Page 18 of Rescued By the Vampire Assassin

Joshua used the momentary distraction to gain the upper hand. With a move too quick for Keri to chart, he had Black Suit in a headlock. There was a sickening crack, and Black Suit went limp.

"Leave one alive!" Keri cried out.

Joshua turned to Brown Suit, who was shaking off the effects of Keri's improvised attack. "I’ll kill you if you don’t talk."

Brown Suit raised his hands in surrender. "I’ll tell you what you want to know as long as you promise to let me go."

“We promise,” Keri said.

"Sit," Joshua commanded, gesturing to a chair. Then he made sure Beige Suit and Black Suit were truly dead.

Brown Suit flinched when Joshua tore out their hearts, but Keri didn’t even bat an eye. She was getting used to the violence, and that was weird because, normally, she was a pacifist.

“Where’s Chrissy?” she demanded.

“Who?”

She closed her eyes in frustration. Right, why would a vampire deign to lower himself to know a human’s name or a recently turned vampire? “Where do you keep the cattle you drugged as vampire bait?”

“They’re in Anatole’s harem.”

Great. Just great. “And that is?” she prompted.

“Upstairs. Next to his bedroom. There’s a suite of rooms.”

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Who cares?” Joshua snorted.

“My name is Mihai Vasile,” he said with a fearful glance at Joshua.

“What does the drug that you gave me and the other humans actually do?”

Mihai licked his lips.

“Don’t lie or I’ll rip your heart out and find someone else to answer my mate’s questions.” Joshua’s voice was matter-of-fact.

Mihai wasted no time in coughing up the goods. “Anatol created a serum that worked like our gaze when we compel prey.”

“Mind control,” Keri said in distaste.

“Why bother with a serum when you can simply charm a human by looking at them?” Joshua asked, crossing his arms.

“It lasts longer. We don’t have to be in proximity of them. Once the human is injected, they are susceptible to Anatol’s suggestions. We send them out to seduce vampires of rival clans, and once they bite our drugged humans, they are compelled to mate with them. And once the mating bond clicks, Anatol can control both the human and their mated vampire.”

“So Anatol can tell me to do something, and I’d have to do it?” Keri said, wondering how she would stop him from gaining control over her again.

Mihai nodded.

“Another reason for him to die,” Joshua said.

“But it’s not working like it should because you didn’t tell Nicolau to stop when Radut told you to command him,” Mihai said.

“Why would Joshua feel compelled to follow my orders, though?” Keri asked.

“It’s got something to do with the mate bond and you being human. Between vampires, the power exchange from mating is equal. Because humans are so inferior, there is something in the mate bond that overcompensates, and the human can control the vampire.”

“How is that even possible?” Joshua asked.

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