He sat gracefully at the end of the cot, his burned skin already healing. “Might you bring your chair closer?”
“No, I might not.” She had strict orders to keep out of arm’s length, and she was smart enough to heed them. Uncle Conn was the ultimate soldier, and he knew what he was doing.
Kalin laughed and glanced at her combat outfit. “Are you expecting to be shot?”
“No.”
“How many knives do you have hidden?” Curiosity darkened the purple in his eyes.
“Five.”
He nodded. “Good number.”
“Thanks.” Her hands trembled, so she rested them lightly on her legs as she waited. Some of her training had included interrogation and interviewing techniques, and every instinct she had told her to let Kalin lead the discussion.
Kalin lifted his patrician nose and sniffed. “Ah. Peaches and . . .” He launched himself at the bars, wrapping long fingers around them. “You’ve contracted the virus.”
She barely kept herself from shoving back in her chair. “Yes.” Showing trust, she leaned toward him. “I’m hoping you can save me.”
He glanced up at one of several security cameras. “Let me out of here, and I promise I will.”
“No. Save me anyway.”
“Have yourmatesave you,” Kalin spat, fangs slashing low. He swallowed and drew them up, visibly inhaling. “I apologize for my outburst, but you shouldn’t have mated Kyllwood. Ademon, for God’s sake.”
Finally, Janie’s body calmed. Her mind took over. “He can’t save me. You can. So do it.” But could Kalin help? “You altered the virus enough to make it go airborne, and in doing so, you had to be smart enough to create a cure.”
Kalin’s blood-red lips curled. “Oh, I know the cure. But for now, I like you unraveling and getting rid of that nasty demon-vampire marking.” He released the bars. “The mark is fading, is it not?”
Yes, the mark seemed lighter by the hour. “No. Sorry.”
“You’re a terrible liar.” Kalin tsked his tongue. “We’ll have to work on that when we’re finally together.”
“So you really think we’re going to be together?” she asked softly, tilting her head.
His smile warmed. “I’m immortal, Janet. We’re not confined to a little lifetime, and I have no doubt we’ll end up as one. The sooner the better, of course.” He stilled and blinked. Then he took a deep breath, his eyes widening and his gaze dropping to her stomach. “Baby powder and fresh rain.” His fangs dropped again, glinting in the fluorescent light.
Janie swallowed as her pulse picked up again. Her chin rose. “Yes.”
Kalin staggered back and dropped to sit. His eyes narrowed, clearly calculating. “You can’t be pregnant this quickly.”
“Yet I am.” She covered her stomach protectively.
He shook his head, dark hair flying. For several long, tension-filled moments, he just studied her. Then he swallowed. “This new version of the virus will destroy a baby. You won’t make it nine months—not even close.” His voice roughened.
Was that panic? Janie stood and stepped closer to the bars. “Then help me. For our friendship as kids, if for nothing else.”
“I can’t,” he whispered. His shoulders slumped. “The mutation of the virus happened quickly and infected several Kurjan mates.”
Janie’s knees wobbled, but she stayed upright. “What happened to them?”
“They died. Within a week to a month of contracting the stronger virus. All of them.” Kalin stood and stepped up to the bars again, sorrow lining his face. “Our scientists are working around the clock, but as of right now, there’s no cure. I’ve lied and tried to cover that fact, thinking we’d eventually find a cure, but . . .”
Fury soared through her and she grabbed the bars. “Then why the hell did you set the virus free? Why infect the witches during the peace talks?”
“We’re at war, and the peace talks represented the only opportunity to infect witches, and thus vampire mates.” He wiped his smooth chin. “We had no choice.”
“Oh, you had a choice.” Raw anger lowered her voice. “We could’ve found peace.”
