Had Laura known Mircalla's thoughts she'd have pointed out she could have done that to a pair of zetas if she had to - and for all vampires were much stronger and faster than humans at no point had she tried to pit her strength against theirs, merely her strength against their weight and balance. But instead she needed to interrupt her girlfriend. "Carm, the library sent us here. And you can't deny that they know far more about us, our relationship, and what sort of vampire I'd make than your mother did." Laura shrugged. "Besides. Your mother was old and knowledgeable. But I saw her for months pretending to be Perry. She didn't really understand anything actually new as other than magic or a tool."

Ell picked up. "So it sent you here. To us, where we have a university and might be able to help you out. I do however have a question for you, Carmilla." She looked straight at the vampire and almost came into focus, gesturing with her hands in a way that made her look as if she had as little reserve as Laura. "Are you out of your mind? Going to your sire for help? The one person who could turn you into her tool with little effort. The person who abused you for over a century and locked you in a literal iron maiden under a slaughterhouse, planning to never let you free?"

Laura interrupted. "Coffin filled with blood"

"Locked you in a coffin filled with blood then." Ell shrugged. That was a mere detail and they knew it. "Carmilla, no matter what you did to Laura, and she looks and smells fine to me, there is nothing you could have done that would have hurt her more than giving yourself to your sire for her. Especially if you didn't need to.