River of Blood

Chapter Twenty-Five

Something is seriously wrong with her. Her chest feels tight, her body feels like lead, and emotions whirl through her brain at top speeds.

Lynn sits up rapidly as pain spread through her temple. She lets out a small curse, clutching at her forehead. "God that hurts," She mutters. Someone sits down on the couch next to her, startling her.

"Are you feeling any better?" Annalise asks, her green eyes wandering over Lynn carefully. Lynn looks around the room, glad to know that she's no longer hooked up to all of those beeping machines. She feels about ready to peel out when she remembers what happened before she passed out.

"Evangeline...died...and then came back to life?" Lynn finally whispers. "That's impossible. She was already a vampire."

"According to September, she had angel blood. Meaning that it was very possible," Annalise sighs, rubbing her forehead. "When she saved Sarafine's life, it activated her angel blood."

A knock on the door silences them, and Lynn glances towards it. She has no idea what time of the day it is, but she is really falling asleep.

Wait. I can't sleep. What is wrong with me?

"Evangeline? Judi? Sarafine?" Annalise's confused voice floats back. "What are you guys doing here?"

Lynn turns as Evangeline glides into her room. Something about the vampire is different, seemingly more...human. Lynn's lips part as she stares at the vampire, a sudden connection clicking in her brain.

She falls into blackness as something unfamiliar swarms her.

"He's totally looking at you." Lynn whispers, a giggle bubbling to her lips.

There is a girl sitting next to her, black hair curled to near perfection, a laugh unlike any other. When her violet eyes turn on Lynn, all she sees is Evangeline. The tanned skin, the sparkling violet eyes.

What the hell is going on?

"I think he's got eyes for you." Evangeline raises a brow. Evangeline's voice holds an accent that Lynn never noticed before, but she brushes it off. Lynn looks in the direction of the boy, a smile warming his lips as they wander up and down her form. Goosebumps spread along her skin. He is looking at her. With eyes the color of the sea, Lynn can see the sweat glistening on his muscular arms from the exertion.

"Who would ever want me? I'm plain next to you." Lynn has no idea where the words are coming from.

Am I in a human memory?

That can't be right. That would mean she knew Evangeline when she was human...

Evangeline grabs onto Lynn's hand. Lynn gasps at the contact, for she sees scrapes all along Evangeline's knuckles. Evangeline is a vampire.

Everything is wrong.

"He's coming over." Evangeline whispers. "Just be yourself, Braelyn."

Who on earth is Braelyn? Evangeline picks up her sword – her sword? – Before leaving Lynn alone on the stone fence.

The boy moves his blond hair out of his face, and Lynn's heart races in her chest. Lynn doesn't have a heart beat anymore. She's dead. He sits down next to her. "You're Braelyn, right?" His voice is a deep baritone. He has the same accent that Evangeline does, and he seems nervous. Like extremely so.