Cara retrieved a small vial from the fridge, explained exactly what was in it to the woman—minus the origin of the Lucios—and had her sign one last release form.
The woman nodded, then let Cara inject the serum into her arm.
I watched the elderly woman’s trembling hands for what felt like an eternity. I wanted the shaking to stop for Cara’s sake. I wanted to see the delight I knew I’d find on her face when she saw that her hard work had paid off.
But eventually, Cara forced a smile and helped the woman to stand. “It’s hard to say if it will work right away. I was hopeful, but it’s possible that your system may take some time to circulate the serum. I will check in with you first thing tomorrow to see how you’re doing, okay?”
The woman nodded, shuffling her slipper-clad feet as Cara guided her back out of the small lab. She gave me a sad smile as she passed where I sat, but I was glad to see none of the determined fire had left her eyes.
The following evening, I met Cara at a basketball game where her roommates were playing. I still wasn’t used to being around so many humans, but Cara had helped to get me out of my shell to some extent.
Mooney seemed to be the only one of her roommates having a good game tonight, but it didn’t look like it would be enough to earn his team the points they’d need to win. Still, Cara was having fun whooping and clapping her hands every time their team did something good.
I spent most of my time looking around the arena. There must’ve been nearly ten thousand students crammed into the relatively small space. They all cheered and watched the game like it was the most important thing in the world—completely absorbed in the moment.
I watched them all and was reminded why I cared as much as I did about The Pact. This wasn’t just the world I’d left behind anymore. It was the one Cara had left behind. These people were worth saving, and so long as I was able, I planned to keep doing my part. That meant I’d continue to try to rebuild what was left of The Order and recruit more vampires to my cause. It also meant supporting Cara in her research to help humans fight sickness and disease.
Unfortunately, it also meant keeping an eye on Vlad.
He bellowed loudly with a small baby held precariously in one arm. He was decked out in the school’s athletic gear, except for a suede robe with black fur he wore over it all. Behind him, Ana wore a wide brimmed black hat with lace covering her face and an incredibly attention-grabbing dress that might’ve been hand-sewn in biblical times.
Vlad sipped the beer he held in his free hand, spit it on a student wearing the opposing school’s colors, and nearly got into a fist fight. Fortunately, the human decided he didn’t want to fight someone who was holding a baby like a hand grenade.
“Vlad,” I said as he sat down beside us. “At least try to act like your baby isn’t almost indestructible. Humans carry their babies like they are made of glass.”
“A few drops are good for ‘em. Builds character,” Vlad complained.
“Whether that is the case or not, it would be best if we didn’t try to aggressively demonstrate what we are in crowded places?”
Vlad sighed, then made a show of coddling the baby. “There? How’s that?”
“Better. Somewhat.”
Ana gave Vlad a solid whack on the back of his head, which drew a yelp from him.
For months, I had viewed their partnership as a sort of strange, loveless but sexual affair. But I’d learned to notice the subtle signs of something more, such as the faintest curl of Ana’s lips after she whacked Vlad’s head. In their own, very strange way, the two were in some sort of love, I decided.
Good for them.
For the past few months, the house we were all sharing had been emptier with Alaric and Seraphina as busy as they were. Alaric was doing the work I planned to resume when things with Cara were more settled—traveling the country and trying to establish ties with vampires who might be willing to come back to The Order and support the pact.
Seraphina had been mysteriously aloof and unwilling to commit herself to doing much of anything helpful. I suspected she was involved in something she wasn’t going to admit to me. I knew her well enough to know that pushing for information would’ve only made her withdraw more, so I left it alone.
Cara’s phone rang. She picked it up, plugging her other ear with her finger and leaning forward to listen closer.
“Yes,” she said, hand shaking a little. She smiled, then bit her lip, looking at me with wide, excited eyes. “Oh my God. That’s incredible. Would she be able to come in tomorrow so I can get a sample from her blood? Okay. Perfect. Thank you so much.”