brown eyes matched mine.
He spied me in the corner, a tight snarl to his lips. “Hello, Paul.”
I winced. His voice reeked of hatred and anger. Nothing had changed, yet everything had changed. My whisper carried through the silence to my brother. “Hello, James.” I shot a glance at Dominic. “You know I’m going to kill you for this, right?”
Dominic laughed and clapped his hands. “Dear Paully. You and I both know you’re not going to do anything of the sort.” He stood on tiptoe and wrapped his arm around James’s shoulders, filling me with rage that burned my sensitive nerves. The bastard smiled, recognizing the tightness in my fists and the thrusting of my chin. He even motioned to Heather. “Give me the girl. The sooner I get started, the sooner we get a cure for your brother… and you.”
Oh, James. I couldn’t breathe. The air had been sucked from my body by an evil man who didn’t understand loyalty or love. He was the devil incarnate and I stood between him and his goal.
Heather had the cure in her blood. She had to. Why else would she be immune? She gripped my shirt, the heat of her hands matched the burning under my skin. She needed me.
But James needed me, too. He didn’t know it, and judging by the hard slant of his lips, he remembered our fight, the things I’d said. Making things up to him would take a lot.
I looked at Dominic, pulling Heather toward the other corner, closer to the front door. “Did you bite him?”
Mrs. McCain squeaked. She stood in the center of the room, looking at us all as if seeing us for the first time.
Dominic ignored her. He folded his fingers together and hung his hands in front of his pants zipper. A tilt of his head and he said with a smile, “Of course. I had to use my last syringe on myself at the compound which means I bite and I spread it.” His grin darkened. “Now, you’re going to help me return to a human state or your brother will be where Tom was but under the animal building.”
So it had been the original holding tank for my kind. James didn’t know what Dominic referred to. His eyes hadn’t dropped from my face. Another boy about sixteen or seventeen moved to stand behind Dominic, and then two more.
Dominic held out his hands. “I will get what I want, Paul. It’s not if , it’s when . If you help me do it sooner rather than later, I’ll do my best to help the girl avoid pain.” He chuckled, and fiddled with the cuffs of his coat. His gang copied him, guffawing without understanding the joke.
“ Don’t you want her parents?” I pointed toward the frozen woman and the small man hiding behind her on the couch. Wouldn’t they be as helpful? I didn’t want Dominic to have any humans, but at that point, it was better them than her.
He inspected his nails. He seemed unable to hold still without fidgeting. “Nah. They aren’t even her real parents. They adopted her or something. I want her real parents, but I’m not sure where I would find them.” He shrugged. “I’ll take her. She has enough blood and DNA for my research.” Dominic waved his hand through the air, frustration laced his rising volume. “Look, she’s a girl. She’s not worth it. Don’t fight me on this, Paul, and you can lead the group again.”
James turned his attention to Dominic. He stepped to the side, from under Dominic’s arm. He tilted his head. “But I thought you said…”
Dominic cut him off. “I know what I said, but Paul has more experience than you. Don’t worry. He’s a few weeks ahead of you. You’ll have glory whether it’s now or later. Not a big deal, James.” He patted James’s arm. He turned to me. His eyes hardened. “Now. I want her. Now .”
Heather didn’t speak, or move. I worried about her breathing, she was so still. She was adopted. I couldn’t imagine what she was going through having just discovered the truth and from such a cold delivery. But it explained the differences between her and the people standing
He spied me in the corner, a tight snarl to his lips. “Hello, Paul.”
I winced. His voice reeked of hatred and anger. Nothing had changed, yet everything had changed. My whisper carried through the silence to my brother. “Hello, James.” I shot a glance at Dominic. “You know I’m going to kill you for this, right?”
Dominic laughed and clapped his hands. “Dear Paully. You and I both know you’re not going to do anything of the sort.” He stood on tiptoe and wrapped his arm around James’s shoulders, filling me with rage that burned my sensitive nerves. The bastard smiled, recognizing the tightness in my fists and the thrusting of my chin. He even motioned to Heather. “Give me the girl. The sooner I get started, the sooner we get a cure for your brother… and you.”
Oh, James. I couldn’t breathe. The air had been sucked from my body by an evil man who didn’t understand loyalty or love. He was the devil incarnate and I stood between him and his goal.
Heather had the cure in her blood. She had to. Why else would she be immune? She gripped my shirt, the heat of her hands matched the burning under my skin. She needed me.
But James needed me, too. He didn’t know it, and judging by the hard slant of his lips, he remembered our fight, the things I’d said. Making things up to him would take a lot.
I looked at Dominic, pulling Heather toward the other corner, closer to the front door. “Did you bite him?”
Mrs. McCain squeaked. She stood in the center of the room, looking at us all as if seeing us for the first time.
Dominic ignored her. He folded his fingers together and hung his hands in front of his pants zipper. A tilt of his head and he said with a smile, “Of course. I had to use my last syringe on myself at the compound which means I bite and I spread it.” His grin darkened. “Now, you’re going to help me return to a human state or your brother will be where Tom was but under the animal building.”
So it had been the original holding tank for my kind. James didn’t know what Dominic referred to. His eyes hadn’t dropped from my face. Another boy about sixteen or seventeen moved to stand behind Dominic, and then two more.
Dominic held out his hands. “I will get what I want, Paul. It’s not if , it’s when . If you help me do it sooner rather than later, I’ll do my best to help the girl avoid pain.” He chuckled, and fiddled with the cuffs of his coat. His gang copied him, guffawing without understanding the joke.
“ Don’t you want her parents?” I pointed toward the frozen woman and the small man hiding behind her on the couch. Wouldn’t they be as helpful? I didn’t want Dominic to have any humans, but at that point, it was better them than her.
He inspected his nails. He seemed unable to hold still without fidgeting. “Nah. They aren’t even her real parents. They adopted her or something. I want her real parents, but I’m not sure where I would find them.” He shrugged. “I’ll take her. She has enough blood and DNA for my research.” Dominic waved his hand through the air, frustration laced his rising volume. “Look, she’s a girl. She’s not worth it. Don’t fight me on this, Paul, and you can lead the group again.”
James turned his attention to Dominic. He stepped to the side, from under Dominic’s arm. He tilted his head. “But I thought you said…”
Dominic cut him off. “I know what I said, but Paul has more experience than you. Don’t worry. He’s a few weeks ahead of you. You’ll have glory whether it’s now or later. Not a big deal, James.” He patted James’s arm. He turned to me. His eyes hardened. “Now. I want her. Now .”
Heather didn’t speak, or move. I worried about her breathing, she was so still. She was adopted. I couldn’t imagine what she was going through having just discovered the truth and from such a cold delivery. But it explained the differences between her and the people standing
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