It's my father's standard procedure. I didn't know when I was her age, either."
"That's insane," I said.
Thomas shrugged. "He'd kill us if we disobeyed."
"What happened to her mouth? I mean, uh, I wasn't exactly feeling observant when it happened. I'm not sure what I saw."
Thomas frowned. We left the concealed passage for a dimly lit room halfway between a den and a library, thick with books and comfortable leather chairs and the scent of pipe smoke. "I don't want to get too personal," Thomas said. "But who was the last person you were with?"
"Uh, you. During this walk."
He rolled his eyes. "Not like that. In the biblical sense."
"Oh." The question made me feel uncomfortable, but I said, "Susan."
"Ah," Thomas said. "No wonder."
"No wonder what?"
Thomas stopped. His eyes were haunted, but he was clearly making an effort to focus on the answer. "Look. When we feed… we mingle our lives with the prey. Blend them together. Transform a portion of their life into ours and then pull it away with us. Got it?"
"Okay."
"It isn't all that different between human beings," he said. "Sex is more than just sensation. It's a union of the energy of two lives. And it's explosive. It's the process for creating life. For creating a new soul. Think about that. Power doesn't get more dangerous and volatile than that."
I nodded, frowning.
"Love is another kind of power, which shouldn't surprise you. Magic comes from emotions, among other things. And when two people are together, in that intimacy, when they really, selflessly love each other it changes them both. It lingers on in the energy of their lives, even when they are apart."
"And?"
"And it's deadly to us. We can inspire lust, but it's just a shadow. An illusion. Love is a dangerous force." He shook his head. "Love killed the dinosaurs, man."
"I'm pretty sure a meteor killed the dinosaurs, Thomas."
He shrugged. "There's a theory making the rounds now that when the meteor hit it only killed off the big stuff. That there were plenty of smaller reptiles running around, about the same size as all the mammals at the time. The reptiles should have regained their position eventually, but they didn't, because the mammals could feel love. They could be utterly, even irrationally devoted to their mates and their offspring. It made them more likely to survive. The lizards couldn't do that. The meteor hit gave the mammals their shot, but it was love that turned the tide."
"What the hell does that have to do with Inari getting burned?"
"Aren't you listening? Love is a primal energy, Harry. To actually touch that kind of power hurts us. It burns. We can't take any energy that's been touched by love. It dampens our ability to cause lust, as well. Even the trappings of love between two people can be dangerous. Lara's got a circular scar on the palm of her left hand where she picked up the wrong wedding ring. My cousin Madeline picked up a rose that had been a gift between lovers, and the thorns poisoned her so badly she was in bed for a week.
"The last time you were with anyone, it was with Susan. You love each other. Her touch, her love is still upon you, and still protecting you."
"If that's true, then why am I still adjusting my pants every time Lara walks by?"
Thomas shrugged. "You're human. She's lovely and you haven't gotten any in a while. But trust me, Harry. None of the White Court could wholly control or feed from you now."
I frowned. "But it was a year ago."
Thomas shrugged. "If there hasn't been anyone else, then it's still the strongest touch of another life on your own."
"How are you defining love?"
"It isn't a simple formula, Harry. I'm not sure. I recognize it when I see it."
"So what's love look like?"
"You can have everything in the world, but if you don't have love, none of it means crap," he said promptly. "Love is patient. Love is kind. Love always forgives, trusts, supports, and endures. Love never fails. When every star in the heavens grows cold, and when silence lies once more on the face of the deep, three things will endure: faith, hope, and love."
"And the greatest of these is love," I finished. "That's from the Bible."
"First Corinthians, chapter thirteen," Thomas confirmed. "I paraphrased. Father makes all of us memorize that passage. Like when parents put those green yucky-face stickers on the poisonous cleaning products under the kitchen sink."
It made sense, I guess. "What