It felt like a jellyfish sting.
Mary-Lynnette kept her eyes shut and her face turned away as Rowan bit into her neck. She was
thinking of the way the deer had screamed. But thepain wasn't so bad. It went away almost immediately.
She could feel warmth at her neck as the bloodflowed, and, after a minute, a slight dizziness. A
weakness. But the most Interesting thing was that allat once she seemed to have a new sense. She could
sense Rowan's mind.It was like seeing, but withouteyes-and using different wavelengths than visual light.
Rowan's mind-her presence-was warmred, like glowing embers in a campfire. It was alsofuzzy and
rounded like a ball of hot gas floatingIn space.
Is this what psychics mean when they talk aboutpeople having an aura?
Then Rowan pulled back, and it was over. The new sense disappeared.
Mary-Lynnette's fingers went automatically to herneck. She felt wetness there. A little tenderness.
"Don't fool with it," Rowan said, brushing at herlips with her thumb. "It'll go away in just a
minute."
Mary-Lynnette blinked, feeling languid. She lookedover at Mark, who was being released by Kestrel.
He looked okay, if a little dazed. She smiled at him'and he raised his eyebrows and shook his head
slightly.
I wonder what his mind looks like, Mary-Lynnettethought. Then she said, startled, "What are you
doing?"
Rowan had picked up a twig and was testing itsend for sharpness.
"Every species has some substance that's harmfulto it," she said. "Silver for werewolves, iron for
witches...and wood for vampires. It's the onlything out here that will cut our skin," she added.
"I didn't mean that. I meantwhy, " Mary-Lynnettesaid, but she knew why already. She watched
rednessbead in the wake of the twig as Rowan drew it across her wrist.
Exchange blood, Rowan had said.
Mary-Lynnette gulped. She didn't look at markand Kestrel.
I'll do it first and then he'll see it's not so bad, shetold herself. I can do this, I can do this.... It's so wecan
stayalive.
Rowan was looking at her, offering her wrist.
Copperbloodfear, Mary-Lynnette thought, feeling queasy.
She shut her eyes and put her mouth to Rowan'swrist.
Warmth. Well-being. And a taste not like copper, but like something rich and strange. Later, she'd al
ways grope for ways to describe it, but she could onlythink of things like: well, a little bit like the way
vanilla bean smells, and a little bit like the way silk feels, and a little bit like the way a waterfall looks. It
was faintly sweet.
Afterward, she felt as if she could run up mountains.
"Oh, boy," Mark said, sounding giddy. "If you could bottle that stuff, you'd make millions."
"It's been thought of before," Kestrel said coolly. "Humans hunting us for our blood."
"Talk later," Rowan said firmly. "Blood-tie now."
Kestrel's mind was gold. With brilliant knifelikeedges sending glitters in every direction.
"Okay, Jade," Rowan said. "Mark. Enough, you guys. Let go of each other now."
Mary-Lynnette saw that she was physically pullingMark and Jade apart. Mark was wearing a silly smile,
and Mary-Lynnette felt the tiniest stab of envy. What would it be like to see the mind of somebody you
were in love with?
Jade's mind was silver and lacy, an intricate filigreed sphere like a Christmas ornament. And by the time
Mary-Lynnette sat back from drinking Jade's blood, she felt light-headed and sparkling. As if she had a
mountain stream in her veins.
"All right," Rowan said. "Now we share the sameblood." She held out a hand, and Jade and
Kestrel did the same. Mary-Lynnette glanced at Mark, then they each reached out, all their hands
meeting like spokes in a wheel.
"We promise to be kin to you, to protect and defend you always," Rowan said. She nodded to
Mary-Lynnette.
"We promise to be kin to you," Mary-Lynnetterepeated slowly. "To protect and defend you
always."
"That's it," Rowan said simply. "We're family."
Jade said, "Let's go home."
They had to finish burying Aunt Opal first. MaryLynnette watched as Rowan scattered pine needles over
the grave.
"You inherit our blood feuds, too," Kestrel told Mary-Lynnette pleasantly. "Meaning you have to
help us find out who killed her."
"I've been trying to do that all along."
They left the deer where it was. Rowan said,"There are already lots of scavengers around here. It won't
be wasted."
Yep, that's life, Mary-Lynnette thought as they leftthe clearing. She glanced behind her-and for justan
instant she thought she saw a shadow there anda glint of greenish-orange eyes at her own eye level. It
was much too big for a coyote.
She opened her mouth to tell the others ... and the shadow was gone.
Did I imagine that? I think my eyes are goingfunny. Everything seems too bright.
All her senses seemed changed-sharpened. Itmade it easier to get out of the woods than it had been
getting in. Mark and Jade didn't walk hand inhand-that would have been impractical-but Jade looked
back at him frequently. And when they got to rough spots, they helped each other.
"You're happy, aren't you?" Mary-Lynnette said softly when she found herself beside Mark.
He gave a startled, sheepish grin, white in the moonlight. "Yeah. I guess I am." After a minute hesaid,
"It's like-I don't know how to describe it, butit's like I belong with Jade. She reallysees me. I mean, not
the outside stuff. She sees me inside,andshe likes me. Nobody else has ever done that .. .except you."
"I'm happy for you."
"Listen," he said. "I think we should start looking around for you. There are lots of guys around
here-"
Mary-Lynnette snorted. "Mark. If I want to meeta guy, I'll meet a guy. I don't need any help."
He gave the sheepish grin again. "Sorry."
But Mary-Lynnette was thinking. Ofcourseshe'd like to find somebody who would accept her