Drip Drop Teardrop, a Novella Read Online Free PDF Page B

your little fantasy, mister, but I don’t love
you.”
    The air thickened around
them. A chill, tight and cold, descended over them and Avery knew
Brennus was responsible for it. “You’ll give me a chance, Avery.
Spend some time with me. Please.”
    “ No.”
    “ Avery-”
    “ I said no!”
she growled aggressively in his face. “You took my
parents!”
    “ You know
that’s not true.”
    “ Get
out!”
    “ Avery-”
    “ No!”
    “ Avery!” he
snarled ferociously and she slid back, seeing real darkness in him,
the scar glaring at her. “I’ve frightened you? Good.” He stood up
in one fluid motion, staring down at her with no expression. “You
have a choice, Avery. You come with me for a week and give me a
chance to prove what I say is true, or I take your Aunt Caroline
before her time.”
    Rage shot her to her feet
and she launched herself at him, pummelling his chest with her tiny
fists. “You bastard!” she shrieked, not caring if she woke her aunt
up. “You sick son-of-a-bitch!”
    Brennus didn’t even
flinch under the attack. He grabbed her wrists and thrust her away
from him, holding tight. There was a ruthless quality in his eyes.
Avery had the awful feeling this man, this Ankou, always got what
he wanted. “If you come with me, if you choose me, if you love me…”
he pleaded now, trying to draw her close. “…I get a gift, Avery.
When I leave the Ankou, I get a gift for all the years I’ve
honoured my obligation. I will use that gift to save Caroline. I’ll
make it so you never existed and so that she never gets cancer.
She’ll live a long happy life and she won’t remember you to miss
you.”
    A sob burst out from the
pit of her chest. “You’re lying.”
    “ I’m not,”
Brennus promised. “I never lie.”
    “ And if I
don’t come with you for a week, you’ll come for her
quicker?”
    He nodded
sharply.
    “ But I don’t
have to stay with you for any longer?”
    “ Not if you
think you don’t love me.”
    Avery choked on her
tears, glancing back to the doorway where her aunt slept. “What
will happen to her? She needs someone to take care of
her.”
    “ I’ll take
care of it. We leave now, and she’ll wake up with a carer. When you
get back she’ll never remember you’ve been gone.”
    She stared at him
dubiously.
    “ She’ll
believe whatever I want her to believe, Avery.” His eyes had grown
soft again. But she wasn’t fooled. There was darkness in him. He
was ruthless, alien and strange, and she wanted nothing to do with
him. Her mind knew that, even if her body didn’t.
    But she wanted her aunt
for a little while longer; she wasn’t ready to let go just
yet.
    “ Fine. I’ll
come with you.”
    Brennus smiled in relief
and, bizarrely, placed a hand out to her, his other arm reaching
around her waist and drawing her close. “Will you dance with me,
Avery?”
    “ W-what?” she
stammered, completely dazed.
    “ I know how
you love to dance.”
    Tentatively Avery placed
her hand in his and he drew her close, a rush of tingles exploding
over her body at his close proximity. She hated herself and him for
it. Slowly he began to dance with her, until he was moving them
towards the fire escape. He bent down at the window and gracefully
stepped out of it onto the escape, reaching a gentlemanly hand back
in for her. Avery shuddered, throwing one last look over her
shoulder, praying she could trust this dark being’s honour. With a
deep breath she put a foot out of the window and suddenly the world
whirl pooled around her, her skin feeling as if it were being
sucked into a vacuum. She fell into Brennus’ arms just as the
sensation began to disappear. She felt sick. She pushed against him
and he steadied her, and when Avery glanced up her eyes widened.
Pulling away from him, she took in the room, felt the soft carpet
beneath her feet.
    “ Uhh… where
are we?”
     
    I’m Gonna
Choose you ‘Cause
    You Have No
Choice
     
    The room was huge. High
ceilings, oversized