CHAPTER 19 – STAMINA AND CHARISMA

Late that same morning, Nick came downstairs to find Michael still missing. Enjoying a leisurely breakfast of not quite a full bottle of blood, he spent several hours on his laptop catching up on his correspondence, while waiting for Devon to join him.

"Good afternoon," Nick said as the younger man exited his bedroom and approached the stairs.

"Good day to you, Nick," Devon returned. He glanced at the parking area, then lifted a quizzical eyebrow. "Michael still isn't here?" he asked as he descended the stairs.

"No, and that's fine. Even if he were here, he'd be bored stiff, considering what I had in mind for tonight."

"And what is on our agenda for this evening?" Devon wanted to know. He hesitated, unsure whether to approach the seating area or the kitchen. He was rather hungry, after all.

"First item is for you to have some breakfast," Nick suggested. "I can sense your growing hunger, and your eyes have some yellow flecks in them. They'll raise suspicions if you're not careful."

Devon dropped his head and gave a quiet groan, then asked, "I am not aware of any yellow overtone to my vision, so I know they aren't fully changed, but how am I to know when they're partly changed – without a mirror, of course?"

"Don't look at the overall view," Nick suggested. "Focus on something you know is supposed to be white, and see if it looks a little…'dingy' is the best way I know to describe it. You get rid of it the same way you do for the full change. When you have some time, since you have a reflection, you might practice in front of a mirror. It should be interesting to watch."

"I shall do that. Vampiric eyes are rather fascinating. I do wonder if this will be a frequent problem for me," Devon said, concerned.

Nick held up a hand. "It shouldn't be. It usually happens when we've been pushing ourselves pretty hard. Or from a nightmare. Either way, it's most often a hold-over from sleep. If you check shortly after getting up, you should be good for the day."

"That's a relief," the fledgling said with a sigh. Now relaxed, he closed his eyes, focused inwardly, and managed to return his eyes to their normal shade of rich blue with an undertone of teal.

"After that, I thought tonight's lesson would involve a fairly long-distance flight. Sound good?"

Devon had to grin. "Indeed, it does." His grin slid off his face as he asked, "Will this have to be at my top speed, or is distance the objective?"

"We'll go for distance this time," Nick assured him. "It'll give you the chance to determine your best 'cruising speed,' and see what your range is."

"Worthwhile objectives, I must admit."

"But first…breakfast. Load up, Devon. I do intend to push you on the distance part of this," Nick warned him. "After that, no more lessons for tonight."

Before approaching the refrigerator, the younger man commented, "You mentioned once that it's always a good idea to have a supply of blood on hand before attempting a long flight."

"Yes, I did," Nick said with a nod of approval. "I'm pleased you remembered that." He sensed there was more to the question, and waited for the other man to elucidate.

"In that case, what will you…what if I…" Devon struggled with the thought of failing – and falling – during this exercise.

"If you can't make it back without some more blood?" Nick supplied the remainder of the question.

Devon nodded.

"Not to worry. You can feed from me in mid-air if you have to. I'll slow down and let you land on my back so you can reach my neck. I'll fly for the two of us while you refresh yourself."

The fledgling shuddered. "That sounds somewhat distasteful, not to mention awkward."

Nick lifted an eyebrow this time. "It's better than any other options I could have suggested. Think about it and you'll see what I mean."

Falling out of the sky was not an option the younger vampire truly wanted to consider. But it could possibly happen. Hopefully, his sire would catch him before he…well, he hoped Nick would catch him, but he would still lose face, to say the least.

Having to land unexpectedly to ask to feed from his sire was another possibility. Could they find a suitable place with no potential witnesses or cameras? Dare they risk it? No.

Devon grimaced as another thought occurred to him. He would feel truly humiliated if Nick had to carry him, either on his back or in his arms, for the remainder of the trip.

He realized that being carried – briefly – on his sire's back to renew his resources, then resume his own flight was indeed the best option.

He swallowed hard and said, "I understand. It is the best choice. But I will try to go as far as I possibly can on my own power."

"I expect nothing less, Devon," the senior vampire stated. "And you would do well to consider not only the distance involved, but the time. It helps to use that as a 'fuel gauge' to know how much further you can go. A trip like this will help us determine how far you can go on a full tank, to put it in automotive terms."

The younger man met the older one's cornflower blue eyes. "What is your approximate range, if I might ask?"

Nick hesitated briefly. Living so long in Toronto, he'd gotten used to the metric system. He was still reacquainting himself with the ponderous and confusing American system of units. "If I eat well, and I mean really load up, before a long flight, I can manage just under 500 miles, and do it in about three hours at my normal speed. I'll definitely be ravenous when I land, though."

"Do you have any idea what my range is likely to be?"

Nick shook his head. "I wish I did. I've seen fledglings do anything from 50 to 200 miles. That could work out anywhere from one to three hours." His expression suddenly became somber. "I don't know how far or how long my first real flight was. We had no watches or timepieces, or mile-markers on our few roads. I do know…" Nick took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before finishing, "I killed someone as I landed. I was so completely ravenous I wasn't even aware of it. Only after my hunger was nearly sated did I find myself on the ground, holding a fresh and bloody corpse."

"I didn't mean to pry," Devon said apologetically.

"I know," the other said gently. "But part of your lessons includes learning more about me, about my past. That was a harsh lesson, but it was something I needed to know. And now it's your turn. I certainly won't let you kill anyone, but we do need to explore your limits." He tilted his head toward the kitchen. "But first, drink your fill, as much as you can handle."

The pair of vampires had flown east from Nick's place.

"Do you not intend to stop while we're here?" Devon asked his companion now that they were within sight of the Knight mansion. "We could at least find out what the devil Michael is up to." He truly hoped the answer would be yes.

"Absolutely not," Nick countered. "I want this to be the turn-around point, nothing more. This has to be a nonstop effort to be a valid result. Sorry."

"As you wish," the fledgling said glumly as they turned back. "At least now I'll know how to find this place and yours from the air."

"That's part of it too. It's starting to come together for you, isn't it?" Nick wondered.

"Yes, it is."

They returned to Nick's place. "Surely we're not done already?" Devon protested. "I can do better than that."

Nick looked at him slyly. "What makes you think I only intended one lap? I most certainly did not, so turn around and head back to the mansion."

Devon huffed, perturbed by this news, and reluctantly did as the other man asked…no, commanded. Much of this whole experience was far too reminiscent of his youthful days of military training. But those difficult and often degrading lessons had served him well…as would this. He could endure it since he knew he was gaining the confidence he needed to resume his life in what was effectively a new body.

"I assume you don't wish to land this time either?" he asked as they soared within sight of the mansion once more. Devon was making the turn for the last leg of the trip back to Nick's place. At this point, he was struggling to maintain his altitude and speed, and would have welcomed the chance to land and rest.

"You're right. We're still not landing. It wouldn't do you any good anyway. The only bottles on hand are mine, and you're far too young to handle blood-wine. Even a small amount will make you violently ill, so those are off-limits."

"I could feed from you," the younger one suggested.

"But I'm not offering," Nick stated evenly. "Not yet, anyway. You still have some flight left in you. I know you do. Just fly as if your best friend's life depended on it, because sometime…it might."

Dredging new resolve from the core of his being, Devon found renewed strength and stamina. His efforts got him three-fourths of the way back.

"Just eight more minutes, Devon," Nick pleaded. "You can make it."

"No…I…can't," the fledgling said as he all but passed out and started to fall.

Nick deftly maneuvered beneath him and let him land on his back. "It's okay, Devon. I've got you, and I'll get us back safely. You can feed from me now if you want."

"Too…ta…tired," Devon said, barely understandable since his mouth was pressed against the top of Nick's shoulder.

"Just remember what it feels like to be this exhausted and still so ravenous. Now that you know what it's like, you'll know not to push yourself this hard on your own."

The fledgling managed a weak moan as his only response. He would certainly never forget this, much less repeat it.

Minutes later Nick landed beside the door to his home, his back facing the wall to support his bone-weary passenger so he could off-load him, turn around, and catch him before he fell. With Devon in his arms, he unlocked the door and half-dragged the taller man inside. Upon closing and locking the door, he leaned his guest against the wall. He supported Devon with one arm while biting the other and offering his vampiric son the fresh bounty.

The Director of FLAG never envisioned himself in such a weak, desperate, and altogether undignified position. But Nick was right. The young vampire within him was new to this life. The abilities that "infant" bestowed were incredible, but couldn't compare to that of a mature vampire like Nick. Devon intensely disliked anything that compromised his personal dignity, and that had already happened several times since his transformation. Part of his coping technique to deal with the problem was to associate that loss with – a.k.a. blame – the vampire within, not himself. It helped. Immensely.

Too tired to make the change and bite his sire's arm for a better flow, Devon eagerly licked the wounds. He savored the potent liquid as it passed over his lips and tongue to vanish into the stomach, to be almost instantly absorbed into the bloodstream. Within seconds he felt better, and pulled away from the wall to stand on his own. He extended his fangs and prepared to bite Nick's arm to renew the blood flow from the nearly healed wounds.

The elder vampire withdrew his arm. "Now that you're somewhat on your feet, feed from my neck instead." Nick tilted his head to the side to allow easier access to the large blood vessels, while looping an arm around the other man's back. The other hand held the man's head in place to encourage him to drink deeply and renew himself. "That's right, Devon. Take as much as you want. You need it. You earned it."

Devon took many more swallows before removing his teeth from Nick's neck. "Thank you, Nick. Those words seem so utterly inadequate. After all, I've probably depleted your reserves by now."

Nick knew that the other's eyes had been fully red for at least twenty minutes during the last part of their excursion. Even after feeding, they were still yellow, with no trace of the original hue. Nick's own eyes were yellow as well, as Devon noted when he pulled away from his sire's neck.

"I'm fine, Devon," Nick assured his companion. "Age means a lot for us, and I'm nowhere near as depleted as you were. I'll admit that I'm beyond the point where normal food alone would satisfy, but I can get by with maybe a half bottle of blood. And you could use the other half yourself. You're still not satiated, and it's important to do that after a severe depletion like you just endured."

He opened the fridge and withdrew a bottle of uncut blood. After opening it, he passed it to Devon. "Go ahead. I'll take whatever is left."

The younger man reluctantly accepted the bottle. He would have preferred to pour the contents into a glass first, but the vampire within was too impatient for that. He drank over half the bottle before feeling replete from his repast, then handed it to his sire.

"Feel better now?" the yellow-eyed Nick asked the now blue-eyed younger man.

"Immensely," Devon said, completely at ease under the gaze of the odd eyes of his sire.

"Can you tell a difference between when you stopped feeding on me and when you stopped on this bottle?"

Devon gave it some thought before replying, "Yes, I can."

"Good. There is a difference between the state of not being hungry and that of complete satiation. Most of the time, we don't truly need the latter. But after that flight, or anything that pushes you that hard, your body requires a full satiation. If you don't do it, you'll have a lingering case of nervous energy and anxiety that mortals will interpret as a threat. It will continue until you fill that need. I don't know how it works, but it somehow 'resets' us and puts us back in balance."

"I take it regular food isn't an alternative?" Devon mused.

"I highly doubt it. I suspect we'll need blood – or blood-wine, in my case – to achieve satiety and get back in balance. After that, I'd say we can switch back to regular food."

"Hopefully I won't be pushed that hard again," Devon commented.

Nick narrowed his eyes. "BE pushed? Are you implying I'm solely responsible for your condition?"

Devon froze as he considered his words, then his shoulders sagged. "That was not my intention, yet I understand how you could interpret it that way. The fact is that you do push quite hard, but I do much the same to myself."

"So you're blaming both of us?"

The young vampire defiantly met the elder's eyes and confidently replied, "I am, although I don't see it as blame, but responsibility. Both of us contributed to my condition."

"Fair enough," Nick agreed with a more amiable tone. "But at least we gained some valuable information from it. You stayed in the air about two hours and forty-five minutes, but you started struggling not quite thirty minutes earlier. That means you should have a comfortable range of at least two hours, and manage another fifteen minutes if you have to. You're still very new to this life, so your stamina and speed will improve, but it will take time."

"I gained a better grasp of your advice to have some blood available at the end of a long flight. I will definitely keep that in mind, should the need arise," Devon commented.

"Good. And I'd suggest you try to keep your flights well under two hours if possible. There's a difference between having the stamina for it and being presentable afterward. At this point, I hate to say it, Devon, but you're far from presentable. You need a long shower. And some rest. We're done with lessons for the night, so..." Nick gave him an amused grin as he indicated the stairs with a tilt of his head.

The younger man glanced at his hands and arms. The back of his hands had a sticky sheen of blood, while most of the long sleeves of his shirt were plastered to his arms with blood-sweat. He lifted a hand to his head and ran it through his hair. His eyes went wide as he realized his hair was dripping blood-sweat as well. "Oh, dear. I hadn't realized I was such a…" he said in horror.

"Don't worry about it. I've looked – and smelled – far worse than that in my time. Many times, for that matter," Nick assured him.

"Really?"

Nick closed his eyes and tightened his lips, trying to decide if he should tell him or not. It was hardly one of his proudest moments, after all. But Devon could use some encouragement.

Nick sighed. "The worst I ever did was to fly until I fell from the sky. LaCroix let it happen, of course. I wasn't as badly injured as you might expect because I landed on top of several pigs in a sty. They died – understandably – and I fed on them while I was covered in a combination of their blood, body parts, urine, and feces. I was most grateful that we don't have to breathe. I had to jump into a river to clean off, steal some new clothes, and burn my own after that. Not one of my happier memories."

"Good heavens! Compared to that, I'm nearly pristine!" Devon said, shocked.

"I wouldn't go that far, but you are much better off than I was. You definitely need a shower and shampoo. If you set your clothes outside the bathroom door, I'll run them through the laundry. I'll add them to mine since I need to clean up too. You were on my back for the last few minutes, so some of your blood-sweat was transferred to me."

"I must apologize, Nick. I hadn't realized…"

Nick cut the fledgling off with a wave of his hand. "Not necessary, Devon. You needed help. The mess was irrelevant. You go ahead and start your shower. I'll do the same in a few minutes."

"Very well," Devon said as he walked toward the stairs. He was eager to enjoy another shower. The multi-head directional fixtures provided a massage and a powerful spray that made him feel wonderfully clean and invigorated. Perhaps he should upgrade his own set at the mansion. Perhaps not; it would probably require its own water heater, a substantial one at that. Oh, well, he'd thoroughly enjoy it while he was here.

Half an hour later, Nick left his bedroom, refreshed and in new clothes. He had even dried his hair. He paused outside the door to listen to his son. He chuckled to himself as he realized Devon was still in the shower.

Nick went downstairs and turned on the television. He couldn't help but glance at the empty spot beside the chair where Michael usually parked. He really missed the company.

"I thought we'd work on using your electromagnetic field to influence mortals to do your bidding – and controlling it to avoid that," Nick suggested the next day.

"That sounds useful," Devon decided as he headed toward the kitchen for breakfast.

Nick intercepted him before he could open the refrigerator. "Sorry, but this is something that can't be explained with words. You have to learn it from the blood, so I'm your breakfast for today." He tilted his head to the side to offer the younger vampire his neck.

Devon hesitated, struggling to overcome his aversion to the idea of biting someone for their blood, especially when he wasn't exactly ravenous. Eventually his eyes flashed gold and his fangs descended as he leaned toward the tempting meal.

While the other vampire drank from him, Nick focused on the ability he had always known as "vampiric charisma." Kitt had explained it as a deliberate manipulation of the vampire's natural electromagnetic field, which Nick found reasonable. The problem was explaining how to do it. Nick's sire was a master of such field manipulation, but even he lacked the words to explain it to his offspring. Instruction was done by allowing the fledgling to learn directly from the blood. The offspring could perceive the "feel" of the technique as the parent used it in various circumstances.

This was what Devon derived from Nick. Through his sire's memories he experienced the same mental focus on a particular aspect of his new body. He "pushed" his will in a certain way to "set" it to persuade or seduce an individual or even a small group, or in a different way to create the negative version to scare or threaten instead.

He also learned to control the intensity, and effect a neutral state as Nick normally maintained. This would shield that inherent ability as much as possible to avoid unintentionally influencing others.

The teaching session through the blood took longer than Nick anticipated, but he was satisfied that his fledgling had paid attention not only to the overall technique, but to the fine details as well. Nick wouldn't admit it, but he hadn't paid such close attention when he was learning the skill, and had later regretted it.

Sensing these things via someone else's memories was just a starting point. Practical application was necessary for true understanding and gaining experience and skill.

"I'm glad it's dark enough to for us to fly, since Michael is apparently still at the mansion," Nick commented. "I can't believe he's been gone for two days."

"Flying is a definite benefit, I must say," Devon agreed with a slightly smug smile. "But I do wonder what he is doing to occupy his time."

"I don't know, but he's probably finding it easier to keep busy there than here."

"Very true," the younger man concurred.

"In the meantime, since you have fed from me to learn a new skill, I would like to go somewhere to let you try it out and practice. The place I had in mind is…

"I am most grateful you chose this place instead of something similar to that…retail store," Devon commented, suppressing a mental gag at the appalling memory.

Nick laughed quietly. "I thought you might appreciate this, especially after that encounter. Some things can benefit from a worst-case scenario, while others don't need it. I believe it's easier to learn this particular skill somewhere quiet, and with a small number of people, preferably widely dispersed."

"This certainly fits that description," the fledgling agreed, eager for what he dearly hoped would be a fairly stress-free evening.

The pair had flown toward the heart of the city and made their way to the largest public library in the area. They were greeted with a sparse and quiet population within the edifice. They stopped at the information desk and examined a layout of the facility. The young man behind the counter asked if they had a library card, which they would need if they wanted to check out any of the materials; if not, did they want one?

Much to Devon's surprise, Nick filled out a brief form to do so. The senior vampire shrugged as he explained, "I have varied interests, including a passion for both archeology and history. I might stumble across something that piques my interest while I'm here…or some other time. Who knows?"

"I understand. Now that we are here, what do you wish me to do?" Devon asked.

"I'll give you a lot of leeway on this. I'll keep in touch through our link, and observe from a distance. I want you to select someone fairly isolated and see if you can persuade them to approach you without you saying a word. Start with a low setting, then make it stronger until it happens. Try the same thing with the negative version, but start close to your target and make them move away. After that, try two at a time. The rest is up to you."

"This should prove interesting. A series of silent encounters."

Devon walked away from the desk to search for a likely target, while Nick returned to the information desk and asked where the archeology books were. He could keep mental tabs on his offspring while indulging in one of his favorite interests.

Devon completely ignored the topics of the books he passed; he had eyes only for the people. He considered striking up a stimulating conversation with someone after persuading them to approach, then decided against hunting someone interesting at first. They might be too distracting. He smiled to himself as he considered taking a page from Nick's lesson plans and setting up a worst-case scenario of his own.

He slowly scoured the aisles, seeking the right individual. Finally, he spotted a viable target. A young man in torn, threadbare blue jeans and a "Grateful Dead" t-shirt was browsing through the motorcycle magazines. The youth was in every conceivable way the opposite of what Devon found appealing, and the fledgling knew the young one would likely feel the same about him. Perfect.

Devon deliberately bumped into the corner of a chair as he repositioned himself for a better look at his quarry. The small noise would at least announce his presence.

The t-shirt man barely glanced up, then continued flipping through the magazine.

Now facing the man, Devon focused inwardly on the particular aspect of his mind that controlled his new ability, according to his blood-training from Nick. He "pushed" his will toward the other and watched for some reaction.

The lowest level did nothing. Nick had said there was a distance factor in play and that level only worked on someone at arm's length.

Devon increased the power.

The youth stopped turning pages. First he stared blankly at the printed material in his hands, then slowly turned his gaze toward the vampire.

Devon wanted him to leave his seat and move closer. He increased the power even more.

The stranger quickly ran a hand over his hair to settle any disheveled strands. He stood, straightened himself and slowly approached the fledgling. "Is there anything I can… do… for you, mister?" he said in a throaty voice.

Now that he'd succeeded, Devon nearly gagged in revulsion as he neutralized his field, then shielded it even more. He shook his head toward the man. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare, but that shirt reminds me of someone I lost long ago. My brother was wearing a shirt like that the last time I saw him. As a result, I'm afraid I was rather lost in my thoughts," he explained, borrowing an excuse Nick had successfully used before.

The stranger barely heard the explanation. He shook his head, blinked hard, and rubbed his temples, trying to clear the foggy feeling that had manifested so quickly. "'Scuse me, pal." He looked around and spotted the magazine he'd abandoned on the table. "I don't even remember getting up, much less bumping into you. Sorry 'bout that."

"Quite all right, I assure you," Devon said politely as the man returned to his chair. He grinned as he turned to choose another target and try again.

Nick sensed his amusement. Having fun? he asked through their link.

Frankly…yes. That was most fascinating. I'm currently searching for another potential target.

Good. Enjoy.

Devon tried the same technique on a young female who he expected would have no natural attraction to him, and "persuaded" her to approach him. Gaining confidence, he tried the negative version on the next one, easily convincing a nearby middle-aged gentleman to move away. After that, he tried to attract two at a time, finding it much more challenging, yet a negative variation on two more was little different than on an individual.

Hoping to finish this lesson on a more positive note, he decided to seek another target, but one he might potentially find interesting this time. He had gradually strolled through most of the five floors of the building by now, and began to wonder if his search was in vain.

Holly Fitzgerald stood near one of the shelves in the Philosophy section. She held a book in one hand while slowly turning the pages with the other. She scanned the current page, chewed her lower lip, and shook her head. "This isn't what I need," she complained quietly to herself. "If I could just remember who wrote it!"

Frustrated, the woman closed the book and placed it back on the shelf. She tilted her head to read the names on the spines more easily on the tomes nearby.

Devon gave a half-smile as he watched the not-quite middle-aged woman from afar. She clenched her fists and sighed in front of a shelf of some of his favorite pieces of literature. He had heard her soft comment and wondered if he might approach without her mistaking his intentions.

Try a very light touch, Nick suggested through their link. He had noticed Devon's real interest in this woman, not as part of a lesson, but for genuine conversation. That didn't mean the fledgling couldn't give himself an "edge."

Devon concentrated on his new ability and applied a feather-light touch as he approached. "Excuse, me, madame, but you seem to be having some difficulty. May I assist you?"

"Do you work here?" Holly asked as she took in the tall blue-eyed man in the dark gray business suit. She grimaced slightly and added, "You don't look like one of the staff."

"I assure you I am not, but I am well-acquainted with the works of most of these authors. Is there anything in particular you were seeking?"

"As a matter of fact, there is," the woman said as she turned to face the newcomer directly.

"Allow me to introduce myself. Devon Miles."

"Holly Fitzgerald," the woman replied, offering her hand.

"A pleasure to meet you," Devon said, carefully taking her hand in his briefly. Now that he'd had a closer look from a better angle… "You wouldn't happen to be related to Evelyn Fitzgerald, would you? You look a great deal like her."

The woman smiled broadly. "She's my mother."

"Ah, that would explain it. There is a definite resemblance, and she was as captivated by some of these writers as I was," Devon said amiably.

"In that case, you probably can help me," the now flustered woman replied as she explained her problem.

Nick sensed his son's concern about the unexpected turn of the encounter. Devon was slightly older than the woman's mother, yet Holly had found herself attracted to him, perceiving him as little older than herself. Devon couldn't readily explain how he knew so much about the mother, and managed to deflect Holly's curiosity on that matter, while helping her with her search. The more he spoke with her, the more he found himself enjoying her company, despite his concern about the age difference.

Don't worry about that, Nick assured him through their link. A mortal's age is irrelevant to us. If you enjoy her company, don't let that stop you.

Very well, Devon replied quickly while upholding his part of the conversation with his new acquaintance.

Have fun. I'll meet you back at my place, Nick said as he set aside the book he'd been reading and left the building.

The library closed fifteen minutes later, with Devon and Holly leaving together. They walked to a nearby coffee shop and spent the next three hours enjoying their newfound companionship.

"Did you enjoy your date?" Nick asked when his offspring finally returned.

"It wasn't a date," Devon protested. "We merely went to a coffee shop and chatted for a while."

"I know," Nick said with a smile. "I was just razzing you. Allow me to rephrase. Did you enjoy your visit with that young woman?"

"Yes, I did. She does remind me of her mother, whom I've known for years, and I found it difficult to avoid any discussion that would have caused…issues."

"Perhaps you've gained a better understanding of why we try to make a clean break when we move on. It's easier to avoid such situations by moving to the other end of the continent, or even to another one for a generation or so, to allow those who might recognize us to pass on."

"Very true. Although Holly and I never met until tonight, her mother would most certainly recognize me. She would undoubtedly wonder why I look the same as when I last saw her some seventeen years ago."

"Hopefully, her daughter won't mention you, at least not in great detail, and pique the mother's interest too much," Nick warned the younger man. "You must try to avoid those who might recognize you and be puzzled by your more youthful appearance, or those who are related to or work with people who might be in that position."

"I understand that now. I do look considerably younger than I did. I have no objection to that, of course, but the consequences are more considerable and wide-ranging than I had expected."

"I'm glad you have a full grasp of that topic," Nick said with approval. "And speaking of your appearance, that's something else we need to work on."

Devon straightened and grimaced. "I beg your pardon!" he said, obviously offended.

Nick lifted an eyebrow. "I don't mean your normal appearance, which is perfectly fine. I mean the change in your appearance when you react to blood."

Devon's brow remained furrowed. "I don't understand."

Nick held up a hand and waved for the other man to follow him. "This will sound awkward, but I think we might do best to have you work on this in front of a mirror. I'm grateful that we both have reflections, since that will make this much easier for you than it was for me."

As they stood in front of the large, brightly-lit mirror, Nick explained. "Think back to the night I brought you across. Remember how Robin reacted when you caught the scent of her blood?"

Devon lowered his head and tightened his lips in shame, then nodded.

"She dropped the knife onto the napkins, then fell back in her seat," Nick said to refresh the other's memory. "You apologized afterward for startling her, but you don't know exactly what she saw, do you?"

"Come to think of it, no, I don't," Devon admitted. "I do know my fangs hadn't come in yet." He gave a shudder. "Never in my wildest fantasies, dreams, or nightmares did I ever think I would sport such unusual dentition."

"I didn't either," Nick agreed readily. "But we do, and now you have to learn to deal with them. You're right, though, that they weren't the problem that night, and since you're so fast at changing back, I don't think they will be."

"Did my eyes change? If so, I wasn't aware of it."

"No, that's not the problem either," Nick said with a shake of his head. "No, the problem is the more subtle changes, the body language. Think about it as I describe what happened. You leaned forward – toward her, which she took as a potential threat. Your nostrils flared to catch more of the scent. The pupils in your eyes dilated in anticipation. You swallowed hard, which she took as hunger, and an additional potential threat. Your jaw tensed, and your eyes locked on her fingertip, targeting her as wounded prey, from her point of view. Very likely you picked up on her increased heart rate as well and heard only hers at that point, pounding like a drum in your ears. Sound about right?"

Devon was aghast. "Oh, dear Heavens! It's no wonder she reacted as she did. It happened so quickly I wasn't aware…" he cut himself off. "No, that's not quite right. Since you described it, I realized that I was vaguely aware of it, but I couldn't stop it. It was simply too fast."

"I know," Nick said with understanding. "That was the reason I did that little demonstration, to show how strong your new instincts are. Even without making the change, your body can still have small reactions that you must learn to control. That's what we need to work on next. Unfortunately, it's best to practice this when you're hungry, which I know you are. So the sooner you learn this, the sooner you can feed… from me."

They spent over an hour with Nick providing his own potent blood as a tantalizing temptation for the young vampire's acute senses. Nick lightly bit his forearm, then brought it close enough to trigger a reaction in his offspring. With practice, and focusing on one aspect at a time, the fledgling eventually managed to conquer his body's responses. After all the practice with the heady scent of his sire's blood, Devon would be satisfied with nothing less than a meal from Nick. Nick anticipated his son's need, and had drunk most of a bottle while he waited for Devon's return from the library, hoping to complete this phase of the young one's training.

Shortly after feeding, a mentally exhausted Devon returned to his room for a shower, then went to bed. Nick did the same a couple hours later.