Xaviers!

"Does he deserve it?" Tereza asks, glancing at Isolde.

"I just don't like how he's looking at us."

"The answer is yes, I would frown on it, so no, don't do it." She says, glancing in the direction of the men.

It's hard to tell if it's because they've been made or because they're done (their glasses are empty), but the two men get up and make their way out of the pub.

"Keeping your head down doesn't always work," she says, curling a lip.

Tereza eyes her for a moment, "If you think they're up to something, we can look into it, but we don't just randomly punch people for looking at us funny." She tosses some money onto the bar.

"You'd be surprised how quickly it works," she says, standing up and stretching.

"And the number of uncomfortable questions you have to answer tends to take up the time you save," she says, leading the way towards the door. She wrinkles her nose a bit as they hit the outside air again, "This way I think," she says before heading down a side street.

"You and I have different definitions of 'uncomfortable,'" she says as she turns down the side street, tensing.

The scent led them to an alleyway. Tereza peeks down the alleyway. "Yeah, definitely down this way. Don't see them though."

"So where were they off to in such a hurry?" She quirks a brow, starting to pace ahead of Tereza.

"Don't know," Tereza said as they get down the alleyway, Isolde a little ways ahead. "I..." Tereza's cut short at the two men appear out of nowhere and slam her against the wall. They both produce knives, one of them held at Tereza's throat. The smell of silver is obvious.

The man not currently threatening to cut Tereza a new air hole looks at Isolde. "We got your back, hunter," she says, "We'll deal with her. The master has sent us to cut you loose."

"Funny, I didn't ask for that."

"I would suggest you let her go. The sooner you do it, the more body parts you get to keep."

That appears to confuse the man, "But... he said they were holding you prisoner. He wants you handy to help defend the ritual sites."

"He had means to reach me if he had to. I've been exactly where I want to be."

"Now, was I unclear on what would happen if you didn't let her go?"

The man seems to contemplate that for a long moment, "He won't be happy to hear this." He gestured at the other man who pulled the blade away from Tereza's throat, not without some difficulty because the tip had become mired in ice.

"You let me worry about that. You get to live."

The man is still frowning, but he and his companion put the knives away and back out of the alleyway. Tereza rubs her throat, watching Isolde intently.

"Remember this kindness," she says to the retreating men.

"It won't be repeated if I see you again."

"Oh, you won't. Things are almost ready." The disappeared from sight before they even got around the corner.

Tereza crosses her arms. "Explain."

"I was more expecting 'thank you.'"

"What's there to explain?"

"Thank you," Tereza says, "What were they talking about?"

"I thought you could figure it out. They're about to make a move. They think I'm still on the hook."

"And now they're going to know you're not," Tereza hazarded a guess, "Or that you're unreliable at least. You have any idea where these ritual sites are going to be?"

"I know the ultimate goal is the lighthouse. I told you that already."

"Yes, but that's a *site* and a very well-defended one at that. They said sites, plural. And I got the impression they were uspet about you hanging around the school. If the lighthouse was the only thing involved, you'd already be there to 'protect' it, so there'd be no need to cut you loose."

"There were a few secondary sites that were proposed. To... prepare her. In a fairly unpleasant sense."

"They do realize if they come to take her, they'll be facing the full fury of the school, right?" She sighs, "Not that that's ever given anyone pause before."

"I'd say you've almost lost her a few times already."

"Damn vampires, or so I hear. Wasn't here for that time."

"I could point you in the right direction to go after them. Your girlfriend might even like it."

"That's probably the sort of thing she'd love," Tereza grins.

"They've set up one of their little hives in Chelsea. I don't know exactly where, but I've a feeling she could pick up the trail from there."

"I'll pass it along," she says with a nod, "I'm sure she'll want to do some sort of stake-out when she finds out. Or is that a stake-in?"