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Authors: Suzanne Wright
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risk it in case any of us are tainted too.”
“Again, though, the kidnapping part can be optional. I say we just ask Antonio if we can join in on the teleconference.” Ridiculously, they all looked disappointed that no one would be being kidnapped. Unreal.
CHAPTER FOUR
(Sam)
It took a while for Antonio to finish the teleconference. Once it was over, he asked Bran to remain on the line and then invited Jared and I to sit beside him in front of one of the TVs. Thankfully, Bran granted us some time with his Heir, and soon we were looking at the surprisingly attractive face of Harry Covington. I’d been expecting someone who looked much older. Harry couldn’t have been much more than twenty-five when he was Turned.
Clearly anxious for answers, Jared didn’t bother with pleasantries. “What can you tell us about viruses?”
Harry looked taken aback by the question but shrugged. “Put simply, they’ re strands of DNA or RNA covered by a protein coating.”
Admittedly, that made no sense whatsoever to me. Science had never been my strong point.
When Jared waved his hand in a ‘carry on’ gesture, Harry squinted. “This is about The Call, isn’t it? You think it’s like a virus.”
“It seems to be similar.”
“That’s what I thought in the beginning. I was wrong.”
I arched a brow. “You’ve been in contact with people who were tainted?”
“No, but I’ve researched it. As you can imagine, it intrigued the medic in me. It’s in my nature to want to treat something, to cure it. I’ve done my best to understand The Call over the centuries. What I’ve learned isn’t good.”
Beside me, Antonio softly cursed.
Gritting his teeth, Jared urged, “Go on.”
“My opinion is that it’s entirely different from a virus. You see, viruses aren’t alive, but nor are they dead. They exist somewhere in between. In effect, they’re parasites. Without a host or a group of host cells, they can’t thrive or survive. The Call, however, is very much alive.”
That didn’t sound good. “What do you mean by ‘alive’?”
“Not alive as you or I know it. It isn’t a biological organism. In fact, it’s not at all tangible. The Call could be described as incorporeal venom. It travels into the blood, contaminating it, polluting it. It is nothing you could see, nothing you could fight, because it has no physical properties. It doesn’t attach itself to cells, doesn’t use us as a host – it simply ‘visits’ us, doing a circuit through our blood and tainting our system as it does so. That’s why it wouldn’t be possible to treat The Call in the same way that humans treat a virus.”
And there went Jared’s optimism. He scrubbed a hand over his face. “In other words, there’s no point in looking for a counteragent.”
“No. ”
“So, we’re fucked.”
Harry’s eyes slid away. “Well…”
Jared straightened in his seat. “What?”
“There is someone who might be able to help you r vampires. She wouldn’t be able to come up with some kind of counteragent, but it’s possible that she could help the tainted.”
“Who?” Jared and Antonio asked in unison.
“Her name is Paige West, and she’s a Keja vampire who is part of my line. Her gift…She can heal, but she’s not a healer.”
Frowning, I shook my head. “I’m not following.”
“Her gift is actually offensive. If you were to harm her, she could take her pain or her injury and give it to you, and it would be three times worse when revisited onto you. Her gift is more about infli cting pain and avenging herself than about healing.”
Well . Call me odd, but I found that gift kind of intriguing. It was pretty much a karma-like gift, and I was a big believer in tit for tat.
“ And she can do that for others?” asked Jared.
“Yes, she can take their pain or injury, but she must have someone to give it to. Withou t that, the hurt will almost instantly return to the person it came from. I imagine it
“Again, though, the kidnapping part can be optional. I say we just ask Antonio if we can join in on the teleconference.” Ridiculously, they all looked disappointed that no one would be being kidnapped. Unreal.
CHAPTER FOUR
(Sam)
It took a while for Antonio to finish the teleconference. Once it was over, he asked Bran to remain on the line and then invited Jared and I to sit beside him in front of one of the TVs. Thankfully, Bran granted us some time with his Heir, and soon we were looking at the surprisingly attractive face of Harry Covington. I’d been expecting someone who looked much older. Harry couldn’t have been much more than twenty-five when he was Turned.
Clearly anxious for answers, Jared didn’t bother with pleasantries. “What can you tell us about viruses?”
Harry looked taken aback by the question but shrugged. “Put simply, they’ re strands of DNA or RNA covered by a protein coating.”
Admittedly, that made no sense whatsoever to me. Science had never been my strong point.
When Jared waved his hand in a ‘carry on’ gesture, Harry squinted. “This is about The Call, isn’t it? You think it’s like a virus.”
“It seems to be similar.”
“That’s what I thought in the beginning. I was wrong.”
I arched a brow. “You’ve been in contact with people who were tainted?”
“No, but I’ve researched it. As you can imagine, it intrigued the medic in me. It’s in my nature to want to treat something, to cure it. I’ve done my best to understand The Call over the centuries. What I’ve learned isn’t good.”
Beside me, Antonio softly cursed.
Gritting his teeth, Jared urged, “Go on.”
“My opinion is that it’s entirely different from a virus. You see, viruses aren’t alive, but nor are they dead. They exist somewhere in between. In effect, they’re parasites. Without a host or a group of host cells, they can’t thrive or survive. The Call, however, is very much alive.”
That didn’t sound good. “What do you mean by ‘alive’?”
“Not alive as you or I know it. It isn’t a biological organism. In fact, it’s not at all tangible. The Call could be described as incorporeal venom. It travels into the blood, contaminating it, polluting it. It is nothing you could see, nothing you could fight, because it has no physical properties. It doesn’t attach itself to cells, doesn’t use us as a host – it simply ‘visits’ us, doing a circuit through our blood and tainting our system as it does so. That’s why it wouldn’t be possible to treat The Call in the same way that humans treat a virus.”
And there went Jared’s optimism. He scrubbed a hand over his face. “In other words, there’s no point in looking for a counteragent.”
“No. ”
“So, we’re fucked.”
Harry’s eyes slid away. “Well…”
Jared straightened in his seat. “What?”
“There is someone who might be able to help you r vampires. She wouldn’t be able to come up with some kind of counteragent, but it’s possible that she could help the tainted.”
“Who?” Jared and Antonio asked in unison.
“Her name is Paige West, and she’s a Keja vampire who is part of my line. Her gift…She can heal, but she’s not a healer.”
Frowning, I shook my head. “I’m not following.”
“Her gift is actually offensive. If you were to harm her, she could take her pain or her injury and give it to you, and it would be three times worse when revisited onto you. Her gift is more about infli cting pain and avenging herself than about healing.”
Well . Call me odd, but I found that gift kind of intriguing. It was pretty much a karma-like gift, and I was a big believer in tit for tat.
“ And she can do that for others?” asked Jared.
“Yes, she can take their pain or injury, but she must have someone to give it to. Withou t that, the hurt will almost instantly return to the person it came from. I imagine it
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