7

'How do we do that?' Cornel finally quips in, no hint of confusion on his face, suggesting he also knows what hunters are and it's then I notice the sway in his movements and his trembling hands, possible dizziness as he’s sat fire gazing quietly. Vampires have impeccably steady hands and almost steel postures normally; this one is fading fast and not in a good condition.

'When did you last feed on human blood?' I ignore his question with one of my own. “Don’t you have your tribute travel with you?” I frown at him, unsure why an ancestral would leave home without their gifted human that meets their feeding needs. It’s unheard of not to have access to human blood regularly. Tributes dedicate their life to serving Vampiric masters treating it as a great honour.

Cora flashes a look at Cornel in minor surprise and a fleeting look of concern once more graces her face. A hint of guilt and a high blush forming on her cheekbones which suggest she’s the reason he’s without his feeder. Vampires tributes stay by their side and often meet dietary and sexual requirements at the same time. Shirking off their companion is usually in relation to love.

'Not in weeks. He sent her home and been refusing to feed in the hopes he can rid himself of the hunger. He's living on animal but it's not going down well after centuries of human.' Cora seems like she’s chastising him with her reply and again her hand finds his, covering his fingers with a squeeze. Unable to conceal their emotional connection.

'I’m trying to turn myself from hunting people. I would rather not use people like Cora in that way, not anymore.' He steadies his focus on me, red eyes far too pale, and then back at the fire with so much pain in his expression. The closeness between the pair hint at his reasons, it’s not unheard of for vampires to switch when love is involved with a mortal. They occasionally fall for them and start to loathe their need to cause them pain in feeding.

'And you haven't assisted him, Cora?' I frown, a sense of disappointment within me at her lack of skills even as an ex-pupil of mine. I know I shouldn't feel this rage anytime a fellow witch fails to do menial spells but it’s there regardless, that irritation of knowing my craft is dying out.

'I tried; I just don't have the ability.' Cora’s face flushes with shame and I shake my head impatiently, pushing down the urge to scald her.

'Come, both of you, we cannot proceed until this is taken care of.' I move the tea tray away so I can get up and give myself space to manoeuvre.

'What do you mean?' Cornel is instantly apprehensive and stays seated while Cora rises with me. She seems a little relieved to have me take control of this particular situation, and understand what I want to do.

'I'm going to help you; you just have to trust I don't vervain you.' I smile with mocking sarcasm in my tone and extend my hand to him with a nod. “I’m a witch who is capable of easing your pain and helping the transition to non-human feeding. Trust me.”

Cornel is reluctant but he gazes at my hand before reaching out and takes it, moving to stand up beside us too. His faith that Cora would not allow me to do this if she didn’t have trust and respect for me. He’s warm for a vampire, another false fact born of humans and interbred interaction. Few have met a real ancestral to note they have warm hands, sometimes tanned skin, and even pretty healthy appetites for normal food.

He sways a little on his feet as I guide him to the adjoining room where I’ve laid out all the herbs and items I carry with me at all times. I gesture for him to move into the darkened space, sitting him in a chair in front of the desk and motion Cora to me with a little hand gesture. Always decisive and confident in everything I do.

'Here.' I hand her a long silver dagger, etched with a triple moon symbol, intricately along the handle leather. 'Go outside, you shall find a deer making its way to us. It won’t run or resist. Don’t be squeamish.' I slide a silver goblet into her other hand, the silver is the purity needed in this spell to hold such important ingredients. ' Do what needs to be done and fill this to the brim, leave the carcass out front for the wolves who patrol the boundaries for me. Rewarding them for their service is always a must.' I smile, unaffected by the fact I am asking her to slay a deer, but this is an unavoidable necessity. I myself have no problem with death or blood and culling animals in the name of witchcraft.

Cora blanches but does not argue, taking both she turns and walks out of the room leaving us alone. Whether she wants to do it or not, her love for him will make her obey me.

With a click of my fingers, I illuminate the candles around us in this space and the fireplace bursts into hot flame with a whoosh of sparks, bringing a warm glow. Cornel does not flinch. I guess being an ancestral he has met many powerful witches in days of old when some remained. He has to be at least my age and used to this show of power.

'I need you to focus on your hunger, don't push it aside, latch onto what you want most. Bring it to the surface and don’t fear that you may lose control…. I won’t let you.' I command and place a gentle hand on his strong shoulder until he nods in understanding. I wander off and leave him, to gather herbs from my collection of vials and jars. Precise in my selections and pondering all that will work best.

I pick out an assortment and pour them into a wooden pestle and mortar with some extra items, crushed bone, dried blood, moon water. I grind them together into a fine dust until the identity of each is blended into a muggy grey green powder that smells like a forest after the rain.

I’m creating the vampire version of a rehabilitation drug and have done this many times before, in decades gone by. When their kind were far more in number than now and living among mortals was common. Vampires don’t always like their lot in life, and many chose to live as humans as best they could.

Muttering a chant to Khonsu under my breath, harnessing the power surge through me while I prepare the potion, I can feel tingling in my nerve endings, a sign it’s coming together. I touch the edge of the bowl with a practiced zap, igniting the contents in a black puff of smoke that hovers above the vessel and smells strongly of cinders and ash. A forest fire. Guiding the cloud carefully and expertly with the bowl, forward towards our goal, and then with my fingertips until it hovers around Cornel’s face. I move and sway it around him until he can’t escape it and has no choice but to breathe through it.

'Inhale it, taste it.... let your hunger grow. I need you on the verge of losing it and transforming.' I mutter it his way, not concerned with getting this close when urging him to change from docile gentleman to rabid hunter. He does as he’s told, inhaling the burning smog deeply and coughing in reaction, his eyes growing red rimmed and his pupils dilating as his hunger takes over. His eyes begin to glow fiercely, giving back the vavoom they lacked earlier.

'Bllod separant libidine sanguinem sitientem ad necessitatem et indigentiam, et famem, ad famem, fit de vita, vitae.'

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