The Complete Crimson Forest series

Bryxx: Chapter 8

"Rise and shine, sunshine," a male voice sings.

I wake up in a daze and find Kade standing over me with a plate of bacon and eggs. I sit up and take them from him hastily, starving. I can't even recall the last time I ate. As I devour the food, everything comes back in pieces until I remember everything.

"Did you find anything?" I ask finally after inhaling an entire plate of eggs in a matter of a handful of seconds.

"I did actually. I don't know how to tell you this but there is almost nothing about them in the police record system," he explains.

"What does that mean?" I ask through a mouthful of bacon.

He thinks about his answer before sharing it. "Those aren't their real names."

I pause, the bacon halfway to my mouth. "What? Are you positive? Why would they lie about their names?"

"That's what I wondered, but there was something on Jane's file that was marked. Jane's fingerprint was an exact match to a woman from Houston, Texas who went missing seven years ago. Jane and this woman Tina are the same physical person," Kade lays out.

I find myself shaking my head. "I get the feeling that this isn't all you found out."

He sneaks a piece of bacon from my plate and chews a chunk off it before replying. "Tina had terminal cancer, three weeks to live when she went missing. There was no way she'd have lived seven years."

"What are you saying?" I push, not understanding.

"Tina and Jane had the same body, but I don't think they were the same people. I think whoever Jane is, possessed Tina's body. I think Jane is some sort of being that can possess other bodies."

I gape. "Jane was not supernatural in any way. She was completely human. Trust me. I'd know if my best friend wasn't human."

Kade gazes at me as if he's not sure he believes me which rubs me the wrong way. He can't honestly think that I'm that oblivious, can he? I find myself scowling. Heat floods my cheeks and my head feels as if it could explode.

"If the existence of supernaturals was such an obvious thing, wouldn't humans know about us?" he murmurs and taps his index finger lightly on the wall behind him as he leans against it.

I get up from my bed and snatch up the last bacon piece, pointing it at him erratically as I simmer. "You have a valid point but I'm just not sure I believe it. I knew Jane. I did almost everything with her until recently. I would've known."

Kade remains quiet as I poke the greasy bacon toward his chest.

We're interrupted by my cell phone ringing. I lower the bacon back onto the plate and snatch my phone from the bedside table. It's Darrel. Without hesitating I answer. "Hello?"

"Hey, May, sorry about yesterday. I'm just shocked and you know...it's all just crazy," he mutters and places a ragged sigh at the end.

It takes me a minute to get words out. "Oh...hey, no problem. I'm still in shock too. I can't believe it."

"Can we meet up? Soon. I'm actually only a couple blocks away. Would you mind if I stopped over? I just need someone to talk to. Someone who knows what I'm going through."

I don't hesitate. "Yeah, of course come right over."

Kade's head snaps up from the spot on the floor he was inspecting, his eyes widening as he turns his attention to me.

"See you in a few." Once I place the phone back down onto the nightstand, Kade stands up straight and struts out of the bedroom so fast I barely seem him move.