Emma lingered after her relatives left.
"Something troubles you Emmaline." The Abbot observed. "Do not let this ill talk of vampires and evil things stir fear in your heart. I will not allow evil into this House of God or this land as long as I live."
"I hope so." Emma said quietly. She heard Richter call for her.
"Go to them, unless you wish to remain here and pray."
"I should go."
The Abbot looked at her in sympathy. "I pray for you too, Emmaline, child. For the innocence in your soul tainted by the sin of your blood. I can only imagine the pain in your heart knowing what you are."
"What pain?" Emma growled riled. " I'm proud of what I am."
"Of course." The Abbot lowered his head. "If I may advise, stay out of their affairs. It would grieve me to see you fall to misfortune you had no business in." Emma didn't respond and took her leave of him, ignoring Mizrak's scrutinizing gaze.
"Do not let her back in here." She heard the Abbot tell Mizrak when she was supposedly out of earshot.
Emma caught up with her descendants, her feet padding silently over the cobblestones."Making friends with the Abbot, Em?" Richter asked. "You wish." She shivered. "He's up to something, I feel it in my glyphs."
"Of course he is." Maria replied sourly before imitating the Abbot's words. "'I have my spies.'"
"Oooh spies. Spies everywhere." Richter scoffed.
"They are everywhere Richter. The whole town. It's why we go to the woods." Maria replied severely. "We did the right thing though, speaking to him."
"And you were good as gold." Richter mused. "Definitely know when to keep your mouth shut, And you too, chatterbox." He looked back at Emma behind them. "Saying his church smells like rotten eggs. You'll win the favor of the Abbot soon enough."
"Well it did." Emma said. "And it's weird. You two didn't smell anything?"
"I didn't." Maria said.
"Other than the sweat of those soldiers, no." Richter answered.
"Hmm." Emma pondered, she would have to ask her mother about it later.
.....
In another part of town, Vance searched for dinner. He could probably head to the butcher and pay a nice coin for a well fed cow, but he was feeling risky tonight. A nobleman, a stuck up aristocrat, maybe a lecherous priest. All good options, and there were plenty around here.
He stopped dead in his track, and his body went rigid scenting freshly spilled blood in the air. "What the-." He followed the scent, eyes shot red and senses heightened when he came upon the unfortunate victim.
"Beezelbub's bollocks." Vance hissed witnessing another vampire feeding on a freshly caught victim. He recognized the unfortunate prey as one of the revolutionaries. The vampiress paused her feeding and stared at Vance with glowing purple eyes. "Oy I wouldn't go eating the peasants!" Vance called in warning. "Little nutritional value in them, and full of mites! You're better off drinking chicken."
The vampiress bared her bloodied fangs and offered to share her alive but dazed kill. "Ehm, no thanks. I'm full." Vance politely declined despite the scent of fresh (and living) blood making him all the hungrier.
Vance watched the vampiress fly off with her prey. He took wing and shifted into a bat, following her from far behind. They were congregating and he would find out where. He had a good idea about the location. I'll see where she's going, then I must warn Emma!
*Note. Vance is okay