Page 24 of Sore Throat, Slight Fever

There are several documented cases of inherited vampire traits that are worth mentioning here, described below as Subjects L, O, and Z.

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Conversely, Subject Z’s inheritance is unknown. Subject Z was a foundling left on the steps of the Daughters of Cadohr Convent (London). The records indicate that the child, who first appeared in the Convent records in 1886, quickly exhibited behaviors outside of what one would expect from a mortal child. The Daughters of Cadohr, of course, were well-equipped to handle the creature, Cadohr being the much-lauded Patron of the Fae, Curse-Eater, and Beast-Fighter.

From the Convent’s records, I have compiled a list of Subject Z’s paranormal behaviors. The full list is provided in Table 112.3 (p. 456); however, I have synthesized the most notable behaviors below, organized by age.

Age 0-2

Craving for blood, though still able to consume milk

Age 3-9

Sensitivity to sun. Teeth begin growing; Canines exhibit a notable sharpness

Age 10-16

Able to complete basic spells; thirst for blood notably increased. Unable to consume other foods or liquids.

Age 17-[unknown]

Growth stopped at roughly 18 years of age. Daily intake of blood increased to three pints a day.

While Subject Z’s death is not mentioned in the Convent records, a brief interview with an inside source revealed that Subject Z was “no longer.” It was furthermore heavily implied that Subject Z perished, though not of natural causes. It is my belief that if Subject Z hadnotmet with an unnatural end, then they could have lived an alarmingly long time. Indeed, they could have even been completely immortal, in the vampiric sense of the word.

Kane marked the page with a dried leaf, and as Rory leans back in the chair, he fiddles with the impractical bookmark. Although they’re in the library andCalliope’s door is closed, they talk in hushed tones.

“You think she’s a dhampir?” He rubs his chin in thought. He’s only met a dhampir twice in his long existence. The first had been a child, almost angelic, with no tolerance for blood and only an aversion to sunlight as a vampiric trait. He doesn’t know what eventually happened to the child. Maybe they’re still alive, even.

The memory of the second, however, leaves a sour taste in his mouth. Antoinette’s mother had been a witch, but her father was a vampire. While she was a vampire in every sense of the word, there were two things she inherited from her mother: her second-sight, allowing her to see the future, and her ability to be compelled.

Aodhán had been desperate to gain an advantage in the First Blood War and when her failings were discovered, he slipped into her mind and stayed there. He kept her like a pet, throwing her scraps of raw meat in exchange for what Rory always considered half-truths. He tries to remember what happened to her after the First Blood War ended, but can’t recall anything with certainty. Did she flee to Spain? Go back to Brittany?

“I think Calliope has a dhampir in her family history,” says Kane. “I think Isotta is right in saying that the hybridization of vampiric magic is a part of a great evolutionary change. That it’s possible to create a witch-vampire hybrid like Calliope, if the right conditions are met.”

“A history of vampirism…how does that explain her Turn? Why she still has a fever? Why she’ssleeping, for Hades’ sake?”

“If she has a history of vampirism, then some form of that magic must live in her blood. The vampire magic has different strains. Whatever she was born with, it combined with your strain of the curse to create…well, something new. She might have some mortal traits, like sleeping, but she’s still a vampire in other ways, in much the same way as a dhampir. In fact, I think Subject Z is very close to what we’re witnessing here, with Calliope.”

“What does thismean, exactly?” he asks, looking over at Kane who is perched on the back of the chair next to him.

Before the bird can respond, the lights above flicker, and Rory looks up to see Calliope leaning against the doorframe, arms folded.

“It means there’s nothing wrong. I’m just another version of me.” She pushes away from the doorframe and walks over to Rory and Kane. He watches the casual sway of her hips and wonders if she’s really as carefree and disinterested as she appears.

Not quite, he decides. Up close, her expression is strained. “I’m sorry,” he offers, though the words feel paltry once he says them out loud.

She raises an eyebrow. “For what?”

“I didn’t know it would be like this.”

She huffs. “Neither did I.” She looks down,inspecting her fingernails, or perhaps she’s seeing the space where her wedding ring used to sit. “I am grateful, though. I don’t think I said that earlier. I didn’t want to die, and you did what you could. This is unexpected, but…” She lets her fingers trail along the side of the open book, just shy of Rory’s hand. He can feel the heat coming off her in waves. “I don’t mind being a little different.” She looks up at him and smiles softly. “I’m glad I still have the Ether, at least.”

“And sleep. I would kill for a nap,” he says, running a hand through his hair. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine. Well rested.” She shrugs. “So, we think I have some vampire in my family history? Did I hear that right?”

Kane squawks an affirmative. “Maybe on your father’s side?”

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