The ritual couldn't be less of a farce. As the minister of ethical affairs, I need to sentence Charles Holmwood into banishment. My speech is official but there is little I can say about his deed, about the loss he feels maybe.

I hand over the word to the Frog and he announces the banishment of the second criminal tonight before I step aside and start my path to Eve. She stands in front of the rows of guards we brought with us. Unbuttoning my uniforms jacket I can see her raising her eyebrows in confusion. The only people who know about the second criminal are the council members and Lyall.

I take off my jacket and lay it over Eve's shoulders, giving her a warm smile. I really hope she will be fine and that I was able to teach her enough to stand her ground against so many men.

"Ethan?" she asks silently, but I only drag her into my arms for a short but necessary hug.

"Take care of Tristan," I whisper into her ear before I let go of her with her mouth half open. Nodding to Lester and Lloyd behind her they come to stand on her left and right.

"It's about time. Don't disappoint her," I tell them and both of them nod in understanding. They are my best men. Who else would I choose for protecting Tristan and her?

I light myself a cigarette before rolling up my sleeves and finally coming to stand next to Mister Holmwood. Taking my stance as a guard I puff up and take a look at the guy next to me.

"Guess we share more than the two of us thought," I keep on smoking, while the Frog finally starts his speech.

"Our second criminal tonight is Ethan Vinge. He is sentenced for his crimes against humanity and as a consequence of neglecting his duties. He got caught in the act of enslaving, torturing and finally killing."

While the Frog keeps on talking I recall the happenings in my head.

***

Celeste opens her door and welcomes me before she heads back to the open wardrobe. She is still dressed in her night gown but she already readied her ginger hair into a bundle of locks on the back of her head.

"I guess you are not just here to see me, darling," she mentions before she slips her gown over her shoulders, showing me her bare backside. I have to roll my eyes.

"I can't tell you too much as of yet, but there are some rogue vampires in the city," she says rummaging around in her closet.

"There always has been at least one," I smirk and take a step into the room. "There is really nothing you can tell me?"

"We have a thread to follow, but it's pretty thin," she sighs. "I found out about some missing crewmembers and passengers on two boats that arrived in the last couple of weeks. One is the clipper 'Queen of Nations' and a Dutch fluyt by the name of 'Utrecht'. The Dutch use the funniest words, don't they? It even was detained for quarantine for some time and both of them had a route that just led them back from the West Indies."

The smirk slips out of my face. That's not nothing, but also not too concrete information. "Cassy, did you look through the passenger's lists and find Charlotte or that Charles Holmwood?" I take another few steps closer to her, not caring about the fact that she is not fully dressed.

She turns around, hiding her naked body leisurely behind two dresses. "Not yet, I will get the lists tomorrow but one man is on the road to Liverpool. I'm not sure he will be back at the same time. Now – tell me, green or yellow?" switching the dress in her right hand with the one on her left and giving me a glimpse of her body.

"Green," I say automatically but slightly shake my head irritated after my intuitive answer.

"You know that they probably used different names, right? Eventually, I will need to check every name on the lists and that includes finding out where those people vanished after they left the ship."

"Cassy, you need to do that quicker. What do you need to make that happen? We have a council meeting tomorrow. I need at least Charles Holmwood's identity clarified." I straighten out.

"It doesn't happen in a second, dear. That's a lot of work that needs to be done," Cassy replies while starting to dress up again.

"If I see his name I will tell you, but if you want your hound to track the prey, you should give it a trace. I

already sent men to start looking for possible hideouts, but London is pretty big." She turns around once more with the strips of her dress tangling over her back.

"Would you be so kind and help me, please?" she points at her back. "The dress."

I sigh and roll my eyes before wrapping one string around the two fingers of my wounded hand and start to pull equally with both hands.

"Does that count as a rescue attempt?" I want to know as she leans against the wardrobe a bit to not fall back.

"You don't enjoy to tie me up?" she smiles.

That lady costs me all my nerves. If only giving her normal orders were the way to go, but that won't do the trick. With a rough pull, I bring her neck close to my mouth. I whisper in her ear while holding her, "I need that name, Celeste, and I need it before the council meeting."

"Lie to them," she gasps out in surprise before leaning on to me. "Tell them you'll get the killers in a few days. If what I hear is true, chances are good that by then we either have them cornered or our situation is beyond repair."

I push her to tie a knot and finally closing the dress, just to pull her back roughly at her hair to bend her head backward, far beyond a comfortable position. A silent growl within my chest can be heard while I show her my fangs.

My voice is more of a silent hiss and I know that my eyes are glowing angrily, "This time, I will let you get away with it, but if you ever suggest lying to our Lord again, I can't promise a thing about your safety."

I can clearly sense her fear as she answers, "You may tell him... in private? If the council thinks you can't handle the situation, it'll be... a disaster." She raises her arm to carefully caress my hair. "You are messing my hair, dear."

As she looks at me with a kind of bravery that is hiding her insecurity, I remind myself that I need her. That little bit of false respect is enough for me to release her with an angry snort. I have to move away and straighten out.

"I can't tolerate a situation beyond repair as you called it," I tell her far calmer again.

"I need the passenger's lists seen within the next day," I turn to look at her. I hope she gets the clear command to concentrate on Charles Holmwood.

She nods and combs with her finger through the few strands of hair that loosened. Her eyes wander to me after checking her appearance in the mirror.

"Oh, my dear, did you just say that you never ever lied to Lord Blackwood?"

"I don't need to lie. I'm good at my job," I answer but looking at my black glove I add, "Usually."

"One day, Celeste. One. Do you understand?" I remind her and she nods.

"Yes, of course," she murmurs and I approach the door.

I still haven't talked to Henriette to bring her the bad news about her brother. It will cause her to be even sadder than she already sounded last time and I don't know how to handle that. Either way, it's not about me but her.

I definitely need a cigarette before I go to her, so I make a visit to Erwin's laboratory, just to find him napping on one of his chairs. He seems to have fallen asleep during drinking tea and a blanket is laid out over his shoulders: Henry. I'm pretty sure she was the one taking care of him. Someone should tell her, that we usually don't catch a cold.

Lightning a cigarette the crossbow which wounded me catches my eye once again. I run my fingers over the wooden handle with the carvings. Didn't that one knife also have the same carvings? The one that was different than the others?

This could be the missing connection between Warlow, the armed assault at my carriage and the slaughter of the newborns. How does Doctor Nowak fit in there? Taking a deep breath through the cigarette I know that it is connected, but I can't see it. What is the one piece I miss?

Stomping out my cigarette I order a guard at the way out to take a look at Erwin's door. I don't need another accident to happen, just because Erwin can't control his biorhythm. In front of Henriette's door, I take another deep breath. This won't be a comfortable talk.

She doesn't respond to my knock, but I can smell her very well. Either she just went away or she is sleeping. Maybe she tries to get back to human conditions, or Erwin just occupied her the whole time he also didn't sleep.

"Henriette? It's me, I know it's late for you, but we need to talk," I say through the closed door and after a few moments, I can hear a sigh.

"Mister Vinge?" a fainted voice.

"Yes, I'll come in now," I warn before opening the door.

My eyes grow wide first at what I see and it doesn't take long for them to fully glow. "What happened?" I demand to know and she sighs once more.

***

The butler that came to inform me about the incident was out of breath as he reached my rooms. He was upset and afraid of what maybe could have happened within our walls. His exact words made no sense to me, but in fact, I only know one person that could have caused it.

He said that the maid who was about to dust the pictures in the hallway in front of the rooms on the first floor was afraid because she heard someone raging and damaging a room.

Henriette McDonnelly's room to be exact and I need to face the fact that the only one with the potential for that is Ethan. I can't wait to hear what caused him to let all his anger going wild. That girl just lost her brother; I hope he didn't do anything stupid. I love him but sometimes he tends to lose control, just because he is too stubborn to have another feeling taking over.

Right now everything is silent and I'm not sure if I'm at the right door. I take a look at the servant and he confirms
that we are right.

"Thank you, that's it for now," I wave at him and send him away. No matter what I find in there, he doesn't need to see. I knock. No answer. No noise.

Wrinkling my forehead I open the door and immediately regret it. The scent of fresh blood is overwhelming and the furniture is completely ruined. The mirror is broken into pieces, mixing at the floor with splinters of the sink and the matchwood that once was a wardrobe and a bed.

Some bigger pieces of wood lean loosely at the walls and even the curtains are ripped off. If it wouldn't be midnight that would have been more worrisome but right now the most shocking image of all that is the man in the corner: Ethan.

I can sense his tensions and anger, but there is something else. He is squatting in this corner and holding Henriette

tightly. He doesn't need to look up for me to see all her blood clenching to his clothes and running out of his mouth, sticking to his chin and throat. Half of his face is covered in it and Henriette's eyes are dull, looking into nothing. She is dead.

"Ethan..." I press out silently. "What have you done?" I don't know what happened here but I can't believe my eyes. The way he holds her looks more like he is comforting her, trying to make sure she is safe and sound. The blood speaks a different language.

Marching through the damaged furniture I close the door behind me. Nobody should see him like that. Not even I have seen him like that. Usually, he runs berserk and doesn't stop until someone makes him. That someone usually is me, but he looks calm; pathetic even.

"Ethan, can you hear me?" I ask more softly and reach out my hand to him as if I try to get to a wild horse. Before I can touch his hand he looks up and what I can see in these beautiful green glowing eyes frightens me. There is so much pain in it and at the same time, they are as cold as ice. That's totally different from how he looked at me before he left the bed that day. I thought he finally found a bit of peace in my arms but I guess I was wrong.

Ethan places a soft but bloody kiss on Henriette's forehead, before getting up. Nearly pressing the maid's dead body into my arms he once more looks tenderly at her, caressing her cheek before reaching out to also caress mine.

"Ethan..." I start once more but he only gives me that fake smile he always carries, when he thinks I don't realize.

"She is dead. Long lives the butcher," he says monotone and still can't believe it. Inspecting the maid's face and throat I can see wounds that have to be older than the one that he must have used to drink all of her blood. Literally. He seemed to have taken it all, even after she died.

Turning my head to him I give him a bad glare. "Didn't you say you were not drinking from her before?" I can't believe that he lied to me again. He keeps his face straight and doesn't intend to answer me.

"Ethan!" I shout at him but he doesn't move.

"I think you should talk to Erwin. I have things to do, before the council meeting," he informs me before turning to leave the room. Is he serious?

I lay the dead maid gently down on the floor to stop him. "Ethan, I demand an explanation for all this! That's serious. How should I explain that to the council? You know as well as me that Jacque is taking care of our staff. What do you think will he do, when he learns about Henriette's end? Don't you feel a bit sorry?" He tenses up at the touch of my hand on his shoulder and I drag him into my arms. It's like hugging a statue. He stays silent, waiting for me to calm, I guess.

"Why did you kill her, Ethan? I thought you liked her..." I start silently taking him by his shoulders and inspecting his face. He's calm, but he is wearing his mask again. The one I thought I broke through.

I'm not stupid, I know that he is hiding some details sometimes, but with the last few weeks this started to become a problem that I can't ignore anymore.

"Answer me! What did you do?"

Nothing.

I sigh frustrated and cup his cheeks with my hands. "If I let you go, can you promise me that there won't be more dead bodies tonight?" that usually works. He keeps his promises.

"Yes, my Lord," he says and I'm not sure what I just saw, but I think there was a hint of a feeling in his face.

"Do you really trust me that little?" I have to ask and finally get a reaction.

"There is nothing to add, Tristan. Henry is dead," he tells me and I let go of him. I hate when he's like that. For him it's always only black and white, everything needs to be seen objectively.

I know very well that this sometimes is necessary, and also that might be the reason why he is so good at his job, but right now I can see the lie in his face. It's not about what he is saying, but what he is hiding. Ethan should not decide what I know and what I don't; especially when it's about a crime that happens within our own walls.

"Stay within reach. I await your report of what you've done at the end of the night," I command him and he bows his head slightly.

"Sir," he says once more before heading outside.

I thought the death of the newborns set me up, but to see Henriette lying there is worst. I feel bad for being envious about the time she spent with Ethan and also about the fact that they shared interests.

I've never seen Ethan backing someone up as he did for her, besides me of course. I pick her up from the floor to look at her. I remember what she said in our first talk during Ethan's promotion ceremony.

My approach was a jealous attack on her but she just smiled at the question about what he means to her. Even back then she told me he is like a big brother to her. When he was wounded, she came to care about him and we had the chance to talk more often.

She even knew about the stories about his past but didn't care. She told me that she believes in his good side and that everybody can change. Now look at you, Henriette; cold, pale and motionless. You died in the arms of that man, in whom you strongly believed in. Was that how you pictured the end?