Page 94 of Jake

“Tell me he’s joking,” Kai said, her sight trained on Jake.

“I’m vampire, bella. I know you haven’t had enough experience with the supernatural, to have time to learn the finer nuances of the different beings.”

“He was human,” Jake commented. “It looks like this might break out soon. Up there. I see light.”

“I was very much mortal. In essence, I died. I am reborn. And in doing so, the magick entered my soul, a rechargeable battery if you will. But we require blood to survive. Without the life essence from which we originally came, we would cease to exist.”

“I get that part. But how can you tell that’s human versus an animal carcass or wolf for that matter?”

“When we die, our cells retain the knowledge of our death. The same way you can tell the scent of strawberries from blueberries…it’s simply an instinct to us. You cannot eat a dead human. And if that fails to imprint, that’s a problem. Take someone like me. How old do you think I am?”

“You’re young, attractive. Look as though you maybe died in your thirties?”

“Yes, I did. But hundreds of years have passed. Wars. Pestilence.”

“Killing,” Jake added, his expression hidden.

“Well, yes. I’m a vampire, not an angel.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? I’ve met a few bad motherfucking angels.” Jake trod onward, not missing a step.

“You know what I mean. Does everything have to be literal with you wolves?” Quintus shot back.

“So you kill people on a regular basis?” Kai asked.

“How the hell does me identifying death turn into a discussion about my mercenary skills?” Quintus shook his head, keeping a careful watch on her as she walked ahead of him.

“So you kill people for money?” Kai tilted her head to get a better view at the light streaming into the tunnel. Fresh air drifted inside, dissipating the rancid odor. “Thank Goddess there’s an exit.”

“Not anymore.”

“You’re kidding me, right?” Jake laughed. “Here we go…let’s hear it, Quint. I should have known you’d done that for a living.”

“It was many years ago. I learned from my sire. He wasn’t just into imports. It wasn’t as if I had a choice. If it brings you solace, I killed a lot of assholes. It’s not like I don’t have a conscience.”

“I’m not judging. Hey, here it is. It’s a door of some kind.” Jake turned the metal handle, but quickly released it, staring at his hand.

“What’s wrong?” Kai asked, grabbing Jake’s arm to inspect his palm.

“It’s silver,” Quintus noted.

“You’re both allergic?”

“Yeah, I guess you could say that. It’ll weaken both of us. The door’s locked. So trying to use our powers to get through it? It’s not happening.”

“But maybe I could…” she began.

“No way, sweetheart. You are not going in there alone. We stick together. Sit down here a second. The silver…” Jake grunted as he dropped to one knee.

“Are you all right?” Kai sensed his weakness; his wolf trod slowly, attempting to rally.

“The magick in here. The wards are heavy. Can you feel it?” he asked.

Quintus closed his eyes, placing his palm on the wall. “This place. It’s meant for vampires. I can feel it. The silver. It’s been manipulated by vampires. Something’s going to happen here. If we can get to the other side, I think we’ll find her.”

“I just need a minute. Let me think,” Jake said. “Maybe we should have a look at the book before we go in. Kai, is there anything you remember that might help us out here?”

“It’s been years. Here, let me get it out.” Kai reached into his backpack, retrieving the book.