She pulled the IV from my arm and stared at the container of blood Maximus had collected. Her nostrils flared, and I could tell it took a lot of effort for her to ignore it. Shaking her head like someone awaking from a daze, Felicia took the tissue and pressed it against the bond on my arm. It parted.
We both heaved big sighs of relief.
"Get me out of here and you can have all the blood they took from me."
Her eyes widened. "Really?"
"As if I could put it back inside me."
She smiled and worked on the remaining bonds. The last few seconds of imprisonment were torturous. When she finally separated the last strap I sprang off the table and stretched. My knees almost went out from under me, probably due to such a long period of inactivity. Felicia jumped and hugged me.
"I did it!" She kissed my cheek. "I can't believe I rescued you." She pointed to a bundle on a nearby chair. "I even remembered to get all your stuff."
I was so happy to see clothes again, I forgot to be embarrassed about being in my underwear. I didn't even want to think about all the potty breaks I'd taken in those adult diapers Amanda kept me in. She hadn't put another pair on me since putting me to sleep to clean out the last pair, no doubt because she had some other horrific way of demeaning me in mind. I wasted no time pulling on my pants, Felicia, for her part, wasted no time taking a sip of my blood. She sighed in pleasure. I shuddered and looked away. "Adam would be very proud," I said as I stuffed my arcphone into a pocket and threw on a shirt. "In fact, I think you should tell him what you did yourself."
A gasp came from the door. I spun, expecting to see Amanda. Instead, Katie stood at the doorway, mouth wide with shock.
"Who—what?" she said.
I waved her in. "Katie, this is Felicia. Felicia, Katie."
Felicia wiped a smidge of blood off her lips with the back of her hand, and then shook Katie's.
An overwhelming sense of relief settled into me as I realized I could kill—or save—two birds with one stone. Naturally, I still had to find Ash and Nyte and get them out of here as well, but my manly sense of duty demanded I rescue the women first.
"Justin, oh my god," Katie said, hugging me tight. "Underborn told me he might have to call off your rescue because there's a spy in the Templars, but I was like, hell to the no! And then I told him he could go eff himself with broken glass because I wasn't going to leave you in here. But I couldn't figure out a way to get Maximus's blood for the straps, and the Arcane who's supposed to help me said she wouldn't do anything until she got the okay from Underborn and—"
I put a finger to her lips. "Katie, it's all good." I took her gently by the shoulders. "But now you and Felicia need to get out of here. Is there a way I can get out without being seen?"
Katie and Felicia nodded.
"I know of two ways out," Katie said.
"Technically, there are three viable exits," Felicia said, sounding a lot smarter than I remembered her being. Then again, Adam had told me she was a whiz in school who practically disintegrated when her family was murdered.
I peered into the hallway, checking for signs of anyone coming. No telling how long I had before Amanda reared her ugly hairdo again. "Lead me to the closest one. We have to warn the Templars about the spy." I gripped Felicia's hand. "I want you to come with me. You've more than made up for past mistakes as far as I'm concerned."
She shook her head. "But I helped kidnap your father. I almost killed you and Elyssa with the vamplings."
"Felicia." I took her other hand. "Look at me."
She met my eyes with reluctance.
"I forgive you. It's time to stop letting the past rule your life and time to make your brother do the same. Maybe we can solve the mystery of your parents' murders and put an end to his obsession together."
A tear trickled down her cheek. "You—you really think it's possible?"
"Anything is possible."
She took off the horn-rimmed, geeky glasses she favored and tossed them on the floor. Crushed