Eternal Night

(I) Chapter 10: Let's Talk About Frankie

"Who do you think you are, controlling her life like this?"

"I'm not controlling anything or anyone. For pity's sake, Lyra, we've been at this for hours now. Would it kill you to just drop it already?"

Frankie could still hear them talking through the floor of Vesper's bedroom, the aforementioned teenager having fallen asleep ages ago, curled up comfortably at Frankie's side. She was still tenderly running her fingers through the girl's mess of mousy-brown curls, though it was more absentmindedly than anything else now. She was far too engrossed in the conversation still taking place downstairs. After the chaos of the morning had subsided and the general mess cleaned up, her brother and best friend had immediately resumed their shouting match and from the sound of things, Lyra Kennedy was on another one of her crusades.

"Oh, I am nowhere near done with you yet!" the woman had snapped.

It was easy to imagine the redheaded vampire pointing a menacing finger at Frankie's brother. Usually, their spats amused her in some borderline-sadistic way, but like her brother, she had grown especially weary of the argument. That was the thing with Lyra, though. If she got worked up, she could go for days.

"No one chastises you enough, Rémy, for how poorly you take care of Frankie. It is a wonder the woman is still alive!"

Frankie heard something slam against the table, undoubtedly Rémy's fist.

"Lyra, for the last time, will you fucking let it go?! You have put enough salt in the wound! What do you want from me? A pound of flesh?"

"It'd be a start!"

"You know what, fine. FINE! I'm sorry. I'm sorry for fucking up Frankie's life! I'm sorry for setting up that... interview she had," his voice wavered for a second as if he had forgotten that someone was within hearing range. The fluctuation in his voice puzzled her, but only momentarily. "I'm sorry that my sister fell in love with someone who broke her heart and that one of our best friends got killed shortly after! I'm sorry that my aunt came all the way to Budapest, risking her life to see Frankie only to get herself killed as well! All right? I'm sorry! It's all my fault!"

She heard him stand up halfway through his speech and she could easily imagine him with his arms outstretched. His voice was dripping in sarcasm.

"You want someone to blame? Here I am!"

"It's not your fault, Rémy," Carmen began, voice entirely rational, but he interrupted her.

"Thank you for the understanding, but it would appear the high and mighty Lyra Kennedy believes that I am the root of all the evil that happens in my sister's life. Well guess what, bitch," and he returned his attention to Lyra, "It's not all my fault. I protect her to the best of my abilities. I do everything in my power to keep her safe and out of Augustine's hands and the only thing you have to do is be there for her when she goes through the emotional trauma shit... and where have you been? Off shagging the best friend of her ex! You know she needs someone to confide in and since Cece is dead and Armand is over a thousand miles away, and she won't talk to me about half the crap she keeps bottled up inside, that task falls to you and Carmen."

"I do the best I can," Carmen interjected, "but she doesn't tell me everything either. You know there are some things she will only talk to you about."

"Exactly. Lyra has no excuse. She isn't always there for Frankie like she should be. She isn't upholding her end of our agreement and instead continues to insist that what happened this morning was my doing, like I'm the one who sent that unhinged sociopath to hit her with a car," Rémy shouted. "She's not feeding because of the goddamn PTSD and I've done all I can to help her with it! I'm at the end of my fucking rope! And even if there was more I could do, it's not my job – it's yours."