I charged towards them at the same time she blasted him with a wave of energy. Grabbing her hand, I drug her to the stairwell. Arm firm around her waist, I called to the air and shot up the middle.
“I got it,” she yelled, pushing me away as we landed.
Using a cloaking spell, I flew to the exit. My rage threatened to erupt as I felt magic come off her in waves.
“We have to get Antonio.” I rounded the garage wall as a vehicle pulled into the driveway.
Alena grabbed one of his arms. “Grab his other arm!”
I jumped as I locked my arm in his, and we went sailing through the air to our vehicle. Landing, I let go and slid into the waiting car. Alena followed me in and slammed the door.
“Go!” I yelled.
Mario put the vehicle in gear and sped towards the road. As the car bounced over the rough terrain, my eyes adjusted to the lack of light. Seeing Camille limp in her father’s arms, my fury with Alena evaporated.
“How is she?” I knelt in front of them.
Grady put his fingers to her wrist. “I don’t know. She’s breathing, but barely. Her heart rate is slow. I don’t know what they did to her. She opened her eyes but didn’t say anything.”
“Camille,” I whispered, placing my hand on her forehead. “She’s freezing.”
“I know.” He hugged her to him.
“Let me hold her. Move.” I motioned to Tyler who scooted over. Seated beside Grady, I supported Camille’s back and shifted her to my lap.
“Guys, we’ve got company. Any way to get us out of this?” Antonio called from the front.
My eyes locked on Alena’s. “Cloaking spell?”
“With all four of us it might work. Everyone put your palm on the metal.” She placed her palm on the ceiling.
Hand to the vehicle frame, I poured all my magic into the spell. “Is it working?” I called.
Antonio’s eyes cut to the back mirror. “They just stopped.”
“Okay, we’ll hold the cloak for a while longer. Let’s take a less direct route.”
“Got it.” Mario tapped on the map on the dashboard.
I held Camille against my chest with one arm and with the other pressed my palm to the wall of the vehicle. Mario wound through a neighborhood, descending to the coast and cutting south to the boat dock. Stopping, we surveyed the surroundings before we released the cloaking spell. Seeing the boat blinking its lights, we flung the doors open. Outside Grady put his arms out. I can take her.
“No, I’ve got her.” I ran to the ramp and jumped onto the boat. As soon as all of us were on, the engine roared, propelling us out onto the dark ocean. Seeing the lights bouncing off the fog, I cursed the weather. Two boats with four vampires in each trailed ours, and I started to let myself think we were safe. Of course, we had Alena in our boat, and she could be tracked anywhere.
With Camille in my arms, I made my way to the helm. “We need to get aside the other boats. Get Alena on a different path.”
“What are you talking about?” Grady asked.
“What’s going on?” Alena approached us. “You need to sit down with Camille.”
“No.” I shook my head. “We need to get you off this boat.”
“Jude.” Alena’s eyes locked on mine. “We’ll be fine. Let’s not do anything rash. It’s a half-hour ride.”
The only reason I held my tongue was to keep the crew on task. Plus, I figured if I kept her secret for a while, she might divulge why she felt she needed to hide what happened. I could think of many reasons, but I wanted to hear her story. Her pride would keep her from telling them about him forcing his blood into her mouth. He’d tricked her, lured her in, and turned on her. I had to admit I sort of even believed he loved her. He was either lying or did in his own sick way. She wouldn’t want Hunter to know his half-brother had sucked her in. It would seem like a betrayal. Camille had gotten caught because of her draw to the sword. Alena might have fallen under the same spell. Whatever her reasoning, I wanted to know. I just prayed there was a way to rid her of the mate bond before Theron and his family found her and us.
Camille drew in a deep breath, and I returned to my seat. Focusing on the face in front of me, I saw her eyelids flutter. Her eyes opened, and irises dark as the night that surrounded us greeted me. She blinked, and her eyes fell shut again.
Rubbing my eyes, I turned to Grady. “Did you see that?”
“No, what happened?” He studied her face.
“Her eyes are black.”
“What?”
“Her irises are black,” I repeated.
Grady opened her lids and her eyes, dark as ebony, rose and fell in their sockets. “They poisoned her with something. But we’ll figure it out. She’ll be okay.” He nodded his head, and I wondered if he was trying to convince himself.
We sat there in silence. Five, ten, and then fifteen minutes passed. As I was about to ask Grady if he’d contacted Janine, the lights went out.
“What happened?” Grady yelled.
Carrying a flashlight, Antonio entered the main room. “All the electronics are gone on all three boats.”
“How is that possible?” Tyler asked.
“We don’t know, but without navigation, this could be a long trip.”
“We’ve got to make it back before daybreak.” Alena stood and walked out the door towards the helm. We followed her to the small control room.
“The engine is still going, but if it cuts out, we don’t have electricity for the starter,” the captain told us. “I’m keeping the course steady. We should hit ground at some point.”
“Are you kidding? How did all three boats lose electronics?” I turned to Alena. “Is this magic?”
Grady flipped switches on the control panel. “I don’t see any other explanation.”
The darkness seemed to suck the sound out of the room. We stared into nothingness as the boat bobbed on the ocean. Five, ten, and then fifteen minutes passed.
The captain craned his neck. “We should be nearing shore, but I can’t see anything. Never seen fog like this.”
“Wait, what’s that light?” Alena pointed out the window.
“I don’t see a light.” I said to the group, and the others concurred.
“No, it’s right there. You guys don’t see it? It looks like a white glowing buoy. Or”—she approached the glass—“a glowing man.”
“Does it have wings? Maybe we’re all dead or have crossed over into some alternate plane. I’d believe anything right now.” Tyler paced the small space.
“We follow the light. Let me take the wheel.” Alena approached the captain.
“Have you driven a boat before?” I asked.
“I know how to steer. It’s probably Hunter signaling from the shore. Maybe that’s why only I can see him.”
“And the other vampires can’t?”
“Stop being so negative. That’s not going to help anything. Let me drive. I know this is the signal for the location.”
“Okay, madam.” The captain relinquished the steering wheel to her.
I wasn’t sure what Alena was seeing, but she followed whatever it was, and within a few minutes, we saw blue and red lights signaling from the shore.
Tyler pointed to the beach. “Now those, I see.”
“That’s weird.” Alena let go of the wheel, and the captain returned to his post.
“I don’t care how we got here.” The captain steered the boat to the beach.
As the bow hit sand, I transferred Camille to Grady and jumped over the side. He lowered her to my arms.
Hunter met me as I trudged out of the shallow surf. “Is she okay?”
“She’s holding on.”
“The vehicles are waiting.” He cocked his head to the lot beyond the beach.
I made my way up the hill and got in one of the vehicles, hoping Alena and Hunter would pick a different one. Within minutes Grady and Tyler climbed in the vehicle. When Alena’s head appeared in the doorway, I shook my head.
“Take another car.”
“No.” She climbed into the seat in front of me.
“What’s going on?” Hunter asked as he got in after her.
“Nothing.” She glared at me. “Let’s get back to the compound.” She tapped the shoulder of the driver in front of her.
Wishing Alena would fess up so I didn’t have to tell on her, I held my thoughts. Why was I still with her? Why didn’t I press her or get in another car? In the end, I knew it would be safest for Camille to have Anne’s protection. Plus, Camille wanted to be united with Alena and Hunter.
Holding Camille to my chest, I watched her breath. The pallor of her skin and dark circles under her eyes made me shudder.
“Did you call Janine? I think you should prepare her,” I told Grady. “Do you guys have phones?” I called to the guards in front.
My leg wouldn’t stop bouncing. Would the effects of the poison be reversible? Could we get the brand extracted? Was I putting her in more harm by keeping her with Alena?
“Jude.” Alena’s hand stopped the motion of my leg. “She’s going to be okay. Why don’t you give her some of your blood?”
“Oh no, I’m not going to watch this.” Tyler turned to look out the window.
“Vampire blood can’t cure everything,” Grady noted.
“It’s worth a shot.” I took the blade Alena offered and slit my wrist. When I dripped the blood into Camille’s mouth, she sputtered and coughed. Still, she didn’t wake. Next, I put my hand on her forehead, sending healing waves into her brain.
“We have great doctors and all the medical help she could need at the compound,” Alena assured me.
We couldn’t get to the safe house fast enough. Each time the van slowed, I wondered if we were there. I checked my watch again and again. Finally, the vehicle slowed, and the engine cut off.
Janine’s face was the first I saw as I exited the vehicle with Camille.
“Oh, my.” Tears formed in her eyes.
“She’s going to be okay,” I said.
I carried her to the medical room and laid her on a bed. “She needs warming blankets, maybe some blood. I don’t know.”
The doctors attached leads for monitors and started an IV fluids bag to hydrate her. The rescue party had followed us in, and various conversations flowed around us. I wanted it to feel like a victory, and I knew it should, but Camille’s state and Alena’s silence on her encounter with Theron agitated me.
“This noise can’t be good for Camille,” I said to the doctor.
“Okay, everyone out save immediate family.”
My eyes bore into hers.
“And this gentleman who brought her in.” She backed away and turned to check the monitor.
“Go get Orm. He’s a master at poisons and potions,” I told Tyler. If there was one thing I knew, I wasn’t leaving Camille’s side.
After examining her eyes, fingers, toes, and darkened hair, Orm didn’t have any more clues than the doctors did.
“Let’s wait till she wakes up and get more information.”
“What if she doesn’t?”
“Her brain activity looks normal, and her vitals are improving with the fluids,” the doctor reported. “It will be a couple of hours before we get all the lab work back.”
Sitting beside her bed, I held her hand and talked to her. I told her about convincing the cab driver and pilot to get us to Grady’s safe house in Rome, about going to Reykjavik, Helene, and the search for Alena and Hunter. I told her about Marcus and how we’d discovered where she was. Janine sat on the other side of the bed, and we watched her chest rise and fall. After a few hours, Janine stood and wrapped her hand around Camille’s. “She’s sleeping, and you should too.”
“You go. I’ll stay.” My head turned to see a doctor approaching.
“We have the results of her bloodwork. Her kidney and liver functions are compromised.”
“Can you do dialysis, chelation therapy?”
“We’ll start her on dialysis. Chelation therapy would only tax her kidneys further.”
“Can we filter her blood in some way?”
“That’s an interesting idea. We’re testing for toxins, but so far, we haven’t identified what they gave her.”
“Will vampire blood help? Can we give her an IV of that?”
“Again, an interesting idea, but I want to proceed with caution. We don’t want to do something that will make her body work harder.”
“Well, start the dialysis then,” I told the doctor.
“The nurses are getting the equipment set up now.”
“Thank you.” I sat down and lowered my head into my hands.
“You’re so tired, you should get some rest,” Janine urged.
“I’ll sleep here. You go. I’ll come get you if she wakes.”
They started her on dialysis, but her condition remained unchanged through the night and into the next morning.
“You haven’t even changed.” Janine handed me a Styrofoam tray.
“I want to be here when she wakes up.”
“I’ll bring you some clothes then.”
“That’d be nice, thanks.” I ate the eggs, fruit, and bread she brought me.
When I’d finished, I used the small bathroom off the medical room to shower and dress. Grady, Tyler, Alena, Hunter, and Orm joined us in the small space.
“We’ll take her to see Helene as soon as she’s strong enough,” I told Grady.
“She’s safer here. You can bring Helene to us,” Alena said.
My anger got the best of me. “As soon as Camille’s stable, we’re leaving. No one is safe around you.”
Hunter’s eyes cut between us. “What are you talking about?”
“You didn’t tell them?” I bent down so we were eye to eye.
She smiled and took Hunter’s hand. “It’s nothing.”
I paced away from the bed and back. “Nothing? Theron force-fed you his blood. He can find you at any time. Camille, Hunter, all of us, are safer anywhere but with you.”
Hunter dropped Alena’s hand and backed away. “Theron was there? You drank his blood. Why didn’t you say something?”
Her eyes pleaded with him. “Camille is safe. We’re together, and that’s all that matters. We’re stronger than anything they can bring at us.”
“How did he even get that close to you? Why would you let him near you?” Hunter raked his hands through his hair.
Alena grabbed his forearm. “He’s your brother. He’s hurting. The more we take from him, the worse it’s going to be. I wanted to let him know he had a place here, with us. We could—”
“I won’t hear it again.” Hunter stopped her. “You drank his blood?”
Orm approached them. “This is grave. You’ve put the whole compound in jeopardy.”
“Isn’t there some way to drain his blood from her or something?” I asked.
“You want to bleed me out?” Alena looked to me, wide-eyed.
“Well, otherwise you, and anyone with you, is a sitting duck.”
“It may work,” Orm spoke up. “We could take a pint a day until all your blood is replaced.”
“What are we going to replace it with? No one has blood like me.”
Hunter took her hand. “We have to fix this. Your mother does.”
“We’re not telling my mother. She can’t afford six pints of blood.”
The doctor stepped towards us. “Not at one time. But over a couple of days.”
“How can we be sure it works?” Grady asked.
“I’m not sure we can.” Orm looked to Chalondra.
“Can only one vampire’s blood be active in a being? We could use another vampire’s blood as a marker,” I pointed out. “Replace her blood with Anne’s and test to see if we can find her with the marker blood.”
“Yes, Good idea. Anne’s blood couldn’t find her if any of Theron’s is left in her system.” Orm pointed at me. “And Anne keeps two pints of her blood on hand. We can have six more pints within what? How fast can we draw blood from Anne?” Orm looked to the doctor.
“Two pints a day,” she confirmed.
Hunter’s eyes were trained on the floor, and I hated this for him. He just learned his evil half-brother had claimed Alena as his mate. If it’d been me, I would have had the whole unknown of what they’d talked about going around in my head. I’d wonder if she had feelings for Theron and why she would be in his presence long enough to get lured into being force-fed his blood. I knew one thing: I wasn’t going to be the one that told Hunter Theron professed his love for her.
“What did he say to you? How did this even happen?” Hunter’s eyes didn’t leave the ground.
“The sword was there. I was so close to it.” Alena’s eyes glazed over as they had when she’d been talking to Theron.
“Theron knew you were coming?” Hunter questioned her.
“I don’t know. It seems like he stays with the sword.”
“Hey.” I corralled them to the door. “Maybe you guys should talk about this somewhere else. I don’t want to stress Camille.”
“We need to contact Anne, now.” Hunter spun away from Alena and walked to the exit.
Alena turned to face me. “I can’t believe you did that.”
“You’re putting us all at risk.”
“He won’t come for us.”
“Why else would he feed you his blood?”
Her eyes grew wide, and she turned and stomped from the room.
I motioned to Grady. “It’s going to be safer for Camille to go to your safe house.”
“When she’s better, we’ll take her there,” he confirmed.
“Maybe we can transfuse Camille’s blood. Would that make her better?” Tyler asked.
“It could,” the doctor admitted.
“Okay, hook me up.” Tyler shoved his shirt sleeve up.
They typed his blood, confirming he was a match for Camille, and took a pint. They wanted to take a pint a day until they collected six pints.
“Do two a day,” Tyler insisted, jumping up on an exam table.
By evening, the dialysis improved Camille’s kidney function, but only marginally. Her heart rate and blood pressure stayed weak. The doctors indicated the liver damage might be irreversible, so I focused my efforts on that organ. I pictured how Camille healed the birds and laid my palms on her side, sending healing waves of energy to the organ.
Later in the night when the others left, I sliced my arm and let drops of blood fall into her mouth. Maybe it wouldn’t be as effective as a full vampire’s blood, but she’d agreed to take my blood. I wouldn’t impose another’s blood on her without her consent. Climbing up on the bed, I stretched out beside her.
Janine’s voice woke me. “Have you tried talking to her?”
Feeling my face warm, I jumped off to the floor. “Sorry, I—”
“No, she needs all the company she can get. Touch is a powerful healer, even non-magic contact. Have you tried talking to her?”
“Yeah, I mean we’ve all been talking to her.”
“No, like in your special way. How you can push words into people’s heads.”
“Wow, I feel so stupid. Camille and I could communicate with our minds. I didn’t even think to try it.”
My pulsed raced as I contemplated being able to talk to her while in the coma. Taking her hand, I tried to speak to her using magic. I am so glad you’re back with us. We all are. Whatever happened, whatever is wrong with you, we’ll fix it. You’ll be okay. I love you so much. I stared at her face, trying to discern whether she moved or changed in any way.
“Did she move, react at all?” I asked Janine after watching Camille for a few minutes.
“I didn’t see anything. Did you hear anything?”
“No.” I gripped the edge of the bed, frustration and rage coursing through my body. If I’d gone deeper, I knew I’d find fear, but I couldn’t go there. “She’ll be fine.” I stood, swiping a tear from my cheek.
“She will.” Janine wrapped an arm around my shoulders, squeezing me for a second.
All I wanted to do was be alone with Camille, hold her, and help her stay warm. But that was selfish of me.
“How is she?” Tyler approached from behind us.
Janine turned toward Tyler. “The same.” She raked her hand across my back. “Jude, you should go get something to eat, take a shower, go to the gym.”
“No.” The word came out too forcefully, and she backed away. “Sorry, but I’m staying with her.”
“Well, I’m ready for my next donation.” Tyler hopped up on the exam table across from Camille. I wondered if he had any other setting than optimistic and peppy. I’d witnessed a little of that in Camille, but she was more introspective and reserved, almost a polar opposite of Tyler’s personality.
“I’ll bring you some food.” Janine turned and walked from the room.
“She any better?” Tyler asked.
“They’ll probably repeat the blood tests. Her vitals aren’t any better though.” I glanced up at the monitors.
Tyler cocked his head towards Camille. “She’s a fighter, she’ll be fine.”
“I know.” I paced the small space beside her bed, racking my brain for any further ideas on how to make her better. Waiting two more days for a blood transfusion would drive me nuts. What, you can’t be patient? my psyche asked. Obviously, I couldn’t.
“Can’t you take some blood out and put some in?” I asked when the nurse came to draw her blood.
“The transfusion will be more effective if we do it all at one time. You’ll only be diluting any toxins by doing it little by little.”
I got the logic, but it still it didn’t help my anxiety level.
“You tried talking to her?” Alena asked when she visited halfway through the day.
I balled my fists, thinking if one more person asked me that, I might lose it. “Yes, both ways.”
“What if Hunter and I try.” She reached her hand out to Hunter. I studied his strained temple, realizing he probably hadn’t gotten over the Theron incident. But, he held his palm out. Alena locked her hand on his. “Hold Camille’s hand.”
Each one of them took one of Camille’s hands, and they closed their eyes. When Alena’s opened, her downturned lips told all.
Still I asked. “Nothing?”
“Nothing but darkness.”
“And cold.” Hunter shivered and ran one hand down the other arm.
I wished they hadn’t even tried. It made me feel worse knowing Camille was trapped somewhere dark and cold. Holding her hand, I pushed images of the sunny days we’d had in Iceland into her mind. I imagined walks on the beach with her and hikes in a tropical rainforest.
Nothing made me happier than Tyler finishing donating the last pint of blood for Camille at the end of the second day.
“We can start the transfusion, now, right?”
“We’ll warm the blood, and then we can start,” the doctor indicated.
After a half hour, they returned with the warmed blood and inserted two additional IV lines. I held one of her hands, and Janine held the other on the opposite side of the bed.
“It will take about four hours to complete the transfusion,” the doctor told us.
“Thanks.” I glanced at the doctor for a second and then fixed my eyes on Camille again.
This had to work. They’d tried everything else. Continuing to push phrases and questions to her mind, I waited after each sentence for an answer. Still, there was none. After two hours, I stood and paced away from the bed.
“Shouldn’t she be getting halfway better?”
“Her body temperature is improving,” the nurse noted.
From the warmed blood, I thought. It didn’t prove she could hold her temperature up herself. For the first time in three days, I wondered if she would make it.
“She’s going to make it.” Janine glared at me as if she could read my thoughts.
“Yes, she is.” I traced back to Camille’s side.
An hour later, with three-fourths of Tyler’s blood in her, her color seemed to improve. “Is it wishful thinking, or does she look better?” I asked Janine.
“She looks better.” She stroked Camille’s face.
“Camille,” I whispered. There was no response. Squeezing her hand led to nothing different.
Nearing the end of the treatment, the room grew crowded with Grady, Tyler, Alena, Hunter, Chalondra, and Orm all gathered to see whether Camille would wake up. I’d wondered aloud why she said my name when I found her and then seemingly slipped into a coma. The doctors theorized that she’d had an adrenaline spike, perhaps temporarily been able to overcome the effects of the poison. Clutching her hand, I kissed her fingers, praying she would be okay.
As I did, her fingers twitched. “She moved.” I squeezed her hand, and she returned the gesture. “Camille?” I leaned in close to her face.
Her lids fluttered, and her eyes opened. Her irises were still black, but they were clear otherwise.
“Jude?”
“I’m here.”
“Thank goodness, you’re okay,” her mother exclaimed.
“Mom?” Camille’s gaze shifted to Janine. Grady and Tyler approached the bed. “Dad, Tyler? Where are we?”
Alena approached the bed. “We’re in Italy, on the mainland.”
“Alena?”
“Yes,” Alena nodded, tears forming in her eyes. “And this is Hunter.” She tugged on his arm, coaxing him towards the bed.
“I can’t believe it.” Camille clutched my hand and tears pooled in her eyes. “You found me.”
I held her stare. “Yes, I found you. Because you had my blood in your system.”
“Even with the magic-blocking walls?”
“It doesn’t block the blood bond.”
Okay, this is great and all, but I want to—” the doctor started, but everything went dark. “Okay, the generator should kick in,” the doctor continued.
The whir of motors filled the air, and thirty seconds later, emergency lights and the equipment clicked to life.
“What’s going on?” I looked to Alena.
“We’ll find out, come on.” Hunter tugged on Alena’s arm, and they jogged from the room.
I spun to face the doctor. “Does this happen often?”
“I wish I could say yes.”
“Which means something bad is going on.” I glanced over Janine’s head to see Alena and Hunter round the curve.
“We’re surrounded.” Hunter ran into the room, closing the doors behind them.
“Let me guess”—my eyes landed on Alena—“Michael’s coven.”
Alena’s eyes pierced into mine. “We can’t know that for sure.”
“Right.” My eyes darted around the room. “So, what do we do? Is there a secret exit?”
“We can seal off these back rooms, and there’s a tunnel.” The doctor started moving equipment around.
“How far out does it take us?”
“Princess.” Dimitri called from the doorway. Alena spun to face him. “We’re sealing off the interior rooms.”
“How much manpower do we have?” Hunter asked.
“Thirty outside and ten inside, plus this room full.”
“Did you leave any witches outside? They’ll be slaughtered,” I insisted.
“Chalondra is with them.”
“Like I said.”
“I’ll go.” Orm shuffled towards the door.
“No.” Alena gripped his shoulders. “You’re staying with us. This may not even come to a fight. They can’t get in.”
“So, they wait till they starve us?” Tyler asked.
“We have a month’s worth of food here. It’s stored at the tunnel entrance.” Hunter pointed to the closet the medical staff had started emptying.
“Did your mother’s blood arrive yet?” I asked.
Alena shook her head. “The package won’t come till morning.”
“Then you have to choose an alternative source. Either that or we split up into two groups. Alena and whoever is willing to be chased, and Camille, her family, and me.”
Camille grabbed my shirt. “We are not splitting up.”
“She has Theron’s blood in her system.”
“Oh.” Camille’s eyes cut to Alena.
“I’m sorry.” Alena gripped Camille’s hand.
Camille pulled the covers up to her chin. “We all make mistakes.”
I spun to the doctor. “You have a huge stash of blood. Do you have typing for everyone here? Can you figure out who’s a match for Alena?”
“I can try.” She strode to her computer workstation and started tapping keys. Alena and Hunter followed.
Refocusing on Camille, I took her hand. “How do you feel?”
“Tired but fine otherwise.”
A nurse approached and checked all the monitors. “She looks great. The blood transfusion worked.”
“Okay, get her unhooked from all this. We have to be ready to move.” I retrieved my backpack from under the bed and set it on Camille’s lap. “There is a change of clothes for you in here.”
“Why did you have that here?” Tyler asked.
“Duh, because something like this was bound to happen. Please tell me you have all your stuff in one bag ready to jet.”
“In my sleeping quarters.”
Grady stepped to my side. “It’s okay. If we can make it to the safe house in Rome, I have more sets of papers.”
I sorted through my bag, making sure I had everything. “We have to get her to Helene to get the brand off before we can go much farther anyway.”
“Who’s Helene?” Camille asked.
“We’ll worry about that later.” Janine eyed me, and I assumed she didn’t want Camille stressed more.
A rumbling sound grew to a roar, and a huge boom sounded above our heads. The building trembled around us. I gripped the bed with one hand and pressed the other against the wall to steady myself. Dust rained down from the ceiling. I hopped onto the bed, shielding Camille from falling debris.
I looked into her eyes. “I think we can assume this is Michael’s coven.”
She nodded, and I looked over my shoulder at the doctor. “Did you find any matches for Alena’s blood?”