Page 343 of Halfblood Deceived

Isaiah tentatively returned Evan’s smile. “I’d like that, too. Thank you.”

“E-readers don’t smell nice,” Aella protested.

“And you can’t toss them against a wall when you’re angry at the characters,” Luce said.

“Well, you can,” Gabby said. “But you shouldn’t.”

Luce laughed. “True.”

Aella took another bit of her steak and felt her stomach close up. She gave a mournful look at the juicy meat.

“As Aiko said, you need to find the balance between blood and food,” Mari told her. “I recommend that you finish your pint of sheep blood, let it settle, and drink from the vein later.”

Aella cringed. “Like from a human?”

She saw Isaiah go very still.

Mari smiled. “Nah. You need stronger blood while your change fully settles. I’d recommend Zeydan’s blood. And he would be glad to be your host, right?”

Zeydan gave Aella’s thigh a gentle squeeze. “More than glad.”

Aella’s heart hammered hard. She was sure her whole face was as red as a tomato now.

She wracked her muddled brain for a distraction. “Er, why didn’t I realize I was a half-vampire before? I had no traits. Is that normal?”

“Aiko is the only gargoyle-vampire hybrid I’ve met before you, Aella,” Mari said. “So I’d say I don’t know what is normal precisely for any of you.”

“But?” Aella asked.

Mari sighed. “Kam and I examined the blood you vomited a day ago when your vampire side took over. It was loaded with iron, and there were traces of silver, cyanide, arsenic, and other poisons as well.” She rubbed her forehead. “I had found the same when I examined you before, but you’d been recently poisoned, so it made sense. This time, I took a sample of your hair, and we discovered you’ve been continuously poisoned for most of your life.”

Aella’s stomach dropped, a horrible realization dawning on her. “I wasn’t anemic. They weren’t giving me blood transfusions. They were poisoning me.”

Kamilla tapped her fingers against the polished table, taking on her serious, ‘I have bad news for you’ mien. “That is our guess as well. We believe they poisoned you constantly to keep your vampire nature partly suppressed. Your system was so busy healing you from permanent damage that your vampire traits remained dormant.”

“But then you received blood transfusions from Zeydan,” Mari continued. “His blood helped your body heal the damage created by the poison.”

“The nosebleed I had the night of the ball,” Aella said, turning to look at Zeydan. “You said it smelled different.”

He nodded. “I should have kept a sample. If I had, perhaps you would have known earlier.”

“It’s not your fault,” Aella insisted. “Or mine. Goddess. What would have happened if you guys hadn’t saved me when you did?”

“I can only guess two options,” Mari said, giving Aella a questioning look.

It was bad. She could tell by the knowing, empathic glances of everyone around her. “Go ahead,” she said.

“The poison could have killed you,” Mari explained. “One miscalculated dosage and your very blood could have boiled. You would have burned from the inside out.” A chill ran down Aella’s back. She instinctively squeezed Zeydan’s hand under the table and he entwined their fingers.

Kamilla’s topaz eyes met Aella’s. “Or your vampire nature would have made itself known eventually.”

“And they would have killed me,” Aella said.

Mari nodded.

Aella placed her hand against her stomach. “Fuck.”

There was a heavy, uncomfortable silence, but no one seemed to know how to break it.

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