Perhaps it boils down to what one truly believes to be monstrous. True, vampires are predators, they prey on humans far more than werewolves. Werewolves can find other prey and other entertainment, their options are not so limited. But humans, for all their short years upon the earth are not innocent. There are plenty of humans far worse than many so-called monsters. The women who run baby farms, the man in the paper last week who drowned his wives in the bathtub. There are enough humans who are monstrous to quite assure Magnus that he is not. And for what it is worth, those few humans that Ambrose may have dispatched in his short time as a vampire will hardly outway those the British have killed in the colonies in the last day.
But he does not both the boy with such insight. Ambrose is young, both young in human years and in vampire terms. He will have the scales pulled from his eyes soon enough, he will make his own mind up on the nature of things, whatever Magnus or Leon say.
"I don't think you require forgiveness for that." Magnus says, the note of amusement evident in his voice and his expression. "That is true of everyone, Ambrose. Everyone has their own motives in almost all things. It might only be to look after them and theirs, but that is motive enough, is it not?" He asks, although it does not necessarily need an answer.
"I will let you in on something of a secret, Ambrose. You are an extremely attractive young man, you have a... there is a sense of the alive about you." Perhaps because of his love of acting, perhaps there was something in his soul, some brighter spark. Magnus could not put his finger on it exactly. "And the longer we exist, the more we seek out those that can make us feel a little more alive."
It's such a very improper thing to say, but Ambrose is no fool, and Magnus will not treat him as such. The boy is certainly part of something larger, but aren't they all? Wasn't he something larger as soon as Leon had his fangs in him?
Ambrose's words are heavy, full of potent regret, although in them Magnus feels his own regrets and his own memories, long laid to rest. He does not try to push them away, they are too distant now to be recalled and for that he's grateful.
"Then stay a little while, mon cheri. Stay and make a better set of memories before you go on." That is hardly too much to ask, is it? It is not wrong to encourage the young vampire to linger here if it would be best for them both. It almost certainly would be better for Ambrose, especially if he ever wishes to return to London.
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But he does not both the boy with such insight. Ambrose is young, both young in human years and in vampire terms. He will have the scales pulled from his eyes soon enough, he will make his own mind up on the nature of things, whatever Magnus or Leon say.
"I don't think you require forgiveness for that." Magnus says, the note of amusement evident in his voice and his expression. "That is true of everyone, Ambrose. Everyone has their own motives in almost all things. It might only be to look after them and theirs, but that is motive enough, is it not?" He asks, although it does not necessarily need an answer.
"I will let you in on something of a secret, Ambrose. You are an extremely attractive young man, you have a... there is a sense of the alive about you." Perhaps because of his love of acting, perhaps there was something in his soul, some brighter spark. Magnus could not put his finger on it exactly. "And the longer we exist, the more we seek out those that can make us feel a little more alive."
It's such a very improper thing to say, but Ambrose is no fool, and Magnus will not treat him as such. The boy is certainly part of something larger, but aren't they all? Wasn't he something larger as soon as Leon had his fangs in him?
Ambrose's words are heavy, full of potent regret, although in them Magnus feels his own regrets and his own memories, long laid to rest. He does not try to push them away, they are too distant now to be recalled and for that he's grateful.
"Then stay a little while, mon cheri. Stay and make a better set of memories before you go on." That is hardly too much to ask, is it? It is not wrong to encourage the young vampire to linger here if it would be best for them both. It almost certainly would be better for Ambrose, especially if he ever wishes to return to London.