Page 107 of Bleed

“It’s dangerous,” I correct.

The glow persists for several seconds before gradually fading, the blood returning to its ordinary dark red color.

She glances up at me, brows drawing in. “Why’d it stop?”

“Because these samples were collected before their bond was sealed. The compatibility was already there, but the bond itself was not.” I set the tube aside. “Their blood behaves differently now.”

“Different how?”

“The reaction is always present.”

Her brows shoot up.

I return Taylor’s sample to the rack. There’s precious little of it remaining, and once it’s gone, I have no means of obtaining more blood from her in its original state. A problem for another day– one that’s rapidly approaching.

“So what does that have to do with all these?” she asks, gesturing toward the trays of samples she just carried over.

“I found something unusual in Taylor’s blood. A biological marker I’ve never encountered in another human.”

“The thing that makes her bond with James?”

“Potentially,” I murmur. “At minimum, I believe it’s what makes a bond possible in the first place.”

Understanding slowly dawns across her face. “So you’re looking for it in other people.”

“Exactly.”

She folds her arms, leaning back against the counter. “Why?”

“To determine whether this phenomena is unique to Taylor and James, or whether it can be replicated.”

“But why?” she presses.

I pause, glancing over at her.

The answer seems self-evident. Knowledge has never required a practical justification as far as I’m concerned. There’s an unanswered question in front of me, and I intend to answer it.

Beatrix, however, is unlikely to find that reasoning satisfactory.

“If the same marker exists in other humans, then Taylor may not be the only person capable of forming a blood bond with a vampire.”

Her brow furrows as she processes that. “So you’re basically testing humans for a secret bonded-to-a-vampire gene?”

My mouth tightens. “That’s an offensively simplistic description.”

“But accurate?”

I hesitate, then mumble, “Essentially.”

I return James’ sample to the undercounter refrigerator, keeping Taylor’s on the bench now that I’ve confirmed the control is still reactive.

Beatrix lines up the fresh vials in the rack beside me while I begin testing them one by one. I uncap the first, draw a small sample with a clean pipette, and deposit it into the analyzer. Then I add a drop of Taylor’s blood and start the test.

A few seconds later, the indicator flashes red.

Negative.

Beatrix narrows her eyes at the display as the data populates across the screen. “Do you have to do that for every one?”