Page 71 of Discovery of the Vampire
"So…" I could see her struggling to understand. "Without me, without my blood, you'll die."
"Yes."
"That's not really a choice," she said softly as a wave of pity crossed her face.
That look right there was exactly why I hadn't told her until now. "Don't look at me like that," I told her. "I've lived a long life, and if you don't kill me, something else probably will soon enough. Youhavea choice," I emphasized. "But there's more."
She was looking down at the floor, but at that, her eyes whipped back up to mine. "More?"
"Yeah, there's more. But I kind of don't want to tell you," I confessed.
"Why not?"
"Because then I'll never know if you're with me because you want to be, or just because of what it can do for you." I smiled as I said it, but she didn't return it.
"And you don't think that the guilt I'd bear if I let you die would do that all on its own? Because I'm telling you right now, I could never walk away from you now that I know what will happen."
“You don't have to give up your life for me. I would never make you do that."
"You're right. I don't. But…" She paused. "In case you haven't figured it out on your own after tonight, Iwantto be with you. I do."
The roaring in my ears was so loud, I had no idea if she said anything afterI want to be with you. "I'm sorry, what?" I asked.
"I want to be with you," she repeated. "But…" She pulled away from me. Not physically. But I felt it, nonetheless.
"Es?"
She took a breath and met my eyes. "If I'm with you, he'll kill you." She looked around the room. "As a matter of fact, I shouldn't be here at all."
"You're not leaving," I told her in a tone that brooked no argument. I pointed toward the window. "You're not going out there by yourself."
She gave me a sad smile. "You do have a death wish, then."
Unable to stand the distance between us anymore, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close, desperate to feel the connection we’d shared an hour ago.
"There's more you need to know,” I repeated. I took a deep breath, needing her to understand everything before she made any decisions. "My blood will change you, Esme."
She didn't pull away, speaking into my shirt instead. "Change me how?"
"Vampire blood has regenerative properties. It slows human aging to almost nothing." I waited for her to look up at me, and then I brushed my thumb across her cheek, unable to keep from touching her soft skin. "Which means that as long as you’re with me, and if you continue to drink from me, you'll live as long as I do. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Dios mío," she murmured, a flash of panic crossing her features. "Am I going to turn into a creature like you now?"
"No," I was quick to reassure her. "No, that's a different process. You'll stay human, but you'll stop aging."
Those little lines showed up between her brows. "What do you mean?"
"I mean you'll be as immortal as I am."
At first she said nothing at all, just stared up at me like she was wondering if she was really awake. Then finally, she said, "Oh."
"My blood also keeps you healthy. And it heals injuries. If you're hurt, you'll heal much faster than normal."
She put her head back on my chest. "Well, that's not a bad thing."
"No," I agreed. "But don't think you can go running around picking fights with djinns because of it."
"I wish that could be an easy promise to keep," she said softly. Then she got quiet. Too quiet.
