Reaper's Word

Chapter 40: The Exit

Clair opened her eyes. Light was spilling down from above. It had to be near noon, she wasn't sure what time she'd gone to sleep at. Just that time was growing shorter on her. She had a bit of a plan now but had yet to find the exit over the past few days.

The day after the attack Isaiah had stayed rather close to her. Immediately demanded to know where she was going if she when to leave the room. She kind of liked the sudden protective air, but she wouldn't tell him that.

Right now she was laying against Isaiah. Her face against his shoulder and one of her legs over his. She sighed to herself, she enjoyed the feel right now laying against him. His one arm along her back. How she had come to liking this when not so long ago she would have tried anything to run from him.

She wanted to say that she did it because she had to. Because she had no choice, but that wasn't completely true. She'd come here, stayed in his room of her own freewill. At first when this thought came she would feel a bit ashamed of herself, but not now. Now she just felt content. Content and sad at the same time.

Clair was in love with him, she shouldn't be. It was completely nonsensical to be. He could kill her anytime that he pleased. He wasn't the kindest person in the world and he was overly controlling, but she still did. It wasn't the 'oowe-gooey' kind of love either. She realized it was what the other was giving that created it. The safety of being wanted by him and her filling the void he had. She enjoyed how he looked at her, and as of recently his treatment of her was far different. He spoke and talked to her like an equal. Like she actually had opinions and ideas that mattered and seemed to listen.

Clair moved to get up, he didn't really move but she didn't expect him to. He was starting to grow weaker and the height of the sun was really starting to affect him. It had been over a week since Amis had attacked her and even before that he hadn't really fed. What he took from her was not enough and

the drain of him from those that leeched immortality was great. She had been gifted with it from him, they had taken it. So she didn't drain him.

He'd killed Amis and hadn't used him for food. Those that kept him here had to be coming with others soon. They would grow weak as well. From what she understood they drained him, pulling energy from him to be immortal. The ones left in the house were just two. They were doing a really good job of hiding. With Isaiah getting weaker it made it harder for him to track them. So she was sure the family would feel this and bring him more.

If they let him go for a good amount of time those who recently added into the ritual via what they took from Isaiah would suffer first. His energy would dip lower and he'd be unable to supply to all of them. Those that were the newest additions would be cut off from him. Depending on their age or how long they'd been alive they would die aging faster than possible in a matter of hours. She thought about the conversation she had with him.

"What about if you got out, would they die then too?" She'd asked.

"No, my being trapped here isn't completely related to them gaining immortality from me." She could now understand how being held against your will could start to leave a stain in one's soul. She'd given up on being angry about it now. No sense in crying over spilled milk, and she was much more free now.

Clair slipped from the room and paced the house. Today was a good day to search again. Isaiah had to know where the exit was that was a given. She hadn't thought of a way to trick it from him. Gregori had said that a man had made it out onto the grounds. He'd run for his life but the hell hounds had caught him. It seemed like years ago that she'd spoken with that man about such things.

She thought about what she knew about Isaiah. He liked to play games with people. He'd have told them all how to leave she knew it. It would be fun for him to see if anyone was smart enough to figure it out. She was sure that it was extremely difficult to do. Of course once you got out you had to deal with

the hell hounds. She racked her brain on all the things Isaiah had ever said. He'd be careful, but still he'd have done something to show them.

Clair moved to the grand staircase. She paused just to look out the windows from the top. At freedom so close yet so far away. At the bottom of the staircase she could see the drawing that she had made for him a while ago. She walked down the stairs to look at it. She really was proud of it. She felt that she'd captured the mood of the place well, a kind of desperate hope. As she looked at the image she noted the difference. In the picture the stone statues were different than when she'd drawn them.

The dragon's head was turned and tipped down looking at the woman now. His tail wrapped around her and over one shoulder to hook under her opposite arm. Her head was up facing the light now where water flowed in. One hand down and the other held up. The dragon's snout almost touching it.

Light spilled on it, it was hard to tell in the image if she was looking at the dragon or the opening above. Her hand was bathed in light and Clair suddenly understood. How simple yet it was exactly what she'd thought. He would. He fucking would make it obvious and yet obscure. Unless you'd been down there you wouldn't know this cave existed!

The waterfall would make it nearly impossible to get up to the opening, but he'd said you couldn't leave the house.

He'd never said that you couldn't leave the caves.

Clair was overly excited now. Yes this had to be it. She touched her stomach and ran back up the stairs. She moved down the hall she had to wait now. Had to make her timing perfect. When they brought others, that would be perfect, fifteen minutes. Could she climb it in fifteen minutes? She'd give it hell.

She came around a corner and Isaiah was standing at a window his head was slightly tipped down. His forefinger and thumb pinched the bridge of his nose. The little amount of blood he took from her wasn't

enough to sustain him. She had a feeling he was mentally tracking the others in the house to get one. He needed one today or he'd risk going feral.

Clair found that she would like to be around him today. She wasn't going to be here much longer. Inside she wondered how her leaving would affect him. At times she thought that he really did care for her. It showed the couple days after she'd been attacked. The way he touched her and checked her wounds constantly.

"They'll come soon." She said coming up beside him. "They have to keep their battery working." she said with a smile. He glanced at her, his eyes were very nearly fully black. A bit of a smile came to his face.

"This is true." He stated, he looked up at the ceiling for a moment. There were still two others left in the house. They were hiding well and he had been looking for them. He didn't even consider to use Clair. Which told him plenty on his feelings toward her.

There was something about her as of late that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Like the knowledge was just slipping right past him. She looked far healthier now that she had a few weeks ago. There was a kind of glow about her.

It was appealing to him, she was always appealing to him. Just her presence calmed and pleased him. He wanted her around so very much. She lifted a weight that seemed to have hung around him as of late. If he were to pick someone to keep forever as a mate it would be her. He didn't really know what his kind would call someone they chose to stay with. They didn't really do that where he was from, but this was his world now. He was subject to its needs.

He knew however that the only way for that to be such a permanent thing would be to conceive a child with said person or being. He had yet to see Clair even remotely show him anything that told him she

was even the slightest bit capable. She had the right blood type, he didn't sense any psychic activity from her ever.

However he was wondering about that mental block more and more, could that be a talent? Was the block hiding something? He'd been thinking to test it more than he had, but it would cause her a great deal of pain. Plus he was sure it was just wishful thinking.

He'd have been stuck with Athena the moment she'd given birth to his child. Stuck with her in the sense having his child bonded them. So Kind of like a mate he guessed. However he would have killed her anyways. He'd had none of the feelings he had toward Clair with her, not even close and the only reason he hadn't killed her right away was because of said child. He was stuck on this plane with no one, he needed something more. The idea had kind of appealed to him, having another that might understand.

Isaiah reached up and touched the side of her face. He just studied her for a moment. She seemed in a very good mood today. It was slightly infecting him. It would have done more so, if he wasn't feeling the drain so much.

"What are you thinking?" He asked her, he was curious. He was never able to hear her thoughts. It had bothered him so and still did. Though not as much, he found that not knowing what was going through her head all the time just added to her appeal.

"A lot of things. Nothing in particular." She answered as a shiver went through them both. They felt it instantly. Her reaction a bit different than his. He dropped his hand because he had too. They were coming with others. As long as the entry spell was cast he couldn't touch any of the humans in the house.

"Good I'm starving." He stated turning from her.

He moved down the hall and Clair followed just for a bit to make sure that he was going to be away from where she needed to be. Her only problem was going to be the hell hounds. She knew that they would be in the caves. She hoped that they had left. They had to be starved and this would be like ringing a dinner bell. They were nearly to the front and she was going to turn and go back, slowing her pace. Someone stepped out into the hall between her and Isaiah, when she did so. That gap giving them opportunity.

"Hi Clair." He said, she hadn't been paying attention. She normally didn't when with Isaiah, a mistake this time. This was the man who'd hit her and pulled her in the room with the two others. The one that seemed to know Amis well.

"I was just going to hope for food, but saw you going by. Been waiting for a good moment." He glanced at Isaiah and stepped toward Clair who stepped back. Isaiah had stopped and turned to look at them. Something very dark passed through his eyes. He couldn't touch them right now. Clair knew this and it seemed that so did this man. The man turned to Isaiah.

"I'm sure you'll catch and kill me. I just wanted to take from you what you've taken from me." Isaiah knew this man had loved Amis like a brother and almost a bit more than that. Right now he could do whatever he wanted to Clair and Isaiah couldn't touch him. Neither could the hell hounds, Gamma included. It was a protection spell as well from anything non-human.

A different man came around behind Clair. She turned as if she knew he was there and hit him hard across the face. He was stunned by the intensity of the attack and she ran down the hall. Isaiah knew their names, Neo in pursuit who had been Amis's brother in arms. With the other man Jax. Isaiah followed as well, the time counting down in his head. It was a bit longer than fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes was when the new arrivals entered the house.

Neo was fast, just as fast as Clair. He just barely managed a grip on the back of her shirt, yanking her to a stop. They had been running along some windows to the left and rooms to the right. He pulled her against him. Tried to get control of her and they were fighting. Clair was a hellion and she got him across the face too. He wrapped an arm around her to get more control.

"Knife!" Neo called to Jax and Clair kicked him in the shin. He moved but didn't let her go. The other man gave him the knife that was asked for. Isaiah couldn't come within five feet of them as he had the intent to do harm. Serious harm, they were going to kill her to spite Isaiah and no other reason.

"Say bye to the bitch." Neo brought the knife to plunge it in Clair's chest but his hand stopped midair. He couldn't move it any lower. There was a strain on his face as he tried to move his arm. Isaiah and the other man looked completely lost as to what had just happened. They didn't see how he was unable to stab her, or why he was acting like he couldn't. They'd both fully expected it, but there was a hardness and concentration to Clair all of a sudden. Isaiah felt it before it happened. A surge from her as her mental barrier lowered slightly with her attack.

The other man came forward and Clair turned her head. Held out a hand and he slammed into and through the door there. The mental force on par with what Isaiah could do and he was stunned. She also sent Neo into the window behind her. She ducked as the glass exploded and Neo hit the floor like a rag doll. This was easy now, she didn't have head trauma to deal with. Could focus just fine. About time one of these ordeals fell in her favor, their mistake thinking she was defenseless.

She stood and looked at Isaiah who didn't seem to be breathing. He knew now and she had minimal time to leave. Not exactly how she'd planned this, but still. He would try to stop her, but she wasn't going to be stopped. It didn't matter if he knew now.

They stared at each other for a moment and all her muscles bunched preparing to run. There was just dead silence with the two unconscious men and the two of them seeing the other more clearly.

"Clair," He said in an almost warning tone. He could see it. What she was planning even if he couldn't read it in her mind. There was no signature from her again. She felt like a normal mortal. Fuck, she was psychic and had hid it! She turned and ran down the hall. He could get much closer to her seeing as he didn't intend to do harm to her. Still he couldn't touch her so stopping her was near impossible at the moment.

He was still rather stunned. For her to have such a talent and he never felt it told him how powerful she had to be. He doubted that that was her only talent. It all made sense now, how she managed to get into rooms that no one else could. How she always just managed to avoid him when he knew she was close by. It had to be hidden, just like her scent stopped when she was scared, that was a talent in itself. How had he not put it together sooner? How fucking stupid of him. She'd been standing in front of him the whole goddamn time.

Clair sent a grate flying from the wall with her mind and she went into the space crawling up it. Well that was another mystery solved. She was far better than he gave her credit for. A mistake he wasn't going to make ever again, if he managed to catch her this time. He'd seen it, she knew how to leave.

He couldn't let her leave until she was pregnant. He'd be subject to her whims rather than free. Besides he needed her now, and he didn't doubt she'd run rather than stay to realize the control she would have. To have his freedom so close and not even have known it.... He felt several choice words stuck in the back of his throat.

"Clair!" He shouted but she was up and around a corner of the vent system. She wasn't going to come back this way so he had to follow her by sound. She was being very quiet and she was a floor above him. He moved up and had to pause because there wasn't any sound but that of the others coming in the house.

Her signature gone again and he had to hunt by only sound. This was dangerous on so many levels. If she got out everyone in the house that was alive could get control of him, shit. The choice was follow

her, wait in the caves, or kill all in the house. He couldn't climb the waterfall, only the humans could. The loophole of signing the book. Alpha and Beta appeared, he turned to them.

"Go down stairs and kill them all the moment that the barrier comes down. Have Zeta corral the two men passed out in the hall downstairs. They took off and Isaiah waited for the sound to tell him where she was. When that didn't work he searched for Gamma instead but she wasn't with Clair she was moving toward the outside it seemed. Isaiah switched tactics and ran toward the stairway that led up. The others could drag her back inside if he ordered them to.