Page 22 of Silent Stalker
“Which will offend Emerick’s delicate sensibilities?”
“The needle.”
“Let’s use the needle.”
Laughing, Rachella grabbed a different box from the drawer and revealed single-wrapped needles. Donning a pair of latex gloves, she removed one from its packaging and held it out for me. “Just put a drop of blood on the strip, and I’ll handle the submersion.”
I pricked my finger on the needle and applied a drop of blood to the strip as directed. She took it, peeled off the top from the plastic rectangle, and dropped the strip in. Within half a minute, my drop of blood turned a dark green.
“That is the color code for strongly blood bound.”
“Which is expected since I very much dislike my favorite dessert slipping off on me.” Emerick’s huff from behind me almost broke me, but I hung onto my laughter by the merest thread. “Oh, it seems the second test subject has arrived. Come get pricked, Emerick. I need to see if you’re the appropriate color yet. Rachella, which is the appropriate color?”
“A pale green is lightly blood bound, and a medium green is moderately blood bound. It goes from a pale to dark spectrum. Ideally, at this stage, he will be heading towards moderately blood bound from the lightly side of the scale, as it does take time for the bond to properly form.”
“At what range on the scale do you feel he is sufficiently blood bound to be rewarded?” I asked, eyeing the strip floating in the clear fluid.
“Even at pale green, he is your eternal property, although I think he should have to earn it. But if he is above the baseline pale green, perhaps you could allow him to attempt charming you into indulging in his wicked ways. It really depends on if he has been good.”
“I provided turkey,” he stated, joining me at Rachella’s desk along with Salania. “Good evening, Rachella. I see she wasted no time trying to confirm if I am suitable for dragging into her lair, which was formerly my lair.”
“As soon as we can confirm proper ownership, I am sure she will handle such activities as she sees fit.” Rachella prepared a second needle and a strip. “I’m going to insist you’ll have to use a needle, sir.”
“Wicked temptress,” Emerick muttered, but he presented his hand, issued a most dramatic sigh, and pricked his finger before applying his blood to the strip. “There are other ways of testing this.”
“This method is the fastest, the cheapest, and most convenient,” Rachella countered.
I chuckled, leaning closer to observe the woman plunk Emerick’s test into a new container of the test solution. “You can’t argue with that, Emerick, so don’t even bother trying. This is a really cool test, though.”
“Emerick’s test will have slightly different colorations due to his status as a brood master, but the color you are most concerned with is in the center. His test shows as multiple rings due to the complexity of his magic.” She pulled out a piece of laminated paper.
After a half a minute, his blood began changing colors. In the center was a green ring, and I understood what she meant by not pale but not moderate, either, as the color had a gradient as it changed categories. The next ring was a brilliant violet the match of his eyes. “It’s the brood color!”
“Yes. Brood colors show on the test in the second ring,” Rachella confirmed.
A third exterior ring was the color of blood skirted with white on both sides. “And that tri-color set of rings?”
“That is bonded vampire. In this case, he gets two white bands because he is the brood’s master.”
“Why don’t I have a red and a white band?”
“You haven’t been in the brood long enough,” Emerick explained. “Brood bonds take at least two months to realistically show on this test. There are more sensitive tests that will pick up your presence in our brood. The next time you’re tested, your results will be similar to mine, as you’re the brood’s mistress. Right now, your body is busy assimilating me as your blood bound partner, so the signals are getting mixed. As my magic is stabilized, and my bond with you is developing at an expected pace, it shows on the test clearer. Rachella, do you have any of the specific tests for brood bonds?”
The receptionist nodded and pulled out a different strip and a pink plastic container similar to the other two. With a chuckle, she picked up the needle I’d used the first time. “I’m sure you will survive a second prick from the same needle.”
I made certain I could get enough blood out on the second prick and applied it to the test strip. Sure enough, a matching pattern to Emerick’s appeared after exposure to the solution. “That is one of the coolest things I’ve seen. It’s like pregnancy tests but for vampires.”
“With the added bonus of better accuracy and no need to pee on them,” Rachella agreed. “So, the test does confirm he is blood bonded, although you would need another test to confirm if he’s blood bonded to you. As we know of no other women he has been nibbling on, and he tested as not having a bond two months ago, it’s a safe assumption you are the victorious woman.”
“I better make him nibble some more just to be certain.”
“With the benefit of your nibbling leading to other things should you wish,” she replied with a grin.
“If he thinks I’m going to stay awake long enough for that tonight, he’s going to be very disappointed. He’s going to have to give me a few days off from hunting before there is anything other than mutual disappointment. Some things simply cannot be rushed.”
“Good luck, Master Emerick. May you prove more charming another night.”
“I am surrounded by wicked women.”
