I folded my arms. “I am not staying in his house for months on end, hiding, waiting for Sarah to make the first move, and neither can Georgie.”
“I could alter her mind and change her …” he paused, his jaw tensing, “attitude, but you won’t allow it,” Karson said. Oh, the condemnation in his tone.
The thought of mind-controlling people against their will disgusted me. I knew it was a necessary evil for those they fed from, and I had seen him do it once to a woman who was in an abusive relationship to give her the strength to leave, but she had wanted to leave, she just didn’t have the self-esteem or courage to do it. Karson had saved her; that was different.
“She doesn’t want her mind wiped, and it’s not your decision to make, it’s hers.”
“Oh yes, Amelia, that’s the best idea. She’s coping so well with the knowledge, isn’t she!” His voice was alarmingly loud.
I remembered he had used the same lines on me the night I had found out what he was. The same night I saw him rip off a vampire’s head with his hands. I didn’t cope well initially. I was all fake bravado on the outside, while inside I wanted to curl into a ball and cry. I opened my mouth to protest as Mary came in carrying a fresh pot of tea, and a tray with four cups, sugar, milk, and a fat, gooey vanilla slice.
“I can hear you yelling all the way from the kitchen, Karson.” Mary put the tray down. My mouth watered at seeing the slice. “What has your knickers twisted in a granny’s knot now?” Mary’s eyes glinted with mischief, making her look younger than her years.
The mood in the room eased instantly. I smothered a chuckle, and Michael and Monique grinned. Very few had thecourage to speak to Karson like that. The friendship and love they shared was obvious. Mary was the mother figure of the house, the one you went to when you needed a wise, calm ear. They were a tight-knit group. They were not related by blood, but they were family. Perhaps the bond was even stronger because it was forged, not forced. I craved that kind of family. I had it for six sweet years. We were all vastly different. My mother was breezy sunshine, and yet she was tough and serious when she needed to be. My father was calm and a pillar of strength. My sister was all about her, obsessed with makeup and how she looked. And then there was me, reserved in nature but with a sense of humor that made them chuckle. And somehow it had worked. Until she died. It was as if our family was a patchwork quilt and my mother was the stitches that held the fabric together. When she died the stitches snapped and our family unraveled.
Now there was a gnawing absence in my heart.
Karson’s response dragged me from my thoughts. “Amelia thinks it’s in Georgie’s best interest to remain aware of what we are, and I beg to differ.” He shot me a pointed, superior look that ground on my nerves.
I didn’t respond. Instead, I wanted to keep the lightness in the room Mary had brought, so I rested my chin in my cupped hand and lifted my middle finger to my cheek. Childish, yes, inappropriate, yes, but sometimes the finger said all you needed to say.
Karson stared at me incredulously. “Are you seriously giving me the finger?”
“What, no, I was just showing you my new nail color. Lovely, isn’t it.” I wriggled my finger. “Black like the bags under your eyes and my underwear, and also, Georgie’s rotted body if she forgets what a threat Sarah is.”
He rolled his eyes.
Mary’s eyes sparkled. I dropped my finger. “Amy is just looking out for her friend.”
“Georgie is having nightmares at night and drinking far too much. Amelia’s friend would not be suffering if I took away her memory. It would make her stay here more enjoyable, at least.”
“Yes, because altering minds worked so well last time,” Monique sniped.
There wasn’t much Monique and I agreed on, but that was a valid point. She wasn’t talking about Georgie though. She was talking about Sarah.
A dark shadow crossed Karson’s face. “I wasn’t to know Sarah would remember parts of what happened.”
Monique threw out a hand. “She’s a firstborn! More powerful than your average vampire.”
A snarl tore from his throat. “What would you have me do, Monique, let Georgie live with the knowledge of what she’d done, let Sarah suffer knowing she’d killed her own brother?”
Monique raised her chin. “Yes, that is exactly what I would have done. She killed him. It was her burden to live with, not yours. Now she thinks you killed him, it puts everyone you care about in danger. Not just thewitch.” If the look she cut me was a knife, I’d be torn to shreds. Michael was correct, Monique needed sleep.
Karson stilled the same way a snake stilled right before it struck.
Apparently, he did too.
“It’s been an unfortunate turn of events that have led to this point,” Michael interjected quickly. “There is no blame to be had when one’s heart is in the right place, as Karson’s was, Monique.”
Mary patted Karson’s shoulder. “We all do what we believe is the right thing to do at the time, and sometimes it doesn’t work out as we planned. We need to forgive ourselves for our failings.”Her gaze flicked to Monique. “Emotions like regret, guilt, and blame are heavy loads to carry. Place them down. The lesson can stay with you, but whatever you do, my darlings, do not carry the weight of those emotions on the path you are walking.”
Monique’s brow flickered, before she dropped her gaze and let out a breath. I saw Karson’s body visibly relax under Mary’s gentle touch, her kind words. Her hand fell from Karson’s shoulder as she twisted to me. “Perhaps easing Georgie’s suffering is the kindest thing to do.”
How easy it would be for him to wipe her memory and plant a new vision … I wanted my friend back, the Georgie before the trauma. I wanted the bond, the love I knew she felt for me. I wanted her to forget I was a witch. I wanted her eyes to light up like they used to when we’d first see each other. Not to be filled with caution, with fear. I wanted her to feel safe. I wanted that so much it hurt.
I rubbed my forehead as I struggled with it all. “If you remove her memory, she won’t remember that Sarah tried to kill her, and if she’s not afraid of her, I’m terrified Sarah will find a way to hurt her again.”
As I said the words, a chill rolled over my entire body. I lifted my eyes; the glow of the fire reflected off the slithers of rain running down the window, as if the darkness was crying blood.
