Ariana POV
"Could you … keep it down?"
Ariana glanced up from the book she was reading to pass the time, and smiled in happiness. "Hey, you."
After getting her stomach pumped, Irina looked washed out and pale, staring at Ariana with bewildered dark eyes.
Ariana yelled for Dr. Redfearn, who hastened over. "You are a lucky queen," he said in his blunt manner. "Not to get too graphic, but the batch of poisoned dead blood from a human corpse that you consumed--"
"If I had any energy I'd order him dismissed," Irina growled, offended.
"Accidentally, he means," Ariana said, clutching Irina's pale, trembling hand.
"As I was about to say," Dr. Redfearn added, pushing his glasses back on his nose. "I know that no vampire in his or her right mind would ever drink blood from a dead human--no matter what the stories say. Apart from being disgusting and revolting and low-class, it's just dangerous. No, the poisoned blood was hidden in the black pudding."
