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She frowned "And God told you this"

"No" How did he explain what had always been? "There is no other explanation, Alexandra We--all of us--lived in dark times Our human lives were violent and reprehensible What else could we be but damned for our sins?"

"Okay, so how do you explain me?" At his blank look, she added, "In case you haven’t noticed, I’htened time I help people I’m not perfect, but I’ve never been violent and I’et the curse? As an even trade for not having my period anymore?"

Period? Michael shook his head "I don’t know It is one of the reasons I always questioned our origins Many e turned in the beginning were innocents, like you"

"I want you to considerleap here," she said "Maybe you’re not cursed Maybe you’re just infected with soens that together altered your physiology on thethat has made you evolve into another kind of human If you carry that in your blood, then you can infect anyone Genetics aren’t my field, but you can find plenty to read about it at the library or on the Internet"

"I have Internet access," he assured her "It is how I found you Time dot com"

She ran a hand over her face "Okay, so reat idea I’ll need to use it, by the way I’ to search Harvard’s medical database and see if there’s any sort of new reconstruction techniques that I can use for Thierry and Jaodfather--Thierry had given that honor to Gabriel--but he had stood in the church when the village priest had baptized the boy He had watched him learn to walk, and then run Jamys had always been full of life, even after his human death "What can you do for him and the others?"

"Liliette’s arm is fine Marcel’s eye can’t be replaced, but I can straighten his foot and et rid of his liure out how to rebuild his tongue, he’ll never speak again Thierry…" She shook her head "I don’t know I can try to repair his body, is all"

"Will you help them, Alexandra?"

Her expression became resentful "You knew if I saw them, if I examined their injuries and found out how ation to me or the Durands" Not precisely the truth, but if she stayed, Michael wanted it to be of her own volition Unwilling, Alexandra could prove dangerous to herself and the Kyn "You can leave at any ti"

"If I do, then you’ll wantWhat does that mean? I have to stalk blood donors?"

"Ah, no" He cleared his throat "We see to our own needs, as you do"

"Yeah, when you’re not getting the crap beaten out of you" She grimaced "What do you people do besides that?"

Michael smiled She still had no idea of what itand pain and torture "Why don’t I show you?"

A week after Brother Tacassi tried to smother hio He did not talk to anyone on the plane, and was so silent at custouard pulled him into a private room where the police searched him for contraband

"Sorry about this, Father," one of the officers said as he handed John his shirt "Next time, just answer the questions you’re asked and no one will think you’re running drugs" He glanced at the mottled bruises and scrapes on John’s torso "Somebody jump you over in Italy?"

John looked down at hi, thin scrapes that ran over the old injuries He wondered what the cop would say if he told him he was pretty sure that he had, in fact, killed a vampire and raped a woed"

He had not believed it a dreas, he demanded to see Cardinal Stoss The cardinal came to his room, and heard John’s confession He then astonished John by assuring him that Tacassi’s attack and the sick, twisted aftermath was but a terrible reaction to theand soiven

"The doctor warned us that you ht have hallucinations, Brother Keller"

"I saw Tacassi being garroted," John insisted flatly, "and I raped Sister Gelina"