Welcome to my series of posts aimed at avid fans of Blackthorn who want a little extra insight.

Last time, I explained what Blackthorn vampires can’t do. So this time it’s…

WHAT BLACKTHORN VAMPIRES CAN DO:

They can breathe and have palpitations.

Blackthorn vampires have an autonomic nervous system similar to ours – which basically means they breathe, have a heart rate, eat, perspire, salivate and get aroused. But their respiratory and pulse rate is vastly slower than a human’s. I’ve based their extended lifespan loosely on the as-yet medically explored theory that if we slow down our heart rates, we’ll live longer. Apparently, a human body has only so many heartbeats (about a billion) and so many breaths. With so many variables, it’s a complex theory the more you read into it, but perfectly plausible – so I decided to extend it to my vampires. And just like we can control our breathing and heart rate to some extent, so can they. They also have a similar nervous system to ours so can feel pain as intensely as we do.

They can self-heal quicker.

My vampires like to sleep (and not in coffins!). You don’t see much of it in the series – firstly because each story happens in a very short and intense space of time, but also because it would obviously make a somewhat dull read. Human bodies heal up to 50% faster through sleep. You can increase that heal rate for my vampires. Fresh blood also helps them rejuvenate by stimulating cell re-growth. On that note…

They can go out in sunlight.

Though folkloric vampires were believed to be more active at night, they were not generally considered vulnerable to sunlight. In fact, vampires could walk around like anyone else. Dracula’s a prime example – he lost his strength and power but could still walk around in the daytime. It’s popular culture that has made sunlight lethal to vampires. Sunlight won’t outright kill Blackthorn vampires, but their mild form of porphyria makes them intolerant of prolonged exposure to UV rays. Because of the extra stress this places on their self-healing, their bodies are under greater strain thus exhausting them quicker. In Blood Shadows, I refer to how Kane will have to go home and sleep after his walk home in daylight.

They can see themselves in mirrors.

It would be a crime if they couldn’t because they’re darn good looking. 😉 The reason vampires are reputed not to be able to see themselves in mirrors is because mirrors are believed to reflect souls which, of course, historically vampires don’t have. It was a particularly popular myth back when mirrors used to be backed in silver (see what I had to say about silver in Tuesday’s post). Okay, so my vampires don’t have souls, they have shadows. But with all that aside, if inanimate objects can cast a reflection, so can Blackthorn vampires.

They can be staked.

There are extensive theories as to why wooden stakes are recommended to kill vampires. One belief is that wood used to be alive so is subsequently said to suck the ‘undead life’ out of vampires. Some claim only wood from trees that bear fruit is effective. Others choose whatever wood was native to the area. The most commonly used woods are hawthorn and the rowan tree (lots of fascinating mythology around why!). In England, up until 1823, ash stakes (TVD anyone?) were deemed the most effective. Magical associations aside, using stakes has probably got a huge amount to do with the fact that vampire stories predate the existence of firearms. Wood would have been readiest and most cheapest substance available for the ordinary person. And why are my vampires susceptible to stakes? Because anything living that has a stake drummed into its beating heart is going to die.

They can enter your place uninvited.

Some traditions claim a vampire cannot enter a house unless invited by the owner. This is an extremely old theory linked back primarily to safeguarding against ghosts, demons and faeries. Vampires have always traditionally been classed the same way. However, as Kane proved in Blood Shadows, my vampires are more than capable of anyone’s home that they choose.

They can hear you coming long before you can hear them.  

They aren’t a superspecies, but Blackthorn vampires do have more efficient senses – hearing and olfactory senses in particular – allowing them to be more effective predators. They also have faster reflexes and reaction times, run faster and are significantly stronger.

They can resist killing you.

Blackthorn vampires feed on humans, but they do not set out to kill humans – or so they claim! Drinking too much blood in one go makes them ill. Drinking the last drop of human blood can kill them. Proficient vampires can feed efficiently and effectively and sense the right amount to take for both themselves and their feeder. Kane makes reference to this in his conversation with Caitlin in the bathroom scene in Blood Shadows. Feeding is worthy of a post in itself though.

So on that note, I’ll be back on Tuesday to give you some additional insight into my vampires’ feeding habits and why Kane refers to his ‘fangs’ as incisors.

Thanks for reading. Have a great weekend!