Part 6
She was out of her mind. Nell Weald was so tired of hearing Mercedes going on about her family honour and history. She tuned it out. They were supposed to be best friends, though lately, Nell felt more like staking the vampire.
"Why, exactly, should you care about this?" Nell sighed, sitting back in a white leather recliner in Mercedes' room, while she emptied shopping bags on the bed.
"Because all my life I've heard the story from my grandmother. How she was heartbroken and blah, blah, blah." Mercedes held up a glittery white sleeveless top, then tossed it aside. "If we kill the bitch responsible, she'll be happy."
Nell didn't say anything. She'd heard this a hundred times herself. Mercedes' grandmother had been around as long as she could remember (still looked no older than maybe 40, and there was every possibility she was way older) she talked about some great love affair she'd had, and the bitch who had stolen her lover. That girl was some Old Soul who had come back in some girl Mercedes hated.
"What difference will it make?" Nell said finally. "It's not like any of this will bring your grandmother's lover back from the dead."
Mercedes shrugged, taking a pair of strappy silver Manolo Blahnik stilettos out the box and slipping them on her bare feet.
"We've heard of this type of scenario before," Nell went on. "Old Soul and lover and revenge by the wronged party who never winds. Have you ever known it to work out for the third party?"
Mercedes scowled, and didn't say anything, just continued going through her new clothes.
"You can't *stand* your grandmother," Nell went on. "You complain about her all the time."
"If I do this, then she'll have her revenge and won't whine and bitch all the time," Mercedes answered, looking up, eyes flashing angrily. "If you have nothing useful to say, then leave me alone."
Nell stood up and left Mercedes' mansion without saying goodbye to anyone. Though as she crossed the lobby she caught sight of the grandmother watching her from a near by doorway, a very beautiful elegant woman with straight shoulder length thick blonde hair, orchid pale skin dressed in a coral suit, emerald eyes watching her like a hawk. The woman sent chills down her spine.
It took all her concentration not to run across the lobby and out the door. She squared her shoulder and walked out, feeling the grandmother's burning gaze boring into her even after she left the mansion.
Nell didn't breathe a sigh of relief until she was in her green convertible and speeding away. She dialled a number on her mobile phone. "Bryn? - It's Nell. I've tried, but she's just totally obsessed." She paused and listened for a while. "Is she safe?" Another pause. "Well, I know normally I wouldn't care. But I've known Mercedes since we were kids and I don't want to see her destroy herself over something so - petty. And why should this innocent girl suffer?" She paused again, listening to Bryn's comment. She snorted. "Well, maybe not that innocent, but you know what I mean. Thanks."
She hung up, through didn't feel any better. She'd seen a number of people she knew and cared about destroyed and consumed by revenge fantasies that never worked out. Innocent people were caught in the crossfire.
Nell didn't want to loose anyone else.
* * *
She was out of her mind. Nell Weald was so tired of hearing Mercedes going on about her family honour and history. She tuned it out. They were supposed to be best friends, though lately, Nell felt more like staking the vampire.
"Why, exactly, should you care about this?" Nell sighed, sitting back in a white leather recliner in Mercedes' room, while she emptied shopping bags on the bed.
"Because all my life I've heard the story from my grandmother. How she was heartbroken and blah, blah, blah." Mercedes held up a glittery white sleeveless top, then tossed it aside. "If we kill the bitch responsible, she'll be happy."
Nell didn't say anything. She'd heard this a hundred times herself. Mercedes' grandmother had been around as long as she could remember (still looked no older than maybe 40, and there was every possibility she was way older) she talked about some great love affair she'd had, and the bitch who had stolen her lover. That girl was some Old Soul who had come back in some girl Mercedes hated.
"What difference will it make?" Nell said finally. "It's not like any of this will bring your grandmother's lover back from the dead."
Mercedes shrugged, taking a pair of strappy silver Manolo Blahnik stilettos out the box and slipping them on her bare feet.
"We've heard of this type of scenario before," Nell went on. "Old Soul and lover and revenge by the wronged party who never winds. Have you ever known it to work out for the third party?"
Mercedes scowled, and didn't say anything, just continued going through her new clothes.
"You can't *stand* your grandmother," Nell went on. "You complain about her all the time."
"If I do this, then she'll have her revenge and won't whine and bitch all the time," Mercedes answered, looking up, eyes flashing angrily. "If you have nothing useful to say, then leave me alone."
Nell stood up and left Mercedes' mansion without saying goodbye to anyone. Though as she crossed the lobby she caught sight of the grandmother watching her from a near by doorway, a very beautiful elegant woman with straight shoulder length thick blonde hair, orchid pale skin dressed in a coral suit, emerald eyes watching her like a hawk. The woman sent chills down her spine.
It took all her concentration not to run across the lobby and out the door. She squared her shoulder and walked out, feeling the grandmother's burning gaze boring into her even after she left the mansion.
Nell didn't breathe a sigh of relief until she was in her green convertible and speeding away. She dialled a number on her mobile phone. "Bryn? - It's Nell. I've tried, but she's just totally obsessed." She paused and listened for a while. "Is she safe?" Another pause. "Well, I know normally I wouldn't care. But I've known Mercedes since we were kids and I don't want to see her destroy herself over something so - petty. And why should this innocent girl suffer?" She paused again, listening to Bryn's comment. She snorted. "Well, maybe not that innocent, but you know what I mean. Thanks."
She hung up, through didn't feel any better. She'd seen a number of people she knew and cared about destroyed and consumed by revenge fantasies that never worked out. Innocent people were caught in the crossfire.
Nell didn't want to loose anyone else.
* * *