Wind Whisper

Chapter 3.

Kelp offered to bring me back to their complex in the stretch Bentley. I normally drove a pieced together salvage Jeep, with no air and no roof for that matter, so I decided to accept the offer. I slid my hand over the supple leather, softer then my own skin, and stared back at Kelp's haunting eyes. "Please tell me a little more about the issue you have been having Mr Shell."

"Kelp, please. No one says Mr Shell since my father passed away," I didn't care for the way his eyes wandered, but I guess it was better then the constant chatter from Krion while she lead a four way call about the joys of being rich and famous.

"It started a few months ago. We have about 400 acres of land, and even with cameras and guards, there are times where areas go... unchecked. Krion and I were out for a walk and we heard something, running through the bushes, headed towards us. I quickly scooped up Krion and ran for the complex. We never saw anyone, but the next morning some of our hounds that roam the property were found, slashed into pieces, floating in the pond. I assumed it was a wild animal on the property, but after a few days of hunting we couldn't find any signs of a breach.

"About a week later it happened again, this time inside the house. But the hounds were," Kelp looked over at his sister and lowered his voice slightly, knowing I would pick him up no matter what volume he chose, "arranged. Krion found them, laying in the library, piled on top of each other. It was... not an easy sight to forget."

He ran his slender fingers across is collar and up his slender neck absentmindedly. "Did you notice anything out of place other then the hounds, any obviously entry or exit point?"

"Nothing. They just vanished. Since then we doubled our guards and cameras. But all that seemed to do was escalate the issue. A month later we had a guard killed while patrolling the grounds. He was mauled, his chest ripped to pieces. Then, over the last month, we have had five more guards killed. All in similar fashions, throughout the property. The last one, Mesha, was found in the camera room. Before you ask, no there was nothing caught on cameras."

Interesting, shadow hunters would be able to sneak in and out unseen, but they didn't leave messages. They just killed you. "The manner of death lends to the assumption this is an animal killing and hunting, the method of slashing the chest would suggest claws, but the motivation to hunt and then arrange their conquest is contradictory. That type of mentality would be too advanced for most beasts with large enough claws to open a grown mans chest cavity."

"As delightful as this conversation is, I need to interrupt." Krion had apparently ended her call mid discussion and was listening to our speculation. Her face showed what disgust it could, somehow still looking like a shining beacon of beauty. "When on the compound, I dont want to see you or your men. You should be protecting us, but not effecting our daily routine. We conduct most of our business here and I can't risk having... well whatever that style of yours is, in our atmosphere."

I inclined my head towards Krion and fingered the knife at my thigh. Ignoring her comment, I continued, "I would like to walk the grounds when we arrive. I'll find you when I've completed the round. Until then Fin and Trigger will keep and eye on you... from the shadowy corners of course."

The car came to a halt and I opened the door, stepping out before the twins had a chance to respond. The car seemed spacious when I first jumped in, but it was too small to house even a quarter of that duo.

What I saw when I looked to the house behind me, shouldn't have surprised me, having seen it pictured in the tabloids each month. But seeing something that grandiose in person, was impossible to keep the wonder from my eyes. The Complex was large, but its size wasn't what made it unique. Where the sun and hot winds had eaten away at the exterior, it had been replaced with luminescent pearls of all different shades. They had created a structure that literally illuminated the area around the building, until the air looked almost as if it was glowing.

I realized the Twelvins race was drawn to the sea, but you could actually smell the sea as if it was would be lapping at my feet if I were to look down. Their father must have been a very powerful Siren to be able to call the sea to his house. It hung in the air like a promise on the breeze.

Walking over to Frin I patted him on the shoulder, "Ignore the fancy show, keep your eyes on the target. I'm going to run the perimeter. We can debrief when I get back." Fin gave himself a noticeable shake before he nodded and headed towards to the Bently. "Trigger, one on each twin, all times."

"Got it."

Time for a little of my own power to shine.