curtain dragging along the rod, Harper’s eyes popped open.
Danik was staring at her breasts. “I knew it!”
Harper swung at him. “Get out of here!”
Danik caught her by the forearms and focused on her left breast. “The bite is fresh. Why are you lying to me?”
Harper glared at him. “Let go of me.”
He released her and turned off the shower. “Talk to me.”
Harper grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her torso, hiding the bites. She raked her fingers through her wet hair. “I’m okay.”
“It’s the old one, the one the TV people were so excited about, isn’t it?”
Harper nodded.
“Don’t be fooled by his looks. The old ones are the worst. They seduce you and draw you in. It’s how they’ve survived for so long.”
“I’m okay.”
Danik grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her out of the shower. “Look in the mirror and tell me you’re okay.”
Her skin was pale and her lips bloodless. Had Egan taken more than a sip?
“This has to stop or you’ll end up like Mia.”
Danik had lost his older sister to a vampire. Unlike Harper who had joined the DSA for the money, Danik wanted to wipe out the vampires. He raged at the government officials for being soft. While the DSA appreciated his zeal, Danik was too radical to put in the streets.
“Mia fell in love, but all the old one wanted was her blood. He only took a little at first. At the end she was feeding him on a regular basis.” Danik’s eyes dampened with tears. He scrubbed his face with his hand. “She swore me to secrecy, and I helped her hide the truth.”
Was that all Egan wanted? Was she merely a source of food and pleasure?
No, Egan loved her. And she loved him, more than she loved anyone.
“I still have nightmares,” Danik said. “You’d think after all these years I could forget how Mia died.”
Danik had told Harper the story. Mia had come home one night in a zombie-like trance. She shut herself up in the closet and fell into a deep sleep. Danik couldn’t awaken her. Panicked, he told his father what had been going on. Danik’s father had prayed, then he’d carried Mia outside and exposed her to the sun. Just a boy at the time, Danik had witnessed his sister’s agonizing death.
Danik pulled Harper into his arms and hugged her. “You’re my friend. I can’t bear the thought of losing you.”
“You’re not going to lose me.”
He took her by the arm and propelled her into the living room. He yanked open the curtain, flooding the room with sunlight.
Harper threw her arm over her eyes. “Are you trying to blind me?”
“I’m trying to save you. Save your soul. I won’t let you become one of them.”
Harper realized Danik was testing her, and he’d do to her what his father had done to Mia. Danik believed fried was better than fanged.
“Does the sunlight burn?”
Her skin was fiery and tingling, a sure sign of vampire infection. She stood in the bright sunlight. “No.”
Finally, Danik let the drape fall, blocking the sunlight.
“I’m okay. I just need to let these wounds heal.”
“You’d better hope they’re healed before your evaluation,” Danik said. “Or you’ll be sent to the infection center.”
Fear shot down Harper’s spine. “I can’t go there.”
“Then we can’t let that bloodsucker get to you again. I’m going to stick to you like glue.”
Harper panicked at the thought. If Danik stuck around, she wouldn’t be able to sneak away and see Egan. “I’m going to get out of town and visit my dad,” she said, lying without feeling a smidgen of guilt. “The vampire won’t be able to get near me.”
Her father and his new family lived a few hours’ bus ride south of Blight. If Danik believed she was leaving the city, he’d back off.
“Good, you’ll be safe there. When are you leaving?”
“Tonight. I’ll have to check the time for the southbound bus.”
“I’ll walk you to the bus station. Make sure you get on safely.”
If she tried to discourage
Danik was staring at her breasts. “I knew it!”
Harper swung at him. “Get out of here!”
Danik caught her by the forearms and focused on her left breast. “The bite is fresh. Why are you lying to me?”
Harper glared at him. “Let go of me.”
He released her and turned off the shower. “Talk to me.”
Harper grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her torso, hiding the bites. She raked her fingers through her wet hair. “I’m okay.”
“It’s the old one, the one the TV people were so excited about, isn’t it?”
Harper nodded.
“Don’t be fooled by his looks. The old ones are the worst. They seduce you and draw you in. It’s how they’ve survived for so long.”
“I’m okay.”
Danik grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her out of the shower. “Look in the mirror and tell me you’re okay.”
Her skin was pale and her lips bloodless. Had Egan taken more than a sip?
“This has to stop or you’ll end up like Mia.”
Danik had lost his older sister to a vampire. Unlike Harper who had joined the DSA for the money, Danik wanted to wipe out the vampires. He raged at the government officials for being soft. While the DSA appreciated his zeal, Danik was too radical to put in the streets.
“Mia fell in love, but all the old one wanted was her blood. He only took a little at first. At the end she was feeding him on a regular basis.” Danik’s eyes dampened with tears. He scrubbed his face with his hand. “She swore me to secrecy, and I helped her hide the truth.”
Was that all Egan wanted? Was she merely a source of food and pleasure?
No, Egan loved her. And she loved him, more than she loved anyone.
“I still have nightmares,” Danik said. “You’d think after all these years I could forget how Mia died.”
Danik had told Harper the story. Mia had come home one night in a zombie-like trance. She shut herself up in the closet and fell into a deep sleep. Danik couldn’t awaken her. Panicked, he told his father what had been going on. Danik’s father had prayed, then he’d carried Mia outside and exposed her to the sun. Just a boy at the time, Danik had witnessed his sister’s agonizing death.
Danik pulled Harper into his arms and hugged her. “You’re my friend. I can’t bear the thought of losing you.”
“You’re not going to lose me.”
He took her by the arm and propelled her into the living room. He yanked open the curtain, flooding the room with sunlight.
Harper threw her arm over her eyes. “Are you trying to blind me?”
“I’m trying to save you. Save your soul. I won’t let you become one of them.”
Harper realized Danik was testing her, and he’d do to her what his father had done to Mia. Danik believed fried was better than fanged.
“Does the sunlight burn?”
Her skin was fiery and tingling, a sure sign of vampire infection. She stood in the bright sunlight. “No.”
Finally, Danik let the drape fall, blocking the sunlight.
“I’m okay. I just need to let these wounds heal.”
“You’d better hope they’re healed before your evaluation,” Danik said. “Or you’ll be sent to the infection center.”
Fear shot down Harper’s spine. “I can’t go there.”
“Then we can’t let that bloodsucker get to you again. I’m going to stick to you like glue.”
Harper panicked at the thought. If Danik stuck around, she wouldn’t be able to sneak away and see Egan. “I’m going to get out of town and visit my dad,” she said, lying without feeling a smidgen of guilt. “The vampire won’t be able to get near me.”
Her father and his new family lived a few hours’ bus ride south of Blight. If Danik believed she was leaving the city, he’d back off.
“Good, you’ll be safe there. When are you leaving?”
“Tonight. I’ll have to check the time for the southbound bus.”
“I’ll walk you to the bus station. Make sure you get on safely.”
If she tried to discourage
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