Fruit of Misfortune Page 12

  “Why would Carboné want someone’s brain?” I flinched.

  “I told you. He’s a collector of rarities—an eccentric man.”

  “You do understand that you’re off his payroll as of today?” David reminded him of the verbal contract between them.

  Gunn dried his face with the bottom of his lab coat. “I understood and accepted the terms of our agreement, yes. But Carboné’s was never exclusive, and I’m at liberty to choose with whom I do business.” He picked up his phone and frowned at the cracked screen. “I’ll make the call tonight to end future projects with him.”

  “Well, unlike Carboné’s, ours is a good business relationship,” Galen said, and the doctor gave him a derisive look. “Oh, you have something to say?”

  “You’re blackmailing me. I wouldn’t exactly call this ‘good business’.”

  “It’s not blackmail, Doctor. It’s an eye for an eye. You remember that.”

  With a frustrated look on his face, the scientist turned to me.

  “What’s your relation to Mr. David?”

  “I’m his girlfriend.”

  “Fiancé,” David corrected me.

  Why did that word make me feel smothered—pressured?

  “I can tell that you and Mr. Galen are truly brothers,” he said to David. “Your physical genetic makeup is proof of that.” Gunn’s eyes ran across the glass containers with steel lids that were laid out across the table in front of him. He picked one and pulled a cotton ball out. “Open your mouth,” he told David. “I need a DNA culture of your saliva. Your blood results are all wrong.” Gunn wiped the piece of cotton on the inside of David’s cheek. “You can change back into your clothes. This concludes our testing for both of you.”

  I thought we would leave right after the tests had finished, but Dr. Gunn asked us to stay just in case he needed to conduct further testing.

  Hours passed, and we observed as Gunn took notes of each test result, of each slide he placed under a different microscope, and of each data sheet he read. We watched as he sketched two human bodies—a male and female. He added notes on the side margins of each drawing and equations that must’ve been like a first language to him.

  “What time is it?” I asked, not caring who the answer came from.

  “It’s seven-thirty. You must be hungry.” The doctor set his pencil down. “There’s a place that delivers. It’s not very good, but it’s edible.”

  “I’ll take it,” I said. “I’m starving.”

  “We have to go,” Galen said to Dr. Gunn. “You’ll contact us as soon as your results are ready?”

  “I’d like to deliver them in person, so I can explain the findings,” Gunn said. “Would it be a problem?”

  “Not at all,” said David.

  Galen grabbed a pile of papers from the doctor’s hands and flipped through them. Gunn’s annoyed glare didn’t seem to bother Galen.

  “Gunn, did you study the culture that was delivered to you last night?” Galen asked. “It’s not in here.”

  “Yes, I did.” The scientist pulled the papers from Galen’s grasp and shoved them into a folder.

  “And?” I asked.

  “It’s fat. Human fat and toxins,” Gunn said, holding the disheveled file against his chest. “Where did you get it?”

  “That doesn’t matter. We only needed to know what it was.”

  “Just tell him,” I said, and Galen turned to look at me, his stare warning me to keep quiet. “Fine. I’ll tell him.” I glanced back at Gunn. “It’s mine. It’s my vomit.”

  Three pairs of eyes stared at me: one pair puzzled, one pair angry, and one pair not judging.

  “That’s impossible,” Gunn said. “The human body isn’t capable of—”

  “And my body temperature drops every night.”

  “Isis.” David shook his head, prompting me to stop.

  “I get hypothermia. That’s why I have these tiny blue spots.” I held out my arm so that he could see what I was referring to. “And I feel like I’m going crazy, and I—”

  “That’s enough,” Galen said.

  “I get anxiety attacks, too. It all happens at the same time every night, and that’s why we have to leave. But last night—”

  “I said that’s enough!” Galen’s voice echoed against the thick laboratory walls.

  “Let her speak.” David pulled me close to him, as if protecting me from his brother’s anger. “How else is he supposed to help us if he doesn’t have a clue of what he’s supposed to be looking for?”

  “Yes,” Gunn said. “I’ve been telling you that all along.”

  With a tight jaw, Galen turned and headed for the door.

  “We don’t have time for this,” Galen hissed. “We need to go. We have a little over an hour before it begins.”

  “He’s right,” David said. “We’re cutting it close. It’ll take us almost an hour to drive across the city.”

  “Good night, Doctor,” I said, and followed David to the door.

  “Wait—wait!” Gunn called out to us. “What happened last night?”

  “Last night, Isis didn’t have an attack. Instead, I hemorrhaged, and then I convulsed until I passed out.” David took my hand. “If you’ll excuse us, we don’t have any more time to spare.”

  “But that’s not what happened to Miss Isis. I don’t see the link.” Gunn dropped the folder on a table and walked to us.

  “Now you know why we came to you.” Galen pushed a button on the wall and the lab door slid open. “Find the cause, Gunn. You’ve got our number.”

  We hurried out of the lab and down the hall.

  “You should’ve told me this before!” Gunn yelled from the lab’s doorway.

  Nyx shut the door to my room and set a hand on one of her curvy hips. I gathered we were in trouble for some reason.

  “You should’ve called. Is that too much to ask?” she scolded.

  “Gunn asked us to stay in case he had to run more tests. The walls in his building are too thick. Our phones were useless.” David glanced at the brass clock on the dresser. “It’s almost time.”

  “Well, you overstayed your visit,” Eryx said, placing two dark colored towels on the bed.

  The anxiety in the room was thick. None of us knew what to expect now. I glanced at the clock and wished that I could make time stop.

  “Did Gunn give you any medication?” Nyx asked.

  “No,” I said, taking the empty pitcher from the nightstand. “He was still working on the results from the exams when we left.”

  I walked to the bathroom sink and filled the glass jug with water. Nyx watched from the door. She let out a sigh, and then walked past me to the bathtub and twisted the shower lever. Through the mirror, I saw her sit on the edge of the bathtub, watching the steam rise from the steady flow of hot water.

  “Did he say when he would have the results?” she asked.

  “It shouldn’t be long.” I dried off the pitcher with a hand towel. “He said he didn’t sleep, so I’m sure he’ll be working through the night.”

  A sudden shiver ran down my back, making me lose my grip on the glass handle. The pitcher hit the curved bottom of the sink and burst into a multitude of jagged shards. Water splashed everywhere. I reached to pick up the shattered pieces of glass, nicking my thumb in the process.

  “Ouch.” I dropped the piece of glass on top of the rest of the remnants.

  “Leave it,” Nyx said. “We’ll clean that up later.”

  Clenching my thumb with my other hand, I walked to the bedroom, intermittent shivers developing inside me, a sign that the episode would begin soon.

  “Let me see.” David took my hand. “It’s not too bad.” He blew gently on the small wound, and then kissed it. Like magic, the stinging in my thumb disappeared. “Better?”

  I nodded. How does he do that? But I wasn’t thinking about how the pain disappeared. I wondered how it was that he could make me feel like the only person in the room.

  “It’s just a
scratch. You don’t have to waste your magic on me.”

  “I wanted to,” David said. “I hate seeing you in pain.”

  “While on the subject of what we hate about Isis…” Galen said, “I hate how she can’t keep her mouth shut.”

  He was still upset over the information I had given Dr. Gunn, evidently.

  “Jerk,” I scoffed.

  “Cujo,” he hissed.

  “Hey.” David shoved Galen and raised a finger at him. “That’s completely uncalled for.”

  “And I don’t have rabies,” I said.

  Nyx was standing by the bathroom door when we heard her gasp. She covered her mouth and turned away from us, her shoulders bouncing with each breath she drew.

  “Wonderful.” Eryx smacked Galen and David on the side of the head as he walked past them. “She’s been like this all day—upset and crying.”

  Why was everyone I loved suffering? Alezzander should’ve killed me when he had the opportunity.

  Eryx walked to Nyx. He rubbed her arm, trying to calm her, but she pushed him away. Eryx shook his head and walked out the bedroom door without looking back.

  I stepped toward Nyx, pulling one of her silver and black curls away from her face. Her hand was cupped over her mouth. I studied her for a moment, unsure of what to make of the expression that was painted across her ivory face.

  “You’re not crying,” I realized.

  “No,” she said, humor dancing in her eyes.

  “Why are you laughing?”

  “The rabies comment caught me by surprise.” She took a breath. “Galen’s been teasing you with that old joke, hasn’t he?” she asked, and I nodded. “Apologize, Galen.”

  “Not. Happening.” Galen leaned against the wall.

  “Like I care.” I rolled my eyes. “At least you’re smiling again,” I said to Nyx. “I don’t even mind that the joke was at my expense. I’d rather see you laughing than crying.”

  Nyx smiled a sad smile—the kind of smile you give a person you feel sorry for. I felt sorry for her, too.

  David’s fingers slipped between mine. The scent of sandalwood emanating through his pores alerted me that his emotional state was heightened.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “It’s time. You should lie down.” He squeezed my hand.

  “So should you.”

  “I’ll fetch Eryx,” Galen said with the doorknob in his hand. Before Galen could open the door, a light knock came from the other side.

  “Madam?” Paulina’s voice called.

  Nyx stepped toward the door and took Galen’s hand off the knob. “What is it, Pau?”

  “My aunt has asked if you’d like us to store the dinner plates or if they should be reheated?”

  “Store them. We’ll have them for lunch tomorrow.”

  “I’m really hungry,” I said.

  “If you eat…” David shook his head. “It’s not a good idea.”

  “Madam?” Paulina’s voice called out once more.

  “Yes?” Nyx answered.

  “My aunt has also asked if she may please see Miss Isis for a few minutes.”

  “Why does Camilla want to see her?” Galen asked.

  “She…” Paulina paused. “I don’t know.” We exchanged silent glances. After a while, Paulina spoke again. “What do I tell my aunt?”

  “Isis isn’t feeling well,” Nyx answered. “It’ll have to wait until morning.”

  “Yes, Madam. Good night.”

  We listened to Paulina’s footsteps clicking on the marble hallway floor as she walked away.

  “I wonder what she wants,” I thought aloud.

  “Knowing Camilla, she probably wants to feed you,” Nyx said. “She knows you didn’t eat breakfast this morning.”

  Galen pulled his phone from his jeans pocket and looked at it. “I didn’t want to say anything earlier, but it’s much past the time that the episodes should’ve happened. I think we’re in the clear for tonight.”

  “I don’t know about that.” David ran his hand through his hair. “We should give it a few minutes. I want to be sure.”

  I took David’s hand, and we sat down on the bed to wait. We heard a piercing scream. I froze, the hair on my arms standing at attention. Galen shot out the door first, followed by David. Nyx grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet, tugging me along after her. More screams echoed through the house. They were coming from downstairs.

  We raced down to the first floor, through the living area, and to the kitchen from where the cries were coming. Nyx released my hand when we reached the kitchen doorway. I gasped when I saw the scene. My legs became unsteady under me.

  Camilla lay on the floor with her eyes open, her stare blank, eyes unblinking. Around her body was a thick red pool of blood. The knife that Paulina had tried to hide under my bed was rooted deep in Camilla’s chest. Paulina was screaming words in Italian, kneeling beside her aunt. Eryx, Galen, and David stood agape, surrounding Camilla’s body.

  “This is your fault.” Paulina’s flaming stare landed on me. “She took her own life because of you.” She pointed her pinky and index finger toward me. “I curse you, witch!”

  “This has nothing to do with Isis,” David said.

  “Yes, it does,” Paulina whimpered. “My aunt was trying to save her. She was the one that told me to plant the protection spell in her room. She told me they were coming.”

  “A spell?” Nyx asked.

  “That knife in her chest—” I took a hesitant step toward Camilla, “—that’s the same one you put under my bed.”

  Paulina nodded, tears streaming down her sun kissed cheeks.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” David asked.

  “I didn’t want to get Paulina into trouble.”

  “I don’t understand. Why would she kill herself?” Eryx asked.

  Paulina shook her head, crying. Blood was streaked across her cheek. “She had been speaking with them for several days. They came for her.” Paulina’s head gave a slight jerk in my direction. “My aunt, she wouldn’t surrender her body to the demons. She told me that they would try to possess her to get to the girl—to Isis. I told her that it was all in her head, but she insisted that she wasn’t crazy and that’s when she sent me to fetch Isis. When I came back to the kitchen, one of them was here. Its rotten stench was everywhere. The devil’s smell is unmistakable.

  “I saw her there.” She pointed to a wall with a wooden rosary that hung from a nail. “She was praying and holding the knife in her hand. I saw the demon take shape behind her, and I screamed. My aunt turned to make the sign of the cross with the knife to protect herself, but the demon threw her across the room. The knife was still in her hand when she hit the floor. The demon reached into her body and began to possess her. But before it took full control, she pushed the knife into her chest.”

  “Because of me.” I fell to my knees, breathing hard. The room began to spin.

  “She said I had to tell you something.” Paulina’s eyes were full of loathing. “She told me to tell you that you had a purpose.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I don’t know.” Paulina wiped her tears with her apron and shrugged. “She died right after.”

  Anger rose deep within me. I was the cause of this poor woman’s death.

  “Why are they after me?” I looked up at Nyx. “Why do they want me dead?

  “I don’t know,” Nyx said. “But we must pray. Stand.”

  Eryx placed an arm around Paulina. Muffled, broken wails escaped her as Nyx, David, and Galen, in unison, chanted a prayer in Latin:

  “Páter nóster, qui es in cáelis, sanctificétur nómen túum…”

  ***

  Eros marched in through the open front door just as the paramedics rolled away Camilla’s body.

  “What happened?” Eros asked. “Who…?”

  “Camilla,” was all Eryx said, but it was enough to start Paulina’s heartbroken bawl.

  From the front door, we watched th
e canary-yellow ambulance drive away, its flickering lights dimming, and then disappearing, as it turned out of the driveway.

  “I’m sorry, Paulina.” More tears flooded my eyes. My conscious was drowning in quicksand. I was tired of ruining people’s lives. I was tired of fighting the forces that were against me. It would be easier if I just gave in to them, let them have me. I couldn’t, just couldn’t take any of it anymore. I turned to head to my room, and David followed.

  “Please, don’t.” I said. “I need to be by myself.”

  “Don’t blame yourself, Isis.”

  “That innocent woman killed herself. She did it to protect me. I’m the reason she’s dead.”

  David looked away from me.

  “Isis—”

  “There are no right words to say this time.”

  I walked up the stairs and to my room, where I closed the door and slid to the floor, my mind staring into the black hole that I knew I belonged in.

  How long I stayed there—one hour, three—I don’t know. Sometime later, I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye. I looked toward the balcony doors and saw Eros.

  “What do you want?” I turned my gaze back to the spot that I had been focused on before, but the black hole was gone. I was annoyed that he had made me lose the state of numbness. I glanced back at Eros. “Well?”

  Eros’ head was upturned, surveying me from head to toe.

  “Spare me the ugly looks,” I huffed.

  One of Eros’ hands disappeared behind his back, his nose flared. Then with a swift move, he tossed an object toward me. I winced as it landed at my side with a loud slap on the floor. My journal.

  “You stole my journal?”

  “You. Hellion. Bitch,” he said through gritted teeth.

  Again Eros reached behind his back. This time, producing a large dagger. Before I had time to react, Eros was kneeling beside me. He forced my head back, pulling at the hair on my nape. The point of the blade was at my throat. The sound of my heartbeat resounded like heavy drums in my ears. For a moment, I couldn’t understand what was happening. But then it all made perfect sense. He had read my journal. He knew what I was. And the dagger at my throat was the answer I had been looking for.