"I have met several like that," says Aramis, keeping to the topic, if only to save Athos anymore of those awful pleading glances, so subtle as to be invisible to all but a close friend.

"And people from lands I have never heard of, in the histories or in tales, and others not evil like these vampires, but not human either, however much they look it. There is much here to shock, Athos, and those shocks will spring from many fonts. I regret that I cannot protect you from that."

And even more, that one of those fonts will be Athos' own brothers. Aramis cannot regret how he feels about Porthos, but he could never love causing Athos distress. He smiles, and finds that though it is sincere, he cannot seem to chase a hint of pleading from his own eyes. "But we are here with you. We will help you to navigate."