Page 122 of Tell Me Why
“The attack,” Tina said, putting her head back against the headrest. “It spooked him.”
“Isabella called it in,” Tell said. “I… didn’t see it coming. She made a move and it nearly got you killed, but it shook Daryll hard enough to get him to make a mistake. He’s probably dead, now.”
“I bet he’s not,” Tina murmured, and he glanced at her.
“No?” he asked. “You think he’s that much of a cockroach?”
“I think she actually loves him,” Tina said, smiling. “I bet she opened a window and let him out into the night.”
Tell was silent for a moment.
“I wouldn’t be surprised, actually,” he said. “I couldn’t ever figure out how she was managing to manipulate himthatmasterfully, but… if the feelings between them are real… He’d forgive her. Keon would think that Daryll just figured it out from Isabella disappearing unexpectedly, but… You could be right.”
Tina closed her eyes. The rage of thirst, of gut-deephungerwas about to drive her insane. She was having trouble thinking about anything else, to the point that she thought she could hear the heartbeats of the humans living in the houses up and down Ginger’s little private street.
“I’m hungry,” Tina said.
“It’s a good sign,” Tell answered.
“I’ve never been so hungry,” she whispered. “You have to keep me off of Tony. Promise me.”
Tell was a bit stony for a moment, and she looked at him with effort.
“I want you to feed,” he said. “Even if you kill him, doing it.”
“He’s my friend,” Tina said. “I’d never forgive you if you let me hurt him.”
“I can live with that,” Tell said.
“Tell,” Tina warned.
“Your survival… has come to mean quite a lot to me,” Tell said. “I only say it because I’ve rejected doing it, but… you need to know that I find that I’m willing.”
“I don’tcarewhat you’re willing to do,” Tina said. “I will not trade his life for mine, even if that’s what it means. But itdoesn’t. Probably.”
“You don’t know that,” Tell said. “If not his, potentially someone’s. You may not find voluntary feeds.”
“After this,” Tina said, “if that’s still true, then I’ll try drinking fresh blood and… we’ll just see.”
He looked at her.
“I would rather put you in a room with a stranger and let you tear them apart than wait and see whether you’re going to be okay. Andthere, I do mean it.”
“Does Tony… know?” Tina asked.
“I warned him that you were deeply unwell,” Tell said. “He shouldn’t be completely off-guard at how you look. The bigger problem is how yousmell.”
“What?” Tina asked.
“You won’t be attractive to him anymore. More likely, you’ll be putting off dead-meat compounds that will make the idea of letting you touch him a skin-crawling concept. No matter how prepared he is for your appearance, his body is going to react involuntarily, just as it always has.”
Tina closed her eyes.
If she could have salivated, she would have.
Her body wasempty.
How had she notfeltit before now?
