Chapter Seven

True to my word, I helped the family that I stayed with. I'd almost convinced myself that they were in fact, my family, and that if I pictured just hard enough, I could lie to myself and say that this was how I'd grown up. But it wasn't real, and with that in mind, I worked tirelessly to prepare myself.

When I wasn't spending hours in the fields, picking and plowing and hauling carts, I was learning how to act human. Because Nina was the only one that could read, I helped her organize her books, and how to use the money that they had. I got to travel to their markets, and learn how to interact with and imitate those people. Soon, I was practically running things on my own.

Katharine's comment about me being "tall and skinny" came back to my mind one day. I was never very strong. I wasn't weak, but my body lacked the tone and strength that Ezra had, and he would tease me about it constantly. My muscles were small; more there because I was thin. Frowning, I went to the river. I saw that my body had toned. I looked…strong; my muscles had grown, as large as (if not larger than) Ezra's, and were tight. I supposed that hours in the fields lifting and pushing had done this to me. My hair had grown longer, curling over my ears and onto my shoulders. I smiled; I looked like…dare I say it? Like one of the Gods that the Romans loved to sculpt and portray. I almost flinched at the thought of my vanity, comparing myself to a God, but then I smirked. Who would stop me? What could they do; cast me out again? I realized just how nice I looked, and how I could use it, when the girls from around town would stop to see me work.

"Hi, Henry!" they'd purr as they walked past. Henry was my newly given name; I didn't care for it, but I certainly didn't want them to know my real name. Before I knew what I looked like, I would just blush and look at the ground. Now, with my newly found confidence, I would answer back, and they'd giggle. After work one day, I'd followed them around town. I learned exactly what it was that charmed them, and in response, they'd let me sit with them while they gossiped about everything going on. Normally, I'd have found their talking annoying, but they seemed to know everything about the culture that was the Loire Valley. They taught me who lived in what home, and what they did. I listened as they spoke about the Duc, and how "good looking" and "charming" and "wealthy" he was. Getting to know the men around town was harder. At first, they saw me as a threat. I quickly convinced (and by convinced, I mindtricked) them into accepting me, and teaching me what they knew. I even learned how to dance. I refused to learn the songs; I refused to sing anymore. It reminded me too much of what I'd lost.

I stayed out of sight when the Duc and his family came into town. I watched, like a predator, as he would strut down the street, confident, aware that he could have whatever and whomever he chose. I watched what his favorite shops were; what he liked to eat, and what he chose to wear. I would follow him back to his home, and silently stalk the activities he participated in. I needed to know these things so that when I became him, there would be no discernible difference. It didn't seem like it would be hard; for all his finery, the boy seemed like a fool.

There was one more thing I needed to learn, before I was fully prepared. The men had laughed when I'd told them, and they "educated" me on the "finer lesson of life". That is; they taught me what and how sex happens. They were brash men; and so the things they taught me were rudimentary. They lacked the charm that I knew the girls' wanted, and so I'd make sure to provide it. I practiced on Katharine. One look at my new body, and my charming words, and the snake had fallen right back into her old tricks.

It was weird; I couldn't feel a thing. I already didn't feel any sort of passion, or love for her, and so the entire act was lacking. I never finished with her; I knew what happened now when a fallen angel and a human procreated, and I certainly didn't want any bastard Nephilim, especially not with her blood. Still, I did it, over and over. The one thing that gave me satisfaction, albeit cheap, was that I knew that the Archangels would be watching, and they'd be disgusted as I violated a sacred law.

When she was finished, I knew that I was ready. I'd easily perfected every human thing that I felt I wanted to know, and I was certainly powerful enough to handle anything else that came my way.