Silence surrounds me. Pain. Where am I? What am I doing here? I feel numb and my limbs are heavy against the fur I lay on. At least it smells like fur; and earth. It's foreign and yet I remember something familiar. The moist air is filled with a hint of someone. Where do I know that from? The dungeons? My face hurts and I want to open my mouth to take a deep breath. I can't.

The frown on my face gives me a sting in my cheek and I can't deny it. This time I'm definitely not in Tristan's room and nobody will wait for me to wake up. Quite the opposite, I guess. Slowly parting my eyelids the first thing I see is darkness as my eyes slowly start to remember how to compensate the little light to still see clearly. What happened? Another fight? Another victim, right?

The ceiling is muddy. Leaning on my lower arms and trying to get rid of the stiff feeling I sit up and look around. I remember, but my head spins. I didn't kill, not really; but I lost. I didn't lose enough though. Tristan still holds onto me. How did I manage to stop drinking from Maria? I think I never stopped once I started killing that way. Tristan... Why are you so stubborn? What do I have to do, to make you see that I'm not good for you? I sigh through my nostrils.

There isn't a lot around me besides the fur I lay on and the doorless entrance from the barely lit cave. A little wooden box and a bowl for blood, but it's empty. The entrance leads into a tunnel. I guess I'm underneath the earth; somewhere deep in the guts of the beast's cave system. The walls are supported by wooden beams and the small room I'm in seems to be new. Why is the entrance not watched? I could step out of here and just run – or go on a killing spree.

I roll around and get to all fours before trying to finally get up. I need a few moments to stop my head from spinning faster than my body is moving. Oh, I feel so elegant, when I nearly crawl up the wall to get on my wonky feet. I hope nobody has seen that. The only thing I'm wearing is ragged trousers. My uniform is gone but my wounds got treated. Looking at my hand I see that my fingers didn't make too much of a progress in healing though, so I guess the timeframe I was knocked out was rather small. At least I have some stumps now. I can work with that.

The fact that I'm still here also tells me that we obviously didn't get attacked by the strangers we were waiting for. Carefully, I start to inspect my face and why it hurts like hell. My cheek got stitched up but is still a bit swollen. I remember a fist coming my way when I was fighting with all that was left in me. It dawns on me why I did that. My fingers run down to prove why I'm not able to open my mouth.

It also got stitched up – but not the pleasant way. I can open it but not even a cigarette would fit in the little space of my parted lips. The leather straps are running through the skin above my lips and connect with the ones underneath my lower lip. Some simple knots tie them together on the outside. Inspecting my mouth cavity with my tongue I miss something very important to me.

Those freaking savages! They took my fangs. Just torn out as if... as if...

I let my arms sink again and close my eyes for a moment. I've presumed to find myself in shackles, somewhere good visible to everybody; to be a subject for their general amusement. The bender, and lapdog of Lord Blackwood, who managed to get himself banned after being unable to control his bloodlust. Someone, who is not even able to decide about his own death, but has to beg for mercy, because of the inability he shows to heal like every other vampire would be able to do.

Instead of the anger that is about to boil within me, I should feel grateful, I guess. Pulling the biting's dog teeth seems legit and fair. I wouldn't have done anything differently. Especially when I have to consider that they do not even tolerate to lay a hand on a human in any way; and I nearly took the soul of Maria. I'm still angry. They took my best weapon, the one thing I could always rely on. On the other hand, I already killed before I got my fangs.

A hint of death surrounds my body and a shiver runs down my spine. I thought I will never have to smell that on me again. I straight out and even when every muscle still hurts I will find out what's the state of our plans. Slowly but far more graceful as I got up from the floor I start to walk outside and try to find my way to the main cave. Sometimes I need to make a little stop and take in the scents to figure from which direction I can smell the most of the beasts.

The tunnels are empty and I can't find a single soul, but I can hear them. Everything looks the same down here and the noises seem to come from different tunnels at once. It took a while and some turns but finally, I step out of the tunnels to the main cave and take a deep breath of the air fanning in from outside.

The beasts that sit around and talk to each other are looking at me as I walk by. One spits in front of my feet and I don't have to use my mouth to release a dangerous growl from my throat in his direction. It's not that I would not be able to rip the stripes open that keep me from opening my mouth, but I accept consequences when they are reasonable. I would like to take out my anger on him. He backs up in a proud manner. I'm not worth his time as it seems. This only feeds the flame of ire deep within me.

A light rain is falling down causing me to sink into the mud a little with my bare feet as I step out to feel the rain falling on my face and bare shoulders. I don't mind the droplets that softly start to cover me. The rain calms me again and I guess it's better that way. I would like to just walk over to Lyall and ask him everything like I'm used to, but I'm sure it doesn't work that way anymore.

Even though I'm not sure what else I'm supposed to do, so I make my way to the other clearing, where I expect most of the beasts. Some of them catch sight of me. As my eyes meet theirs I don't intend to look away and I can see everything from irritation to disguise and in some faces a hint of fear. I'm not ashamed of anything. All that led me here had to be done.

Etain is at the working camps together with Maria. They bring some small logs into safety from the rain. Maria looks my way first and all of what she carried slips out of her hands and to the ground. She wraps her arms around her chest and starts to rock back and forth; staring right through me into nothing and murmuring something. Her mouth isn't stitched together the way mine is. Etain shoots me a look before starting to force Maria to look into her eyes silently whispering something until Maria nods and hurries away.

I tilt my head to the side at the scene. All of them seem to follow some kind of routine out here and I get the feeling that I maybe slept a bit longer than I thought. Nobody is preparing for battle here. Etain makes her way to me and I straight out. "Ferret, what are you doing out here? Aren't you supposed to be close to death?", she says and I keep on looking at her. What else should I do? I can barely breathe when I open my mouth, how am I supposed to answer.

"Where is your caretaker?", she asks again and I knit my brows and narrow my eyes at her. My what? A grin on her face, "Ah, she doesn't know you are awake..." She slightly shakes her head. "This girl is really not very useful for anything. Come with me, I'll bring you to Lyall. He wanted to talk to you anyway."

That will be a lovely conversation. Him talking; me listening. Nevertheless, I follow her and we find Lyall further away in the woods. He sits up above the barricade and prying into the woods. Etain whistles to get his attention and when he sees me behind her, he jumps down in front of us. "Ah, butcher, you are only half as dead as I thought.", he grins before nudging Etains shoulder and she leaves without another word. Well, thank you, I'm obviously not dead yet.

"I see that your caretaker didn't dare to open your mouth yet.", he smirks. I narrow my eyes at him. My caretaker. What does that even mean? "If I would allow you to speak, will you tell me the reason, why you are awful at healing?", he asks and I'm not sure what to tell him. He sighs. "Don't look at me like that. Your plans failed miserably." I don't move a muscle. That doesn't sound good.

"You don't seem too surprised.", he states before starting to circle around me. "The guards you promised to protect us are still patrolling the border in small groups, but I've barely seen one coming closer since the ceremony." He comes to stand in front of me again reaching out his claw to move my chin left and right; taking a closer look at the wound on my cheek.

My lips twitch at the impact. "Your plan failed, because of you. The other criminal you brought was using the confusion that Maria and you created to flee. With so many new scents around, none of us was able to tell which one was the right one until it was too late.", he snarls and an angry growl leaves his chest. I hope the wolves ate Charles Holmwood; or that the sun caught this cowardly maggot. I told him not to chicken out.

"So, their patrols are ordered from Tristan to keep an eye on us instead of the real threat. I blame your sorry ass for that.", he continues. "Tell me, butcher, why don't you seem bothered at all about that news? Where is your anger now?" I reach out to touch my chest where I know my heart beats underneath and stare at him. It's here, but I'm not sure if he is supposed to know what I know.

"I had an interesting talk to your former second-in-line.", he tells me without the slightest intention to answer to my gesture. "She told me that you are poisoned since the day you had your little accident you told me about.", he keeps on talking and I nod. "That means you are carrying around those wounds since weeks without anybody noticing?", he motions his hand all over me and I guess he is referring to my hand and back. I nod again.

"Did you intend to tell us about this substance that obviously is capable of bringing all of us down?!", he all of a sudden shouts the question at me furiously. I give him another nod as an answer. "...and in your head, when was the best time for that, hm? When the first few beasts kicked the bucket?"

It doesn't kill. It's just painful. He growls at me dangerously, but I don't care. "You are just like all the others from the city, aren't you? What's a life worth to you? Nothing, I bet. I really consider starting a war just to see you bastard burn in the sun. The others at least don't look me in the eye and pretend to be on our side. You, my friend, are nothing more than a trickster. That minister, who came to start trading with us? He did nothing but hemming and hawing and I knew it will never happen.", he spits the words at me with so much hate and I have to smile. Not because I'm amused but I would like to beat up that French Frog for being the asshole he always was. I just wonder why Tristan hasn't interceded. Jacque betrayed me. What did I expect?

I point at my mouth to signal him I would like to answer but he just snorts. "What does it mean to listen to a snake who is only speaking one lie after the other?", he wants to know and I roll my eyes.

He seems surprised by my reaction. "You don't deny it?"

I shake my head. I should have known better than to trust Jacque with this. Maybe it was a good move to give so much of my money to Celeste. I can be sure that he will not betray her.

"What about the perverted relationship you share with Tristan?", he all of a sudden wants to know and I tense up. I try hard to prevent growling at him. "Do you deny that? He said he will start a war for you. Will he?", and I see that this is the point that really worries him. I have to sigh and nod, before looking to my feet. "I did fight with him a very long time ago, but he seems to have changed. I thought he is wiser than to risk all of what we achieved somehow just for a single vampire."

I shake my head frustrated and my hands form to fists. I really would like to change that part but I can't go back. I belong here... I need to be here, far away from him. I look up into the sky to feel the rain which started to get heavier running down my cheeks and take a look at the moon. There is this one part Tristan never thought about I guess. The moon is a loner. Not even the stars care about it.

...but what does a single word of a trickster mean anyway. Lyall should kill me and find out. I rub my face with both hands. Lyall doesn't need to break me like Sir Ronald tried over the years, I'm already broken within. My body wouldn't mind anymore either, but I'm still on a mission. Just a little more. I need just a little more time.

Lyall's nostrils are slightly moving before he turns his head to the trees next to the barricade. "You can come out, Naveena. He obviously does not feel like fighting for his reputation or freedom.", he says annoyed and I can see her slim figure slipping down some branches of a tree, before slipping to the ground soundlessly. I know someone who should learn a trick or two from her.

"Hi, Ethan...", she murmurs. Lyall is still eyeing me carefully when Naveena is coming to stand in front of me to inspect every inch of my body with a thoughtful look.

"I'm sorry, Lyall." It was her scent in the room I woke up, I think. "It is okay, Naveena. I wanted to talk to him anyway. You did a good job so far. After all, we found out, I also didn't think he'll wake up so soon again.", I can hear Lyall's tone changing as he talks to her. "What am I supposed to do now? Am I allowed to keep the gag-bit?", she asks and I can't believe what I hear.

"Do as you see fit, but keep in mind that when he opens his mouth nothing but lies come out of there.", Lyall answers and I can't keep the silent growl anymore. That's not true. It's okay to hate me. I'm used to that, but I swear by every god I ever heard of, that I always did what I had to do to keep my promises. Lyall looks at me and my reaction. "It's a fact that everything we were talking about got nullified after that Charles managed to get away. Your promises did not get fulfilled.", he builds up to look down at me.

"Get him out of my sight.", he then murmurs to Naveena before starting to climb the barrier behind him again.

Naveena takes my hand and starts to lead me away from Lyall and straight back to the main cave, where I came from. After the first surprise about her doing, I take my hand back forcefully and come to a halt. She turns around and looks at me. "You need to come with me.", she says and I narrow my eyes at her. "I am your caretaker.", she smiles at me. "Don't you feel hungry? The sun is about to rise too." She points at the horizon, where the first rays of the sun start to change the color of the clouds.

Perfect. I now have a babysitter who will feed me with animal blood. The thought alone lets my stomach make a jump, but I guess I need my strength. I look once more to the moon that is making his way and run my hand through my hair. I pretend to have any other options, but in fact, every kind of blood is good to survive now.

I slowly start to move again and as we pass by the working stations Naveena grabs one of the hares, which hang there. On our way through the main cave Connor steps next to Naveena and grabs her waistline. "I didn't know you are into the Irish, lass. How about I show you what one with a bit of a better bite and less affection for your ass, but more for your pussy can give you?", he grins dirty at her and I can see her disguise. "I'm not into anything that comes from you. I bet the sun would like to kiss it though, go and have a try!", she perfectly smooth unwinds his grip and comes a bit closer to me.

I start to understand what she tries to achieve by taking care of me; or making me look after her. Connor then puts a hand around my neck and pretends to whisper in my ear. "Be careful with that bitch, lad. She pretends to be dried out between her legs but I'm pretty sure with a bit of a treatment she'll bend for you just the same way your noble lord did." It doesn't take me another second to take a swing and make sure to land my fist directly at his nose to cause the most possible damage. The beasts in the cave get drop-dead silent.

Connor got knocked over and now looks at me in shock from the ground. What did he think will happen? I nearly killed Maria for Tristan's safety. Did he think I wouldn't defend his honor? All my muscles are tensed up and my glowing glare is deadly. I guess I can't risk another downtime, though. Taking a deep breath, I turn around to lay a hand between Naveena's shoulder blades, softly pushing her into the tunnels.

I have no clue where I go to but the moment I could see we are alone I take another swing at the next wall. A deep angry growl that wanders from my chest to my throat and I can physically feel Naveena taking a few steps away from me. What did I think? That they would react differently than the vampires in the headquarters?

Naveena gives me time to calm down, but I guess assholes come in all forms.