Nature or Nurture Ch. 40-42

Voice honeyed now, Mina has removed her fangs from the girl, and the trickle of blood running from one corner of her mouth belies her friendly expression.

'Sweet girl, we will not tell on you, just tell us a bit more about yourselves, and you can go lick your wound, it is still easy to hide.'

That is true, the puncture marks are small with just a trickle of blood finding its way down sluggishly. It's almost nothing.

The girl's face is a study in emotions. Part of her is in a rage, for having had the tables turned on her, part of her is fear, a large part, for even if she escapes this demon, there will still be the mistress to face. And part of her is lust, for she is not that far advanced in her arts that she can resist the temptation of a vampire's blissful bite.

Whoever sent her, likes her minions young and tractable, but now they've bit off more than they can chew. Mina knows the girl is close to breaking, and she kisses her on the mouth, fangs still out, letting the girl taste her own blood. Mina is not going to swallow it, she can feed on sweeter, untainted blood any time she likes. No, the girl can have her own blood back.

The taste of her own blood combined with the flash of heat the kiss gives her, breaks the girl. She begs, 'We're witches, we practise the dark arts, we obey our mistress Mrs Evelyn Poole, and her daughter Hecate.

They want the little girl, but they cannot take her, she has to come of her own free will. The mistress sent us to scare her, maim you, kill you, then offer the girl sanctuary.'

That is all a crony like her can be supposed to know, Mina is done.

She lifts the girl higher, and moves her face right close to her own, retracts her teeth to make a clear statement, then says, 'Did you truly not know what I am? I used to be his servant, too, but now I am free. I am stronger than your mistress.

Next time we meet, you will die, and not in bliss but in agony. Do not tell your mistress, her punishment for your betrayal is death. Consider fleeing.'

Then she moves to the girl in Vincent's iron grip, and she bares her fangs again, and marks her, too, this one's face as fearful and as blissful as the other girl's.

'Do not think you are safe because I broke your sister and not you. That was not your merit, it was her bad luck.

You have failed, too, and will die for her betrayal if you tell your mistress. Better flee together. You are dead, too, if we find you spying or harassing any of our own. Fear us!'

And with that, she spits out any blood of theirs that still remains in her mouth, and both Vincent and herself throw the girls to the ground, who lie still for a heartbeat, coughing, then scramble to their feet and flee running.

Mina picks up Catherine and excuses herself to the little girl.

'I'm sorry you had to see my dark side, love, manipulation is the worst talent of a vampire, and I used to be one of the best. They may be back in force, my threats were noisy but empty.'

Catherine observes, 'You did it to protect me, Mina, and I am very glad you love me enough to do so at such a cost. Thank you very much, I can never repay you for your kindness.'

Then in a dry voice, 'Wow, you're good, they were at your feet. I admire you.'

Vincent now says quietly, 'Thank you so much, Mina, I could never have gotten so much information out of them. And you had mercy on them, which I probably wouldn't have had, though they will most likely die for their failure anyway. They seemed so young.'

'I know, that's what makes it so hard, I was in that same spot, you see, scared and filled with regrets, but with no way out.'

It is very clear that Mina still suffers from what she has done all those years, and this only adds to her list, even though she did it to protect Catherine. As they walk home, Catherine still in Mina's arms, her little arms wrapped around the blonde woman's neck to comfort her, Vincent puts an arm around Mina to cheer her up a little, let her know he accepts whatever she has done in her past.

And it does help to have their support, she knows she isn't exactly accountable for all the horrid things she did, but she remembers them as if she chose to do them.

Still, they know now what the enemy wants, and how he hopes to get it, and maybe those foolish girls will decide to flee. Killing them would have made their silence a certainty, but the wish to keep their abilities a secret until the next confrontation is not worth two relatively innocent lives to Mina, and she has not heard Vincent complain about letting them go. His arm feels nice around her, she actually feels relieved now that he knows her warm feelings for him, it hasn't changed anything between them, he still touches her in training, or like this, so it hasn't done any harm.

'Do you think mum saved that lady again?' Catherine asks.

Vincent shakes his head.

'It was a miracle she lived last time, Catherine, I'm afraid the lady will not have made it. But we can be sure mum did everything in her power to help her, for she always does. Maybe she is still awake when we come home, then we can ask her.'

But when they get home, Adison is sleeping very deeply, and interestingly enough, Victor is on the bed with her, still dressed but also fast asleep. And they are in each others arms.

'We had some really good times together, the three of us,' Vincent says softly, 'but of course Adison and I were always so close Victor did need someone of his own. And he couldn't have done better than you.'

Catherine is yawning, so Vincent helps her undress and she settles in her own little bed and, after a few night-kisses, falls asleep almost immediately.

'Do you want me to take Victor to our own bed?' Mina asks.

'I don't know,' Vincent observes, 'they look so cute together. I know Adison has missed her intimacy with Victor a lot. And with the practice they hardly see each other anymore. I'd say let them sleep together for a while, you're not going to sleep for a long time yet, are you?'

'I'm not, not for three hours at the very least.'

'Do you want to get drunk together, tell me about your years in the service of evil?'

'I'll have to take your blood, won't that be very tempting?'

Mina is in doubt, but also quite hopeful to talk about the things she hasn't dared tell Victor.

'It will be, yes, and not just for you,' he admits, 'but I think you need to talk about your fears and regrets with someone, and it feels as if this is the time.'

'Let's do it then,' she says.