Foxx swallowed hard. If he hadn’t just kneeled there… He cleared his throat. “You likely aren’t wrong. I imagine, if the effects were halved, they wouldn’t have been able to capture me, no matter how I reacted when they first appeared.”
Harlow grabbed his hand and squeezed. “It’s over and done with.”
Foxx forced a smile. “Yeah, it’s done with.”
The dhampir grimaced. “Foxx, I’ve…stopped myself from saying this before, but…you don’t have to fake being happy with me.”
He let the smile fall away, nodding. “It’s…a habit,” he admitted.
As it was… It had always been easier to fake a smile than to answer the questions he had no interest in answering.
The man squeezed his hand again. “I figured. Now…is there anything else, weakness wise?”
“I…I don’t know. I do know you aren’t affected by the sun.”
Harlow’s eyes widened. “I’m not?”
“No, it doesn’t hurt you at all.”
“Well, that’s nice to know. What about strengths?”
Strengths… His strengths were… “Bloody hell, I wish I had more to tell you,” he cursed. “But really, it's what all vampires have. Speed, strength, those normal things. Though I will say, I suppose we can describe you as having abilities stronger than normal vampires, because a vampire your age wouldn’t stand a chance against you. It’s only because I’m older and naturally strong that I’m still a threat, technically.
“Oh…it's not just those strengths though, you also have things like mind control. That ability is likely stronger than mine, as your targets are vampires. And, let’s be honest, that’s not much of a feat, as…vampire mind control isn’t that impressive unless you’re of the illusionist line.”
“Okay, so I'm like a vampire, but stronger than any vampires my age,” Harlow said slowly. “Well, I know all about vampires, so it’s better than nothing.”
“I really do wish I could tell you more. There is one other thing. Though, I’ve already told you a bit about it anyway. Theblood burn state. On thinking about it, I think I remember a bit more.”
“I was supposedlyin that state when you found me, right?” Harlow said slowly, trying to remember.
While the memories from before Micah bit him were clear again, beyond a few clips, the after…was just as jumbled as before. And he still didn’t remember seeing Foxx in the house, let alone grabbing and biting him, before waking up to find him in his grasp.
“You were. At the time, your eyes were sky blue and glowing. I'm not sure why they were blue…but when you finally came back, they were their normal light brown color again.”
“I see…” He frowned. “I don’t really remember it.”
“I imagine you don’t. The dhampir part of you was likely fully in control, and trying to protect you. I was seen as a threat.” Foxx pursed his lips. “I think I was from the moment I neared the house.”
“What do you mean?”
“I told Tony that you can mimic being human. I meant that it’s possible for you to do it, because you are already mimicking being a vampire. And I didn’t lie. To be clear, technically, vampires, and even werewolves and other paranormals, can disguise themselves as what they are not. It’s just not easy, or automatic.
“For dhampirs, I think mimickingisan automatic function, and I think by default your body tries to project that you are a vampire. And I mean, it makes sense. Your whole continuedexistence depends on you being able to blend in and hide from my kind.”
“What did you mean when you said you became a threat as soon as you neared the house? And how do you know anything is being hidden? How do we know that dhampirs don’t just sound and smell like vampires normally?”
“I heard two heartbeats as I approached. One was sluggish, but the other was strong—vampire-like, except for the echo. But as I got nearer, the echo disappeared, like it had never been there. I think you heard me, Harlow, in whatever state you were in, and then you pretended to be passed out, waiting until I was close and distracted.”
“So…I…hunted you, is what you are saying?”
“Yes… I'm pretty sure that you did. I even pulled you into my lap and you didn’t move. But when I went to poke Micah, you tried to sneak up behind me.”
He attackedandhunted his own boyfriend, before ever having their first date… Sounds like a record in red flags. Probably best not to point it out!
“Well…so…you heard an echo?” Harlow asked. He then listened to what he thought was his own heartbeat, hearing nothing even close to an echo.
“Your smell and your heartbeat seem normal right now. The keyword beingseem. But if I focus hard enough, I can hear that echo, even now. Same with your scent. I smell vampire, but…I smell something else too, underneath your normal body odor. Though, that one may just be because I know what you smelled like before changing.”
