as well have been standing inside his soundproof bathroom. He couldn’t hear anything that took place outside his door. All the customary sounds that usually bombarded him—the chatter of the guards, the movements and conversations that took place in the labs and infirmary, the vampires razzing each other or working out or playing video games—had vanished the moment he closed the door. And even though his mind was refreshingly clear, he couldn’t hear anything that transpired on the floors above him.
Cliff looked at the doorway to his bedroom. Clenching his hands into fists, he jumped toward it… and didn’t even make it halfway there.
Anxiety rising, he sprinted forward… and reached it in about the same time Todd would.
Shit! He wasn’t feeling tired and sluggish because his body was fighting off the lingering effects of the sedative. He felt tired and sluggish because he was used to the strength, speed, and energy being a vampire constantly infused him with.
And he was no longer a vampire.
Cliff hadn’t slept for two days because he was sedated. He had slept for two days because whatever poison those blades had been coated with had been systematically killing off the virus that infected him. And if the poison had killed off the virus…
Panic filled him.
He had no functioning immune system and would die soon.
Emma.
He had to see Emma. As quickly as possible. He wanted to spend whatever time he had left with her. Wanted to remind her who he had been before the damned voices began bellowing in his ears and ramping up his aggression. Wanted his last moments with her not to be full of despair but full of the laughter, teasing, and tenderness he hadn’t been able to give her for so long.
He needed to see her. He had no idea how long someone could live without an immune system but thought he’d once heard Melanie say it could be as little as a day.
Striding into the bathroom, he stripped and took a shower. Had he not been so desperate to get to Emma as quickly as possible, he would’ve laughed at how long it took him. Usually he zipped through his showers with preternatural speed.
As soon as he dried off, he donned the usual T-shirt, cargo pants, and boots—all black.
Grabbing the new cell phone, he slipped it into a pocket just as the door to his apartment clunked and opened.
Bastien stood in the doorway. “Hey. How’re you feeling?”
Cliff strode toward him. “Good. Are you ready to go?”
Bastien’s eyebrows flew up. “Sure.”
They headed for the elevator.
“Hey, man,” Todd said. “Good to see you up and around.”
“Thanks.”
Bastien said nothing as they sequestered themselves in the elevator and rode it up to the ground floor. But Cliff could feel his steady gaze.
“You want to run or drive?” Bastien asked once they were outside.
“Drive.” He couldn’t run to Emma’s without the enhanced speed he’d lost.
“Okay.”
Cliff fidgeted in the seat as they drove away from network headquarters, waiting impatiently to reach the point at which the vampires could no longer hear them.
As per his usual habit, Bastien pulled over a few miles away.
“Could I skip hunting tonight and just go straight to Emma’s?” Cliff blurted.
Bastien studied him a moment. “How are the voices?”
“Quiet.”
“And the aggression?”
“Not a problem.”
After a moment, he nodded slowly. “Okay.”
“Would you give me a ride?”
Bastien stared at him. “You want me to drive you all the way there?”
Cliff usually ran it. “Yeah.”
Another pause. “Okay. You want me to pick you up, too?”
“Yeah.”
“What time?”
“Just before dawn.”
Bastien’s face lost all expression as he turned his gaze forward. “Sure. I’ll be there.”
They rode the rest of the way in silence.
When they were a couple of miles from Emma’s home, Cliff said, “Pull over for a minute, would you?”
Bastien swung off the road and brought the car to a halt.
“This will just take a sec.” Cliff thrust his door open and got out. Tall grasses swished against his calves as he strode into a field. Fortunately, a full moon hung above him, providing enough light for him to see without the enhanced vision he’d lost.
Halting several yards away, he drew the new cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Emma’s number.
“Hello?” she answered.
“It’s me.”
She sucked in a breath. “Cliff! Honey, are you okay?”
“I’m okay,” he told her, and it wasn’t totally a lie. His head hadn’t been this clear in years.
“Kate said you were injured…”
“I was. But my injuries have healed. I’m on my way over there now. Is that all right?”