a simple question. “Take your time.”
Adrian snorted. “Well. Love. I’m probably not the best person to ask, of course, but my understanding is that it’s some kind of warm emotion that makes you want to breed and perpetuate the species.” He twisted his lips. “Something I’m unlikely to experience.”
Sidney tapped his forefingers together to attract Adrian’s wandering attention. “All right. That’s one definition. An emotional one, too, if I may say so.” He shrugged. “We’ll let that pass and move on. Do you know the physiological effects of love?”
“Uhh…” Adrian pondered the question. “Probably an elevated heart rate. Excessive flushing, that sort of thing?” He raised an eyebrow at his father.
“That sort of thing you so casually mention includes what scientists believe is an increased production of chemicals within the body. A male and a female, when strong attraction is present, give off an aura that appeals to their lover. An aura which could theoretically cause changes within the skin--possibly even within the blood. I don’t know.” He sighed and riffled through the pages of the tome on his desk.
“Much of this is hearsay, Adrian. But…” He paused, making sure he had his son’s full attention. “If it’s true, then the chemicals you and Mrs. Edgeworth are emitting are interacting. They’re linking in some odd way and enhancing your psychic abilities. It makes sense when you think about it.”
Adrian stilled in his chair, clearly struggling with the concept. “So…” He worked the problem through in his mind. “Because I am strongly--attracted, let’s say--to Mrs. Edgeworth, my body’s chemicals are changing? As are hers? They are responding to each other on some weird level that lets me into her dreams?”
“In essence, yes. You invade her dreams, she invades yours. The reality for you both is desirable, the emotions probably quite passionate.” He hid his grin as Adrian coughed self-consciously.
“The interaction is strong enough to leave marks, a manifestation of what you both wish for, and experience in your dream world. For you, the appearance of having fed. For her…”
“The marks.” Adrian sighed the words.
“Yes.”
Adrian stood up and started pacing, a habit that he’d developed whenever he needed to think something through. Sidney simply watched him.
His black eyes were unfocused as he strode the length of the room, absently avoiding the furniture as he turned his thoughts over and over in his mind. Finally he stopped, laid his hand on the mantelpiece and stared into the flames. “What do I do, Father?”
Sidney stroked his chin. “What do you want to do?”
Adrian half-laughed half-sighed. “I want… I want Kat.”
“You want her in your bed?”
“Yes.”
“You want to feed from her?”
Adrian’s head jerked up. “ God no . How could I do that?” He looked straight at Sidney, pain in his eyes. “All right. Yes . I want to drink her up, swallow her in one draught. Savor her taste and let her fill me with her heat. But I’m…I’m afraid to do that.” He turned his face back to the fire. “I might even kill her. And become the monster I’ve tried to avoid acknowledging, for once and for all.”
Sidney sighed too. “Maybe. Maybe not. I just don’t know. There are too many variables here, Adrian. You can feed from people and not kill them or turn them into others like yourself. You know that.”
Adrian signified his agreement with a curt nod.
“But this new dynamic between you and Mrs. Edgeworth--well, it’s going to confuse things a great deal. I’ve just reached a point where I’m beginning to understand a few of the differences in your blood, and you have to go and find a woman to fall in love with, and muddy the waters once more.” Sidney raised his hands in mute appeal.
Adrian couldn’t hold back the wry chuckle. “It was not my choice, Father, believe me. Loving a woman isn’t something I imagined I
Adrian snorted. “Well. Love. I’m probably not the best person to ask, of course, but my understanding is that it’s some kind of warm emotion that makes you want to breed and perpetuate the species.” He twisted his lips. “Something I’m unlikely to experience.”
Sidney tapped his forefingers together to attract Adrian’s wandering attention. “All right. That’s one definition. An emotional one, too, if I may say so.” He shrugged. “We’ll let that pass and move on. Do you know the physiological effects of love?”
“Uhh…” Adrian pondered the question. “Probably an elevated heart rate. Excessive flushing, that sort of thing?” He raised an eyebrow at his father.
“That sort of thing you so casually mention includes what scientists believe is an increased production of chemicals within the body. A male and a female, when strong attraction is present, give off an aura that appeals to their lover. An aura which could theoretically cause changes within the skin--possibly even within the blood. I don’t know.” He sighed and riffled through the pages of the tome on his desk.
“Much of this is hearsay, Adrian. But…” He paused, making sure he had his son’s full attention. “If it’s true, then the chemicals you and Mrs. Edgeworth are emitting are interacting. They’re linking in some odd way and enhancing your psychic abilities. It makes sense when you think about it.”
Adrian stilled in his chair, clearly struggling with the concept. “So…” He worked the problem through in his mind. “Because I am strongly--attracted, let’s say--to Mrs. Edgeworth, my body’s chemicals are changing? As are hers? They are responding to each other on some weird level that lets me into her dreams?”
“In essence, yes. You invade her dreams, she invades yours. The reality for you both is desirable, the emotions probably quite passionate.” He hid his grin as Adrian coughed self-consciously.
“The interaction is strong enough to leave marks, a manifestation of what you both wish for, and experience in your dream world. For you, the appearance of having fed. For her…”
“The marks.” Adrian sighed the words.
“Yes.”
Adrian stood up and started pacing, a habit that he’d developed whenever he needed to think something through. Sidney simply watched him.
His black eyes were unfocused as he strode the length of the room, absently avoiding the furniture as he turned his thoughts over and over in his mind. Finally he stopped, laid his hand on the mantelpiece and stared into the flames. “What do I do, Father?”
Sidney stroked his chin. “What do you want to do?”
Adrian half-laughed half-sighed. “I want… I want Kat.”
“You want her in your bed?”
“Yes.”
“You want to feed from her?”
Adrian’s head jerked up. “ God no . How could I do that?” He looked straight at Sidney, pain in his eyes. “All right. Yes . I want to drink her up, swallow her in one draught. Savor her taste and let her fill me with her heat. But I’m…I’m afraid to do that.” He turned his face back to the fire. “I might even kill her. And become the monster I’ve tried to avoid acknowledging, for once and for all.”
Sidney sighed too. “Maybe. Maybe not. I just don’t know. There are too many variables here, Adrian. You can feed from people and not kill them or turn them into others like yourself. You know that.”
Adrian signified his agreement with a curt nod.
“But this new dynamic between you and Mrs. Edgeworth--well, it’s going to confuse things a great deal. I’ve just reached a point where I’m beginning to understand a few of the differences in your blood, and you have to go and find a woman to fall in love with, and muddy the waters once more.” Sidney raised his hands in mute appeal.
Adrian couldn’t hold back the wry chuckle. “It was not my choice, Father, believe me. Loving a woman isn’t something I imagined I
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