THE KISS

The lady looked up from the book she had been reading. Her painted face showed no signs of surprise as the young man approached her with a clumsy bow.

"It's all right," she said to the servant, who regarded the visitor with visible disapproval. "You can withdraw. I'll call for you when I need you." She made a dismissive gesture, as if shooing away a cat.

The servant had no choice but to obey. After all, this strange lady was a guest of the house. At least, in his eyes, the still young first Baron Ardilann of Ashford, Arthur Guinness, loved to surround himself with eccentric visitors, so the servant didn't dwell too much on the lady with the white powdered face and blood-red painted lips. She wasn't visible during the day, but from early evening until late at night, she joined the dinner parties, balls, and game nights that the heir to the brewery empire - and presumably the richest man in Ireland - hosted daily. However, dubious characters like the young man he had just escorted into the salon were not usually among Arthur Edward Guinness's guests! The servant now grappled with the serious problem of whether he should inform his master of the visitor's arrival or if it was not his place, in his position, to even notice the shabby and torn clothing and the predatory stench emanating from the stranger.

The lady, unaware of the servant's dilemma, waited until he had closed the door and his footsteps had faded away. She instructed the visitor to open the door once more and ensure the hallway was empty before calling him over and directing him to a chair as far away from hers as possible. Not that she minded the predator scent he seemed to exude from every pore. It was rather the fact that vampires and werewolves had never been attracted to each other, with few ignoble exceptions. Nevertheless, there were always agreements and contracts between them. And the lady knew that in the search for allies, one sometimes had to choose individuals with whom one would not normally associate.

"So, you're here at Ashford," grumbled the werewolf, disgruntled. "I've been searching for you for hours. Were you not supposed to wait for me at the monks' fishing hut? I've searched everywhere: the hut, the ruins of Cong Abbey - yes, I even went to Pigeons' Hole and checked Giant's Cave, the barrow."

"And then it occurred to you that I wouldn't hide in an earth grave or cave for weeks waiting for you? How clever of you," she said, with barely concealed scorn in her voice. He growled and bared his teeth.

The lady realized that it wouldn't be conducive to her plans to further anger him, so she attempted a smile.

"After all, you did find me. I knew from the first moment I met you that you have a sharp mind, Mac Gaoth."

"You don't need to butter me up, Madam. You have your goals, and I have mine. We only work together as long as we both can serve."

"Yes, and when this is over, you'll be the most powerful werewolf in Connemara, indeed, in all of western Ireland!" she flattered, for despite his protests, she was sure he was susceptible to it.

And indeed, a smile lit up his gaunt face, which normally made him appear much older than he really was. His lean body and the gray-brown hair hanging in matted strands contributed to this impression. His appearance would have surely deterred her in her search for a suitable tool if she hadn't noticed the fire in his eyes, threatening to consume him. She knew that look well: the flame of rebellion, fueled by dissatisfaction with the old ways and the men who had become as immovable as the rocky peaks surrounding them in their decisions. It was the glow of youth, impatiently waiting for its moment to prove what it was capable of. Oh yes, she had known exactly which strings to pull that night on the moor to make him wholly devoted to her plan. Well, she had also used other arts of her mind to bind him to her, but it probably wouldn't have been necessary. The young werewolf was enthusiastic about her proposal and had immediately set out to put it into action. The vampire congratulated herself on her thorough research, on which her plan had grown. And on her talent for recognizing and exploiting the deepest desires and weaknesses of others.

"They have betrayed you," she said, her voice intense. "You must stop them! You only take what rightfully belongs to you!"

The werewolf nodded.

"You must secure the stone!" she added. Mac Gaoth nodded again. His gaze seemed somewhat glazed. He shook his unkempt mane as if to rid himself of a pesky insect.

"The Lycana are not fools," he interjected. "And the Druids are on their side. According to the contract, the stone belongs to them after Samhain. Eventually, they will track down the stone, and then the decisive battle will come."

"Are you afraid of the vampires and the few remaining Druids? I find that hard to believe," purred the strange lady.

"We are not afraid. However, one must consider their strength if one does not want to recklessly walk into one's own downfall."

"You simply must hide the stone in a place where the vampires cannot reach," said the lady. "Then the old Druids should no longer be a problem for you."

Mac Gaoth grinned. "We've already thought of that! However, we cannot hide there forever. We must go hunting, and then they can attack us. Their ability to shape-shift gives them an advantage that should not be underestimated."

The lady chewed on her painted lips, then smiled. "Then we must distract them in other ways."

"What do you mean?"

"We'll give them another opponent! Didn't you tell me about the people who gather near the place where your renegade clan member and his Lycana companion tragically lost their lives?" She smiled cruelly.

Mac Gaoth nodded. "Yes, I overheard them. They are planning a rebellion, but as I suspect, they are once again too few and too poorly organized to achieve sustainable success against the English."

"Good, then it won't hurt to use them for our purposes. I suggest you pay them a visit."

"What, me? For what reason?" Mac Gaoth looked at her in astonishment.

"I'll explain everything to you beforehand." His ally gave him such an enchanting smile that he felt a little dizzy.

Of course, both Donnchadh and Catriona as well as Tara vehemently rejected the assistance offered by the heirs. They left the young vampires under the supervision of two Lycana and then set out in small groups. The shadows of the heirs accompanied them after the young vampires decided to make them available to the Lycana in their search. Hindrik was not pleased.

"I should be watching over you instead of involving myself in the squabbles of the Lycana with some werewolves," he protested.

"We'll be fine here," Tammo dismissed. "We are completely safe within these walls - at least, that's what the old Druid claimed. There's some kind of spell that prevents any hostile being from entering. It has something to do with the yews, whose roots are still everywhere in the ground here."

"That's possible," Hindrik conceded half-heartedly, fixing his gaze on Alisa, who tried to look innocent.

"You're not worried about me, are you?"

"Let's just say I fear your rash decisions!" Hindrik said sternly. "If I may remind you of your attempt to follow Ivy and the Druid into the mountains!"

Alisa made a dismissive gesture, but did not dwell on their excursion, which had ended so ignominiously. "Now we're all back at Aughnanure. So where should we go?"

"If only I could foresee what goes on in your minds in advance, my task would be much easier," groaned the servant.

Alisa chuckled. "Then you should apprentice with Franz Leopold. He excels at that disgusting trait!"

"And he'd be damned before he'd teach me anything about it," Hindrik growled indignantly. "If you weren't also convinced of it, you wouldn't be grinning so impudently now!"

Alisa placed her hand on his arm. "Go ahead. I promise to keep an eye on Tammo and Sören as well."

"I'm not worried about them," grumbled the servant, but he followed the Lycana and the other impures through the castle gate. Alisa watched them until they disappeared, then turned to the others.

"And what do we do now? I saw an owl fly into the yew. Shall we try to call it? Let's see if it's still there!"

"The yew is outside the wall," Luciano reminded her.

Alisa shrugged. "So what? Just a few steps! We won't go out of sight of the castle. What do you want to call in here anyway? A few mice perhaps?"

So they went together to the yew, which grew not far from the banks of the Drimneen. They circled the mighty trunk and tilted their heads back. Only Ivy stood a little apart, Seymour by her side.

"I don't see it," said Luciano. "Do you?" Alisa and Franz Leopold shook their heads.

"Then it must have flown on," Luciano said discontentedly.

"No, it's still there. I can reach its spirit," Ivy contradicted. "Shall I call it?"

"No, let me try," Alisa sent her thoughts up into the branches. To her surprise, she found other animals as well: a squirrel, some sleeping songbirds, yes, she even sensed the rabbits that had burrowed their home under the roots. Then the image of the large owl appeared in her mind, blinking at her with orange eyes. Its alert mind spoke of a highly developed personality that wouldn't obey as easily as a simple bat.

Should she ask politely and explain what she wanted from it, or simply command? She was still undecided when the owl spread its wings and silently swooped down on the vampires. Alisa reached out her arm in surprise, but the bird glided over her and landed on Franz Leopold's shoulder. Alisa whirled around and glared at him indignantly.

"I told you I was calling it!"

"Well, I waited for ages for you to do it. Since nothing was happening, I took the liberty of giving you a hand."

She growled, which only widened his superior smile.

"You can have it if you want. Go on, call it to you. I won't stop it!"

To Alisa's delight, the owl flapped its wings once strongly as soon as she directed the call to its spirit, and leaped onto the arm offered to it in a powerful jump. Alisa beamed and sought Ivy's gaze, but the Lycana seemed oddly absent. Meanwhile, Luciano was dealing with the rabbit burrow and lured one of the animals out. Sleepily, it rubbed its eyes. The owl blinked, turned its head once to the right and then to the left, and then pushed off with its powerful talons to pounce on the rodent. The confused rabbit stood no chance. The talons closed around its neck. The struggle didn't last long. Luciano was thrilled.

"See, I've provided a meal for the owl. It should do something for us in return."

The owl made moves to retreat with its prey to its tree, but Luciano held onto the dead rabbit.

"Yes, we'll send it to the castle. It should circle above the courtyard once, then we'll know what the others are up to," agreed Alisa, immediately setting about commanding the owl. But her mind wasn't the only one making contact with the bird of prey. She could feel Franz Leopold's thoughts. However, since his instruction was the same, the owl didn't seem to mind, and flew off. It hovered over the outer wall, circled the courtyard once, then spiraled around the tower house up to its stone battlements.

The friends immediately noticed that the owl couldn't see as well as they could, but together with its extremely sharp hearing, they received a clear picture. The two vampires caught a glimpse of Cameron, watching over his charges from the tower. The servant Mabbina was currently herding a dozen sheep into the courtyard with Tammo's, Joanna's, and Fernand's help. On the walkway of the small tower belonging to the inner wall, Rowena, Chiara, and Maurizio with his cat were standing. It seemed they were practicing calling bats. Malcolm was just crossing the courtyard with Raymond, and Mervyn was sitting with Sören astride the wall crown down by the river. None of the Dracas were in sight. Perhaps they were in the hall? No, Anna Christina stood alone on the drawbridge, staring into the moat. As the owl took another turn, Ireen was approaching her. It seemed the two were talking to each other. As good as the owl's hearing was, the words were not audible. Perhaps because the bird itself couldn't decipher their meaning. Franz Leopold and Alisa called the bird back and bid it farewell with a feeling of gratitude sent to it. Luciano handed over its prey, and the owl disappeared with it into the treetops.

"That was incredible!" exclaimed Alisa. "What do we do now?" She looked over at Ivy, who smiled absently at her.

"What about you? Don't you want to talk with us about it?" she asked gently.

"No, it's nothing important. I think I just need to be alone for a while to sort out my thoughts. Go ahead with your exercises. You've become very good already." With that, she turned away and walked off. The three remaining ones looked at each other.

"Perhaps we'll find some interesting creatures in the grove in front of the bridge," suggested Alisa, and the others had no objections. As the drawbridge came into view, they saw Malcolm emerge from the gate. He scanned the surroundings searchingly. A smile lit up his face when he spotted them. He approached Alisa and suggested luring a fox out of its den together, which he had discovered in a corner of the dilapidated hall. Alisa felt a flutter in her chest.

"But of course, gladly," she said and hurried to his side. "You don't mind continuing without me?"

She looked at Luciano, who seemed to want to protest. Of course, he objected to staying alone with Franz Leopold and subjecting himself to his scathing criticism without the two vampire women, but Alisa pushed aside her qualms and went off with Malcolm.

Luciano glanced at Franz Leopold and shuddered involuntarily. Hastily, he searched for a way out and found

 salvation in Ireen, who was just coming into view. He muttered a hasty apology and was gone before Franz Leopold could respond.

Ireen, who had obviously been preoccupied with her own thoughts, looked at Luciano in astonishment as he suddenly appeared before her and blurted out something breathlessly about how advantageous it would be to practice with different partners to get to know their strengths and benefit from them.

"Do we not want to go to the courtyard and train together? Or we visit Áine. She has told us exciting stories about her life as a human. I would be interested to know what happened when she was attacked," he said, looking back at Franz Leopold, who stood with his hands on his hips, fixing him with his gaze. He was probably waiting for Ireen to reject him so he could shower the Nosferas with his ridicule. To Luciano's relief, although she still looked surprised, she agreed to follow him to the courtyard.

Franz Leopold watched them go. What should he do now? Go over to his cousin, who was still lingering alone by the gate? She glanced at him. From this distance, he couldn't tell if she hoped for his company or was preparing to harass him with her usual accusations. No, Anna Christina was the last choice he would make tonight. He had no desire for her bad mood. It would be even more amusing to revel in Luciano's fearful looks, with which he regarded Franz Leopold with every task.

Where had Ivy gone? Why was she behaving so strangely? It annoyed him that he couldn't seem to read her mind. Alisa was an open book to him, but Ivy? She remained a mystery that attracted him more strongly with each passing night.

Franz Leopold decided to take a look around the area. Hadn't he spotted a small cemetery from the tower? He realized he hadn't roamed alone through the night for far too long. At home, he loved to let his thoughts wander. Thoughts that were increasingly filled with the image of a slender figure with silver shimmering hair.

"Look, there's another one, and he's walking around completely unprotected. As if there were no danger for him on this earth," Danilo grinned maliciously. "What are we waiting for? Come on, let's grab him!"

He was about to leave their observation post - a ruin near the castle walls - when Tonka grabbed him by the arm. "No! Let him go."

"Why? Didn't we come all the way across the sea for this? Or are you getting scared now that it's serious? If you're not brave enough, I can do it alone!"

"Be quiet!" she snapped. "Did we come here just to grab this one lad?"

"No, of course not, and you know it!" he hissed.

"What do you think would happen if we grab him and he disappears or his body is found here?"

Danilo shrugged. "What could happen? By then, we'll have gotten ourselves to safety, and all they can do is lament…"

"… and keep strict watch over the other heirs or even move them from here - maybe even back to their families!"

Danilo nodded reluctantly. "Yes, that could happen."

"That wouldn't help us. Now we have the chance to catch them all together, and we shouldn't squander it. What does it matter if we wait a few more nights? They seem to feel safe. Most of their protectors have left the castle. It's going splendidly. Soon we'll strike, and then we'll have them all at once!"

"How do you plan to do that? Sure, we have four blades and are skilled fencers, and they are only children, but not too few. Besides, I suspect they won't leave them unattended in the future either."

Tonka bared her teeth in a cruel smile. "I have an idea. We'll use the destructive inventions of the humans to our advantage. Come with me, I'll show you something."

She instructed the two servants to continue watching, then the siblings transformed into bats and fluttered away. Tonka led Danilo north, over the village of Oughterard. Landing a bit off the path below a heap of sharp-edged rocks, she took her human form again. Danilo followed suit.

"What are we doing here?" he asked, looking around in astonishment. "What are these strange devices?"

"They use them to bring up the baskets of stones with the power of their horses," said Tonka.

"This is a mine?"

"Why yes, and what interests us is in the round hut up there!"

He had walked along this path. It could have only been minutes since his light, bouncing steps had flattened the blades of grass. If she walked a little faster, she could catch up to him. Soon his silhouette would appear before her, his beautiful, tall figure outlined against the stars despite the dark night. Ivy forced herself to stop in front of the cemetery gate. This was neither the right place nor the right time to be thinking about a boy. But was there ever a right place and time for that? Not for her! Ivy tried not to think about him, although his name still echoed through her mind and the stars seemed to form his face in the sky.

"Romantic fool," she muttered between her teeth. She pushed open the wrought-iron gate, which creaked a little on its rusty hinges, and entered the small cemetery. Ivy walked among the old stone crosses. The smell of death had long since dissipated in this place. It must have been centuries since the last burials took place here. Now grass and herbs covered the ground, dotted with Celtic crosses and a few windblown bushes. Ivy stopped and looked around. She was alone. Completely alone. A strange feeling washed over her. A trembling restlessness. She simply wasn't used to not having him constantly by her side.

"I should enjoy the fact that he's not following me for once," she sighed softly. The sound of the gate opening made her freeze. She could smell him long before she saw his silhouette approaching in the darkness. Silently, she waited until he stopped three steps away from her. He too remained silent, but gazed at her intently. The tension became unbearable until Ivy couldn't stand it anymore.

"Leo, you're here on this old cemetery too? What a coincidence," she said with a short laugh, scolding herself for sounding so silly. What was wrong with her?

Franz Leopold stepped cautiously two steps closer, so she could feel his cool breath on her cheek. He smelled pleasantly earthy and slightly sweet, like fresh blood.

"No, I wouldn't call it a coincidence. I sensed you," he said, his nostrils flaring as he breathed in her scent.

Ivy took another step back until she bumped into one of the crosses. The power of the old beliefs tingled down her spine like a shiver. In the past, it might have hurt her, but tonight the pain that ran through her had a touch of sweetness - and it wasn't caused by the stone cross! Ivy gasped softly. Her gaze was still fixed on his face. He pretended not to notice her unease.

Franz Leopold looked around. "Where is Seymour?"

"Not here," she replied defensively.

"What? Your protector left you alone? That's quite unusual. It's fortunate that I happened to come by to look after you."

There was tenderness in his voice. He raised his hand and traced his fingertips along her cheek, temple, and down her neck. His face drew closer. His hands met behind her back.

She should push him away and flee. This was more dangerous than any cross, garlic, or holy water combined, and it frightened her. She inhaled his breath and let herself be intoxicated by his scent. Her legs felt strangely weak. Ivy leaned against the cross. She could clearly feel every roughness of the stone, the weathered edges of the ornaments, and Franz Leopold's splayed fingers. It was this new, unfamiliar weakness within her that frightened her. The night had been clear and predictable so far, but now his face obscured the starlight, dimming her cool reason along with it.

"No," she whispered, but he didn't listen to her, and perhaps a part of her was happy about that. She widened her eyes as if not even the smallest movement of his expression should escape her notice. His lips pressed against hers and remained motionless for a while, as if he were as surprised by this step as she was. They were wonderfully cool and soft. Then they began to move gently. He parted them slightly, and she tasted a hint of blood. Ivy couldn't prevent her arms from wrapping around his neck.

Franz Leopold suppressed a sigh as he felt her resistance melting away. Her hands gripped his neck demandingly, and he pulled the girl closer to him. He could feel her straight, slender back through the thin fabric and for a moment wondered anxiously if she might break under his grip.

A part of his senses heard the sound of approaching footsteps and caught the scent of someone unfamiliar, but the greater part of his mind was still reveling in this first kiss. It was even more incredible than the first drop of human blood on his tongue! If only this moment would never end.

Suddenly, Ivy pushed him back so forcefully that he stumbled back a step.

"What's wrong?" he asked, hurt. His senses were trapped in thick fog. He could still distinctly feel her lips on his.

"Run!" she screamed.

"What?" Franz Leopold approached her, arms outstretched to pull her back to him, but Ivy hissed, her sharp fangs gleaming.

"Go!" she gasped, trying to put the stone cross between herself and him.

Franz Leopold reached out for her, enclosing the arms she held out in defense. "Ivy. You don't have to..."

But he didn't get any further. His words were drowned out by her scream, which mingled with a second cry. Before Franz Leopold could react, he saw a figure leap over the cemetery wall with a huge bound. Moving incredibly fast, the figure simply leaped over bushes and crosses as if they were insignificant molehills. Vaguely, Franz Leopold recognized a man, not much taller than himself, with long silver hair. Ivy's hair. His features were similar to hers, but there was nothing friendly in his eyes, and his expression was not gentle like Ivy's. Anger had distorted his narrow, pale face. A wave of fury hit Franz Leopold like a storm wind.

"Leave him alone!" Ivy screeched. "It's none of your business!" Franz Leopold wanted to pull Ivy to himself, but she was already torn from his arms. With one final giant leap, the stranger snatched her away from him and carried her off. He stopped in front of a mighty stone pedestal, his arm possessively wrapped around her waist. Baring his teeth, he snarled at Franz Leopold. It felt as though a fist were crushing his mind.

"Don't you dare touch her again!" he hissed.

"It's none of your business!" Ivy screamed, trying to free herself from his grasp, but he was stronger. Franz Leopold saw her fangs gleam, then she struck them into the man's arm. He yelped but still didn't let her go. Franz Leopold clenched his fists and slowly stepped closer. It felt like he was fighting against gale-force winds. His feet wouldn't lift from the ground.

"Who are you? Didn't you hear? You're supposed to leave her alone!" he shouted at the stranger. He reached out his hands to help Ivy when the man suddenly released her. He looked at his arm, where two bloody marks ran down.

"Send him away," the stranger said softly. The threat hung almost tangibly between them. Franz Leopold struggled to take another step closer.

Ivy let her arms fall in resignation. "Go," she said softly.

"Only if you come with me."

She shook her head. "Leo, I'm asking you, go now. This concerns only me."

Now anger began to surge within Franz Leopold as well. "Oh yeah? What concerns you concerns me too. So speak: Who is this guy, and how dare he treat you like this?"

He saw her expression change. Her eyes suddenly shimmered hard like gemstones, her voice turning cold. "I don't know where you get the idea that I owe you an explanation. Franz Leopold, leave this place immediately!"

The mask of arrogance concealed his feelings, but his eyes betrayed for a moment how deeply her words hurt him. Abruptly, he turned around and walked away. The gate squeaked.

Ivy's shoulders slumped forward, the coldness in her gaze giving way to deep sadness as she turned to the man who was still examining the bleeding wound on his arm.

"How could you?"