Jack shook his head. “Even if people believe the rumors out of Rome about the effects, many won’t believe it. Besides, it’s still attractive. It quells bloodlust, increases elemental strength—”

“Causes you to lose your mind,” Brigid said. “Slowly, but surely kills you.”

Murphy said, “So does heroin, but humans become addicted to it nonetheless. And for immortals who already believe they’re superior to humanity, this drug will be even more attractive. No one will believe it’s harmful until they see the effects themselves. We all believe what we want until we’re forced to face reality.”

Deirdre said, “Carwyn says that it’s foolish to think that we can stop it at this point. Maybe it was hidden for hundreds of years, but the secret’s out now. And there will always be vampires and humans willing to exploit the ignorance of others. But they won’t do it without some kind of safety net. Not for something this dangerous.”

Brigid nodded. “There has to be some way to detect it in humans.”

“Agreed,” Tom said. “There’s some way of detecting a human that’s been tainted. Otherwise, the ones profiting from it are poisoning their own food supply. The smartest dealers never use themselves. Human. Vampire. Same thing.”

Murphy asked, “Did Carwyn tell you anything else?”

Deirdre said, “No. I believe he’s been having meetings with someone in Vatican City, but he’s been quite vague. But he’s in Italy until after the New Year, so he has to have a reason. Otherwise…” Deirdre glanced at Brigid. “I doubt he’d stay away from Dublin for this long.”

Brigid studiously ignored the pointed glances that bounced around the room. He hadn’t written to her. Hadn’t called. And he was getting information from the Vatican, which probably had big, important sources around the globe. No doubt, an ally that Carwyn would not want to lose. Especially now. After all, this problem was far bigger than sentiment. A heavy weight settled over her heart and any hope she had of Carwyn leaving the priesthood fled. Just as quickly, she brushed her own feelings aside. They were facing a new, incredibly dangerous threat, and she was acting like a lovesick schoolgirl.

Idiot.

As Deirdre finished up with the briefing, Brigid took quick notes that she just as quickly committed to memory.

The drug, Elixir, had been produced as a partnership between Livia, the former leader of Rome, and Lorenzo, the vampire who had killed Ioan.

Ioan’s research before his death had been confirmed by Lucien Thrax, an ancient physician who had become infected with the elixir himself. It was possible to create a drug that would affect vampires. While the initial effects of the drug were positive, like all drugs, it would eventually kill the user. The ancient vampires that Carwyn and Giovanni Vecchio found had confirmed that the elixir would, over time, destroy an immortal’s amnis and ability to function by killing the mind. The results took time to manifest, but were inevitable. Only the ingestion of untainted blood from a vampire’s sire could heal the amnis and return an immortal to health.

Despite the deaths of both Livia and Lorenzo, the drug was still being produced. They had found more than one bottle floating around Dublin. One, on the body of the human Brigid had killed after being shocked. Jack also said he’d killed two vampires who were giving it to girls at clubs. Even he had stopped drinking from any human after he’d discovered that.

“Brigid?” She blinked and looked up to see Murphy staring at her.

“What’s up?”

“You with us? I was asking if you’d found your friend.”

“Emily? No, not yet. Her parents haven’t seen her. The more I find out, the more I think that she must have taken Elixir. Axel probably gave it to her. We know he had ties to Lorenzo, so he’s probably the local connection that we’ve been looking for. You were right.”

She saw Jack frown in the corner of the room. “Why would Pretty Boy give it to Emily?” he asked. “He drank from her. Do you think he didn’t know what it did?”

Brigid shrugged. “Is it that far of a stretch to think Lorenzo wouldn’t have confided in him? If he was the one coordinating the heroin trafficking a few years ago, it’s possible that Lorenzo just shipped him the drug and told him to sell it. Lorenzo wouldn’t have cared what happened to Axel or anyone else. It was profit to him. And if the cut for the local dealers was big enough, I doubt anyone would question it.”

Tom asked, “Any more memories of the night you were attacked? It could give us a clue if there’s anyone else he’s working with.”

She shook her head. “Nothing. The last thing I remember was talking to Emily, then waking up in the alley. I didn’t have a scratch on me, so I don’t think I was attacked, but I don’t remember anything.”

Jack nodded. “That fits with my experience with the Taser, too. Just a big blank. Fairly happy I’m not a fire vamp, though.” Jack’s eyes gleamed. “That’s a neat trick, Brigid. How’d you stay alive?”

Something about the way everyone was looking at her gave Brigid pause. She met Deirdre’s eyes and her sire gave her head an almost infinitesimal shake.

“No idea, Jack,” she said. “Just luck, I suppose.” Brigid realized that, if anyone knew how a Taser blast affected immortals, they would easily think it was a way to kill her. After all, fire was one of the few ways an immortal could be killed. If she was a normal fire vampire and her element turned on her, she would be dead.