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“Something you need to know about vampires, Doctor. We have keen senses. Hearing, sight, and smell.” He steps closer. “We’re particularly attuned to humans. To their heartbeats, their pheromones, their arousal.”

I grit my teeth.

“Lie to yourself, but I know what you felt. I felt it with you, with each pounding note of your heart. Your blood calls to mine.” He finally lets go. “And I fully intend to answer that call.”

“Leave.” I say it with all the hatred I have.

He gives me a short bow and walks away. “In this apartment at sundown. Don’t disobey me again.”

A litany of ‘fuck yous’ play on repeat in my mind as I take the vial and sit at the kitchen island. Resting my head against the cool granite, I cringe at how I reacted to him, how for one tiny moment I wanted him. Then Gage’s words come back to me—“Blood Dragonis is the worst of them all. They can control your mind, your body—everything.”

Realization hits me, and I sit straight up. It’s not me reacting to Valen at all. He’s controlling me, making me feel things other than disgust. Like some sort of what? Vampire magic? I would laugh at the insanity of it, but nothing is out of the realm of possibility now.

“Fuck.” I rub my temples. I’m being played on every level. By Valen, by Gregor, and worst of all, by Juno. I force those thoughts away. I can’t get mired in self-pity, no matter how appealing that sounds.

I pick up the vial and stare at the blood inside it. Ending the plague is the priority. But now, so is destroying the vampires. I stand and pocket the sample, then head down to the lab. Two goals. Two reasons to work harder, smarter, and faster.

Now I know the stakes.

I won’t lose.

19

“Thanks, Gene.” I take the coffee from him and keep scrolling through the most recent blood’s imaging.

“Happy to help.” He peers at the cells. “Those look prickly.”

“They are.” It’s the only thing that’s consistent with every sample we’ve received. The same blood cell shape. But some samples have antibodies, some don’t. None have white blood cells. All have high, though differing, amounts of fibrin.

The roar of the generator keeps a low hum of white noise going through the building. Power went out yesterday and hasn’t been back on since. No one knows anything, and we’re set to keep working as long as we can.

“Too much tiny stuff. Above my pay grade.” He shakes his head and stands straight. “But I’m glad you know what you’re looking at.”

I can’t fully agree with him, so I just nod and sip my coffee as he heads for his work station. His limp is better now, and I actually think he’s happier here than he ever was at the university.

“Got that data for you.” Gretchen rolls up.

“You’ll have to let me borrow that.” I tip my coffee cup toward her t-shirt.

“This old thing?” she scoffs playfully, then pulls her Iron Maiden t-shirt taut so I can see the entire design. “Vintage. From one of their tours. My dad had a thing for old bands.”

“More like antique. I love it.”

“Thanks.” She rolls closer and lowers her voice. “Um, so do you want to tell me why you’re destroying our tough-to-come-by samples one cell at a time instead of doing other things with them?”

Shit. I feel like I just jumped into a vat of ice-cold water. I suppose I should’ve seen this question coming. I thought I’d been stealthy, but I’m surrounded by genius-level scientists. Of course someone noticed what I’ve been up to.

Evie peeks over her monitor at us. That’s when I realize everyone else is listening in. I thought they’d be busy enough with cure work that I’d be in the clear to veer off the path.

“Way to ease into it, Gretch,” Evie mutters under her breath.

I do my best to compose myself, then answer as nonchalantly as I can manage. “I just want to see what makes them tick. That’s all.”

“By attacking them?” she asks, suspicion in her tone.

“Yep.” I try to keep a poker face. “I know it seems counterintuitive, but Evie said something a while back about not seeing the forest for the trees. I figured I should try a different approach.” I could tell them that I’m trying to find a way other than sun to kill every last vampire on earth, but I don’t think it would go over well. Also, it would get them killed, so no, I can’t tell them what I’m actually up to.

“Mmhmm.” Gretchen isn’t convinced. “So, what have you learned?”