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Éliane’s expression went blank "Who is this Mike?"

"She addresses uards are a minor precaution, Doctor Thierry and the others escaped, but their tore, and they are still hunting for them"

Alex scowled "God, is there anyone you people don’t piss off?"

He said so in French to Éliane, alked out of the house

"We will talk in here, Alexandra" He guided her to an elegant drawing rooreen and pink, with enough stripes and flowers and fussy things to make a house porn junkie foam at the mouth "Would you care for some refreshment?"

"No, thanks" Rather than sit, Alex put down her case on the nearest flat surface and opened it to take out her copper-tipped syringes and a bag of the plashtlike bile Angel, Angel Acid tears I’ll kill you

The thoughts caer

"Is so?"

Flesh tearing Kill you all Bones snapping

Angel!

"No" If she could read these thoughts, then she should be able to block theh, thick stone wall To her relief, the thoughts dwindled and went away

"You are pale and weak"

Ever since Alex had grown fangs, she had fought to control her sy to her body The basic problem was that she needed blood to live Because her stoestive system had been radically altered, blood was probably the only thing she could digest now She resented the dependency, but she was also practical about it The obbled up normal blood cells like candy, and when there weren’t any to be had, they fed on fat andon inside her would literally eat her body alive

Experimentation revealed that she could survive comfortably on an injection of 100 cc of plasma administered once per day, and 50 cc of whole blood once a week It didn’tas it was hu herself in front of Cyprien, who, after closing and securing the door, watched her with fascinated eyes

"Why do you use needles?"

"Because I don’t want to walk around with an IV pole," sheeffects of the injection hit her systeoodon cheesecake It was soens as they absorbed the fresh new blood She hated that part; she didn’t want it to feel good She took out her re reserves; her ice packs were half e so they don’t spoil? I don’t feel like robbing a blood bank today"

Cyprien took them from her, went to the door, and handed the "I can provide for you while you are here It is ation as your--"

"Don’t say ave her an inscrutable smile "Your host"

"I can score my own fixes, thanks"

Cyprien went to a fussy little table loaded with canisters and poured hilass of very dark wine From the look and the smell of it, Alex could tell it was mostly blood with a little winethat he could drink wine; so far she had been able to hold down only a little water

"I thought as a doctor, you would have access to all the blood you require"

"What do you expect me to do, run out to the nearest ER and ask if I can lick the floor after the next car accident?" Another part of her new life that she despised--she had to steal the blood she needed from facilities that needed it just as desperately She watched hioblet, and wondered for the first ti froet that?"

He estures "I don’t kill, Alexandra I convince huly"

Sure he did "You "

"I do not need Phillipe’s assistance" Histerms"

"You should have heard what I called you the first ti usuallyher ot to her feet and paced around the roouy and the others ere hurt?"