The Trouble with Evie

Chapter 23

I was a mess. Tucking the phone back into my bag, I zipped it up and waited for Kannon. All the while, the Nephilim stood over the body, watching me with a defiant smile on his face. I was still not used to him or his mockery.

"This will not be the answer that you need."

"I don't know what I need. You're not being helpful here. It was an accident. Don't you know that?"

"Of course I do, but I do not exist in this world. I cannot offer anything to any authoritarian that might come across this and point their accusatory finger at you."

"Then help me deal with this now rather than later before the cops become involved."

The boy huffed a soft laugh.

"From what I have learned of this town, you needn't worry about the police. The only cop working struggles to find his car in the morning, so I would imagine that finding a killer in such odd circumstances would be quite difficult for him. However, as you are already aware, the cop is on the vampire's payroll, so he would mention this, and then you'd have an even bigger problem. Am I making this any easier, half-breed?"

I growled at him through the angry tears. He was not helpful at all.

"No. What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Leave it there. How should I know what the right thing for you is? My goal for today was to ensure that you were aware that my kind are coming for you, which I believe I have completed with much success."

Wiping the tears away, I wondered if handing myself in at the police station would stop the Nephilim. They couldn't kill me if I was in a cell being watched by a camera, could they?

"Your kind is intent on destroying me when none of this is my fault. I didn't ask to be created. I didn't pick my parents."

Something clicked inside my mind.

"Did you kill my mother because of this?"

The Nephilim shook his head.

"We did not. Your presence remained unknown to us until recently. As for her death, I think that you've already drawn an accurate conclusion."

"She was murdered because she was Niko's granddaughter."

"Correct. In fact, I believe that you have sought sufficient revenge for it in Andross's death. Perhaps you'd like to pretend that you knew it was fact when the vampires come to lynch you for killing him."

"Andross killed my mother?"

The boy smiled as he nodded.

"In fact, as Drakkus's lover, he was entrusted to do all of the important work. Andross also killed your grandparents."

"Wait, he was with Drakkus?"

"Correct."

"Oh god," I groaned. "Now he's really going to be upset."

"Evie?"

Perking up, I searched for Kannon and found him at the edge of the trees. He stepped in, warily at first.

"What are you doing in here?"

Then he looked down.

"Oh," he said softly. "That's not good. Did he attack you?"

I nodded as Kannon squatted in front of me.

"And you fought back."

Taking my hands, Kannon turned them over and looked at them. The skin was paler than they used to be.