“It is a disease,” Frankie gently interrupted, already knowing what Snod was going to say. “It’s not an
unholy curse from God. It’s caused by a very unique strain of bacteria.”
Snod’s brows furrowed up. “How do you know that?”
“Because for the last forty years, I’ve been studying it,” Frankie replied with a shrug. “That’s why I
became a hematologist. Trying to figure out a way to cure it.”
“A cure? For being a vampire?” Snod never thought such a thing would be possible. “You could be
human again?”
“That’s the hope,” Frankie said wistfully. “It’s part of the work I do at the lab. I help research for
cures and treatments for human diseases, and in my spare time... I try to find a cure for vampirism.”
“How close are you?”
“Not very,” Frankie laughed, scratching the back of his neck with a sigh. “I was only able to identify
the bacteria and how it’s transmitted six years ago. I have to be careful so no one figures out what I’m
studying, and resources at the lab are very closely monitored. Some of those machines cost millions,
and they’re not just going to let me experiment with them.”
“I hope you figure it out,” Snod said sincerely. “I can’t begin to imagine a world without vampires.”
“Don’t worry,” Frankie snorted dryly. “I’m sure the Order would find something else to hunt down
and exterminate.”
“The Order only began hunting vampires to save innocent people,” Snod argued.
“I know the history,” Frankie replied gently, sensing Snod’s brewing anger. “The Seven Families
came together because they thought vampires were corrupting the church.”
“They were,” Snod said stubbornly. “They tried to turn the grand bishop into a vampire and take over,
but he refused the poisonous vile blood so they killed him. He died with a pure soul.”
“No, he definitely drank it,” Frankie countered. “He got very sick, drank the blood, and died because
his well-meaning physician was a fool.”
Snod narrowed his eyes, demanding, “How do you know?”
“Because it was the world’s first attempted blood transfusion,” Frankie replied. “I’m a freakin’
hematologist who works with other hematologists. We talk about blood a lot and Grand Bishop
Valiant is one of those fun little anecdotes you pass around. They didn’t understand that the blood had
to be pumped directly into the circulatory system, like through a vein, to work. They thought they
could feed it to him, and his body would absorb it in the same way nutrients get absorbed from food.
