She hurries out of the room.
My fear leaves me, replaced by anger.
“Celine!” I demand. She looks at me, an expression of annoyance over her chiseled features. “This girl isdying, you must be able to do something! She works at your hotel, she stopped the…the intruders…”
Celine narrows her eyes, surveying the bleeding girl. Her nostril flare slightly. “It’s too late. Even Tudor’s blood wouldn’t do anything to heal her. I can smell it.”
There’s a heavy lump in my throat. I know she’s right. The girl is on the edge of death. Her injuries were far too critical.
Whydid I tell Lavinia about Oana? If I haven’t said anything, this never would have happened. Hallie didn’t deserve to die in the crossfire of a conflict she wasn’t even aware of.
I choke back my tears, looking up at Celine with desperation. My words come out as a strangled whisper. “You’vegotto try. Please.”
Our gazes lock. Celine stands so still. Something flickers behind her eyes.
She turns to Tudor. “Turn her.”
Tudor’s lip twitches. “What?”
“Turn her,” Celine repeats. “You said you wanted to create another progeny. It’s a perfect opportunity.”
The older vampire looks at her skeptically. “Thecleaner…”
“Yes!” I add, a desperate ache of hope in my chest. “She doesn’t have family here. She’s new to the city. Nobody would know she’s missing. And she’s brave! She jumped in front of the witc- I mean, the intruders!”
“Why not?” Celine asks curtly. She kicks aside the broken TV like it’s a cardboard box. “If you don’t like her, we can always stake her later. No harm.”
Tudor sighs heavily. “Very well. Butyou’reresponsible for burying her.”
“Fine,” Celine agrees. She crosses to the bedside table and picks up the phone without dialing. “Concierge. Don’t send anyone to room 813 for the remainder of the night.”
Her Creator crouches down beside Hallie in a quick, predatory motion that makes me jump. I scramble away from them, cutting my ankle on another shard of glass as I go. Celine eyes my wound, the tipsof her fangs protruding slightly from her lips.
Tudor bends down over Hallie’s body. Without glamouring her, he sinks his teeth into her already-marred neck. He drinks from her like an animal in the wild.
My heart pounds, a deafening drumbeat in my ears.
What have I just done?
Celine
She can’t have much blood left in her. The carpet is stained irreparably crimson. We’re going to have to tear out the entire floor. Renata will throw a fit when she finds out.
It’s not the first time I’ve seen Tudor turn a vampire. He’s ruthlessly efficient, and the more blood he drinks, the stronger he becomes. It’s been many, many years since I’ve drained a human completely, but I remember how immensely satisfying it is. The incredible power, the animalism that comes from allowing yourself to totally lose control.
It stirs a matching hunger in me.
But then I remember the bartender trembling in the corner of the room, and I suppress that primal urge. She gets to her feet shakily, her eyes on Tudor like a gazelle watching a lion take down one of its herd.
“You should leave now,” I tell her.
She swallows thickly, her gaze still on the grisly scene unfolding before us. “No, I can…I can stay.”
Her words surprise me. I’m impressed by her boldness. Most breathers would have fled by now, concerned only with saving their own skin.
But I sense that she’s not like most breathers. There’s something different about her that I can’t quite place. It’s what drew me to her when she interrupted my last meal. I have to admit, her rejection stung a little bit, although I respect her choice. Itdoesmake her all the more fascinating, however.
She swallows, and holds herself tightly as she watches Tudor work. Despite the dire circumstances, this moment feels almost intimate. I find myself taking her in. The warmth of her golden-brown skin. The sunshine in her hazel eyes. Her features emphasize her humanalivenessin a way that’s almost unbearable to witness…for a vampire whose heart hasn’t beaten in three hundred years.
