Reaper's Word

Chapter 26: What He Really Is

Over the next two days Clair moved around the house unimpeded. She noted that there wasn't reallyanyone left just her. She was worried about the full moon. She didn't know if her deal with Isaiahcounted during that time and she wasn't going to go and seek him out.

Hell fucking no. She was avoiding him like the plague. If he even remotely came toward her part of thehouse she ran for it hiding in the vents. She wasn't letting him near her until she had to. Even then shedidn't want to.

Those that kept Isaiah here had yet to bring him a new supply of humans since waking from the winterslumber. She wasn't sure how well he was doing or if he needed. She felt the house and there was nopresence she could find but him and the hell hounds. Since yesterday it seemed to be just her really.

Isaiah and the hell hounds were nowhere to be found today, but she knew that it was full moon. She'dbeen watching and the moon would be up shortly after sundown. She was in the piano room playing asong on the grand piano when she felt the trickle down her spine. She hadn't felt Isaiah or the houndsapproach, but this was a different sensation. One she knew well now.

Clair got up and looked out a window. Two white vans showed and they were pulling people out of it.She wondered where they managed to get such large crowds, but these ones were a little different.Most were bound and tied. Sure didn't look like they came willingly.

She stayed where she was. She was just going to wait until they left to see what this group had beentold. To see where they were from. Her growing hate for the group that had brought her here rivaled herdesire to run from Isaiah. Clair saw them finishing up and started to move to the front of the house.

___Leonardo and Michael___

"Do you feel any left alive?" Michael looked at his father Leonardo Grietio. He shook his head.

"It is silent, he and the others are to weak at the moment to come and greet us."

"Excellent. Unload these things and let us be on our way." Leonardo was finding it harder to get people,but easier at the same time. He could always buy them. Always offer a poor soul on the street that noone would miss the chance for shelter and food, with a day's work. Then lock them up until he neededto feed the beast that gave him and his family immortality.

This group was one such group. He'd kept most of them in cells deep below his family home, they werewell fed and cared for. Just kept to bring here. Leonardo liked his immortality. He liked the power andriches he had, that his family had.

So he would take others to sacrifice to Isaiah so he could continue to live, him and his family. So longas none of them crossed him. He was however keeping an eye on his one son, something was up withhim. The family should know that if they tried to do something. Tried to usurp him or change the handof power concerning Isaiah, he'd send them to die.

They had been very lucky the day that they'd caught Isaiah and locked him in here. Incredibly lucky.He'd killed his daughter for immortality and then climbed out of the cave trapping him. Him leavingthese wretches was nothing to him.

"You've checked them all, thoroughly, and the women." He asked every time. They could not risk onethat was like Athena getting in. Yes it was incredibly rare, and they had come across a couple but eitherleft them alone or killed them if they knew to much. No woman that could replace Athena was getting inthis house or they were all fucked.

"Have I made a mistake yet?" Michael snapped. Michael checked everyone for psychic talent. It reallydidn't matter about the men. It was the women, and a lot had a touch of talent. That didn't count, theyhad to be a fully developed psychic. As far as they were aware it was just not possible to hide it.Michael could always sense it.

"Don't grow complacent. You could overlook one that hides it well." Michael gave a sneer and pulled awoman from the back of the van lifting her and taking her into the house. She was looking aroundscared.

"Everyone gives a signature. I haven't missed anyone." It was his talent to sense if they were talented.He might not know with what, but he could feel the strength. His sister had shined like a beacon. So heknew what he was looking for.

Leonardo looked up at the house, his family's old house long ago. It looked bigger now. Like it hadgrown over the years. Which it had, it was no longer his house. It was Isaiah's and would do for himwhat it would never do for another living soul.

They would have to go in soon and get blood from Isaiah to reinstate the ritual. To make sure thebinding didn't grow weak on them. He didn't think it ever would, but he was going to be positive. Nevertake anything for granted. There was a reaper of souls in that house. No one wanted him to get out.The world had no idea what he trapped here.

They unloaded the humans. Most if not all would be dead by dawn and they would have to bringanother group that much sooner. Michael would come and check in a few days to see how many wereleft. They traveled far and wide to gather groups. It was too dangerous to get them from the same placetoo often, or the same method. This house was a three hour drive around the mountains to find, noteasy. It was also encased in magic to hide it.

Leonardo sighed, he was content to do this however. If he could kill his own daughter he sure as hellcould toss people that he didn't even know into a house to die. Athena, he'd loved his daughter. He'djust loved what he could get from her lover more.

Athena had taken Isaiah to her bed more times than Leonardo could count. The little whore enjoyingher reaper lover. She'd even gotten herself pregnant by him. Not an easy thing to do as there were very

specific needs for that to happen. However he'd found her notes, saw what she was doing. That shehad taken a different route to immortality. She was trying to get his favor, his blood by a child. She wastrying to willingly get the gift from Isaiah. Leonardo decided to take it by force.

He'd found out about Isaiah and the plan had been set in motion. Isaiah promised to come back for herthe following night after she'd told him of her condition, and so he had. Leonardo had killed Athena toseal him in the house and his life to feed their immortality.

Easy enough with his spawn growing in her. He'd dragged her to the caves, and the natural magicthere to kill her and the unborn child to trap him. He'd say it worked like a charm but there had been abit of a blood bath with the ones who were still in the house. Oh well it wasn't him. He’d been usingothers to extend his life already. So all it took was a few modifications.

Leonardo was sure that Isaiah was a reaper. A bringer and bearer of death. It wasn't just what he did tohumans, or how he enjoyed killing. Reapers were always bound by their word once given. Howeverthey were masters of manipulation as well. The world nowadays had no real knowledge of them andwhat knowledge there was was mostly verbal. In this house there was information. Athena's journalwas still in the library. Didn't matter Leonardo knew what to do. He’d searched for anything else, butcouldn’t find it. Fine by him, no information meant less to come from the outside.

It was extremely dark and powerful magic to pull a reaper from the other side and make them human.To his knowledge only one other reaper had ever existed and it was dead now, or rather sent back tothe other side. It had failed in its promise. He wasn't sure if that truly killed them or sent them back tothe nether.novelbin

"Let's move out, it's getting close to dark!" Leonardo called out and the others moved quickly from thehouse. They all got in the vans and drove off quickly. If they were lucky they wouldn't have to visit foranother two months, but doubted it. It was a full moon and half were bound, unable to run.

__Clair__

Clair came to the room where they always dropped others off and found twenty one bound andstruggling strangers. They never skimped on the numbers that was for sure. She helped free them andthen those that were freed helped the others as well.

"Where are we?" One asked.

"Is this another prison? I've been stuck in that damn cell of theirs for months." There was talking goingon and one moved toward the door. Clair was sure that they had a system set up to keep people.Whether this family was the one directly watching them or not.

"Don't do that!" Clair called as one tried to go out the door and was thrown back. They had all signedthe contract. The room grew silent and everyone looked around, a few others tried the door with thesame effect. Clair rolled her eyes.

"Listen to me!" Clair snapped and most turned to look at her. "Your best chance to live is to run andhide, and hide well. There are things in this house that will tear you apart the moment they find youwhen the moon is full. They have left you trapped in this house to be used by monsters.”

"Bullshit!" Someone said.

"I'm serious, I've been here for a while now. I'm lucky to be alive. Listen to me, just give me a coupleminutes and then you can do as you wish." she explained as best she could about Isaiah and the hellhounds. Only a few seemed to believe her, the rest shook their heads.

"You're cracked lady. This is just a human trafficking ring. Are they going to hunt us down? Creaturesaren't real, human monsters are." Both were true.

"Remember that when they are tearing you apart. My advice, stay alone it's easier to hide." With thatshe turned and left the room. She needed to find a place to hide as well. Well she knew where she wasgoing. The others now moved around the house. She still wasn’t sure why Isaiah or the hounds stillhadn’t shown. It worried her, how close was the moon?

Clair went down the hall and took a turn to the left, heading toward the larger chute she knew was inthe wall. She glanced at the window, the sun had sunk below the mountains to the west and it wasgrowing dark fast. She'd stayed out too long, though she was sure that the moon wouldn't be up for abit. She'd watched its crescent shape come over the mountain peaks for a week to learn when it wouldrise.

She turned to go into the room with the chute and the door slammed in her face. She jumped andlooked around, no one was there. However she heard doors starting to slam all over the place andpeople calling out in alarm or pounding on the closed doors.

Clair took hold of the handle in front of her and pushed with her mind. She was rewarded with a sharpjab to the middle of her chest by an invisible hand. She stumbled back. The house went silent themoment that a loud blood curdling screech filled it.

Her face paled, she could remember the sound of that thing from the last moon. She wouldn't everforget it not until the day she died. Then three low howls echoed behind it and Clair ran to the window.No the moon wasn't up yet, she couldn't see it.

"What the hell was that?" Someone said running down a hall near her and appearing around thecorner. It was a man with light brown hair. He was pulling a woman along with him. She looked a wholelot like Clair. So much so that Clair had to do a double take as they ran at her. The two seemed to haverecognized her from earlier.

"Hey you, what was that?" The man asked.

"It's him." She said. "Like I told you they are nothing but killing machines during the moon." Clair said,turning and running down the hall to try and find a hiding place. Or a vent she could get into.

"But the moon isn't out." The woman said as they followed her.

"I know, I don't understand. I've been watching it rise over..." She slowed slightly and felt like an idiot."It's when it comes over the horizon not the mountains."

All around the house the doors did the opposite now. Flinging open and this time they would not beclosed. Clair turned around she was going back to the room she knew was a vent that would fit her.The couple following her.

"What are you doing?" Clair asked.

"Following you, you lived here for a while. Clearly you know something to stay alive." Clair didn't wantto share her hiding spot, not at all. However she couldn't very well just leave them here to die. It wouldbe heartless of her and she wouldn't be heartless like Isaiah was.

"Okay, follow me I'll try to get you somewhere he won't look. I don't think that they go into the secretpassages. Though I wouldn't put it past them to rip into the walls." She went into one room and theninto the wall. The couple followed her and they went down a ways before going up.

"Wait, I hear something." The woman said. Whose name was Leanne her husband Carlos was behindher as they leaned against the walls.

"Shh." Clair said and all three of them put their ears to the wall. The sound of nails clicking on thehardwood floor told them that something was on the other side. Clair turned her head and looked atthem, she mouthed, ‘Don't move.’ They gave silent nods and several tense minutes passed until thesound moved off.

She took them to a small room that was only accessible through the ceiling of one bedroom. She toldthem to stay there. It was a better hiding place than most and as Clair stepped down from the dressershe crumpled to the floor as the high pitched whistle sounded.

"What is that!" Carlos shouted to her, moving to come down.

"No don't!" Clair warned. "Just ignore it, don't listen to it. No matter what it makes you feel." He gave anod but seemed to desire to come down. Clair left the room.

Her hands over her ears and tears streaming from her eyes. It wasn't all out loud. It was also in yourhead. It scared her to think what Isaiah would be capable of if he wasn't trapped here.

It stopped abruptly and then she heard them. The screams, they started and one of the women thatmust have been in the room was shrill and loud. Her scream was cut short. Clair ran down the halltoward the grate she knew she could use.

The screams sounded much closer down here, but her own ears where still ringing. It was hard toreally tell where they were coming from. As always her luck seemed to crumble if she didn't leave whenshe was supposed to. The door to her right exploded open out into the hall. Just as she was going topass it.

She put her arms up unable to really stop and hit the door. Five people with blood splattered on thempiled out of it. Clair rolled to get up and covered her head as one man was driven to the floor right nextto her. Zeta on him.

Clair heard the crunch of bone and felt something wet hit her arms and some of her face. She got upwhile Zeta was occupied with the now nearly dead man. She focused her gaze on her target, even asbile rose in her throat.

She'd never actually watched all of it as they killed a person. Just the start, just hearing the screams.As much as she wished she hadn't, Clair had got a good glimpse of torn flesh. Blood poured from theragged wound on his shoulder and neck.

Three people came from around a corner, blocking her escape route. She slid to a stop near them andsaw why. The blackish blue creature that would be Isaiah stood in the hall moving toward them. Itseyes didn't really seem to be there, just black glassy looking pits.

"Holy fuck!" One guy shouted. He turned to run down the hall to where Clair wanted to go. The momenthe ran, so did Isaiah. It was more like a blur of movement really and the talons on his hands sliced intoand down the man's back and he dropped to the floor. Isaiah reached down and picked him up by theneck.

The woman standing near Clair and another man started to scream as the thin line that had beenIsaiah's mouth opened. Needle sharp teeth showed. His black eyes looked at them as he bit into thecrook of the man's neck.

Her scream had unfrozen Clair and the man. There wasn't time to feel shock or revulsion or fear. Justtime for adrenaline and running. Coming at them down the hall was Alpha and Clair ducked as Alphalaunched himself at her and the man.

The man followed her example and was only clipped by Alpha's large body, sending him into the wall.The woman wasn't so lucky. She was hit full force by Alpha. Beta darted past the two of them and tookhold of the woman as well.

Clair wasn't going to watch the gruesome tug of war between them. The woman's screams were badenough as it was. She and the man were up again running. They reached the end of the hall. Thechoice was left or right. They didn't get to make the choice. Something fast moved around them and cutthem off.

Isaiah stood in front of them. The massive wings touching the ceiling and floor in here as he pulledthem very close to his body. The two of them didn't move. Clair was just slightly ahead of the man, butcloser to the room on their right.

"I'm really sorry about this, I hope you understand." The man said and shoved Clair hard. She stumbledforward a hand going to the floor to stop from falling as he slipped into the room and slammed the door.Clearly, it was working again.

She felt a tight grip on the back of her neck, as her head was still bent down. Her head was snappedback harshly. One of the talons nearly sliced the flesh of her neck. He dropped her like he'd beenburned. A lip curling and a deep unearthly sound coming from him.

The creature's gaze moved from her as if she was no longer there. He stepped toward the door. Clairscooted away. She thanked her lucky stars that she had been promised immunity from him. Apparentlyit worked in this form as well.

She ducked as the door was torn from the hinges and slammed into the wall above her head. It justmissed her as it fell. Two huge chunks were missing from the face of the door where Isaiah had torninto it.

The man that had shoved Clair was sent into the hall a moment later. Hitting where the door had fallenonto and into Clair. He moved to stand and run, not sparing Clair a glance. Isaiah was far too fast andas Clair was getting up he caught the man.

Clair had to get around him to get away from this. She hugged the wall scooting around them notwatching. Whatever Isaiah had done in the next second sent blood flying. It hit Clair across the faceand chest. That was all it took for her to turn and was sick all over the ground. Next thing she knew shewas running down the hall and closing herself in a bathroom.

She didn't know how long she stood there, but she scrubbed her face raw listening to the destruction ofthe house. The piercing whistle as Isaiah and the hounds looked for more victims. Clair was shakingand by morning she managed to get into a vent and to her hiding place.

She stayed there till the end. She didn't know how much blood stained her hands or clothes. Just that itwasn't on her face. It was in her hair but again she just didn't want it on her face. She shook as she laythere and night fell again. The sounds of the house being torn apart came to her. However there wereno screams this time. Not until what she thought might be the last night did it sound like someone hadbeen caught again.