The Vampire of Tinkerfall (Elysium #3)

Chapter Ten

 "Booker, please don't kill anyone," Trinket said as soon as they were out of earshot of the police station.

Heaving a sigh, he stared up at the stars. "For the last time, I am not a murderer."

"I didn't say you were a murderer. I'm asking you not to become one."

He looked down at her with a disheartened gaze. "Are you really still questioning my intentions? Even after knowing me for all these months?"

The unexpected sadness in his eyes tugged at her heartstrings. "To be fair, you've given me reason to question your morality. You've cheated and lied and even hurt people in your search for information. My goodness, you threatened to burn a young man's eyes out with a hot fire poker."

Booker frowned. "All right, so I don't have a good track record. But do you really think I would go so far as to kill someone?"

She shrugged. "Honestly, it's something I've worried about since meeting you."

Coming to a complete stop, he stared at her in horror. "You have?"

Hesitating, she turned her eyes to the ground and nodded. "You're so obsessed with this game. And you are slightly mad. I mean, I'm more than slightly mad, so I suppose I shouldn't judge. But I can't deny that I haven't wondered if one of these days you might cross a line into more sinister territory. And frankly, that thought terrifies me."

When he did not respond after a long silence, she finally dared to sneak a glance at him. He was staring out into the empty market, his face twisted into something between a grimace and a pout. There were many emotions flashing through his eyes, and she wasn't certain whether he was going to take offense at her words or perhaps cry over them. Both possibilities left her unnerved.

Horrible person.

Who are you to judge?

Bad, bad, bad, bad—

He turned back to her, his expression schooled into a gentle but pained smile. "I'm sorry if my actions have terrified you," he said softly. "You're right. I do get swept up in the heat of the moment. Considering my only associates growing up were a prodigy of a mad scientist and a strong-willed girl with seemingly no conscience, I was bound to turn out somewhat depraved."

She was beginning to regret having ever brought the subject up now that she saw how it was affecting him. "Well, I'm one to talk, what with my own disturbed mind."

Shaking his head, he gazed at her thoughtfully. "You're not like us. You're much better."

Guilt weighed down her heart as the memory of blood on her hands surfaced.

You're just as bad.

Worse.

Monster.

Murderer.

Killer!

"I don't know about that," she whispered.

Something in his expression shifted. His eyes wandered back and forth over her face, and he seemed to be considering his next words very carefully. "While I say I am not a murderer, I mean that I have not killed with intent. But I have killed."

Her spine stiffened and her muscles tensed as she dared to ask, "Who have you killed?"

"Patients. Mostly due to complications that were beyond my control. However, there were one or two who died due to my inexperience."

His gaze flitted to her, and she wondered at the odd glimmer in his eyes.

"My point is, mistakes happen. Things beyond our control can affect the situation." Again, his eyes darted to her. "Our mistakes don't make us bad people."