He wondered what else the Order could be wrong about, trembling as the entire foundation of his
world was threatening to crack and fall out from beneath him. Wrong or not, his brother was still
there. If the Order was wrong, that was all the more reason he couldn’t leave him behind.
Snod sighed, pulling himself back together and heading out to the kitchen to find Frankie.
Frankie greeted him with a kiss and a plate of bacon and eggs. He watched Snod eat with a small
smile, always surprisingly interested in the food he couldn’t share.
“Do you miss it?” Snod asked curiously.
“What? Eating?” Frankie grinned. “Mm. Sometimes. There isn’t much variety in blood, I’m afraid.”
“No?”
“Some taste richer than others,” Frankie confessed. “Some are bitter, almost acidic. The blood of
animals is especially sour when compared to humans.”
“What do I taste like?”
“Sweet,” Frankie replied, tilting his head as if to hide a blush that never came. “Very sweet.”
Snod was pleased with that answer, finishing up breakfast and getting ready to leave for the lab.
Frankie was dressed in seconds as usual, sliding into Snod’s room to help him.
Snod had never seen Frankie use his speed this much since the night they met. Frankie was excited,
eager to get going, and his exuberance was positively infectious. Snod was absolutely charmed,
holding Frankie’s hand as they drove over to his work.
The Hazel Medical Research Facility was a large and modern complex, Frankie breezing right
through security with his keycard and a smile. No one seemed to question Snod’s presence. Staff was
nonexistent once they were inside, hurrying down sterile hallways into a sophisticated laboratory.
Snod had never seen equipment like this, peering curiously at the odd machines and scowling when he
saw Lorenzo’s beaming face already waiting for them. Frankie embraced him, the two friends
chattering away excitedly before Lorenzo finally turned his attention to Snod.
The pleasant expression faltered, recovering quickly as he said jovially, “Hey, Snod! How’s the
hand?”
“Peachy,” Snod replied, flipping Lorenzo off with the hand he had stabbed.
“That’s nice,” Lorenzo sighed, rolling his eyes. “Very cool.”
“Come on, guys,” Frankie soothed. “Remember. We only have a few hours to work, let’s do
everything we can.”
