Behind the Mask

Jumping roof to roof landing with grace I felt loose and ready for anything that might happen tonight. Looking at the city below the lights twinkled in an enticing manner along with the Fey children that walked about. Sprites flew about the sky with their gem eyes, whimsical giggles, and glittered wings like shooting stars. The air was crisp and smelled of the magic folk that lived among the mortals. We stopped on top of an abandoned building so Ace could catch his breath and I looked over the edge to the street below. Men and women with phones glued to their ears, couples out walking, and children hand in hand with their parent’s. It would be a lovely sight if that’s all that was down there, but mingling within the mortals was a few night children. Vampires walking with mortals smiling as if they were alive, holding onto the warmth that was a human body. I growled and a few vampires and Fey folk looked up at me finally aware of my presence. There were a few humans that looked up too, but my black coat blended in with the night sky behind me. Still the ones, the special ones, that saw me took my warning and started to disperse one by one.

Ace stalked next to me and looked down at the street with Owen on his back. His yellow eye lit up with the lights emanating from the signs and headlights. Owen peered over and scowled, “You chased away the children and Folk didn’t you?” I merely lowered my head and he clicked his tongue at the sight of the street. “Damn,” he got off Ace and walked towed the middle of the roof as a blade appeared in his hand. He got down on his knees and started drawing sighs on the concrete like circles. “Come on you two stand on it.” Ace and I slowly walk over and looked at the strange drawing before giving Owen a questionable glance. “Its fine step on it,” we did so, “Now roar.” The two of snapped or head and looked at Owen in disbelief at what he said, “Don’t worry just do it.” Taking a deep breath I let out a loud roar and the sighs and symbols lit up like lightening shooting out a bluish barrier. Owen smiled and climbed back on Ace looking like he just found a new toy with his eyes full of life. “Quickly we need to get to the moon district!” he yeah and then we were off again running like black blurs in the night.

By the time we entered to moon district I could smell the foulest scent filled the air and I wanted to gag. Ace smiled and Owen laughed at my reaction as I whipped my head to them and glared. Owen laughed ever harder that tears were forming in the corning of his eyes, “You know,” he started saying as he was wiping his eyes, “when you asked why was it such a big night for werewolves,” he got off Ace and walked over to the corner of the building and pointed down to the alley below, “that’s why.” I walked over to him and peered over the edge to see a couple getting hot and heavy as the horrid smell grew stronger. Embarrassed I looked away, eyes wide, and stared at Owen who wore a giant grin. “Dear Vivi,” he placed his hand on my head, “It’s mating season.” If could feel my whole body heat up in embarrassment when it hit me that what I just saw was someone hooking up.

I looked away from Owen and saw Ace wagging his tail as to taunt me for my stupidity of not knowing. I crutched and pounced on him knocking him over onto a pile of crates. Even as I loomed over him I could tell by looking him in the eyes he was still mocking me. I bared my teeth threatening to inflict real damage when I was suddenly turned over lying underneath him. His eyes staring down at me in a ray of gold and specks of green as he growled tick off the threat I made. Just as quick as I was trapped Ace was thrown off of me and landed on the other side of the roof. Stunned I found Owen, glasses off, growling menacing like with golden eyes darting between the two of us. “Can’t you two ever behave?!” he bawled his hands into fists looking at Ace, “We need to hurry while the net I made is still up,” he then laid his glowing eye on me, “because of your stunt earlier with the children and Folk we need to hurry. The wolves may know were coming if they were warned.” He then jogged over to Ace and jump on him, “come on before it’s too late.” Then we started running deeper into the district as the children of the moon began to wake and fill the streets.

The Moon rested on a crowed corner of West and Thomson as wolves crowd the entrance to the club. Women in small, tight clothing wearing makeup stood in line to be let in as men whistled smelling of alcohol and raging hormones. Resting on the adjacent building we studied the crowd flow to going I and out. Ace sat next to me as Owen was shuffling through his backpack looking for God knows what. The two of us started scanning the crowd for our target when Owen crutched down next to me in a different set of clothes from before. He had boots on with a pair of ripped jeans and a sleeveless shirt showing off his toys. His eyes where still glowing so he didn’t need his glasses, but he always looked strange to me without them.

“Have you guys spotted him yet?” Owen asked keeping his eyes on the crowd. Ace shook his head and I just stared at the crowd wondering what felt wrong. When it’s mating season everyone gets antsy and agitated when other alpha males come together. But what I see is everyone cultivating like nothing’s going on then I quickly spotted the target just walking in. Everything seemed fine when the guy behind him caught my attention with his eyes constantly darting around, and how he seemed like he couldn’t stay still. His shoulder flexed a bit letting his black jacket open slightly when I saw a glint of metal. Hunter. Reacting fast I jumped from the building and landed on the ground with a thump as eyes quickly fell on me. With a loud roar of warning of the danger fear fell over the crowd as eyes widen. Ace landed next to me finally catching up and growled so everyone would get their asses moving. Owen quickly jumped off of Ace whipping out two guns that seemed chained linked into his skin yelling at everyone to leave.

Deep growls came from the direction of the club as two huge wolves approached us teeth bared. Owen jumped in front of them as they locked on him with deep threatening caramel eyes waiting to jump him. One had shaggy brown fur and the other was grey with narrowing eyes that judge us as intruders. “Back down,” Owen said keeping his voice leveled, “We have reason to believe there’s danger here.”

“The only danger here is you.” a girl emerged from the chaotic crowd looking at Owen.

“I can honestly tell you that’s not the case.”

“Then lower your weapons.” She said with caution.

“Look lady when have reason to believe there’s a hunter in there,” he gestured to the club, “We need to go in.”

The girl’s face paled a bit, “I don’t believe such lies,” her eyes narrowed, “Mark, Alec, take care of them.” The wolves started closing in on us and Ace kept growling as Owen began backing up. I was staring face to face with the gray haired one when shots were fired from within the club. Everyone’s attention went to the club when Ace and I sprinted to the entranced there in the middle of the room stood a shadowy figure tall and slim. Whoever it was smelled of blood. Most of the lights were blown out but I could see the figure when it stepped in the shadows. Ace and I split up to try and corner the son of a bitch when I lost sight of the figure. Roaming through the darkness avoiding tables and bodies on the floor I heard Ace whimper in pain. Quickly following the sound of his voice I found him on the floor slide slashed bleeding fast. The figure loomed over him as if admiring what he or she had done before acknowledging me.

Fire burning in the pit of my stomach I wanted to tear this person apart for what happened to Ace. Circling the figure I could picture what I wanted to do. Quickening my pace I darted out at the figure lunging, dodging, swiping, biting, nothing I did touched it. Darting in and out of the little lighting there was all I could see of it was a smile. As if all I was doing was for its amusement, as if it was a game and it enraged me that I felt my sight turn crimson red. Anger swelling up in me I tried attacking with sharper precision making less room to dodge, but it still managed. Still trying to lay a blow on the damn thing I heard Owen.

“Vivi!” he yelled in the darkness, “Ace!”

I wanted to respond but I was too preoccupied with the attacker in front of me that seem to be mocking me. A finger slinked out behind its hooded black caped beckoning me to come after it for one more attack. Gathering all that was left in me for one strike I lunged at it, but it was just as fast as me.

“Payback,” it whispered to me before striking me in the back of my head. Usually a strike wouldn’t do anything to me, but this time it was hard with metal. I fell to the ground and saw the figure looking at meeting my gaze. It stood under the light revealing its bloody cape and cruel smile like it knew what was happening to me. My hearing was slipping, my vision was going in and out that I vaguely saw it say something to me, but I didn’t hear what it was. It pulled out an ivory blade stained crimson with Ace’s blood and waved it at me like saying good bye me before it disappeared into the darkness. My body shifted back to its human form when I felt Owen’s hand on my forehead. I couldn’t hear him, and my eyes felt too heavy to keep open but I could sense his distress.

I could sense others with him as emotions ran ramped through the room. Iron filled the air as I could tell even without looking that when the lights go on this place will be stained crimson. Still it wasn’t the iron that filled my lungs, the stinky sensation of the carpet, or the feel of death that hung over me that filled my mind. No, it was what I saw that hunter, figure, shadow, thing mouth to me. It was clear in my head its cloak loose around its body, the hood that hid most of its face, and that mouth that terrified me. What he said is something I will engrave in my mind.

I. Am. Reaper.