Or so Maite thought. Sipping her wine in the shadows of a tavern, her nose twitched at her and she rose slowly from her chair. Fresh death and the dust of a coffin. Close.

Maite took her time to pay the proprietor; she wished the vampire to be gone when she investigated.

Stepping outside the tavern, she walked its perimeter until she discovered the slumped over body in the back. She knelt and checked his neck for the bite marks she knew would be there. Maite sighed. A new scent. Another player in Barcelona. No doubt investigating the king's abduction.

Not wishing a confrontation as of yet, she followed the old trail through the streets, noting the whispers. A Padre had come through, deadly intent in his eyes. No Padre they knew. Hope whatever soul he was intent upon would confess his sins without the inquisition stealing them away. Indeed.

The trail led her to a boat and after a careful questioning and weak mental probings (to be sure they did not remember her questions), she had gathered the information she required. Padre Alessandro Novene de'Medici. A de'Medici would not be staying at some inn; he would be at the Archbishops.

She whispered to the wind, "I know you now, Padre. I know your scent and with that you cannot run. Do try not to misbehave."

Maite made her way back to the small town home she kept while she was in Barcelona. Most of the night walkers knew her abode, but none dared attack her in it. And that was well, for it was filled with traps for the uninformed. The only other person who knew them was her single retainer she kept at her townhouse.

"Andreas!!"

The patter of small feet down the stairs. A boy, no older than 12, awaited her at the base.

"Yes, Missus?"

"Send out whispers. Maite de Noche is tired of this chaos and wishes for there to be order once more so she can rest without ambitious fledgling fools pounding on her door every other night."

"Yes, Missus Maite." Andreas cocked his head, looking much like the pup he became with the moon, "Trouble? Do we need to move again?"

"No no, Andreas. Simply opportunity."

She ruffled the unruly mop of hair on his head, "Besides, you need some new boots, lad. Forgot to take them off last month, did we?"

He hung his head, "Yes, Missus. But you see, there was a deer and I got excited."

Maite chuckled, "One day I will take you north and you will hunt deer on the moors. But first this...power mongering nonsense must end."

"Yes, Missus."

"Off with you. Oh and Andreas?" He stopped half way out the back door and looked back, "Tell Goldteeth as well. With his reputation, I'm sure our new friend has gone to him."

Andreas happy expression fell, "But Missus, I--"

"Just be polite, Andreas. Defer to him properly and he won't treat you like an unruly pup like last time. Not that you didn't deserve a good scruff shaking."

He looked indignant but she cut him off, "No more argument, Andreas! The faster you're back, the sooner we can eat."

She lifted a parcel from her pack and she knew his nose filled with the scent of the vension she had procurred. He ran off without another word.

Maite chuckled. Best retainer she'd had for her work. She'd found him shortly after her return to the mainland. His whole family had been murdered by a Loup-Garou, but somehow, he had managed to crawl away and live. Live with the curse inflicted upon him from the bite mark on his thigh. Even now, 5 years from the incident, he still had a twisted bright red scar. Still, he was a good lad and worked hard. Not to mention his abilities were a boon in her work. None of her enemies had managed to catch him yet and she prayed that they never would.

She sat back in one of her chairs near her fireplace, sipping some of the swine blood she'd also procured at the market. He would come. Her services were too valuable to be ignored once offered.