Page 53 of Land of Shadow

“Not just you.” His voice sounds like he’s in bed with me, his breath at my ear. “You, your sister, everyone in the lab, everyone you’ve ever cared about.”

Cold fear trickles through my blood, crashing into the memory of Candice’s terrified face. It mixes, forms into something combustible. And then I’m out of the bed, my hands flying, nails scratching. I hit and gouge at Valen, slapping him so hard the palm of my hand burns. He doesn’t move, doesn’t even flinch.

“You killed her! You’re a fucking monster!” I scream and use every bit of my waning energy to pound on his chest, slamming my fists into him until my knees go wobbly and I start to sink to the floor.

He grabs me then, wrapping his arms around me and crushing me against his chest.

“Let me go!” I fight but get nowhere. “Bastard! I fucking hate you! I’ll kill you!”

He holds on, his grip steady and almost terrifying in its strength.

“I hate you!”

“I know.” His deep voice vibrates against my ear, soft as a whisper, deadly as a blade. “But if the choice is letting her die or letting Gregor tear you apart for even thinking about interfering, I’ll let her die a thousand times over. I’d kill her myself before I’d ever let him touch you.”

“I don’t believe you!” I scream. “She didn’t have to die. You could’ve saved her. I—” My voice breaks on a sob, the tears so heavy they wash away my words. I cry so hard it hurts, my ribs aching, my head pounding. Everything drains out of me while I’m trapped in his arms—my fight, my rage. Only despair remains. Only him.

After what feels like an eternity of me falling apart, he lays me on the bed. “You must let it go.”

I don’t look at him. I can’t. And I willneverlet Candice go. “You’re only protecting me so I can find the cure. Gregor is using me. You—youvampiresare using me.” There’s no other word for what these creatures are. Candice was right, they are demons, just not the biblical sort. “Why? So your food source is secure?”

He watches me in silence. Unmoving. Unmoved.

“You haven’t eaten.” He says it brusquely and leaves the room.

I close my puffy eyes, my nose running, my throat aching and raw. I don’t want tofeelanymore. I can’t bear it. Not when I can still see the fear in Candice’s eyes.Georgia. A wail rips from me, muffled only by the pillow as I bury my face into it.

Time goes by, though I don’t know how much. I hear voices in the hall, but I don’t get up to investigate. I don’t care. I don’t fucking care.

“Doc?” Gene’s voice.

I turn my head so I can see him silhouetted against the hallway light. “Gene.” My voice is a croak.

“I’ve brought you some things to eat. Your friend Mr. Dragonis told me you’ve been feeling poorly. Not the plague, of course,” he adds quickly. “Just a regular cold or whatnot.”

I don’t know how to respond to that, so I don’t.

He moves closer, a tray in his hands. “A little bit of soup. It’s minestrone, and it’s short on the pasta, but it’s not too bad.” He sits it on the nightstand. “I may have added a few ingredients to it that aren’t the usual, too, but everything could use a little spicing up, don’t you think?”

I look up at him, my eyes swollen, my vision blurry. He’s in danger. Everyone is. And not just the people in this building or even in DC.Everyone.

We aren’t just dealing with a plague.

No matter how many times my mind rebels against what I saw, what I experienced—I can’t deny it. Vampires are real. They’re fucking real, and they’re using my sister, me, hell—the entire United States government—to create a cure for the plague. But not to save humanity. Tocontrolit. The blood resorts—my insides twist at the thought of them, at their true purpose. Humans are nothing more than a link in the vampire food chain.

But how can I tell him that? I can’t. It would only put him in more danger. And would he believe me? How could he? I know what I saw, but I have more questions than answers. How many of them are there? What do they intend to do once I’ve found the cure?

Gene shuffles his feet, his kind gaze searching mine.

“Thank you,” I force out.

He nods. “All right. I’ll get back down to my room. You know where I stay, so come get me or send that friend of yours if you need anything.”

He’s not my friend. I don’t bother saying it.

Gene leaves, the room settling back into quiet nothingness. I close my eyes again and try not to see Candice. But she’s there in the dark, in the space between waking and dreaming. I’m afraid she’ll always be there.Georgia.

“You have to eat.”

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