Fear and pheromones (2)

Author's note: this is from Seraphina's point of view

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Once Vesper completed giving instructions, I wrote down the information she requested, and she started fetching various things from the drawers and shelves and arranging them around the crystal ball.

My eyes grew wider with every next item that Vesper placed on the table. Some colorful stones, dried leaves, a golden nugget that glowed faintly, a black rock which released smoke... Now we are talking! This looks like a witch's business!

Vesper cackled. "Do you want to be my apprentice?"

I shook my head vigorously, slightly embarrassed that she noticed me staring like a kid in the candy store.

Vesper walked to the incense burner and sprinkled something inside, making the scent change slightly to a metallic one.

I glanced up at Aldus and met his gaze which told me that this scene is nothing new for him. I wondered, what all had he seen during his long life. And how old is he, anyway? I took a mental note to ask him about that, later. I am ready to find out who he really is. I think.

I gulped softly when I noticed a palm-sized curved blade and a bronze chalice. Vesper wiggled her finger, urging me to give her my hand and I knew that this is the blood-drawing part.

Without any warning, she grabbed my wrist and stabbed me in the palm.

"Shit…", I cursed under my breath.

I'm quite sure that she gave that dagger a twist only to torture me. It seems that Vesper and Aldus both enjoy cutting me, each for their own reasons. I gritted my teeth, refusing to make a sound.

My blood dripped into the chalice and Vesper observed the thick red liquid with sparkles in her eyes.

As soon as Vesper released my wrist, Aldus wrapped my palm in a white handkerchief, and I understood that he did it so that Vesper does not notice my healing ability. Actually, my palm was half-healed already, but Vesper was too focused on the blood in the chalice to notice.

"Everything is ready…", Vesper announced and stared at the paper with my notes on it, as she started muttering under her breath.

I wondered if Aldus could understand her, because I couldn't.

I was not sure if I should think about the fair or not. She told me to focus on the sphere filled with clouds, but there were no instructions on what to think of. My eyes widened when I saw the clouds in the crystal ball stirring, revealing the image of a dirty white pup in the alley, and me urging it to come closer with a roasted octopus tentacle. I could see my arm and the tentacle, like I was watching a silent movie through my eyes and I realized that Vesper can see anything as long as she has these items and focuses on time and place. Fascinating!

I glanced at Vesper and noticed that her dark eyes were white, like the clouds from the sphere moved into her eyes. She reached for the chalice with her free hand.

'Pshhhh…', a hissing sound was emitted as my blood dripped on the crustal ball, evaporating into silver smoke before touching the glass sphere.

With her nail, Vesper cut her free palm and her blood dripped on the sphere, making another hissing sound.

I was startled by the faint sounds that echoed in my mind.

"Can we keep him?", I heard my own voice, and I wondered if Vesper could hear it as well.

"Can you handle it when he dies?", Aldus's voice responded.

I stared at the crystal ball and saw that my sight moved from the pup in the alley to Aldus. My heart ached and anxiety consumed me when Aldus spoke: "…many creatures who were dear to me… they perished before I've had enough of them… with them gone, a piece of me died as well… be prepared that they will change and die while leaving you behind…"

The images dimmed and the crystal ball was filled with clouds again.

I saw that Vesper's eyes flashed before focusing again, now completely dark, just how they used to be.

Her condescending smirk told me that she found something amusing.

"Fear…", she said after a few endless seconds. Before I could protest, she explained: "You think it's sadness because that is what you should feel when someone talks about death. How human of you." She chuckled. "But you, my dear… you don't have the empathy to be sad for others. What you felt was fear because Aldus's emotional speech reminded you that things change, and you might be left all alone. I thought that you are human with a gift, yet you are an immortal. Now that I look at you better, for someone without empathy, you will be a perfect apprentice. Interested?"

She leaned over the table, closer to me. "If you accept, you don't need to pretend to be nice. Just let it go and act for your own interests openly. I will not judge you for it."

I was extremely uncomfortable, and I didn't care about Vesper's offer to be her apprentice. I knew that I don't care about my parents, but not caring about Aldus seemed ungrateful, and not caring about an innocent puppy dying was heartless. Am I that bad?

"Stop it, Vesper.", Aldus said stiffly when I didn't respond.

Vesper glanced at Aldus mockingly. "I didn't know that you are so… sensitive and... protective. It seems that the centuries changed you. She will be better off by my side. If you miss her, you can always come and visit." She grinned.

Aldus snorted at Vesper and looked at me. "Don't feel bad, Serina. It is normal to put yourself first. Actually, it would be foolish to think about others and neglect yourself."

"Look at you. Like a real father…", Vesper snickered.

"Can you be quiet?", Aldus snapped at Vesper.

Vesper sneered. "Being compassionate was not part of the deal. I told you that fear triggered her pheromone production, and I can vouch for that." She gestured toward the spiky measuring tool in Aldus's hand. "I don't need a device to feel how she might impact people's reasoning. Actually, I never felt anyone have so much power. It's lucky that I have ways to protect myself from the impact otherwise...", her voice trailed off and she narrowed her eyes at me. "Maybe my defense is not complete, and my desire to take you away from Aldus is driven by your pheromones. Or maybe you have some other ability that makes people want to keep you, but other than pheromones, I didn't feel anything else. Interesting."

"Can you tell us more about the effect?", Aldus asked Vesper, to what she looked at him like he said something silly.

After a few seconds of silence, Aldus rolled his eyes and reached into his inner pocket.

He placed a small red box out on the table without a word.

Vesper reached for the box. It was a different box from the one he showed in the living room.

Vesper opened the box a little bit and peered inside. A sly smile slithered on her face as she closed the box and kept it in one of the drawers, obviously pleased with the payment Aldus gave her.

She took her seat at the table and faced me. "Your pheromones impact people in the vicinity so that they develop a need to like you, cherish you, love you. It seems that it's a natural reaction where your body counteracts fear by trying to get others to protect you from whatever danger you are facing. However, too much of anything is bad, so people's tender feelings turn into a violent obsession. Men are impacted more than women, but women are not immune either. With some practice, you can tweak that."

I frowned. "I don't want to practice using it."

Vesper tilted her head and blinked, obviously confused by my answer. Before she said anything, I felt Aldus's hand on my shoulder.

"Serina, you need to practice so that you can control it. How and if you will use it, it will be up to you."

I remembered Aldus's uneasiness when Vesper mentioned payment. "I don't want you to give something you are not comfortable giving. You already gave her something and the only thing we found out was that I'm not capable of empathy and that sadness does not trigger my pheromones. Everything else we knew already."

Vesper snorted. "Why are you so dramatic? I never said that you are not capable of empathy. My comment was related to that particular incident with the puppy where you expected sadness, but instead, you felt fear. Actually… I can tell that there is one person you would do anything for."

I stared at Vesper in shock mixed with relief and even though she didn't say who that one person is, I knew it: Duke. But, how does she know?

"How much did you look into her?", Aldus asked angrily.

Vesper lifted her hands defensively. "Just the basics. Hate, love… you know. It's a standard procedure for everyone who comes to my shop and asks for help with emotions. I suggest you do some emotional training with your daughter, Aldus, or she will not survive."

"What do you mean?", I asked Vesper.

"For more answers, you will need to provide additional payments.", Vesper said to what Aldus exhaled heavily.

"Teach her to feel the energies.", Aldus demanded to what Vesper pouted in protest. She was obviously looking forward to more payments.

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