Page 16 of King

“With ‘Golden Blood,’ nothing is impossible,” Daniel murmured, his swirling, ancient eyes fixed on Amara as if he could peel away her secrets with a glance.

“Golden Blood?” Sloan’s eyes narrowed, his confusion evident.

Slade took a slow breath as if his mind was shifting into full medical mode. “Rh-null blood is one of the rarest blood types in the world. It lacks all 61 antigens in the Rh system—one of the most complex blood groups. It was first identified in 1961. Fewer than fifty people have been reported to possess it worldwide.”

“Here he goes with the doc talk shit,” Jared mumbled, but Sloan glared at him so he shut up before Sloan could tell him to shut the fuck up.

Slade swept the room with his gaze, noting the weight of their attention. “Rh-null blood can be transfused to anyone with rare Rh blood types, but Rh-null individuals can only receive blood from other Rh-null donors. That makes finding compatible blood nearly impossible. Because of this, it’s often referred to as‘Golden Blood.’Its scarcity and importance in life-threatening situations make it invaluable to medical science.”

King’s eyes flicked to Amara, watching her closely. She listened with quiet understanding, her expression tightening as if each fact weighed her down further.

Slade continued, his sharp eyes never leaving her. “Blood banks specializing in rare blood types value Rh-null more than gold. People with this blood type are constantly sought out for donations to maintain even a minimal supply.”

Jared snorted, breaking the charged silence with a scoff. “I’m not a stupid man.” He raised his hands in exasperation. “But what the fuck does any of this have to do with Joey?”

Sloan sighed, rubbing his temple as if Jared had given him a headache. But even he looked to Slade for an answer.

Before Slade could speak, Daniel’s calm voice sliced through the tension. “That’s the medical explanation. Let me tell you what it means on our side of things.”

Just as Daniel began, Duncan walked in, his presence commanding immediate attention. He paused, his sharp gaze sweeping over the gathered group before it landed on his son.

“Hey, Dad,” Daniel greeted casually.

Duncan’s lips twitched into a faint smile as he folded his arms across his chest. “You think you could’ve told your mother you were coming?”

King watched the brief interaction with interest. Amara, too, observed the reunion with a wistful expression. Her eyes reflected a deep sadness and a longing that King suddenly wanted to fill. Frowning, King looked away from her and back to Daniel. Now wasn’t the time to digest his sudden feelings for this woman. What the actual fuck was happening to him?

Jared broke the moment with a wave of his hand. “Alright, enough small talk. Can we get to the part that makes sense to the rest of us?” He pointed at Daniel. “Explain it like I’m five.”

Daniel chuckled, shaking his head. His swirling gaze fixed on Jared before drifting to Amara. “Golden Blood is unique. It carries properties that can enhance or mutate someone’s abilities under the right or wrong circumstances. Think of it likea genetic key that unlocks doors most of us don’t even know exist. Someone with Joey or Amara’s blood could potentially stabilize the kind of hybrid transformations we’ve seen kill people such as half-breeds, which means, once again, in the wrong hands, someone could start an army of healthy half-breeds. It could give full-blood vampires unstoppable power, not to mention not needing blood to feed. But that isn’t something I’m positive about. Just because Amara hasn’t needed blood doesn’t mean a full-blood vampire who feeds from her once would be cured of needing blood to survive.”

King clenched his jaw as he looked over to see how Amara was handling all of this. Her fearful expression said everything he needed to know. He wasn’t handling it very well at all. Just the thought of someone feeding from her had him wanting to kill something.

“But that isn’t what concerns me,” Daniel said, cranking his neck back and forth.

“Of course, it’s not.” Jared sighed, shaking his head. “Okay, Daniel, lay it on us. Freak us the fuck out and tell us what we are really in for.”

“There is talk in the Realm.” Daniel looked toward Jake, who cursed long and loudly. “That Golden Blood would allow every demon to walk the earth.”

“Witches are already bringing demons out of the Realm; what’s the difference?” King said, looking at Jake and then back to Daniel. He was learning about the Demon Realm, but he hadn’t been there yet and wasn’t looking forward to going if he was being honest.

“Dead Walkers, Orthons, and Hamatulas, just to name a few, have never walked on earth. That’s the difference. Not even a witch can accomplish bringing those monsters to the surface, but ‘Golden Blood’ might.” Daniel looked at King, and then his swirling eyes went straight to Amara.

“Why now?” Sloan asked, his golden eyes narrowed.

Daniel’s expression turned grim as he shrugged slightly, his voice calm but cutting. “Demons, for all their power, aren’t exactly known for their brilliance,” he said, his tone matter of fact. “This isn’t their idea. Whoever is pulling the strings is someone or something far more dangerous. And this could have been in the works for a while. When you are dealing with psychopaths, as you well know, they are always finding new ways they think will work. This is one of them.”

King’s fists clenched as a low growl formed in his chest. “Then who the hellisbehind this?” he demanded, his eyes dark with fury.

Daniel sighed, his gaze distant as if piecing together threads of a vast and shadowy web. “That part,” he admitted, “I don’t know...yet. But this much is certain. Joey and Amara are walking targets. Vampires, humans, demons—they’ll all be coming for anyone with Rh-null blood. The rarest blood in existence is suddenly worth more than gold. It’s the key to Realms...breaking every natural law that holds our world together.”

King frowned when Amara stood with a gasp. He was ready to defend her, but she was staring at Daniel wide-eyed. “What is it?”

“Her dream,” Daniel answered for her.

“That’s why you’re familiar.” Amara gasped again, her trembling hand going to her mouth. “You were in my dream.”

“I had a vision of your dream, Amara, which is why I’m here,” Daniel said as he approached her, reached out, and took her hand. “You can’t battle this on your own. Trust us.”

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