“Be certain. There can be no doubt. You must know that you trust me. There might be times when I will have to take human life. You cannot change sides in the middle of the fight,” Gregori warned.
Gary moistened his lips. “Can I ask a few questions here?”
“Naturally.” Gregori was noncommittal.
“Are there any humans that have known of your kind and lived?”
“Of course. There is one family that has lived with one of our people for several centuries, mother to daughter, father to son. One of those closest to Savannah’s father was a human priest. They were good friends for nearly fifty years. One couple is raising a human boy.”
“So I won’t be the only one to know. Because it’s a big responsibility to have this knowledge. If you’re not vampires, what are you?”
“We are Carpathians, a race of people as old as time itself. We have special powers, some of which you have seen, and we require blood to survive, but we do not kill or enslave those we feed on. We walk in the night and must avoid the sun.” Again Gregori’s voice was expressionless.
“What is the difference between a vampire and a Carpathian?” Gary asked, excited, interested, feeling a strange elation.
“All vampires were Carpathians at one time. The vampire is a male of our race who has chosen the madness of false power over the rules of our people. When a Carpathian exists too long without a lifemate, he loses all emotion. Colors vanish from his vision. His inner darkness prevails, and he preys on humans and Carpathians alike, not only for blood but for the thrill of the kill. He chooses this evil path rather than facing the dawn and self-destruction. That is why we have the hunters. Hunters rid the world of the vampire and make certain that the existence of our race remains a secret from those who would not understand, those who would perceive us all as vampire and seek out destruction.”
Savannah’s hand slipped from Gregori’s wrist. She took the coffee cup from Gary’s hand and refilled it. “It’s rather like a B movie, isn’t it?”
Gary found himself smiling at her. There was something about her mischievous smile that made anyone near her happy. It was contagious. “So what happens if I let you take my blood and you turn vampire?”
“It is impossible for me to turn now,” Gregori said softly, his beautiful voice stating the simple truth. “Savannah is my anchor in the light.”
Gary stood there for a few moments, took a swallow of the coffee, and turned to Gregori. “Let’s do it.” He could believe Savannah was light.
Gregori swept through the man’s mind, a slow, gentle touch Gary couldn’t detect. He was determined. Convinced. And he was going to help them if he could. You will come to me, unafraid, unhurt, without any ill effects afterward. He swamped the human with soothing comfort. Gary moved toward him with the slightly glazed eyes of one under a trance. Gregori bent his head to the prominent vein in Gary’s neck and drank. He was careful not to take too much, careful to pass on the blood-clotting agent to ensure fast healing. Before Gregori freed Gary from the hypnotic suggestion, he moved well back into the shadows.
Gary shook his head once, twice. He staggered slightly and felt for the table. He never saw Gregori move, but the larger man was beside him, steadying him, lowering him carefully into a chair. “In a few minutes we should get you something substantial to eat. We arrived last night and have not had time to stock the refrigerator.” Gregori glanced at Savannah. Get him a glass of water to replace his fluid loss, chérie.
Savannah handed the glass to Gregori, her eyes anxious. Gary touched his neck. He felt a little dizzy, and there was a burning sensation on the side of his neck, but when he touched his pulse, his hand came away free of blood. He glanced at Gregori. “You did it already, didn’t you?”
“Drink all of it.” Gregori held the glass to his lips. “I saw no reason to prolong the suspense. Your mind was quite made up.”