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"Weird? I don’t understand"
"As you knoe can’t take a sample of Schön infected blood because the virus is alive and won’t leave the victi a vial is impossible To test, we have to feed the vampire blood to an already diseased individual"
"And were you able to do that?" The only living victim--besides Johnny--was the human from the bar That she knew of, that is
"No, but let me backtrack a little We were able to test McKell’s blood on its own to determine if it was like Bride’s And in some ways, it is Much more so than the other vampires we’ve tested"
She’d had no idea other va So what the hell else didn’t she know? "That’s good, right?"
"Yes and no"
More non-answers Wonderful Ava fell against the back of the chair, and the stupid thing flattened like a cot She barely cut off her yelp of surprise "Could you please givecurls from her face
"Bride’s blood healed human disease, but left the blood … untainted, for lack of a better word Still human McKell’s rejuvenates hu, so potent, that the blood it’s , she would have fallen "So anyone who drinks his blood will beco Had she had a sip? A single drop?
"Yes Huests his blood becomes vampiric Just like in those old movies I’d compare him to a human man with too much testosterone What makes him vampire practically seeps from his pores"
Panic bloo at her If she’d had a single drop … No, no She thought back He’d sucked hers, but she’d never tasted his More than that, she was still human, normal
Slowly she relaxed Good Okay Fine But she would be very careful in the future, never forgetting what could happen if a kiss spun out of control She didn’t want to becoht? Even McKell hated that Sure, he was looking for a way to live successfully in the sunlight, but what if he never found it?
And to only ever be able to drink blood? McKell’s blood, at that, since they were supposedly mates There’d be noNo, no, and no!
On the plus side, her always aching body added, McKell h for hih sih for who she was and what she’dabout dating McKell Or sleeping with hi with hi, never left her head--but that didn’t h Last time they’d ventured down that road, she’d found only disaster He’d stopped abruptly, left, and now she had no idea where he was or what he was doing
"Still there, Sans?"
"Yes Was just thinking, sorry So, are you going to feed McKell’s blood to Johnny?"
"We’re still debating I think I told you that Johnny’s already had so we’ve discovered is that vampire blood doesn’t always mix ith other vampire blood"
What exactly did "doesn’t always mix well" mean? The recipient exploded? And did it have to do with va habits?
Before she could ask, Mia added, "Another problem with McKell’s sample is that, what if his blood doesn’t destroy the Schön disease? Then we’ll have a Sch&ouer than ever and in need of drinking blood as well as infecting others to stay strong"
Good point "So ould happen if McKell was infected by the Schön?"
"Don’t know And I’m afraid to find out"
A knock sounded at Ava’s door She popped to her feet, heart suddenly pounding against her ribs McKell? Surely not Like Noelle, he could now let his and flying through her
God, she had to get herself under control where that ent Snow"
"Welcoain, maybe
They severed the connection Ava placed the phone on a side table she’d spent , beautiful irave; vu of the last time he’d visited He was here, and he was fine And as alhen she spotted hiers tre, and the door slid open Suddenly, only air separated them And such sweet air it was He smelled of the earth, like rain and crisp leaves, yet there was just a hint of butterscotch On purpose? He wore a fresh black T-shirt, a pair of black slacks, and both fit hied around his face, but it wasn’t tangled The strands were brushed to a blue-black shine Clearly he’d just co
"Why didn’t you just walk in?" she asked She wouldn’t throw accusations around She’d ask nicely She’d taunted hi back on her word to mess around with hiood idea at the time, a way to show him two could stray Now … she would just have to deal with the consequences
"I’ polite," he replied
So he was polite now? That was new "We have a few things to discuss," she said, happy that she sounded calm, assured
"Then ill discuss the, big and bulky, banged into her chest and knocked her backward No apology was issued
Frowning, she followed him into her bedroom The frown faded as she beca into bed, cocking a finger at her, silently co her to join him Enthralled, yeah, but she panicked, too, because she was already edging down that road again, the one where she forgot the rest of the world and thought only of sex and blood
He tossed the bag on the floor and faced her Questions about his blood could wait Questions about the shower had to wait, too
"What is that?" She jabbed a finger at the bag
He squared his shoulders, as if preparing for a fight "My things"
Duh "Why did you bring your things here?" Don’t say you’ll be staying Don’t you dare say you’ll be staying
"I’ll be staying for a while" His chin lifted, his violet eyes blazed Just then he was total deter in"
She shook her head, the panic rising in a tide of bile and ice She’d never allowed a ht, and she never would Not even this one Especially not this one Resisting hiether every ht, she wouldn’t just lose; she would end up in flames, a pile of ash
"I live alone," she squeaked "Always"