"Terence West - Darkness" - читать интересную книгу автора (West Terence)

what was on his mind. "Something went wrong with your ritual."

His statement hit Saint like a semi truck. "I don't understand."

Quinn reached over and took his apprentice tenderly by the hand. "No Wraith is born with fangs," he
stated slowly. "The virus that created us was originally vampiric."

The statement was shocking, but not completely unexpected. It was simply a matter of looking at the
oldest of the Wraiths to see that they were somehow related to vampires. Saint nodded for Quinn to
continue.

"It isn't known for sure, but we think that one of the original members of our order must've contracted the
vampirism virus while fighting them. Instead of changing this Wraith into a vampire, something strange
happened. He gained all of the vampire's strengths and none of their weaknesses."

"How did it happen?" Saint asked. The ancient lore of the Gwyliad Wriaeth was a carefully guarded
secret. It was not taught in any lecture hall, or written in any text that could be studied. To hear this from
her Master's mouth was something of a revelation.

"It isn't truly known," Quinn answered, not fully aware of the whole tale himself. What he did know, he
had haphazardly pieced together over his long lifetime. "The vampire and Wraith viruses are nearly
identical, yet they do contain key genetic differences." Quinn sat back, carefully observing his student.
"Does any of this sound familiar?"

Saint shook her head, enraptured by the tale.

"Are you sure?"

"No, why?"

Quinn bit his lip, then sat forward again. "Vampires are born with genetic memory," he said quickly.
"Wraiths are not. That is one of the differences in the two viruses."

"What do you mean?"

"When a vampire is created, they know everything every one of them in their bloodline knew at the
moment the virus was transmitted," Quinn said slowly. "That's why there's no need for any written
records of their history. As soon as a new leech is created, they instantly know everything that every
vampire before them knew."

"Wow," Saint breathed. "That would be handy. No need for training anymore. Just add blood and bang,"
she clapped her hands together, "instant Wraith."

Quinn chuckled. "Right, but it also tends to have its downsides. That much information that quickly
usually serves to drive the new vampire completely insane." He was feeling a bit more at ease with his
student again. He knew she was herself. "This is why very few vampires have the stamina for
immortality."

"So the vampire virus is actually the older of the two viruses," Saint asked.