The house Violet was led into after a fifteen minute carriage ride smelled damp. The carpet on the floor of the entrance hall, the curtains and chairs in the adjacent rooms...the wet smell only intensified as they descended a set of stairs into what had to be a cellar.

Except that she could smell no wood, only wet stones, moss, candles and blood. Congealed blood on a large object in the middle of the room. She walked close to the structure, running her fingers quickly across the marble. It felt like an alter of some sort. She pulled her hand away, the sticky sweet scent of blood made her want to gag.

"Perfect timing, Richard," a female voice called from above. She was coming down the same stairs they had used and the scent of two other women followed her into the room.

Violet stood still, her nose adjusting to the room's dampness, reaching beyond the blood. The last woman to stand before her had a familiar smell.

"Lady Elisabeth?"

"What gives you the name to say my name?" Elisabeth snarled. "I say we make a meal of her and get it over with, it is not like we need a human's help."

Violet stiffened at the threat.

"Now, now, Elisabeth, play nice," Richard, who had finally let go of her arm laughed beside her. "Besides, you had your chance to kill a leader and you failed."

"So did she!" Elisabeth pointed out vindictively.

"Yes, but I will not fail again," Violet said calmly. Her nerves were stretched taught, but she was in control of her emotions. She had recognised  Elisabeth and knew Richard's name. Now if she could find out the names of the other two women in the room, it would make it that much easier to be able to warn Patrick and the others.

"And why should we believe you?" Elisabeth sneered. 

"I didn't come here to prove myself to you. I came because Daniel said you could help me kill Ismail. Do you have a plan?"  Violet turned the questioning around, hoping that would do the trick to stave off Elisabeth's attack.  The sound of voices from above stairs reached them just as she finished speaking. There were more of them?

Her question went unanswered as eight new bodies came down the stairs, filing into the large stone room. Blood was fresh on their breaths, and many of them were giggling. Violet told herself not to imagine what they had been doing before coming down. 

"Where is Daniel?" it was Elisabeth that asked the question.

"He's just bringing down our guest," one of the newcomers replied, while the others snickered.

A sense of foreboding settled in Violet's stomach as she tilted her head towards the stairs, trying to catch Daniel's scent. The vampire's musky scent reached her at the same time as another's. Violet's blood ran cold. 

Ismail.

Heavy footsteps preceded Daniel's cheery voice, "Ah, Lady Violin, I am so glad you could join us. I brought you a very special present."

The sound of a heavy weight falling to the ground was followed by Elisabeth's squeal of pleasure. "We are finally ready to come out then?"

Violet had to exert every ounce of self control she possessed not to show the horror she was feeling. Was Ismail alive? 

"Is he dead?" she asked with measured words.

Daniel's scent wafted over her skin as he approached. His fingers curled around the back of her neck, his lips almost touching her ear. 

"Now, I would never do that to you, my beautiful gypsy." Turning away from her he addressed the others in the room. "It is time to initiate Lady Violin. She will be the last addition to our family, and a valuable one. Today she will kill first Ismail and then Patrick, two Clan Leaders! And tonight, we will celebrate the beginning of our rule by taking the life of the Blessed."

Cheers rose around Violet, as someone pressed a knife into her palm. It was bigger than the one she used to carry under her skirts. She felt the sharp edge with the pad of her thumb while Daniel ordered several Vampires to lift Ismail's body onto the altar.

"Go ahead," Elisabeth taunted behind her shoulder. The vampires were shifting, moving in a circle around the slab of marble.

Her feet moved her forward. This had to be a bad dream. She had thought of this moment with great anticipation for many years and now, now that everything had changed, life had given her what she once wanted.

"Ismail?" she said quietly when her legs hit the edge of the dais. She heard the muffled response and reached out to touch his face, feeling the cloth they had gagged him with. Her hands shook.

"Come on then Lady Violin, show us you are worthy!" Daniel said behind her. 

 "This is not the way I envisioned it," she injected anger into her tone, hoping to buy herself time. "He has to know who I am, and yet he seems barely lucid. What did you do to him?"

"He can hear you, you don't need to worry," Daniel replied, "We did not give him enough poison to kill him."

They had poisoned him. Violet closed her eyes, praying for strength. She could not kill him, but if she did not, they would surely do it for her. And then, they would kill her too.

Leaning over his body, she pulled the material from his mouth, glad when none of the vampires watching protested.

Tell me what to do, she thought fiercely, hoping Ismail had the strength to read her thoughts. Tell me what to do!

"Kill me." He struggled to say the words. He was on the brink of death. 

She straightened, holding the knife with both hands. If she did not do this, they were both dead. And then what? They would lure Patrick in, kill Angelica and Mikhail and countless others...

She raised the weapon above her head. You have to do this. You have to! You have to!

The knife clattered as it fell to the ground. 

"Traitor! She refuses to kill him!" Elisabeth's scream was loud and clear, and rang in Violet's head like the death sentence it was.

Panic bubbled in her stomach as Daniel's scent grew strong.

"Bitch!" Daniel slapped her with a force that sent her skidding along the uneven floors. Her face burned as she pushed herself off the ground. "If you are not with us, you are against us!" He was there again, and the pain in her scalp had her crying out with pain. She tried desperately to lash out at his face. His fist struck her head and she fell.

"We could have had fun together," Daniel said as he clucked his tongue.

She was too disoriented to reply.

"Take him off of there, I think we will enjoy a human sacrifice first," he continued conversationally.

All scents and sounds blended into one as fingers tore at her dress. She did not struggle. What was the use? A dozen vampires against one human. The damp raised Goosebumps along her bared flesh. Then she was lifted and her body twitched at the coldness of the marble she was lain on.

Violet breathed slowly. This was it then, the end. She had felt prepared for death. For as long as she could remember, she had been ready to die as a price for taking revenge for her father's murder. And yet now, now she did not feel ready. She had something to live for now; she wanted to love and be loved for a little longer.

But it was not to be.

Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth where her teeth had cut into her lips. She kept quiet and still. She would not give them the pleasure of seeing her cower. Instead she drew comfort from Ismail's presence. At least he was there, at least there would be one good soul present as she took her final breath.

She thought of Patrick. Imagined him calling her name. Imagined him coming to save her.

Daniel leaned over her. His breath stunk of stale blood. 

He lifted her arm, then hesitated. 

"This can't be."