Page 67 of Land of Shadow

“That’s … gross.”

“As you like it,” he says airily.

“Why did you stop me?” Maybe this is a chance to get some information from him. “What would’ve happened?”

His face goes stern. “You can’t mix your blood with the samples I give you. It’s not safe.”

“Why not?”

He simply stares back at me with that cold expression.

“If you won’t tell me, I’ll just try again.” I shrug.

“You willnot.” His tone is sharp.

“You can’t be here all the time,” I taunt. “Don’t you have to report back to Gregor?”

“Doctor.” The word is a growl. “You must listen to me.”

“I’m listening. So tell. Me. Why,” I say pointedly. Then I have a thought. “Is it because of the different bloodlines?”

His eyes narrow.

“It is!” I crow. “There are three, aren’t there? Dragonis—Hey!” I scream when he lifts me off my feet and takes my arm, pulling me down the hall. “What the hell? Let go!” I struggle to get out of his grasp, but he holds tight, my efforts not even making him break stride.

He passes the elevator, then shoves through the door to the stairs.

“Valen, let go!” I yell as he tosses me over his shoulder and descends the stairs, then pushes through a door and enters another set of rooms. “Put me down!”

He drops me into an armchair and leans over me, hemming me in. “Don’t ever say those things. Not in your apartment, not anywhere in this building. Do you understand?”

“What? Why?”

His voice is low. “If Gregor finds out that you have this information, he will kill you all. Fuck!” He gnashes his teeth, the fangs lengthening. “It was the captain, wasn’t it?” The chair groans as he crushes the fabric and wood in his grip. “He put you in danger.”

“He was trying to help me. He told me?—”

“He was trying to helphimself!” he snarls and turns his head, as if he can see the object of his ire through these walls and whatever miles are between them.

I realize I’ve never seen murder in another person’s eyes. I see it now, and it’s a look I won’t forget.

“What’s the harm in me knowing?” I say far more meekly than I intend.

He snaps his attention back to me. “The more you know about my kind, the more of a danger you are to Gregor. He doesn’t allow threats to live.”

“I don’t understand.” I’ve been studying his kind for weeks, months now.

He eases up on the chair, but he doesn’t move away. He’s still close, so close I can smell his sandalwood and soap scent with the slightest hint of smoke, feel his breath against my cheek. “I have to get you back. They’ll know you’re gone.” He stands and runs both hands through his hair. “A mistake.”

“Tell me why I can’t use the blood.”

He stands silently for a while, considering me. Then, slowly, he says. “There are three bloodlines—Dragonis, Corvidion, and Tantun. All three great vampire houses. The blood in that vial was Tantun. If you’d mixed it with your own, you would’ve lost your arm, maybe even died.”

“No, that’s not possible.” I stand and cradle my aching arm. “I checked the sample. There was nothing in it that could harm me.”

“You checked it with your science, yes?” he scoffs.

“Well, yeah. What do you mean?”

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