“I’m here to offer you a gift,” Thomas said.
My gaze darted to Liam’s. He gave me a reassuring nod. I relaxed slightly. I trusted him. In this, I didn’t think he would lead me wrong.
“How?” I asked.
“You’re here to give her your blood,” Thomas said. There wasn’t any judgment on his face, no hint of anger.
I shifted, uncomfortable at how well he knew me. I hadn’t fully committed to my plan yet. One, because I didn’t know all the ramifications. There was still so much that was still a mystery to me about being a vampire. I didn’t want to risk screwing Linda up further by giving her blood that might hurt her in the long run.
“Possibly,” I said, stepping forward.
Thomas was here with no threats or recriminations. If he was willing to help,I’d take it. Hell,I’d even sell him my soul if it meant Linda would get better. There wasn’t much I wouldn’t do for that little girl.
“Mine will have a better likelihood of healing her,” Thomas said.
I believed him. He was centuries older than I and powerful in ways I was just beginning to comprehend. He was a master while I was just barely a vampire.
Still, I hesitated to accept. I couldn’t help looking for the trap hidden in his offer. Because that’s what it was.
“Will she be like me?” I forced myself to ask.
I wasn’t even sure I would tell him no if he answered“yes”. I just wanted her to live. I hadn’t realized before now, how deep I was willing to sink if it meant her health.
“No,” he said.“I would need to drain her unto death after exchanging blood with her for years, for that to be a real risk.”
I frowned. That hadn’t been the case with me.
He inclined his head, understanding where my thoughts had gone.“You are a special case. The magic at your core reacted violently to my bite, changing you outside the normal course of things. For her, my blood will simply heal her. She might be a little stronger physically, a little faster, and live a little longer, but one feeding will not have many long-term consequences.”
I hesitated still.
There was a reason there were sayings warning one to beware of people bearing gifts. Few things in this world were free.I’d learned that more than most.
“What’s the catch?” I asked.
I was doing this. I knew that, but I wanted to know exactly what I was giving up.
“Nothing,” Thomas said.“You’ve already given me more than I could imagine.”
Uh huh. I didn’t quite believe that.
“Perhaps I just want to show youI’m not the monster you’ve made me out to be,” he said simply.
I didn’t know about that. He did force me to drink from a human, even used compulsion to do it. For all his dislike of Niamh’s methods, he wasn’t above doing the same when push came to shove.
I sighed. Perhaps I was being too hard on him. It was human blood that had probably kept me alive during the hunt, giving me the strength I needed to keep going. Not to mention his concern about toxicity. Devolution.
He read the acceptance on my face and stood.
The feeding was a simple one. Thomas used a sharp nail to open a line of blood then held it to Linda’s mouth.
Watching the exchange of blood was fascinating. The power residing in Thomas flowed down into Linda, pooling in her center before dispersing through her body.
Then it was over and Thomas stepped back, his wound closing.
“That’s it?” I asked.
“I’ll monitor her. Depending on how she reacts, she may need more,” he told me.
