Page 43 of Sergi
“Alex, have you seen vampire prisoners?”
He’d also stood, and I glanced up. “Just one.”
He considered my answer. “Maybe Rafael got away. If he did, they’ll send in a larger team.” He scratched at the iron cuff around his wrist. “If he didn’t, we might be on our own for longer than I’d hoped. Sergi can help.”
“Who’s Sergi?”
“He’s the vampire prisoner. He’s cadre.”
I stepped back, my eyes darted around the cell, unable to focus. This just kept getting better. The vampire was cadre. Now, it all made sense. His refusal to speak. The anger and frustration he created in the interrogator. His willingness to endure the torture. He was on our side? I sensed he was different. But still.
“How do you know we can trust him?”
Carlos tilted his head and studied me. “I understand your distrust. But much has happened in the months you’ve been gone.”
That was an understatement.
“Your uncle trusts this House implicitly. As do I.”
That rocked me. While Carlos didn’t hold anger toward vampires as I did, he had his own reasons to mistrust them. To hear him say these things now, well, I wasn’t sure what to make of it.
Or did I?
When I’d first seen the vampire—Sergi—strapped to the wall, I’d been curious why they would torture one of their own. He’d been defiant from the start. And after all he’d been through, he hadn’t given up. Maybe there was a faction of vampires who didn’t see us as an inferior race. Had he been kind to me because he didn’t see me as something less? Or was it a ploy?
Carlos wouldn’t lie. Not about my uncle. Not about this vampire.
“What can I do?” I asked.
“You need to free him. Free me.”
I shook my head. “That’s impossible.”
His words were low and even. “Nothing is impossible when the truth is on your side.”
My gaze shot to his, and it was impossible not to see the sincerity. My uncle’s words.
I glanced at the door. I’d been here too long.
“I need to go. I have more cells to clean before they come for me.” I changed out the water and dumped the waste bucket.
Before leaving, I placed a hand on his cheek. I didn’t know what I could do, but I would not allow my friend to be an experiment. Not if I could help it.
Besides, if I hadn’t already planned on helping the vampire, why did I have four vials of blood and one of Blood Poppy hidden in the cleaning rags?
“I need some time to replay everything you’ve told me. My schedule sometimes changes, but I currently clean the cells on this level every morning. With any luck, I’ll be back tomorrow. I only have one piece of advice. Stay wild. From what I hear, they usually prefer their test subjects broken.”
He nodded. “Trust him, Alex. We might not be able to wait for the calvary.”
The door scrapedagainst the stone floor, and the light from the hallway cast the long shadow of a lone figure. Sergi struggled to push the beast down, but it was harder each time. The Magic Poppy was stronger than he’d anticipated. He watched the female, her steps tentative, but she drew closer as her eyes darted from him to his restraints and back again.
He howled—deep and long. A lonely sound filled with rage and sorrow.
Instead of taking a step back in fear, she took a step forward. He wanted her to go away. His beast was taking over, and the last thing he wanted to do was harm her.
“You shouldn’t be here. I’m not safe to be around.” He sounded as if he’d been running for miles without a drop of water to quench his thirst.
Rather than heed his warning, she took another step. “Because of the injections?”
