“Is there anything wrong, ma chèrie? Please, tell me about how did I steal your smile so I could bring it back.”

JJ didn’t even need to try, because I was smiling again, chuckling at his chivalrous manner and just happy to have someone concerned over me like that.

“It’s nothing serious.” I waved my hand in a dismissing gesture, continuing to walk towards the second floor. “It’s just, as nice as the witches were, they were kinda racist towards vampires. Eh. Though I could understand them, somewhat. I just don’t like how they labelled you all as dangerous monsters to stay away from.”

JJ fell in step behind me. “It is mostly correct, though, ma chèrie. There are exceptions—you just have to look at me for that,” I could hear the smile he flashed to me at these words in his voice, “but it’s a wise rule to follow.”

I sighed. I didn’t like that idea, that there were monsters hiding in the dark, and one of their kind was walking right behind my back. “Are vamps really so bad?” I asked, unsure myself if the question was rhetorical or not.

“I had mentioned before how deadly boredom is for our kind. Everyone seeks their own ways of fighting it, and in their search, most stray far beyond what one can consider even close to moral.” JJ’s voice was low and ominous, a tone one can use to tell scary stories at night.

I had to pause in my tracks, just a step away from the top of the stairs, and look at him then. He met my eyes with his own. They faintly glimmered in the dim lightning of the hallway, serious and unusually grim for his laid-back character.

“Of course, this isn’t applied to those who are relatively young, but they often grow drunk on power, so in the end, it’s safe to assume that unfamiliar vampires can easily turn violent.” JJ shrugged and smiled, back to his normal attitude.

I had to sigh again. I shook my head and turned away to keep walking. “Then I was really in luck, I guess, that it was you of all vampires in that coffin and no one else, JJ.”

“I was hoping you’d realise your blessing sooner, ma chèrie, but better late than never,” JJ said in a joking tone, one that was full of exaggerated self-importance.

I laughed at that, happiness and anticipation of today’s findings filling my body again, and hurried towards my room. Before JJ could hesitate on the threshold or walk away, I gestured for him to come. By the time he strolled in, I had already brought Alexandra’s manual out of my backpack and proudly showed it to him.

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“Look what they gave me! Alexandra, their… well, she told that she wasn’t a head witch, but she might’ve as well was. So, she told that this is basically ‘magic for dummies’. Want to check it out with me, JJ?”

I watched him with hopeful eagerness, really eager to share my excitement with someone. JJ was the only one to be here and now. I could call Rita, yes, but it wouldn’t be the same to chat with her. Besides, she tended to be busy with her boyfriends on Saturday evenings.

“With pleasure,” he said, coming up to me and leaning closer to inspect the leather cover. Several long locks of his golden hair fell from his shoulders to dangle around his face. I wondered in that moment how JJ would look with his hair pulled together or plaited.

For this shared activity, I sat on the bed next to the pile of my clothes, leaving JJ the chair. The safe distance was necessary for my well-being, though I wished we could sit side by side. In absolutely platonic way.

I quickly skimmed through the pages, examining the contents. The manual was written by hand, but the handwriting was tidy and neat enough to fill me with envy. I had no problem discerning the words, and sometimes Alexandra would even add illustrations. Some she doodled by hand, while some were paper cutouts glued in.

Then I returned to the beginning, where a page was given to safety rules. I had to say Alexandra liked her safety rules a lot.

“One. Do not touch objects and creatures with powerful auras unless your well is closed. Touching powerful auras with open well leads to uncontrolled channelling of them into your body, which can lead to disastrous results. Which is just what Yakov told me when we last met. In other words, touching you isn’t just cold, JJ, it’s literally dangerous! Hell, what if I can catch vampirism that way?”

JJ looked concerned. “I wish I could say it was impossible, but I honestly don’t know, ma chèrie. Though you appear to be alright?”

I dismissed his worries with a smile that showed that I was only messing with him. “Yakov said that I need years of touching stuff to show any side-effects, so I don’t think we have to worry yet. I just have to learn how to close my well as they call it.”

JJ nodded, visibly relieved, and I returned to reading.

“Two. Do not attempt to channel auras without someone nearby and until you learn how to close your well. Hmm, that one doesn’t have an explanation. I hope it’s somewhere farther. Oh, I can just ask Alexandra if it isn’t there. Three. Do not attempt to channel auras of magical creatures or of astronomical objects. Now, that I understand even less, but alright. Four. This is the last one. Do not look at auras when you are in circumstances where distractions can lead to accidents. I imagine auras are very distracting… Interesting!”

“Interesting indeed, ma chèrie. Though I can’t imagine any witch being happy about you sharing this information with me. Shouldn’t you have a little more loyalty to your kind?”

While the question was formulated like reproach, JJ’s face was only faintly amused. I frowned at his concerns and then promptly dismissed them. “Well, then you can just solemnly swear that you are up to no good. Now let’s see what the rest of this book has!”