“Nope. Trent, but I see your mind, very soon I will get one from a warrior, yes?”

“Shit. You really see it. I have to shade my thoughts, or you would have your fun with me all the time. So. The warrior is who decides what he will do and what he will never do. There are moments when his way leads him into a crisis. He is separated from the ones he belongs to, and also from the things he loves. This is the time when the warrior reflects… he is checking if he is doing the right things. If after checking he founds that this strange part in his life is really a part of his path, then he accepts it without complain. Like the way you trotted into my life” he was laughing hard, but in his laugh there was no sign of malevolence, and Viola felt it, so she was laughing with him wholeheartedly. “But listen to me Viola, if he found that a strange thing was provoked by someone else's perverse actions then he is implacable in his response. The warrior possesses both force and strength. He can use both with equal skill and God should mercy on his enemies!”

Soon their lesson was over. Not really an hour but rather three. The old Damian sent the much younger Vincenzo to serve a „field picnic” for them. Trent was drinking the very same cocktail he was offered to Viola previously in big gulps. As a pureblooded vampire he didn’t need anything else, just blood. He was never human so he wouldn’t be able to digest human food. The situation was a bit different with those vampires who were once human. Their body – especially at the early years – needed some solid food too, but this need always faded away after a few centuries.

After finishing their lunch, Trent took her out with him for a riding. Two beautiful, black, stamping stallions held by Emanuel. They were flying soon over open fields in a hard gallop until their horses started breathing out fumes and foam was covering their muscular bodies. They were at an abandoned beach not far from Citta Venezzia, all alone. It started getting dark and the air was cool. This kept away all that was in love with nature's beauties.

He was talking about his life, which again surprised him enough, as he was never keen on talking about his private life. But somehow it seemed right now. The first distrust in Viola was changed with utter trust. He didn't understand himself and shook his head, but he kept tell stories about his fights and battles. She was amazed hearing them. He was like a knight. Actually he was knight in the Draconian Order, the order where another famous vampire Vlad Tepes, aka Count Dracula belonged to. Only he never had noble ancestors. His father and grandfather and all men in his family were all soldiers. He was holding a rank of a captain. But he never was interested in career. He was a secret weapon himself for the elders of his clan The Crimson Heart.

Viola was also telling this and that about her life. Trent already knew a lot about her. Actually more than she did herself about her forefathers. He was the one who collected all details of her in far away lands to the request of the elders. He knew all about her.

They were tired, so they mounted onto their tired horses and in a slow trot they headed home.

Viola was a bit afraid and excited about the haunt. In her disturbed sleep she saw different scenarios. Once she saw herself all covered with blood, feasting on the poor victim, saw Trent leaning over the barely alive body and heard the previous screams echoing in her mind. Next time she was just like an observer, she saw the scene from a distance like in a movie. Then Trent turned into Dave and he wasn’t that kind lover she knew. He was a real and merciless killer… a wild predator, who smells its victim, the blood and the warm flesh… Her flesh…

She suddenly realized that she was sitting in her bed between the creased bed linen, slightly panting. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and tried to forget the last picture as Dave jumps on her with shining fangs to kill her. No, that won’t happen. Ever. It was just a bad dream.

She slid to the edge of the king-sized bed and stroked Asher’s clever head. Despite she knew it wasn’t completely safe living with a vampire, she missed Dave already. It felt as if long weeks had passed, although he’d left just two days ago. And she has to learn as much as possible until he comes home. Home. The meaning of the word stuck into her mind. This was the first time she thought about this place as her home, although she felt it in her bones from the first time she stepped into the old castle that this was the place she belonged. A lot had happened since then, but she was happy, no matter how strange and sometimes frightening things were happening around her.

Viola stood up and went to the bathroom for a refreshing shower - it was nearly time for them to go to the city. She hadn’t been there in the last few weeks and knew that this’ll be a special night. It’ll somehow decide whether she’ll survive in this world or not. Because it was just one thing that she got vampire blood from Dave and learnt about their rules in the safety of his castle, but Viola never saw her love eating before. And now Trent’ll show her how they feed. She must prepare herself, her soul and mind.

“Are you ready?” she heard from her door after a few minutes.

She looked at her face in the mirror. It was slightly paler than usual. Someone will probably die tonight and she’ll see it… she’ll be part of it. She took a deep breath then exhaled slowly. “Yes, I’m ready.”

---

Trent said no word while in the boat. Very soon they were ashore, in the middle of Venice. Trent was walking by her side like a silent guide, just walking as he knew the destination. Indeed he did. Before the Campanile’s old bells could ring midnight they were standing in a line that was waiting for entrance into an underground club. Viola didn't ask him, she was waiting for what was to come. This place was no posh at all, the guys that were standing - well, something like that, if ass drunk guys in odd positions and wiggles would count as such - so they were loud and ugly.

Viola usually avoided such places, because these men disgusted her, but now she was with a vampire and she knew that he was up to something. He walked with her to the counter and told her to order something strong. She obeyed and drank the whiskey without a word. To Viola it seemed that Trent was sizing up the place and the guests. Maybe he deliberates whom he should have for dinner, thought Viola as she was watching the vampire from the corner of her eye. She didn’t fail to see that Trent was sitting at the end of the counter, his tall and muscular body half-way in the shadows. Viola felt herself like sitting under a spotlight. And when she looked up at the wall, where the boozes were in front of a mirrored shelf, she saw that some loud and drunk guys were already checking her out from head to toe.

So Trent was using her as a bait… It was so typical of him, she wasn’t even surprised, although anger rose in her for a moment, but after that she calmed herself. She knew that she was safe – Trent wouldn’t take the risk of her getting hurt, cuz Dave asked him to take care of her. And one thing was sure for Viola: their friendship was strong enough to do whatever the other wishes or wants.

When Trent nodded again – without a word – Viola ordered another round. She swallowed the half of the whiskey when she heard them. They were kinda bantering a loud guy – who seemed one of the group’s “leaders” – to go there. She was waiting patiently. She knew that it was rare that such a young and pretty woman comes into this dirty club – alone. Cuz now as she squinted to the side she saw that Trent was nowhere to be seen. She felt herself uneasy from this turn of events, but she was sure he wouldn’t leave her behind. But can she trust a vampire – beside Dave, whom she loved?

The leader and his hunchman approached her like they were not interested at all, telling dirty jokes about sex and women to each other, laughing like mad, and spilling beer onto the floor. Well, if they want to pick her up, Viola wasn't interested at all. Rather she was disgusted and this must have been written on to her face and her expression told them all. The guy who was shaven bald, wearing the Death Angels uniform – black bike boots and dirty jeans, checked shirts and a scarf decorated with skulls on his head – was called Bud. Even inside in the half lit bar he was wearing his dark sunglasses, so Viola thought either he is another vampire or just plain stupid. She would have bet to the later.

They ordered another beer and the skinnier man told another dirty joke for the bald one. Unfortunately they saw that Viola made a face from this, cuz the loud laughing hurt her more sensitive ears. It seemed that this Bud guy was waiting just for this. Maybe he was just waiting for the opportunity whole night long to have someone whom he could pick a quarrel with – no matter whether it was a man or a woman. This is why he turned to Viola, nearly towering over her, trying to frighten her with his muscles.

“Is there a problem, missy?” he asked on a hoarse and unfriendly tone. Viola just slowly turned her head towards him and eyed him from head to toe with a contemptuous look.

"Yes, I'm afraid, if you don’t fuckin’ shut up I’d make morsels from your testicles with my lil’ fingers, big boy!"

The guys all went silent in awe. No one ever dared to talk with their leader like this. Not even his worst enemies, and now, this slut just humiliate him in his fav bar in front of all. The stress was palpable in the air. Our Bud still couldn't believe what he actually heard and was just staring in disbelief. How dared anyone talking with him like this? And as Viola saw Trent grinning near the stairs that led to the street put with another shovel onto it:

"Ah silence is golden. You don't find the words Sir Bud how much you started to like me. Wanna a quickie?” and she started to laugh "Oh, not that kind you silly” she said sweetly smiling when she noticed that the big bald guy was very much into it "Come, and walk with me to the corner, just not to make a fuss here, I beat the shit out of your stupid, bald head."

Bud was angry but though he wouldn't have said for all the tea in China, he too was impressed by the dare-devil way this hundred pound small thing dared to fuck with him. He knew that he would hurt her. Hurt her badly after and during he and his men having fun with her. He already knew he wanna kill her and it would mean big pleasure for him.

Viola knew that she was playing with fire but she felt no fear and suddenly she became so hungry that she simply went mad. Not waiting for how the guys would react she tossed a big one with only one hand on Bud so he fell onto the dirty, sticky floor of the pub. Now, as he was looking up from there he was already flown into an unstoppable rage. She wanted to grab Viola's ankle but she with one elegant movement was already on top of the stairs. No one knew how she did it, they were not interested in fine details they just started to chase her as she was running without effort with the grace of a big cat.

„Separate them!” she heard suddenly from nowhere and she nearly stumbled from Trent’s voice in her head. She saw through his tactic and she tried to do as she was told.

“You fucking bitch! Stop there or I’ll kill you!” she heard Bud shouting after her.

“You want to kill me anyway, so why don’t you try and catch me, you asshole? Just you and me, having fun on the dark streets…” she laughed as she looked back over her shoulder and headed for the backdoor.

And in the next moment she slid out of the smoky club. The cool night breeze welcomed her and she shivered from the fresh air after the heavy air in the club. She knew that even though she wasn’t a vampire yet, with the changes in her body this stupid jerk wouldn’t be a match for her. But she had to play nicely for Trent. She has to be the bait so the vampire could attack his prey in the right moment.

She was running in the narrow alleys but not too fast – she always let the guy know where she ran. After a few minutes she was standing calmly – panting just a little bit – in a dead end.

“Perfect!” she heard Trent’s now familiar voice ringing in her ears. She felt a little fear deep in her heart, but not because of Bud, who just turned to the dead end by the corner, but from what she was about to see. The long and black shadows could give nice hidings for the muscular vampire and she didn’t know when he’ll attack.

“So here you are, you fucking bitch…” she heard Bud’s voice as he was panting hard. The moonlight glinted on a pocketknife, which he was holding in his right hand. “Now you’ll die after I had my fun with you…”

Viola was still not concerned. He couldn't know that Trent was right on her left but she was still sure, she felt him very clearly in her mind. She heard the orders he was saying and when Bud stepped a couple steps toward her when Trent said “NOW!” she bent down and instead of her, there was Trent standing in front of Bud, holding his wrist that had the knife in.

“What the fuck?! Who the hell are you?!” he asked with a cloudy gaze. He was drunk and suddenly he felt so very sleepy. His eyelids were heavy and to his greatest surprise he was yawning big ones.

"It's no good to make them fight, their blood would become sour cuz of the adrenalin intake. His blood is kinda stinking anyway, fast-food restaurant quality meal baby, but at least we have plenty of blood and we would suck him dry. We make a favour to human’s society."

Viola didn’t say a word, she was saving every moment into her brain like a good student then swallowed hard when