Page 84 of A Touch of Crimson
“No. They’re like bad B-movie zombies. Aside from a fierce thirst for blood, there seem to be no lights on and no one home.”
He exhaled harshly. “Are we testing their blood?”
“We took samples from both the infected and non-infected while they were still tranquilized on the plane. However…”
Her pause caught his attention, and he tore his gaze away from the macabre freak show to look at her. “Go on.”
She crossed her arms. “Their metabolisms are extremely accelerated. While the noninfected vamps stayed under induced anesthesia for the duration of the flight, the sick ones woke up shortly after we took off. Malachai was bitten by one of them while drawing blood.”
“Is he okay?”
“So far, he’s fine. But I have him quarantined until I know for sure. The vamp that bit him was the first of the two casualties. I had to put him down to get him off Malachai.”
Siobhán resumed walking, stopping before a cage in which a male vampire sat in the corner with his arms wrapped around his drawn-up knees. “This is the talkative one.”
“So you’re the great Adrian,” the vamp said, his voice shaking. “You don’t look so scary with that mask on. You look scared.”
Crouching, Adrian asked, “What’s your name?”
“Does it matter?”
“It does to me.”
The vamp lifted a shaking hand to push back a grimy lock of dark hair that had fallen over his brow. “Singe.”
“What is it you like to burn?” Adrian asked, recognizing the signs of withdrawal and knowing that the monikers vampires chose often had significance.
“Crystal dream.”
Looking at Siobhán, Adrian asked, “Any possibility the drug is connected? Perhaps it affords a level of immunity?”
“Anything is a possibility at this point.”
“Thank you for your help, Singe.” Adrian stood and faced Siobhán. “Take me to Malachai.”
They left the room and moved down the hall.
“I have a question for you,” Adrian said quietly.
“Yes, Captain?”
“Lindsay Gibson mentioned that her blood has a negative effect on some of the beings she’s hunted. Since she’s taken down both vampires and demons alike, I assume it’s the latter group that was susceptible.” He thought of the vampress he’d interrogated in Hurricane. He’d had Lindsay’s blood on his hands, but it didn’t spark a reaction of any kind, adverse or otherwise. “Can you explain why her blood would allow a blade to slice into a dragon’s impenetrable hide?”
She frowned. “Interesting. I’d have to think about it. I’d certainly love to test a sample.”
“Is it possible that having two souls inside her would be the cause?”
Siobhán slowed before a metal door with a window. “Yes, it’s possible. You know how powerful souls are. Two in one vessel likely creates a unique force we will probably never fully understand.”
Looking through the glass, Adrian saw Malachai kicking back on a cot with his phone in hand. Adrian knocked. Malachai looked up, his face breaking out in a smile when he recognized his visitor.
“I feel fine, Captain,” the Sentinel shouted.
“Good to hear.” Adrian was about to say more when a ferocious pounding came from down the hall. He looked over his shoulder. “What’s that?”
Siobhán frowned. “I don’t know. I don’t like it.”
A few more Sentinels appeared in the hallway as the violent thumping continued. They all looked to Adrian, who swiftly passed them en route to the source of the sound.
