“No,” Bastien responded, meeting her gaze. “Keegan only knew there were genetic differences, that immortals’ DNA is different.” Yet again, he had said immortals’ DNA rather than our DNA. “He wasn’t aware of the physical characteristics immortals share. Even vampires seem to be unaware of those. Hell, I wouldn’t have noticed it myself if Sarah hadn’t pointed it out to me. Vampires don’t survive encounters with immortals often enough to compare notes.”
Melanie considered the consequences of Emrys’s capturing a vampire. She had read the files on Ami, knew the gruesome details of her capture and subsequent torture. Their study of her.
They had justified the inhumane treatment in their notes by insisting they must study her in such fashion in order to protect themselves from a possible alien invasion. But no doctor would consider what they did to her merely studying her.
Melanie studied the vampires who lived at the network. She carefully scrutinized their blood, examined tissue samples, searched their DNA for anything dormant that could be stimulated to act as the immortals’ DNA did and protect humans infected with the virus from the brain damage it caused. She routinely ran tests—CT scans, MRIs, and more—to seek the same. But all of this was done with the express permission of the vampires. And none of it harmed them.
Ami had basically been dissected while she was still alive. They had cut her, burned her, removed fingers and toes, even entire organs . . . all while she lived, while she was alert, without anesthesia and with a complete disregard for the agony they inflicted. If her body did not have astounding regenerative capabilities, she would be dead.
And Ami had approached them in peace.
Melanie doubted Emrys and his crew would show any vampires they managed to corral more regard or handle them with more care than they had Ami. Particularly since, unlike Ami, there were plenty of other vampires around to torture, making them expendable.
“Emrys could learn almost everything he needs to know about you—your strengths and weaknesses—if he got his hands on a vampire,” she murmured. “I’m sure any doctors he employed would be utterly ruthless in their study.”
Bastien nodded. “Because he was too afraid to work with vampires when I knew him, there was much Montrose still didn’t know. But Emrys clearly doesn’t have such fears. He also may have the balls to go public with whatever he learns without worrying about facing the scorn or disbelief Montrose feared. That’s why we need to keep the vampires out of his hands.”
“By befriending them?” Roland asked dryly. “Hunting and destroying them will keep them out of Emrys’s hands just as efficiently.”
The other immortals all nodded.
“No, it won’t,” Bastien insisted. “There are too many of them. And you can’t divide your attention between hunting vampires and hunting Emrys’s men. Immortals are already stretched too thin because vampires continue to flock to this part of the country.”
“And whose fault is that?” Marcus queried.
“Marcus,” Ami stated softly, “Bastien was there for us when the vampire king took me. At least listen to what he has to say.”
The eight-century-old immortal frowned down at his wife. Seconds later, his eyes began to glow faintly and a decidedly not irritated look entered them. A slow smile slid across his features. “You don’t play fair,” he told her.
She grinned. “I know.”
Shaking his head, he motioned for Bastien to continue.
“The only way we can possibly succeed in keeping the vampires out of Emrys’s clutches is by bringing them into the loop and warning them that humans armed with this drug are now hunting them. Word of mouth is what keeps luring them here in the first place. They’ve heard about the uprisings and want to see what’s going on firsthand. Word of mouth can also warn them of the new threat and work to our advantage.”
“Have you never heard the saying the enemy of my enemy is my friend?” Roland drawled.
Bastien’s lips tightened. “We all have. That’s precisely my point. If we can convince the vampires that they have a new enemy—one the two of us share—who poses an even greater threat to them than we do, then perhaps we can work together to defeat Emrys. For whatever reason, the vampires today are more willing to band together.”
“Again, I think we know whose fault that is,” Roland drawled.
“Why not use that to our advantage?” Bastien persisted. Melanie silently applauded him for not rising to the bait. “Why not have them band together and work with us instead of against us? Find a way to make it worth their while?”
Roland emitted a bark of laughter. “If you think I’m going to work with vampires, you’re out of your bloody mind. And I’m sure as hell not going to let Sarah work with them.”
Sarah’s eyebrows flew up. “I’m sorry. Did you say you’re not going to let me?”
He cleared his throat. “I meant I’m sure as hell not going to let them work with you.”
“Shouldn’t that be my decision?”
He smiled. “Only if you agree with me, sweetling.”
Sarah laughed and shook her head. “You’re impossible.”
“I know.”
“Roland made a good point,” Marcus threw in. “How do you know the vampires won’t side with Emrys against us? It’s too great a risk.”
“They stand to lose as much as we do if Emrys gets his hands on them,” Bastien insisted.
“The vampire king didn’t think so,” David stated. “Emrys promised him an army if he would capture and hand over Ami. I’m sure there are many vampires out there who would leap at such an offer. And many others who might leap at less. Their mental instability does not leave them with the best judgment.”
“So we convince them the offer is bullshit,” Bastien persisted. “Tell them Emrys is the one who killed the vampire king. That we were only able to defeat the king’s army because Emrys got there before us and destroyed most of them. Make us seem like the lesser of two evils and make the point so clearly that even a complete psychopath can see it.”
Us? Melanie stared at him. That was a slip.
In the silence that followed, Tanner cleared his throat. “It worked before.”
Seth turned his attention on the blond. “Elaborate.”
“The vampires who served under Bastien feared him.”
That surprised Melanie. Not because she doubted Bastien was capable of inspiring fear. He had frightened her a bit the first time she had met him in person and had no trouble in the intimidation department. But Cliff and Joe spoke so highly of him. Vince had, too.
“Most of them did anyway,” Tanner qualified. “It was the only way Bastien could control those who were starting to lose it mentally. He had strict rules. And the vampires feared what he might do to them if they disobeyed those rules.” He held up a hand when Roland started to speak. “Yes, some of them broke the rules anyway, but a majority of them didn’t or else there would have been a hell of a lot more Missing Person reports.” He looked to Chris. “Am I right?”
Melanie wondered just how much it galled Chris to nod his agreement.
“My point is,” Tanner continued, “the vampires considered Bastien the lesser of two evils. They knew they had a greater chance of survival with him than if they were on their own. And they knew that defeating the immortals would increase their safety. If they think Emrys and his soldiers—or whoever the hell he commands—pose a greater threat to them than you do, they’ll get the word out to the other vamps and the more stable ones may work with you to defeat him and help keep the others out of his hands.”