Page 50 of Taste of Death

My expression didn’t change despite Thorne’s taunting. My dungeon downstairs was anything but a sexual kink. It was my biggest source of shame and mental torment.

“What do you want, Thorne?”

He continued taking his sweet time, settling comfortably on my couch while red smoke billowed around him like a blood aura.

“Did you enjoy the blood mate ceremony?” he asked in return. “It was awfully nice of Tavia’s friend to invite you, despite my explicitly forbidding you to see her.”

“Is that what this is about, then?” I straightened. “So punish me for disobeying. Just leave Amy alone.”

Thorne’s eyes narrowed. “I know that she invited you to the ceremony. That she has been coming here to see you. As far as obeying my order, you’ve actually been a good boy.” He flicked the end of his cigarette. “Are you fucking her?”

My lip curled, as did my fists. “No. And don’t talk about her so crassly.”

“Oh lighten up, for fuck’s sake.” He finished his cigarette and promptly stuck another one in his mouth. “So, what’s got her so interested in you? She like rich boys?”

“I don’t know,” I answered. “Maybe Blood ‘til Dawn hasn’t been the most welcoming family, so she’s seeking a friendly connection elsewhere.”

“Her best friend is part of our clan.”

“Her best friend who’s been planning the ceremony and spending all her time with her new mate? Yes, I’m sure Amy feels like a priority over there.”

“Is that what she is to you?” Thorne’s eyes sharpened. “A priority?”

I sighed, feeling exhausted with this pointless questioning. “She’s a friend. Someone I’ve come to care deeply about. When she comes here, I can’t bring myself to turn her away. Whatever she’s getting from me, it’s clearly not available at home. If that’s a crime according to Blood ‘til Dawn, fine. Punish me however you see fit. But don’t come down on her for seeking a friend.”

Thorne was quiet for a long while, pensively smoking. “What’s your stance on draitrium?”

It was an abrupt shift in topic, but I went along with it anyway. “Draitrium needs to be heavily regulated. It’s far too dangerous otherwise.”

“Regulated?” he barked. “Why, so the burnt-out husks of bodies don’t stack too high?”

“You know there are rare occasions when our kind may be exposed to sunlight, either accidentally or by circumstances that can’t be avoided. Small, regulated amounts of draitrium could prevent serious burns or even death. It could save someone’s life in the right circumstances, Thorne. You’d rather let them die than take a substance that protects them from sun exposure?”

“Our kind are not meant to live in the sunlight. That is an indisputable fact. It’s the one thing that Temkra and Rathka both agreed on.” Thorne leaned forward, his fangs bared. “This drug will wipe us out before it saves us. No matter how you try to rationalize its usefulness, you know I’m right.”

“You want drae eradicated for good, I take it.”

“Of course I do,” Thorne hissed.

“How?” I asked. “Seriously, how do you expect to do that without financially ruining Sanguine? It’s the basis of our alliance with the dragon shifters. They depend on our business to mine it. What happens to them if the demand dries up?”

“Like I give a fuck about the dragon shifters.” Thorne rolled his eyes. “I’m more concerned about the vampire families being torn apart by addiction.”

“The addictive qualities are concerning, yes,” I agreed. “Which is another reason for regulation. If the draitrium ore is further studied and tested, it can perhaps be bonded to other chemical compounds that will lessen the side effects while keeping the benefits.”

“Something you’d love to do, I’m sure. I hear you’re something of a scientist.”

I shrugged. “It is terrible that draitrium can only be bought through street dealers. Regulation would mean only certain amounts can be purchased, which would reduce the risk of abuse and overdose. If we had them available at medical facilities with licensed professionals handling the dosage?—”

“Like your ancestors did to mine?”

The accusation stopped me short. I was foolish not to have seen it coming. Thorne would never actually listen when it came to this topic, or any other probably. Not as long as this stain darkened our history. He was too emotionally close to the subject.

I brought my palms together, working to keep my voice level and calm. One of us had to be. Despite coolly smoking darakt, Thorne was anything but calm. I could feel the deep, seething hatred from across the table like a bonfire.

“My family was wrong to do that to yours,” I said. “I was young at the time, and didn’t learn of the deception until the aftermath. I truly thought it was an honest mistake. At the time, I didn’t believe my father could be so purposely malicious.”

Thorne laughed bitterly. “Not a single point of that plan wasn’t made with malicious intent. From the moment Rathka’s Order purchased ninety percent of the draitrium coming in, they planned to murder with it. Their own people, other vampires.”

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