Total pages in book: 165
Estimated words: 159487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 797(@200wpm)___ 638(@250wpm)___ 532(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 159487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 797(@200wpm)___ 638(@250wpm)___ 532(@300wpm)
She tried to keep the rage out of her voice and couldn’t quite manage. After all, it had been barely an hour since Sskarth had abandoned her and broken pretty much all of their Joining vows at once. She had a right to be angry, she told herself.
“So…he parted with you because he found another female? Not because you were infected with the virus?” Severin asked, raising both eyebrows this time.
“Exactly,” Cassie said quickly, nodding her head. “I was safe inside the city walls before he had me thrown out. Nobody’s infected there—they developed a rapid-detection test months ago and nobody gets in without being tested. So everyone inside the Crystal City is free of infection.”
As she spoke, she heard her voice tremble and had to fight to keep from crying. Being safe from infection was priceless—and she no longer was. After all she might not be susceptible to the Hunger Virus because she was human and not Visskous…but then again, she might be. She wouldn’t know for sure unless she started seeing the world in shades of gray and developed a taste for living flesh.
And what if you do develop a taste—is it fair to hide the bite on your arm from these two? whispered a guilty little voice inside her head.
If I start to turn, I’ll leave, she promised herself firmly. I won’t hang around until I attack someone—I’ll go voluntarily. Or, if I can find a gun, I’ll shoot myself.
It was an awful thought—one she didn’t want to even consider. She hadn’t seen her children for over a year at this point, since her last trip back to Earth on a Kindred transport vessel had been well before the outbreak. The idea of killing herself and never seeing them again was almost unbearable.
But death was better than being turned into a mindless killing machine—of that, she was certain.
“…have a rapid test too.”
“Hmm?” she asked, realizing that she’d missed something.
“I said, I’ve developed a rapid test too.” the big Blood Kindred said and Cassie realized he was coming towards her with the syringe. The needle at the end of it glittered with a kind of mute menace.
I know your dirty little secret, it seemed to say as he approached her. And I’m going to tell on you! Going to tell him YOU’RE INFECTED!
“No, wait—please!” She took a step backwards, holding up her hands in a “don’t shoot” gesture. “Please, I…I’m afraid of needles!”
“I’m very sorry, but you must be tested before I can let you into the bunker,” the Blood Kindred said firmly. “If there was any other way to get your blood, I would use it but there isn’t.”
“Please!” She took another step back and felt something hard and warm against her back. Looking up and over her shoulder, she realized that she’d backed right into the Beast Kindred.
“Ravik, hold her,” the one called Severin commanded.
At once, the huge muscular arms came around her, pinning her upper arms to her sides. Cassie struggled, but in vain—she might as well be fighting a huge oak tree or a brick wall—that was how immovable the Beast Kindred was.
“Don’t worry—I don’t need much blood,” Severin said, obviously trying to be soothing. “Just a little will tell me what I need to know and my test is accurate almost to the moment of infection. So if you haven’t been bitten or scratched, you have nothing to fear.”
Stepping forward, he took her by the right hand and stretched out her forearm so he could reach the veins in the crook of her elbow.
Cassie bit her lip, trying not to cry. At least he hadn’t gotten a good look at her left arm—which was where she’d been bitten. But if his test was as rapid and accurate as he claimed, he was going to find out the truth soon, even if he didn’t see the ragged bite mark left by the sharp teeth of the Infected.
She hadn’t been lying when she said she didn’t like needles, though. Turning her head, she didn’t look as the Blood Kindred swabbed the inside of her elbow with something cold and then slid the needle into the big vein in her arm.
He had a surprisingly gentle touch but she still gritted her teeth as the sharp metal tip bit into her flesh.
“Almost done,” she heard Severin murmur. “You’re being very brave.”
“Don’t speak to me like I’m a child,” Cassie snapped, her voice coming out tight because she was fighting back tears. “I’m sure I’m older than you—I don’t need your pity or your condescension.”
Part of her was screaming that she shouldn’t be antagonizing him—that she ought to try and play nice—but another part just didn’t care. He was going to kick her out of the bunker as soon as he saw the virus multiplying in her blood anyway—so what was the point of trying to flatter him?