[i]“Let's go see darling Maria and find out if she's picked out any fresh blood at Tortuga for us. The sooner the better!”[/i] Alistair exclaimed excitably.

Béatrix eyed the flask of chartreuse that Ali nursed on “You should give in back, monsieur… as I was kind enough to share in the first place… and I don’t much like to share.” She pleaded up at him with false doe-eyes. When you reached a certain number of centuries in age, all innocence had to be feigned, and Trixy was certainly no exception. He mentioned seeking blood that Maria had attained, though Trixy much preferred to hunt her own prey. The fear of the chase and lust of the bite was almost as much sustenance for her as the blood itself.

It wasn’t long before the Blackmoore trio found their way to Tortuga. Lulled in by Maria’s sweet voice, it was a shame that she only fancied men. Talent and beauty shouldn’t be one sided, but that was just Trixy’s opinion -- An opinion that had changed drastically over the course of 630 years. The presence of Tortuga was warm and inviting, much like the blood-filled humans within it, and the air ran thick with the scent of desire. Maria no doubted basked in the chaos she created. Béatrix simply smiled and scanned the room for an acceptable meal.