They are both creatures of myth, in a way. Sophie-Anne – well, it's obvious; what culture doesn't have tales of vampires? Every little tribe needed a way to keep children in at night, a fantasy of domination to terrify the young and make adults dream. The succubus, sliding into bedrooms at midnight, draining strength and binding her victim with her sexual power...yes, Ivy could believe that.
For herself, she prefers one of the Greek tales. A nymph tied to her tree, perhaps, or Demeter searching for Persephone beneath the snow. But there's no Persephone here – or anywhere. She doesn't have much here besides another creature straight out of legend, and even then their stories don't match up. Sometimes Ivy tries to think of something that fits them both.
And she thinks of Orpheus, who loved Eurydice so much he would go down into the darkness to save her and bring them both out alive again. She thinks of Medea, who left her family and all she knew to go with a handsome stranger. She thinks of Zeus and Hera, unable to either stay together or pull themselves apart.
She doesn't tell Sophie-Anne about the stories. After so long in the world, she's pretty sure the vampire knows all of them. She watches Sophie-Anne sit in her garden at night, white skin reflecting the light of the moon, and thinks of Persephone. In the day, as the vampire sleeps, she thinks of the way sunbeams would sparkle in the woman's red hair, and dreams of Eurydice emerging into the daylight at last.
The problem with the myths is their ending. Demeter's daughter, who broke both her mother's heart and that of Hades, her lover. Orpheus, who lost Eurydice forever. Medea, her children dead and life ruined. Zeus and Hera, each destroying everything the other held dear for the sake of revenge. If two myths come together, what happens then?
Sometimes – when Sophie-Anne's not around to soothe her with a smile – Ivy worries that it would mean disaster.
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They are both creatures of myth, in a way. Sophie-Anne – well, it's obvious; what culture doesn't have tales of vampires? Every little tribe needed a way to keep children in at night, a fantasy of domination to terrify the young and make adults dream. The succubus, sliding into bedrooms at midnight, draining strength and binding her victim with her sexual power...yes, Ivy could believe that.
For herself, she prefers one of the Greek tales. A nymph tied to her tree, perhaps, or Demeter searching for Persephone beneath the snow. But there's no Persephone here – or anywhere. She doesn't have much here besides another creature straight out of legend, and even then their stories don't match up. Sometimes Ivy tries to think of something that fits them both.
And she thinks of Orpheus, who loved Eurydice so much he would go down into the darkness to save her and bring them both out alive again. She thinks of Medea, who left her family and all she knew to go with a handsome stranger. She thinks of Zeus and Hera, unable to either stay together or pull themselves apart.
She doesn't tell Sophie-Anne about the stories. After so long in the world, she's pretty sure the vampire knows all of them. She watches Sophie-Anne sit in her garden at night, white skin reflecting the light of the moon, and thinks of Persephone. In the day, as the vampire sleeps, she thinks of the way sunbeams would sparkle in the woman's red hair, and dreams of Eurydice emerging into the daylight at last.
The problem with the myths is their ending. Demeter's daughter, who broke both her mother's heart and that of Hades, her lover. Orpheus, who lost Eurydice forever. Medea, her children dead and life ruined. Zeus and Hera, each destroying everything the other held dear for the sake of revenge. If two myths come together, what happens then?
Sometimes – when Sophie-Anne's not around to soothe her with a smile – Ivy worries that it would mean disaster.