VIRUS

Excerpt:
When Megan returned to the house there was a crowd of people assembled in the living room. Lucien was holding court again but this time his face was grim and looked paler than ever. He looked up at her entrance and nodded, then resumed speaking. “I know that all of you are frightened, but I do not know what to say right now that would change anything. We are losing the battle to the inevitable. This is what we are, my friends. We cannot live in denial much longer.”
“We've all worked so hard for this chance to live together in peace,” one man said. “We can't let this problem destroy the community now.”
There was a chorus of agreement among the crowd. Lucien listened before he gestured for calm. “I agree with you. But when we let Doctor James use us as guinea pigs we did so with our eyes open. We knew there were risks. We knew there could be. Now, things have turned against us.”
“Then what shall we do now?” a woman asked.
Lucien wavered a little, and placed his fingers to his temple as he replied. “I suggest that you all go to your homes and barricade yourselves for the time being until we can solve this problem. I promise you that I will search for a solution. Please, give me some time to think and confer with Doctor James, and I will take it up with the council as soon as I can.”
“Thank you, Lucien,” a group of villagers chorused, along with “take care of yourself. You look famished,” and other kind remarks. The crowd fell to conversing with each other as they filed out the front door past Megan. She could see the fright and concern in their faces. They represented a good cross-section of the larger human world but with one exception. They had all chosen to live here with vampires, in an utopia now fraying at the edges and stained with the color of blood.
When the last villager had gone Lucien stood looking ashen faced, then tottered weakly and almost fell. He caught the top of the couch with his hands and dug in with long sharp talons, fighting to stay upright. He looked exhausted and like he had not eaten in weeks. His skin was sallow and slick with feverish sweat in the soft lamplight. His eyes had taken on a dull red color that supplanted the grey. Worse, his mouth showed the tips of fangs. He leaned on the couch and closed his eyes, breathing hard.
Megan had never seen him like this before. She ventured closer thinking to help but he caught sight of her and put up his hand to ward her off. “Do not come any closer,” he rasped. “I do not want to hurt you.” His voice and accent had gone deeper, echoing in the room until she could barely understand him.
“This is all so sudden,” she said. “I've been down to the village and it's all over the valley. There are others in trouble like Michael. You don't suppose someone tampered with the serum?”
Lucien's face was barely human now, but his eyes regarded her with recognition. “I did not dare to believe…” His voice was cut off as he winced with sudden pain, and his hands clutched at his stomach. He managed to control it long enough to finish. “I did not think anyone here capable of such villainy. I have to talk to Arden--” he winced again and nearly collapsed to the floor.
Forgetting herself entirely, Megan ran to his side and did her best to support him, but he pushed her away gently. “Tell me what I can do to help,” she said.
He worked to master himself, then rasped, “Megan, will you give me some of your blood?”