To Luc's surprise, the next few days after their battle with Don Felipe and his ghoul passed without any significant event.? He'd been more than half expecting to receive either a summons from Ecaterina, or an unpleasant visit from her enforcers.? Finally, almost a week after Saturday's party and the subsequent fight, a perfectly cordial invitation to visit Ecaterina's estate arrived.
Dannika was quite nervous about the invitation.? She was certain that Ecaterina had found out about the fight with Don Felipe and was calling her and Luc to answer for it.? Nevertheless, as a guest in the Bishop's domain - albeit with a short stay granted - she dashed off a pleasant enough reply and spent the next three days biting her nails and snapping peevishly at Luc's innocent questions. Luc spent most of his time in the workshop during those three days, trying to stay out of Dannika's way as much as he could.? He didn't like it when she was upset like this, but quickly realized that discretion was the better part of valor in this case.
Finally the night of their visit arrived and after dressing appropriately for a visit to the Bishop - no trousers and boots for Danni, and an ink-stain-free waistcoat for Luc - they bundled into a brand-new coach and made their ponderous way towards the Ecaterina's estate.? New York City was now firmly in the grip of Winter, which made the roads nearly impassable due to the knee-high snow drifts and iced-over mud puddles.
The Bishop's estate looked very different that night and some of Danni's nervousness bled away when she saw that no one other than the Bishop, Beatrice, Luc and herself would be present during the meeting.? Ecaterina greeted them at the door with a pleasant smile and Dannika detected no duplicity in the Kindred, a feeling confirmed when Beatrice greeted her and Luc with warm hugs and kisses to their cheeks.? And then she remembered that Christ had been betrayed by a kiss and she instantly felt nervous again.
As it turned out, though, the meeting went quite pleasantly.? Ecaterina casually mentioned that Don Felipe had left for Spain rather abruptly, an opening which allowed Dannika to tell their side of the story.? Ecaterina did not seem very surprised to hear that Don Felipe had attacked them, and made no chastising comments about their killing of his ghoul.? Her attitude suggested that the Spaniard got what he deserved.? She did, however, mention that Don Felipe's connections in Spain were quite strong; a clear warning.
After the meeting with Ecaterina, Beatrice accompanied Dannika and Luc back to their home in order to begin Luc's Thaumaturgy lessons.? She was impressed by his aptitude, and he by her obvious intelligence.? He had a feeling he was going to enjoy these lessons quite a bit. Luc and Bea spent the next six months in Luc's lab, learning magic that when explained to her, made Dannika's eyes throb, and Danni spent her time wandering the town, visiting taverns, listening to conversations and gossip between the mortals and the Kindred.? She was slowly becoming a political animal, not out of a desire to, but out of the necessity of keeping Luc alive and safe.? She wanted to make sure she would always side with the strongest in any conflict and put the most powerful players at her back.
It was a little strange at first for Luc, to be spending so many nights with someone other than Dannika, but he quickly grew to not only respect Beatrice, but to genuinely like her.? Furthermore, he was sure that Dannika felt the same way, and it seemed as though the feelings were reciprocated by Beatrice.
Soon, Winter let up its choke hold on the city and Spring swept in, bringing delicious scents to the night breezes and quickening sluggish blood.? Dannika's promise to Ecaterina that they would leave in April was a constant badgering voice in the back of her mind.? Where would they go?? Europe?? Was it safe there for them?? South to New Orleans or maybe Mexico?
That question was answered for them, however, when it became clear that, despite his talent for it, learning enough Thaumaturgy to be of any use was going to take Luc longer than they expected.? He grew worried, spending longer and longer hours studying and practicing, but knew that their time in New York would run out before he could become competent.? Early in March, sensing Luc's concerns, and perhaps wanting to spend more time with the pair, Beatrice informed them that she was soon going to be returning to Montreal,? and invited them to come stay with her for as long as it took to finish his lessons.? Luc was thrilled with the idea.
Dannika gratefully accepted Bea's invitation, relaxing more than a little now that at least the next year or so of their future was planned for.? She was quite proud of Luc's aptitude with magic - even if she didn't quite understand it.? But she was restless and felt more and more like a third wheel.? She needed something of her own, some skill to perfect.? Breaking into people's homes and picking their pockets was great fun, but it was no longer quite the challenge it had been when she was mortal.
The journey to Montreal, in April of 1776, went quickly and uneventfully.? Dannika and Luc quickly settled into Beatrice's home and the Thaumaturgy lessons continued.? The trio fell into a habit of spending the early evenings together talking, going around town, and just generally enjoying themselves.? Then they would come home and Beatrice would teach Luc.
A month after settling into Bea's house, Beatrice approached Dannika one night and indicated that she wished to speak with the Ravnos alone.? Concerned that Luc had somehow offended their hostess during one of their lessons, Dannika mentally prepared an apology as she allowed the Kiasyd to lead her into Bea's private chambers.? As it turned out, an apology was not needed in the slightest.? Beatrice confessed an attraction to both Luc and Dannika and was testing the waters, so to speak.? Dannika was shocked...and excited that such a beautiful creature wanted to take them both as lovers and agreed at once.? They brought the idea at once to Luc.
If Dannika had been shocked to learn of Beatrice's feelings, Luc was completely dumbfounded.? He was already more than a little in awe of Beatrice's beauty, not to mention her keen intelligence and skill.? The idea of having both Dannika and Beatrice as a lovers was one that he could not possibly refuse, though, especially the two seemed to have already made up their minds about it.? What fool would turn that down?
The trio fell into a comfortable rhythm during the summer ? waking at dusk, talking for a few hours before Dannika and Luc went to hunt, Luc and Bea spending time together in her workshop or her extensive library while Dannika roamed the city as she had done in New York. She did not stay away from Beatrice's home for long though; instead she found herself returning long before dawn and falling into Beatrice's enormous bed with the beautiful scholar and her childe to spend the hours before succumbing to the Sun in the arms of both. Unlife during the long Montreal summer was very, very good indeed.
Dannika was quite nervous about the invitation.? She was certain that Ecaterina had found out about the fight with Don Felipe and was calling her and Luc to answer for it.? Nevertheless, as a guest in the Bishop's domain - albeit with a short stay granted - she dashed off a pleasant enough reply and spent the next three days biting her nails and snapping peevishly at Luc's innocent questions. Luc spent most of his time in the workshop during those three days, trying to stay out of Dannika's way as much as he could.? He didn't like it when she was upset like this, but quickly realized that discretion was the better part of valor in this case.
Finally the night of their visit arrived and after dressing appropriately for a visit to the Bishop - no trousers and boots for Danni, and an ink-stain-free waistcoat for Luc - they bundled into a brand-new coach and made their ponderous way towards the Ecaterina's estate.? New York City was now firmly in the grip of Winter, which made the roads nearly impassable due to the knee-high snow drifts and iced-over mud puddles.
The Bishop's estate looked very different that night and some of Danni's nervousness bled away when she saw that no one other than the Bishop, Beatrice, Luc and herself would be present during the meeting.? Ecaterina greeted them at the door with a pleasant smile and Dannika detected no duplicity in the Kindred, a feeling confirmed when Beatrice greeted her and Luc with warm hugs and kisses to their cheeks.? And then she remembered that Christ had been betrayed by a kiss and she instantly felt nervous again.
As it turned out, though, the meeting went quite pleasantly.? Ecaterina casually mentioned that Don Felipe had left for Spain rather abruptly, an opening which allowed Dannika to tell their side of the story.? Ecaterina did not seem very surprised to hear that Don Felipe had attacked them, and made no chastising comments about their killing of his ghoul.? Her attitude suggested that the Spaniard got what he deserved.? She did, however, mention that Don Felipe's connections in Spain were quite strong; a clear warning.
After the meeting with Ecaterina, Beatrice accompanied Dannika and Luc back to their home in order to begin Luc's Thaumaturgy lessons.? She was impressed by his aptitude, and he by her obvious intelligence.? He had a feeling he was going to enjoy these lessons quite a bit. Luc and Bea spent the next six months in Luc's lab, learning magic that when explained to her, made Dannika's eyes throb, and Danni spent her time wandering the town, visiting taverns, listening to conversations and gossip between the mortals and the Kindred.? She was slowly becoming a political animal, not out of a desire to, but out of the necessity of keeping Luc alive and safe.? She wanted to make sure she would always side with the strongest in any conflict and put the most powerful players at her back.
It was a little strange at first for Luc, to be spending so many nights with someone other than Dannika, but he quickly grew to not only respect Beatrice, but to genuinely like her.? Furthermore, he was sure that Dannika felt the same way, and it seemed as though the feelings were reciprocated by Beatrice.
Soon, Winter let up its choke hold on the city and Spring swept in, bringing delicious scents to the night breezes and quickening sluggish blood.? Dannika's promise to Ecaterina that they would leave in April was a constant badgering voice in the back of her mind.? Where would they go?? Europe?? Was it safe there for them?? South to New Orleans or maybe Mexico?
That question was answered for them, however, when it became clear that, despite his talent for it, learning enough Thaumaturgy to be of any use was going to take Luc longer than they expected.? He grew worried, spending longer and longer hours studying and practicing, but knew that their time in New York would run out before he could become competent.? Early in March, sensing Luc's concerns, and perhaps wanting to spend more time with the pair, Beatrice informed them that she was soon going to be returning to Montreal,? and invited them to come stay with her for as long as it took to finish his lessons.? Luc was thrilled with the idea.
Dannika gratefully accepted Bea's invitation, relaxing more than a little now that at least the next year or so of their future was planned for.? She was quite proud of Luc's aptitude with magic - even if she didn't quite understand it.? But she was restless and felt more and more like a third wheel.? She needed something of her own, some skill to perfect.? Breaking into people's homes and picking their pockets was great fun, but it was no longer quite the challenge it had been when she was mortal.
The journey to Montreal, in April of 1776, went quickly and uneventfully.? Dannika and Luc quickly settled into Beatrice's home and the Thaumaturgy lessons continued.? The trio fell into a habit of spending the early evenings together talking, going around town, and just generally enjoying themselves.? Then they would come home and Beatrice would teach Luc.
A month after settling into Bea's house, Beatrice approached Dannika one night and indicated that she wished to speak with the Ravnos alone.? Concerned that Luc had somehow offended their hostess during one of their lessons, Dannika mentally prepared an apology as she allowed the Kiasyd to lead her into Bea's private chambers.? As it turned out, an apology was not needed in the slightest.? Beatrice confessed an attraction to both Luc and Dannika and was testing the waters, so to speak.? Dannika was shocked...and excited that such a beautiful creature wanted to take them both as lovers and agreed at once.? They brought the idea at once to Luc.
If Dannika had been shocked to learn of Beatrice's feelings, Luc was completely dumbfounded.? He was already more than a little in awe of Beatrice's beauty, not to mention her keen intelligence and skill.? The idea of having both Dannika and Beatrice as a lovers was one that he could not possibly refuse, though, especially the two seemed to have already made up their minds about it.? What fool would turn that down?
The trio fell into a comfortable rhythm during the summer ? waking at dusk, talking for a few hours before Dannika and Luc went to hunt, Luc and Bea spending time together in her workshop or her extensive library while Dannika roamed the city as she had done in New York. She did not stay away from Beatrice's home for long though; instead she found herself returning long before dawn and falling into Beatrice's enormous bed with the beautiful scholar and her childe to spend the hours before succumbing to the Sun in the arms of both. Unlife during the long Montreal summer was very, very good indeed.