us locked up and will never let us go and will use our brains for experimentation and… and… they killed her and put a robot in her place."
I heardBryan sigh. "I thought you said she was a monster."
"She's a robot monster."
Okay, seriously. Jenny was not watching the Sci Fi Channel anymore. I paused. Then again, I was getting ready to admit that I was something far more frightening than a robot or the boogeyman.
I knocked on the door and opened it.
Jenny was sitting onBryan 's bed, her back to the wall, her knees drawn in a protective way, clutching Mr. Fluffykins in a death grip. She was dressed in her Powerpuff Girls nightgown. Her bare toes, recently painted blue, peeked out from under the hem.Bryan sat next to her, patting her knee, his sleepy expression a mixture of concern and annoyance. He looked up at me, obviously relieved that I had arrived to take his sister off his hands.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Sheesh, Mom. She's totally freaked out. Says you had red eyes and fangs and swords."
Crud. She'd seen the swords. I swiped my tongue across my upper teeth, relieved to note that my incisors had retracted. I glanced in the mirror above Bry's cluttered dresser. My eyes weren't glowing red, but they did look haggard.
"Jenny, baby. C'mere."
"No!" She scuttled closer to her brother.
Bryanlooked down at his sister in surprise, and then at me. "Stop being a butthead," he admonished Jenny, but without his usual rancor. His arm went around her and she huddled against him, her accusing gaze locked on to me.
Knowing that my baby was scared of me ripped me to shreds. I willed myself not to cry. Even without the ability to produce tears, giving in to the desire for a nice, dry cry would make the situation worse.
"I'm not a monster," I said, in a reassuring voice. "Or a robot." I smiled.
Jenny did not smile back. "You're not my mommy."
"Jenny!" She flinched at the censure in my tone.
Damn it. I tamped down on my temper. She was scared and lashing out. I was the adult here. I was the protector. "I have to tell you both something. Something very important."
"I want my mommy!" wailed Jenny.
Bryan's eyes were as round as plates. He absently rubbed his sister's shoulder. He looked confused and no longer sure that his sister was telling a tale. I noticed they'd both managed to squirm farther away from me. My heart rippled with pain. I was a vampire. I couldn't change that fact any more than I could change the color of the sun. An object I would never see again with my own eyes. God in heaven. What had I done?
Nothing. You had no choice. I gave you no choice. Tell them that, love. Tell your children I am the monster.
Patrick! For once, I wasn't irritated that he was in my mind. I felt comforted and strengthened and I realized that he was somehow infusing me with those feelings. Do you really think I would tell my babies this whole situation is your fault? The next time I see you, I'm slapping the shit out of you .
He laughed. The low sound filled my head, a joyful echoing that made me feel better. The next time you see me, I will give your hands something more pleasant to do .
A sensual thrill zipped up my spine. You're so annoying !
You have no idea. I felt his playfulness shift into a solemn tone. Tell your clann that I am sorry about what happened. I am sorry that they will be in pain and discomfort as they deal with their new lives. Even so , a thaisce, I will never be sorry that you are mine .
Hel-lo. Who says I'm yours?
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Uh, Mom?"
Patrick had closed his mind to mine. One day, I was gonna figure out how to do that, too. He poked around enough in my head without me knowing it.
I looked atBryan and found him staring at me with a funny expression on his face.
"You look different," he said.
"I know." I heard the pounding of his heart and of Jenny's. Those little organs were
I heardBryan sigh. "I thought you said she was a monster."
"She's a robot monster."
Okay, seriously. Jenny was not watching the Sci Fi Channel anymore. I paused. Then again, I was getting ready to admit that I was something far more frightening than a robot or the boogeyman.
I knocked on the door and opened it.
Jenny was sitting onBryan 's bed, her back to the wall, her knees drawn in a protective way, clutching Mr. Fluffykins in a death grip. She was dressed in her Powerpuff Girls nightgown. Her bare toes, recently painted blue, peeked out from under the hem.Bryan sat next to her, patting her knee, his sleepy expression a mixture of concern and annoyance. He looked up at me, obviously relieved that I had arrived to take his sister off his hands.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Sheesh, Mom. She's totally freaked out. Says you had red eyes and fangs and swords."
Crud. She'd seen the swords. I swiped my tongue across my upper teeth, relieved to note that my incisors had retracted. I glanced in the mirror above Bry's cluttered dresser. My eyes weren't glowing red, but they did look haggard.
"Jenny, baby. C'mere."
"No!" She scuttled closer to her brother.
Bryanlooked down at his sister in surprise, and then at me. "Stop being a butthead," he admonished Jenny, but without his usual rancor. His arm went around her and she huddled against him, her accusing gaze locked on to me.
Knowing that my baby was scared of me ripped me to shreds. I willed myself not to cry. Even without the ability to produce tears, giving in to the desire for a nice, dry cry would make the situation worse.
"I'm not a monster," I said, in a reassuring voice. "Or a robot." I smiled.
Jenny did not smile back. "You're not my mommy."
"Jenny!" She flinched at the censure in my tone.
Damn it. I tamped down on my temper. She was scared and lashing out. I was the adult here. I was the protector. "I have to tell you both something. Something very important."
"I want my mommy!" wailed Jenny.
Bryan's eyes were as round as plates. He absently rubbed his sister's shoulder. He looked confused and no longer sure that his sister was telling a tale. I noticed they'd both managed to squirm farther away from me. My heart rippled with pain. I was a vampire. I couldn't change that fact any more than I could change the color of the sun. An object I would never see again with my own eyes. God in heaven. What had I done?
Nothing. You had no choice. I gave you no choice. Tell them that, love. Tell your children I am the monster.
Patrick! For once, I wasn't irritated that he was in my mind. I felt comforted and strengthened and I realized that he was somehow infusing me with those feelings. Do you really think I would tell my babies this whole situation is your fault? The next time I see you, I'm slapping the shit out of you .
He laughed. The low sound filled my head, a joyful echoing that made me feel better. The next time you see me, I will give your hands something more pleasant to do .
A sensual thrill zipped up my spine. You're so annoying !
You have no idea. I felt his playfulness shift into a solemn tone. Tell your clann that I am sorry about what happened. I am sorry that they will be in pain and discomfort as they deal with their new lives. Even so , a thaisce, I will never be sorry that you are mine .
Hel-lo. Who says I'm yours?
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Uh, Mom?"
Patrick had closed his mind to mine. One day, I was gonna figure out how to do that, too. He poked around enough in my head without me knowing it.
I looked atBryan and found him staring at me with a funny expression on his face.
"You look different," he said.
"I know." I heard the pounding of his heart and of Jenny's. Those little organs were
Similar Books
