A Taste of Blood

Tyler lowered his head and nodded. "If you don't mind me asking, what's so special about Violet?"

"She is of my direct bloodline," Lilith answered. "When I left Eden, I went to the Red Sea area, which was 'an abode of demons.' There were plenty of 'sins of the flesh' and shortly thereafter, I found myself with child. I returned to the populated world and gave her to a barren family to raise as their own. She grew and had children of her own and they had children and so on, leading up to Violet. The Wolves have been after the first-born daughter of each generation from my bloodline for millennia. Each time, I was able to stop them, but this time, I need help."

"Why this time?"

"Cain has returned to lead the Wolves. He has been missing for millennia, but now he's back. Under his command, they are stronger than ever. I have gathered what resources I can but I need someone who has the will and the strength to fight for what is ours."

"Ours?"

"Yes, Tyler. You too are of my bloodline, but you are nephew to me ten thousand times removed, just as Violet is my daughter descended that many times. That is why I need you, Tyler. You are of my blood. Of her blood. She needs you. Do you agree to join the Pact?

Tyler looked to Smythe for guidance, slowly putting together that the man behind the desk was family of a sort, though greatly diluted. Smythe, however, had fallen asleep sometime during the explanation, his head resting against the back of his leather chair. Tyler could imagine what he'd say if he were awake, which gave Tyler the guidance he needed. He looked up at Lilith and nodded, staying silent.

"Good," she said with a genuine smile on her face. "Go get something to eat; you'll need it. When you're done, meet me in the basement." Tyler nodded and went to the kitchen, finding Isabella there. She looked at him when he entered, tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong, mi señorita?"

"You're joining her, aren't you?" Tyler nodded. "I don't want to see you destroyed, Señor Tyler." He was surprised when she ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Tyler put his arms around her shoulder and gave her a long hug.

"No one will destroy me, Isabella. I have you to come back to, don't I?" She laughed and wiped away her tears. They sat together in the kitchen, Tyler eating until he was full. He washed his dishes and put them away. He took Isabella's hand and squeezed it, giving her a smile.

"Via con Dios, Tyler. Go with God." Tyler smiled again, thanked her and left the kitchen. As he stood outside the kitchen door, he looked up the stair and he could see Violet's room. Rage entered his again and his jaw and fists clenched.

"The Wolves better hope that God is going with them."

*

Chapter Eight

Tyler went down the stairs slowly, trying to get control of himself. He met Lilith and Smythe at the bottom of the steps. The basement looked like an entertainment room, complete with a big screen TV, a home theater system and two gaming tables. Along two walls were full bookshelves; Lilith led him to one of these. She pulled out a large leather-bound copy of 'Dracula' with a grin. "Thomas's idea of a joke." Tyler wasn't surprised when one of the bookcases slid away from him and showed him a secret room. He stepped in without invitation or hesitation and was strong by the strong smell of incense. He covered his nose and coughed, although he quickly became used to the smell. There was only a low table with the burning incense on it, though the room throbbed with unseen energy. Tyler took another deep breath, trying to quiet the rage that boiled within him.

"Don't fight it, Tyler," Lilith said. "Let the anger flow through you. Let it be the source of your power. Look at the wall, Tyler." She stood next to him and put her hand on his shoulder, Smythe standing in a corner, running his hand over his head.

Tyler did as he was instructed, turning his gaze to the simple stone blocks, blocks he instinctively knew were from the castle in his vision. Slowly, the stone at eye level shimmered and it was replaced with the view of a dirty room that was clearly underground. A small cage sat at one end and Tyler could see a small hand grasping the bars. A face appeared at the bars and it took him a moment to recognize it as Violet. Her normally perfect brown hair was dirty and matted and her makeup streaked from tears. A bruise was forming on her cheek and her bottom lip was swollen. All of the hope had left her eyes and had been replaced by terror.

"Violet! No!" The rage returned and crashed over Tyler, his body dumping adrenaline into his system by the gallon. He shook and his jaw clenched, the spears of pain from his jaw moving to his head, which only added fuel to the fire. Tyler threw his head back and roared his fury to the ceiling, his cry cutting off as he felt two small piercings at his neck. Upstairs, Isabella crossed herself and offered a prayer to Santa Maria. Then all went quiet.

Tyler awoke to find himself on the floor staring up at the ceiling. He sat up and groaned, his shoulder aching, but not as painful as before. He looked around the room and found himself alone. The incense had been put out, a small smoky haze clinging to the ceiling. He could still smell it, though, and it seemed more powerful than before.

He finally stood and stretched, his body feeling different, but he couldn't tell how. It was almost as if he felt lighter, but not quite. He walked to the door and turned the brass handle, finding the entertainment room quiet and dark. The stairs were easy to navigate, even in the dark. Things seem clearer to him than before. He opened the door at the top of the stairs and stepped out into the hallway, turning toward the office. He could see the windows in the office and saw that it was dark outside. Lilith was waiting for him. He walked in and had a seat. Lilith smiled as he took in her scent, an unknown spice and fruits.

"Welcome, Tyler. How do you feel?"

"Odd," he replied. "Like I'm different."

Lilith smiled. "That's because you are different. You are vampiri now." She had switched to an eastern European accent on the word 'vampiri,' sounding like the Count himself. Tyler nodded, knowing she was right. He took a breath and even the air in his lungs felt different. Always one to get right down to business, Tyler looked Lilith in the eye.

"So, what's our plan?"

Lilith nodded. "We know where Violet is. We'll get you in close. You go in, get her out and bring her back to us."

"How many are there?"

"Approximately two dozen, most of them Made. However, there are a couple of Born as well."

Tyler felt the anger rise again, but managed to control it. "What about weapons? I can't go in there with my bare hands."

"That's where I come in." Tyler turned and saw Thomas Smythe standing in the office doorway, looking like he just woke up. "Come with me."

Tyler stood up and both he and Lilith followed Smythe to a section of the house Tyler had never been to before. It sat behind the kitchen against the outside wall of the house. Smythe punched a sequence of numbers into a small silver code box and a section of wall slid away.

To Tyler, it was a scene out of an action movie. There were weapons everywhere; guns, ammunition, knives, swords, and clubs. Smythe stepped out of the way, motioning for Tyler to enter. "Take whatever you need, son. We can get more." Smythe had the smell of old leather, though Tyler thought he could smell the desperation on the man.

Tyler nodded absently, looking over everything, trying to decide what to take. He realized everything was made of silver. He picked up a silver mace; it's leather handle creaking in his hand. He hooked that onto his belt and picked up several silver spikes in a holster, wrapping the nylon holder over his left thigh. Lilith was suddenly behind him.

"Take this, Tyler. It will be useful." She handed him a small silver sphere with a red button on the top. "Push this button and five seconds later, colloidal silver fills the air. It disperses in about fifteen seconds, but don't breathe it yourself. It's not fatal to you, but you'll lose all of your new abilities."

Tyler nodded and took the sphere, dropping it in a pocket of the tactical vest he grabbed from a hook on the wall. He added a silver knife to his arsenal and turned to look at his employee and his mentor. "I'm ready."

Smythe looked at him apprehensively. "No guns?"

Tyler smiled. "I don't like guns, boss. Besides, I'm just getting Violet out, not starting a war. I thought we wanted this quiet."

"We do," Lilith said, interrupting Smythe's response. "Now, come. Time is short; we need to go."

Tyler, Smythe and Lilith walked outside into the cool night air. The darkness seemed to energize Tyler; he felt energy running through himself and through everything else. The clear, crisp smell of the air filled his lungs. He looked around and could make out every detail, even in the dark. They led Tyler to his car, Lilith climbing into the passenger seat. Tyler went to the driver's side and looked at Smythe, who was standing on the steps leading up to the door of the house. "Coming, boss?"

Smythe shook his head. "No. There still a lot that needs to be done before we can start this war. Plus, there are some," he said, his eyes twitching toward Lilith, "that think my emotions might get in the way out in the field." He came down the steps and walked to Tyler, putting his hand on Tyler's shoulder. "Tyler, you're no longer an employee of mine; you're family. No more contract. My house is now your house. Anything you need, you just ask and it's yours. Just bring my baby back."

Tyler nodded and settled into the driver's seat. He looked to Lilith, who nodded, and then faced forward. He started the car and pulled out of the circular driveway and onto the road. Lilith gave directions as needed, but said no more than necessary. After driving for about twenty minutes, Lilith had Tyler pull the car onto a small gravel road and park under a tree. They got out and he followed her for about a hundred yards, staying close to the ground, like they do in the movies. They came to a small rise and Lilith knelt on top of it, Tyler following her lead. He thought the aroma of the trees was going to overwhelm him.

"There," she said. "Through the trees. Do you see it?" Tyler followed her pointed finger and his vision shifted. He could make out an old two-story farmhouse and a dilapidated barn. He nodded, confident Lilith could see him.

"How could they hold her down there," he asked. "Both the house and the barn are falling apart. She could pretty much just walk out."

Lilith smiled, her teeth bright in the darkness. "The owner of the house was scared of nuclear fallout, so he built a bomb shelter under the barn and a tunnel leading back to the house. Violet is under the barn."

"Then let's go," Tyler said, starting to rise, held down by Lilith's strong hand on his shoulder.

"You have to go in through the house. There's no entrance in the barn. Most of the Wolves will be under the barn, though there will be a few in the house. Be careful, Tyler. I'm not going with you. If they kill me, and I can be killed, then we all die. Violet. Thomas. You. Even Isabella and Edward. You must do this on your own."

Tyler shook his head. "Fine. One last thing: what about blood? Where do I get it if I need it?"

Lilith smiled sadly. "Violet is the only true human down there. If you need it, take it from her, but I pray you don't need to."

Tyler nodded. "Why do you hope I don't need to?"

"I'll explain later. Now go, my son. Be my hand of vengeance."

*

Chapter Nine

Tyler moved quickly and quietly through the trees, making almost no sound. He stopped thirty yards from the house, but he spotted no guards or even any movement inside the house. That didn't make any sense to him. The Wolves had to know that a rescue attempt would be made and that he would have to come in through the house. 'Maybe they're all waiting under the barn,' he thought. 'Concentrating their forces instead of spreading them out.'

He ran toward the house, his feet making almost no noise, despite his bulk. When he was ten feet from the house, he jumped. Power like he had never felt easily propelled him to the second story, where he alighted on the small roof that hung over the ground floor porch. He paused and the roof held. A glance in the nearest window showed him that the room was empty. He slid the window open slowly, trying to avoid any squeaks. Once the window was up, he climbed inside.

He crouched down close to the floor and listened; he heard voices on this floor, one male and one female. He moved to the doorway and looked both directions. There were five other rooms on this floor, two to his left and three to his right past the stairway. Only one room was occupied and it was the source of the voices. Judging by the sounds he could hear, they weren't doing much talking, other than a few cries and the occasional 'No!' Tyler crept to the door and quietly opened it, the scent of something unclean striking his nose.

He saw a woman with her hands tied to the bed frame and a werewolf trying to maneuver himself between her legs. It was large, probably close to seven feet tall and its hair was light brown. Its snout was long and Tyler could see many sharp, pointy teeth that looked like small daggers. The woman fought back, kicking at the beast, but it seemed to have no effect. Tyler unhooked the mace from his belt and, staying low to the floor, crept up behind the werewolf. He rose to his full height and swung the mace, connecting with the side of the Wolf's head with all of his might. He felt bone splinter under his blow and the Wolf, now turning back to human form, slumped on the floor where he landed, the side of his head caved in. Tyler watch to make sure he wasn't moving before turning to the woman on the bed, who made a small noise and was still tugging at her hands.

Tyler drew his knife and knelt on the bed next to her. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said quietly. "I'm going to cut you lose. When I free you, I'll take you downstairs and then I want you to run. Do you understand?" He waited until she nodded and then cut the ropes holding her wrists to the bed frame. She rubbed them where the rope has burned her skin raw. Tyler went to the closet and found a large shirt for the small nude woman. She said a quiet 'thank you' and pulled it on, the hem coming down to her knees.

Once she was dressed, Tyler led her down the stairs, something seeming slightly off to him, but he wasn't able to put his finger on it. It was only when he reached the bottom of the stairs did he get it: she hadn't been screaming and she wasn't trying to run now that she had the opportunity. She was in on it. As he turned, a large hairy fist hit him square in the chest, knocking the air out of him. He smashed into the front door and through it, landing on it as it fell, the glass from the small window shattering under him. She had grown for her five and a half foot height up to almost Tyler's six and a half feet, her fur the color the of rust. She snarled and saliva dripped from her mouth. Tyler felt like the roar she unleashed would deafen him. She did it probably to intimidate him as well as warn the others. Tyler, though, wasn't intimidated. He was pissed.

He stood up and casually brushed himself off. The wolf woman tilted her head and looked at him in surprise, his chest should be caved in. Then, Tyler smiled, showing his fangs. She let out a whimper and tried to back up, tripping on the steps. Tyler started moving forward and she, reacting on instinct, pushed away from the stairs and started swinging. She swung a deadly right hand, claws extended. Tyler jammed his left elbow between the two bones of her forearm and hit her on the side of the muzzle with a large right of his own. She stumbled back, blood dripping from her mouth. She attacked again, arcing both arms toward him. Tyler ducked and shoved a silver stake into her stomach, causing her to revert instantly. Her howl turned into a human scream as she dropped to her knees.

"Mercy," she said, her face bloody and tears streaming down her cheeks.

Tyler walked around behind her. "Were you going to show mercy to the girl in the basement?" He grabbed her hair and pulled her onto her back, kneeling on her chest. He pulled out the stake and returned it to its holder. Tyler then grabbed the side of her head and pulled, making her scream again. Exerting all of his strength, he managed to tear her head completely off, leaving her body lying there, twitching on the floor. After a quick step outside to retrieve his mace, he quickly walked to the door that led to the basement. Even through the door, Tyler could smell the Wolves down there, the smell a mix of wet dog and old, musty air.

He opened the door about a foot and saw a man standing at the bottom of a dozen steps. "Lucille," he asked, fear tingeing his voice. Tyler tossed Lucille's head down the stairs, the skull thumping on every third wooden step. It came to a rest facing the man at the bottom. He took one look at it and started to run, but Tyler was already halfway down the stairs, catching the man easily. He grasped the man's shoulder and spun him around, holding up the mace. When his captive started to change, Tyler gave him a quick blow to the temple to stop him.

"Tell your boss that I want to talk. Alone. Now." He released his panic-stricken prisoner and watched as he ran down the long hallway to the barn area. While he waited, Tyler found a spot against the wall that would keep his face in shadow. He was going to need all of the advantages he could get.

The leader of the Wolves, Tyler guessed, stepped out of the darkness, already in werewolf form. "What do you want, human?" In it's current form, speech was obviously difficult. The word 'human' came out more like 'hoo-mahn.' The Wolf stood about six feet tall, it's fir dark, almost black. It has a small stoop, though it was from form, not weakness.

"You know why I'm here, so cut the crap. Give me the girl." Tyler moved forward, still keeping his face in shadow. The Wolf made a noise Tyler took to be laughter, sounding like the soft brushing of sandpaper against wood.

"Or what," it asked. "You are in no position to make threats. Now leave or we shall gut you and eat your insides."

"One last chance," Tyler said calmly. "Let me have her or I will kill you all."

"Fool. You are carrying silver, so you know what we are, but you cannot kill us. You could not kill all of us before we had mauled you. You are not strong enough. Now leave!"

Tyler stepped into the light and grinning, his new fangs reflecting in the dimness. "I'm not?"

The Wolf leader froze for a second before regaining composure. "You have joined them. More is the pity." It let out a howl and pounced on Tyler, knocking him backwards but not down, though he lost his grip on the mace, hearing it clatter to the ground. Tyler knew he had to finish this quickly before the other Wolves arrived. He wrapped the leader in a bear hug and squeezed, putting all of his newfound strength into it, ignoring the scratches and bites he was receiving. The other arrived as he heard bones popping, so he tossed the injured lycanthrope to the floor and reclaimed his mace, turning to face half a dozen more Wolves.

What happened next was a blur, even to Tyler. Fists, knees, elbows and claws flashed through the air, groans and cries following them. Soon, Tyler found himself surrounded by fallen bodies of Wolves, some in human form, only a couple still moaning. He turned to the leader, only to find it slowly disappearing around the doorframe at the top of the stairs. He took a step in that direction, only to remember that catching the leader wasn't his job right now. Right now, he had to find Violet.