Reaper's Word

Chapter 27: Game of Cut-Throat

Isaiah woke to light streaming down from above and put a hand over his face. It was near midday. He let out his mind and felt that there were at least thirteen people in the house. That was a lot for being delivered during the moon.

He sat up and reached over one shoulder to scratch his back. The twin lines there were red with irritation and slightly scabbed over. He stood and grabbed a fresh pair of clothes. He felt really well fed which told him that he'd been more focused on that, then killing during the moon. Always a plus he'd rather kill them for substance than for the hell of it.

He also mentally felt to see if he could catch something from Clair. Of course he didn't but what was new? He'd been lucky the first day she'd come with the group to have felt her. He wondered what had changed in that time. Leaving the room he padded barefoot through the house moving toward the grand staircase. He could hear voices there. Curiosity led him to see what humans might entertain him.

"Smash it out."

"If you can't go out a door. How the hell can you go out a window?" A woman's voice said, it was a bit more high pitched. Kind of annoying really. Didn't really flow all that well. Content held by NôvelDrama.Org.

Isaiah came down the hall and looked down the staircase. A blonde haired male was holding a chair and near him were two others. A light brown haired male and a dark haired woman. He had to do a double take because for an instant he thought Clair was standing there. There was a disappointment that he pushed away. He'd find her later.

"I'd prefer you didn't smash the windows in my house." He said. "You can't get out that way, but you should know that already." They spun around to look at him. The woman had been staring at the picture on the wall at the bottom of the staircase, Clair's picture of the caves. He was wondering where that ended up. He'd seen it moving around the house a few times along with other drawings she seemed to leave out. Like the house enjoyed them too.

"Who are you?"

"He's that thing that Clair told us about." Isaiah sighed inwardly. Clair would warn them, probably had helped a few hide. By now she should have learned to just look out for herself. That little female was a perplexing thing and it just added to her. That and a few other things he could definitely name.

"And where is Clair?" Isaiah asked.

"We haven't seen her since the night we got here." Isaiah came down the stairs. The three looked panicked as he was holding them to the spot. He was well fed and they had weaker minds that he just went into. He didn't want them to run yet, but it was draining. He was better at it in his other form. However if he changed he'd be feral. Fuck this place and the restraint it put on him.

There was a sudden flare from the woman. Like a sharp jab to Isaiah's mind. A defensive reflex from it and he immediately focused on her. His eyes narrowed and he pinned her with a harsh stare. He forced his mind into hers instantly searching it. For one second he'd had a sudden excitement and possible hope. She had a psychic signature, he however felt a curl to his lip for a moment.

She made a cry of pain as he tore through it tearing down her barriers. He let her go with a bitter disappointment. She was psychic alright, just not what he needed. She wasn't anywhere near the strength that he required and her blood type was wrong. Useless, fuck, he nearly walked over to snap her neck just for the fact for one second he thought Michael had failed. No, but she was useless. Her mind didn't have the capacity to expand and train her talent. She was just food.

If only he could take that signature and give it to Clair. He'd bet his fucking life if Clair was given a chance she'd learn. She'd get stronger, but she had no signature. However she had one hell of a mental block on her mind. Still if she was psychic she should have used it against him by now. Clair's blood type was right, he knew the moment he'd scented it. She had to be psychic or she would not

survive what was needed. He pushed thoughts of her back. Clair was starting to come to his thoughts a lot he realized.

"What are your names?" He more demanded looking them over.

"Leanne."

"Carlos."

"Giovanni."

"Tell me Giovanni. Do you really think you'll get out that way? Not worried even if you got out you wouldn't hit the ground a broken mess. Or one of the hounds wouldn't follow you, tear you to pieces?" It was clear that he hadn't thought about the hounds, and he swallowed.

"I'm willing to try." He answered, still holding the chair. Isaiah's gaze moved over the couple and then back to Giovanni. Stupid, he wasn't getting out.

"You break the window and I'll break both of your arms." Could they not feel the slight pressure from the house to stop? Of course not, humans were getting worse as the years progressed. However, Giovanni knew that Isaiah was being serious. He set the chair down as Isaiah was not in their heads controlling anything now. The three of them went very pale, as behind Isaiah two hell hounds walked up rather nonchalantly. Isaiah looked at the hell hounds.

"Full?" Beta gave a nod, Zeta gave a shake.

"Do you play pool?" Isaiah asked and the three looked very confused. He never got tired of that reaction. They always expected him to just jump on them and rip them apart. Listen, blood lust and such got very dull without a bit of sport first.

"N..no." The woman said. "I don't know how." His gaze moved to the two men. He already knew the answer to his question.

"Yes." Was the answer from both.

"Good, glad neither of you lied. Not that it matters I'd have made you play anyways. Follow." Isaiah looked over his shoulder. "Don't force me to make you either, or I'll let them have at you right now." They went down the hall to a set of stairs and went down. He waved his hand and a door opened. They went in and two pool tables were there, one green and one red.

Zeta and Beta followed them in having been behind the humans forcing them forward. Zeta jumped up on the green one. Both of them in the form of dogs at the moment. Still the humans looked nervous. The door shut and Isaiah moved to a cabinet pulling out a deck of cards.

"What are we doing?" Carlos asked.

"I get very bored in this house. Do you know how long I've been stuck in here?" He didn't wait for an answer. "A very long time, and I get little groups of humans to play with. I caught you and you belong to me now. You signed your life to this house, and to feed me and mine. You're going to play my game, refuse and I'll kill you anyways."

"So you're going to kill us when it's done? What the hell's the point?" Giovanni nearly shouted.

"Do you know what happens when I make a promise?" Isaiah asked, looking at Giovanni who had spoken. "I have to uphold it."

"Two of you are going to leave this room alive. One of you is going to feed Zeta." Zeta's head perked up and the humans were giving off so much fear it was feeding the three of them. Speaking to the predator in them.

"How do we do that?" Leanne asked with a shaking voice.

"You're going to play each other for it. Ever play cut-throat?" Both men nodded.

"Excellent, I'll give you your numbers. And then you can have at it. No speaking what your numbers are to others." He said looking at the couple. "All three of you will play."

"But she doesn't know how."

"Then she better learn fast." Isaiah said. "And she better hope that you don't go after the ones that are hers." Giovanni and Carlos would be evenly matched, and Leanne was not good. However it would also be two on one. He didn't doubt that the couple would find a non verbal way of communicating. Leanne was an empath, he would find it interesting. Not a very strong one, but fear had a way of amplifying them. On a normal day she probably would never be able to control it or even realize it was there.

"This is twisted."

"Hence why I find it entertaining." Isaiah said with a quick smile. "Nothing better than watching one battle for their life. You'd be surprised how intense such a simple game becomes when the outcome is dire." The three of them grabbed a pool stick. Carlos handed one he thought would suit Leanne best. He quickly told her how the game was played and they stared at each other worried. Isaiah gave them their cards with the numbers that they were.

"Giovanni can have the break." Isaiah said and then they started the game. Zeta watched closely though she didn't understand how the game worked. She loved seeing the tension and concentration on the faces of her prey.

Isaiah stayed quiet watching them from where he leaned against the wall. He liked things like this to figure out the human mind as well. He listened to them mentally. The more he did so, the easier it was to manipulate them. To learn how to read one when you weren't in their head. He saw the way that Leanne and Carlos communicated with looks and gestures so small that it was hard to tell. However Giovanni was very good, he knew pool very well.

It was a rather good game, but also fast as the two men were good. Carlos had two balls left, while both Giovanni and Leanne had one each. Zeta had shifted to what she really was, but none of them noticed as they were so engrossed in the game. The concentration of the players was immense. Their whole world revolved around that rectangular playing field.

It was Carlos's choice, and he was looking at the two that weren't his. The two and the eight ball. He was staring at the eight ball as it was the best shot but he didn't know which Leanne's was. Leanne gave off a desperate and oppressive feeling as Carlos looked at the eight ball and he instantly switched to the two ball. Isaiah gave a kind of half smile, how quaint.

Carlos took very careful aim and he knew that it was Giovanni's last ball. However he was fine with the man being dinner rather than the woman. He was just buying them a few more days of life as far as Isaiah was concerned. Still in the back of his head Carlos never thought he'd have to make a choice like this. That he was capable of it, and now he realized that he could choose. He could pick a life over another and not feel much for it. That was survival wasn't it?

He hit the cue ball and the two rolled to the side pocket. For one second it just teetered on the edge and then went in. The three of them stood there for a moment. Giovanni looked like he was going to be sick. The fact that Isaiah really meant what he had said wasn't sinking in yet. This was all still new, still sinking in.

"Carlos and Leanne as promised you may leave unimpeded. You are free to go." They jumped, no one had been talking all this time. The two of them had spotted Zeta and were extremely eager to get out of

the room. Giovanni moved but Isaiah spoke.

"You lost, don't worry she's not in the mood to play with her food today. That's lucky for you." Zeta stood on the other table looking at Giovanni.

"You can't do this kind of shit!" He said as Zeta lept down and moved toward him, Giovanni slipping around the table as Isaiah moved toward the door. The man looked ready to fight but he was going to lose.

"I can do whatever I want." The couple was already far down the hall at a dead run.

"Should have just left the window alone. I'd have made the two of them play each other instead." That really would have been an interesting game.

Zeta jumped up onto the red table. There was no place for Giovanni to go, and he backed up. Isaiah went out the door and walked down the hallway. He'd left the door open. There was a snarl and the sound of breaking wood. Then the scream of pain that was short lived. Guess Zeta really wasn't in the mood to play with her food today.

Beta was still in the room and simply would wait till Zeta had filled herself before seeing if he wished to join. Isaiah went up the stairs, he felt the spike of fear from those that were near where the man was that had screamed. Everyone knew what pain and agony sounded like. Isaiah mentally checked those around that he could feel. A couple with decent mental blocks but nothing psychic. He let out an annoyed sound thinking.

Michael had messed up, the first time by letting Leanne in. However to his credit it was very hard to tell that she was even psychic. It came and went from her, nothing reliable. He needed someone on par with Athena. She had had unbelievable control of her talent. He should really stop thinking Michael would fail. He'd had years of practice at his talent. No young mortal was going to have the skill level to compare to either of them. That would be like catching lightning in a bottle.

Isaiah was feeling in a rather good mood at the moment despite this. He'd had a rather entertaining afternoon so far. He was well fed, and there were plenty of humans still in the house to play with over the next twenty seven days or so till the next full moon. In terms of good days for him, he considered what had gone on today to be pretty high on the list.

No one had tried to stab, shoot, or maim him in any way. That always pissed him off. The humans he'd played a game with had done so with little to no complaint or force. However he did desire more to add to it, and that was why he now hunted for a trace of Clair. Hunting her down put a smile on his face that was hard to shake.