The Black God

She sighed. "Because I want to make a difference. And Jonny …" She drifted off, thoughts on the previous night.

"Jonny what?" Brandon's features turned concerned. "Did he hurt you?"

"Hello, Brandon. I can take him. Only Xander is a better fighter than me."

"But you saw him."

"Yeah." She paused again and then shook her head. "I hate him."

"But he didn't hurt you."

Aside from the vampire bites? She touched her neck absently. She hadn't told Brandon the entire truth about what happened or about her episode. "No. Just my pride," she said.

"Maybe you aren't cut out for revenge."

She glared at him.

"Just sayin'."

"He almost got us all killed!"

"That shit happened years ago. Maybe you should just let it go."

Her mouth dropped open. Her brother was serious. "You know what happened Brandon! How can you say such a thing?"

"I don't know everything that happened," he said pointedly. "Like what went on between you two after you ditched your family and ran away with a vampire."

Ashley could think of nothing to say that wouldn't make matters worse. She'd wanted to believe the worst about Jonny and after he dumped her, she'd told Brandon only the bad stuff. She hadn't mentioned how sweet Jonny was when they were one-on-one, when he wasn't plotting to lure their cousin into a trap or working with the Others to try and destroy the world. She should hate Jonny more than she did, but when she recalled how he'd protected her, held her, spoken to her …

Everything became jumbled.

"What I know is bad enough for him to be unredeemable in my eyes," Brandon added. "But if you want to piss him off, aren't you better off doing it under the protection of the Guardians? I mean, they fight vamps for a living. You'd fit right in."

Ashley continued to her room without answering. They spent the summers at the Texas ranch where the headquarters of the White God - and the Guardians' - was located. Her training had started there, and they were both aware they had a place with the Guardians if they wanted it.

But … she didn't want it. Not yet. They fought vamps as part of their job. She did it out of revenge. Ashley dropped onto her bed with a sigh. She wanted to finish college, get revenge and then …

She really didn't know.

Ashley struggled to sit, tired. She went to the bathroom to clean up her bloodied fists and take a quick shower. She and Brandon alternated cooking dinner, and a cheeseburger was sitting out for her on the counter when she left her room. Wolfing it down, she plopped onto the couch beside him and glanced at his computer screen.