Page 140 of Vampire so Virtuous

“And the witch’s co-dependence?” Cally asked, her heart racing.

“Once bound to a vampire, her power will steadily grow. Then it must be used, or consumed, or she will die.”

“I’ll die?”Just one more way this whole damn mess could kill her.

“Only if your power is not used or consumed. But yes. If it grows too great, it will burst out from within.” She lifted a finger. “Or so the legends tell us. In truth, there is no way to be sure—unless you imminently explode on this horrible sofa and redecorate it in a much more charming color.”

“But I can’t use it! There’s no way. How do I…” She took a breath, trying to steady herself. “Can you train me? To use my magic?”

“We are getting ahead of ourselves,ma fillette. Do not forget, the power can be consumed.”

“Consumed?” Her eyes widened. “By Antoine feeding on me!”

“Exactement.” Belle inclined her head. “Symbiotic, you see?”

Cally sank back into the sofa, her mind racing. “So Antoine fed on Minh… growing stronger… he’s awaked my dormant blood”—except he hasn’t—“and now every vampire in Boston will want a taste, while Antoine needs me to survive.”Fuck. That’s a lot to process.“Wait, what does it mean that he’s broken your laws?”

“Vampires have few laws, but those we do are unbreakable,ma fillette. Do you know what that means?”

“Uh, I’m guessing it means you can’t break them?”

Belle laughed. “Non. It means that to break them, you have to have so much power that no one tells you off. Americans have some experience of this, no?”

Cally frowned. “So you’re saying that if Antoine gets strong enough—by feeding on me—there’s no consequence for feeding on Minh?”

“Exactement.”

“But earlier I asked you if he knew, and you dodged me. Does he?”

“That is still the question,ma fillette.Though I think it likely he does not.” Belle tilted her head. “Will you tell him?”

Cally hesitated. If Belle was right, Antoine needed her now. Not just wanted—needed. If she ran—stayed ahead of his mark long enough for him to run out of blood—what then? What happened to a vampire who couldn’tfeed? And what about her? Would her magic keep growing, even though it had already been there before he ever touched her, until—boom—Belle got a new sofa design?

“What happens to him if he doesn’t feed?”

“A vampire who does not—or cannot—feed goes feral. He hunts whatever is closest, in the hope it will sate his craving. This is dangerous, as such a vampire hunts without caution. In Antoine’s case, when it is not enough, he will hunt again. And again. Can you imagine what would happen?”

All too vividly.“And when nothing satisfies?”

“He goes mad,” Belle said. “It is not a pleasant fate.”

Cally shivered. “How long does that take?”

“It varies. In theory, a vampire could maybe last two weeks before his mind crumbles.”

The real question—the dangerous one—was what happened when a vampire fed on a witch who already had power. But she couldn’t ask that. So instead, she asked the one she could: “Why are you telling me all this?”

Belle’s voice softened into something almost wistful. “Do you know what it is to love,ma fillette?” She didn’t wait for an answer, but continued with a distant voice. “I am not sure I do. Perhaps I am too old, maybe too broken, certainly too selfish to love. But, if I have ever loved anyone, it would be your Antoine. He is my only spawn, my companion for years, and even after all this time,un homme si vertueux.” She gave herself a little shake, and when she spoke again, it was more like her usual playful self. “And as for the game I mentioned? It is a contest, and I would not see my own spawn lose.” She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “You see, I like to cheat. And you,ma fillette, are most intriguingly the new ace in the hole.”

Cally stared at Belle, a sudden unease tightening in her chest.An ace in the hole.She wasn’t a pawn in this game—she was the prize, the leverage. It made her question everything she thought she knew about her relationship with Antoine.

“What is ‘un om see vair-too-uh’?”

Belle winced at her accent. “‘Un homme si vertueux’means ‘such a virtuous man.’”

Marcel had used the same word. Maybe it was true.

“Yes,” Cally said. “I will tell him.”