Pursuit into Darkness: Mingling with the Mortals (Snippet # 3)
A snippet from Chapter 3 of Pursuit into Darkness. This is a longer excerpt than I usually post. I hope you enjoy it!
“If you were feeling well enough, we wondered if you and Adam wished to come to the White Hart Inn with us? You can hunt while we are out as well if you want to.”
I stared at them a moment, noticed how they were dressed. Matthew, who was a little taller than Adam, had on a red tunic with a black doublet. Christy was wearing a black gown trimmed with gold. Her blonde hair was pinned up in a simple black caul with a few pearls woven in.
“Is that where the knights and other guests of the palace are staying?” Adam questioned, glancing at me.
“Aye, some of them. They had a jousting tournament today so there is entertainment tonight,” Matthew replied.
“It sounds like fun if Julia is feeling well enough,” Adam replied.
I nodded. “I will feed as well.” I looked at Christy. “Could you help me with my hair? I have not pinned it up yet.”
Christy nodded. “I am sure we can find a nice caul to go with that black and blue dress.”
“We will meet you outside,” Matthew said as he and Adam left my room.
I turned around and noticed that a candle was now burning on my side of the bed. Was it my imagination or did it seem as if candles mysteriously light themselves when Matthew is around?
I opened my mouth to ask Christy, but she was already looking through my assortment of hair pieces. “This shall work well,” she said, holding up a black caul with several small sapphires tied in. “Let me braid your hair and get it up,” she continued.
Several minutes later, we joined Adam and Matthew outside the house. Due to my other activity tonight, we took our own carriage to the inn, with a slight detour. About a block away from our destination, Adam and I got out so I could find a suitable person to feed off.
It was early evening, shortly after sunset, so people were still on the streets, scurrying to get to their destinations. Within a minute, I had spotted the perfect meal. A young man, dressed in similar clothing to us, with a healthy flush to his skin. Adam kept an eye out while I made my move.
“Good eve, Sir. Pray pardon me, wherefore ist White Hart Inn?” I questioned. The young man looked up at me and I hypnotized him and led him off into an alley.
Tilting his head to the side, I gently bit the side of his throat. Warm rich fluid filled me, replenishing my strength. I took what I needed and carefully lowered the man onto the ground. He’ll wake in a little while with no memory of me or of what happened. It is better that way.
Adam and I rejoined the other two at the carriage and proceeded to the Inn. When we arrived, the evening’s festivities were already well underway. Many men and women of various upper classes were sitting on the wooden bar chairs and stools with mugs of ale. A small musical trope was playing in the front corner of the room and a small group of people danced to the music.
I wondered for a moment if we would be too conspicuous, but we were greeted warmly. Before too long, we were sitting at a table with several knights and their ladies and sharing in the carousing. As we conversed with our new human acquaintances, I watched Adam with love and pride. He never misspoke and called a person by the wrong title when he talked. He glanced at me and I could see relief, joy, and excitement on his face. We had worked for a long time to refine his skills so he could blend in and accompany me to various social occasions.
“Matthew had a wonderful idea to come here,” he whispered to me over the noise of the crowd. I smiled and squeezed his hand for a moment. The movement was so quick that the humans would not notice.
I glanced to my left where Matthew and Christy sat. “Sir John, your joust at tournament was a wonder to behold,” he said.
“Aye, I toss’d every opponent that came at me. Marry, I say! I believe I saw the beautiful Lady Christy in the stands,” The knight grinned and slapped Matthew on the back. Although he was of broader stature than Matthew, my friend didn’t move more than an inch from the force. The knight looked vaguely surprised. “Do you joust, Lord Matthew?”
“Nay, ‘tis been awhile,” Matthew replied with a smile.
Adam and I looked at Christy, who had blushed slightly. “Sir John, you flatter me so,” she said with a sweet smile.
We then shared a look, he with a slightly puzzled expression. I shook my head in amusement. No matter how many times I have seen it, watching the two of them immerse themselves almost seamlessly with the humans always amazed me.
How did Matthew know how the knight did at the tournament? And why did he swear he saw Christy in the stands? Adam questioned silently.
Telepathy has its advantages. As for the knight, he is simply trying to place us. He thinks he must have seen her somewhere since we obviously know the outcome of the day’s tournament so his mind fills in the simplest of answers.
You look like you belong, you act as if you belong, then you take the barest amount of information from their own minds, and you have your disguise. Humans do not like to think more than they have to. Especially inebriated ones, Matthew added.
Christy and I both giggled as Adam smiled.
“If you were feeling well enough, we wondered if you and Adam wished to come to the White Hart Inn with us? You can hunt while we are out as well if you want to.”
I stared at them a moment, noticed how they were dressed. Matthew, who was a little taller than Adam, had on a red tunic with a black doublet. Christy was wearing a black gown trimmed with gold. Her blonde hair was pinned up in a simple black caul with a few pearls woven in.
“Is that where the knights and other guests of the palace are staying?” Adam questioned, glancing at me.
“Aye, some of them. They had a jousting tournament today so there is entertainment tonight,” Matthew replied.
“It sounds like fun if Julia is feeling well enough,” Adam replied.
I nodded. “I will feed as well.” I looked at Christy. “Could you help me with my hair? I have not pinned it up yet.”
Christy nodded. “I am sure we can find a nice caul to go with that black and blue dress.”
“We will meet you outside,” Matthew said as he and Adam left my room.
I turned around and noticed that a candle was now burning on my side of the bed. Was it my imagination or did it seem as if candles mysteriously light themselves when Matthew is around?
I opened my mouth to ask Christy, but she was already looking through my assortment of hair pieces. “This shall work well,” she said, holding up a black caul with several small sapphires tied in. “Let me braid your hair and get it up,” she continued.
Several minutes later, we joined Adam and Matthew outside the house. Due to my other activity tonight, we took our own carriage to the inn, with a slight detour. About a block away from our destination, Adam and I got out so I could find a suitable person to feed off.
It was early evening, shortly after sunset, so people were still on the streets, scurrying to get to their destinations. Within a minute, I had spotted the perfect meal. A young man, dressed in similar clothing to us, with a healthy flush to his skin. Adam kept an eye out while I made my move.
“Good eve, Sir. Pray pardon me, wherefore ist White Hart Inn?” I questioned. The young man looked up at me and I hypnotized him and led him off into an alley.
Tilting his head to the side, I gently bit the side of his throat. Warm rich fluid filled me, replenishing my strength. I took what I needed and carefully lowered the man onto the ground. He’ll wake in a little while with no memory of me or of what happened. It is better that way.
Adam and I rejoined the other two at the carriage and proceeded to the Inn. When we arrived, the evening’s festivities were already well underway. Many men and women of various upper classes were sitting on the wooden bar chairs and stools with mugs of ale. A small musical trope was playing in the front corner of the room and a small group of people danced to the music.
I wondered for a moment if we would be too conspicuous, but we were greeted warmly. Before too long, we were sitting at a table with several knights and their ladies and sharing in the carousing. As we conversed with our new human acquaintances, I watched Adam with love and pride. He never misspoke and called a person by the wrong title when he talked. He glanced at me and I could see relief, joy, and excitement on his face. We had worked for a long time to refine his skills so he could blend in and accompany me to various social occasions.
“Matthew had a wonderful idea to come here,” he whispered to me over the noise of the crowd. I smiled and squeezed his hand for a moment. The movement was so quick that the humans would not notice.
I glanced to my left where Matthew and Christy sat. “Sir John, your joust at tournament was a wonder to behold,” he said.
“Aye, I toss’d every opponent that came at me. Marry, I say! I believe I saw the beautiful Lady Christy in the stands,” The knight grinned and slapped Matthew on the back. Although he was of broader stature than Matthew, my friend didn’t move more than an inch from the force. The knight looked vaguely surprised. “Do you joust, Lord Matthew?”
“Nay, ‘tis been awhile,” Matthew replied with a smile.
Adam and I looked at Christy, who had blushed slightly. “Sir John, you flatter me so,” she said with a sweet smile.
We then shared a look, he with a slightly puzzled expression. I shook my head in amusement. No matter how many times I have seen it, watching the two of them immerse themselves almost seamlessly with the humans always amazed me.
How did Matthew know how the knight did at the tournament? And why did he swear he saw Christy in the stands? Adam questioned silently.
Telepathy has its advantages. As for the knight, he is simply trying to place us. He thinks he must have seen her somewhere since we obviously know the outcome of the day’s tournament so his mind fills in the simplest of answers.
You look like you belong, you act as if you belong, then you take the barest amount of information from their own minds, and you have your disguise. Humans do not like to think more than they have to. Especially inebriated ones, Matthew added.
Christy and I both giggled as Adam smiled.
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