AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The lady moves closer to me, but I’m not scared. I let her as she continues to speak.
“I am Darla Knight, your great grandmother three times over. I know what you’re thinking, wow she has aged well,” she says with a giggle. I like her.
“Joanie will not willingly pass the torch to you. She will not teach all there is to know. We see that. It’s why we have come up with a plan. She is doing our family a disservice. Tarnishing all we worked for as a founding family. The next full moon is in a week. Just before the town opens itself up to the curious eyes. We must hold the ceremony then.”
I look at her confused, “What do you mean? If she won’t pass it down to me, how are we to hold the ceremony?”
Darla looks down at her feet, then back up at me. “We will help you. We will get her into the mausoleum where our family lies. You must do the hardest part, my girl. It will only work if you kill her during it, instead of only taking enough to fill the goblet.”
“Absolutely not. I do not kill people! Are you insane?” I rapidly fire back.
“No, I am very serious. She will only become a bigger issue if she continues to live. In all our years, the bloodline legacy has never been broken. This is the only option.. We do not know what the town will do if we disobey tradition. Joanie has to go, and you have to take the helm. You can do this, Fallon. We see your determination. Instead of running scared, you have embraced us.” She finishes explaining while gently taking my hand in hers in an attempt to comfort me.
“I understand, Darla–” but she cuts me off.
“Grandma, you may call me grandma.” My chest feels warm, tears prick my eyes. I’ve never had a grandma before. Joanie made it very clear that she is not mine.
Damn you, Darla. You are good. Pulling at my heartstrings. It makes it nearly impossible to deny her.
Faintly, I whisper into the night, “I don’t know if I can.”
“Hush now. You can. We know you can. We believe in you, darling. We need you.” Grandma Darla reassures.
Blowing out a deep breath, I close my eyes in disbelief that this is my life. In order to not break the legacy, the legend, and piss the town off, I have to murder my dad’s mother during the next new moon. This is insane.
Opening my eyes, I look back at Darla, “Ok, what do I have to do?”
She smiles back at me, pleased with my response. “Tradition says, on the night of the full moon, you must enter the family mausoleum, wearing all black with the sacred ceremonial goblet. It is in that house, and you must find it. We will handle the rest. Don’t you worry, we will be by your side the entire time.”
This is fucking insane.
I have to do it. This is the only way. There is no way Joanie is going to do the right thing. Crusty, cold, miserable bitch that she is.
“In the meantime, you must spend more time in that library. You’ll find all the details to prepare for new arrivals and everything else you need to know about being the keeper there.” I nod my head in understanding.
“I’m going to go now, darling, but we will see each other again. I will be by your side when the time comes.” With that, she is gone, disappearing into the night. My mind is racing a million miles a minute. What have I agreed to? My thoughts are interrupted by a familiar voice.
“My feelings towards you are indifferent. I neither like you nor dislike you. I tolerate you. I agree with Darla, though. It has to happen on the next full moon before the town opens.” I look up to find Merrick leaning against a tree with his black, worn combat boot-clad feet crossed at the ankles. With a lit joint between his fingers. Is he never not high?
“I cannot wait to see Joanie’s face when she realizes what is happening. It will be worth a thousand deaths over. But you need to start researching, and learning your responsibilities, stupid little girl.”
This fucker.
“I am trying. I will be ready! And stop calling me stupid little girl.” I shout back at him.
Merrick laughs. “Try harder. I’ll stop calling you stupid when you stop acting like it. Be smarter. Do better.”
He is fucking unbelievable. “You don’t want me here, but you want me to try harder. You want me to regret coming here, but insist I must do better. You fuck me, but insist I am pathetic. Can you please make up your fucking mind? My dad, your fucking brother, would be rolling over in his grave if he could see how you're treating me.” Merrick is unfazed by my outburst. Instead, he takes another hit off his joint.
“It’s a good thing he isn’t in a grave then, since you burnt him. I have nothing to worry about.” He takes another hit and continues, “You know what you have to do, so do it. The elders have spoken. It doesn’t matter anymore what I want.” He simply says before disappearing like Darla did.
I’m beginning to feel overwhelmed, but I can’t let this feeling win. He’s right. Though I will never admit that to him. A flash of bright light ignites in the distance, and Darla’s voice comes back in my ear, “There is a storm coming, child. Best you get home.”
The resounding crack of thunder vibrates through me.
Looking around the graveyard, I know she is right. It’s for the good of the town. This has to be done. It is rather strange how calm I am about all of it. Maybe Harper is right, this is fate. Our destinies have always been written for us, and this is mine.
Chapter15
