Free Counselor of the Damned by Angela Daniels Page B

shirt. From what she could see, he’d be toned and delicious shirtless. She shook herself. Whoa . Today had taken a toll on her if her boundaries were slipping.
    The air-conditioning sent a welcome chill against her heating skin. She hoped it would cool her head as well. “Fernando. Good evening.” She wasn’t at all happy with the breathlessness of her voice. She hoped he would attribute her increased nervousness to being surprised, but he was too observant for that.
    He raised an eyebrow as he looked her over, his gaze pausing briefly on her chest. Her nipples betrayed her by tightening. His gaze meeting hers, he gave her a smile a bit too warm just to be friendly. “A pleasure, as always, to see you.”
    He appraised her again, from her sandaled feet to her lips colored with a pinkish burnt-sienna gloss. She flustered under his gaze.
    “A dress? And lip color. Muito bonita . You look quite charming in peach.”
    A blush warmed her face. His smile turned a touch wicked, dashing her hope that her dark skin hid her reddening cheeks. “Thank you.”
    He took her arm and at a slow stroll guided her around the church’s circumference. He studied the stained glass and beautifully crafted arches, his casual perusal akin to a tourist come to see the historic architecture. “You are well? Hanna said you sounded anxious on the phone.”
    She winced. She had probably sounded spastic after her ordeal with the soul-stealer. But she hadn’t come to discuss that disaster. “I might have been overexcited earlier, but I’m fine. I just couldn’t wait a week to revisit last night’s discussion.”
    “Ah yes, the consolation prize, Heaven’s admiration.” He turned his head from the their surroundings to her. “I noticed though, you didn’t say that they currently see me as worthy. Is there a clause I should be aware of?”
    “The issue is human enthrallment. If you refrain from that, the Lephiri will find you worthy. If you can survive on the substitute—”
    “ Deus . That stuff tastes horrible.”
    She sympathized. Eating your least favorite food every day had to be a kind of torture. “It’s a sacrifice on your part, but can you use it long-term?”
    “I’m afraid not. It doesn’t have the sustenance of human blood.”
    His tone was so casual. Did he have any idea his words were like a knife in her gut? No substitute, no compulsion-free feeding, and no plan to keep him from killing himself. She felt nauseated. How could she change his mind now? There was Nat’s suggestion. “What about feeding on a human without enthralling them?”
    He stopped walking and stared at her. “I’m surprised the Lephiri—or you—would accept me drinking blood under any circumstances.”
    She stared back. “Matanji specifically said compulsion was the problem.”
    “And you agree?”
    She hesitated. Her disdain was for the act of robbing people of their free will. Despite her conversations with Matanji and Nat the last couple of days, Tegonni had trouble separating the two. “It doesn’t matter what I think. Only what they think, and what you think.”
    “I care about your opinion.”
    “Just tell me. Can it be done?”
    He continued walking, still holding her arm. “No. The controlling effect on a human’s mind is caused by a combination of the venom a vampire’s fangs secrete and their power. Unfortunately, both are necessary during feeding.”
    “Why?”
    “A…reaction of sorts takes place. Not simply chemical, but bio-energetic. The point is without this reaction, blood is useless to us.”
    Tegonni suppressed a growl. This made no sense. “You’ve been on chimp blood for weeks. No bio…energy…whatever there.”
    He sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. “Actually, there is. I mix my venom into the packs, then infuse the mixture with my power.”
    She mulled this over. He could put the venom in the chimp blood but the blood itself didn’t have enough nourishment. Hang on . Excited, she pulled him