Reaper's Word

Clair moved around only for the first part of the next day, but Isaiah and the hell hounds were moving around a lot. She didn't like the thought of the contract being up before she could get away. She went to her home not having been there in a few days and straightened it up. The day passed by and into the next and she was right back to hiding from Isaiah and the hounds.

She knew this frustrated him to no end, but she took a kind of pleasure from thwarting him. It was getting harder to avoid him. She'd given up trying to go to the studio as she just didn't feel right going there. She apologized to the house and it gave her a kind response as if it understood.

Three days had passed since the end of her bargain. She was proud that she had managed to avoid Isaiah and the hell hounds completely. It was still a week to the full moon. The hounds weren't as active anymore, and she was starting to hear less of them.

Isaiah on the other hand seemed to be everywhere at once. She dreaded having to leave her home. She knew he was waiting to catch her. She kept no routine, never visiting the same places. She'd needed something to occupy her time and she'd found the library and taken the biggest books she could find to read. Which others were milling around in there, so she made it fast.

Clair was out of water today and needed more. She sighed and headed toward the bathroom closest to her to fill the bottles that she had. She did it quick and put them in the basket. She closed the grate feeling the presence of someone human. She didn't trust those in the house and she didn't want them to stumble on her going into the venting system. Then her secret would be known. She could feel they were about to come around the corner so she moved.

Clair went down the hall and into a secret passage way. She moved through it and was going to loop back now that she went up a level. She heard Gustav talking in a room next to her. He and a few others were making some plan. She shook her head and kept moving, they didn't give up did they? It was better to just face the facts. No one was leaving, they needed to figure out how to live here.

She stepped over a loose board and was almost past the room where Gustav was hiding in and talking when the passage into the room opened. A woman stepped into the crawl space and blinked when she saw her. Clearly not expecting her. Neither of them were expecting to be seen. Simply pure chance as the woman had been leaving their little meeting in that room and chose the secret passage.

"Here she is!" Clair turned and bolted down the small space. Here she was? What the hell was that supposed to mean? Clair wasn't sticking around to find out because it was pretty damn obvious that they wanted Clair for whatever reason. She didn't think it was to simply hand over either with what they were talking about. Sounded more like a sacrifice, or bait. Yeah, no.

"Grab her! We'll use her to sacrifice so we don't have to die!" Clair was quicker than they were, and what the hell did they think killing her was going to accomplish? The woman didn't go over the loose board and fell through the ceiling. Clair had a brief moment to think about that. Since when did the house have a loose board?

to be this group she was still stuck with? Bunch of crazy brain fried druggies. She didn't think that between all of them they

a hall and hit something solid flipping over it. There was a yelp and she realized that she had tripped over Beta coming out of the wall. Damn it, why did she have

was a sudden sharpness to his eyes. She moved back and he came at her. No doubt he would drag her to Isaiah or call to him. One of the men came out of the wall. A knife in his hand and lunged at Beta who hadn't expected the other man. His focus having been on her. After all Clair never stayed with a

the man was fast and strong. The knife going into the side of Beta's head and his eyes went blank as he

man's part that Beta hadn't reacted in time. Now they were in worse trouble with

They probably already know! We're going to be bloody chunks on the walls!"

hit the man, who'd stabbed

like Zeta. Clair looked at the chute in the room, and she'd never crawl into that fast enough. She chose the hidden door and went

opening in the floor when Gustav managed to snag her shirt. Her right foot missed the beam she

from her lungs and pain exploded in her head and back. His elbow had come straight down on the top of her head. She nearly

other man jumped. Clair punched Gustav in the stomach hard and clawed him. He tossed her into the nightstand. The edge slamming

The other

pulled a flip knife from her jean pocket and stabbed him in the foot. He let out a loud scream of pain. Gustav kicked her in the back and she made a sound of agony as well. The other

better work Gustav, like I can run now with a knife in my

her out. More pain than the elbow to the head this time before darkness consumed her vision. The