Once they were untied, Micah tended to Loren. The teen's skin was burned and brittle, like overcooked turkey. In places it had come away, revealing a mixture of bloody raw flesh and cooked meat. Katelina gagged at the sight, and buried her face against Jorick. She felt the intake of his breath and pulled away reluctantly. He had what amounted to a bad sunburn and his skin was tender.

Micah asked the nearest ninja-style vampire for blood, but the terse reply was that the teen ...