breeds of vampire. Vukodlaks, strigori, iaras . . . Each group has its own customs, strengths, and weaknesses. My sire is a strigori .”
“So a strigori is a type of vampire.”
“Yes. And a very civilized one at that.”
Gia sat back on her heels, staring at him as if he’d grown a second head. “Do tell.”
A tiny flame of hope flickered to life inside Sorin as he settled into explain things to her. His sire had always spoken of the gift of the strigori , how they were unlike other vampires--more dignified. Hearing him talk had always inspired Sorin. Sometimes that had been the only thought that could pull him out of his fevered nightmares . . . the thought that if he tried hard enough, he would be the man he once was. He could leave all the blood behind.
“ Strigori do not feed on blood. They feed on energy, the basic lifeforce that animates all creatures. A strigori can go anywhere, speak with anyone. All he has to do is concentrate and he can siphon a little bit of that energy from those around him. That energy animates and energizes him in the same way that lesser vampires must rely on blood.”
“How civilized.”
Sorin frowned at the mocking tone in her voice. The flame of hope inside him flickered and burned a little higher as anger rose in response to her disrespect. His sire had never tolerated disrespect. No gentleman tolerated disrespect. He opened his mouth to defend his race, to make her understand.
“If your sire wasn’t a vukodlak , and he didn’t drink blood, than how the fuck was he supposed to help you ‘transition?’” Gia demanded. “How can he understand what you’re going through to help you if he’s never been through it himself?”
Her questions halted Sorin’s prepared speech about the superior nature of the strigori . He shook his head, flustered with her determined lack of comprehension. “You don’t understand anything,” he snapped. “My sire did not need to ‘understand’ what it was like. He could see what a monstrous life I’d been living, all he had to do was teach me a new way of life.”
Gia stared at him. “And what if your life was not so easy to leave behind?”
“Upon rising, a vukodlak shares blood with his new sire. The blood bond forms a connection between them that allows the sire to calm the mind of his ward. My sire had the ability to reach into my mind and calm me when necessary.”
“I thought strigori didn’t--”
Whatever she’d been about to say, Gia seemed to change her mind. She closed her mouth, leaning back on her heels and just looking at Sorin. Finally, she took a deep breath. Some of the tension leaked out of her shoulders and her brown eyes softened. Sorin eyed her warily, wondering what had caused the change in her disposition.
“You say your sire had the ability to reach into your mind and calm you?” she asked.
Sorin nodded slowly. “Yes.”
Gia moved again, settling into a sitting position on the bed with her legs crossed in front of her. “That sounds like a wonderful gift. I wish I could reach into the minds of my new wolves and calm them so easily.” She shrugged. “As lupa, my presence can have a calming effect on its own. I concentrate on being calm and looking into another wolf’s eyes and I can share some of that calm. But it doesn’t always work, especially if the wolf is too worked up, or too terrified of who they are.”
Sorin found himself nodding again without meaning to. “It is a frightening experience,” he agreed softly.
Gia nodded. “It can be. Since I don’t have the same gift as a strigori , I have to do things other ways.” She raised a hand, half pointing at him. “There was one wolf, I remember, William. He was a sweet farm boy, completely unprepared for the change. To top it all off, he was bitten by a rogue werewolf and it was . . . violent.” She shook her head, her face sad and her eyes staring off into
“So a strigori is a type of vampire.”
“Yes. And a very civilized one at that.”
Gia sat back on her heels, staring at him as if he’d grown a second head. “Do tell.”
A tiny flame of hope flickered to life inside Sorin as he settled into explain things to her. His sire had always spoken of the gift of the strigori , how they were unlike other vampires--more dignified. Hearing him talk had always inspired Sorin. Sometimes that had been the only thought that could pull him out of his fevered nightmares . . . the thought that if he tried hard enough, he would be the man he once was. He could leave all the blood behind.
“ Strigori do not feed on blood. They feed on energy, the basic lifeforce that animates all creatures. A strigori can go anywhere, speak with anyone. All he has to do is concentrate and he can siphon a little bit of that energy from those around him. That energy animates and energizes him in the same way that lesser vampires must rely on blood.”
“How civilized.”
Sorin frowned at the mocking tone in her voice. The flame of hope inside him flickered and burned a little higher as anger rose in response to her disrespect. His sire had never tolerated disrespect. No gentleman tolerated disrespect. He opened his mouth to defend his race, to make her understand.
“If your sire wasn’t a vukodlak , and he didn’t drink blood, than how the fuck was he supposed to help you ‘transition?’” Gia demanded. “How can he understand what you’re going through to help you if he’s never been through it himself?”
Her questions halted Sorin’s prepared speech about the superior nature of the strigori . He shook his head, flustered with her determined lack of comprehension. “You don’t understand anything,” he snapped. “My sire did not need to ‘understand’ what it was like. He could see what a monstrous life I’d been living, all he had to do was teach me a new way of life.”
Gia stared at him. “And what if your life was not so easy to leave behind?”
“Upon rising, a vukodlak shares blood with his new sire. The blood bond forms a connection between them that allows the sire to calm the mind of his ward. My sire had the ability to reach into my mind and calm me when necessary.”
“I thought strigori didn’t--”
Whatever she’d been about to say, Gia seemed to change her mind. She closed her mouth, leaning back on her heels and just looking at Sorin. Finally, she took a deep breath. Some of the tension leaked out of her shoulders and her brown eyes softened. Sorin eyed her warily, wondering what had caused the change in her disposition.
“You say your sire had the ability to reach into your mind and calm you?” she asked.
Sorin nodded slowly. “Yes.”
Gia moved again, settling into a sitting position on the bed with her legs crossed in front of her. “That sounds like a wonderful gift. I wish I could reach into the minds of my new wolves and calm them so easily.” She shrugged. “As lupa, my presence can have a calming effect on its own. I concentrate on being calm and looking into another wolf’s eyes and I can share some of that calm. But it doesn’t always work, especially if the wolf is too worked up, or too terrified of who they are.”
Sorin found himself nodding again without meaning to. “It is a frightening experience,” he agreed softly.
Gia nodded. “It can be. Since I don’t have the same gift as a strigori , I have to do things other ways.” She raised a hand, half pointing at him. “There was one wolf, I remember, William. He was a sweet farm boy, completely unprepared for the change. To top it all off, he was bitten by a rogue werewolf and it was . . . violent.” She shook her head, her face sad and her eyes staring off into
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