Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 55221 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 276(@200wpm)___ 221(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55221 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 276(@200wpm)___ 221(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
“You’re in love.” She smiles a little.
I can’t deny it. “It’s love and it’s more. The vampires have all this lore, this sort of magic. I don’t know what else to call it. Blood magic. I know it sounds woowoo.”
“You’re lucky I’m into the woowoo stuff. Besides, we’re living in the Emergence Era. Vampires walk among us. Nothing is quite as shocking anymore, is it?”
“Fair point.”
“So the blood magic, is it bad?”
“No. It binds us. Sort of like a link between us. If I try, I can sense him.”
“Like right now?”
“Yes.” I feel him pulsing steadily through my veins. “He’s all right. I can tell that. Not much more. The vampires and the books say a Blood bond grows with time.”
“Mind blown.” She cocks her head to the side. “Books?”
“His library. Stacks and stacks of books. None of them in English. But there’s tons of lore in them, and I suppose lore isn’t the right word since it’s all true.”
“There has to be a way to figure out how this bond thing works.” She gets that faraway look in her eyes like she does when she’s thinking. “Some way to quantify it.”
“There are things in this world that can’t be seen under a microscope.”
She smirks. “That sounds like something a vampire would say.”
I chuckle wryly. “Valen.”
“Maybe we can get his blood and your blood and do a little experi—”
“Yo, I got lunch,” Wyatt walks in, a big brown bag clutched to his chest.
“I told you I could carry that.” Gage’s voice follows from the hall.
My hackles rise.
“I got it, my man.” Wyatt puts the bag down and gives Evie and me a wary look.
“This is the brain trust?” A man with a deep voice, crackling with command, strides in. Tall and fit, he looks to be in his fifties, gray hair at his temples and an even grayer mustache. His uniform is simple, but the stars can’t be mistaken; he’s a general. His dark eyes survey the lab, then fix on me. “Dr. Clark, I presume?”
“Yes.” I glance at Gage.
“Georgia, this is General Lopez. He’s in command of this base and what’s left of the country.”
For the briefest moment, I think about mentioning that the president is, in fact, still alive, so maybe the general should pump the brakes. Then again, that’s something I’ve only shared with Wyatt and Evie, and they know whatever passes between us stays there.
“Glad to finally meet you, Dr. Clark. I’ve been briefed on the poison you created and used to kill Theo Dragonis. Colonel Howard believes you can make it again. Is that true?”
I hesitate.
The general glances around the lab and then back at me.
“Does she speak?” he asks Gage curtly.
“She does,” I say.
“Good.” He snaps his head back to me. “Now, can you make the poison or not?”
“I can.”
“All right, then I expect—”
“But I’ll need some assurances.” I stand and face him. I knew this moment would come, the decision I’ve been wrestling with ever since I regained my memories.
The general’s eyes narrow. “What was that?”
“I said I’ll need some assurances before I do anything.”
“Georgia, General Lopez doesn—”
The general holds up a hand, silencing Gage. His features are placid, stoic. Classic military, just like the people who were in Gregor’s cell with me. The ones who died. “Go on, Dr. Clark.”
“I can create the poison, and I can guarantee its efficacy, but what I cannot do is simply hand it over and allow you or anyone else to wield it as a weapon of genocide against all vampires.”
The general stares at me. Several beats pass. “Genocide?” he says, his expression a mix of incredulous and offended. “You mean what they’ve done to us? Hunted and killed and bombed humanity into oblivion, and you’re here speaking to me about vampire genocide?” His voice rises to a shout. “What the fuck is this, Colonel Howard? A joke?”
“It’s not a joke.” I stand firm. “I won’t allow my work to be used to commit atrocities. I’m a healer, not a killer.”
“You work for the United States government. For me. You’re what I say you are.” General Lopez glares at me, menace in his eyes. “And your work is for what I say it is. If you have any more bleeding heart bullshit ideas about the vampires, you can keep them to yourself. I expect a sample of this poison in my hands as soon as possible. Am I understood?”
“I don’t work for anyone.” I glance around. “There is no more government, no more country. We were barely holding together before the vampires came. I’m a civilian, nothing more.”
“I think you’ll find that under martial law, you will do as you’re told or you’ll face severe consequences. I’m in command of this base and this country. I’m in command of you.” For a moment he reminds me of Vince, but without the good heart underneath the gruffness.