Fear me, Love me

Death Whisperer

Elle's name popped up on Ryder's phone.

"Yes?" He answered curtly.

"Where have you been all day?"

"If that's all I'm hanging up." The canal was black at night – the moon light dancing on the inky waters. Ryder took a turn down a narrow passage, traversing deeper within Venice's labyrinth.

"No that's not all." Elle cut in quickly. "I had a vision." Ryder picked up on the worry in her tone. "Ryder, I saw Lauren in danger." Silence. "Did you hear me?"

"I heard you." Ryder's voice was deadly calm. "I'll be back late tonight."

"That's it?! What about Lauren don't you want-" He hung up.

Ryder waited in the shadows and stared up at the windows of the building before him. It was eight stories high – a Venetian skyscraper. Lights shone through the windows and Ryder could hear the movements and murmurings of several people. Peter, one of his brothers, was by his side.

"Should I call for back up, Sir?" Peter asked.

He spoke in a stiff formal accent and always wore a suit. Peter was the younger son of a very high class family and had been an army captain when Ryder abducted him for training. Movement overhead caught Ryder's eye. He peered up into the shadows – able to make out the rough outline of a person crouched on the roof.

"No – we can handle this."

Ryder unleashed a blast of power and the front door shrieked off its hinges, flying through the air before shattering into pieces against the far wall.

"By order of the demon Queen all suspicious persons are to be taken in for questioning! You will submit to the Listener's!" Ryder bellowed, his voice resonating around the old timber residence. Peter stared sideways at him in disbelief. This was a raid – loudly announcing their presence destroyed the element of surprise.

Footsteps thundered down the stairs as a group of men and women charged down at them. Blue fire crackled in Ryder's hands. Peter stood at Ryder's side, mirroring his stance but instead of fire, Peter's fingers were hidden in a curling green fog. The resistance opened fire and the warlock's ducked out of the way. Peter unleashed his fog, enveloping the room in an emerald haze. The resistance continued to shoot at them but they were just as likely to hit their own people. Black ice suddenly covered the stairs and the resistance crashed to the floor, struggling like a deer's first steps on the lethal ground.

Peter groaned as a bullet caught him in the arm.

"Peter!" Ryder was standing protectively over him in an instant. He growled. Unleashing an ice wall between him and the resistance. The block of ice crept ominously forward. Men and women shrieked in terror, struggling desperately to get out of the way. Some fired at the ice but it was too thick. The ice closed in on them, penning them in against the wall. They braced their arms against it, pushing with all their strength. The wall continued on, pressing painfully against their ribcages, slowly crushing them.

A hiss made Rylan Grey flinch but suddenly the pressure lifted. He turned to his left and gasped. A vampire had sped into the space at his side and was pushing against the ice. The creature opened his mouth, baring his fangs, as he pushed with all his strength. Cracks spread over the wall and Rylan shielded his eyes just in time as the ice exploded. Pain lanced his wrist from where a shard of ice had cut through the skin and pinned him against the wall. Gritting his teeth he wrenched himself free. Blood squirted out of his wound, spraying him in the face.

He stared up at his rescuer. The vampire thrust his hand over Rylan's mouth and he soon saw why. Around him his fellows sank to the floor, desperately coughing and choking for air that the emerald fog was cruelly cutting off. The vampire pulled him into his arms and then it felt like they were soaring.