Page 27 of Bound in Blood

I know, and I’ve read all the books I can, but?—

Not all answers can be found in a book. Even Giorgios, for all his papers and his books in that vast library of his, can attest to that.

So, where can I find the answer, Lucian?I inject a mocking tone into my voice. I’ve learned a thing or two about manipulation from the way people have treated me over the years.If you’re so smart, tell me what’s making them ill.

Look around you, Ophelia Hart. There is a reason Giorgios built his fortress in the only mountains where blue poppies grow.

Blue poppies? Is that what he’s using to poison them?

No reply comes, and the odd buzzing that seems to come from connecting to the minds of those other than my mates is absent. Did he figure out where we are because I went looking for him? No, of course not. He already knew.

My eyes fly open. “He knows where we are.”

Malachi responds first. “What?”

Xavier sits up. “Did he tell you that, Cupcake?”

I shake my head and speak through our bond so as not to risk anyone overhearing.He spoke of Giorgios’s vast library and his fortress in the mountains like he already knew where it was. He’s known we were here this whole time.

Axl frowns.But he hasn’t come looking for you?

At least not that we’re aware of, Xavier says.

Malachi sits beside me on the bed and slips an arm around me. I lean against him.What else did he say, baby?

He said not to trust his uncle.

Xavier rolls his eyes.Yeah, we already got that.

I tell them his cryptic message about the blue poppies, and although he never actually said they were poisonous, that’s definitely what I understood it to mean.

How are they poisonous to us if we don’t ingest them?Axl asks.

Do we inhale them somehow? The seeds or… I dunno.Xavier shrugs, his face a mask of confusion.But then they’d be poisonous to him too.

Or Ophelia has been unknowingly ingesting them, Malachi offers.We have been feeding exclusively on her.The guilt is immediate and overwhelming, but Malachi soothes me.And that’s not your fault, sweet girl. Is it?

I know. I just hate how it might be me making you guys sick.

He drops a kiss on the top of my head.How do we find out more about these blue poppies? I haven’t seen anything about them in the books in Giorgios’s library. Have you?

I rack my brain and recall everything I’ve ever learned about poppies in my entire life, which doesn’t take long. But I do recall that vampires developed a tolerance to the opiates derived from red poppies a few millennia ago.No. But there must be something somewhere, right? Maybe it’s in a spell book or a book on herbs rather than a book related to vampire toxins. I’ll ask Cadence to help too. There must be something in Thucydides. Enora will give her access to the faculty library.

Malachi hums his agreement.Tell her to speak to Professor Chowdry. If anyone knows every single book in that library, it’s her. She keeps her own cross-referencing system. Tell Cadence to tell her I asked especially for her help. He winks at me, and Idon’t pick at that particular thread right now, having no desire to learn why the theology professor would be more likely to help if his name is mentioned.

I’ll ask her now.Having spoken to Cadence earlier today, I find her quickly and easily. It’s like the connection between us is already open and simply waiting for me to tap into it. I wonder for a second whether I will ever need a cell phone again. At least for calling people—there’s no replacingCandy Crushor mindless doomscrolling onTikTok.

When I’m done explaining what we’re looking for and passing on Malachi’s message, she gives me her assurance that she’s on it and will get back to me as soon as she can. I keep the news of Alexandros from her for now—not because I don’t trust her but because there are still too many unknowns, and I don’t want to put her in any unnecessary danger.

I tell the boys she’s in, and we agree that the sooner we know more about the blue poppy, the better we’ll all feel. Collectively, we decide they’ll stop feeding from me and fake being sick if they start to feel better so Giorgios doesn’t suspect we’re onto him.

“You’re such a good girl,” Malachi whispers, and my cheeks flush with heat.

“You know what those words do to our pretty little cupcake, Kai,” Xavier says with a low growl.

“Yeah, I know.” Malachi chuckles. “It’s been too long since we’ve had much to celebrate, so I think we should enjoy every little victory we can get.”

With a hum of agreement, Xavier sits up and pulls my hair back, giving himself space to trail his lips over my neck.Alexandros is alive. We’re probably not gonna die. Those seem like victories worth celebrating to me.

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