Part 5
It just wasn't fair. Nothing ever went right for her. Midian paced endlessly around the tiny apartment. She had wanted to be normal, have friends of her own who didn't mysteriously disappear because Blake didn't approve of them. She didn't want to be manipulated into killing people anymore, giving Blake the opportunity to punish her for being bad.
Tears filled her eyes. She'd had no idea *he* would be there. Blake was bad news on his own. In the enclave, Ash had been even worse. Together they were...well...it was a nightmare just to think about it.
She shivered, even though it was almost painfully hot. What was she going to do? Would Ash run and tell Blake she was here? Well, maybe Ash wouldn't immediately run off to blab, he wasn't that type....he could just casually mention that he'd seen Blake's girl in this dinky little mid-Western town.
And the way Mary-Lynnette had looked had been a surprising cross between surprised and star struck. And Ash's expression had been even weirder, his had been hopeful, and almost nervous.
From what she knew of him, it was unlikely he'd even be interested in a nice human girl like Mary-Lynnette. She'd only just met Mary-Lynnette; she could turn out to be completely different. Maybe she was one of those vampire-obsessed humans. Redferns and humans as friends in other circumstances...it was just *weird*.
She stopped pacing and tried to calm herself. She had run away from Blake. He wasn't going to terrorise her anymore. She had told herself that over and over the first few weeks. The hardest time in her life - running from city to city, trying to make sure she was safe and not recognised. She'd stolen $10,0000 in cash when she'd left the enclave, her mind control power coming in handy.
Then she had found this place. The name caught her attention. Briar Creek. Briar reminded her of the fairytale Sleeping Beauty. She had been Briar Rose, who had believed she was ordinary when she was really a Princess, something had, of course, screwed up, and was rescued by a handsome prince.
Midian had always liked that idea. She had thought when she'd come to Briar Creek the prince would find her there. (Translated into Night World term she would find her soulmate and live happily ever after).
Instead she had found dead people and Ash Redfern, her ex-boyfriend's best friend. Still, who said she had to let it affect her? She would prove to the, she wasn't weak. Prove it *herself*. Maybe finding this killer would be a good start.
* * *
"So the girl just took off?" Mark asked.
Mary-Lynnette nodded. She'd come home for lunch, even though generally she could do what she liked, Claudine, her step-mom, was now trying to get a little more "family time" in before she left for college in September.
Mary-Lynnette had been hoping that Ash and Rowan would be coming with her. What Kestrel was going to be doing with herself, no one really knew. Jade and Mark still had their senior year to complete.
She still couldn't get over Midian's reaction to Ash. "Ash, of course, claims he doesn't know her or why she freaked."
"And you don't believe him?"
Mary-Lynnette didn't know what to believe. She knew Ash had a bad reputation in the Night World, and it would probably take more than a single year for him to clear that, but now he was back...
She still couldn't finish the sentence. "I don't know what to think. I don't even have Midian's number to make sure she's okay."
"What a weird name," Mark muttered. He picked up his blue denim jacket and slung it over his shoulder.
Mary-Lynnette glanced over at him. "Where are you going?"
"Jade and I are going to the movies." There was a goofy grin on his face.
Mary-Lynnette tried to smile. She really wasn't comfortable with him going into town after the murder. "Mark," she called. "Just be careful. It's not safe out there."
"Oh please. What murderer could possibly want to kill me?"
"The same on that got Bunny this morning," Mary-Lynnette snapped.
Mark stopped. "*Bunny*?"
Mary-Lynnette nodded. "Don't go. Stay here or go to her house and watch a video. Town isn't safe."
Mark was silent for a few minutes. "I'll see what she says."
She sighed, doubting Mark would stay at home, even if Jade was with him. That evening found her sitting in her room, flipping through one of her star-chart books. Her dad wasn't too keen on letting her go out after dark alone anymore. Sometimes it was okay if Rowan went with her.
Rowan was supposed to be coming over - and was knocking on the door right now. "Are you okay? We haven't seen you all afternoon." Rowan came in and closed the door.
"I've just been here." Mary-Lynnette looked at her friend. "Why didn't you tell me he was coming?"
Rowan sat down at the desk, tugging a strand of hair. She smiled sheepishly. "I wanted it to be a surprise."
It certainly had been a surprise, but not a pleasant one. If Midian hadn't been there things might have gone differently.
"I guess neither of us anticipated that new girl," Rowan said. "What did you say her name was?"
"Midian Galena," she answered.
Rowan was frowning. "And she wears a black iris, which means she's a vampire."
Mary-Lynnette waited for Rowan to tell her something else. Even if it was unpleasant, she needed to know. "And...?"
"And?"
It couldn't be a coincidence that at the same time a strange new girl arrives in town people start being murdered. Coinciding with Ash's return. Was there something Mary-Lynnette was missing?
"Kestrel has a date tonight with another new-comer, Blake Redfern."
"Yet another new comer to a small town where nothing ever happens?" Mary-Lynnette frowned. "A relation of yours?"
"No," Rowan said. "He's a made vampire. Ash wasn't too happy to hear his name."
Mary-Lynnette didn't know what to say to that. One of Ash's bad-vampire buddies from before probably. And Midian had been so afraid of Ash...
"You think the newcomers have something to do with the murders?" Rowan asked.
"I think we need to have a talk with Midian." Mary-Lynnette frowned. "If we can *find* her again, that is."
* * *
It just wasn't fair. Nothing ever went right for her. Midian paced endlessly around the tiny apartment. She had wanted to be normal, have friends of her own who didn't mysteriously disappear because Blake didn't approve of them. She didn't want to be manipulated into killing people anymore, giving Blake the opportunity to punish her for being bad.
Tears filled her eyes. She'd had no idea *he* would be there. Blake was bad news on his own. In the enclave, Ash had been even worse. Together they were...well...it was a nightmare just to think about it.
She shivered, even though it was almost painfully hot. What was she going to do? Would Ash run and tell Blake she was here? Well, maybe Ash wouldn't immediately run off to blab, he wasn't that type....he could just casually mention that he'd seen Blake's girl in this dinky little mid-Western town.
And the way Mary-Lynnette had looked had been a surprising cross between surprised and star struck. And Ash's expression had been even weirder, his had been hopeful, and almost nervous.
From what she knew of him, it was unlikely he'd even be interested in a nice human girl like Mary-Lynnette. She'd only just met Mary-Lynnette; she could turn out to be completely different. Maybe she was one of those vampire-obsessed humans. Redferns and humans as friends in other circumstances...it was just *weird*.
She stopped pacing and tried to calm herself. She had run away from Blake. He wasn't going to terrorise her anymore. She had told herself that over and over the first few weeks. The hardest time in her life - running from city to city, trying to make sure she was safe and not recognised. She'd stolen $10,0000 in cash when she'd left the enclave, her mind control power coming in handy.
Then she had found this place. The name caught her attention. Briar Creek. Briar reminded her of the fairytale Sleeping Beauty. She had been Briar Rose, who had believed she was ordinary when she was really a Princess, something had, of course, screwed up, and was rescued by a handsome prince.
Midian had always liked that idea. She had thought when she'd come to Briar Creek the prince would find her there. (Translated into Night World term she would find her soulmate and live happily ever after).
Instead she had found dead people and Ash Redfern, her ex-boyfriend's best friend. Still, who said she had to let it affect her? She would prove to the, she wasn't weak. Prove it *herself*. Maybe finding this killer would be a good start.
* * *
"So the girl just took off?" Mark asked.
Mary-Lynnette nodded. She'd come home for lunch, even though generally she could do what she liked, Claudine, her step-mom, was now trying to get a little more "family time" in before she left for college in September.
Mary-Lynnette had been hoping that Ash and Rowan would be coming with her. What Kestrel was going to be doing with herself, no one really knew. Jade and Mark still had their senior year to complete.
She still couldn't get over Midian's reaction to Ash. "Ash, of course, claims he doesn't know her or why she freaked."
"And you don't believe him?"
Mary-Lynnette didn't know what to believe. She knew Ash had a bad reputation in the Night World, and it would probably take more than a single year for him to clear that, but now he was back...
She still couldn't finish the sentence. "I don't know what to think. I don't even have Midian's number to make sure she's okay."
"What a weird name," Mark muttered. He picked up his blue denim jacket and slung it over his shoulder.
Mary-Lynnette glanced over at him. "Where are you going?"
"Jade and I are going to the movies." There was a goofy grin on his face.
Mary-Lynnette tried to smile. She really wasn't comfortable with him going into town after the murder. "Mark," she called. "Just be careful. It's not safe out there."
"Oh please. What murderer could possibly want to kill me?"
"The same on that got Bunny this morning," Mary-Lynnette snapped.
Mark stopped. "*Bunny*?"
Mary-Lynnette nodded. "Don't go. Stay here or go to her house and watch a video. Town isn't safe."
Mark was silent for a few minutes. "I'll see what she says."
She sighed, doubting Mark would stay at home, even if Jade was with him. That evening found her sitting in her room, flipping through one of her star-chart books. Her dad wasn't too keen on letting her go out after dark alone anymore. Sometimes it was okay if Rowan went with her.
Rowan was supposed to be coming over - and was knocking on the door right now. "Are you okay? We haven't seen you all afternoon." Rowan came in and closed the door.
"I've just been here." Mary-Lynnette looked at her friend. "Why didn't you tell me he was coming?"
Rowan sat down at the desk, tugging a strand of hair. She smiled sheepishly. "I wanted it to be a surprise."
It certainly had been a surprise, but not a pleasant one. If Midian hadn't been there things might have gone differently.
"I guess neither of us anticipated that new girl," Rowan said. "What did you say her name was?"
"Midian Galena," she answered.
Rowan was frowning. "And she wears a black iris, which means she's a vampire."
Mary-Lynnette waited for Rowan to tell her something else. Even if it was unpleasant, she needed to know. "And...?"
"And?"
It couldn't be a coincidence that at the same time a strange new girl arrives in town people start being murdered. Coinciding with Ash's return. Was there something Mary-Lynnette was missing?
"Kestrel has a date tonight with another new-comer, Blake Redfern."
"Yet another new comer to a small town where nothing ever happens?" Mary-Lynnette frowned. "A relation of yours?"
"No," Rowan said. "He's a made vampire. Ash wasn't too happy to hear his name."
Mary-Lynnette didn't know what to say to that. One of Ash's bad-vampire buddies from before probably. And Midian had been so afraid of Ash...
"You think the newcomers have something to do with the murders?" Rowan asked.
"I think we need to have a talk with Midian." Mary-Lynnette frowned. "If we can *find* her again, that is."
* * *