The locked door cost Collin half a second, if that, but Al was already in the room wildly casting silver chains at Eric. The chains danced as if they were alive and wrapped themselves around Eric's shoulders, pulling his arms snuggly away from me. When Collin entered the room, the first thing he did was pull me away from Eric, but my feet wouldn't move. The room swam and I fell to the floor. Collin looked down at me, concerned, but he had to help Al. It appeared that Eric was shirking off the chains.

"Pull them! Now!" Collin yelled. The noise of chain rattling and the screams of Eric drew attention to the restroom. Soon there were voices demanding we unlock the door, followed by the pounding of fists when we didn't comply.

Al pulled her chains tight at the same time as Collin. It was like watching someone trap a dangerous animal. Eric snarled, and his eyes burned bright red as he tried to lash out at them, but he was unable to because his arms were bound tightly to his side. It seemed like it was over, but I knew it wasn't. Power was wafting off of Eric - it had to be. I was still enthralled with him, watching his every movement - neither hoping we'd catch him or that he'd free himself - it didn't matter to me. I just felt the need to watch him; to watch his smooth muscles flex as he twisted and turned under the chains. No one noticed me sitting there. Collin thought I was hurt. Concern spilled through the bond from him, but he didn't realize what was wrong with me or how severe it really was.

Pulling the chains tight - a movement that normally burnt a Valefar's flesh and beat them into submission - was the action that killed the rest of my plan. At the yank of the silver chains, they constricted tightly around Eric's entire body, hissing while they burned welts into his flesh. But the chains didn't hold. The added stress from yanking the chain caused the tiny links that made the silver chain to shatter. There was a spray of tiny silver pieces as they tinkled and clinked, and they fell to the floor.

Al and Collin stared at each other in horror.

Eric lunged for me, and I did nothing to stop him. He laughed and slid his bleeding thumb along my lower lip. Without a thought, eagerness overcame me and I ran my tongue over his precious blood, wishing I could have more.

Collin screamed as he flung himself at us, but Eric laughed, "She's mine now."

Collin's hand wrapped around my wrist, but he was too late.  I was already dissolving as heat flashed through me. Collin's wide blue eyes watched me in terror as I was carried away in Eric's arms.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Effonation sucked when I didn't have a lethal poison lodged in my chest, but doing it with the sapphire serum made it unbearable. My body resisted the pain as long as possible, but it was impossible to ignore. Fighting the pain quickly drained every drop of energy I had, and sleep began to paw at me, making my eyelids droop. My head feel too heavy to hold up. I passed out as soon as the pain from the heat stopped. Drowsiness overtook me and I felt my body go limp in Eric's arms. I was too out of it to be terrified. Nothing mattered at that second. I was too weak and the pain from having my skin spliced off left me numb this time. Semiconscious, I felt Eric carrying me as he clicked through a door and laid me down where I slept like the dead, unaware of what has happening.

Sleep was scaring me more and more. Every time that healing sleep was needed, my dreams grew stranger and stranger. This time was no different. When the darkness cleared, I found myself in a grand room. The intricate marble floors gleamed under candle light. High on a shelf, I spied the only object in the entire room - a gleaming ruby challis. Suddenly, my mouth was filled with sand and the tiny grains flowed from my lips and onto the floor in front of me. As soon as I decided that I needed that cup to fill with water, the sand stopped. I moved toward the shelf and felt a long black ball gown swishing around my ankles. I looked down, realizing I was wearing a tightly laced black corset with large stone decorations that flowed into the black skirt.

Ignoring the gown, I reached for the crimson cup on the shelf. My fingers wrapped around the cold crystal, and I peered inside. It was filled with silver liquid. Putting the challis to my lips, I drank greedily until the shining liquid was gone. At first, the liquid quenched my thirst, so when the cup refilled, I drank more. But after two cups of the shimmering silver drink, it turned rancid in my mouth as it solidified. As I gagged on the course drink, it felt like I was going to vomit. Opening my mouth wide and dry heaving, the contents of my stomach finally erupted in the form of black feathers. Grackles erupted from the feathers and flew from my mouth making hideous screeches, as they flew away. When there was nothing left to heave up from my stomach, I looked at the cup in my hand. It had turned into a snake and coiled around my shoulders as if it knew me.

I screamed, trying to take it off, but a voice said, You cannot deny what you are.

Confused I stopped struggling and looked up. The snake had melded with my skin, and it bared its poisoned fangs. The rest of the snake's body dissolved into mine. Slack jawed, I watched in horror as my skin was replaced with cold scales, and my eye teeth grew into long, curved fangs filled with venom.

Sweat covered my entire body as I sat up screaming. White sheets were stuck to me, and sweat dribbled down my temples. Wildly, I threw back the blankets, remembering what happened, and tried to stand. My body protested and I fell to the floor, landing square on my hip. Tears streamed down my face, as a hand grasped my arm and picked me up. Before I knew what happened, arms were around me and lifting me back into the bed. There was such a thick haze over my eyes that I could barely see anything. Blinking back tears, I looked at the person standing next to me.

Eric.

His body was long and lean. Since he turned Valefar, he was dressing differently. It defined his sleek body and the curves of his muscles. His golden eyes peered down at me, cold and lifeless. "You are one pain in the ass, Taylor." I winced as he spoke. His voice seemed so loud. His eyes narrowed as he stared at me, folding his arms over his chest.

I held my hands to my forehead. The throbbing sensation in my temples was horrible, and the light seemed blinding, although I knew it was fairly dark in here. Something was wrong. Trying to look up at him defiantly, I growled, "What'd you do to me?"

The corner of Eric's mouth pulled up into a crooked smile. It reminded me of the old Eric, but with an evil twist. "Blood. What else?" He shook his head, shocked that I didn't know. "Do you seriously not know?" I shook my head and instantly regretted it.

"I feel like I have a hangover," my fingertips pressed into my temples as I looked down. Nausea washed over me as I pressed my lips closed. I'd not done any serious partying in a long time, but I recognized the effects. Damn, did he drug me? Anger erupted inside of me. I shot off the bed and threw a punch at his stomach, "You drugged me, you sick bastard."

Eric laughed, easily grabbing my wrist and twisting it until I screamed and fell back onto the bed. I lay on my back, staring at the ceiling, too weak and nauseous to move. Eric leaned next to me. "Tell me why your boyfriend has no idea what Valefar blood can do. How could that be possible?"  I didn't know what he was talking about and told him so. "That's just it. He should have known not to risk you, but he did anyway. What do you want so badly that it would be worth risking you?"

I turned slowly towards Eric. The room swirled around him before settling. I pressed my eyes closed, willing it to stop spinning. That was when I felt warm fingers press gently on my eyes, and before Eric said, "Open." I did as he said, and the spinning stopped. Blinking, I looked at him.

His short hair had grown out since the last time I saw him. He didn't wear it neat and parted anymore. It was wild and messy. The dark clothing he wore made his skin seem paler, but it made his eyes glow bright gold. Eric's mouth twitched into another smile, "Like what you see?"

My stomach fluttered and I looked away. I moved to sit up and Eric didn't try to stop me. The room no longer spun at all, but my head was still throbbing. "If you didn't drug me, then what'd you do to me?"

Eric sighed and sat up next to me. "Blood, Taylor. You're an addict now. Get used to it." He rose and walked over to a bookcase. The room I was in was very different from the last skeevy hotel room he took me to. This room was almost completely white, with dark wood floors, and white fluffy throw rugs scattered about. I was laid on a huge dark wood poster bed with white linens in the center of the room.

My jaw tensed, "What? What are you talking about? I'm not hooked on anything." In the past, that might have been a different story  - some could have said I was hooked on boys and used them like a drug - but not now. My heart was racing, and I felt strange, like I needed something, but I wasn't sure what. The strange dreams... Being covered in sweat... My mouth hung open, ready to ask what he did to me, but too afraid to. I was acting like I was addicted to something.

Eric didn't shy away from the subject, though he wasn't gloating either. "You're addicted to my blood. You want it. That's why you feel like that. That's why you couldn't move when I captured you." He walked back to the bed where I was sitting and stood in front of me. "How did he not tell you how this works? What reason could he possibly have for not telling you?" An evil smile spread across his lips as he tilted his head at me, "Are you hooked on his blood, too?"

"No!" Rage flew through me. Collin didn't drug me so I would like him. I never felt like this with him - I never felt out of control and twitchy. But, why didn't he tell me? A frown slid across my face. What was Collin hiding? Something that had to do with blood... I tried to piece it together, but I didn't know.

Glancing up at Eric, I asked, "What does it do?" When Eric only looked at me and said nothing, I felt desperate. He trapped me and had some power over me now. Shit! Why didn't Collin tell me this! Anger coursed through me and I balled my fists, ready to rip Eric apart. But I was too weak, and he knew it.

He finally dropped his folded arms, and spoke, "It's like a drug. You'll crave my blood and want more. And you already know the rest - the more Valefar blood you ingest, the more likely you'll become one of us."

All the breath was sucked from my body. The pit of my stomach went cold as I bent in half, grabbing my stomach. A storm of emotions erupted inside of me. Why didn't Collin tell me? Why did Eric do this? I should have listened to Al. I screamed, and looked up at him. My eyes pooled violet. I could feel the heat in every inch of my body.

"Take it away. Undo it. Now," I hissed.

Eric stood in front of me and was completely unprepared for what happened next. I launched myself at him, but this time my attempt wasn't halfhearted. My fingers grabbed my silver comb, elongating the blades as I threw myself at him. The silver tines ripped across his chest as he attempted to move, but he wasn't fast enough. The momentum of my movement sent us flying across the room when our bodies collided. I had extra power, but I was unsure of where it came from or how long it would last. I didn't care. For the instant, I was much stronger than Eric. I pinned him to the floor with ease. Inhaling sharply, I swung back my comb, ready to thrust the blades through his throat. Ribbons of blood flowed from the hissing wound in his chest, and filled the air with an alluring aroma.