Page 121 of A Vow of Shadow and Blood

He shifts uncomfortably, as if he just realized that he slipped up. I slide from the counter and walk right up to where he is, taking a stand in front of him.

“What do you mean by war?”

“Nothing, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“If you know something, Finn, then you need to tell me.”

He laughs at this.

“Yeah, because you’re just so trustworthy, aren’t you? Look what happened the last time I trusted you with one of my secrets. I ended up a prisoner in a palace.”

I roll my eyes. “You’re not a prisoner.”

“No? Ok, I’ll just walk right out of this door and leave now, then.”

I run to block his way, and he holds his hands up in the air.

“As I said,prisoner.”

“Look, I have secured your immunity; all you have to do is figure out how to create thismagicalcure, and then you can leave. Vampires use their venom all the time to heal humans.”

“You think it’s that simple? Those are external wounds. It’s not the same when you’re dealing with sickness inside the body. Humans can’t digest raw venom—it would be lethal. Do you have any idea how long it took me to figure out how to create the stuff I’ve been giving to you? Shit, Adina, you may be beautiful,but you are truly a fool if you think that there’s any way that I’m walking out of this place alive.”

“Karius promis—”

“Karius?” He scoffs. “You’re on a first-name basis with the prince now? Gods, let me guess, you fucked him already? Was it really that good that you sold out your own kind for a bunch of bloodsuckers?”

I race over to him, gripping his apron in my fist.

“Watch it. You have no idea what I’ve been through.”

“And I don’t care. I never asked to get dragged into your shit, did I?”

“He has my sister!” The words slip out before I can stop them, and Finn’s face twists in confusion.

“Who?”

I step away from him, creating some space.

“Julian. He took her.”

“Damn it, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

My eyes lift to meet his, and I can see the genuineness of his words.

“It’s who the concoctions were for. She’s ill. It was the only thing keeping it at bay and stopping the vamps from finding out that she was sick. They would have killed her otherwise.”

Understanding crosses his face. A long moment of silence passes between us, and I wonder what he’s thinking until he finally speaks.

“He came to me around a year ago, said that he knew what I could do, and that if I didn’t help him and his people, he would out me to the vampires. I thought I could outsmart him, but then he showed me what he was. Gave me this scar in the process.” He points to the one running through his eyebrow. “He’s a monster, Adina. The vampires don’t stand a chance.”

I shake my head. “They do if you can make this work. Whatever he is—whatever his followers are—if you can create acure, thenwestand a chance. Don’t you want to be on the right side of history?”

He blows out a breath and lifts his hands to the back of his head.

“The sired are working with him too; this isn’t as straightforward as you think.”

“You created whatever is allowing Amabel to hide the fact that she’s a vampire.” It’s not a question.