Prelude to a Witch, Amanda Lee [ebook reader web txt] 📗

vacant girls I’ve ever come across. If teenagers could be profiled as sociopaths under the auspices of the law, I would diagnose them right now.”

It was a sobering thought, one I wasn’t quite willing to embrace. “What if I did that to them?”

Hannah flicked her eyes to me. “What do you mean?”

“What if I’m the reason they’re like that?” I persisted.

“Why would you say that?” Landon asked. “You’re not responsible for them.”

“No, but I messed with their minds. They weren’t like that before I shuffled their memories. They might’ve been lying to us last time, but they showed emotion. It’s as if I drained that out of them.”

“They were putting on an act last time,” Landon argued. “Maybe they’re really not capable of emotion. All that crap they put out there for us to absorb last time was fake. It could be that they’re only capable of being fake.”

“Maybe, but what are the odds of four legitimate sociopaths finding one another in their teens in one small town?” I challenged. “Think about it. True sociopaths are rare. How would we get four of them?”

“Bay is right,” Hannah interjected. “True sociopaths lack a conscious. They can’t feel guilt. They don’t have the ability to make and keep friends.”

“Unless they’re covering,” Landon said. “If they all need friends to appear normal maybe this is their way of covering what they really are.”

“We don’t have firm numbers on this because most sociopaths don’t get diagnosed, but it’s believed that three to five percent of the population are sociopaths. For those four girls to all be sociopaths and find one another, well, the odds would be astronomical.”

“Then what else could it be?” Landon demanded.

Hannah turned her gaze to me. There was worry there. “Is it possible Bay changed their personalities when she modified their memories?”

“Bay didn’t do that alone,” Aunt Tillie argued. “I was there with her. I’ve modified memories before. She didn’t do anything out of the ordinary.”

“Then maybe it’s something else.”

“Like what?” I asked. “What else could it be?”

“I’m not sure. Those girls were completely devoid of emotion. The only time any of them reacted with something akin to a genuine feeling was when Amelia yelled at us. Even that didn’t feel as vehement as it should have.”

“So what do we do?” Landon asked. “How do we break them down?”

“I don’t know that we can.” Hannah dragged a restless hand through her hair. “I’m not sure those girls have anything to do with what’s going on, but if we’re going to talk to them again, we’re going to need a different approach.”

“I guess that means Hollow Creek,” Landon said. “You wanted to visit there.”

Hannah agreed. “I need to see where all of this started. At the very least, it might give me a few ideas.”

I didn’t know how that was possible, but she was in charge of our investigative course. We had to follow where she led ... at least for now.

17

Seventeen

Landon ceded his spot in the front to Hannah and climbed in the backseat with me for the ride to Hollow Creek.

“I’m fine,” I said when he plucked my hand off my lap and studied my palm.

“Did I say you weren’t fine?” He kept his voice low. Aunt Tillie shared the back bench with us. “Maybe I just want to sit next to my future wife. Have you ever considered that?”

“Not really.”

Aunt Tillie stirred. “You need to get over it,” she instructed Landon. “She’s berating herself and she won’t stop any time soon. You’ll spoil her by doting on her this way.”

Landon turned to her. “What do you suggest I do, oh wise oracle?”

“Let her stew. She’ll get over herself eventually. She always does.”

“I’m not feeling sorry for myself,” I insisted. “I’m just ... thinking.”

“Right.” Aunt Tillie stretched her legs out. “I happen to know what you’re thinking, and it’s a waste of time.”

I wasn’t in the mood to kowtow to her nonsense and yet I was curious. “What am I thinking?”

“That you somehow altered those girls.”

“Well ... what else is there to think? It’s statistically impossible for three sociopaths to find one another at that age.”

“No, it’s not. It’s rare, but not impossible. For all we know, these girls were drawn to each other because they are sociopaths.”

“Paisley too?” Landon asked.

Aunt Tillie nodded. “There’s no way she would be the only normal one in that group.”

“So you didn’t do this to them, Bay,” Landon pressed. “You can’t blame yourself.”

“They weren’t like this before,” I insisted.

“We don’t know that. They were acting when we crossed paths with them the first time. Nothing they said or did can be considered true.”

I wasn’t convinced, but I didn’t want to argue. “Okay.” I leaned back and closed my eyes.

“Bay.” Landon slipped his arm around my back, fighting his seatbelt so he could cuddle closer. “This is my least favorite thing about you,” he said. “You constantly blame yourself for things you can’t control. You’re a martyr.”

I shot him a dirty look. “I am not a martyr.”

“You are.” He brushed my hair from my eyes. “You can’t blame yourself for what’s going on. It’s not on you. None of it is. Those girls did this.”

“Unless they didn’t.”

“Stop it.” He was firm. “We didn’t have many options. We couldn’t put them in jail because of the magic. We couldn’t kill them because ... well, you know. What did that leave? You came up with the only option you could.”

I knew he was right, but it still bothered me. “I’m not a martyr,” I muttered.

He laughed. “I love you.” He pressed a kiss to my cheek.

“I’m not a martyr,” I repeated.

“You’re a total martyr,” Aunt Tillie shot back. “You’re the biggest martyr I know.”

I rested my head on Landon’s shoulder. “I’m not a martyr.”

“You’re my angel,” Landon whispered, his lips so close to my ear I shuddered. “I’m going to take you to heaven later if your back is better.”

“My back is fine.”

“Then heaven it is.”

Aunt Tillie leaned forward and hit Chief