Dell blanched at the mercy she had unknowingly been granted, and her gaze skittered toward the stairs where her knight errant had gone. Knees wobbling at the magnitude of this news, she sank back onto the couch. “Why would he do that? He doesn’t even know me.”

“Infatuation,” Miguel said with casual cruelness. “The difficulties Isabella and I face haven’t deterred him. Let his inherent magic infect you, let it warp your natural energies until each shift is a step closer to your death, and then he might begin to understand the idiocy of his bargain.” Lips mashed into a white line of regret, perhaps for speaking his mind, he stood. “Once you leave, whether you got what you came for or not, you won’t be permitted back onto our property.” He crossed to the front door and rested his hand on the knob. “There are rules, and they must be upheld.”

Anger sprouted fine platinum hairs up my arms, and an idea formed. “Your wife is a warg.”

“I’ve said as much, yes,” he answered, condescension ringing through his tone.

“Locate the mermaid, and I’ll give you a second vial of blood.”

His brow furrowed. “To echo your earlier sentiments, the answer is no.”

“Are you sure?” I lifted my arm and pushed magic through my limbs to hasten the spread of the warg aspect. “The divination was worth the blood of my base form, which possesses non-specific magics. Think of it as a control sample. How much more would it be worth to you if I saved you some work? What if I gave you that Gemini baseline with a natural infusion of the warg magic instead of your clinical variety?” I spread my fingers and allowed him to admire the curled tips of my claws. Power swept up my throat and danced along my jaw until my gums ached. When I spoke again, it was to lisp through fangs. “Fine tha mermaid, an’ you can ha’ this too.”

“Your offer intrigues me.” Eyes bright, Miguel began pacing the entryway. “Magic is coded into warg DNA. Gemini capture a scrap of that wild energy, distill it from their blood, absorb it and use it to augment their own.” He continued thinking out loud. “It would cut out several steps in the process and eliminate the threat of two opposing magics rejecting binding with one another. Blood from a Gemini robust with warg magic.” He stopped, seeming to come to himself. “Your blood may prove to be a magical universal donor.”

I held my breath. “Is that a yes?”

“Yes.” He vibrated with energy. “Quickly, let’s go to my lab.”

“Not so fast.” I planted my feet. “I want the information first.”