Kuvon gave her the evil eye before turning his gaze to the vial in his hands once again. With slow yet deliberate movements, he flicked the top off with his thumb.
The reaction was almost instant. Every vampire in the room took a deep breath at the same time. They all leaned forwards, trying to get closer to the source.
Eva had to fight to keep her smile off her face. Instead, she continued to face forward with the same neutral expression that she had worn for the entire meeting.
Kuvon’s tongue traced across his lips. His eye contact with the vial remained unbroken. “I thought that I had smelled something sweet.” His eyes flicked up to meet with Eva’s blindfold before they dropped back to the vial. “So it was this.”
That was something of a relief. They had been hoping that the vampire wouldn’t assume the blood to be her blood. If they did make the connection, Serena had been worried that they might fight in an attempt to capture her as some kind of blood doll.
So long as they didn’t believe her to be the source, Serena had a cover story ready. Any scent of the blood on Eva would just be assumed to be from contact with the vials.
Without even asking if it was poisoned, he put the edge of the vial to his lips and tilted the entire thing back. Eva used her control over the blood to ensure that every last drop made it into his mouth. Anything left over could potentially be used against her. Something that Eva was not willing to allow.
He pulled the vial away from his lips with a long sigh. “Where did you come across such a treat?”
“I’m originally from Michigan. We have a dragon preserve near my home.”
“This is not dragon blood.”
“No. It is the blood of a crossbreed. Difficult and dangerous to get. Normally. Thankfully, I struck up something of a friendship with one particular crossbreed. Whenever I’m in the area, I pick up a few vials.”
“You have more?” he asked as he flipped the vial over between his fingers. His eyes were switching between Serena, Eva, and the vial with every flip.
Serena turned back towards Eva. Eva gave her a curt nod.
“Enough for you to have another and a single vial to all of your vampires. Your permission willing, of course.”
All the vampires perked up at being included in the deal. All except for Lord Kuvon, of course. He likely wanted the vials all to himself. With the offer made to his den, he couldn’t deny it without breeding resentment among the vampires.
His narrowed eyes flicked to the bartender before sweeping across the room.
After a moment, he smiled. He spread his arms wide and let out a few quick laughs. “A most generous offer,” he said. “I believe it will serve as a suitable restitution for your offense.”
Again, Serena turned and nodded in Eva’s direction.
Eva pulled six vials out of her jacket. Technically, they had enough for nine vampires. Plus all the demon blood she had, though none of them would want that according to Serena. Eva tossed the vials around the room, hitting each vampire with perfect accuracy.
Some uncapped it the moment it was in their hands and immediately downed it. Others were more wary. The bartender examined it. Holding the vial in his hands, sniffing it, tasting just a drop at first. The man farthest from Kuvon seemed to savor it, swishing a small portion around in his mouth before finally swallowing it.
Kuvon himself placed the vial inside a pocket of his jacket. “I think I’ll savor this one on my own at a later time,” he said, patting the pocket.
Eva wanted to protest. The longer he went without drinking it, the higher chance it would fall into someone’s hands that she did not want to have it.
Not that she wanted him to have it.
Of course, maybe that wouldn’t even stop anyone. She could still see the blood resting in the vampires’ stomachs. It was plain to see, separate and distinct from the unmoving, nonliving blood that made up the rest of the vampires’ bodies.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t say a word. Not without making herself suspicious.
Besides, the ball was in her court now. Even if the vampires didn’t realize it.
“I’d recommend drinking it soon, Lord Kuvon,” Serena said, coming to Eva’s rescue without even realizing it. “My servant’s body heat won’t keep it warm for long once away from her body.”
“A good point,” he said, removing it from his pocket.
For a moment, Eva thought that he might actually drink it.
Instead, he wrapped one hand around the waist of one of his thralls. She gave a light squawk of surprise as he tugged at her shirt line and dropped the vial inside.
“Lose it or break it,” he said to her, “and I’ll tear your throat out.”
With a rough shove for someone who didn’t want the vial broken, he knocked her back behind his chair.
“Though,” he said as his attention returned to Serena, “you bring up an interesting topic. Your servant with the blindfold, she isn’t blind.”
Serena looked back for just a moment before shrugging. “A necromancer tore out her eyes. She has since developed other methods of interacting with the world around her.”
At Serena’s words, one of the vampires shifted. The one farthest from Kuvon. Eva narrowed her eyes behind her blindfold, wondering just what had caused that reaction.
“Necromancers. Bad business getting involved with them.” Kuvon leaned back in his chair, holding out his hands as if grasping a basketball. “They never seem to understand subtlety. Always drawing undead hunters to wherever they go. The cursed Elysium Order and bounty hunters. So many bounty hunters.”
Once again, Nel moved closer to Eva and grabbed hold of her arm. She held on tight, as if letting go would lead to the vampires finding out about her Elysium origins.
Eva paid her no mind. All of her attentions were focused on the vampire on the other side of the room.
“I am glad we agree on that matter,” Serena said. She waved a hand towards Eva. “Unfortunately, our business here involves necromancers. One in particular is only a few miles away from your town. We are currently hunting the one who took my attendant’s eyes.”
“A necromancer?” Kuvon leaned forward again, slamming his fist to the table. “Here? Preposterous. I would know of such things.”
While Serena tried to placate the self-styled lord with opinions that perhaps Sawyer just hadn’t come to town yet, Eva tuned them out.
The vampire she was keeping an eye on had stood up and moved towards the bathroom.
Did vampires even use the bathroom? Eva thought as she watched.
He didn’t appear to be heading towards a stall. Rather, he removed something from his pocket. A phone, based on the size, shape, and him tapping at it.
Sawyer had his hands arm-deep inside the chest cavity of a corpse. The third body of the evening, to be specific. He paused slightly as something vibrated within his pocket.
Eva wasted no time. She clapped her hands together.
The blood contained within the vampire’s stomach detonated, obliterating a good portion of his torso with it. Her blood was weaker than demon blood, but an entire vialful set inside the vampire was more than enough to split him in two.
It wasn’t a stake to the heart, nor was it chopping off his head. As Eva watched everything half-way up his lungs fall to the ground, she was fairly certain that it wouldn’t matter. At least, he wouldn’t be getting up anytime soon.
Sawyer didn’t answer the phone call. His arms were still deep in the chest, pushing some organs around and removing others. Soon enough, the vibration in his pocket ceased.
He would likely call back once he had finished, but it was too late. His minion wouldn’t be around to tell him a thing. That might set off a few suspicious flags, but it was preferable to him being told that Eva was hunting him.
Eva’s clap did not go unnoticed. Nel jumped a few feet in the air while both she and Serena started looking around the room, wondering just who had exploded. Before they had left the motel, Eva had told them just what her clapping would mean.