Cam, being Cam, does not mince his words. ‘You’ve been ignoring your messages.’
‘I turned off my phone.’
‘Right.’ His shoulder lifts in a movement, not quite a shrug. ‘I think we should talk.’
They were the words I’ve been dreading. They rarely preface something you want to hear, in my experience, but there’s something about Cam’s manner that soothes me a little. He isn’t wearing the same expression as the last time we spoke. It isn’t his ‘breaking bad news’ face. It’s more neutral than that. Calming, almost.
‘I’m ready,’ I say, even though I don’t think I am. He guides me to a low portion of wall where we both sit.
‘It’s about Quinn,’ he says, and though there was really no need to clarify, given the circumstances, something about it makes sense to me. It gives me the confidence to ask the question I’m desperate to know the answer to.
‘Is he ok?’
Cam studies me a moment before he nods. ‘He’s doing better than we initially expected.’
I feel my entire body relax, a wave that starts at my shoulders and gathers speed as it travels down my body. I wonder if they’ve been able to bring him out of the coma. Is he breathing on his own? Are his vitals stable?
‘But there was something else I really wanted to talk to you about,’ Cam says. ‘I think it’s important that you’re involved. Because if this thing between you is as serious as I think it is, it’s something that will affect you and your life together, too.’
Rehabilitation, maybe? Oh God, is heparalysed? I know the primary injury was to his head, but there’s no telling what other things may have come to light in the past couple of days.
‘I can almost hear you spiralling,’ Cam says, ‘so I’m just going to tell you straight.’
I brace myself.
‘Testing at the Edinburgh lab has shown that fully turning him is an option. He doesn’t have to stay in this limbo state and wait for it to happen.’
Cam’s intonation tells me that isn’t the end of his sentence, but it’s enough for a wild burst of hope to spring up in my chest. Quinn’s mortality was the last remaining obstacle between us, the last hurdle before our happily ever after. Obviously we’ll still have to wait for him to recover from his injuries, as they’re pre-existing, but we could have a real future together.
Then Cam speaks again. ‘There’s a but.’
My eyes fly back up to meet his, the balloon of hope springing a slow leak. ‘A but?’
He nods soberly. ‘The full transitionmustbe instigated by the same vampire who started it, or at least one in the same bloodline. The tests showed that introducing entirely new cells is devastating. The invading cells fought for dominance and resulted in the death of the host cells before either strain of invading cells became established enough to achieve immortality.’
Ah, fuck.
‘So, we need to find Quinn’s ex,’ I mutter, feeling that slow puncture in my chest grow to a gaping wound.
Cam’s mouth twitches, a sure sign that he’s holding back a grin. I don’t dare hope this time.
‘Two steps ahead of you, mate,’ he chirps. ‘I tracked her down and explained the situation. She’s on her way to the hospital right now to talk to him.’
There’s a flare of something bitter and ugly in my chest for a moment or two before Cam’s words fully register.
‘He’s… talking?’
He nods, a broad grin stretching over his face. ‘He’s been asking for you.’
Two conflicting emotions lap over each other like waves, bursts of intense relief that Quinn doesn’t seem to be dead or dying, followed by the dark pull of jealousy at the idea of him with his ex.She might get to see him before me, I think, and the thoughts running through my mind are nothing short of uncharitable.
‘Then what the hell are we still doing here?’ I ask, and Cam beams back at me.
‘Come on,’ he says. ‘Let’s go.’
And as we hurry back to Cam’s parked car, I feel the slightest of cool breezes brush my forearm.
‘Go get him,’Josiah whispers, only just loudly enough to hear, and I fold up the memory of his voice until it’s tiny and tuck it somewhere very close to my heart.