“They were human once.”
“You’re impossible to get information out of.”
Wrath stared at Pride, and Pride stared back.Had he the care or patience to learn more?The way Runeak looked when she realized he didn’t know anything about the blood drinkers goaded him enough to try.“Who turned them into blood drinkers?”he asked.
“Father.They made an oath to him.”
More of Lucifer’s army.The wheels in Saer’s mind screeched to a halt, then kicked into overdrive an instant later.
“They seemed eager to complete their task before the sun rose.”
Runeak didn’t blink, and Saer’s jaw tensed with aggravation.
“Does the sunlight hurt them?”
“It kills them.”
Ah.
“Why?”
“It is part of the oath.”
Hellsfire, how he despised she answered everything in as few words as possible.
Saer took a slow, measured breath.“What else is part of the oath?”
The edge of her ebony lips moved, the closest Runeak ever came to showing amusement.“Beheading.A wooden stake to the heart.Fire.These will all kill them.”
It seemed oddly specific, though he doubted he’d have any luck getting her to elaborate.“They touched my blood without burning.”
“We are dedicated to the same maker.”She said it as though it explained everything—and in a way, it did.
“And you call them blood drinkers, because they must drink blood to survive.”He’d seen Lucifer exhibit the same behavior—the choice of sustenance didn’t surprise him.
Runeak gazed on, but didn’t deny the claim.
“Anything’s blood?”
“It must come directly from a creature with a heartbeat.”
“With a heartbeat?”
“Dead blood poisons them.”
So far, this didn’t sound like a deal worth making.
“What do they get in return?”Saer asked.
“Supernatural speed and strength.Eternal life, unless destroyed otherwise.”
Saer imagined that would persuade a healthy number of humans.Although...
“What happens when they die?”
A malicious gleam flickered through Wrath’s gaze.“Their souls go to Father as part of their oath.”She craned her neck in a partial tilt.“He asks about you.”
The change in topic was enough to catch Saer off guard, his heart rate doubling.He turned his head back to stare at the ceiling, avoiding Runeak’s gaze, and replied with as little caring as he could muster, “Oh?”
