Joscelin is on the street too, though in a less official capacity.
News travels fast in some circles, especially the undead ones. Joss is hardly a fixture in vampire society (most of them would gladly put a stake through his heart if given half the chance), but he's still heard plenty about the upstart brat trying to turn others in the supernatural community. Immortality is a powerful lure, even if it means losing magic or other abilities. Several have accepted the vampire's offer.
And that's a problem.
It isn't the sixteenth century anymore. There are rules to this sort of thing. Vampires have a strict hierarchy when it comes to turning humans. Only those with position and power can do so without others objecting, and even then it can be surprisingly political. For a relative nobody to be offering the gift to just anyone, damn the consequences? Well, those consequences can be quite severe indeed.
No one ordered Joscelin to investigate this, mind you; he takes pains not to be seen by anyone, least of all by the witch standing so obliviously in the lamplight. But the vampire is bad PR, and Joss reckons anything he can do to further Coward's agenda will only help his own. This isn't the first time he's hunted his own kind in the last several weeks. He's not especially good at it, but he has the element of surprise on his side and he hasn't failed yet. So many disregard the slight, pale child, perhaps momentarily forgetting his particularly gruesome reputation. To their peril.
He brushes past the witch, keeping to the shadows just as another figure appears on pavement.
The Real Underground
News travels fast in some circles, especially the undead ones. Joss is hardly a fixture in vampire society (most of them would gladly put a stake through his heart if given half the chance), but he's still heard plenty about the upstart brat trying to turn others in the supernatural community. Immortality is a powerful lure, even if it means losing magic or other abilities. Several have accepted the vampire's offer.
And that's a problem.
It isn't the sixteenth century anymore. There are rules to this sort of thing. Vampires have a strict hierarchy when it comes to turning humans. Only those with position and power can do so without others objecting, and even then it can be surprisingly political. For a relative nobody to be offering the gift to just anyone, damn the consequences? Well, those consequences can be quite severe indeed.
No one ordered Joscelin to investigate this, mind you; he takes pains not to be seen by anyone, least of all by the witch standing so obliviously in the lamplight. But the vampire is bad PR, and Joss reckons anything he can do to further Coward's agenda will only help his own. This isn't the first time he's hunted his own kind in the last several weeks. He's not especially good at it, but he has the element of surprise on his side and he hasn't failed yet. So many disregard the slight, pale child, perhaps momentarily forgetting his particularly gruesome reputation. To their peril.
He brushes past the witch, keeping to the shadows just as another figure appears on pavement.