Page 103

I swallow hard. He’s right, of course. I know he’s right. That doesn’t make it hurt any less, doesn’t make me any less angry and betrayed.

Swallowing down my horror, nearly choking on it, I ask, “How can we stop it?”

“We can’t.” He sighs. “Not yet, anyway. Not until the military realizes that the country is being stolen right out from under us. The chain of command is still intact, and your sister is calling the shots. She’s agreed to these camps, sacrificing lives with the hope that your work will save what’s left.”

“But weren’t you working with her?” I ask.

“I was passing missives, yes, hoping we could find a way to get the upper hand over these creatures. But even with Valen’s inside information, all we’ve managed to do is stave off some of the worst of it. They’ve been hiding and watching and planning for centuries. The plague was the opening they needed. They’re still coming for us, all of us. It’s war, just not a hot one yet.”

“But Valen told me they’re at war amongst themselves. How do they expect to take over the entire human world if they’re fighting each other?”

His face sours. “The bloodlines are always vying for power, and Gregor has been their ruler for the past few centuries. The other houses are looking for ways to take the crown. Their battles are constant, one of the reasons they don’t have the numbers we do. Valen is Gregor’s general. Or his executioner, for lack of a better word. He’s sent to handle the uprisings and destroy anyone who threatens Gregor’s position. Valen’s vampire armies pin the other Houses beneath their boots.”

“I’m lost. How is Valen working with us helpful to Gregor?”

“Valen is playing both ends against the middle.” He scowls. “He wants the crown as badly as all the others. He’ll do anything and sacrifice anyone necessary to get it.”

“That’s not true. He’s saved me. More than once.”

“Wait. How?” he asks, his grip on my arm tightening. “What has he done?”

I shrug out of his hold. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It does.” He peers at me, his gaze almost intrusive. “Whatever you do, Georgia. Don’t let him give you his blood. Understand?”

“Why?” I ask a little too quickly.

“Fuck!” He punches the metal beside us, and I jump back.

“Sorry.” He holds up his hands. “Sorry, Georgia.”

“What was that?” I take another step back until I bump into the edge of the cooling unit.

He closes the distance between us. “He’s a Dragonis. His blood carries his intention. It’s how they exercise control.”

“Intention?”

“Juno’s Miracle.” He grimaces. “His intention was to heal her. If he intended for you to jump off this building, all it would take is a drop of his blood to make you do it.”

“Blood isn’t sentient. It isn’t?—”

“Theirs is. And it’s strong. He and Theo are Gregor’s only direct descendants, their power rivalling his.”

Vertigo hits me, and it’s not from the height. “Wait. Valen is Gregor’sson?”

A high whistle sounds from somewhere on one of the other rooftops.

“We have to go.” Gage takes my hand and leads me back across the roof.

“No. Hang on!” I tug against his hold and reach into my pocket, the vial warm from my body heat. A twinge of guilt pricks at me, a stone in my shoe. What if he used it on Valen? I swallow hard at the sudden thought.

“What?” He glances around again.

“I think…” I keep the vial in my pocket and withdraw my hand. “I think I’ve found a way to kill them. Other than sunlight.”

He stops so abruptly that I run into him. “How?” He turns to me, his face intent. “How does it work?”

“It’s a mix of specialized cell proteins that?—”