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I pull off to the side of the road outside a small town, near the highway. There is flat ground in all directions, giving us an adequate line of sight on anything that might be looking for a long chat.
We all get out of the vehicle and I wonder which one of them will die first.
North looks at me like there is something in me worth looking at. "We won't contact anyone without your consent."
I find it impossible to imagine that kind of future for myself. I had never dreamed of marrying and having children because I don't want to belong to anyone.
Lifting his head, Kael stares at North with a slight frown and I turn away before his shocked expression makes me laugh.
"So what's the plan? Get in the house and kill her?" Kael asks very amused. "Suicide isn't a plan either."
I bite my lip until the taste of blood fills my mouth then I check the time - almost nine. There were no messages and no texts.
If Kael has any doubts about my capabilities, he could just come out and say so.
I make my way along the side of the road until I reach an empty house. A car turns the corner, coming toward us.
There is a yellow post-it note glued to the front door but there are no words written on it and we quickly make our way in.
It is cold inside this little house. There are holes in the windows so the wind rushes in and out.
I draw a glass of water from the tap, while North parks himself on the coach.
"Thought I should bring you a gift. "says a voice from the darkness on my right side.
A girl with a face crusted with dirt, and clothes wet with blood falls on the floor. Honora looks as if she did the world a favor by fetching that girl.
"Did your mother send you?" There is an expression on Kael's face that I hadn't seen before. And then he picks the girl up, cradling her in his arms.
He begins to feel the sticky warmth of blood soaking into his shirt. There is a long cut on her right upper arm and shoulder.
"No." Honora replies.
"And the girl?" North speaks this time.
"Found her like that in Kael's old apartment and decided to bring her along." After that, she stares at the ceiling while speaking. "I suck at apologies so unfuck you or something along those lines."
"I think everyone enjoys a nice murder." Honora keeps communicating with that ceiling. "Kael can stay with this girl and North serves as good bait to distract my mother while your only friend hugs the life of Jared's number one fan."
I contemplate this for a moment after drinking the tap water. North bursts out laughing and I'm not in the mood for that.
"The sensible thing to do would be to return this girl where she belongs." Kael addressed the reason left is some of us. "Her name is Antonia and she lives in Hallettsville."
"That bitch came here all the way from Texas?" Honora added another unnecessary comment to that conversation.
Antonia's knees felt weak and she almost fell. After a short moment, she felt stronger, and she took a step towards the door. Seconds later she steps outside into the fresh air with Kael behind her.
North says nothing but looks apprehensive. He probably doesn't know who Antonia is either.
Honora looks away, her eyes full of tears. "Could someone take me seriously just for once?"
"That is close enough to the truth. I'll let you start with the part of why you're infected." I suppose she did not see that coming. North seems irritated now.
Honora makes an exasperated noise which probably means my sister had something to do with that.
"How about this?" I pause while staring at Honora "How about I hit you until you break?"
I can almost hear an alarm bell ringing in the back of her mind.
"No one made me." She snaps at me. "I made me." Her voice falls flat like a dead body hitting the ground. "Because I wanted to be like the woman who raised me." Honora admits.
I can detect a note of resentment coming from North.
"Remember when I was five and mother forgot to pick me up from the park? Had to stay there for hours in the rain and wait for her like a little dog but she never bothered to return? Remember you showed up with a blanket and took me home?"
North shoots us a hostile glare, then says to Honora. "Who is Antonia?"
"Kael's daughter." Honora points out that piece of unknown information. "Don't know who her mother is."
"And this Jared's number one fan?"
Honora rolls her eyes but answers "Logan King."
"Destroying everything seems like the best option." North says out loud.
"Expecting someone to come around the corner and attack you?" Honora laughs for a good minute.
