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"Now. As I was saying, one of you will be awakened and live forever. But it will not be me
who wakens you. You will choose to be awakened willingly."
"Not likely," said Christian. He packed as much snarky defiance as he could manage into those
two words, but it was still obvious to everyone else in the room that he was scared out of his
mind.
"Ah, how I love the Ozera spirit," mused Isaiah. He glanced at Mia, his red eyes gleaming. She
shrank back in fear. "But don't let him upstage you, my dear. There's strength in common
blood, too. And here's how it will be decided." He pointed at us dhampirs. His gazed chilled me
all over, and I imagined I could smell the stink of decay. "If you want to live, all you have to do
is kill one of these three." He turned back to the Moroi. "That's it. Not unpleasant at all. Just tell
one of these gentlemen here you want to do it. They'll release you. Then you drink from them
and are awakened as one of us. Whoever does this first walks free. The other will be dinner for
Elena and me."
Silence hung in the room.
"No," said Christian. "No way am I killing one of my friends. I don't care what you do. I'll die
first."
Isaiah waved a dismissive hand. "Easy to be brave when you aren't hungry. Go a few days
without any other sustenance … and yes, these three will start to look very good. And they are.
Dhampirs are delicious. Some prefer them to Moroi, and while I myself have never shared such
beliefs, I can certainly appreciate the variety."
Christian scowled.
"Don't believe me?" asked Isaiah. "Then let me prove it." He walked back over to my side of
the room. I realized what he was going to do and spoke without fully thinking things through.
"Use me," I blurted out. "Drink from me."
Isaiah's smug look faltered for a moment, and his eyebrows rose. "You're volunteering?"
"I've done it before. Let Moroi feed off me, I mean. I don't mind. I like it. Leave the rest of
them alone."