Hidden Truths - Ethan

30 - The Aftermath

I roll up my eyes at Maria, showing her my fangs and anger. The grip in her hair tightens as she tries to kick and scream. The claws on her hands start to find their way in my flesh. My blood trickles slowly from my elbow after making its way down my arm. "Do you want me to break your arms too?" I hiss at her and narrow my eyes.

Her claws just tighten at my saying but her heavy sobs and the way she starts to shiver betrays that she is full of fear. She looks around to find Étain and Lyall begging with her eyes.

Étain releases a deep growl when I take Maria's waist with my other hand, pressing her body against mine. "How do you want it, hm?" bending her back far more. Oh how much I enjoy that there is no need to hold back. I could break her spine and see her gasping for air like a fish on land.

"Vinge, stop playing around," I can hear Lyall finally say and I shoot him a look.

"Didn't you say it's only over when one is unconscious or gives up?" I tilt my head and Maria gets back her will to fight, trying to scratch my face, but I won't let that happen.

Letting her out of my grip for a moment I grab her by the wrists and bend them far enough to hear her arms disconnecting with her shoulders. Her screams are deafening.

Lyall doesn't answer my question but I let Maria slip down to the ground. Between the crying and the sobs, she tries to get enough air to not faint.

"I know what you think, Maria, but you misunderstood," I take her once more by her neck and press my chest against her back; her throat in my custody now.

"I thought the outlook of what could have happened to you would show you that this is not the best way to go, but maybe I was wrong. Next time you come to kill me, do it quickly because I won't let you go once more," with that, I ram my fangs into her neck.

Another helpless scream and a lot of half-open mouths as I let finally go of her. I marked her just the way I was used to in the old days. The only purpose of this is to bring shame to the vampire.

Her life is in my hands and this gesture just shows everybody that she has no power. Maria needs to obey me now or I have the right to kill her. At least, that's how the old rules have been. She collapses to the ground and I take another look at her. Maybe that was a bit too harsh, but what is done, is done.

"I think we can call it a day, even though she did not say it loud?" looking at Lyall I don't know what I see there but he knows that I was the one responsible for Maria's banishment.

I lick the blood from my lips. I was neat and the only blood from her runs down her own chest now. Lyall growls out. "Was that really necessary?" he wants to know with a frown and Étain and another woman comes to take care of Maria. I take a step back and straighten out.

"No, it was not, but she had it coming," I shrug. Better to draw clear lines right now than to hide behind my council title. "Or did I misunderstand the rules and purpose of these fights? Honest, like in the old days, right?" I take my coat and throw it over my shoulders. He thinks about it for a moment.

"We haven't had such a serious fight in quite some time," Étain hisses over to me and I sigh. She shouldn't have been so furious and totally out of control, then this would have been able to end differently. I can't deny that I got a bit carried away though.

"This was a glimpse of the past Maria and I share. Our fights have never been any less serious," I reply and Étain seems to connect some dots.

"You are the Butcher," she hisses and something within me refuses to just accept that statement.

"I am Ethan Vinge, council member of the Vampire Society of London, Lord Blackwood's personal bodyguard, commander of the royal guards and at some point, this required to be the Butcher," I straighten out and Étain also gets up from her crouched position next to Maria.