H Is For Human (Garlic Is For Vampires, Book 3)

Chapter 17: Sacrifice

Brendon was coughing up blood like there was no tomorrow. Mason called it a blood fever, blood became poisoned with some unknown pathogen. I knew what it was, but I had no other choice except to hide it from them. I knew what Dylan was capable and I was in no state to go breaking more bones or almost dying for probably the twentieth time now. What was I going to tell the others that Dylan wouldn't find out and probably do something to get rid of the cure for Brendon? Did I even know if he was telling the truth about having a cure? This could've been his trick, and I would've been stupid enough to let him in. I had to figure something out, something to give me some clarity that whatever I did next wouldn't all go to hell.

I watched as Brendon spewed black and red all over the toilet seat as he hunched over, sweating through his T-shirt and muttering curses to whatever he could think of swearing out. Matt and I watched from across the bathroom, watched our friend die slowly. Matt had hope, I didn't have as much. Even as he spoke to Mason on the phone about something to help Brendon, I had already made up my mind about what I would do.

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After Matt had fallen asleep and I left Brendon after checking up on him, I walked up to the roof. For sure, Dylan or someone else would already be watching me. As I sat on the ledge and drew a fine cut across my thumb, I thought about Brendon and I when I was still in high school. He would bail me out of school when things got boring, claiming to be an uncle or brother. I smiled, remembering him and I dancing at that club after high school graduation. He'd been so mad at me, but he quickly forgave. Because he loved me, and I loved him just as much. Whatever phase we both went through during those earlier months after discovering Mason and this whole world of vampires and werewolves, it was way behind us now. We found something else: family. I had Matt, and Brendon had his werewolf friends now. It seemed like everything would work out just as fine. Like some movie where we'd all meet up in the future years, at someone's barbeque or wedding. I'd be with Matt, Brendon would most likely have someone else hanging onto his arm. But we would still hug and laugh with each other like when we were younger.

Just a shame Dylan had the final say in Brendon's future.

"So, Bree-lee, what's the verdict?" Dylan sounded like he was drowning in his saliva from the scent of my blood. I turned to look at him and stood up, letting the blood roll down the pad of my thumb. Let it taunt him, get him so distracted he couldn't see the fear or tears in my eyes. I had to do this for Brendon. There would be no other way I could fool this asshole.

"I need to know your cure for Brendon is going to work," I said. "I need time to see it working, before I go with you."

"Hmmm," he said. "So if he gets worse, you'll stay away and let him die instead of giving me a few hits of your blood?"

"Yes."

"Well, here you go." He tossed something to me and I got it before it went over the edge. It was a plant preserved in a vial of blood. Where it came from, was better left unknown.

"He's probably in the stage of puking his guts up. That should stop the vomiting for at least a week, and then you'll know I'm being honest on my part." He smiled sincerely at me, and seeing that just made me realize how real fake could look. I closed the vial in my fist.

"Once this week is up, and I know that this works, I'll go with you." I tilted my head up high, had to look stronger than I usually was. Had to look less injured for my family's sake. "Most of the holy water is out of my system, but if you lie to me, you won't see the last of me."

"But we'll be seeing the last of Brendon." He snorted and started to bark out maniac laughter. I walked up to him, seeing his eyes glaze over from the scent of red staining my skin. I grabbed the back of his head and pulled him down to look up at me. I smeared my blood along his cheek, slithered it down his throat. Watched him groan in discomfort, but his tongue reached out and licked it off the side of his mouth. I crossed my fingers behind my back.