Free Broken Heart 02 Don't Talk Back to Your Vampire by Michele Bardsley Page B

stepped into his embrace and he drew her against his chest. "Tainted vampires who are starved and then infused with dead lycan blood eventually go mad, either from the taint or from the further mutation of their bodies."
    "If the taint doesn't destroy them," said Jessica, "then the lycan blood will."
    I looked at Lorcan. "And that means…"
    "We must kill them."

Chapter 9
    " Oh , my God," I said. "You're going to kill Faustus?"

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    "We aren't saying that," protested Jessica, but she couldn't quite meet my eyes.
    "Eva, will you help us?" asked Patrick.
    I looked at Lorcan, though I hardly knew why. It wasn't like we were connected. He wasn't my friend, much less my mate—so why did it feel natural to want to confer with him about the decision?
    "You must follow your conscience," he said.
    "Who are you, Jiminy Cricket?" asked Jessica.
    She rolled her eyes. "Eva, why don't you take a gander at the lab? If you get too freaked, we'll skip the Amazing Kreskin show."
    By the time we got through all the security procedures and Stan's explanation of the laboratory experiments and systems, I was ready to gnaw on any available neck. I shouldn't have skipped breakfast.
    Hunger coupled with information overload was beginning to affect my mind and my body.
    It took eye scans, fingerprints, and voice analysis of both Stan and Patrick to open the thick metal door that led to the prison ward. When it finally swung open, lights flickered on in the narrow hallway and I peeked inside.
    Three large cells occupied either side. It was easy to see inside them; the front wall was floor-to-ceiling clear plastic. The remaining walls were bright white. Sticking out from the back partition was a long, thin white slab that I assumed was for sitting or sleeping. The whole place looked like something out of a science-fiction movie.
    "If you're wondering how prisoners pee," said Jessica, "there's a little button that opens up a toilet. Same goes for food distribution. Oxygen is pumped in and recycled through these filter things Stan invented."
    She pointed to the cell on the right. "The plastic is half a foot thick and is resistant to everything—bullets, acid, claws, fists, fangs… you name it. But Stan used his freakish brain to incorporate sound. You can hear the prisoners and they can hear you."
    I nodded, but I wasn't paying close attention. I could hear Stan's heart beating. Hell, my ears were so attuned to the one human in our midst, I swear I could hear the blood slogging through his veins. My fangs were trying to poke through, but I resisted.
    The cells visible from my vantage point were empty, but if the noises coming from down the hall were any indication, at least one was occupied.
    "I'll take her," said Lorcan. He placed his hand at the small of my back and, with no other choice, I allowed him to guide me down the narrow hallway.
    The moment Faustus saw us, he went crazy. He smacked the clear plastic with fists and swiped it with claws. Spittle flew from his muzzle as he growled and screeched.
    Stop it ! I sent into his mind.
    He stopped pounding on the barrier. His huge furry chest heaved as he stared at me. I looked at the scar Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    on his face and wondered when and how he'd gotten it.
    Want out . He punched the wall. Out! Out! Out !
    Calm down. You have food, shelter, and safety. Nobody will hurt you.
    You lie . He moved away and paced. Escaped Wraiths. Betrayers! Die my way. Mine !
    My heart clenched. He knew that his time was limited—that he would die one way or another. Faustus
    …
    He turned suddenly and pressed his palms against the divider. His dark eyes burned into mine. My mind flickered—like someone turning on a television.
    I saw a man standing in a field. He was not alone, but the background was fuzzy—as if Vaseline had been smeared across a camera lens. The man wore a