"We should get back. I want to see the children at the clan house with my own eyes. Neither of them will be alone from here on. Not until we end the threat," he said, then added in a growl, "I won't have them threatened."
"I can't believe that it was just this morning that the three of us were joking around about brownies for lunch," Faith said as she led the way back to his truck. "It feels like that was weeks ago."
She kept her hand tucked around his arm, actually wiggling it slightly to wrap it more firmly into the bend of his elbow, almost hugging it. Aldric's rage drained away at the sadness in her voice and he moved her hand so he could wrap his arm around her shoulders in an awkward hug.
"She will soon be back with you to bake all the confections you could want. I will not stop searching until we find her and bring her home, I promise you." He unlocked the doors and opened the passenger side and helped her up into the seat. After making sure she was safely inside the vehicle, he jogged quickly around the front and climbed in. Faith stayed quiet as he maneuvered the truck to face back toward the clan house
Once they were a few minutes down the road, Faith turned to him. She was chewing on her lip again, and sent him a concerned look.
"I was afraid that you were going to, um... well. Vamp out or something back there."
"I nearly did, yes," Aldric admitted. "I am not proud of it, but I will not lie to you. My emotions were close to unleashing my shift whether I willed it or not."
"Does that happen often?"
"No, fortunately. Just like you, one of the first things I was taught as a child was how to control myself. That form is for hunting and battle, not frightening innocent police detectives who are simply doing their jobs."
Faith nodded and looked as if she was going to comment further, but then changed her mind. Instead she nodded slightly.
"Do you, er..." she swallowed, and turned to look out the windshield. "Do you hunt often?"
Ah, yes. If she was not educated on the paranormal world, then there were no doubt questions that needed to be answered. Beginning with how vampires fed.
"I must feed on blood, at an absolute minimum, twice a month. Two weeks is as long as I can go without suffering the effects of starvation. I usually feed once or twice a week, from blood unusable by human blood banks due to age or some sort of unsuitability. I am not affected by human diseases, so unless the blood is severely tainted by another substance like a harmful drug, the blood has already been donated and it is better not to waste it, I feel. When I feel the urge to hunt, I go into the woods and track a deer. That way I can satisfy my needs and help feed my clan. I go once a month or so.“
He could see her relax visibly, and smiled.
"I see," she nodded. "That makes a lot of sense. Um, let's see... Obviously, I've seen you out in sunlight, so that's a myth. What else should I know?"
"Garlic bread is one of my favorite foods. Marc makes it with a soft sourdough and some herb mix that he won't reveal to anyone," he made a sound of satisfaction. "If he had made it this evening, I might have waited until after we ate dinner to go to town."
Faith laughed and the bright sound filled the truck and lightened Aldic's own heart.
"Garlic bread, huh? And silver? Mirrors? You seem to be able to shave okay, although this five o’clock shadow you’ve got going on right now is not a bad look either,“ Faith's voice was full of her laughter, and Aldric could not stop his own broad grin.
"Pickled garlic is also delicious. Mirrors are fine, so long as they are not the old style and backed by silver. Those are somewhat more difficult for me. There is a modicum of truth to that particular myth. Vampires and werewolves both have strong negative reactions to silver. Something about our nature is antithetical to the metal. It is not so strong as a poison, as in the movies, however it can cause a strong reaction and we try to avoid it."
"Silver? Huh," Faith tipped her head to the side in thought. "I've heard of silver bullets for werewolves, but... I guess silver jewelry is out. How else would you come across it?"
"Humans love silver," Aldric said ruefully. "I cannot find it in myself to blame them, it can be lovely. But it finds its way onto the pages or covers of books, as thread in clothing, even occasionally in health pills and supplements. It is sometimes difficult to avoid," Aldric shrugged. "It has also, as you suggested, been used as a weapon against the paranormal. Silver tipped projectiles can injure one of us more gravely and cause a longer recovery time. Silver blades are the same. Silver shackles and collars are expensive and often beautiful, and have been used to torture and even on occasion, permanently injure a paranormal. In the war many of us were locked in such things and left to die slowly, unable to access our strengths."
"Holy crap," Faith's wide eyes and sharp hiss of breath conveyed her opinions on that.
"Indeed," Aldric cursed himself for breaking the moment of joy. Kaylee had found many lighter moments today, but Faith was more anxious and needed it more. “A delicate silver chain can be as effective as a heavy steel collar in some circumstances.”
Faith let the information settle for a moment before continuing the conversation. “What else should I know? Besides not to get out the good silverware for Thanksgiving?"
She tried to
