Page 66 of Vampires and Violas

If she’s been at this for seventy-five years, she must be filthy rich. I know how much she charged Ethan.

“After I reached a point of guaranteed comfort, I followed in my ex-fiancé’s footsteps and started funding medical research.”

“Fiancé?” I ask, wide-eyed. Then I look at Cassian. “You two were engaged?”

“What kind of research?” Cassian demands, ignoring me.

She studies him like she knows what she’s going to say will upset him. “I’m supporting a group that’s looking for the Cure All.”

Cassian nearly leaps out of his chair. “That’s irresponsible, and you know it. Population issues alone…”

As Cassian rants, I lean close to Noah. “What’s a Cure All?”

“It’s what we call the hypothetical form of the virus that doesn’t come with negative side effects. No blood, no cravings, no anxiety. We’ve talked about it a bit before.”

“But you said NIHA wasn’t working on it.”

“Sophia didn’t partner with NIHA,” he answers darkly.

Sophia crosses her arms. “Cassian, you can sit on your high horse all day, but when someone you cared about was dying, you decided to pass the virus as well. You’re a hypocrite, and you know it.”

And Cassian does know it. He sits back in his chair, looking pensive and angry.

“They’re also working on a sterilizer,” she says, observing him closely.

Though Cassian looks intrigued this time, he says, “So you want to create the Cure All and then make sure no one can dole out immortal life but you?”

Sophia’s eyes flash. While they engage in their chemistry-laden, enemies-to-lovers style staring match, I whisper to Noah, “What’s a sterilizer?”

“It’s like a vaccine, but in reverse,” Noah answers. “If a vampire is injected with it, it will keep them from passing the virus to another person. But like the Cure All, it doesn’t exist.”

“Yet,” Sophia adds, returning to the conversation. “But if it did, there would be far fewer rogue vampires running amok.”

“You meanyourrogue vampires?” Cassian asks wryly.

“Those are not mine,” she snaps. “They are the vampires my clients infected even though they signed contracts saying they wouldn’t.”

“You can’t create a contract for an illegal transaction,” Noah points out as Larissa returns. “There’s no recourse.”

“Yes.” Sophia pushes her curls behind her ear. “Unfortunately, a few of them have figured that out.”

Larissa sets the tea tray on the coffee table. It holds an actual tea set—a porcelain pot, four dainty cups with saucers, a sugar bowl, two vessels with cream and milk, and a mug of broth for Cassian.

“Most seemed so genuine,” Sophia adds with a sigh.

“You’re a terrible judge of character,” Larissa replies as she pours the tea.

Sophia eyes Cassian. “Only when it comes to men.”

He smiles a little—the first time since he arrived.

“I can’t protect you, if that’s why you invited me here,” Noah says. “I was promoted thanks to my work tracking your offspring.”

“Even in exchange for information?” she asks, desperate. “I’ve heard you’ve offered that deal to a few of my associates while you were looking for me.”

“What kind of information?” Noah reluctantly asks.

Sophia glances at Cassian, looking rather petulant. “It started about seven years ago, when Duncan announced he would soon be retiring, and the houses became abuzz with the prospect of a replacement. I was approached by one of the princes. He said he’d been watching my work for several decades, and there was a man he wanted me to infect.”

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