Page 85 of Midnight Kiss

But no, there was something wrong here.

Why did they need the book at all?

Unless …

Unless they weren’t sure how to bond her. Was that in the book? Was it part of its contents? If they couldn’t bond Emily, they couldn’t keep her alive. The only bonds I had ever heard of in my time as a vampire was the bond of blood marriage connecting two vampires, and that was done through a sharing of each other’s blood.

But this couldn’t be the same.

I grabbed the book from under the front seat and opened it in my lap.

My fingers turned the pages frantically. There had to be something. Some way to bond her. If I gave it to them, it would only end with her being connected to Sanguine Nox permanently, and I couldn’t allow that.

I scanned the text, my mind translating it from French until I found what I was looking for.

The only correct way to bond a Guardian is to mingle the blood of the vampire and the Guardian together. You will need the following to complete the ritual with any effectiveness:

A ritual dagger, cleansed appropriately. The light of any moon will work, whether full, waxing, or waning

A suitable slab or table upon which to perform the ritual

A steady hand

The Guardian bond can then be initiated by wounding the Guardian grievously. Enough so that the Guardian nears death. Thereafter, the vampire who wishes to bond the Guardian should slice their own flesh, bring blood to the surface, and drip it into the wound. Those drips will heal the Guardian before their death and bond them to the vampire until the end of time.

Most importantly, the Guardian must be on the brink of death, a breath away from it, before the bond is initiated, or it will not take hold in all its efficacy.

Now, of course there are other methods to bond a Guardian, whether through the passions of the flesh or through other means, but as stated, the above way is the only correct way because it will, in effect, ensure the bond takes hold and stays that way for as long as the blood runs in the Guardian’s body and pumps through their heart.

I tore the page from the book and folded it, tucking it into the glovebox compartment of my car. Then, carefully, I placed a ward of vampire magic over it. It would kill any vampire who touched it. I layered a second protective spell over it, and then a third. What I should have done when Emily had been in Michael’s apartment.

But I had grown soft in my time away from Sanguine Nox. I had forgotten how dangerous they were, so focused was I on Emily and on my revenge.

Just on Emily.

I shut the book and left it on the passenger seat then started up my engine.

An hour later, I strode through Grand Central Station, passing beneath the azure ceiling with its constellations. I headed toward the men’s bathroom, opened the door and entered, and headed toward the final cubicle.

Inside, I touched a hand to the wall to my right, and it folded back.

And then I descended. Down into the darkness, past flickering torches, while the sound of trains rattled in the background. The deeper I went, the softer the sounds became until I finally reached the door.

A simple wooden door etched with an eye.

I touched my finger to it, pressing magic into it, and it opened.