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Rising with Brenna nestled against his chest, Roshan left the house

Brenna was close to death when they reached ho blue; her skin was cold to the touch He lit a fire in the hearth Sitting on the sofa, he cradled her in his ar her cheek She was cold, so cold

"Brenna, tell

He stared down at her They had often discussed what it was like to be a va one, but they had never really talked about how she felt about becos he had intended to talk to her about later, after they had spent ether, after she'd had ti a vampire entailed He had foolishly assu, there was no hurry for her to accept the Dark Gift Better she should continue to live a norave up the sun

But she no longer had twenty years He doubted she had twentyaway, and he knew, in that ht theive me," he whispered, and lowered his head to her neck

Brenna woke slowly Eyes still closed, she thought about the dreae dreahtened, htened than she had ever been in her life, as she watched her life's blood drain away And then she had heard Roshan's voice calling to her, drawing her up out of the darkness

With a sigh, she turned over on her side And realized, abruptly, that she wasn't alone in bed, and that she earing her nightgown In that sae

Her eyelids flew open and she found herself staring into Roshan's face

"Oh!" she exclaimed "You startled s all at once She wasn't in her bedroohts on, and yet, even in the dark, she could see his face clearly, the fine lines at his eyes, the apprehension in his expression She glanced around "What a here?"

"Brenna… "

She ran her hand over her wounded are, no scab, no scar She touched her side There was no pain

"It works," she murmured She looked up at Roshan "Loken's elixir, it does work," she said, and then she frowned She had seen the warlock die a horrible death, but that had been nothing but a bad dream Hadn't it?

"No, Brenna," Roshan said quietly "It doesn't work"

"But one"

"Yes"

She was confused by the pain in his voice Sitting up, she took a deep breath, her senses filling with aon the street outside, the huerator upstairs, the scent of Roshan's skin, the faintly ht suddenly filled the rooh her sto withto do with the blood hethe sa fear "A up, Roshan drew her into his arms "No, my love"

"Why not? He drank your blood and it killed him, and he… he made me drink your blood" She looked at him in wonder "Why did it not make me sick?"