Dark Realm 55
“Okay.” Brinley examined the gun.
“I called for backup.” Joy nodded to Brinley.
“How?” Brinley perked up.
“With this.” Joy handed Brinley the small orb Brax gave her.
“What is that?” Brinley rolled the ball around her palm. “Tingles.”
“It’s how I talk to Brax. It’s called Thea Stone. Brax gave it to me before he left.”
“The more the better.” Brinley smiled.
“I’m glad you said that Brinley.” Brax appeared from the doorway. “Because I brought some friends.”
Joy wrapped her arms around Brax and gave him a big kiss on the lips. “Are you ready for this?” Joy whispered to him.
“Wait, there’s been a change in plans. Fina suggested…”
“Who?” Brax furrowed his brow.
Brinley turned to introduce Fina, but she was gone. “Where did she go?”
“I don’t know.” Joy joined in on the search.
“No need to find her Fina comes and goes.” Herman sat back in the chair.
“So, what’s the plan?” Joy asked.
“This is going to sound crazy, but I need to have a date with someone special. And he cannot see any of you.”
“You need a booty call, now?” Joy folded her arms.
“I can’t explain everything right now, but I know I’m right about this. Please, just gimme an hour or two.” Brinley begged her friend.
“I trust you, Brin. We won’t be too far away.” Joy gestured to everyone outside of the room.
Brinley raced to her to shower and change. She stared at her reflection. So much has happened. Things would never be the same. She exhaled, took out her cell phone, and called Jackson.
“Hello?” Jackson answered the phone.
“Jackson, it’s Brinley.”
“Brinley? Where have you been? I searched Pleasant Peaks for you. I thought you killed yourself after Joy’s death.”
Brinley cleared her throat. “I wanted to die and believe me I’ve been close. I can’t save everyone, right?”
“Where have you been?” Jackson repeated.
“Hiding in the cemetery.” Brinley lied.
“Holy fuck, why didn’t you call me?”
“I’m afraid. I didn’t want to involve you because of my feelings for you. I don’t have anyone else. Sorry, I’ll let you go.” Brinley paused.
“No, no, don’t hang up,” Jackson said.
“Can I stop by I don’t want to be alone?”
“Yeah, of course. Do you need a ride?”
“No, I’m not far. I’ll see you in a few.” Brinley hung up the phone. Brinley calmed herself trying to come up with the courage to confront Jackson. Brinley stared at the door before tapping on it. When Jackson opened the door, she rushed into his arms.
“It’s okay.” Jackson rubbed her back. “I got you, sweetie. You’re safe.” Jackson closed the door, helping Brinley to the sofa. Jackson sat next to her wiping her damp cheeks. “Tell me what happened.”
Brinley blinked tears from her long eyelashes. She opened her mouth for the most fantastic lie ever told. “Before Joy died, we got into a fight. I’m so fuckin sick of people telling me what to do. Sometimes I feel this burning inside my chest and all I see is fire. I’m not a child. I had someone in my life I trusted and even loved.”
“Was his name Mike?”
Brinley shook her head. “No, his name was William.” Brinley felt Jackson’s body stiffen. Jackson kissed her forehead.
Brinley gazed up at him with tears in her eyes. “Something is happening to me, Jackson. It’s hard to control my urges.”
“What urges are you having?”
Brinley dropped her head to whisper. “The urge to hurt people is strong, but the urge to fuck you is stronger.”
“How long have been feeling this way?” Jackson swept Brinley’s hair around her ear.
“Since I since sat down next to me on campus.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
Brinley shrugged. “I’m awkward around handsome men.” Brinley snickered.
Jackson laughed. “I thought you didn’t like me.”
“Are you insane? You’re amazing.”
“After I got drunk, I swore you’d never talk to me again.”
“Well, I’m here, right?”
“Absolutely.” Jackson rubbed his thumb against her bottom lip.
Brinley straddled Jackson. “Do you remember the first time you kissed me?” She played with the tiny buttons on his shirt.
“Of course, I remember.”
“I’ve dreamed about what it would be like to have you inside me.” Brinley reached down to stroke his manhood.
“Damn girl.” Jackson leaned his head back.
With his neck exposed, she nibbled the side of his throat. “I can stop if you want me to.” Brinley stared into his eyes.
Jackson ran his fingers through her hair and pulled her down to kiss her mouth. “I’ve been waiting to finish what we started.”
“Me too.” Brinley popped off the buttons on his shirt. “Wow.” Brinley traced the black tribal tattoos. “I didn’t what they meant the first time I saw them.”
“When was that?” Jackson struggled.
“The night in the Uber.”
Jackson laughed stripping off his shirt. He slipped his hands up her shirt to caress her breasts. He leaned closer to nibble Brinley’s brown nipples through her lacy bra. “You smell so good.” Jackson moaned.
Brinley arched her back, pushing her breasts against his face. Slowly, he kissed her shoulders as he pulled down her bra straps. “Your skin is soft.” Jackson moaned pulling off the strap of Brinley’s bra. “I’ve been waiting to do this.”
“Me too.” Brinley massaged Jackson’s chest. “I didn’t realize you have so many tattoos. They’re so sexy,” she said kissing the tribal markings on his chest. Brinley ran her fingers through Jackson’s ginger hair. She leaned close to his ear and said, “I know you’re in there, William. I owe you a death match.”
“What?” Jackson’s voice trebled.
“You’re not a good liar, William.
“Bitch.” Jackson hissed, trying to get his arms free from Brinley's clutches. “I could’ve killed you after our date. I didn’t realize who you were at first, but you gave yourself away.”
“You’re crazy.” Jackson tried to get his arms free.
“I know it’s you, you limey bastard,” Brinley growled. “I know you were there when the centaurs were attacked.”
“You have no proof I was anywhere but here. You’re a crackpot.”
“I know you helped Maxwell to kill the centaurs.”
“Don’t you hear yourself? Centaurs?” Jackson lifted his waist.
“I didn’t realize the night Ren died in my arms, but I smelled something. After the battle, I smelled it again. I followed the smell, and it led me to the caves. You didn’t have to kill the young ones and the protectors. You wanted my attention well now you have it.” Brinley hissed. Brinley released one hand to grip Jackson’s throat. “You told me not to fight my nature.” Her dark eyes sparked with a blue electric current.
“What are you?” Jackson pulled back.
“I’m pissed off and done playing this game.” Brinley started to chant. “Release this spirit from its vessel.”
“You hurt this vessel and you’re hurting the real Jackson.”
“I’ll take the risk.”
“No. Not this way.” Jackson’s body jerked.
Brinley traced her over Jackson’s tribal markings. The dark lines slowly began to disappear. Jackson tilted his head back. Brinley popped the top of the small tube Fina gave her, then sucked William’s soul from Jackson’s body. Jackson fell unconscious on the floor. Brinley rubbed her nose and then stood up. She held up the bottle staring at William vapor’s swirling around.
“I got you, fucker. Finally, I fuckin got you.” Brinley shook the bottle. “Tormenting you will be so much fun.” Brinley left the real Jackson passed out as she got dressed. “Sorry, dude,” Brinley whispered before she left. Who can I trust with this? She knew the one person she could trust. Brinley raced toward the cemetery. Once over the fence, she didn’t stop running until she reached her goal. Pyramus’s crypt. Even though she didn’t have all the ingredients to reveal the passage, she searched for something sharp to draw out a few drops of her blood that she rubbed over the tomb. “Please, I know this isn’t the way, but I need you Pyramus. Please hear me.” When she went to press her forehead against the tomb, she fell through the passage, ending up at Pyramus’s feet.
“Brinley?” Pyramus helped Brinley to her feet. “What on earth are you doing here?”
“Pyramus” Brinley hugged Pyramus. “I am sorry I cannot stay, but I have this.” Brinley showed Pyramus the container.
A soul trap very nice.” Pyramus examined the bottle.
“This filth inside must never escape, but I can’t have it on me right now?”
Pyramus placed his loving hands on her shoulders. “I will keep it for you. It will be safe. I promise.”
“Thank you.”
“Brinley, what are you about to do?”
“I’m going to kill a wendigo.” Brinley thanked Pyramus again, then found herself back inside the graveyard. Brinley pulled out her phone to call Joy.
“Shit, I’ve worried. Where are you?”
“I’m going to Red Thai. I’ll meet you all there.”
“We all fight together. We will fight with the light.” Brax said over the speakerphone. “We can be the distraction you need when the time is right.”
“Okay, I will enter the front but wait for the signal. Then come in guns blazing.” Brinley cracked her neck.
“What’s the signal,” Brax asked.
“You’ll know it when you see it.” Brinley giggled nervously.
“You better not die tonight,” Joy whispered over the phone.
“Not a chance. We got this. Come on, one more time.” Brinley promised. Brinley started the walk to Red Thai. The cool night air cooled her hot skin. She took several deep breaths before heading toward her destiny with Asher.