Page 159 of Afflicted

“Andthey were famously the only vampires immune to silver.” The doctor gives Silas a meaningful look. “She passed that on to you. Only the offspring of the Originals can withstand silver. There aren’t many of you, but we’ve met a few and are having a lot of luck using their blood to make new vaccines.”

“Is that so?” Silas sounds instantly curious.

“Sure is. It’s something we should have been working on the whole time.”

“So you’d want to do that with me?”

I spring to my feet. “No one’s poking and prodding him when he’s in this state.”

The doctor laughs jovially and holds his hands up. “Relax, hon, no one’s going to hurt him.” He smiles warmly at Silas. “But, if you were willing, we have a big lab up in Philly. You could both move up there, we’d make sure you had everything you needed.”

“There’s a colony there?” I ask cautiously.

The doctor gives me a warm smile and nods. “You two probably don’t know this, but the vampires and the President have signed an agreement. Rebuilding efforts are underway.”

My heart drops straight down into my feet, and I collapse into the chair. Silas raises his head, alarmed.

“Jules, are you OK?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I just can’t believe this is happening.”

The doctor's kind smile moves to me. “Good things are coming, I promise.” He looks back down at Silas. “You’ll probably feel terrible for another day or two, but we’ll get you some blood and you’ll be back to normal in no time. Then, if you decide you want to, I’ll arrange for you to come up to Philly. I’m Doctor Harris, by the way.”

“Silas.” He lifts a trembling hand, which Dr. Harris takes and gives a brief shake. “And this is my wife, Juliet.”

“Great to meet you both. I’ll leave you to consider my offer.”

“Sure thing, thanks doc.” Silas raises a hand in acknowledgement, and Dr. Harris leaves with a nod.

“Jesus Christ.” Silas runs a hand over his face, and it dawns on me that this is huge for him. Sure, the world is righting itself outside these walls, but within them a huge chunk of Silas’s just tilted right off its axis.

I scoot forward in my chair and take his hand. “You OK?”

“Yeah, I am, really. I just…” His brow furrows, and he drags his teeth over his lip. “Why would Margot lie to me? Why would she say she’d been turned then when she hadn’t?”

“Maybe she had something to hide? Maybe she was running from something?”

“It must have been something huge for her not to tell me.” Silas frowns up at the ceiling. “To make up a whole life, an entire story, that wasn’t true? What is an Original running from if they do that?”

“Must have been something pretty big. Maybe that was why she was a loner?”

“Even the vamps in Boston were fooled by it.” He sighs heavily, before looking back at me. “Anyway, we’ll never know, I guess.”

“I guess not.” I puff out a breath. “So, Philly, huh?”

“I want to help.” Silas’s voice is thick with determination. “If my blood can somehow help, can somehow make vaccines for people to be healthy, I want that.”

“Of course.” I grip his hand tightly, and press a kiss to the back of it. “Wherever you want to go. I’ll go with you. Forever.”

He pulls me down to him, and wraps his arms around me. “More than forever, angel. Forever’s not enough.” He kisses my forehead, and I nuzzle into him.

Everything’s going to be alright now.

* * *

I’m watching TV.I’m sitting on a couch, Silas sitting beside me, his fingers entwined with mine, and we’re watching TV.

Folks are jammed into the room around us, so silent you could hear a pin drop. All eyes are fixed on the grainy screen as our President appears behind a lectern. I still remember her from the emergency broadcasts when the Affliction first became a concern. She looks the same, just a little older, grey strands through her brown hair.

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