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All for science. A cold bastard, as much as any one of us, with only Catalina as our exception.

Bastien slid the needle into the soft underside of the boy’s elbow and he pulled the little piece on top, sucking the blood into the little tube.

“This will not hurt him.” Bastien straightened, looking her in the eyes, and tugged the cuffs of his shirt-sleeves higher on his forearm. “Nor will it change the outcome of him turning. This may help me understand the virus.”

“Will he turn like Cat?” I asked, releasing the girl. She stumbled forward and took hold of the boy’s hand.

“He may wake as a vampire.”

“We have to tell her,” I said gruffly, already taking a step away. Bastien grabbed my shoulder, stopping me.

“I did not want to tell her in case my theory is incorrect.”

“But—"

“He’s right,” Tobias interrupted, coming to stand beside me.

“I will take a look at his blood. It will not take long to confirm.” He flicked the syringe he held in his hand.

“H-he’ll turn into a vampire?” the small human girl asked, squeezing Peter’s hand like he’d get up and run away.

For Catalina, I hoped so.

I did not take pleasure in seeing her sobbing in agony.

“Where is my Little One,” Bastien addressed Tobias.

“Asher’s with her,” I answered, stepping to the edge of the table. The slack jawed boy remained still.

“She did not deserve to see her sibling slain before her.”

I agreed with Bastien. She did not deserve any of this.

I gritted my teeth, struggling with the foreign throb in my gut.

All I craved was taking her in my arms, but I did not know how to comfort her as she deserved.

THIRTY-NINE

catalina

I’d wokenwith the fall of the sun and continued to stare at the ceiling, as if it had answers. My face felt stiff, and my hair remained a wild mess. All that went round and round in my head were thoughts of Peter. His favorite meals, his favorite shows, how I’d been the one to tuck him in at night. It’d been him and I since I could remember. Even when our parents were alive. They’d often been busy, working to make a living for us, so even back then, it’d been just us.

“I don’t know what to do, she won’t respond to me.”

Asher. He leaned over my face.

I knew what he wanted from me, but I couldn’t give it to him right now. It felt like there were ants crawling inside of me.

He held his punctured wrist over my mouth, so I could drink. A blood droplet formed at the opening. I cinched my eyes shut and turned my head away, keeping my lungs shut tight.

I didn’t deserve to feed. I’d failed Peter.

“Let us get her bathed.”

Tobias’ voice. An arm settled behind my shoulder, and I kept my eyes closed as they efficiently undressed me. “Go turn the bath on.”

Those retreating footsteps had to be Asher. An arm fit under my head and the back of my knees. Tobias lifted me and I swayed in his arms.