Vampire story themes

Experimentation and Marius

Marius is obsessed with experimentation and furthering the vampire race. He no longer sees the point of living in an isolated place while they are the evolutionary step after humans. He is no longer satisfied with his existence in the dark and alongside humans as hidden beings. He feels like should be able to be part of society and be able to influence global change. He sees them as superior and that they should be the leaders.

He is like the mad scientist of the vampire species and has been working his efforts toward the expansion and development of their kind for centuries. 

He wants to create creatures and better children with abilities beyond vampiric abilities. Like a vampire nazi! 

Marius has been pushing for vampires to be used as soldiers for years as then they can murder and feed as much as they like without the risk of prevention or death. 

Carlo and Serena's sister Enola is an experiment gone wrong. After Carlo was captured by humans  "creature catchers," Marius was interested to know more of what went on and how much further the humans were at understanding physiology. But Carlo wouldn't let anyone near him and was the same thereafter. However, based on Carlo's accounts of the "creature" the humans created, Marius attempted the same with his own children and used Enola but ultimately the blood transfusions and the changes poisoned her blood and killed her. Carlo feels partially responsible for this due to the fact he didn't give Marius what he wanted in the beginning: his blood sample. 

Carlo became a vampire with a combination of vampire/human hybrid blood given back into his system: this seemed to cause severe damage physically and mentally. Although the physical issues were alleviated (apart from the lack of healing) the mental damage seemed permanent. 

Marius set to create a vampire with human/vampire blood within it: vampires are not supposed to feed from each other, especially if it's not fresh. It almost goes rotten within them and the effects of it are not fully known to vampires as it's not something they ever do even if fighting. But Enola gets poisoned by her own blood and therefore concludes with Marius that the blood mix isn't viable. Strives to work out a formula so that vampires can pass as humans more and integrate into society better, e.g. withstand sunlight, have less restrictive movements, can be hidden from those that wish them dead, can feed more easily etc.  

Carlo and Cat

Carlo falls for a human girl after witnessing her one night after planning to run away from his family for good. She attracts his attention when he witnesses her by a lake at night crying, and he feels a connection with her: feeling as if they are the same. 

He is shocked by the realisation that he is wanting to see her frequently and even more so when he discovers her blood is actually abhorrent to him. He wants her, not her blood. 

Discovers much later that her blood is horrid as she has previous has died before due to various suicide attempts and has been brought back, thus tainting her blood. 

Eventually, they have an encounter and Cat isn't afraid but intrigued by Carlo. She flirts with death frequently but very matter-of-factly, she is a down-to-earth character but sadly suffers greatly from mental disorders based on a chaotic childhood and distant family. Meeting Carlo seems to give her new meaning as he shows her how there is so much more to the world than what is perceived: it makes her want live. 

Carlo loves all that Cat represents: the things he cannot be. And when he feels he is falling for her he desperately wants to not be the monster that he feels his kind are. He also wants to learn how to feel and control emotions better, even though Cat doesn't express her emotions well. 

Serena

She is the taboo of the story: representing mindless violence, psychopathy and incest. But her character develops as Carlo opens her to new emotions, and she develops a real affection for her brother, especially after thinking he was dead. The two siblings have a unique relationship, probably due to centuries of only each other.  

Marius wants to use Serena to carry on their generations: probably planning experimentations on the children she will have. The female vampires have more standing and power when it comes to offspring, as opposed to how mortal men carry the name and the generations on. Marius would have preferred only daughters for this reason and also finds Carlo to be a threat should he try and overthrow him as he grows up. 

Carlo has foresight as an ability? The reason why he dreams?