Suddenly he realises that technically, the woman lying next to him is dead. The irony makes him laugh, but Mina doesn't react. Clearly she's comatose now, even if she apparently wasn't yesterday. She doesn't feel as cold to the touch either, she is probably warm from his own body heat. Maybe that is what she sought in his bed, just a little bodily warmth to heat up her cold blood. But something in him knows that isn't true, he knows she came to him as a human, as a person she trusts and maybe..loves. He stays with her a while longer, enjoying the feeling of having someone sharing his bed. She really is incredibly beautiful. Taller, and fuller of body than Adison, and somehow even more woman because of that. She looks totally at peace now, not in pain, not plagued by insecurity or remorse. To a vampire, sleep apparently is the total rest that humans can only wish for. This reminds him of his lively and totally unfamiliar dream last night. That must have come from Mina, he knows she has been to India, and that far country must look a lot like the place of his dream. But if that is true, if a vampire dreams too, they cannot experience total peace in their sleep. And if the body is powerless, and the mind just as restless inside, without the ability to wake up out of a nightmare, the enforced sleep of a vampire may become torture, especially if the vampire has escaped being controlled by evil like Mina. If she remembers anything from her past, she may suffer a lot of guilt, more than she can handle by herself. Well, he has done some despicable things too, not even controlled by an evil master, so he hopes she will choose to confide in him if she needs to share it.

When he enters the kitchen, Vincent and Adison are still there, having breakfast. The sun is already high, the day half gone. Small wonder after such an excursion. They greet him as one, Adison stands up and gives him a good warm hug. How does she always know what he needs? Vincent looks fine, Victor asks: 'Do you feel as good as you look this morning? Wounds not bothering you?' Vincent says: 'I feel fine, it hurts of course, but no swelling, no fever. A few painkillers and I'm ready for the stage tonight. And how is your patient?' He must have reacted, for Adison asks concernedly: 'Something happened, nothing bad, I hope?' Victor sits down and accepts the cup of tea that Vincent hands him. How to tell this? Sipping from the cup, he starts: 'She looks fine, comatose, but her colour and temperature are fine, as far as I can tell. She breathes, very slowly and very shallowly, but I think that's normal as well.' He tries to formulate what happened, just the facts: 'Remember Bruce saying she wouldn't wake till sundown today? I dreamt of exotic places and strange people, and woke disoriented. When I came back to the now, I found myself in Mina's embrace. She was fast asleep right behind me. Her body was warm through my warmth. My movement didn't wake her. She must have woken up before sundown and decided to join me in my bed. Why do you think she did that?' he asks, almost plaintively.

This of course is for Adison to answer, though Vincent experiences a shiver of recollection, involuntarily reminded of the utter loneliness he once felt himself. Adison remembers that moment as well, he can see it in the way she looks at him. Then she looks at Victor: 'Dear friend, she probably woke up in the night, sad and very lonely, and she felt the need to be close to someone, someone who had been nice to her, even sweet. You saved her, then fed her and you accepted her hand and held it. She was probably very glad you were there for her, even though you were fast asleep.' Victor is silent for a few moments, then confesses: 'I'm afraid I'm already more than halfway in love with her. Do you think I'm setting myself up to be hurt? Did she only come to me because there was no-one else, because I was the warmest thing near? Miss Yves told me she is married.' Adison tells him frankly: 'Of course you can get hurt, my dear, love always gives the other the power to hurt you. But yesterday she seemed very encouraging towards you. You are a very sweet and handsome man, you know. As for her marriage: can you seriously imagine her going back to her husband as a vampire?' Now Vincent looks quite concerned: 'But please Adison and Victor, do remember what Bruce said about magick! Though on second thought, she's had her share of your blood already, so that is kind of too late.' They are all a bit sorry that it is only late summer, for they will have to wait that much longer until she wakes up.

'That reminds me,' Vincent says, 'you will want to stay here with her, Victor, but wouldn't it be safer if Adison is here as well when she wakes up? The enemy may want her back.' Adison looks at Victor:' What do you want, do you want me around?' Not wanting to separate the two lovers, but not quite ready to face a beautiful young woman on his own either, he says: 'Actually, I would feel safer with you around. Not because I think she is still under the influence of the enemy, but because I'm afraid to mess up. I'm not entirely accountable with her around, I'm afraid.' Adison looks at Vincent worriedly:' Will you be all right on your own? You're still wounded pretty badly.' Vincent agrees: 'I know, therefore I'll send a boy to Bruce and ask him to pick me up and bring me home. I'll have the best fighter in the city as my personal guard.' And with that, Adison is completely satisfied.

A day passes fast when you get up really late. And before they know it, Bruce is there with Maud, to take Vincent to the theatre. Adison has fed him some painkillers, and given him some for the rest of the night. She has padded the wounds extra firmly, to be sure he will not bleed for real on stage. Whilst the guys talk about the events of last night, she draws Maud aside and tells her Vincent is wounded, knowing he'd never tell her he is in pain by himself, but certain Maud will take care not put pressure on his chest the coming nights. Maud promises to keep an eye on him in Adison's stead.

As they set off, dusk is beginning to fall. Adison urges Victor to stay at Mina's side: 'It is important that she is not alone when she wakes up. You go sit with her. Don't feed her without me, though. She has probably never spared her prey, so until she knows when to stop I want to be there. I love you too, you know.' This encourages Victor to actually dare sit with Mina, and he picks up some notes that need sorting and a book, and enters her room. It is pitch dark, so he lights a lamp. Then he sits down on the bed and watches Mina sleep. She hasn't moved a muscle since he left, and she is showing no signs of waking up yet. He wonders what she will feel like when she wakes up, will she be glad to be free, or will she feel guilty for the things she has done. Or maybe she will be like Vincent, totally forgetful. Though he doubts that, Adison would never do that to anyone, her cure cannot have been like a lightning strike combined with the chemical mixture he infused the body with to resurrect it. Not only did it cause Vincent the excruciating pain, but he thinks it also bleached his skin to white and his eyes from brown to yellow. He has burned his notes on that process, not wanting anyone able to repeat it.

Musing about his own misdeed, he has forgotten all about his notes and book. He has felt guilty a lot, realising he tried to outdo God without having any insight in the consequences. Imagining what might have happened if Adison had not been there is very painful, and he has used it often to punish himself for his hubris. But at the same time it has brought him so much: friends, love, a new career as a practicing doctor, weapons skills. It is a strange paradox, but he has learned to live with it, trying to make amends, try being a better person. He hopes that in time, he can help Mina to face her misdeeds, too. Suddenly he becomes aware of a small sound. Concentrating on it, he guesses it must be someone weeping softly, afraid to be heard. Mina. She must be awake, and not well.

Shyly he moves towards her, seeing her still lying on his pallet, but curled up like a child, head covered with the blanket. He doesn't know what to do, this has never been his strength. Thinking of Adison, he starts with just carefully touching the girl, to let her know he is here for her. The sound stops, and very slowly she looks up. Seeing him, she shows him her anguished face, and he no longer needs to think of what to do. He hold out his arms to her, and she unhesitatingly moves into his embrace. With her face on his chest, still crying quietly, she holds on to him so firmly it nearly hurts. He strokes her beautiful blond hair, and waits for her to say anything, do anything. And for a while nothing else happens, they sit there, holding on to eachother. Then Victor breaks the silence, asking: 'Are you in pain?' And she answers: 'Not in physical pain, no. Your operation worked perfectly, though I still don't understand why you saved my worthless shadow of a life. I was one of the enemy, why didn't you leave me there to die?' Victor cannot take blame or credit for that:' That was Adison's decision actually. She got the enemy's hooks out of you, then took you along with us. I suppose she judged you could be saved in both ways.'

She looks up at him again crying: 'I've done such terrible things, you cannot imagine. You'd hate me if you knew, I hate myself for it.' Victor brings his head really close to hers, touching her face with his. 'You were under an evil spell, you must not hate yourself for everything you did. Take responsibility for the decisions you made when you were still your own person. And try to become a better person than you were, make reparations and in time, you may forgive yourself.' His plea to take responsibility has touched her, and she says: 'It sounds as if you have been through that process yourself, as if you have once made bad decisions and did evil things because of that.' He replies: 'I did, and I did them in full possession of my senses and of my own free will. I have tried to make reparations to the person I hurt deeply, and he has forgiven me, he even loves me now. I hope I have become a better person since then as well.' Mina has stopped crying, but she has not tried to put more distance between the two of them. If anything, she feels more comfortable in his embrace, interested in his history of making amends rather than bent on feeling sorry for herself. 'Will you stay with me? May I stay with you? I feel so lonely,' she pleads. In answer, Victor smiles at her and finds the courage to kiss her hair. It smells just like a normal woman. He answers: 'I was just going to ask you the exact same thing.'

After half an hour, they hear a knock on the door, and at their invitation Adison comes in. Victor realises that though she is not even twenty, she is the pillar under their little group. She can fade into any background completely, but she can just as easily take charge and delegate under any circumstance. No-one even suggested leaving Mina behind to die when Adison decided to take her along. And though she was in a really bad state when it happened, Mina clearly realises, that though Victor removed the bullets and thought to feed her, it was Adison who saved her from possession and certain damnation. Her face lights up as she sees Adison, and she is very happy to get a familiar hug from her. Apparently Adison is perfectly ready to include Mina in their circle. She sits on the bed and asks:' How are you doing today, feeling better?' Mina answers:' I'm perfectly fit and in no pain, and very glad to be free, but I'm starting to realise what has happened to me, what I have done to others, and what I have lost. Victor has already talked to me about it, he understands very clearly. But it will take some time to adjust to my new situation, and to accept responsibility for my actions.' The realisation that has set in distresses her very much, this is easy to see. Victor longs to comfort her again, but he doesn't want to push himself on her. He catches Adison's eye, and she sends him an encouraging look, nudging him towards Mina. He does take courage and takes Mina in his arms again, and she relaxes into them, resting her head on his chest. She is crying again, very quietly, and Victor bends over her, sheltering her from the world. He feels her pain, and resolves to help her find her way through it, until she can accept the direction her life has taken.

Adison feels kind of superfluous, so she sneaks out and closes the door behind her. There will be plenty of time to share information with Mina, and hear her memories. Vincent needs to be there anyway, for is is clear they knew eachother in his former life. Adison finds that thought a bit unnerving, what if he finds out that he is married, and he starts to remember a wife and children? Where would that leave her? She is so attached to Vincent now, could she live without him, have him revert to his former name and life? Still, she knows they need to see this through, they all have a past looming over them, and she will have to find a way to live with that. She busies herself with the books she has borrowed from her magic teachers, and lets herself be immersed in the knowledge that may save more lives and souls in the days to come. When Vincent comes back, she will be ready to face his past with him.

Chapter 16

It feels weird, walking to the theatre without Adison. Bruce and Maud are chatting merrily, Bruce nevertheless very attentive to what happens around them, though no-one would notice. Besides Vincent, that is. Bruce's vigilance gives him only a slight sense of security, he feels vulnerable, being wounded and not at his fittest. Or maybe he just misses Adison's stable presence. Or maybe he's afraid she has misjudged Mina, who may also have spelled Victor with her vampiric charms, putting both people he loves at risk. Or maybe he is afraid what she will reveal, what evil he has done, what ties he had when he left that life. He will probably hear more than he wants to. He has never felt reluctant to play his role before, but he does not have his heart in it tonight. As nothing escapes Bruce's notice tonight, they have no sooner arrived at the theatre, and seen Maud off to the dressingrooms, before Bruce pushes Vincent into one of the thousand nooks and crannies of the ancient building. 'No-one can hear us here, so tell me what is riding you,' he says. Vincent knows he cannot shine on stage feeling like this, so he obeys readily: 'I miss Adison, I feel unprotected without her. I feel vulnerable because I'm not fit, my wounds hurt and I can't fight to defend myself. I'm afraid Mina will come forward with all kinds of sordid details of my former life, with grotesque misdeeds, or maybe an abused wife and children somewhere in or out of the city. And I'm afraid she fooled us all and is still evil, has tricked Victor and Adison, and is now doing unspeakable things to them. That's all.'

Bruce does not fall for the attempt at a joke, he knows these fears are serious and even well-founded. Vincent is a very protective man, and trusting the self reliance of his loved ones is hard for him. And his totally opposite fears are even more realistic, he is helpless to magical attack without Adison around. Bruce thinks about his answer for a moment, then tells Vincent:' I understand your uneasiness. Fact is, without Adison you have no protection against magic. But it is not easy to spell someone, they have to be open to it, and I think you are so devoted to her you will be safe from temptation. I can protect you from physical threats and don't underestimate yourself: you may feel lousy, but you can still beat anyone in this city but me, unarmed if need be. Adison cannot be tricked by something evil, but she could be fooled in a smaller way, which would possibly hurt Victor, but not tonight. Also, Adison and Victor are not helpless, they can defend themselves very well, even against a vampire or one of those creatures I think. Though I think you will find Mina everything she seems to be: a young woman, tricked by an evil master into doing horrid things against her will. If she reveals misdeeds out of your former life, you can process them right along with her, for she'll have plenty of her own to get to terms with. Also, you'll be home before you know it. Do you need any painkillers, or a massage or warming up to smoothe your muscles?' Vincent seems relieved already: 'No, I just needed a big reality-check. You are right, Adison and Vincent can take care of themselves. I just miss having them around.'

An hour later, both are ready for the stage. Maud is looking lovely, already waiting behind the scenes. She steps up to him and hugs him really carefully. 'I'm sure Adison and the doctor will be fine. It is always hard to be parted from a loved one, but she will be waiting for you when you get back. I promised her I'd take care of you, and I will. Are you in a lot of pain? She told me you've been wounded.' Surprised that Adison would confide in Maud, he tells her: 'It does hurt, but nothing I can't handle. I'm surprised she told you.' Maud laughs: 'We girls have to stick together. You need looking out for, and I'll be closest to you.' Standing on her toes, she kisses him on the mouth, but with no intention to take it any further. He accepts the kiss for what it is, a sign of intimate friendship common in a closeknit group like a theatre crew, and gives her a bear hug in return, careful of his chest, but feeling a lot better for the warmth of her friendship. Then they get ready for the show, and if he plays with a little less fire than usual, no-one in the audience and on stage even notices. After the show, they make as quick an exit as they can get away with, and he walks home so fast, that Bruce and Maud have to pick up their pace to keep up with him.

When she hears Vincent return, Adison is every bit as eager to see him as he is to be reunited with her. He takes her in as strong a grip as he can stand, painful to him but very satisfying to both. She kisses him eagerly, and he really has to control himself not to run straight to the fourposter with her, to rip off their clothes and make love madly. He knows she can see his intent in his yellow eyes, and feel it somewhere else entirely. But he also knows they have a house guest, now undoubtedly awake, so he stuffs his lust where it will keep, and just breathes in her ear with a husky voice:' I've missed you so much!' She merely looks at him in a certain way, and he knows she has missed him just as much, worrying about him even more than he did about her. 'What is the matter love?' he asks quietly. Adison admits: 'I left Victor and Mina by themselves, they needed that. But then I imagined how Mina would tell us you had a wife and four children in the city, and then you'd remember and leave me for them.' Vincent snorts derisively: 'Not very likely, if we believe what our friends told us. Why would a demonic fiend have a wife and kids?' 'I kept reminding myself of that, but I just wanted you to come back and say it,' she says. 'And now I want to take off your shirt, so I can check on those wounds. Come sit here, close to the fire.'

And sitting astride his knees, she carefully unfastens all the buttons of his shirt, then helps him out of it, baring his bandaged chest. The wrappings are still clean on the outside, which she is relieved to see. 'Maud was very careful with me, and she took great care of me as well,' he says teasingly. Adison does not rise to the bait:' She's a good girl, follows instructions to the letter.' When she removes the padding there is some bleeding from the smaller wounds, the ones she didn't stitch up. She cleans them very carefully, still sitting on his lap, alternating the cleaning with caressing and kissing the undamaged skin. The patient clearly expriences a rising passion rather than pain. 'You are a very bad girl, you make me want to get hurt more often, or heal more slowly.' He can't help distracting her from her work by kissing her intensely. When they run slightly out of breath, she continues her ministrations, nearly finishing before they kiss again. Then she has to get up to fetch clean bandages, and she wraps him up tightly again. Back goes the shirt, and she refastens all the small buttons neatly. Then she sits back on his lap and kisses him again. But they cannot keep stalling, Vincent needs to meet Mina and face his past. So they make a nice supper and knock on her door, knowing that Victor at least must be starving.

Her dress ruined, Mina has nothing to wear except the loose nightgown Adison gave her last night. But on Mina it is decidedly on the short side, and Adison's dresses are really too small for her. Victor promises to do some shopping for her tomorrow, he has a fine eye for fashion and will be able to find her some better fitting stuff. So for now she makes do with a shirt and a pair of loose trousers from Vincent's closet, his size matching hers better than the doctor's. Taking a shower is a real eye-opener for Mina, she has never had any of the modern conveniences. Clean and dressed in clean clothing she joins them at the table, though of course food is of no use for her. She does accept a glass of wine, she is able to digest it, though it will not set her drunk. Even if she tries to do it unobtrusively, it is clear she cannot stop watching Vincent. Finally, she cannot stand not knowing anymore and asks:' How come you look so much like Heathcliff, when I left him for dead a little more than a year ago? One just doesn't recover from a crushed skull.'

Vincent offers to shake hands, and when she accepts he says: 'I go by the name of Vincent now, and I have only started to remember smatterings of my former life as Heathcliff. And I think it is Victor's tale to tell how that came about. I though you would have heard it by now, you've already spent quite some time together.' At his knowing look, Victor colours and excuses himself: 'We've actually spent most of the time you were at the theatre sleeping, Mina is not totally recovered yet and needs more sleep than usual. Needless to say I could use it too. I don't know how you manage, playing a show day in day out after working through the night, being wounded quite severely on top of it.' Realising this is true, Adison feels a stab of guilt, not having thought of it herself. But Vincent makes little of it: 'Apparently you made me really strong and tireless, I really don't feel worse for wear.' Mina puts in her two cents here: 'You never slept much when I knew you either. But I'm nearly dying of curiosity now.' Adison and Victor are both pleased to see her piqued with interest, instead of sad and guilty.

Victor knows it is his turn to explain first, and he doesn't spare himself in his tale. ' The man you knew as Heathcliff was brought into my pathology workshop dying of head trauma. I had been planning to create a superhuman by treating a corpse with a special chemical mixture, then starting the heart again with electricity. This body was in excellent shape and looked very strong, and the damage that was killing it could easily be remedied once he was dead. There was a severe thunderstorm predicted the day after, so I kept him alive until it arrived, then killed him, fixed the skull, set him up in my machine. Lightning struck, he came to life, but he was covered in blood through my sloppy suturing and in excruciating pain because of the lightning and probably the chemicals as well. His screams of pain and the blood made him look horrible, and when he saw me and came towards me he seemed mindless and very agressive, and I fled, leaving him behind to suffer the pain in loneliness. His cries were heartrending, but I heard them as threatening. Adison came up from next door in reaction to his screams and saw straight away what I had missed: my progeny was not mindless and violent, but in agony, his mind wiped by my procedure, a true newborn with no sense of self. She cured his wounds and filled his loneliness. She gave him love and instruction. She and I set up a practice together, and Vincent grew up within a few months. I felt a lot of guilt towards Vincent, for in the beginning he was really afraid of me. When he was grown up, we became friends, and then he and Adison discovered that they loved eachother. Though I was afraid they'd leave me, they stayed, Adison and I continuing our practice and Vincent starting a career as actor. Through my work as medical examiner your father found me, getting us all involved in your situation.'

Mina now feels justified to take a good long look at Heathcliff, or Vincent, as he is now called. She catches his eye, and speaks directly to him: 'You are nearly the same man to look at, you have the same strong body with its erect carriage and proud bearing, the same longish black hair, the same facial features. But there the resemblance ends. Heathcliff had very dark, nearly black eyes and a swarthy skin. Your skin is so white as to be nearly translucent. And your eyes are very different, the yellow colour gives you the same intense stare as Heathcliff had, but I also see life and friendliness in them. You have a sense of humor, he didn't.' She stops talking, looks at Victor, and asks him:' Did your chemicals do that, bleach his skin and eyes? It must have been strong stuff, small wonder he had no memories.' Then, at Vincent again: 'Your face also looks softer, that may be the colour or because you seem to lack a beard. But I don't think that's it. I've already seen you laugh, you enjoy life, you have things you like to do. And you have love. Heathcliff loved someone too, obsessively, but their relationship was twisted. They hurt eachother, wanted to control, possess the other. You seem to love more freely, more givingly. Adison is the total opposite of Catherine, your great love in your former life. She was demanding, unreasonable, unstable. When his Cathy died, Heathcliff became even more morose, vengeful and downright cruel. You might have become like him, had you been left to pain and loneliness. The doctor is right to reproach himself for the sin of raising you from the dead and abandoning you. You would have become a worse monster than Heathcliff was, and a lot less easy to kill. I see you walking around and you have been performing in a play with wounds that would have sent another man to bed for a week. Does anyone of you realise what that means?'

Looking at the three for an answer to her question, she sees Victor looking very depressed, clearly this conversation has raked up his guilt. Adison has a calming hand on his shoulder, reminding him he has long since made up for it. With everyone else looking at the doctor, Vincent follows their attention and notices Victor's demeanor. He reaches over the table, takes the doctor's delicate face in both hands, stares at him: 'Dear Victor, you know that we're way past that. I've long since forgiven you, Adison has not ever held it against you. You made a mistake, the worst didn't happen. It all turned out right, and you are a totally different man now. I love you, you know that.' Looking at Mina, he says: 'He did give me this life, as you said, a happier life, with real love and with things in it that I love to do.'

Now Adison speaks: 'That is exactly what Mina means guys! Heathcliff was a monster, Vincent could have been a monster, but he isn't. He's a loving man, who enjoys life. Her former master's plan is nearly in ruins. And now we've freed her as well. Oh my, that means we're in terrible danger, doesn't it?' Mina takes her hands and says frankly: 'Yes it does, Adison, we are all in danger, and since you've foiled him most, you're in the most danger. But you've already saved our souls and he hasn't been able to get at you. So you see, we're not totally helpless. I don't want my father to know I'm here, because he trusts Vanessa, and she is the weakest link we have. She cannot know I still live, free of the thing that ruled me all this time. The enemy'd find out sooner or later.' 'What can we do?' Vincent asks. 'First, I will tell you all about your past, and how you got to be the Heathcliff I knew. Then we need to get Vanessa cleared of the enemy's taint. She is the last active part of his current world domination plan. Then we enjoy life, learn to live with our pasts, prepare for the future, until he has cooked up some other plan we need to foil. But first, you all need to eat and a good night's sleep. I'll take first watch tonight.'

After supper, they spend another hour together. Mina tells them how she met Heathcliff after he'd eloped with his girl, escaping her cruel brother and a loveless marriage. He had convinced her he'd take care of both of them, that he would make their fortune in the city. 'And he did, she never lacked anything material, but somehow they were never truly happy together. Do you think people can love eachother too much? Serving my master didn't help of course. He didn't control Heathcliff as totally as he did me, but he knew exactly what his weaknesses were and used them. He employed Heathcliff as intermediary when he did business with people, and Heathcliff had a certain charm that made him very good at his work. Soon, he was able to afford a nice house, with staff, and beautiful things for his girl. They got married, at her insistence. But my master slowly but surely put Heathcliff on a path to self-destruction, dragging her down with him. Heathcliff gambled a lot, and won a lot of extra money with it. Also, my master got him to dispose of people now and then. And he taught him the rudiments of sex-magick, enabling him to use his twisted relationship with his dissatisfied and passionate wife to get magical power to become even more charming. I think my master was grooming him to become his vessel, taking away his conscience bit by bit, crossing the line of humanity a bit further with every murder he committed, every beating he gave to or took from his wife.' Vincent swallows hard and says: 'I saw one of those lovemaking sessions in a flashback. It made me sick to the stomach, but I felt the passion, and to someone who had never felt real love, it might have seemed like an all-consuming love.' Mina nods: 'I think he'd never had any love as a child, so he wouldn't be able see that the feeling they shared was something else. And she was as mad as he was, I think, but again, she truly loved him in her way. He was well on the way of becoming the vessel for my master, a vessel my master needed to marry the goddess that had succeeded in tempting Vanessa in her youth. She had not and still has not been won completely, her love of me and her sense of self still hold her back, I think, but not enough. She should have been a man, travelling and exerting herself would have filled that eternal emptiness inside her, but being expected to behave as a noble lady drove her to do desperate things out of boredom.

Then Cathy died. My master wanted to be rid of her, I don't know if he helped her along, but she had been weak in the mind always, and Heathcliff being away a lot and not telling her what he was about didn't help. Also, his character change reflected on her, their love changed as he did, and became ever more sickening. They were chained together for life, and when she died, he just went mad. He became a wild beast more than a human being, his veneer of civilisation dropped off him and his real nature showed. There was no way my master was going to trust his future to a vessel as cracked as Heathcliff. He decided to try to make him useful after all, by having him killed, putting him in the way of the doctor, and hoping to get hold of him with his mind wiped and with superhuman strength. How he knew what the doctor was planning I don't know, but it was easy to predict that a resurrected Heathcliff would frighten the doctor, for at that moment the man was a fright to behold. I was part of the setup to kill him, I had no conscience then, but something in me still thought it would be a relief for him to die. When I actually met him in that bar, he was different, almost like his own self again, but it was too late: he sensed he was in danger but reacted distractedly, and got hit by one of my master's henchmen. They delivered him to you, and hoped you'd take the bait. The rest, you know. Adison saved all of us, for you would not have survived the rise of your progeny to godhood.'

This is a lot to take in. They sit in total silence for a while. Strangely, Mina is already part of their circle, totally included. At last, Adison breaks the silence: ' So that great battle I was afraid of is not coming?' Mina replies: 'There will always be a new battle, but I think this time it was not fought with arms, but with dedication, and you were the main soldier. There may still be one ahead, but I think that once Vanessa has thrown off her possession, and has found something in her life to keep her busy and away from temptation, all will be well for some time. Dad should take her to Africa. If I ever get the chance, I'll advise him to do so.' Adison looks very relieved: 'I think I'd like to go to bed now, Vincent. I have been afraid to lose you two since I had that premonition, and now I feel light as a feather. Thank you Mina. Will you two share a room again tonight?' Her inquiry is frank and open, and Mina answers it gladly, addressing Victor: 'Will you stay with me tonight? It would make me very happy.' He has been beating himself up how to ask just that the whole night, and now it turns out he only has to say: 'Yes, please!' They walk away from the table, hand in hand, still very conscious of eachother and themselves.

Chapter 17

Thinking of the interesting time they have ahead of them, Adison sighs audibly. 'What is that great sigh for?' Vincent asks her, smilingly. 'We were never so shy with eachother, it's just so sweet,' she replies, dreamingly. Suddenly, she feels two strong arms seize her, and the next moment she is crushed to a rather broad chest. Looking up, she sees two sulfurous eyes gazing at her, and a deep, husky voice says: 'Sweet! I'll give you sweet, woman!' He lifts her off her feet easily and carries her to the fourposter, throwing himself on the bed with her pinned under him. Still holding her gaze locked in his stare, he kisses her passionately. And whilst not exactly ripping off their clothes, they do hurry to get rid of the layers between them. Adison soon finds out that her fear of Vincent having lost his violent self is completely unfounded. The glorious beast is still there, and his lovemaking is as wild as ever. And then the husky voice, so much Vincent and still so different from the actor's clear baritone, says: 'So tell me, Miss Adison, now I have a name, will you marry me? Will you be Mrs Vincent Heathcliff? Even if mothers scare their children with my name, and horses kick their stalls in fear when I pass by, will you love me?' Taken totally by surprise, and delighted with Vincent's releasing his dark side, she soon manages to whisper: 'Yes, my love, I will. I will love you forever and I will certainly marry you!' And then the moment for wild loving has passed, and they return to tenderness.

Knowing he is one and the same person, the difference is still so profound that she can't help asking: 'That really was you, wasn't it?' For answer, he takes her in his arms so tenderly that her full heart nearly bursts. His slightly tragic actor's face gazes at her in an expression of total surrender. 'Since you fell in love with him at first sight, and we're both taking his name in a way, I thought it'd be only fair he'd ask you himself.' Laughing, she jumps on him in retaliation for teasing her in a moment like that, only remembering his wounds when he stifles a cry of pain. With an: 'I deserved that, don't worry, it wasn't bad,' he strokes her cheek, and continues: 'Of course that was me, love, I couldn't bear even the thought of you marrying someone else. And now I may need a new bandage.' And indeed, their wild love-play and her impudent move have caused him to start bleeding again. 'Stay here', she says, and she fetches her bag. And again she makes dressing his wounds such a sensuous deed, that when she is done, they have to repeat their whole lovemaking, only a lot quieter, or they'd never get any sleep tonight. Lying side by side, they think and talk of the day a bit more, then go to sleep.

In Mina's room a few doors further down the hall, Victor decides not to offer to remove the pallet. She has been free of a demonic master only one night, and whilst he can imagine she doesn't want to be alone, that doesn't automatically mean she wants him to share her bed. He doesn't even want to think what has been done to her, a young beautiful woman in total submission to an adept in blood-magick and sex-magick. Anything she wants to share, he will listen to, but even if he dared, it wouldn't be fair to ask for more. Meanwhile, Mina realises she has a serious crush on this man. He is beautiful, competent and at the same time so incredibly vulnerable and shy, he's irresistable. But also very difficult to approach, he has such protections built around his heart. If he has ever only trusted his two best friends with his love, how can she ever hope to win it, with the taint of evil still around her, and with her past of betrayal and servitude to a master of blood-magick and, God help her, sex-magick. Why would any man want to associate with a woman like her, a vampire at that? If he hadn't been so shyly encouraging so far, and if Adison hadn't practically thrown him at her, she'd give up without even trying.

As it is, she tells herself to be patient. They will be living together for quite some time, and his friends have accepted her above her expectations. Just wait and take small steps. As he sits down next to her, comfortably close but clearly everything but relaxed, she wants to forget common sense, grab him and kiss him on his well-shaped mouth, sitting astride his boyish figure. Instead, she reaches for his hand, and holds it until he does relax. Apparently that is enough for him, so it will have to do for her too, for now. Or, she can just ask him.

'Do you want to share a bed tonight, Victor?' she dares to ask. He tenses up instantly, but manages an answer: 'Very much so.' Encouraged, she goes a step further: 'And would you like to kiss me?' Too big a step, now he's struck dumb. Or is he? He nods, and forces the words out: 'Of course I would. But with everything you've been through, why would you want to...' His voice fades, but she can suddenly read his mind: 'Why would you want to be intimate with a man after having undoubtedly suffered abuse.' Now she's getting somewhere: 'I wasn't abused in that way, Victor. I was bait for Vanessa, and not expendable. I did horrible things, but I did them because vampires see people as food and entertainment, not as individuals. Now I'm free, and I think as a human again. And I believe in love at first sight again. I find you beautiful, and I admire your mind and your clever hands. And your shyness attracts me like a beacon on a moonless night. Would you please hold me?' It is easier when she asks him things, things he would never dare to say or do if left to himself. Holding her is one of them, and once he has his arms around her tightly, her head resting on his shoulder, he finds it gets easier to dare things. Like letting his own face touch hers, and saying: 'I believe in love at first sight too. I do since I first saw you yesterday. But I would never have dared to do anything about it.' She does not say anything, but she lies down on the bed, taking him with her. And then she kisses him, as intensely as Vincent kissed him that first time, but gentler, so much gentler. He doesn't experience intense lust, or a burning desire to have passionate sex. He just feels an all-overpowering sense of belonging, a sense of rightness. Mina knows that this is as far as they are going tonight: holding eachother, kissing and feeling complete. With this sensitive man, she will have to take it slowly. But he has already admitted he loves her, and that is so much more than she expected just a few minutes ago.

'Do you need blood tonight?' he asks tentatively. 'I could do with some, but I can stick it out until tomorrow easily,' she says. 'Please take what you need, I felt fine today,' he offers, 'will you bite me this time, in my neck?' Mina objects: 'I thought you wanted someone present the first few times, to make sure I know when to stop.' Reminded of that, Victor thinks about it: 'I trust you, you'd never harm me. Do you trust yourself?' She considers: 'I am conscious now, and I'd rather kill myself than hurt you. And if I don't project lust on you, you will be totally aware so you can stop me yourself. I have spared my victims at times, but I've never fed off someone I loved before.' Victor really wants to share this with her, and he is not afraid she'll drain him. She was nearly dead the last time, and in a coma. 'I want you to bite me in my neck, so we will be really close. Will you do it?' The idea of feeding off him exites her quite a lot, and he smells too good to be true. Still, she needs to be honest with him: 'Feeding on your blood will be incredibly stimulating to me, you know. We've been taking it slowly so far, I don't want you to feel forced into any intimacies that you are not ready for. You can give me your wrist tomorrow, at the suppertable, and I will be totally fine. We have plenty of time.'

But he has felt her little shiver of anticipation, and it exites him immensely. He isn't afraid of getting fired up a little. He makes his decision, and offers her his throat. 'Please do it, I want it. I want you to get really horny, and I want to feel that way too. Don't project lust on me, I want to feel only the real thing.' So she smells his neck, taking in his scent, feeling his delightful warmth. She smells and feels no fear in him, just eager anticipation, like her own. His skin is so appealing, she licks it to get a taste, sending a shiver through him. Extending her canines, razor sharp, and an inch in length, she shows them to him, ready to call it quits if he so much as blinks in fear. But he doesn't, he even wants her to kiss him like that. Careful not to cut himself he explores her mouth with his tongue, expertly avoiding the razor tips of her canines. When they break off the kiss, he exposes his throat to her again, and she strikes. He feels a short, sharp jab, and then her blissfull sucking. This time, he feels lust rising, but it doesn't distract him from what is happening. He relishes the intense feelings he experiences, feeding the woman he loves, and feeling her passion rising. She takes it really slowly, not forcibly sucking out his blood as she did last night, feeding to save her life. But rather letting the blood flow from him to her, using just enough suction to stay connected, preventing spillage and giving him that exquisite feeling in all the nerves of his body. Feeding slowly, she can make their bond last, but after four or five mouthfuls she breaks it. A few more drops well out of the small holes in his neck, and she carefully licks the punctures until they stop bleeding. With iron self-control she looks at him, to see how he feels. Those last few licks just did for him, he is overcome with love and lust, and he is ready to let it out.

So, Mina gets what she wanted from the first: she can sit astride this beautiful man, and kiss him to her heart's content. Then she can touch him everywhere, his blood still tingling in her mouth, and coursing through her body, spreading its warmth. He is caressing her too, with decided heat, but still tenderly. She wants to feel him inside her, and she knows he is as ready as she is, she feels his erection touching her. But despite his need, he first shows her he is not as green as his shyness suggests. His expertise brings her one climax after another, tempting her to try some similar tricks on him in return. They make a glorious finish, then collapse exhaustedly. Mina says hoarsely: 'That was very unexpected. I've never been fed or loved like that before. You look so...innocent.' Gloating a bit, and intensely happy, he replies: 'I ám innocent, and very shy. That was just so..incredibly good. Feeding you, I mean. I couldn't control myself. But you could, I feel fine, not dizzy at all.' Yawning hugely, he adds: 'But now I really want to sleep, will you be able to sleep already?' 'I'll stay with you until you are sleeping deeply. Then I'll pay a visit to your library and amuse myself for a few hours. Tomorrow, you'll find me at your side again.

You know you have fabulous blood, very hot, and very tasty,' she says. Victor asks: 'Will you be able to live entirely off me? Can one person make enough blood, and won't the taste get boring?' She laughs and strokes his hair and cheek: 'Your blood will be plenty for me, you'll get used to eating more and producing new blood. And it'll never bore me, blood changes taste with everything you do: the food you eat, drinks, even alcohol affects me if you've digested it first, your state of mind, happiness, sadness, everything makes it taste differently. Go to sleep now my love, I will watch over you as you watch over me in the daytime.' And, resting his head against her soft body, he does just that. Mina watches him sleep for some time, stroking his hair and his face, more innocent looking than ever in sleep. When he gets restless, twitching, mumbling, she holds him until his sleep deepens. Then she covers him with the blanket like the sweet child he resembles just now, dresses, and finds her way to the library. She will need a candle to read by, but she can find her way around in the dark easily, a necessary adaptation of her kind to a life in the shadows.

Having found quite a lot of interesting books, some poetry, some novels, but also scientific publications and Victor and Adison's own essays, she realises she need not be bored at night for some months yet. Plenty of time to get Vanessa sorted out. After that, she can join Victor on his night calls, she'll no longer need to hide here. She starts on an essay, wanting to get to know her lover better. Soon, it catches her interest, and the candlemarks fly by. Then, she is torn from her concentrated reading by the sound of knocking at their front door. That is strange, Mina knows they have a medical practice, but no-one warned her of nightly callers. She decides to investigate, not wanting to wake anyone up until it has been proven necessary. Once she's at the door, she can hear sounds outside of a carriage waiting, she must have missed it coming immersed in her reading. Good job watching, Mina, she berates herself. She peeks through the spyhole in the door to see who disturbs their rest at this time of the night. And to her shock, she quite clearly sees Sembene standing there, her father's friend who masquerades as his servant. She needs to make a split second decision, will she reveal herself to him, or will she wake Victor or one of the others?