was a DVD. Heather mentioned it in the lastconversation she had with my mum. I just didn’t expect it t’be…”
“Completely crypticand unnerving.”
A dry laugh escapedme. “Aye. Exactly that.”
Not to mention strangethat the DVD would still be in the player. Wouldn’t she have put itaway somewhere safe, secret?
It wasn’t exactly fullof helpful information, but still, it wasn’t exactly something youwould want someone to come across.
“So, Heather’s indanger?”
I slid my phone intomy pocket and pushed myself up until I was standing. “Heather hasalways been in danger.”
“Which is why she hasa Werewolf bodyguard?”
“Aye.” How did Sofiaknow a Werewolf?
“And neither Heathernor this Brendan have been heard from since …?”
I dropped on to thenearby armchair, resting my head against the plump, red material.“September 24th. Exactly three weeks.”
“So, we’re the back-upteam?”
It was only meant tohave been me. I was coming over to help Heather who I now neededbecause I suddenly had a Vampire that required my help, our help. Ihad no Heather and no clue where she was. I had no clue what hadhappened to Nathan. No clue what the hell Sofia had seen, or knew,or even planned for. Just no damn clue of what I was supposed todo.
I was still torn overthe fact that Nathan was with me. Had I done the right thingkeeping him alive, well, mobile? Two heads had always been betterthan one. And once upon a time, Nathan and I had been a good team.Sure, our foes had been imaginary, but we had been inseparable foryears … Had been. Past tense, girl.
“I guess we are.”Whether I liked it or not.
“Okay.”
I glanced at him withan arched eyebrow. “Okay?”
“Just making sure Iwas up t’speed.”
I was glad one of usfelt as if we were because my head was about ready to explode. Mylimbs suddenly felt as if they were made of lead. Sitting down hadclearly been a bad idea.
“Do y’mind?” Hepointed the remote at the television.
“No.” I leaned forwardand braced my elbows on my knees, not paying any attention to theimages on the screen or what the reporter was saying. All I couldthink about was the DVD, the fact that my aunt Sofia had basicallytold my cousin that she knew shit was about to hit the fan, but shepurposely wasn’t giving her an umbrella.
My gaze drifted to thebookshelf in the left corner, to three photos sitting on the bottomshelf. Forcing myself to stand, I moved closer, picking one up. Ayoung Sofia stood smiling with my uncle Jean and a very youngAlexis. I couldn’t make out the location, but it was a sunnyday.
The next picture wasof Alexis and Dorian on what looked like their wedding day. Alexishad a knee-length white Bardot dress on; it was simple. Her hairwas down, for a change, dark and wavy. Dorian wore a black suitwithout a tie, his blond hair slicked back with a stray chunkfalling over his brow. I had seen him only once when I was a child.He was handsome. Heather was the spitting image of her mother, butlooking at Dorian, I could see the similarities. Heather had hisnose and his smile.
My cousin and herhusband stood on the steps of what I could only presume was thelocal town hall. Dorian’s arm was round Alexis’ waist, her rightround his while her left hand rested on his chest. No one else wasaround them, but they didn’t seem to mind, their focus on eachother. Genuine smiles rested on their faces. They looked happy.
I couldn’t rememberseeing Alexis smile while she lived with us. She was always soquiet, serious. Restrained. Unless she was arguing with my father.I thought he had a fiery
