believe in miracles. By the by, I couldn’t help but notice your preoccupation with Rafe’s injured arm. Do you intend to heal it?”
She nodded and replied with a confidence she didn’t feel. “I mean to try.”
The vampire’s eyes widened. “You cannot fathom what it would mean for you to succeed.”
“I always welcome a challenge.” Cassandra toyed with the food on her plate and attempted to keep her tone light, but Anthony’s severity resonated within her mind. For a man…vampire…like Rafe, what would regaining at least some use of his arm mean for him? Her heart thrummed. No, she could not fathom. However…she could imagine.
“Do you have any idea how you’ll go about it?” the vampire interrupted her thoughts.
Cassandra touched the smooth, unblemished skin on the side of her neck where Rafe had bitten her. “I do, but I am afraid I will need the assistance of another vampire.”
Anthony leaned forward, all the playfulness gone from his features. “I’m your man.”
This time, Cassandra couldn’t hold back an answering grin. “I had hoped you’d say that.”
True to his word, Anthony followed her up to the lab and complied with her requests and, most importantly, endured her syringe with no complaint.
With just as much aplomb, the vampire bowed. “I hope this will work, my lady.”
“I do as well,” Cassandra agreed emphatically. “I have reason to believe—” Her words broke off as she looked around the laboratory and noticed a change. Four gas lamps had been placed in the corners of the room. Lamps that could illuminate the chamber like daylight.
Her lips parted in awe. “Did Don Villar do this?”
Anthony nodded, a strange smile curving his lips. “He seemed to think you need more light for your work, but isn’t this a trifle excessive?”
Cassandra shook her head. Again, that strange warmth curled through her at Rafe’s thoughtfulness. “No, this is perfect! Please, light them all.”
Before Anthony could reply, she dashed past him down the stairs and out to the icehouse. Teeth chattering from the frigid air, she seized the chilled vials containing samples of her blood as well as Rafe’s. Her heart pounded with exhilaration at the prospect of a new discovery.
Once back in her laboratory, Cassandra prepared slides of hers and Rafe’s blood with utmost care. The gas lamps were so bright that they nearly made her eyes water. Sucking in a breath, she positioned the microscope close to one of the lamps, angling it for the best possible illumination. Willing her hands to cease shaking, she carefully positioned the specimen of her blood below the lens. Would the Van Leeuwenhoek truly be able to show her blood cells?
It did. Cassandra gasped at the tiny specimens. Not only was she able to see the red cells, but the often-doubted presence of white corpuscles was apparent. Quivering with excitement, she replaced the slide with one containing Rafe’s blood. Just as she’d suspected, there were obvious differences. His red blood cells appeared to be denser and were more oval in shape. Also, there were nearly twice as many white corpuscles than her sample contained.
Checking for consistency, she made a slide of Anthony’s blood. His specimen displayed the same anomalies as Rafe’s. There were also some oval-shaped cells in both vampires’ blood samples that differed from hers. Unfortunately, she couldn’t magnify the slides well enough for a sufficient view.
“Fascinating,” she said softly as she grabbed her notebook to make sketches and record her observations.
Anthony interrupted shortly afterward. “Thomas Wakley has arrived, my lady. He has brought a corpse.” His mouth twisted in disgust. “I’m going to have to heft the thing up here, aren’t I?”
“Most likely.”
Wakley grinned when she greeted him in the drawing room. “Lady Rosslyn, I have the perfect specimen. Male, aged twenty-eight, and he died only two days ago. Nice and
She nodded and replied with a confidence she didn’t feel. “I mean to try.”
The vampire’s eyes widened. “You cannot fathom what it would mean for you to succeed.”
“I always welcome a challenge.” Cassandra toyed with the food on her plate and attempted to keep her tone light, but Anthony’s severity resonated within her mind. For a man…vampire…like Rafe, what would regaining at least some use of his arm mean for him? Her heart thrummed. No, she could not fathom. However…she could imagine.
“Do you have any idea how you’ll go about it?” the vampire interrupted her thoughts.
Cassandra touched the smooth, unblemished skin on the side of her neck where Rafe had bitten her. “I do, but I am afraid I will need the assistance of another vampire.”
Anthony leaned forward, all the playfulness gone from his features. “I’m your man.”
This time, Cassandra couldn’t hold back an answering grin. “I had hoped you’d say that.”
True to his word, Anthony followed her up to the lab and complied with her requests and, most importantly, endured her syringe with no complaint.
With just as much aplomb, the vampire bowed. “I hope this will work, my lady.”
“I do as well,” Cassandra agreed emphatically. “I have reason to believe—” Her words broke off as she looked around the laboratory and noticed a change. Four gas lamps had been placed in the corners of the room. Lamps that could illuminate the chamber like daylight.
Her lips parted in awe. “Did Don Villar do this?”
Anthony nodded, a strange smile curving his lips. “He seemed to think you need more light for your work, but isn’t this a trifle excessive?”
Cassandra shook her head. Again, that strange warmth curled through her at Rafe’s thoughtfulness. “No, this is perfect! Please, light them all.”
Before Anthony could reply, she dashed past him down the stairs and out to the icehouse. Teeth chattering from the frigid air, she seized the chilled vials containing samples of her blood as well as Rafe’s. Her heart pounded with exhilaration at the prospect of a new discovery.
Once back in her laboratory, Cassandra prepared slides of hers and Rafe’s blood with utmost care. The gas lamps were so bright that they nearly made her eyes water. Sucking in a breath, she positioned the microscope close to one of the lamps, angling it for the best possible illumination. Willing her hands to cease shaking, she carefully positioned the specimen of her blood below the lens. Would the Van Leeuwenhoek truly be able to show her blood cells?
It did. Cassandra gasped at the tiny specimens. Not only was she able to see the red cells, but the often-doubted presence of white corpuscles was apparent. Quivering with excitement, she replaced the slide with one containing Rafe’s blood. Just as she’d suspected, there were obvious differences. His red blood cells appeared to be denser and were more oval in shape. Also, there were nearly twice as many white corpuscles than her sample contained.
Checking for consistency, she made a slide of Anthony’s blood. His specimen displayed the same anomalies as Rafe’s. There were also some oval-shaped cells in both vampires’ blood samples that differed from hers. Unfortunately, she couldn’t magnify the slides well enough for a sufficient view.
“Fascinating,” she said softly as she grabbed her notebook to make sketches and record her observations.
Anthony interrupted shortly afterward. “Thomas Wakley has arrived, my lady. He has brought a corpse.” His mouth twisted in disgust. “I’m going to have to heft the thing up here, aren’t I?”
“Most likely.”
Wakley grinned when she greeted him in the drawing room. “Lady Rosslyn, I have the perfect specimen. Male, aged twenty-eight, and he died only two days ago. Nice and
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