After a few minutes, Vincent sat at the window, playing with a dandelion between his two fingers. In contrast, Eve sat at the table, slightly frustrated that she was so close to knowing where her mother was.
Noticing Eve sigh, Vincent said, "Don't believe everything you see."
Eve turned to him, "It cannot be true?"
"It is a possibility," Vincent responded, his eyes still on the dandelion. "Our mind works in a million ways, and sometimes it traps us. Finding familiar things to appease the mind. Mermaids who believed in their visions in the past, sometimes died. Because the dreams were polluted," he blew the flower's seeds for it to disperse in the air.
Allie entered the library and caught sight of her brother, who got up from where he was sitting and instructed her, "Close the door. Ms. Barlow is going to give you a gift today."
Hearing this, the little one's eyes lit up.
Eve looked at Vincent, who grinned at her. She whispered to him, "I didn't bring her anything."
"I am sure she will appreciate even a word from you," Vincent winked at her and patted the chair. "Little girls," he said, and Eve grit her teeth.
Eve decided not to fight in front of Allie and keep a civil atmosphere. Sitting down on the chair, she asked him, "Is this some sort of magic trick?"
Vincent teased her, "I love it when we are on the same wavelength. Bring your hand forward. Palm facing up."
Eve did as told to her, and not a second later, her eyes went wide. Vincent had dropped the dead vampiress's fangs in her hand. She asked him, "You don't believe in the tooth fairy, do you?"
"I believe in you," Vincent remarked with one corner of his lips pulling up and Eve's heart hitched. "Try to see if you can fix the fangs in Allie's mouth using these."
Allie curiously looked at her governess and then at her brother, "Fix it?"
"Yes, I thought it was time for you to get a new pair of fangs," her brother replied and Allie suddenly turned excited before opening her mouth wide so Eve could fit it in.
"I have never done anything like this before," Eve spoke to him hastily.
Vincent leaned next to Eve's head, his words brushing against the shell of her ear, "There are some rare ones in your kind that have the ability to heal. Let us see if you can do the same."
On one side stared a hopeful Allie with her mouth wide; on the other hand, Eve stared at Lady Camille's fangs. Not knowing where to start, she placed the fangs near Allie's mouth, where fangs usually appeared and concentrated.
Ten seconds passed--a minute, and then five minutes.
But nothing happened.
Vincent said to his sister, "Place your hands on her hands."
Still excited about receiving new fangs, Allie quickly did as she was told.
Ten more minutes passed, but the fangs didn't attach themselves to the little girl's mouth, nor did Eve feel a hint of ability in her. She dropped her hands.
"How do you feel?" Vincent questioned her.
"Terrible," Eve muttered. Allie, who had been excited, now looked as if someone had stolen her happiness and the brightness in her eyes reduced.
Vincent rolled his eyes, "I meant physically. Do you feel anything?"
Eve turned to him, meeting his curious eyes that had slightly narrowed as if figuring out something in his head. She shook her head and said,
"This isn't working."
All these years, Eve had never felt any changes in her body, nor had she ever healed anyone. She had been bruised in the past, but never could she feel herself.
"Let us make use of the farthest guest room," Vincent suddenly decided, "We promised to give Allie her fangs back, it would be rude to not make it happen, isn't it?"
The three of them went to a guest room, locking the door, Vincent sauntered towards the bathing room to turn on the bathtub's faucet. Once the water was half-filled, he turned off the faucet, but not too tight as drops of water fell into the bathtub like the ticking of the clock.
"Get in the bathtub," he said, this had Eve and Allie blink at him.
"I don't have spare clothes," Eve pointed at him.
"Bath with clothes brings back fangs?" Allie innocently murmured, looking up at Vincent.
"Water works as a great medium with abilities," explained Vincent, and he turned to Eve, "And something your governess very much likes."
Allie stepped inside the bathtub without another question while Eve stared at the water in the bathtub. She then turned to Vincent and raised her hand with her palm open.
"If I have an ability, I should be able to do it without this."
"Confidence looks good on you, Ms. Barlow," Vincent took the fangs from Eve's hand, his fingers brushing against her palm.
Turning to the bathtub, Eve stepped inside it. She took hold of the little vampiress's hands and closed her eyes.
Eve heard the water drop on the surface of the water, and she concentrated on the still feeling. As seconds passed, her thumbs moved across the back of Allie's hands. A gentle current passed through her hands, while her heartbeat increased.
As she had her eyes closed, she didn't notice what happened next.
Allie felt the little zap, making her look at their joined hands, while Vincent picked on Eve's heartbeat, speeding up and getting louder. The water in the bathtub didn't stay still and started to waver. He stepped closer to the bathtub, noticing small water bubbles starting to move upwards and leaving the water's surface.
Having never seen anything like this before, Allie looked at her brother with awe, and Vincent brought his hand up to place his finger on his lips. His eyes held intrigue.
The water bubbles were of different sizes that looked nothing less than precious stones under the light as they sparkled, causing rainbow colours to splatter on the ground and on some parts of the wall. The water droplets started to join each other, and Vincent took a step backwards as the water created a shield around the bathtub.
Light started to emit from the water. Sensing the brightness increase in the room, and lack of water in the bathtub, Eve opened her eyes. She was stunned by the glass-like dome around them. Looking at Allie's parted lips, she noticed the small, sharp fangs.
It worked.
Excitement started to course through her mind. But with her concentration broken, the dome of water began to shake and broke into many glass-like shards, moving outward to graze and pierce through Vincent's skin on his face and arms. Some hit the mirror to crack it, and some knocked down the objects in the room.
"Careful," Vincent walked to where Allie stood, lifting his sister's chin. "Sometimes even the things that are meant for good can cause harm. Looks like you have all your teeth now, hamster. Don't forget that it is a secret and you cannot let anyone know about it."
Allie touched the sharp fang with her thumb, and it cut her skin. She nodded and hugged Eve again. Thanking her, "Thank you, Ms. Barlow!"
Eve was happy to have brought a smile to the small girl's face, no matter how small it was. Her eyes then moved to look at Vincent, noticing blood sliding from his cheek and forehead. She apologised,
"I am sorry, I didn't know that was going to happen."
At the same time, Eve noticed the cuts on Vincent's body started to heal as if it was never there. He swiped his finger across his cheek where the drop of his blood had slid before putting it in his mouth.
Vincent wore a crooked smile and assured her, "No harm done. Most of the abilities take time to control. You have the ability to mend."
Allie let go of Eve and stepped out of the bathtub to look at her new fangs in the mirror.
"You do too..." stated Eve.
"I can only heal myself, and you can only heal others but not yourself," the smile on Vincent's lips broadened. He hummed, "For an endangered kind, your luck isn't that great with abilities. But nonetheless, interesting."
