Page 9 of Caution

“Or… are you just bothered that they have to be your only considerations?”

There was a moment of quiet before Cassius answered. “And her looks actually aren't a consideration. If anything… they’re a perk.”

“Indeed. Fate has smiled on you, little brother.”

“Oh, is that what this is?”Cassius asked.

“It's a better way of looking at it than any other.”

“True enough. But the bottom line is, I understand my duty, second-born son, blah blah blah.”

“Correct. She has first blood, which we cannot allow to be spilled carelessly. We have a standard to maintain.”

She?

She who?

She as in me?!

“And you said her humanity is currently overshadowing her vampire nature?”Elias asked.

“As far as I can tell.”

“You need to have your eyes open for when it happens,”Elias warned.“And in the meantime, what would happen if you tried to turn her?”

“Who knows? The lore is minimal about it.”

“Well… a vampire is already a vampire, so there's no turning to be done there. We know plenty about what happens when a vampire bites another, it just hurts like a bitch. And we know the lore about turning humans. We can make it painless.”

“But is she human, is the question.”

Okay they couldn’t be talking about me, because I was definitely human.

“We can't be certain about what nature has decided.”

“Which is more than enough reason for us to be on the leading edge. Our family always has been, why should that change now?”

“Because we can’t be certain. What’s the worst case scenario?”

“She dies.”

“Then we bring her back, with the benefit of a controlled environment. If we let her loose and the commoners get ahold of her…”

“We can’t have that.”

“So what’s the conclusion?”

“I think, given the circumstances, turning her might be the only way to protect her.”

“Agreed. I’ll go grab her.”

Her as inme?

I don't fucking think so.

I couldn't be entirely sure of what I’d just heard, but I knew I wanted no parts of whatever this shit was. I turned from the door, ready to sprint down the stairs a few feet away.

Except… I made the mistake of blinking.