Reaper's Word

Chapter 5: The Dance

Clair gave a sigh, if she wanted to live she had to find a way out of here. Sitting here wasn't going to do it. She climbed out again. It was just past noon now. She found this out as she passed a large grandfather clock in the hall. She knew that she had to keep her eye on the clock, and be quick with her search. Someone had made it to the yard. She was going to find that way.

She moved along the outer walls. She tested the windows and doors. All with the same result. She'd found an entrance in the basement to the caves and had instantly shut the door. The hell hounds lived in there, like hell she was going in that way.

"Probably where the exit is." She grumbled. She moved out on several balconies and if she got too close to the edge she was pushed back. However she realized that the less she thought of escaping the farther out she could go or lean. It was like the house could sense her thoughts.

She'd found a piano room, an archery range. Which confused her as to how or why, but the weaponry was gone from it. Not a big shock, there was a library as well. There was one room with a spiral staircase made of glass that went up to a large ornate oak door.

She'd only leaned back to see, not liking how it seemed to be a one way entrance and exit. She'd pass, the staircase had metal bracing it to the stone wall. This place was completely confusing. There were modern things, and truly old things as well.

It was hard to believe that anyone came in here and fixed the place up. She was much more willing to believe in magic and pure evil now, than she had been before. She left the area with the spiral staircase quickly not liking the feel.

It was starting to get dark now, and she needed to get back. Night wasn't a good time to be out and about. She made her way back toward where she knew she needed to be. She slipped into a darkened room as running sounded down the hall. She glanced out into the hall through the crack in the door watching.

It was a woman she didn't know. She was quick to go into a different room farther up the hall. As Clair looked through the crack in the door, a hell hound came into view moving slowly down the hall sniffing at the doors. Clair left the door as it was and moved across the room to a different door. She came out in a hall with gold carpeting, and here there were three other doors.

"Fun house." She said irritated, then chose the door straight ahead. She wasn't sure where she was but this room was huge. There were pillars that went all around the room with carvings of leaves and vines that went up them all.

The ceiling was made of many windows that let light down into the room. candelabras were on each pillar and spaced around the walls as well. Chairs were lined around the outside of the room behind the pillars. The pillars made a rectangle area that housed what she would guess to be a dance floor. This was the ballroom she figured. It was beautiful, but she wasn’t going to stick around.

A piano was in one corner, and the color scheme of the room was white and blue. With a touch of silver here and there. She moved across the room fast wanting to be out of such a large area, she felt exposed. She needed to get back to her little home because it was getting too late.

She made it near the door in the far left corner. As she moved to it, the door started to slowly close like it was on a string. She moved a bit faster but it slammed shut before she could reach it. She tried the handle but it didn't work. The door seemed to be glued shut on her. She was going to just use her mind and force it open but a voice sounded behind her.

"If only you'd been a few seconds sooner." Ice seemed to flow through her veins then. Her heart stopped beating in her chest for a moment before slamming into her ribs.

"If only." Clair said she hadn't turned around yet and swallowed. Isaiah was in the room and closer to the center. He glanced up at the ceiling and then back at her. She turned around slowly to look at him, was this it? She figured if it was, she wasn't going to grovel.

"I do not mind so much. I was looking for something to occupy my time with. Unfortunately for you, I happened across this part of our prison too." Clair glanced around the room, she was trapped and she knew it. No point in trying to run. She'd seen him move and he was faster than humanly possibly, granted he wasn't really human.

"Is this where I make my last request? Or do I get a chance to still live?" She asked, proud that her voice didn't shake. He gave a slight smile. He was amused by her, she could feel it. Clair really looked at him for the first time since the first day. She studied the man creature she was running from.

He was near six two or so with a muscular build but not overly so it would seem. He had pitch black hair with hazel colored eyes, at least right now. He wore black slacks, and a white button up shirt that wasn't tucked in. He appeared no more than thirty. If he wasn't so terrifying she'd have found him handsome. Strikingly so, but weren't all mythical creatures? Seemed like a trend.

He stood watching her. One hand in his pocket. His pose was relaxed and at ease. If one didn't know, he just looked like any ordinary man standing there having a conversation with her. Clair knew better however. He might look casual and relaxed but it was all a charade.

Isaiah was a proud looking man or rather thing. With dashing good looks. However the part about killing people and draining the life from them... it just subtracted away somehow. Clair felt a moment of laughter inside. Felt the corner of her mouth twitch. She was privately laughing at her own joke and most likely wasn't leaving this room, ever. Maybe it was really hysterical laughter.

"You have spirit, I like that. A will to live I see." He made a gesture to encompass all of her.

"Glad to amuse you." She said moving around the piano and placing a hand on it. How was she going to get out of this? Was he going to offer her something like others? Was he just going to take? She didn't know, she didn't like not knowing.

"You do." He said with a slight laugh that was rather dark. "I was wondering if perhaps you had died. I would have been rather disappointed if that had been the case, you seemed so... driven to survive when I saw you last." His gaze moved over her studying her.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Clair wasn't sure why she was speaking to him. She wanted to just keep her mouth shut. She hadn't had any real human contact in days. Just passing words with the others and none of them were inclined to stay and talk. Neither was she, she'd almost wondered if she'd forgotten how to talk.

"Good, I rarely give them." He kept his gaze on her. She wished he wouldn't. It was eerie and made her more nervous.

"Then thank you." She replied and he gave another small laugh and smiled.

"You are quite the enigma. I'm not sure how to handle a conversation without the insults or anger. I don't get five words in before someone is cursing or throwing things." He looked behind him for a moment and then back at her,

"Clair is it?"

"Yes."

"Do you dance Clair?" She blinked at him, the question was very odd. Who cared? Danced? Why would he ask that?

"Yes."

"You do?" He responded in an amused tone. "Then perhaps you would rather be used for entertainment than for food."

"I can say that sounds far more appealing." Clair answered, a little of the tension draining from her. He hadn't made any promises yet, hadn't given her the demand.

"What is it that you want?"

"A dance or two depending on my mood. If you can really dance as you say. I like ordinary things in life, even if I'm not an ordinary creature." His smile was full of dark things and didn't quite reach his eyes. She ignored it. She sensed this was one of his games or deals, or whatever. She'd been told he liked to be entertained. So she would do her best if it gave her, her life.

"Only if you promise to let me out of here alive and whole. None of those hell hounds following behind." She said with a motion of her hand. He gave her a crooked smile. Like she was in a place to make demands.

"Of course. I promise to let you leave the way that you came in. With no tag along hell hounds. So long as you dance with me." He gave a slight sweeping bow and held out a hand to her. This was probably the most surreal thing that she had ever done in her life. She was frozen for a moment looking at him. What if she didn't move forward? This was far beyond anything she'd ever encountered and the whole thing just seemed like a bad joke. He wanted to dance? Was he not playing with a full deck of cards?

However she had the promise so she had to fulfill her part or he didn't have to hold up his. She knew that if you didn't do as he said, then you were as good as dead. Clair moved forward, holding a hand out slightly to his, but stopping short. Not touching it quite yet.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with your food?"

"I don't have a mother, so no." He kept his hand where it was, and hers shook slightly as she dropped it into his. Dropped it into a hand that was large and strong, and there was no running now.

Isaiah could see her weariness. She didn't let her guard down, or the relief to spread through her at his promise. Smart girl she was, very smart. She was willing to play along and do what he wanted. That he liked.

To him she was highly interesting. A puzzle to figure out, and it had been a while since he'd had one to make him this curious. He pulled her forward, he enjoyed playing with the humans like this. They naturally wished to run from him, so he always forced them closer. This was very close, and he did it because of her clear reluctance to go anywhere near him. She was beyond tense. Every muscle in her body was tight and coiled.

She'd managed to avoid him and his hell hounds for an entire week. He wasn't sure where she had found a place to hide but it was very good. Not to mention her scent came and went. He'd been wandering around the house bored just now, and suddenly got a very faint scent from her a moment before. So he let curiosity get the better of him. He'd followed it only to have it suddenly disappear near where Alpha was. So he'd changed directions coming this way. Looked like the right choice.

He took her hand in his and the other on her waist. She placed her other hand on his shoulder. Her scent was clean and mixed with that of the air inside the house. He noted that she had changed her clothes and it looked like she may have showered or something of the sort.

That was appealing. He didn't much care for those in the house once they were here for a while. They weren't concerned with hygiene. Isaiah glanced over to the right side of the room, and he felt her jump slightly with the sound of music. It was loud in the quietness for a moment.

"You have music?" She said looking around like it was a very odd and disturbing thing.

"I don't believe that dancing has much of a point without music. Why shouldn't I have it?" What a stupid question.

"How do you get it?" She asked, he moved leading and she followed. He knew most of the dances that there were. If there was something he wished to learn from the outside world he took it from the minds of the humans he met. A great way to stay up on the exterior world, and learn things at the same time without the fancy technology that was developing.

"From those that keep me here. Or those that I need to survive. What they bring in stays here." She was graceful in her movements and knew the dance he chose. Even if he couldn't remember the name. It was the moves that mattered. If he changed it, she picked up on it instantly and followed suit. Graceful, that was a point in her favor. She was also staying calm, how nice. Not a stiff mannequin most were half the time.

"You are clean." He said turning her. Her scent was strong this close to her and he really liked it he found. She looked a bit thin at the moment but healthy. Which told him she was still taking care of herself. Still driven to do what it took to survive.

"So, I like to be clean." She said stiffly. He brought her back to him much closer so their bodies brushed. He felt her tense, but she didn't try to pull away. This made him smile, what a fun human to play with. So determined to play the game right. He also noted how soft her body was, he definitely had needs. It was so hard to find one that could meet or sate the urges he had. All were bitter disappointments and left him unfulfilled. But he enjoyed the feel of her brushing against him.

"Much better than the others. I almost regret making the promise to you." He said judging by the steady beat of her heart and her scent. she would most likely have a very strong taste. He'd guess it to be more like citrus than sweet. Women tended to always be a sweet coppery taste where men tended to have a kind of sharp spice.

"Then I'm glad I took the deal." Clair said. She wished he wouldn't bring her so close to him. It made her want to run, and she was nearly against him. There was a kind of regal air about him. Very proper

the way that he moved and spoke. She couldn't see him not being the graceful predator he was. Not to mention the fact that he felt really solid, but she pretended not to notice.

She was glad that she knew her dances as he moved through them. Taking the movements from one and matching it to the next as a transition. She didn't really see how some of the dances matched but he made them, and it was a smooth movement. The music that played also matched what he did. If she'd been able to have a partner like him, she'd have done very well in her competitions.

However she'd always been stuck with a less than competent partner, and hadn't gone very far with it. Waltz, salsa, tango, fox trot... did he even know which one he was choosing at what time? She heard the music change a few times. She didn't mention it or ask to leave. She didn't know if that would nullify the promise or not. She should have asked, stupid of her. Then again wouldn’t have really changed anything.

He moved a little faster suddenly and she kept pace with him. She kept her gaze on his shoulder. She couldn't meet his gaze. To afraid that it would be hypnotizing or something. She would never get out of here. He turned her quickly bringing her back just as fast and it was almost dizzying. He moved a hand to her lower back and bent her backward.

This movement brought her into full contact with him and she very nearly shoved to get away from him but managed not to. She didn't think that would be a good thing for her life. Plus she doubted that it would do anything to help her get away from him. He was a solid muscular wall pressed along the front of her body. While her heart beat faster with fear, an odd little flip happened in the pit of her stomach too.

"Next time I catch you, I think I'll modify the terms of your release." He mused. She froze as his tongue slid over the side of her neck. It was slow and sensuous the way that he did it. Right over the fast beating pulse to just below her jaw.

Her heart couldn't have beat any harder. It was very nearly coming out of her chest. Her skin prickled and a sharp cold feeling went down her spine. What was more dreadful was the fact that a small part of her reacted as a woman. Like it had no control, but the stark fear far outweighed it. He pulled her back up and let go of her. A very slight bow to her. He had a kind of evil smirk about him. She didn't know exactly how to respond to what had just happened.

"You are free to go." He said with a wave of his hand. The door popping open. She hadn't expected him to actually let her go. He was clearly not done playing with her. If he was going to toy with her, well that gave her a chance didn't it? Catch and release was fine with her at the moment.

Clair didn't need to be told twice though. She felt a horrid flush take over her face as she turned and bolted out the door. She didn't care if she made noise, she was terrified of that man. She felt that she might have jumped to the top of the food list with that last little movement. She didn't miss the soft masculine laughter that followed her out the door as she ran.