Nature or Nurture Ch. 45-46

Chapter 45

And when the time is finally there that Catherine will meet him again, just after lunch the next day, she is actually in a flutter. A two year old cannot be in love, can she?

When there is a knock on the door, Catherine accompanies her dad to open it. He's really there, and to Vincent he doesn't look all that special.

He's not very tall, and very slim, skinny actually, with a longish face, stubbled cheeks, and admittedly very beautiful long lashed brown eyes and a very cute little mouth with a deeply dented upper lip.

Vincent shakes hands with all three of their visitors, and he sees with satisfaction that his daughter receives a sincere greeting as well, especially from her favourite.

As Paul and Melissa follow him to the kitchen, where the others are already waiting, Lukas accompanies Catherine, and he actually seems pleased with his little escort.

She is rather quieter than usual, she must be a bit awe-struck, or maybe it is his holding her little hand and smiling at her broadly. That smile is enough to silence anyone, it's so cute even Vincent wants to hug him in response.

Whilst Victor comes to the point straight away and places an order for two bicycles with Paul, followed by Adison, who pleads them to consider making a smaller sized bicycle for her, Vincent looks at his daughter sitting in a corner of the kitchen with Lukas, deep in conversation.

Forcing himself to concentrate on the main group, he decides to trust his daughter and this strange young man, he'll hear what they have discussed later.

As she sees Lukas in the doorway, Catherine seriously wonders why her heart is beating so fast, she is a toddler, not a moony eyed teenager. Guys are just adults, people who all seem to think you are feeble-minded for being a lot younger than they are.

That's not fair, her parents and housemates are not like that at all, even if her foster-parents and their friends and neighbours were.

Lukas comes straight at her and takes her little hand, and she finds herself unable to think of anything to say. But of course she is a toddler, and she need not say anything. Her new friend excuses himself for not keeping his promise of telling her about his true nature.

'When the work was done, your mother told me you were napping.'

The way he says it, napping is not even childish, just a sensible thing to do.

'You did say work went first, so you didn't break a promise or anything.'

That causes him to smile again, a dazzling, broad smile, emphasizing the delicious dent in his upper lip, making his brown eyes sparkle. Instead of taking her breath away, it breaks the spell that is keeping Catherine locked in stunned silence, and she hears herself say cheekily, 'When you smile like that, I want to kiss you.'

He is not shocked at all, he merely smiles again.

'I have that effect on people. I get kissed a lot, and since I need a lot of love to thrive I'm very glad it works that way.'

'I warned my father I have a crush on you, so I'll not kiss you right now, he's watching, but may I kiss you later?'

'Sure,' he replies, 'but how did you know you had a crush on me? You had seen me only once, and we hardly spoke.'

He seems totally fine with her confession, as if he has that happen to him all the time.

'Do toddlers often tell you they have a crush on you, that you don't seem surprised at all?'

The smile again.

'No, but you are as much an ordinary toddler as I am a human. You look like one, but you're not really. Will you tell me about it?'

'I'm dying to, but you first. Victor said if you tell me what you are, I can tell you my secret. Anyway, I knew I had a crush on you as soon as I saw you.'

He nods understandingly, and he invites her over to a corner of the kitchen, where they both take a chair, very cosy. Then he bends his head towards her until Catherine is facing a mop of tight brown curls with his cute face just below it.

Is this an invitation to touch his hair? Gathering courage, Catherine reaches for him with a chubby little hand, and strokes his curls. They feel rough and ticklish, but that is not the point he is making, there is clearly something hard underneath them, two something's.

He encourages her with a, 'Go ahead, check them out.'

Catherine parts the curls, and finds two stumps covered in silver, with very naughty pictures stamped in it somehow. Raised on a farm, she knows immediately what these stumps are and she whispers, 'You used to have horns! You cut them off and capped the ends in silver. Didn't that hurt?'

'You have no idea how much, but strangely enough it stopped as soon as they were gone. I have a tail as well, Catherine, and hoofs.'

'That's why you didn't wear big boots working on the boiler, your feet are too hard to get hurt.'

He looks at her in a certain way, she is right, and he is impressed. But he keeps his promise and tells his own secret first.

'I'm a satyr, a mythical creature from ancient Greece, I'm not from this world. My real name is Lykos Hermeides, and I can heal people with magic.

If people knew what I really am, they'd call me the devil, and probably burn me at the stake. I trust you to keep my secret.'

He does not look cute now, but deadly serious, and Catherine promises him faithfully to keep his confidence.

Then she tells him her secret.

'I look like a two year old girl, but I can understand everything adults say, and I can talk and think like one, too. I don't know why, or how. I pretend to be a toddler to the world, but since I really want to talk to you I want you to know.

'You're a good actress, Catherine, and I'm glad you like me, for I like you, too. Do you want to kiss me now?'

He smiles his irresistible smile, and she falls on his neck and kisses him on both cheeks, then gives him a big hug. He smells very good, she has no name for it, but it reminds her of the expensive perfumes some of the ladies in the theatre wear.

'You smell nice,' she says.

'Thank you,' he replies, 'all satyrs smell like that, as all horses smell a lot alike.'

She wrinkles her nose and observes, 'You smell much nicer than a horse!'

He hugs her back, saying softly, 'I won't kiss you back, for I'm afraid your dad wouldn't approve. We hardly know each other after all. But that may change, for we will be trading lessons with your parents, so we'll see a lot of each other. So, what did you want to talk about?'

'Can I see your hoofs? Your tail is probably a bit personal, but hoofs are just like shoes, aren't they?'

Lukas looks his approval again.

'You are so right that my tail is very personal, most adults don't even get that, they think it's like a horse's tail, just hanging there, swishing flies. Here, let me release my shoe.'

And he does something to his small, elegant shoe, and it comes off, revealing a neat, small hoof, split in the middle naturally like a goat's, and a hoof-sized hole in the shoe.

'You walk on your hoof, not on the shoe, that's neat! How did you do that?'

He becomes almost shy, a very cute sight, and says, 'Paul made that for me. He can make almost anything he sets his mind to.'

'Why does that make you sound so different?'

Oops, big blunder, too personal.

But Lukas doesn't seem to notice, he's still shy and dreamy.

'I'm very much in love with him, and when I think of the things he does especially for me, I get like this. Do you mind my loving a man?'

'Naw, dad says he loved Victor before Mina came into their lives. But he loves Adison more.'

'Paul loves Melissa more than he loves me.'

He really doesn't seem to notice that he is talking to a chubby toddler.

'Do you mind? Doesn't that hurt a lot?'

'I'm a satyr, remember? I'm not a Victorian, I love a lot of people. If Paul loved me most I'd hurt him all the time. I love Melissa as much as I love him, there is enough love for all of us.'

'Paul made the caps on your horns, too, didn't he? They're very naughty, you know that?'

Lukas laughs merrily, 'Yes, I've seen them, before he glued them on, they're actually a bit too naughty for someone your age, I'm sorry. For what I said about love, too, it's very easy to talk with you, you don't 'feel' like a child at all.'

'I am, though. Sometimes, I really like to play with my wooden farm animals.'

Another one of those broad smiles, and a confession.

'Good for you! I like to play, too. And I'm way older than I look. But I don't care, I just play whenever I feel like it.'

At that moment, the others get up to move to the basement for some exercise, and Catherine takes Lukas' hand to follow.

In the next hour they learn a lot about their fencing students. Paul is very strong and fit, and he has some knowledge of fencing, he knows how to hold a sword and is pretty fast on his feet.

The lady of the company, Melissa, is tall and quite heavy, she really wants to learn, but she knows her physical limits and wants to fence to stay fit.

And Catherine's favourite Lukas, to whom she has connected instantly, is a lot stronger than he looks, being a smith and used to physical labour, and incredibly fast. He says he is a long-distance runner, and not used to moving in close quarters, but it is clear he will get used to that very quickly, and then he will be an agile fighter. He can already jump higher than is natural for someone untrained in martial arts, and as he demonstrates his abilities, Catherine sits on a bench, watching him, clearly into his secret, knowing the reason why he has such incredible power in his legs.

Bruce can't wait to have the teaching of him, starting unarmed, so Vincent leaves Paul to cross swords with Adison, who is a pretty good fencer by now, and spends some time on teaching Melissa the basics, with Mina, also a novice, attending.

Of course they change partners after some time, and Adison teaches Lukas the basics of fencing as Bruce starts Melissa on unarmed combat. Vincent shows Paul some new moves to practise at home, and Mina sits in again to have something to practise at night. She gets enough private lessons to advance her skills very quickly, she will not be a novice for long.

But the magic lesson that follows is the real eye-opener.

Since Adison is the one with the real talent, Paul follows her to the library, where he runs her through the exercises much quicker than he'd do normally, she has so much experience already, and she says she is in a rush to learn, for their enemy, whoever that is, is after Catherine again.

She learns very quickly, building a shield is a matter of minutes, she has the power, and as soon as she understands the idea she emulates him perfectly.

As they work together, Lukas sits in the kitchen with the others and tells them about the theory behind magic and how to ward themselves against it. Bruce and Catherine are soaking up the information.

Melissa sits and watches for a while, the physical exercise was hard on her, she is reasonably fit, but this was hard work. Mina approaches her and asks, 'Can you tell me more? About how my body works?'

Melissa eyes her, wondering no doubt whether she really wants to know, then affirms.

'Let's sit somewhere quiet.'

'Our bedroom, but it's pretty dark, I cannot stand sunlight. I'll take an extra candle.'

'No matter,' is the answer, 'somehow sight produces its own light, it works even in pitch-dark.'

She does not offer an opinion on Mina's remark about sunlight.

Once there, they sit on the bed together, and Melissa gets that blank look again, much longer this time, a few minutes at least. After that, she is clearly a bit upset by what she has seen. Mina cannot but explain, but first she wants to hear what Melissa has seen without preconceptions, so she offers, 'If you tell me what you see first, I'll explain right after.'

That is good enough for Melissa and she makes a full report.

'You have all the organs that a normal human has, I'm not a doctor but I've done my share of healing, I know which ones should be where and what colour they should have in sight. Of course you live with two doctors, I'm certain they can explain to you precisely what their names are and what they are for.

Your stomach is almost normal, but it's nearly empty, and it's the wrong colour. It should be hard at work at this time, digesting lunch. Then after the stomach there are organs used to process food, you have them, but they are not connected to your stomach, as if you don't use them anymore.

Your bowels are no longer connected, and your bloodstream doesn't go around, it somehow ends in your extremities. And Mina, your heart is not in use, you have no pulse, technically you're dead.'

That must have been hard to witness, and Mina excuses herself for putting Melissa through such an experience.

'I'm sorry you had to see that, I didn't realize it would be shocking, but of course you know exactly what it should be like.'

Melissa nods, then swallows hard and finishes her report.

'Your brains seem to function just fine, which proves that we are who we think, no-one as much as you. Now please tell me how it can be that you are sitting here, talking to me, whilst my sight tells me you are deceased.'

'I am indeed not alive anymore, I used to be a young woman just like you, until I was taken and turned by a vampire. Adison freed me of the evil possession all vampires live under, giving me back my free will. I was their enemy, and they saved me and allowed me to stay.'

Melissa doesn't blink at this revelation at all.

'Lukas already told me you were technically dead, he saw straight away, he suggested you must be living of human blood. That's also true, isn't it? It explains why you have no digestive system, you just use the blood you drink to fuel your body. There must be magic involved.'

So that's why Mina feels so connected to the people whose blood she is using, her body doesn't make the blood her own by digesting it, it just uses it as it is, giving her the feeling that their personalities are singing through her veins all the time.

No wonder feeding is such a thrill. Ever since she has been freed of evil, she feels such love, and such elation after feeding, for hours afterwards.

'I do indeed use human blood to sustain me, Victor feeds me of his own blood. Do you think that makes me love him, whether I want to or not?'

Frankly, Mina would rather not hear the answer, she's so afraid she's incapable of true loving after all.

Melissa is thinking, Mina knows she must have a very logical mind, since she's an engineer. After a few minutes, Melissa speaks, but not with a lot of certainty.

'I'll have to think it through, love is not a scientific entity, it's a feeling and therefore not measurable. I prefer things that can be measured exactly. But if I look at it logically, what you say cannot be going on. Blood cannot transport love, just as love is actually not seated within your heart. So as a scientist I'd say no, his blood cannot cause your love for him.

Maybe other stuff in your body makes you love him, things too small for me to see with ordinary sight, all people have those, Lukas can tell you more about them, but it's really complicated.

And he's not scientific at all, he doesn't have the things he's seen classified properly, he has a huge mind and a perfect memory, no need for him to store memories and knowledge logically. He probably cannot explain in terms anyone would understand, he does most healing intuitively, not scientifically. And finding the cause of love wouldn't interest him at all, he'd say it just is and to enjoy it. Preferably right now, and with him.'

Well, if love just is, and should be enjoyed, that is very sound advice. And Mina has great respect for science, so she will believe Melissa in this.

'Thank you,' she says, 'your reasoning sounds solid, love is not transported by blood, so the love I feel must be my own and I'll enjoy it. Vincent told me with great conviction that I could love, but he's an actor, what does he know about love?'

That causes Melissa to laugh, and she observes, 'Yes, never believe an actor in matters of love, their heads are stuffed full with all kinds of romantic notions from books and scripts. But, I find it very intriguing that you are not actually alive and still you are walking, talking, loving, you really are doing all those things, how can that be? There must be magic involved, but I cannot see any magic at work in you.

I'd like to check closer, I can zoom in on things, often I find more information that way, but the cost of doing that is just incredible, and I'm already tired. So if you want to know more I'll have to find out some other time, with Paul present to anchor me, keep me in this world as it were.

Anchoring is very important while using magic, Adison needs to know that, too, some things are too dangerous to do without an anchor, healing people's minds for instance. If she ever wants to take away someone's bad memories, memories that haunt them day in, day out, she needs to have someone keeping her to this world. Better she doesn't do that at all until she's seen it done a few times, with Lukas preferably, he's the best.

But I'm digressing again, what I want to know is why you cannot stand the light.'

Filing away for later contemplation the knowledge that memories can be taken away, Mina replies, 'Vampires just cannot stand sunlight. It kills them, like silver. I have no scientific proof or reason, I've felt the silver, but I've always avoided sunlight because I was warned to by my maker, the vampire who killed me and made me a vampire as well.'

'With no blood flow, your skin probably cannot repair the damage the sun does, but would that kill you? You're immensely strong.'

Melissa is thinking about things Mina has always taken for granted. Amazing how some people's minds work, it must be minds like hers, and probably Paul's, that fuel the way society is changing.

'And I heal very fast, without medicine or stitching.'

'That must be magic, nothing else can heal instantly, or make a person move fast without a proper digestion. But what fuels the magic? Magic is not for free, it has a cost, it needs power to sustain it, and your abilities use a lot of power. And why can't I see it at work? And what will happen if you are exposed to sunlight?'

Now her face is blank again, looking at Mina. Slowly, it changes to stunned amazement, but also to great fatigue.

'Are you all right?' Mina asks, worriedly, for Melissa seems to crumple where she sits.

'Yes,' her voice sounds tired, but rather excited, 'I found it, the fuel for your abilities, but the cost is high. I shouldn't have done that without anchor, though.

Let me explain: I tried to find magic in you, thinking of silver and the sun, and I found a connection indeed. Have you heard about the ley-lines, the little rivers of magic energy that flow all over the land?'

Mina nods, eager to hear more.

'Your body is tied into that flow of power directly, with thousands of little connections I couldn't see at first because they are so small. Your body uses blood, and magic power to function. But, because your are tied to the ley-lines, you probably cannot travel quickly, it would break those connections and you wouldn't be able to form new ones quickly, or maybe not at all, and you'd weaken and die. Have you ever travelled?'

'Not since I was turned, that happened here in London, and I have been here ever since.'

'Well, better be careful if you do travel, if you start feeling weak, stick around for some time until you feel better, then move on. If you don't improve, turn back quickly.'

Mina has never realized she is bound to London, for now she doesn't have any wish to travel, but if she ever does she will try to find out how this works, maybe there are books on vampirism, maybe Victor can visit that scary old man again, Dr Van Helsing. He is an expert on vampires, he may know.