it is there nonetheless. And Justin will go to Molotov now. He will help to lead us there.”
“We don’t want to go to Molotov!” Kalina cried. “We want to get as far away from that crazy…bastard as we can.”
“Then how do you expect to break Molotov’s hold over your brother?” snapped Max. “Nothing is impossible in the world of the vampire, Kalina. Not even that. But without Molotov, we cannot break the bond. If we slay Molotov, Justin will still be a vampire, but at least he will be a vampire in control of himself. He will drink vampire wine. Stuart and I will work with him. Right now he is a danger, to himself as well as to you. And to save him, we must go into danger ourselves.”
Chapter 13
M ax’s expression softened. She went over to Kalina, wrapping her spindly arms around Kalina’s slender dark shoulders. “Listen, my girl,” she said. “Don’t panic. Justin isn’t dead – if anything, he has a whole eternity in which to be saved. We can’t turn him back – neither one of us can love him in the way that love needs to operate to turn him – but we may be able to find another Carrier who can. Or even if he is a vampire, all is not lost. Look at Jaegar and Octavius – they were able to find happy enough lives as vampires.”
Kalina looked up mournfully. She knew that, for all their pretended strength, neither Jaegar nor Octavius was really happy as a vampire. Max stroked Kalina’s hair. “Listen, I’ll be able to track Justin now. If he still has my Life’s Blood in me, it makes him special. It means he’ll have a better time tracking down the Carriers Mal hid – and I don’t doubt Molotov is aware of the fact. He’s probably using Justin right now to trace the Carriers. If we follow Justin’s trail, we may be able to find both him and the Carriers.”
“You saved his life,” Kalina was still trying to process everything, to put everything together. “You did that for him!”
“He is family,” said Max. “Your family – and so he is my family. He has my blood in him – I could not forget that. I have hope for him. These are confusing times for Carriers, Kalina. We do not know what the blood will do, what powers it will bring forth. Your blood is special; the blood of the younger Carriers may prove to be more special still. How can we give up hope when this blood may help us win the fight we have been waging for centuries?”
“You said the love would only work if it were…you, know. Romantic.”
“I believe so,” said Max. “After all, the links between blood and sex are strong with vampires – the one and the other cannot be separated. Your love for your brother may not be able to turn him.” She smiled. “But there are more Carriers in the world than you and I, Kalina. And your brother is a good man. He will find somebody one of these days, I have confidence of that.”
Octavius interrupted them, clearing his throat as he put on his leather jacket, arranging his stakes in a belt around his waist. “Kalina,” he said softly. “I must go now. I believe I have a plan…”
“You’re not going after Justin, are you?” Kalina’s eyes widened in fear. “Octavius, please say you’re not. Max thinks he could turn back – her Life’s Blood in him might be able to help him stay strong.”
“I’ll see you again, Kalina,” Octavius said, evading the question. “I promise you that.”
She wrapped her arms around him. “But where are you going?” She asked.
“When I was the leader of the Consortium my duties were to find more Carriers. To match them to worthy vampires. To help arrange love-matches – love I could not participate in myself. I know how to sense out these things. I will go to Africa, to Australia, to continents we have not yet been to; I will seek out a Carrier who is willing to meet with your brother, perhaps to fall in love with him.”
Kalina was speechless. She
“We don’t want to go to Molotov!” Kalina cried. “We want to get as far away from that crazy…bastard as we can.”
“Then how do you expect to break Molotov’s hold over your brother?” snapped Max. “Nothing is impossible in the world of the vampire, Kalina. Not even that. But without Molotov, we cannot break the bond. If we slay Molotov, Justin will still be a vampire, but at least he will be a vampire in control of himself. He will drink vampire wine. Stuart and I will work with him. Right now he is a danger, to himself as well as to you. And to save him, we must go into danger ourselves.”
Chapter 13
M ax’s expression softened. She went over to Kalina, wrapping her spindly arms around Kalina’s slender dark shoulders. “Listen, my girl,” she said. “Don’t panic. Justin isn’t dead – if anything, he has a whole eternity in which to be saved. We can’t turn him back – neither one of us can love him in the way that love needs to operate to turn him – but we may be able to find another Carrier who can. Or even if he is a vampire, all is not lost. Look at Jaegar and Octavius – they were able to find happy enough lives as vampires.”
Kalina looked up mournfully. She knew that, for all their pretended strength, neither Jaegar nor Octavius was really happy as a vampire. Max stroked Kalina’s hair. “Listen, I’ll be able to track Justin now. If he still has my Life’s Blood in me, it makes him special. It means he’ll have a better time tracking down the Carriers Mal hid – and I don’t doubt Molotov is aware of the fact. He’s probably using Justin right now to trace the Carriers. If we follow Justin’s trail, we may be able to find both him and the Carriers.”
“You saved his life,” Kalina was still trying to process everything, to put everything together. “You did that for him!”
“He is family,” said Max. “Your family – and so he is my family. He has my blood in him – I could not forget that. I have hope for him. These are confusing times for Carriers, Kalina. We do not know what the blood will do, what powers it will bring forth. Your blood is special; the blood of the younger Carriers may prove to be more special still. How can we give up hope when this blood may help us win the fight we have been waging for centuries?”
“You said the love would only work if it were…you, know. Romantic.”
“I believe so,” said Max. “After all, the links between blood and sex are strong with vampires – the one and the other cannot be separated. Your love for your brother may not be able to turn him.” She smiled. “But there are more Carriers in the world than you and I, Kalina. And your brother is a good man. He will find somebody one of these days, I have confidence of that.”
Octavius interrupted them, clearing his throat as he put on his leather jacket, arranging his stakes in a belt around his waist. “Kalina,” he said softly. “I must go now. I believe I have a plan…”
“You’re not going after Justin, are you?” Kalina’s eyes widened in fear. “Octavius, please say you’re not. Max thinks he could turn back – her Life’s Blood in him might be able to help him stay strong.”
“I’ll see you again, Kalina,” Octavius said, evading the question. “I promise you that.”
She wrapped her arms around him. “But where are you going?” She asked.
“When I was the leader of the Consortium my duties were to find more Carriers. To match them to worthy vampires. To help arrange love-matches – love I could not participate in myself. I know how to sense out these things. I will go to Africa, to Australia, to continents we have not yet been to; I will seek out a Carrier who is willing to meet with your brother, perhaps to fall in love with him.”
Kalina was speechless. She
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