Into the Light (The Admiral's Elite Book 2) by HK Savage Page B

archaic title for her prescient abilities. He avoided commenting on Black’s damning testament of her decline.
     
    But the admiral was in the mood to discuss it. “Honestly Michael, did you think you could keep such an enormous donation a secret? I can nearly feel her body vibrating when she enters the room.”
     
    “If you know she’s having trouble, why are you intent upon making her stretch her ability so soon? You know it’s draining when she jumps.” He was dangerously close to questioning Admiral Black. Binding aside, that usually drew a painful punishment for his insubordination.
     
    Black’s tone lost some of its airiness. “I had hoped that if things were dire you might see fit to turn her. I would have done it by now if I were able.”
     
    Michael was speechless. Black’s one attempt at binding Becca to him by giving her his blood had nearly killed her. They were incompatible, a rarity Michael had only heard of before, never seen. It made him question the type of vampire the admiral was, or if it was his ancient blood and its potency her body found objectionable. Regardless, for whatever reason, Black wanted Becca a vampire and Michael didn’t. Nor did Becca.
     
    “You knew this day would come, Michael.” Serenity once again flowed through his words.
     
    “No,” he choked out, “I didn’t. I thought after Kenneth you realized prescient humans couldn’t be vampires. They go mad with the change.”
     
    Kenneth had been the last member they’d tried to bring into the unit before Becca. Kenneth was turned shortly before the admiral found him. Turning had sharpened his senses and honed his sight until all he could see was death and bloodshed, mostly at his own hands. He’d been unable to function and the admiral “put him out to pasture” to adjust to the severity of his new nature, intending to try to indoctrinate him after he’d settled in a few decades.
     
    The admiral dropped his voice. “And you don’t think what you did to her is any different?”
     
    Horrified, Michael sank down on the bed behind him, his eyes never leaving the pale face that hadn’t so much as moved in over an hour. “I didn’t think…” he whispered.
     
    “Of course not.” Admiral Black almost sounded sympathetic. “Your concern was to save her life and you did. What you couldn’t know was that the amount of blood she ingested allowed her to see as we do, smell and hear like us. More than merely enhancing as a typical infusion does, every emotion is tenfold what she’s used to. The growing strength of her ability is adding to the strain on her already taxed system. It is not a level of functioning that is feasible for a human body to endure long term.”
     
    Michael knew he should have gone to the admiral when he’d noticed the side effects weren’t fading. Only he’d been so fearful that Black would capitalize on the power Michael’s blood would have over her until it wore off, he’d kept them separate except for necessary meetings. Mostly he’d run interference and limited their contact, hoping she would be back to normal before Black caught on. It had been foolish and he realized that in retrospect. Black could outmaneuver him any day and he of all people should know better. It didn’t matter what he did, Black would always know. Again, he felt the mantle of his failure to protect Becca settle around his shoulders.
     
    “Why isn’t it wearing off, Sir?” His forehead rested in his palm, defeat staining every word. “Why is she still like me? Have I saved her life only to doom her to madness?”
     
    “She is more like us than even I realized, Michael.” Black’s tone was thoughtful. For the moment he wasn’t jockeying for control or pitting one against another. He was a mentor advising his protégé, nothing more.
     
    These moments were rare and Michael used this one to learn what he could to help his lover. “Did the blood enhance her abilities or are they getting stronger