Page 65 of Sinner's Salvation

Anna stared at him. “They wouldn’t do anything to him. Would they? He’s one of their agents.”

He met her gaze. “That depends on how good an actor Ledger is and how many favors he called in. Or bought.”

“Any story he’s come up with can be disproved.”

“Any?” Evan asked, a small smile on his lips.

“Vampirism, as the general public understands it, doesn’t exist,” Anna said. “Most people think it’s the result of magic or some supernatural force. In reality, we suffer from an autoimmune disease that has a lot of unexpected side effects. Ledger doesn’t know that. All he knows is what he thought he saw.”

“But he doesn’t know how it works,” Evan said softly.

“No, he doesn’t.Hethinks it’s magic. He doesn’t know all the drawbacks and limitations to having the disorder. All he sees is the possibility of power, and it’s blinded him to everything else. I’ve seen it happen to people time and again. It comes at a price most can’t afford.”

Evan studied her face. “If you had been given a choice, would you have...” He didn’t finish his sentence.

“Would I have chosen to become what I am?” she asked.

At his nod, she shook her head. “No. I would have rather died at the end of a normal lifetime. Living forever is very lonely.”

He reached over and covered her hand with one of his. “My grandfather told me he saw that in you on more than one occasion. He told me not to envy you.”

“He did? Did he say why?”

“He said,think about watching your friends suffer from wounds, illness, and die, while you have to stand by helplessly and watch them go.” Evan squeezed her hand. “It’s a special kind of torture, that.”

She nodded, too many tears choking her throat to speak.

“That’s okay,” Brian said, cutting into the silence.

Anna looked at the screen.

“All I know is what my supervisor told me,” Brian continued. Then his eyes lit up. “Have him sit in on the meeting.”

The lead FBI agent sighed. “I don’t think that’s necessary. You’re...obviously telling the truth.”

“But he really does know more background information than I do.” Brian managed to look so much like a puppy trying to please his people, Anna laughed.

It was a waterlogged sound, but still a laugh.

“He’s good,” Evan said.

“He’s very earnest. My nephew told me it was one of the qualities he found so appealing about Brian.”

“He isn’t jaded yet.”

“That too, but there are some people who never lose that innocence.”

Evan looked at her again with one eyebrow raised.

She smiled. “You’re an entirely different personality. You’re more complicated.”

Evan chuckled. “Is that a good thing?”

“Good or bad, makes no difference. You’re you.”

His smile dimmed, and he raised an eyebrow. “What am I?”

“You’re a warrior whose crusade is justice. You don’t see the world in just black and white, but in shades of gray. You’re happy to let people do what they’re going to do, but once someone steps into the black.” She snapped her fingers. “They’re done.”

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