The same black-haired beasts close the gate that also closed and opened it for me when I was still an ambassador. I take another moment to look at them, before turning just to see Lyall leave for his own patrol. I can catch him now, unprepared or wait for his return. I have the whole night, so there is a lot of time to spare.

Connor joins me at my way to the ledge. "Did Lyall tell you to babysit me?" Connor smiles at my question. "You bet..." I nod and we keep on walking through the forest at the soaked underground. The mud between my toes gives me chills at the memory of my nightmare. I forgot my boots with all that happenings the last night and day. Shoes are a luxury, not lot beasts are graced with. Tristan's blood in me stabilizes me though.

When we enter the ledge, Connor stops for a moment. "What the..." he looks around at the bloodstains on the wall and the ground before his eyes stay glued at the ripped shirt on the floor. For the first time since we started to make out, we have been able to do as we please without any worries to damage anything. One could say that it was an intense day. "What?" I bring in the bucket I left outside to catch the rain and start to wash my face.

"I didn't realize he isn't wearing a shirt anymore," he chuckles. I look at his amused face, as he wants to pick it up. "Don't," I warn. He arches a brow before he is shaking his head. "You need to stop seeing him as your god. He is just a man."

I growl silently but then get back to rub my arms with the wet cloth. "There is no God."

"Is that so?" He keeps wandering around and pretends to inspect the bloodstains. "Connor, tell me what I did after I killed Maria..." My voice is low and he turns around in surprise. "You don't know?" I shoot him a glare. "Would I ask if I'd know?"

He smiles apologetically before starting to tell me what happened that night. I need to throw some more water into my face at that news. That is why Lyall and Tristan knew about Gwendolyn.

"You always say we are brothers," I say after a long silence to process. He sat down and started to draw lines in the dirt with a stick. I can see him looking up from the scribbling. "I mean it! You let me beat instead of teaching me a lesson and I like to be around you. You remind me of my older brother. Unfortunately, he died long ago." I roll my eyes. "You will die too if you don't stop."

"Bullshit," he grins and I shrug. I tried. That is all I could do for him. Getting up I start to put on the leather armor I was able to create within the time out here and Connor observes me. "What's the plan?"

"The plan is to talk to Lyall." My face is straight as I strap down the knife on one side and an ax, I took with me before, on the other side of my belt. "And therefore you need those?"

"That's just precaution," I smirk and he chuckles. "I don't like the thought that you harm him," he then says seriously. That is the second time I get the impression that there is a serious self that he only hides behind all that stupid jokes. "It's up to him."

I pick up Tristan's shirt and take a deep breath of his scent. Tomorrow. Silently missing him and shoving all my longings and desires into the last corner of my being is just not possible anymore. "It's his scent," I tell Connor but he stays silent, "It keeps me sane."

With that, we make our way to the main cave to wait for Lyall's return. When he is on patrol, he is not easy to catch as he controls the barricades or sometimes he also meets with other beasts to get an overview of his territory. I doubt that he is only on watch at one point tonight.

We sit down in a corner at the main cave and lightning ourselves a cigarette while Connor for some reason starts to tell me the story why he came here at all. Even though, I have to wonder if he tells everybody about it so openly. His tone is hushed and his eyes are wandering around talking about hunger and struggle.

From what he is telling me, he has to be around a hundred years old. I thought one would be wiser with so many years to count, but I am definitely the wrong person to judge about that. I on my own do not feel any wiser than a few hundred years ago.

"Given the fact that you could speak now without any obstacles you still prefer to listen, don't you?" Connor is about to complain of my little contribution to this conversation as I can see Lyall finally coming back. He fetches a mug of ale and silently sinks down at one of the chairs.

Despite the fact that I was facing him so often the last months this one feels different. Silently getting up and walking over I can mark the spot where his eyes meet mine. His face darkens instantly and the temperature seems to drop. He is not stupid and the way I am dressed does tell a story I do not have to tell. Behind me, Connor is coming with me even though I would really have him not on my side now.

"Hey Lyall, I think you two should have a private talk, uh?" Connor starts stammering from behind me while Lyall's eyes try to pierce my face. When he rises from his seat, a low growl shuts Connor up, as he tries to start another attempt to ease out the tensions.

"Butcher."

"Lyall," I nod while crossing my arms in front of me. "I already told you at your first arrival: No weapons in this cave."

I smirk. "But you have those nice claws and I only have my charming face." He smiles back but without mirth. "What is it you want?"

"I will leave the woods tomorrow." Lyall does not waste a moment to think this could have been a joke.

"Denied," he answers simply.

"This wasn't a request."

"Nevertheless, this is the answer. You won't go anywhere without my permission." His eyes betray a little sparkle I have only seen when he thought I wanted to drink from the dead woman on that pole.

"You do not need to worry about your contract with the council. Tristan is taking care of it," I assure.

He snorts. "The council can fuck me crosswise. When I reached out my hand to help Tristan, I didn't consider losing my arm," he says before leaning his head to the side and straightening out to his full height. He has to look down to keep the eye contact. "I am your caretaker. I am the leader of this tribe and I am fed up with you. You will stay in the woods, useless and far away from everybody until I decide otherwise."

"That's not an option," I retort and straight out too. The beasts close by already stopped talking to listen to our conversation. "Too bad, because that's all you get." With those words, he walks past me and bumps my shoulder at the movement.

I take the momentum to reach my ax and with a rotating swing, I catch his throat with the blunt edge from behind. "I said: This is not an option." I hate when people do not take me seriously. He growls out and reaches for the ax to shove me over him and I sail through the air like a leaf in the wind. Landing hard on the ground with my flat back, I hurry to roll to the side to escape his merciless stomp with the foot, directed at my face.

The vibrant air around me seems drop-dead silent as both of us take a defensive stance. "I need to find Nora. I wasted enough time. We both know it would be best if I'm not here anymore," I try to teach him some reason.

"I won't let you go into the world, killing and raging like a thunderstorm!" he booms. I straight out at his words, my ax firmly in my grip, but with a pure intention to figure this out differently than I am used to. "I won't. I can give you my word that there will be no killing without reason."

"You still don't understand! A life is worth more than everything else is. We are not supposed to kill each other. No matter what, our species needs to be a leading example! Despite that, we already know that your word is worth nothing, butcher." I can feel the sting as his words puncture my pride but I gulp the anger about it down. "You also execute people here," I throw my ax in front of him in at the dusty ground.

"This is the last measurement and if you take a look around, you may notice that we didn't execute anybody for a very, very long time. You give me no reason to trust you to act anyway like that."

"You don't need to take my word for good. Tristan will be with me all along. I don't want to fight you, Lyall," I raise both of my fists to ready myself for a fight without weapons, "However, I will if I have to. There is also a thing that you do not get. If it's necessary to save the ones I promised to protect, I will even move a mountain."

He takes a long look at the ax in front of our feet before he looks me in the eye again. Connor sneaks next to me pretending to whisper but everybody will be perfectly able to hear him. "Do you really know what you are doing, brother?"

I smirk at his remark. I am fully aware that I put Lyall in a corner. He either gives in or fights me and in both situations, he has a fifty-fifty chance to succeed. What he does not know is that I will not give in at any outcome. I will find my girl. "By the way, I'll do you the favor and take that asshole here with me, too," I state while nodding to Connor, as Lyall still seems to digest my words.

He secretly looks around at the preying eyes on us. The whole hierarchy is built upon the pillars of strength, if he does not fight me, what will they think about him? I get a glimpse of Connor's pleading eyes not to tear this tribe apart. I think it took him until now to realize what the inevitable outcome of my talk could be.

"Alright, here are the rules," Étain starts after exchanging a glance wit Lyall, "No weapons," her words clearly aiming at my knife, "The fight will be outside this cave. It is over when one of you either gives up or is unconsciousness. It is prohibited to break the other one's neck and it is not allowed to cause wounds that need longer to heal than a day," she restricts further, "None of the spectators is allowed to interfere in the fight with any kind of action. If someone dares to help, throw yourself in the way or whatever else this damn Ferret caused you to think about, the other one will be declared the winner."

What a long list of rules. With every word of Étain, I can see Lyall tensing up more and more. I nod in understanding and start moving as the masses also start to move outside. Étain catches me halfway out the cave, pressing her palm against my chest. "No advantages like protective clothes," she glares at me deadly.

"I am flattered that you want to see me strip, kitten," my voice offering a cold undertone but I start to get rid of the armor while walking. I keep the protectors around my legs though. Lyall was always honest with me and acted honorably. I wish there would be a way to prevent this... I wish there would be any other way.

We both take our stance at the clearing, seeing the beasts marking the area for our little intermezzo. The wind is howling through the bare trees and the air started to cool down as much this night that our breath vaporizes in front of our nostrils. I crouch down and when I put my hand down for my newly found attacking position I can feel that the mud under our feet is slightly frozen.

As I am the one depending on speed and agility, I will need to be careful at the partly slippery ground. "What if the sun rises before we are done?" I ask at the thought of the early morning, which will no doubt come soon. Étain thinks about it for a moment and then smirks. "If you are not done by dawn I will decide who won." Lyall grinds his teeth at that Étain's obvious threat.

I see. She is still upset with Lyall and there is nothing more dangerous than an upset woman is. I had to find that out the hard way. I do not envy Lyall for that position. "Any time you are ready," Lyall says calmly, but I can see the tensions that his furrowed eyebrows betray. "You can still just let me go," I offer but the moment I said it a bitter laugh leaves his throat.

"Stop wasting our time. You won't go any―," a loud howl interrupts Lyall just as he wants to start a rant. My head snaps up as I nearly jump up to my full height to sniff the air and listen carefully where this came from. Lyall looks at me in confusion.

"Mister Vinge!" a male voice shouts with an obvious struggle before there is another howl at the direction of the barricade's gate. The beasts that had to stand guard were busy watching us, so there is to the discipline. Maybe they also figured finishing a little earlier would not hurt either. Wrong.

I do not wait for permission to start running to the closed as I recognize the voice that is shouting my previous last name once again in clear desperation. I can hear Lyall bark the command to open the gates.

When I arrive at the heavy wood beams that are tightly bound together I help to pull them open faster. The scent of fresh blood and burned flesh whiffs over my head as a nervous horse rushes in and comes to a halt pacing in circles after it entered the gates. The trooper barely able to keep the temper of the fearful animal at bay finally gives up.

The sight of the uniformed guard starting to slip to the side let me once again jump forward. I am able to catch his damaged body just before his head hits the ground. The horse above my head rises to its hind hoofs in fear, trying to get rid of all the danger that could surround it.

Fortunately, Lyall is able to drive it away before his hard kicks could reach my head. The guard in my arms is barely alive and his blood smells extraordinary. My eyes flash up at his maltreated appearance. "Mister Vinge!" he pleads with half of his face burned to a very worrisome degree. His left arm also seems to be useless as the uniform molded with his skin.

"What happened?" I look at him. "Code Zero! Code Zero, Sir," he coughs and barely is able to breathe between his words. "Give me your report, recruit," I order only to slip him to the ground with his head still in my lap within the moment. In this position, he is able to breathe a little better.

"Fire, there was fire everywhere," his body is shaking, and I can feel the tears of pain running down his face, "the headquarters," he coughs, "I got sent to... to..." His eyes flicker for a moment, but he is able to fight it back. "Preparations," I conclude and he tries to nod, only to flinch.

"So, you got sent here as avant-garde to make sure we are prepared for the evacuated elite," I try to help him out with words but this time he shakes his head. "They don't heal, Sir... the fire was still burning, but they didn't heal!" My mouth forms into a thin line as I clench my teeth. "Onwards," I order. Another heavy breath later he continues, "They are wounded, the whole mansion burned when I left, Mr. Vinge, explosions everywhere," he presses out.

I look up from the bloody face to meet Lyall's eyes. He came to stand close enough to listen. "What's Code Zero?" he asks. "Total evacuation; the whole headquarters will get cleared as soon as possible. They will come here as this is what the plan is about."

"I never heard of that plan!" he barks. "It was never meant to get executed," I hiss through my teeth before leaning to the guard again.

"You are Wilburn Coghill, right?"

"Yes, Sir," he answers surprised but with a little smile, "What an honor..." he whispers.

"You have done a great service today, Wilburn. In the name of Lord Blackwood and the Vampire Society of London, I want to thank you for fulfilling your duties in such agony. I am nothing but a mere criminal by now, but I would grant you the last wish if you let me. I know that your name has been on the list, but I can't guarantee your safety." His hand searches for mine as I take it in a supporting manner. I know every human's name on this list by heart for moments like these.

"Is that still your wish, now that you are close to the gates of heaven? It is not a disgrace to change your mind. I will not allow anybody to judge a dead's man last wish," I offer and silently start praying that he really changes his mind.