My Soul to Reap (Archived)

Let The Wrong One In

After the night and now morning finally caught up to me, I ended up passing out on Brie's shoulder. She'd found us a cab, not bothering to try and hide the car or Aryan's body. I curled up in the back seat reflexively, and when she nudged me less than gently awake we were back in front of the narrow house that spat on physics. I almost fell getting out of the car, and Brie shook her head at me.

"Have a few more drinks," she joked, and I glared at her.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up." I muttered, kicking off the short boots she'd given me and running up the stairs, gripping the railing tightly to avoid falling yet again. Brie followed me quickly, chuckling to herself. I just shook my head.

"So, are you going to let me sleep?" I asked, and she tapped a finger against her chin thoughtfully.

"We-ell..." She said, dragging the word out. I groaned, landing face-first on her bed so that her laugh was muffled. "I've got a few unlucky bastards to collect today, but I'll let you stay here. I should be back by noon." I nodded, searching the room for a clock and finding one resting against the wall of all places. I could get five hours of sleep, and I'd done with a lot less before. Grateful, I gave her a small wave and she just laughed again, apparently not affected by being out all night. Again I questioned if she even slept, and why exactly she needed a bed if she didn't. I swung my legs to the side and burrowed under the blankets, drinking in the smell of burnt lavender. I frowned for a second at the fact that that was what her bed smelt like, but I didn't want to question it. The looming blackness was too comforting, and before long I was sleeping. I didn't even hear her leave.

When I woke up, something felt off. The world was off-kilter, just a little too far out of my reach than normal. I came back to reality slowly, without any real reason to sleep but also without a reason to wake up. Finally opening my eyes and blinking away the blurriness, I had a moment of confusion. My sheets were blue, not this velvety purple. And my bed was certainly a lot smaller. I sat up, before the memories came rushing back and I nodded to myself. Right, this was Brie's room. I sighed and sank back down into the warmth of the blankets, cringing at the coldness of the room.

"Good Morning." I jumped, because that was not Brie's voice. Whatever sleepiness had remained evaporated instantly and my hand went to my belt. Aryan tutted from his place against the opposite wall. "Don't do that, we won't even get to talk if you try to stab me again." I felt sick. I was trying to process, to understand why he was here and not laying dead in his mansion. I was scared enough of him when Brie was steps away, but now she wasn't here. But I didn't say anything. I schooled my face into an impassive expression, trying to draw on whatever acting abilities I thought I'd had earlier. I watched him, trying to find the remnants of a stab wound. But the suit that had made him stick out at the party was still immaculate.

"Are you speechless, darling?" The word of endearment was what broke into the anger that had been slowly building since he'd arrived.

"Garlic, wooden stake, sunlight, crosses. You died." I said flatly. "There is no way on earth you survived that." There was a sudden feeling like I was drowning as I realized just how deep in I was. I was clinging so hard to what Brie had told me, because she seemed like the only voice of reason I was going to have.

"No way in hell might be a more apt description," he smiled, like it was an inside joke I didn't get.

"You weren't invited in." I said firmly, trying to hold on to the things Brie had said. He was breaking every single rule of vampires, somehow, and he'd done it to see me. Accepting his existence was one thing, finding out what I knew was wrong was another.

"No, but it helps to have friends on the other side." I slid out of bed and took out the knife in a single motion, pointing it at him and willing my hands not to shake. "Haven't we done this dance once before?" he asked, sounding disappointed. "That isn't going to work on me."