CHAPTER 5 Massacre

Marquess

"Follow that car! Make sure whoever is in it dies!" I yelled at two of my men. They nodded and sped towards their motorbikes which were parked alongside some trees near the road. I watched them put on their helmets and drive away, chasing after the black SUV.

I quickly walked towards the first car of the convoy and opened the door of the passenger side of the car. Out came a dead man who collapsed from his seat onto the side of the road, blood dripping from his numerous wounds accompanied with the characteristic smell of burning flesh from contact with silver. I poked my head inside to check the others and saw the driver slumped against his chair as well as two others seated in the back seat...all dead. Wolves. I smiled triumphantly and stood up. The information which was given to the Eldest was correct. My men patted each one for identification and gave me whatever they could find. I took one look at their identification cards and threw them on the street. Not one of the dead bodies had Turner or Maxwell as a surname.

I walked to the car behind the first and I opened the door to the passenger seat of the car. No one fell out of the car this time, but I found the driver slumped forward against the steering wheel. When I bent to reach over into the car for the driver's wallet that's when I noticed the door behind the driver was open.

"A wolf has escaped!" I screamed in irritation. How could it even be possible to survive an attack like this?! I looked down at the car door and saw it was riddled with bullets. I turned to the men inspecting the last car of the convoy. "Anyone there with a Turner or a Maxwell as a surname?" One of my men shook his head.

"None, Marquess, although they are all wolves," he answered. I took out the wallet of the driver and threw it on the pavement. His surname was neither Turner nor Maxwell. I closed my eyes and balled my hands into fists in frustration.

"Kill the people in the house then search the area! He could have not gone far with the injuries he has sustained!" My men divided into two groups; one small group barged into the house while another group scurried down the streets and in between the houses sniffing for the scent of wolf's blood.

I looked up at the Temple that was resting on the highest hill within the heart of the city. It is possible the wolf could have gone there. The worshippers and priests have been helping the Turner clan for generations. No doubt, a Turner would be welcomed to take refuge. Anyway, the informant agreed to meet me there.

I sped up the steps with lightning speed and sniffed out the wet-dog stench of the wolf in sheep's clothing.

I found him at the far side of the Temple, watching the carnage below. "The one you seek was taken by a woman," he said. I walked and stood beside him and looked down. He had a good view of the bullet-riddled cars from down below. He probably witnessed everything.

"Woman? A she-wolf?" I asked.

"I do not know, Marquess. She was wearing a mask and a black suit. The only reason why I say it is a woman is because of her svelte curves," he answered. "I understood our agreement. You will not pay until a Turner has been found." He pointed towards the direction of a house. "The woman brought him there. Once you confirm who he is, I will be waiting here for my payment."

"She is helping him?" I gasped in surprise. Not many knew of our attack against the Turner descendant. Could it have been an ally of the wolves? A traitor perhaps?

"You bloodsuckers always underestimate the enemy. It was never your strong suit," the wolf traitor said.

"I should kill you, Wolf, for insulting me" I said. He chuckled and bent his head.

"Your threats are of no consequence to me. I am already dead. When word spreads of my betrayal, my kind will kill me. However, if you kill me now, I assure you, you will not get what you want. Now, confirm the identity of the missing wolf and give me what I have asked, Bloodsucker," he snarled, taking out a wooden stake from under his robe.

"Await my return," I said. He smiled sinisterly at me and placed the stake back inside the confines of his robe.

"Good. We have come to an understanding. I will keep watch from here. Do make haste," he instructed.

I again sped down the stairs and headed towards the house the wolf priest had pointed at. I took a deep breath and caught the faint scent of wolf's blood. The wolf traitor was right. He was brought here.

I followed the scent and found the bleeding wolf seated upright against a tree at the back of the yard. The dog in the compound was barking incessantly. I growled low at the dog and it stopped instantly, allowing me to walk to the wolf without the noise.

He coughed and spat out blood. His scent was nauseating. "Can you still speak?" He nodded his head. "What is your name?" I asked.

"A-alpha J-james Turner, d-descendant of the Enchantress," he croaked.

"I need proof," I said.

"P-pocket," he whispered. Suddenly, his hand fell to the side. He had finally succumbed to his wounds. I pulled out his wallet and passport from his pocket. He was James Turner who used the alias James Maxwell. Yet, I needed to be sure this time. I needed to perform a confirmatory test.

I took two vials out of my jacket pocket and collected some of his blood as a specimen. Our scientists had concocted an elixir when bound to the blood of the progeny of the Enchantress will emit a blue light, signaling a successful hit. The many men we had killed with the surname Turner did not yield a positive result. I was hoping this was the true Turner we had sought for generations. I placed a drop of the elixir and waited, almost dismayed, until a faint blue light glowed. It was confirmed. We had killed a Turner descendant!

I sped back to the house where I saw Alpha James Turner exit from earlier. I walked in, hoping to find whoever was living with him already dead, however the house was empty.

"Marquess, the house is empty," one of my men greeted me as I entered the house. "Forgive me, Sire, I did not hear nor see a child while I was watching them since this morning." I raised my hand to slap him in the face, but I stopped when I realized I did not hear nor see a child as well. Nor did I see the Alpha's mate. I lowered my hand. The child was already exhibiting powers. She was most probably in the third car. A cough behind me caught me attention.

"The Seer was right. The Blue Star of Aludra shines for the Enchantress," one of my men said while handing me a picture frame of a small photograph of a little girl with blue eyes and raven black hair. I broke the glass, took the picture and placed it in one of the inner pockets of my jacket. "Her bed was empty, Marquess, however all her belongings have been left behind."

"Men, to the airport. If I'm right, Alpha Turner's mate and child are in the SUV and I assume the SUV is headed there," I ordered my men. "Update me when you arrive. I have a priest I have to pay."

I looked up at the Temple above me. I couldn't leave without giving the old man what was agreed upon. Blood of a Turner has been spilt, thus I must honor the deal.

The wolf priest had asked for the Flaming Sword, which was in our possession since the night the Black Witch killed Huang, in exchange for information. I had someone place a small tracking device on the hilt of the sword, so  wherever the sword went, I would know. I ordered one of my men to retrieve the sword from the trunk of my car which I parked at the bottom on the other side of the Temple.

"Marquess, the sword is missing," he said when he returned.

"That's not possible," I said, taking out my phone to check the sword's location. "It says here the sword is... with you." Shit!

"Sire, when I opened the trunk of your car, I found this." He handed me an eggshell colored envelope which had 'Marquess Stefan Acheron' written on the front and a small wired tracking device, the same device I had commissioned someone to put on the sword. I broke the seal of the envelope and took out the sheet of paper that was inside it.

It read:

"Marquess Stefan,

We had a deal. You kill a Turner and I get the sword. I took what was rightfully mine.

Priest"

I crumpled the sheet of paper and threw it as far as I could. The wolf didn't have the decency to wait nor did he show me any respect. I looked down at the small wired device in my hand. He even took out my tracking device! How did he even know?!

After ordering the vampire to assist the others at the airport, I dashed to where my car was parked and opened the door of the driver's seat. Ash welcomed me blowing outward in the cool night breeze. Ash...that was what was left of my driver and a sharp wooden stake made from hawthorn wood which laid in the middle of the black leather seat.

I looked up at the moon with so much hatred. With every step we vampires took, the Moon Goddess would spit at our every direction, favoring the wolves she doted on with extreme prejudice against the vampires. We were both called creatures of the night, children of the night even creatures of terror, yet the Moon Goddess saw her creation as good while we who feast on blood were deemed as evil.

To my surprise, the clouds moved to show the blue star of Aludra while the light on the surface of the moon sparkled. Obviously, the Moon Goddess and the Virgin Maiden Aludra were mocking me.

I swore I would find the Enchantress and kill her.

And no one, not even the Moon Goddess nor Aludra, will stop me.

---

The Duke

I approached the angry Marquess from behind. I landed in Cebu this afternoon hoping to advise the Marquess before he made mistakes. However, my assistant could not get a hold of the Marquess thus, a bloodbath of epic proportions welcomed me. I silently cursed at myself as I walked past the carnage. I was stupid enough to believe I could make a difference.

Apparently, the Marquess had planned a massacre. A convoy of cars were parked near the Temple riddled with silver bullets. The police were already on their way and a crowd of locals were flocking the crime scene, wondering what had happened in a peaceful neighborhood near the Temple.

"Where are you going, Marquess?" I asked gently. He stopped and slowly turned around to face me. If he was surprised by my unexpected arrival, he did not show it.

"Duke, I was on my way to the airport," he answered.

I nodded my head, walked to the passenger side of the car and quietly entered. After removing the wooden stake, the Marquess gingerly sat down on the ash covered driver's seat and turned the key that was already in the ignition.

"I heard one of your men say the sword is missing. Does he speak of the Flaming Sword that has been in our custody since the Black Witch took it?" I asked as he sped off towards the airport. He nodded his head, not saying a word. "I'm surprised the Vampire King allowed you to take it."

"It was a means to an end, Duke," he answered. "The traitor wolf who has been keeping the identity of the Turner kin secret asked for the Flaming Sword in exchange for the death of the Turner descendant we had been looking for for over a hundred years."

"And?" I asked.

He placed his hand inside his coat and took out a small vial which glowed blue. He indeed killed a Turner descendant! As he placed the vial back inside his coat, something fell out and landed on the center console of the car. I picked it up and looked at it. Smiling back at me was a beautiful little girl, a toddler, with long wavy black hair, hugging a toy wolf. I gasped as I noticed her velvety blue eyes.

"The Enchantress has been born!" I exclaimed in shock. I closed my eyes, remembering the painting of the Enchantress which hung above the Eldest's desk. "She has a stark resemblance to the Enchantress of long ago."

"This is why we need to hurry to the airport. I had also negotiated with a pack member of the Turner kin. He gives me whatever I need and I will allow him to return to the United Kingdom...or so he believes, since I would never allow a wolf to live," the Marquess said in a menacing tone. He swerved through traffic, determined to get to the Enchantress before it was too late.

However, traffic was at a standstill along the bridge. The siren of an ambulance could be heard wailing near the middle of the bridge.

"We have to continue on foot," the Marquess said, parking the car on the side and exiting it. I did the same and we both sped off to the airport.

The sound of gunfire shattered the quiet of the night as we approached. I stopped at the security gate and found the guards lying on the ground lifeless. I glanced at the Marquess and shook my head disapprovingly. He glared back at me, not caring what I thought.

Suddenly, the gunfire stopped. As we entered the aviation ramp of the airport, I noticed a female figure in a tight black suit. She hurriedly walked into a hangar.

"Follow me," I told the Marquess. I dashed towards the hangar where I saw the female enter, however, she was no longer there.

Inside was an SUV with a dead woman while a dead wolf lay hidden among the boxes piled up at one corner. I bent down in front of the dead wolf and sniffed his blood. He was a Beta. I stood up and inhaled deeply. There was a trace of a scent of...vampire.

"Who did you negotiate with again, Marquess?" I asked, quickly walking out of the hangar.

"The Gamma," he answered furiously.

"Well, I think he and another vampire had plans of their own," I said, as I watched a private plane takeoff.