01_-_The_Alchemyst

In the mirror, Josh could see that Sophie’s hand was now glowing
silver-white. It looked as if she were wearing a glove. Tiny sparking tendrils
of silver wrapped themselves around Scatty’s fingers like ornate rings, and
she shuddered.
“Danu Talis was ripped apart because the Ruling Twins—the Sun and
Moon—fought on top of the Great Pyramid. The incredible magical forces
they released upset the balance of nature. I’ve been told that that same wild
magic swirling around the atmosphere caused the changes in the Next
Generation. Some of us were born as monsters, others were caught between
shapes, a few possessed extraordinary powers of transformation and could
become beasts at will. And others, like those of us who eventually formed
the Clan Vampire, found that we were unable to feel.”
Josh looked sharply at Scathach. “What do you mean, feel?”
The Warrior smiled and looked at him. Suddenly, her teeth seemed very
long in her mouth. “We had little or no emotion. We lacked the capacity to
feel fear, to experience love, to enjoy the sensations of happiness and delight.
The finest warriors are not only those who do not know fear, but those who
are without anger.”
Josh stepped back from Scatty and breathed deeply. His legs were
beginning to cramp, and pins and needles were tingling in his toes. But he
also needed to get away from the vampire. Now all the mirrors and polished
glass surfaces in the shop showed the silver light flowing from Sophie’s hand
up Scatty’s arm. It disappeared into her flesh before it reached her elbow.
Scatty turned her head to look at Josh, and he noticed that the whites of
her eyes had turned silver. “Bloodsucking vampires don’t need the blood.
They need the emotions, the sensations carried in the blood.”
“You’re stealing Sophie’s feelings,” Josh whispered, horrified.
“Sophie, stop her….”
“No!” his twin snapped, eyes opening wide. The whites of her eyes,
like Scatty’s, had turned reflective silver. “I can actually feel the pain
flowing away.”