Page 120 of The Good Vampire’s Guide to Blood & Boyfriends

Travis froze. His eyes cut to Brennan, head tilting owlishly, and the buzzing sound cut straight through the rain.

“Oh,” Travis said. “Oh, man. You found the phone. My bad, honestly.”

“What did you do? Where are they?”

Brennan knew this was important but it was getting impossible to focus. Something smelled so good, and Brennan realized that he was thirsty. But he’d been so consistent with his regimen.

Travis clucked his tongue, disappointed. “You’re still asking the wrong questions,” he said. “But sure. Where do I start? They’re fine. Just in thrall for a couple of days. It’s unpleasant, but they’ll be fine.”

Rain fell down around them. Brennan hoped this was one of Travis’s weird jokes.

“What?” Travis said. “There’s no use keeping it a secret, is there? I mean, I don’t mean to be rude, but I couldn’t feellessthreatened by you. No offense. Is that offensive? Whatever. Uh, yeah, they had a lead on Dom’s plan, they wanted to stop her, blah blah blah, so I temporarily incapacitated them.”

Brennan recoiled, angling himself between Cole and Travis. “You’re helping Dom.”

Travis rolled his eyes. “No, god!Domwas helpingme. I know she’s got the mysterious Goth thing going for her, but what’s the obsession? You guys really think she masterminded all this? She freaked out as soon as I killed those two people in November.”

“I thought Dom killed them. I thought you couldn’t leave your woods.”

“Oh, keepup.Dom turned a few people to gain power, yes, to freeme.But as soon as I told her about the vampire ball plan, she totally pussied out.”

“But Dom was back in Boston. She sabotaged the blood supply.”

Travis scoffed. “Again, credit where it’s due?Isabotaged the blood supply. I didn’t know Dom was back in town until you came here and told me.”

Then Dom had been—what, helping?Fuck.Brennan’s head was getting heavy, staticky, and he dug his fingers into his temples. He was thirsty, and it was getting worse impossibly quickly.

“What did you do to me?” Brennan asked.

“Ding ding ding!” Travis cheered. “Yes! Million-dollar question! I was wondering when the tea would kick in.”

The words trickled in slow motion under the haze of all Brennan’s senses going haywire, the flush under Cole’s skin starting to smell like freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.

“What did you do?” Brennan surged forward, out of the shelter of Cole’s umbrella, but the rain was nothing next to the raging, growing burn in his throat.

“Yet another thing Nellie’s curriculum doesn’t teach the vamplings,” Travis said. He pulled a vial from his overalls pockets, filled with something murky and black. “Vampire blood. Homemade! My very own recipe.”

“Brennan.” Cole’s voice was quiet and urgent behind him, one hand laid on his forearm, but Brennan couldn’t tear his eyes from Travis. “Brennan, let’s just go.”

“Oh, don’t leave yet, loves, I’m giving you a very helpful hint, and the ball will be much less interesting if you don’t pay attention.”

Brennan didn’t look at Cole, and Cole’s hand dropped from his arm.

“Vampire blood,” Travis continued, in a tone like he was narrating a children’s show. “It brings a feral thirst response when consumed by a vampire. And, of course, it’s essential to the process ofturninga human. What could possibly go wrong, do you think?”

“Why?” Brennan asked. He could barely think, he was aware he was trembling, and he knew Cole was right, they needed to move. But he had to know.

Travis laughed and drew his brows together like it was obvious.

He said, “I guess I think it’ll be interesting.”

Brennan went cold, and it had nothing to do with the rain. He realized that his first evaluation of Travis was wrong. He wasn’t depressed or aimless with his age. He wasbored.

And that was much more dangerous.

“Why are you telling us? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose?” Cole asked.

“Uh, no. What are you gonna do about it? You can’t call Nellie and Sunny to help you. It might even be interesting to see what you try to do. I’m all for a good fight.”