Quinn’s chuckle came utterly unexpected. “Turn you? Not a chance, Blake.”

Blake tried to sit up, but winced from the pain it caused him. “I’m dying. Forget what I said at the house. I was in shock from Oliver sucking on my neck. I’m better now. I know I can handle it.”

Quinn shook his head and exchanged a smile with Rose. “Blake, it’s a flesh wound. It’ll heal in no time. There’s no need to turn you.”

“Are you sure?”

Rose interrupted. “He’s sure. But,” she hesitated, “maybe we should give him some blood to ease the pain and speed up the healing process?”

She looked at Quinn who slowly nodded. “Agreed. No need for him to suffer needlessly.”

“What blood?” Blake asked. Were they going to give him a transfusion? Surely, the paramedics would take care of that.

Quinn brought his wrist to his mouth and elongated his fangs. Instantly Blake realized what he was about to do.

“Fuck no!” he shouted.

“It’ll help you heal faster,” Quinn claimed and lowered his mouth to his wrist, ready to bite into it.

“No!” Blake motioned his head toward Rose. “If I have to drink anybody’s blood, I want Rose’s.”

“No way!” Quinn protested, his eyes suddenly glaring red.

Rose put her hand on his arm to calm him. “Maybe just this once. He is our grandson, and we got him into this.”

A silent battle seemed to rage between the two as they stared at each other. Then finally, Quinn nodded and looked at him.

“This will be the first and last time you’ll ever drink Rose’s blood. And if I see you enjoying it, I’ll bash your brains out later. Do you get that?”

Blake nodded hastily. Why would he enjoy it? Blood tasted gross!

He watched with fascination as Rose pierced her own wrist with her fangs then set the open wound to his lips. When the first drops of her blood reached his taste buds, Blake jolted in surprise.

Shit, it tasted good!

Now he also knew why Quinn was so mad at him: he was jealous that Blake got to drink Rose’s blood.

37

As soon as Blake had stopped drinking from Rose and he had left them in the nearest room, Quinn rushed upstairs again, bumping into Eddie who came running up the stairs, followed by Cain.

“Did we miss the fight?” Eddie asked.

Quinn listened for any sounds from upstairs. It had gone quieter, but some fighting was still going on.

“Almost. Cain, stay with Rose and Blake.” He motioned to the room he’d just left. “Eddie, come with me.”

It was time to finish this. Quinn only hoped it wasn’t too late for Thomas. He and Rose had left Thomas only three minutes earlier, but in a battle of mind control, three minutes could be an eternity.

He hoped the others had defeated their opponents and were somehow able to help Thomas. But deep down he knew that he hoped for the impossible. Nobody could interfere in a fight of mind control without risking his own sanity and life.

Quinn burst through the door into the room just as Zane dealt a deadly blow with his knife, severing the head of his opponent, covering himself in a cloud of dust as the vampire disintegrated.

“Oh God no!” Eddie cried out when he entered the room, his eyes instantly falling on Thomas and the battle he was still locked into.

He rushed toward him, but Quinn was faster and pulled him back.

“We have to help him!”

“You can’t get between them. If you do, the energy that’s traveling between them will incinerate your mind,” Quinn warned.

“Then shoot the guy!” Eddie ordered, looking around the room for who had a gun.

Quinn looked at Thomas and Keegan, but they weren’t stationary anymore. They moved back and forth at varying speeds, circling each other like prize fighters in a ring.

“And risk killing Thomas?” Quinn shook his head.

“Then what are we gonna do? Don’t you see, he’s in pain.”

Eddie was right, Thomas’s face was contorted in pain, yet his body still held up. But for how long?

“I’ve got it,” Wesley’s voice suddenly came from behind them.

Quinn turned to him, but before he could inquire what Wesley meant, he ran past them, lifting his arm, swinging it, then throwing something. A small item, a bottle or something, flew through the air, then landed on the floor between the two fighters, where it smashed into pieces.

Blue smoke rose from the spilled liquid, making the air sizzle as if acid were burning through metal. Thomas instantly tumbled back, freed from the invisible hold Keegan had had on him.