She leaned down to kiss him as they came together again, hot and sweaty and coiled in each other's embrace, sharing each other's breath, sharing their bodies, their minds, their souls. And when she rolled away and lay on her back, panting and spent and sweaty, no words were necessary. They held hands and stared at the ceiling, their whole beings sharing that moment of contented bliss. Nothing else mattered, and nothing would ever come between them again.
Raiden pulled the blanket up over their bodies when they had cooled off, and they quickly fell asleep. Flora descended into dreams of her future filled with love and light and peace and with every accomplishment she could ever hope to achieve. And all the while, her beautiful prince and warrior was by her side, loving her, protecting her, and cheering her on as she cheered him on. She saw their children, their holidays together as a family, and the world that they would share as they grew old together—a world of peace and prosperity and love for all.
When she woke again in the night, Flora knew exactly what she needed to do. She slipped out of bed, wrapped a bathrobe around her shoulders, and hurried downstairs to the basement laboratory. She had work to do.
Chapter 17
Down in the lab, a flash of insight burst in Flora’s mind. She suddenly knew exactly what she had to do. She sat down at the dashboard and retrieved a syringe from a container. After tying off her arm and finding a vein, she drew a large sample of blood. She was so excited and sure it would work that her hands shook while she removed the needle. With the syringe, she began to apply drops to the analysis plate.
"Azure, I want you to synthesize the antibodies in my blood into our latest iteration of the vaccine."
"Synthesis commencing," Azure said.
"I know this is going to work," Flora said. "It has to."
"What are you doing?" Zephyr said, walking into the laboratory.
"Working. Why?” she asked.
"I got a notification from Azure, telling me that you were doing an analysis down here. I have her automatically notify me anytime there is an update or an advancement with the vaccine."
"Raiden and I have been mated."
"I could tell there was a change in you," Zephyr said. "Congratulations."
"Thank you."
"So what are you doing here?"
"I am trying the latest vaccine iterations on a sample of my blood," Flora said.
"Why do you think it would be different from any other mated Dragon Soul blood?"
"Because, Zephyr, I was transformed into a vampire, and then I was brought back."
"I never thought of that," he said thoughtfully.
"The antibodies in my blood will have an unforeseen variable."
"What makes you think that?"
“When I felt the mating venom changing me and entering my blood, I had the strongest impression, and I knew exactly what to do."
"Synthesis complete," Azure said. "Here are samples of the last iteration of the vaccine recipe using Flora's blood as a base."
"Now we can get to testing. We still have the blood samples from the blood bank," she said, typing the commands on the computer.
"Why don't we start with a computer simulation?" Zephyr said. "We don't want to waste any of the blood samples."
"But that could take too long."
"Better safe than sorry if a little bit of tweaking will get us the result we need. It will expedite the process to do the simulations first."
"I can understand your reasoning," Flora said, switching her commands to initiate several rounds of simulations using the latest vaccine based on her blood. "You can go back to bed if you want."
"I think I'll stay down here. This could be the breakthrough we've been looking for."
They sat at the computer and watched the data stream across the screen as Azure ran the simulations. Zephyr was more adept than Flora at reading the incomplete data as it scrolled, and he gave her updates on what was happening. When the first simulation was completed, they read through the results together.
"This simulation is using the new vaccine on standardized Dragon Soul blood," she mused.
They watched the animation of the vaccine taking root in the simulated blood. Flora prepared herself for the moment that occurred in every other simulation she had witnessed, when the vaccine turned into a cancer and began to eat the host. But it didn't happen. Instead, the antibodies began to grow and flourish, making the standardized computer simulation of a Dragon Soul stronger and healthier, as if all of the immune markers were representing an endurance athlete with an extreme health regimen. Flora's mouth dropped open.
"I can't believe it," she said in complete awe of what she had just witnessed.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. It could be an isolated fluke or error."
The second simulation finished, and they watched the process of the vaccine entering the blood system of a normal, average human. Again, as they neared the point where the previous vaccines had failed, Flora braced herself for disappointment. But the vaccine had the same effect as it had the previous time. The individual's genetic and immune markers showed signs of extreme health, and the antibodies present in mated Dragon Soul blood flowed throughout the system.
"That's two for two," Flora said with a laugh."
They sat and watched as simulation after simulation of the vaccine was successful in samples of human and Dragon Soul blood. Every iteration of the vaccine compound worked with Flora's blood as the basis, and it worked with every synthesized physiological system—young, old, male, female, Dragon Soul, and human. It even worked on baby dragons—Flora had figured that out by the time the sun was rising.
"This is remarkable," Zephyr said. "I propose we move on to testing the human blood samples."
"I agree," Flora said, unable to contain her excitement.
They ran tests on the human blood with the most promising iteration of the vaccine—the one with the quickest and strongest effect overall—and waited for the computer to complete the analysis.
"This might really be it," she said, her hands shaking. "I'll run upstairs and get us some breakfast and coffee."
She needed some sustenance to continue. Flora hurried upstairs with more energy in her step than someone who'd been up all night should have been allowed to have and made her way to the kitchen. She found Raiden pouring himself a cup of coffee, bleary-eyed and surprised to see her.
"Where did you go last night?" he asked. "I woke up and found you not there."
"I had an inspiration. I had to go down to the lab and test it right away. Raiden, you won't believe it. I think we found the vaccine."
"Really? How?"
"I used my blood after we mated last night. There is a variable in the antibody because I was turned into a vampire and then turned back. It's working across every simulation—Dragon Souls, humans, men, women, and children. Even baby dragons. It's working for everyone."
"Oh, Flora, I'm so proud of you," he said, taking her into his arms. "We need to celebrate."
"There's not time for that now. I have to get back down to the lab. We need to run more analyses on the blood samples we got from the blood bank the other day."
"Have you eaten?" Raiden asked.
"Oh yeah—that's why I came up here. I was going to get breakfast and coffee for Zephyr and me."
"Let me make you something. You look tired," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
Raiden began to prepare eggs and bacon while Flora poured two huge mugs of coffee for her and Zephyr. When the breakfast was done, Raiden helped her carry everything downstairs, where they found Zephyr staring at the computer screen with a shocked expression on his face.
"These results are too good to disregard," he said. "I can say with some confidence that we may very well have found the missing ingredient in our vampire vaccine."
"I knew you could do it," Raiden said as she threw herself into his arms.
"All I needed was you," she said. They began to kiss passionately and lovingly as the results of t
he tests flashed across the screen.
Zephyr cleared his throat and stood. "Perhaps you two would like to be alone."
"We're sorry," Flora said, stepping back from Raiden.
"There's no reason to be. You two really have created something special."
"Warning," Azure's robotic voice said over the loudspeakers throughout the house. A siren began to blare. "Warning. Vampire presence. We are under attack. We are under attack."
Flora and Raiden looked at each other, and he took her hand. They hurried out of the lab and down the hall. They stopped at the safe room.
Raiden opened the door. "You need to get inside."
"But I'm immune now. And now everyone else can be too."
Chapter 18
JoJo ran into the safe room with Tor in her arms and closed the door behind her.
"What are you doing?" Zephyr asked Flora, who hadn't gone in yet.
"Going back to the lab. I have an idea of how to win this battle once and for all," she said. "But you'd better get upstairs."
"We are on our way."
Raiden and Zephyr hurried upstairs, leaving Flora behind. They met Hanish outside on the back lawn. Azure narrated to them where the vampires were attacking their shields.
"External shields at ninety-nine percent," Azure said.
"We're being attacked from every side," Hanish said. "Take your positions from the last battle."
Raiden was still full of excitement from what had happened in the basement. His love had found the vaccine, and now they could protect humanity and Dragon Souls from the vampires. This was a real turn for the better for the entire world, and his heart was fuller than it had ever been. As he faced the onslaught, he noticed that the thousands of vampires attacking them had a disproportionate number of elder vampires among them.
"Damn," he swore. "This is going to be rough."
"Battle stations," Hanish said. "There are at least a hundred elders surrounding the compound."
Raiden went into his half-shift form, extending his two laser swords from his arms. He began to charge through the shields into the battle, swinging and slashing and decapitating vampires at every turn. They fell before his swords, piling up in masses of broken, bloodied bodies oozing black slime from their wounds. But when three elders of monumental strength approached him, he was taken off guard. Two women in slinky ball gowns and a man in a top hat and sunglasses came at him, the women approaching from the front and the man from the back, so quickly he barely had time to react. The males' fangs brushed his neck right before Raiden retracted his swords and shifted into full-dragon form. He screamed, breathing lightning across the field, igniting the weaker foe before him.
The elder vampires scrambled on his back, their sharp teeth sliding over his hard scales. They were much stronger than the others, with a more powerful attack. Their magic pulsed around him as their teeth pushed at his scales.
"Are you all right, Raiden?" Hanish yelled over the mental link.
Raiden flapped his wings, attempting to take off, but the vampires held tight to his back. One of them jumped onto his wing and tried to bite into it. The distraction was too much, and he couldn't take off. He fell to the ground and rolled on his back, dislodging one of them. The other two clung to him with their claws and teeth gripping at the very edge of his scales. But when he flipped back over on his feet, he threw the vampire from his wing and was able to launch himself into the air. He shot upward like a rocket, pumping his wings with all of his strength.
As he reversed course and approached the ground, he went into a spinning dive. The centrifugal force and the gravity shook the last elder vampire free. He flipped around and slit them with his swords, wounding two of them before he did a back flip and landed again on his feet. As they fell, he thrust out his swords on either side, cutting off their heads.
The third elder watched him from across the battlefield, tilting her head to the side. Her eyes glowed with maniacal hatred. She sneered at him. "That wasn't very nice."
"Neither is attacking our house."
"You attacked our house first."
"You were trying to take my captain's mate. We had no choice. Maybe if you just stayed away from us and left us alone and stopped eating humans, we could put this all to an end. We don't have anything against you except your dietary habits. It interferes with other people's lives. You understand."
"We rule this world, and you will leave it. Dead or alive."
She charged at him, her mouth open and her fangs bared. She disappeared then reappeared behind him, wrapping her arms around his neck with her nails pressed against his flesh, her fangs on his jugular.
"I have something," Flora yelled from behind him.
Raiden spun, ducking and tumbling backward with the vampire holding onto him. He turned his sword into a dagger and stabbed her from behind.
She screeched and ran away. "What have you done?" she yelled.
Raiden charged back behind the shields and met Flora there. She was holding a mechanical device.
"What is that?"
"It's a bomb. A vampire-killing bomb." She smiled. "It has the vaccine in it. I've also upgraded all of the weapons to include the new antibodies."
Raiden glanced behind him and saw that the female elder had taken form just outside the shields, holding the wound in her gut as black blood seeped over her hands. She fell to her knees, the light in her eyes dimming.
"What have you done?" she screamed again. Her body disintegrated into dust and flew away.
"You think she's dead?" Flora asked.
"I don't know, but she is gone. How do you work this bomb?"
"You just press this button, and in ten seconds, it will explode.
"Got it," he said, taking the bomb. "Go make more."
He winked and launched himself into the sky. He saw her running back to the house as he ascended over the shields. Raiden flew over the battlefield, pressed the button on the bomb, and let it drop. It fell like a stone as the time ticked away. When it hit the ground, it exploded, sending shockwaves across the earth and a spew of tiny particles up into the air. As the particles touched the vampires surrounding the compound, they screamed and disintegrated into dust just as the female elder had. But it didn't just stop on the side where he'd been battling. The particles continued to float around the compound, and they killed the vampires everywhere they went until there were no vampires left.
Raiden landed on the back lawn with Hanish and Zephyr, and they all looked at each other with amazement.
"What was that?" Zephyr asked.
"Flora made a bomb out of the antibodies in the vaccine. She upgraded all of our weapons too.
"I made another one," Flora said, running out of the house.
"It looks like we don't need another one here," Hanish said, looking around.
"But they do need one at the House of Flames,” Flora said.
"Someone should get it there immediately," Hanish said.
"I'll do it," Raiden said.
He shot into the air, holding the bomb under his arm as he went into stealth mode. He flew as fast as his wings would take him, rocketing across the sky like a jet. It normally took half an hour to fly to the House of Flames, but he made it there in fifteen minutes.
"There's a package incoming," Raiden said to Cato through the mental link. "I'm dropping the bomb in five… four… three… two… one…"
Raiden hit the button and dropped the bomb in the largest cluster of vampires. When it hit the ground, it exploded, sending particles of the antibodies up into the air. Every time one of the tiny particles touched a vampire, the vampire disintegrated into dust on the spot. It was like a wave of death with the bodies falling and disintegrating. Raiden descended into the backyard of the House of Flames as the guys gathered around him. The last notes of Aria's song still hung in the air.
"That was amazing," Kian said.
"Flora found a vaccine, using her blood."
"Flora's blood?" Cato asked.
"We were mated. Because she was turned to a vampire and back again, her mated Dragon Soul blood contained a slight variation in the antibodies. That was enough to make the difference. Zephyr and Flora are sure that this combination will prove to be an effective vaccine."
"It's a pretty effective bomb," Dax said, stroking his chin.
"Just in time," Aria said. "The vampire attacks are increasing every day. Hundreds of millions are dead and missing already. We need to get this out there as soon as possible."
"Flora has informed me that it's going to require some more testing before they use it on human subjects," Raiden said. "But it should be soon."
"Or we could just drop a bunch of bombs," Dax said.
"The bombs are effective," Raiden said. "They will be as effective as the vaccine."
"We still have to find a way to administer the vaccine to the population," Cato said. "We can't just tell the human race all they need to do is come get a shot for vampire vaccine. I don't see that going over well."
"But it will happen soon enough," Raiden said. "My mate has found the answer to protecting the planet.”
"Congratulations on finally admitting that Flora was your mate," Dax said, slapping him on the back.
"My dragon didn't say anything. Sue me," Raiden said with a shrug.
"Why don't you come inside for some video games and a beer," Dax said.
Raiden slid his finger over his wrist device, letting Flora know that he had succeeded and where he would be for a while. She replied, saying that sounded like a great idea and telling him to enjoy himself.
"I'd love to," Raiden said. "That sounds exactly like what I need right now."
Chapter 19
The morning after the attack, everyone at the House of Storms gathered to discuss their plans for the vaccine. Krista and the guys even came down to join in the conversation. Everyone was sitting around the back patio with cartons of Chinese takeout in the warm glow of the late-afternoon sunshine. The foliage of the maples had changed, and yellow and orange leaves fluttered in the light breeze. Flora stabbed a piece of kung pao chicken with her chopsticks and popped it into her mouth.
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