Page 59 of Crimson Storm

Kannon turned his head to the side for a second, taking his eyes off the road, though he was driving at blistering speed.

“How areyoudoing? You didn’t say what kind of round you got hit with.”

I grimaced. The icy pain had crept up over my hip and was now engulfing my stomach. I hadn’t wanted to mention it, needing to get some help for Shane before I lost consciousness. I feared for his fate if I died before we got him to Dr. Coppa.

“The agent who shot me said it was platinum, some new exploding kind.”

“What?” Kannon roared.

He jerked the wheel and caused the van to veer across the road before correcting it. “You should have told me right away. You need some vampire blood—now.”

Would that heal me? Dr. Coppa had given Reece injections of small amounts of vampire blood when he was recovering from animal blood poisoning, but it hadn’t occurred to me that vampire blood could save me from the liquid platinum infecting my bloodstream now.

Hope lifted my heart. Maybe Ihadn’tseen my friends for the last time. I could still help Shane.

And I would see Reece again.

It was stupid, but the thought was there anyway, undeniable and invigorating.

“Dammit. We’re still thirty miles from the Bastion.” Kannon added another, more colorful, swear, slamming a large hand against the steering wheel.

“Does it have to be injected?” I asked, confused. “Or are you worried you won’t be able to drive while I drink from your arm?”

I’d never bitten anyone but Josiah and had sworn never to bite a human again, but drinking from a vampire seemed tolerable. After all, I couldn’t ruin a vampire’s life with a single bite.

And I had no doubt Kannon would be willing to give me his blood if it would save my life. He’d been a good friend to me since the day we’d met.

“It’s not that.” His face in the rearview mirror twisted with dismay. “Our vows state that we’ll never share our blood with anyone but Imogen.”

“Really?”

The sacred Bloodbound vows weren’t public knowledge, so it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that I hadn’t been aware of this one. It was just that... Reece had given mehisblood on the day I’d left the Bastion.

Why?

29

One More Look

My hand went to the pendant on my chest, wrapping around it as it had so many times during the past year. I’d never been able to figure out why Reece had given the token to me. And now... knowing that he’d broken his vows to do so...

That’s when it hit me.Reece’s blood.

Drawing the chain over my head, I studied the miniature dagger and the orb at its hilt, which contained the swirling red essence of the love of my life.

Then I looked at Shane lying beside me. He groaned in pain. In spite of the piteous sight, hope danced in my chest.

“Kannon... would drinking vampire blood heal a human?”

“Don’t even think about it,” he said. “It doesn’t work for them. Even if it did, you’re too sick to give anyone your blood, much less a human. You should be drinkinghisto strengthen yourself.”

“You know I can’t do that.”

“Yeah, because Sadie Aldritch has your thinking all twisted around backward. Just rest and hang on. We’re only fifteen miles away now. Be as still as possible. The more you move, the faster that platinum will reach your heart.”

I stopped talking and did as he said, but I could literally feel the poison creeping toward my chest like a killing frost. I wasn’t going to make it to the Bastion.

Gripping the pendant, I considered my options. The blood inside the orb might be enough to save my life. But it was Reece’s blood. If I drank it,hislife would be in danger. He’d broken the Bloodbound vows by giving it to me.

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