Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Book 14. Danse Macabre(59)
«Anyone who is classically educated is familiar with the myths,» Jean-Claude said.
«You're making this a long story, Father.»
Samuel looked at him. «I admit that now that the time has come to be honest, I am having second thoughts.»
Sampson touched his father's hand. «Let me, then.»
He shook his head. «No, I am master, and father, and I will do it.» He looked back at Jean-Claude. «Thea tried to bring Sampson into his powers as a siren.»
Jean-Claude and I just blinked at him. Richard was lost, because we hadn't given him the whole story about how sirens come into their power. Or had we? I couldn't remember anymore. I was the one who said, «Do you mean that your wife tried to seduce your son?»
He nodded. «Sampson came to me, and I told her, in no uncertain terms, that if she ever tried to do it again I would kill her. When the twins began to exhibit faint signs of power, I gave her the talk again.»
«Would you truly slay her?» Jean-Claude asked.
The polite mask dropped, and Samuel's eyes blazed for a second, before he lowered his eyes, and hid the anger. «I love my wife, but I love my sons, and they are children and cannot protect themselves against her.»
«In my mother's defense,» Sampson said, «when I said no, she took no for an answer. She didn't have to. I'm her son, but I'm not a siren yet; if she'd pushed her powers, then I wouldn't have had a choice. She stopped when she realized I was horrified. She didn't understand why it bothered me, but she accepted it.»
Richard and I exchanged glances, and for the first time I think we were both thinking, Gee, it could be worse. That there was a vampire out there sexually more disturbing than Jean-Claude and Belle Morte. EEEK!
«I fear,» Samuel said, «that Thea's restraint will not be perfect. The twins are seventeen, old enough to marry, old enough for much. I fear that she will be tempted to push with them, and they are not as strong of will as Sampson. It might take less to cloud their minds and lusts.»
«And would you do as you threatened?» Jean-Claude asked. «Even if the sex were to make them full sirens?» His face and voice were back to being very neutral.
«They would come into their powers, but I am not certain that their sanity would survive it. Can you imagine someone with Thea's powers, or even more powerful because of my bloodline, but mad, completely broken in the mind? I do not wish to be forced to either imprison or kill my own child, Jean-Claude, and that is what we might have to do.» He shook his head, and the worry on his face was like scars, so deep, as if he had carried this burden for a very long time.
«It would be a terrible choice,» Jean-Claude said.
Samuel gathered himself, and his face was back to being neutral, hail-fellow-well-met, boy-next-door-handsome. «But if we can find a way to bring them into their powers without Thea being involved, then the choices are not horrible. The choices are wonderous, powerful, and I would be in your debt.»
«It is by no means certain that sex with ma petite will do for your sons what you wish.»
I opened my mouth to protest that I hadn't agreed to sex with any of them, but he squeezed my hand, as if, wait.
«Perhaps not, but I believe that I could convince Thea that if Anita could not make them full sirens, none could, not even Thea herself. If Anita tries and fails, then I believe that Thea would accept that they are not sirens.»
Jean-Claude looked at me, then. «If you have questions, ma petite, Richard, now is the time for them.»
Richard said, «Did you say seventeen?»
Samuel nodded.
Richard looked at me, and the look was eloquent.
«I've already turned them down as too young, Richard. You don't need the look, thanks.» I took my hand out of his, because I hadn't deserved the look he gave me.
«But you'll fuck Sampson.»
I stood up, letting go of both of them, and stared down at him. «Apologize to me, Richard. Apologize to me, now.»
Embarrassment was on his face, but so was anger. «I shouldn't have said it, and I'm sorry I said it, but don't expect me to be happy that you're adding another man to your list of lovers. I'm not going to be happy about it, Anita, I'm just not.»
«Do I ask how many women you've slept with this week?»
«No, but you don't have to meet them, either.»
I couldn't argue that. «Fine, you're right. It would probably bug me to meet your dates.» I threw my hands up in the air. «Damn it, Richard, do you have an opinion on this that isn't based on jealousy?»
He looked down, then got up from the couch, and paced away to the edge of the carpet. «All I can see when I look at Sampson is that he's not bad looking, and he's about my height, and… I don't want you fucking him. But then I don't want you fucking anyone but me, so — «He spread his hands wide, and shrugged.