The wolf was up and snarling again without pause, placing itself between myself and the Exile.  "Mine..." I heard it growl in barely intelligible English.  It was then I noticed that the wolf's coat was the same dark brown as Jean's hair;  I had forgotten about the pack mentality of werewolves, and I realize she must have been subconsciously picking up on my thoughts.  I wasn't going to question how she had gotten here so fast, as I had seen her in action before, but I knew that even together we were no match for the elder vampire.

     "Protecting your mate?" the Exile asked Jean, his lips parting in a toothy smile.  "Admirable.  Where would the mage-boy be?  I expected him to come to the rescue as well..."

     "Right behind you, Matchstick," Joseph said, just before the Exile burst into flames.  The young wizard hovered in the air above the street behind the Exile, watching without concern as the elder vampire did not react at all to it's immolation.  "Excellent willpower you have there to keep from screaming.  The flames will go out once they've worn down your strength and resistances enough so that you're no danger to us anymore.  Or you can give an Oath of Blood not to harm us while we talk this out peaceably.  Your choice."

     Any doubts I had about Joseph before then were completely banished.  The Oath of Blood was something kept very sacred to vampires, a secret only told to those in held in closest confidence.  Blood was the one thing a vampire held more important than anything else; to swear an Oath of Blood a vampire would cut themselves and let a full feeding's worth of blood spill onto the ground and go to waste while they made their promise.  Any promise worth that sacrifice was held sacred, and violating an Oath of Blood would result in the defector being hunted like an animal and tied down for the sun to catch.

     Through the crackle of the flames I heard the elder chuckled, and he held out his arm while dragging a claw along the underside.  Blood spilled out of the wound, spattering the gravel on the roftop in thick, heavy droplets and staining the stones red.  "I swear upon my blood that stains the ground that I did not come here to harm any of you," the elder said.  "I came only to test your strength."

     "A test?!" I shouted at him.  "That girl you killed was just part of a TEST?!"

     "I didn't kill that girl, Carter," the Exile said, startling me into silence with the use of my name.  "Nor am I the same vampire that has been testing your borders.  I am here at the behest of a friend, somone who is vitally interested in the welfare of your little 'family'."

     "Shit!" Joseph spat, landing softly on the roof.  "I already know who he's talking about, Carter, and you don't want anything to do with him."

     "I'm sorry to hear you say that, Mage," the Exile said.  "Mad though he may be, my friend only has your best interests in mind."

     "That's what I'm afraid of," Joseph growled.  "Get lost and tell ol' Jonnie I said to stay out of our lives."

     "So be it," the Exile said.  "But in case you change your mind, you can contact me easily.  My name is Hassur; call to me on the wind when you see the error of your choice."  I moved to stop the elder, but he was at the edge of the roof and had thrown himself off before I could reach him.  I got to the edge in time to watch as a monstrous, batlike creature rose through the air and took off into the night.

     "We're better off not knowing what it was Jonathan wanted from us, Carter," Joseph told me, putting one hand on my shoulder.

     "Who's Jonathan?" Jean asked, still in wolf form.

     "I'll explain later.  I'll meet you guys back home."  The mage chanted a few words and faded away, teleporting himself back to the apartment.  Jean nuzzled me affectionately and licked my cheek before she, too, took off back to our home, leaping from building to building in a dark blur of movement.

     I stayed for a moment before I followed.  There were too many holes in the story I was living.  Why did the elder agree to an Oath of Blood so freely?  Why was a vampire of his caliber running errands for someone else?  And if he wasn't the one trying to draw me out, then who was?