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That, at least, makes her laugh, even as she presses her hand to her stomach, trying to forget the sharpness of her hunger. “Let’s find me a neck, Caleb.”
Chapter16
Caleb
Caleb stands at the counter and makes eye contact with the friendly-looking man behind it. “I know it’s a little unusual, but can I get a blood bag?”
“Wholesale or retail?”
“What?”
“Wholesale or retail?”
Caleb frowns, running over the times he had to get blood when he used to be in charge of the vampires. He hadn’t ever had to buy blood. He could have waltzed into the council building or any vampire safehouse to grab some. “I don’t think I’ve ever been asked that before.”
The guy grins. “Then you’re retail.”
“Do you have a lot of wholesale buyers?”
“There’s a vampire place not far from here. They buy sometimes, and we have a few other places which like to stock up.”
“Oh.”
He reaches under the counter, opens a small fridge, and deposits two quart-sized bags on the counter. “They’re AB Negative.”
“The rarest? You sure you want to give me these?”
The cash register quietly beeps as he types in the information. “It expires tomorrow, so it’s fine. Besides, I’m not gifting them to you. Who are they for?”
Caleb glances over his shoulder at a fidgeting Maddy in the passenger seat of the SUV. She’s chewing her bottom lip while she stares at the building, but he doesn’t think she can see in. “My girlfriend. She’s waiting in the car, and she’s famished.”
“Oh, I saw her when you pulled up. It happened to my sister. It was hard on her, especially at the beginning.”
“Which part?”
“The whole thing. She’s the reason I started selling quarts outright. She needs to have places to eat out, too.” The guy punches one more button. “It’ll be $106.76.”
“Thanks.” Caleb hands over his debit card then he enters the pin-number on the handheld number pad. “I’m surprised more blood banks don't sell it like this.”
He doesn’t say much else before Caleb makes it back out to the SUV. When he climbs into the driver’s seat, he presses the start button and hands the quarts over. “Rarest vintage.”
Maddy says nothing, sinking her teeth into another quart bag of blood.
Caleb’s cell rings, and it routes through the Bluetooth radio and speakers. When Cora’s name shows up on the screen, he taps the green answer button. “Hello?”
“Caleb?”
“Yeah. What’s up?”
“I have the book, but—”
“Did they catch you?” Maddy interjects, looking up from her blood bag with a dribble of red slipping over her chin.
“No, no, nothing like that,” Cora assures them. “I’m in the private library behind the council hall. You remember where all the important stuff is kept?”
“The stuff they don’t want everyone knowing about.” Caleb gives Maddy a look as she returns to consuming her meal.
“Yeah, that one,” Cora agrees. “But there’s something going on in the council hall now. I’m not sure what it is, but I’ve got to make it through there to get out. The vampires are in a crazy frenzy, and there’s at least twice as many in the council hall now. They’re all screaming and yelling about something.”
