B.O.E.- Chapter 8: Isaac

 RELIEVED to hear her say the words he’d been hoping for, Isaac smiled widely. “Then if you swear not to attack anyone or leave, you may explore the mansion.”

“I have… I need protection for someone,” Raven said quickly as if making herself speak before something told her not to.

“Who?”

“If the blondes… disciples… are as cruel as you say they are, there’s only one person who they can use to get me out in the open,” Raven breathed a heavy sigh before continuing. “Anise.”

“Anise Jensen? The college student we found?” Isaac asked. “How can she be used against you?” he asked when she only nodded.

“She’s my sister,” Raven muttered softly, not meeting his eyes.

Isaac somehow felt she was telling the truth and grunted in consent, “We will have someone on the job.”

Raven nodded and picked at another melon cube.

“Is there anyone else who needs protection?” Isaac asked and she shook her head. “A boyfriend?”

She froze for a second. “I haven’t been dating lately.”

“Your parents? Friends?”

“I have no friends,” Raven responded with a small ironic smile. “And my father would not be taken alive if they did find him.”

Isaac stared at her for a second, trying to figure her out. This woman was so strange. She was nothing like the other humans he’d met. Even if he didn’t particularly try to get to know them. For one thing, she seemed perfectly comfortable eating on the hard ground and had asked about torture tools during her interrogation.

“So, I can’t leave?” she asked suddenly and he stared.

“What?”

“You said I could explore the mansion as long as I didn’t leave,” she met his eyes and he could swear there was a threat somewhere in those green irises.

He shook off the feeling. “I meant it as a precautionary measure to not lead anything back to us. You’re not a prisoner, Raven.”

She eyed he room before meeting his gaze again. “I do actually have to go somewhere. Consider it an appointment that I have to keep for forty-eight hours every month. If I miss it, suspicions will grow about my whereabouts.”

Isaac considered her. What is this? It sounds like a contingency plan in case of death… that’s something a soldier would do in the field.

“We could have a car take you wherever you need to go and pick you up afterward,” he nodded.

“I would prefer going alone,” Raven crossed her arms.

“Why?”

“I have business,” she answered shortly. “It won’t endanger you and your… brothers.”

Phury stared.

Raven suddenly sighed and dropped her arms. “Look, I just want to keep my life as normal as possible to not draw suspicion. You said you don’t want anything drawn to you. The least I could do is try to uphold my end of the deal since you’re helping me. I need to tie up loose ends in case this falls through and I die.”

Isaac considered her logic before noting how calmly she spoke of her death. “We will do what we can to prevent that.”

Raven nodded and reached for another melon cube.

“You know what? C’mon,” Isaac moved into a crouch and picked up the tray before straightening up. “I knew you’d be hungry but I can’t stand the sight of you eating on the floor.”

Raven stared at him curiously, fluidly standing up herself before he offered his hand to help her. She looked at him straight in the eyes for a second before looking away quickly. She nodded once and he led her to the door in the wall. He knocked three times and it opened. He stepped out and, balancing the tray in his other hand, held his left hand to her.

Reluctantly, she took his hand and he led her out of the questioning room. He watched her stiffen as she was suddenly surrounded by muscle. She looked at each Brother for a long time, no one saying anything before she released his hand and held her hand out to Damian.

“You look big, tough, and scary so I guess you’re in charge here,” Raven said when he looked confused behind his wrap-arounds.

“You’re not wrong,” Damian said and shook her hand. “My name is Damian.”

Raven let out a small laugh as she surveyed the others. “All of you are going to have exotic names too, aren’t you?”

“And ‘Raven’ is so common?” Wyatt snapped and Raven turned to face him.

Isaac felt her surprise as she laid eyes on him and saw her shoulders soften. Guess his affect on women hasn’t worn off, he thought bitterly.

“Fair enough,” she said with a smirk. “What’s your name?”

“Wyatt,” he said and shook her hand next.

“So Isaac, Damian and Wyatt,” Raven said pointing at each as she turned away from Wyatt. “You’re what? Will?”

“Close. I’m Liam,” he didn’t shake her hand, not even with his glove on, and bowed instead.

Raven followed suit, not having bothered to even raise her hand. He briefly wondered how she knew not to.

“Rubin,” Rue said next, shaking her hand.

Raven went over their names again, getting each one right.

Isaac felt a draft and turned to see Z walking to them. He handed Rue the tray and was going to head his brother off but with a sidestep, Z took his place in the circle around Raven. He managed to stand beside him and saw the moment when Raven turned and her eyes fell on him.

Immediately she faced him fully, her body stiffening. She examined Zeke from head to boots and back again, taking in the scar. Then he watched her relax, surprised.

“And you are?” she said, hands behind her back.

“Zeke,” Z growled. “What’s the matter, human? Afraid of how I look?”

If she answered yes, Isaac wouldn’t be surprised. Sure, Z had put on weight and muscle but his people skills were horrible and his face wasn’t all that kind yet.

“Not really,” Raven responded. “Compared to the others, you’re no ray of sunshine but I’m more afraid of Shades,” she jerked her thumb over her shoulder at Damian, who (to his surprise) smiled. “Nice scar by the way.”

She didn’t mean this as a taunt but Isaac felt his brother’s body stiffen. He grabbed his brother’s shoulder on reflex to stop any form of attack if he needed to.

“Well,” Raven’s voice said and he glanced to see her look from him to Zeke, extremely surprised. He had underestimated her ability to deduce information. Liam was right, she was smart.

“Raven, you must be hungry,” Damian said suddenly and Raven turned back to him. “You didn’t eat anything.”

“Oh, right,” Raven said and suddenly her stomach growled loudly.

The Brothers chuckled as she smiled bashfully at them.

“Follow us and we’ll take you to the kitchen. We were about to sit and eat too,” Damian said and led them off.

Raven shot him a curious glance and Isaac nodded silently. Isaac stayed behind with Zeke as Raven followed them. When they were out of earshot, Isaac looked at Z, who pulled out of his grasp.

“I don’t like her being here,” Z said with a growl. “I’m actually starting to agree with Damian. She could be a danger.”

“Liam said he would find a way to help us reverse the change. And the Doc said he’d help too,” Isaac said. “We’ll be fine.”

“Know this, if disciples knock on our front door, I’m going to kill her whether or not she is human,” Z said. “And not even you can stop me.”

With that, he walked to the kitchen. Isaac followed after a second.

The reversal was going to work. Raven was going to be human again. We will help her out of the mess he put her in.

He kept chanting to himself before entering the kitchen. Luther had taken the tray from Rue and had the new table already set up with places. They had to get a new table after the female additions and Zeke. Now with Raven, it was a good decision.

“Oh wow, a full table… uh…” Raven murmured suddenly, standing beside the chair that Luther had pulled out for her. “I’m not interrupting or intruding?”

“Oh no, it’s no problem,” Eliza replied with a big smile from her seat beside the King.

“Because you know, I don’t mind eating from that cell,” Raven said with a nervous laugh as the others took their seats.

“That’s nonsense,” Eliza said and with a wave of her ringed hand, added, “Sit.”

Isaac felt himself practically collapse into the chair at Raven’s left as she fell onto the end seat and Wyatt took the seat to her right. He looked around to notice a few others glance around bewildered too. Then Damian cleared his throat and everyone turned to him.

“It was an Order,” he said with a fond smile at his now blushing Queen. “We’ll have to practice with that more.”

“Sorry, everyone,” Eliza said as Luther set a plate of breakfast in front of her and Damian.

“An order?” Raven’s voice asked, slightly annoyed.

Isaac turned to her to explain. “Damian is our King and Eliza is his Queen. When they command with authority, it’s hard to fight their will sometimes.”

He could see the wheels still turning in her head as she grasped her situation. Then her eyes snapped back to meet his.

“You haven’t told me everything,” she said and although it didn’t sound accusatory, it still made him feel defensive.

“Only what you need to know,” he snapped and before Raven could respond, Luther set a plate in front of both of them.

Then everyone began to dig in.

Raven examined everything as if trying to detect fraud or poison. When she took her first bite of the stuffed to the rim omelet, the expression on her face was one he’d never forget. She ate two more big bites, already finishing off two-thirds of it, before taking a swing of coffee.

“How are you finding everything, madam?” Luther asked her.

“This is delicious. The dash of oregano and lemon juice you added to the egg gives it a nice tangy feel. You’re amazing,” Raven said.

Isaac glanced at the butler to find him staring at Raven as though surprised. After a few seconds, in which Raven finished off her whole plate, she finally noticed and looked at the old man.

“What?” she asked.

“I’m sorry for the disrespect, miss, it’s just… no one had ever guessed my secret ingredients before,” Luther’s eyes seemed to water a little as he continued to look at Raven. “Are you trained in the culinary arts as well?”

Raven stalled for a moment, a blush barely coming to her cheeks before it disappeared and she answered, “Uh… no. No, I just like food and have really good taste buds.”

The servant walked away with a wide smile as if having found a new hobby.

“So, Raven,” Wyatt said suddenly, making her swirl around to look at him, her beautiful hair flying. “How are you doing? You know in dealing with all this?”

“You mean how am I dealing with the fact that I made a bad choice in walking through the park one night and got mixed up in a fight of creatures I knew nothing about only to be infected with a toxin that is slowly turning me into a soulless monster while currently having breakfast with a bunch of beefed up vampires?” Raven asked back in one breath. Isaac was quite aware that everyone, including himself, was now staring at her as if expecting her to get hysterical at any moment when she said, “Oh, I’m peachy.”

That made a few of them burst into a little laughter.

“You truly are a feisty one, aren’t you?” Wyatt said with a smile. “I mean, Isaac told us of your fighting style. It totally freaked him out.”

Isaac smiled ruefully at Wyatt as Raven gave him a quick glance.

“I take it you’re a hand-to-hand type, right?” Wyatt asked.

“I can use a weapon if I have one on hand but those are last resort depending on the sitch,” Raven responded. “I just prefer hand-to-hand.”

“How many opponents have you faced and beaten?” Wyatt asked, his plate already clean too.

“I’ve lost count,” Raven replied swiftly as the Luther came to take their plates.

“I’ll have another, Luther,” Wyatt said and the butler bowed.

“Oo, we can have seconds?” Raven asked and Luther turned to her.

“If you would like another, madam, I’d be happy to serve,” he said and Raven nodded. The servant bowed again and took the plates.

“An eater too, huh?” Wyatt said with a smile. He cracked his knuckles and his neck. “Finally, some competition.”

Mary slapped his bicep. “Be nice,” she whispered.

“Wait, so you’re a vamp too?” Raven asked her.

“Oh, no.  I’m human,” Mary said, training her grey eyes on Raven’s green ones. “It’s a long story but I’m kind of immortal now.”

Raven’s jaw had dropped but she recovered when Luther brought their second helpings. Without removing her eyes from Mary, Isaac watched her turn to him slightly.

“I’ll explain later,” Isaac assured her. “Just breathe ‘til then.”

Raven gulped once as if nervous. “I want my stuff back.”

“No,” Isaac said with a smile when she snapped her eyes at him. Her expression wasn’t angry or violent. It was confused and a little scared. It suddenly hit Isaac’s insides. This was her real face. She wasn’t masking herself for a second. She really was trying to hold on by a thread.

Suddenly, her expression closed off again and she was back to being tough and nonchalant. 

“When will I get my stuff back?” she asked, digging into her new omelet.

“Probably after we eat. But you can’t use it here, of course,” Isaac answered, examining her face. No trace of vulnerability was visible anymore. She was very good at hiding. He suddenly wondered what kind of life she’d had to live in order to be so skilled.

“I know,” Raven said, taking another deep swing of coffee.

“Well, you have very interesting unarmed technique. I’d like to see how well you’d spar against me,” Wyatt said.

“I said to be nice,” Mary whispered to him.

“It’s no problem,” Raven interjected. “He seems very confident in being able to beat me because I’m a human. Or because I’m a woman.”

“I’m actually more curious to see your fighting style up close,” Wyatt said quickly when Mary gave him a look.

“I’m sure everyone is but I don’t want to demonstrate on you,” Raven said solemnly. “Or on anyone else.”

Wyatt froze. “Why not? You used it on Isaac.”

Isaac remembered that night and was surprised to see Raven blanch.

“It was self-defense,” she said in a monotone, staring at her plate after a quick glance at Isaac.

“Yeah, but it was satisfying, right?” Wyatt urged. “Landing a single hit and getting that kind of result? Where’d you learn to—”

“May I use the bathroom?” Raven asked quickly and Luther walked up before he could respond.

“Of course, madam, follow me,” he said with a bow.

Isaac watched as Raven let him take her by the hand and lead her out of the room. He felt confused as he stared after her. What had just happened?

He turned back to see Mary slapping Wyatt’s bicep again.

“What did I say?” Wyatt asked.

“I told you to be nice. She’s had a rough day,” Mary scolded.

“Yeah, this can’t be easy for her,” Eliza said from the other end.

“Poor Raven,” Bella murmured besides Zeke, who hadn’t looked up from his own plate. “Maybe someone should speak with her.”

“She’s strong. I’m sure she’ll be fine,” Rubin said with a small wave of his hand.

Isaac didn’t add to the conversation. He wondered if Raven was truly fine or if she needed more help than they realized. He’d seen someone close off and bolt like that before… yet now Zeke had a family to care for. Raven didn’t seem to be particularly close to her father and had asked for only her sister to be guarded. What was she hiding?

After a few minutes, Raven had not returned and he abandoned the last of his breakfast.

Isaac went to the hallway leading to the bathroom Raven was in and checked through the security footage of the house. She hadn’t left yet. He put the phone away and leaned on the wall, crossing his arms. He wanted to give her space to sort out whatever she needed but, being responsible for her, he couldn’t allow her to just wander about alone.

Perhaps I could give her a tour of the house? The parts she was allowed to see.

She might not want to right now, considering her freak out.

Perhaps just her room then, he thought. The room was prepared after all and her stuff had been moved there.

Decided, he waited. Yet all the while, he wondered what kind of life she’d had.

B.O.E. - Chapter 7: Raven

 Raven knew she had fallen asleep. After her fight with the blondes… disciples… how could she not? She was still leaning on the wall and had her forehead to her knees, her hair hiding her face. With a stifled yawn, she raised her head to rub her eyes and push her hair from her face. Opening her eyes, Raven stiffened with a gasp to find Mr. Muscle standing in front of her, holding a tray.

“Relax,” he said with a small smile, eyeing her arm that had reached for her blades. “I didn’t mean to surprise you.”

Raven didn’t answer as she watched him crouch down to set the tray in front of her slowly. Then he moved back a step and sat down in front of her. Slowly, Raven forced herself to relax as he made himself comfortable. She looked at the tray to see a variety of food: melon cubes, toast, orange juice and a bottle of water.

Raven looked up again to see Mr. Muscle’s… Isaac’s… pants had pulled up slightly on his leg. She noticed that the shoe on it was connected to a thin metal pole. A prosthetic leg… no wonder he limped. He still functioned really well despite this so she didn’t feel sorry for him. Though she did feel a little curious to find out the story behind the leg.

She let her eyes snap up to see him looking at her. He cleared his throat uncomfortably and pulled the pant leg down.

“Don’t ask, please,” he said with an easy smile. “It’s not the kind of story someone likes to hear.”

Keeping eye contact, Raven reached forward and grabbed the water bottle. Her side roared in pain and she recoiled slightly as she leaned back again. She broke the seal and let the water moisten her lips without taking a drink.

“We can take a look at that,” the man offered, nodding toward her side.

Raven rearranged herself to cross her legs and gave him a steady look, hating that he’d noticed her discomfort. “What are you?”

Isaac glanced away quickly and began to speak when she interrupted him,

“Don’t lie to me.”

He met her eyes. “I’m sorry if I frightened you. I truly mean you no harm.”

Raven didn’t speak but he didn’t continue. She looked him over, memorizing his features before meeting his yellow eyes again. He was watching her closely but she didn’t allow her emotions to show on her face. The nap did wonders for her senses and control. She reached to her ribcage and pushed the nerve to numb her side.

“It’s handled,” she met his eyes again. “What are you?”

He frowned slightly. “Handled?”

Raven pushed down her annoyance. “Shall I guess?”

He straightened up and sighed. “Be my guest.”

Raven looked him over again as she went over the possible reasons for his speed… his strength… the fangs…

Crap, she cursed and her eyes fell onto the tray. She stared at the fork for a second and noticed his eyes reflect in it. If she was correct, how was that possible? Making up for the quiet, she reached for a melon cube and leaned onto the wall behind her to meet his eyes again.

“I put my money on vampire,”

His eyes narrowed but you’d hardly tell… unless you were as perceptive as she was. “You believe in such a thing?”

Raven didn’t break eye contact as she slightly tilted her head. “I shouldn’t. It makes sense, though. You’re impossibly fast, very strong, and you can sit like a statue,” he fidgeted when she said that and she smirked. “Forgot to breathe there, huh?”

Isaac frowned at her as she finally ate the melon, his own eyes looking her over. Slowly, as if forcing himself, he nodded.

“And the others you mentioned yesterday… your brothers… also vampires?” she asked and he nodded. “Are they all as massive as you?”

“We’re all different but compared to you I guess they are,” Isaac said with a smile.

Raven allowed herself a smirk before masking it again. She really wanted to ask more about what it was like being a vampire (strengths and weaknesses) because this was a very interesting kind of moment but there were more pressing matters. She figured he could have killed her multiple times since they’d met, or at least put more effort into it, but surrendered to the idea either way. If he tried to kill her now that she knew what he was, she’d have to put up a hell of a fight. Given that she was still a little battered after the fight with the blondes in her apartment, she’d most likely lose.

Yet, he’d brought her food and was speaking to her calmly without eyeing her like he wanted to drink her dry. She needed to heal properly before even thinking of fighting him off. The fact that he’d mentioned there were other muscled vampires was also a problem. She had to find out more about these monsters first because healing would take time.

“So, are you going to give me a full run-down of my predicament or do I have to agree to vampiric protection first?”

Isaac didn’t answer for a while, staring at her curiously. He was trying to figure her out.

Good luck, Muscles, Raven thought as she picked up another cube.

“Have you decided?” he asked.

“I wanna know the full score before I do decide,” Raven said and popped the melon in her mouth, speaking through it. “But odds are looking good.”

Isaac smiled again at her joke before becoming serious. “The blondes are part of a group known as the Disciples. They may look like humans but they lost that rite when they gave their souls to Abaddon.”

“Abaddon?” Raven asked.

“I suppose it’s like a Satan times twenty,” Isaac explained. “In exchange for immortality and superhuman strength and speed, the disciples trade their souls. They become servants for Abaddon. Their main goal is to kill vampires.”

“So, they’re technically a group of soulless vampire slayers,”

“Yes. Though opposite to Hollywood’s major belief in my species, we are not blood thirsty monsters. We do not feed off humans unless it’s absolutely necessary. We’d rather feed off our own,” Isaac said and Raven stared. “Anyway, we have been at war with the Disciples for centuries. We are...”

“Let me guess, a group of the most skilled warriors of the vampire race. Born and sworn to protect the species at all costs,” Raven cut in and Isaac stared at her, surprised.

“How—?”

“Lucky guess,” Raven shrugged, picking up a melon cube and eating it quickly before continuing. “The fact that you’re massive is a hint. Now how in the hell do I fit in to all this?”

Isaac took a deep breath. “The blade that the slayers carry is cursed. It is the blade that was used to make them and it is an extremely effective way to injure or kill one of us. You have been exposed to what I can only describe as the toxin on the blade.”

Raven froze, not liking where this was going but didn’t speak at his pause. Then she snapped, “So? What does that mean?” when he didn’t continue.

“It means… that you are slowly becoming a disciple yourself,” Isaac said.

Raven didn’t move. She felt as if she’d fallen into the same rabbit hole Alice had except this was not Wonderland. It was hell and no matter what she did, everything got worse and worse. But after everything she’d seen, she couldn’t deny that this was reality. It was her new reality. Where vampires were real and good and super humans were bad and cursed daggers were also a thing. Oh yes, she had just lost absolute control of her life as she knew it.

“What are my options?” she forced herself to sound calm even though her mind was in an uproar.

“Raven, you have to understand that you are not alone in this,” Isaac said softly. “We can help you.”

“What are my options?” Raven repeated, irritated.

“You can accept our help and get treatment for a possible reversal,” Isaac said. “Or you can deny and count down the days until the disciples find you and speed up the process.”

“How long do I have?”

“I already gave you a deadline to choose—”

“I meant until I turn into… a…” she couldn’t say it.

“We give it two months,” Isaac said and Raven felt her shoulders slump.

“And are you sure that you can cure this?” Raven asked, meeting his yellow eyes.

“I am sure that we will do everything we can,” Isaac said and Raven knew it was an evasive answer.

“You mean I’ll be a lab rat?” Raven narrowed her eyes and watched him shift slightly.

“This kind of thing doesn’t happen often,” he winced. “But we will do everything we can to keep you comfortable for as long as you need.”

In case I’m doomed…

“Have you told me everything?” Raven asked.

“As much as I can at the moment,” he answered.

 She didn’t move or respond for a long time.

“Raven, your decision?” Isaac prompted and Raven almost laughed hysterically at him. Like she had a choice?

“I agree to your protections and cure.”

B.O.E. - Chapter 6: Isaac

 Isaac rubbed his temples as he climbed the stairs to the viewing room above the cell. Once he entered, he noticed his Brothers staring out at the woman.

“She’s good,” Rue said with approval first.

“You let her follow you? Are you stupid?” Wyatt growled, rounding on him.

“I didn’t know the human escaped the disciples; let alone be able to follow me,” Isaac defended.

“She doesn’t understand her situation. You didn’t have to be harsh,” Ruben said.

“She wouldn’t listen otherwise,” Isaac said and turned to the window to see Raven leaning on the same wall but sitting now. She was hugging herself and he smirked slightly, believing he’d scared her enough. “Now she understands that the situation is bad. She’s hard-headed.”

“No, she’s smart,” Liam said next, watching Raven as well. “The way she made you name the ‘blondes’ and lose control. She wanted those answers and she knew how to get them.”

“She’s a liability,” Damian said next. “She’s already started transforming; her hair is evidence of that and so is her speed. If she doesn’t agree to our protection by tomorrow and the transformation continues, we’ll have to kill her soon.”

“It won’t come to that,” Isaac said, defensively.

“She’s already a threat,” Damian said. “Having her here any longer could bring the hunters right at our doorstep.”

“She’ll agree to our help,” Isaac said, not backing down.

“She’d better,” the King said and turned to the others. “I want someone watching her while she’s here.”

“I’ll do it,” Isaac said immediately.

Damian nodded. “So be it. I’ll go consult with the Goddess,” He said and left the room.

“You’re being really protective of her, man,” Wyatt said cautiously.

“No, I’m not,” Isaac turned to him.

“Yeah you are,” Wyatt said and an unspoken understanding passed through the group.

“It’s not like that!” Isaac didn’t realize he’d shouted until he read Wyatt’s expression. “It’s my fault she cut herself that night. That makes her and whatever threat she poses my responsibility. I just want to clean up my own mess. I’ll kill her if I have to.”

Isaac stood at his full height, eyeing his Brothers to dare question him again. All of them varied in height and were each very unique… except Zeke.

Wyatt looked the part of playboy model and, before his wife came along, he played the part well. He’d bedded more females than Isaac had dared to count. Flowing blonde hair, electric blue eyes, muscles that stretched his thin workout top. He’d obviously been planning to hit their gym after this interrogation ended. He was their hand-to-hand expert in a pinch, creative and deadly.

Liam was the tallest of the group with leaner muscles. His mind was his greatest weapon but he could hold his own as well. With long dark hair pulled back into a low ponytail, a thin beard and violet eyes, he actually looked the part of vampire. Except he always wore gloves to hide the symbols he’d etched onto them centuries ago. No one wanted to touch those things either.

Ruben was damn near everyone’s opposite. Built like a tank, the man should be terrifying. Yet he was the softest and gentlest man he’d ever met. One would never suspect this man of being a killer but when he wielded his twin swords, he was unstoppable. His auburn hair was short enough to compliment his features and his warm olive eyes. He never really allowed his beard to grow beyond a five o’clock shadow and could always be found with a flannel on. He seemed to have a flannel for every occasion thus earning the nickname, ‘Lumberjack’.

Liam was the first to move, glancing back down at Raven before meeting his eyes. “I believe there won’t be need for such promises. Just do your duty but don’t let it blind you.”

Isaac stared as he left the room.

“Wiser words were never spoken,” Rue straightened his flannel shirt and moved forward, thumping his heavy hand on Isaac’s shoulder. “Stay objective, Brother. We guard the realms of man as well. Sometimes they deserve our pity.”

Isaac didn’t respond as Ruben moved to the door as well.

Wyatt shrugged and glanced back down at Raven. “She’s definitely impressive.”

Isaac moved to the glass and looked down at her too.

“I’ve known females, Brother,” Wyatt continued. “Vampire… human… I couldn’t see a difference before Mary.”

Isaac fought to roll his eyes. Another sappy love story from another whipped male. He’d heard it all before from Damian. Vampire King or not, his wife was his world. Rightfully so, yet it was annoying to watch another man drool.

“I haven’t seen a human built like her. A female warrior. I wonder what could have led to her becoming so?” Wyatt mused.

Isaac frowned slightly, wondering that himself. The woman’s fighting techniques were precise and strong. She was comfortable with attacking maneuvers and with defense. She’d faced him despite his speed and her heart racing. She was definitely not what he’d expected from a human.

“No woman should have to train like she has,” Wyatt sighed and began to move away. “I hope you don’t have to kill her. I wanna test those skills of hers myself.”

Isaac listened as Wyatt left the room. Then the door closed with a snap and he let out a sigh. “Yes, brother mine?”

Zeke moved closer and stood beside him, eyeing Raven with a glare. “I don’t like her here.”

Isaac glanced at him. “What exactly troubles you?”

“She snuck in with a skill beyond most human ability. How?” he growled.

Isaac thought that over. “She mentioned blind spots.”

“She didn’t lie about that. The security footage missed all of her movements. According to Liam, there was an overlap where she should have appeared by the wishing well,” Zeke crossed his arms. “Yet she didn’t. It was like she was a ghost.”

Isaac eyed her closely as she flexed her hands, undoing the bandages. He noticed her raw knuckles as she aired them out. The rage he felt at seeing her injured surprised him. He shouldn’t care. “What is your theory?”

“She’s dangerous. I know a killer when I see one,”

Isaac let out a soft chuckle. “She is human. What threat could she pose to us?”

Zeke glared at him now. “Did she not render your arm useless with a mere strike? What other skills could she possess?”

Isaac shook his head. “We are faster than her eye could see.”

“And yet she nearly matched your attacks,” Zeke moved a fist forward and pushed his knuckles into his chest, where she’d barely managed to touch him. “I do not think you should bind yourself to her. Let one of the others guard her. Perhaps Liam. She will underestimate him and he could see her attacks before they occur.”

Isaac frowned and pushed his brother back. “I am fully capable of handling a human, brother. I have made my decision. I will see it through.”

Zeke frowned and left without another word.

Isaac watched as Raven retied her bandages and then placed a hand on her sigh. He noticed her wince before she set a hand over a specific spot and pressed into it. She then brought her knees up to trap her arm in place, lowering her forehead to her knees. Her free hand held one of the blades at her side, ready to strike.

He froze as he realized that he hadn’t scared her. She was hurt beyond the marks that he’d seen on her face and hands. With a growl, he swore he’d kill four disciples for every bruise she had.

Isaac leaned back and stared at his reflection in the glass. Why did he do that? Why did he care? What was happening?

Cursing, he moved to the controls and adjusted the camera settings to send him a live feed on his phone. Then he left the viewing room to go to his own room. He turned on his phone and watched as Raven sat there unmoving. She was still breathing but she refused to move beyond that.

Isaac lit a smoke and took a deep drag. Who exactly was this woman?

He went over their conversation.

She’d mentioned that she had walked to his house. She had dark circles under her eyes so he could imagine her walking all night from her apartment… why? She mentioned her house not feeling safe. She was correct but why go to him? Why not go to a friend’s house for the night or to her family’s house? Did she not have family?

He eyed the screen as if expecting her to suddenly look up and answer.

She mentioned how he’d helped her at the park.

He realized a woman like her must appreciate acts of kindness.

Tomorrow, he’d take her food and hear her decision. If she accepted, he’d introduce her to the others and then take her to the room their servant had prepared. If she refused, he’d have to kill her on the spot.

Just the thought made his stomach twist uncomfortably. He’d killed humans before but for some reason, this one felt different. She was surprising. It would be a shame to kill her.

Throughout the day, he watched her as she remained in her position. He imagined what she’d look like laughing.

The next afternoon, Isaac moved down to the kitchen where their butler, Luther, was busying himself making breakfast. As soon as he waked in, the butler whirled around and bowed.

"Master Isaac," he greeted pleasantly. "You have arisen a bit early, sir."

Isaac waved him off, sitting on the counter stood. "Couldn't sleep."

"May I serve you now or would you like to wait for the house?" Luther asked as he vigorously whisked pancake better.

"I will wait for everyone else," Isaac muttered, setting his phone on the counter. Raven still took up the screen, frozen in her spot. He went over his ideas to get her to talk to him. What kind of food did she like?

"Sir?"

Luther's voice broke into his thoughts and he realized he was frowning as he looked up at the butler who had appeared beside him. He eyed the screen before letting out a hum and moving around the counter to the fridge.

"Might I suggest some food for the young miss?" Luther asked, pulling out a melon. "I am sure she must be famished after the tranquilizer."

Isaac smirked at the butler. He was sure the servant had mind reading capabilities but they could never prove anything. "Good thinking, Luther. I should take her something to drink too."

He watched as Luther quickly prepared a tray with the items, keeping one eye on the phone screen. He quietly hoped she'd wake up before he got there so he wouldn't freak her out.

Tray finished, Isaac made his way to the interrogation chamber and stopped in front of the door. He suddenly felt nervous and couldn't figure out why.

"Wise choice," Liam suddenly said and he eyed the vampire coming his way. "She would not dare strike you with this peace offering."

"Do you mock me?" Isaac asked dangerously.

"Never, Brother," Liam stopped in front of him. "I had hoped you would attempt something to gain favor. I had my own suggestions."

Isaac tried not to bare his fangs. "I can handle a human just fine."

Liam didn't respond, his face schooled into something unreadable. "We will be watching all the same."

Isaac let him reach around to open the door for him and made his way into the room quietly. He eyed her as Liam shut the door quietly behind him but she hadn't moved yet.

Her long black hair flowed like a curtain, shielding her face from the lights above which were always on. He wondered if she had truly fallen asleep and how she could (given her position on the floor). He dared to move closer, keeping the tray steady despite his slight limp. He felt like a fool and, as she suddenly stirred, made sure to give her space in case she immediately attacked. He should have removed her blades yesterday. Where did she even have them? Hadn't they unarmed her before bringing her in?

He shook the thought away as he waited for her green eyes to look upon him again.

B.O.E. - Chapter 5: Raven

 After moving around the large property, Raven took note of the multiple security cameras. She knew which were motion censored and which were rotating. Staring into the property, she could see a few dim lines on the large yard made from laser lights.

Why would Muscles need this much security? She wondered as she moved under a rotating camera, one of the few blank spots she’d found. She was near the side of the house but the nearest neighboring house was a mile away. That made this next part easy.

Raven climbed up the fence bars until she had to duck under the camera’s rotation. She could feel her sore muscles struggling to hold her up. It was nine something in the morning and she hadn’t stopped moving until she made it here. That meant no sleep and barely time to heal after her encounter with the Blondes.

Despite the time, she’d noticed the house seemed really quiet. There was no one coming in or out of the property and no one patrolling the outside. She briefly wondered if he trusted the cameras so much or if there was something else guarding the house.

When the camera turned away again, Raven continued over the fence and carefully jumped down. She knelt for a moment before pulling on her sunglasses to see the lines on the grass better. She kept low as she dashed to the nearest tree. She pressed her back onto it as another camera rotated toward her. She did her best not to move, knowing both cameras were pointing her way.

Mentally she counted the seconds before both cameras were turned away and moved to the next hiding spot. She neared a well and cursed slightly to see another camera about to turn to her. She’d missed this one.

With only one spot to go, Raven jumped into the wishing well and held onto the edge with her fingertips. She was about to set her foot on the opposite side when it slipped and she nearly let go. She froze, still mentally tracking the seconds until the coast was clear. She then peeked up and surveilled her surroundings first. No one was around and the cameras were finally looking away. So she rolled out of the well and raced to the front door. Of all the doors, this one didn’t have a camera pointing right at it.

She quickly pulled out her tools and made quick work of the lock. She could practically feel the cameras beginning to turn back to her as she quickly ducked inside and quietly shut the door.

Raven glanced around at the lavish décor before quickly moving toward the quiet room to her right. She wasn’t sure if the door had a sensor and preferred being away from the area. The room she entered was filled with wall-to-wall books… A library? She unzipped her windbreaker and left it behind, hiding it behind a thick cushioned chaise near a wall. Now she had access to her weapons.

Of course, Mr. Muscle would live here. He was probably a drug dealer or assassin sent by one of her father’s enemies. And she was walking right into his hands. But she just had to know what was going on with the blondes. Why did they keep turning up around her? Why did he?

Cautious, Raven took out her gun and held it standard-like; with her finger away from the trigger so as to not make a mistake. This room was nice. Carpeted and clean with actual comfortable furniture.

Raven found herself wishing she had a home like this. Big, warm, decorative… inviting.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp sting in the back of her shoulder and the world swam. She barely felt the carpet as she fell onto it heavily, her muscles relaxing involuntarily.

She did an immediate mental sweep of her body.

Not a gun… darts…

She couldn’t fight. She couldn’t move. She just really, really wanted to sleep.

With a sigh and mental curse, Raven closed her eyes and let herself drift.

Raven woke up with a gasp, forcing herself quickly into consciousness. She lifted herself on her elbow to find her windbreaker folded neatly like a pillow for her head. Frowning, she pushed herself up off the floor and glanced around quickly. She was alone in a white walled room. The perfectly square room was completely bare except for a long rectangular window set high on a wall that she was willing to bet was a two-way.

Forcing herself to get a grip on her swimming head and her stiff muscles, Raven forced herself to stand up. Her clothes were untouched but the gun harness and knife belt was gone. Of course.

“Who are you?” a loud deep voice suddenly asked, echoing around the room. Raven felt her hands fist in surprise as she let her eyes glance around but she forced herself to calm down. It wasn’t Mr. Muscle’s voice but it was filled with authority.

“Are you Anise Jensen, college student majoring in computer science and linguistics?”

Raven froze. They found her.

“My name is Raven,” Raven said, loudly and clearly, staring right at the mirror.

“Raven,” a deep voice repeated behind her.

Raven whirled around and raised her stance before truly recognizing the man in front of her. It was Mr. Muscle.

“Relax, I’m not coming any closer,” he said, crossing his large arms.

“Wise choice,” Raven kept her stance up, remembering how fast he was. “I see you remember last time.”

Mr. Muscle frowned. “I do,”

“You weren’t there before,” she nodded to his position.

“Perhaps you aren’t as perceptive as you think you are,” he tilted his head.

Raven eyed him and noticed the duffel bag beside him. Her duffel bag. She refused to acknowledge it or correct his statement. She was very perceptive. He practically appeared out of thin air and she wondered if the exit was in the wall behind him.

“Who do you work for?” Raven asked instead and the man’s frown turned confused. “You and I keep seeing each other nearly at every turn. If you don’t work for anyone then this has got to stop or I’ll expect a dinner.”

Raven felt watched and knew that whoever was behind the mirror was paying rapt attention.

“Your gun harness was standard issue for cops and the knife harness was standard for a hunter,” Mr. Muscle began after a quick chuckle at her dinner joke. “The security video also showed you holding it in a safety standard position. Are you a cop or a hunter of some kind?”

“Nope,” Raven replied quickly. “Are you?”

“How did you get in?” Mr. Muscle asked instead.

“I stood outside for a few minutes and no one answered. So, I decided to come in,”

“How? We have state-of-the-art security,”

“Oh yeah, I saw that. It’s pretty badass. I also saw the blind spots… all of them,”

“Why would you sneak in here?”

“Is it sneaking in? The house seemed pretty vacant for ten a.m. on a Saturday,”

“You used blind spots and didn’t knock,”

“Would anyone have answered the door bell when the security didn’t sense someone coming right up to the door? Or would we end up here still?”

He seemed impressed. “How did you find this place?”

“I was outside my apartment because the blondes were in there. Then you showed up and they attacked. You escaped and I followed you.”

“On foot?” he asked, looking very surprised.

Raven nodded. “Until you got into a huge car and drove off. I wired a car and followed you after that. I saw you come here so I put the car back and came here myself. It took a while.”

“Were you followed?” Isaac asked immediately.

“I know how to cover my trail,”

“Did you… Did you see anything?” Isaac asked, as if cursing himself.

Raven shook her head. “I just heard your fight. Like hell I was going to show my face.”

“Why would you follow me here?”

“What kind of interrogation is this?” Raven glanced around; her stance still strong. “You knock me out, keep me in this empty room and you don’t even bother tying me up? Or show off any torture tools? How do you know I’m telling the truth?”

“You are. You have no reason to lie,” Mr. Muscle said after a quick pause and Raven stared,

“I want to know why those blondes attacked you that night,”

“That’s not really your business,”

“They’re making it my business! They’re after me now and to be honest, I don’t want the added stress of a fan club. I also want to know how I watched you kill like eight of them without a weapon but you couldn’t land a hit on me,”

“I wasn’t making an attack on you,” he said, voice tightening. “Except the one I apologized for.”

“So, you thought it was ok to grab me right after? You freaked me out so I ran. I can’t believe you let me.”

“You sent a disciple on me!”

“You call them disciples?”

Mr. Muscle froze and Raven knew she’d hit home. She waited as Mr. Muscle calmed down.

“Clever,” he muttered as if realizing what she’d done. Raven felt herself smirk. “Tell me of your technique.”

“I get you pissed and you answer before realizing it,”

“Not that. Your fighting technique,”

“Oh, you mean the one you couldn’t fight back?” Raven taunted. “That’s not really your business,” she took on a deeper voice and mimicked him.

Mr. Muscle sighed. “Believe me, Raven. I mean you no harm.”

“How can I believe that from someone whose name I don’t know?”

“It’s… Isaac…”

Raven raised an eyebrow and tightened her stance. “Isaac? Is that some kind of Bible thing?”

“Not really, alright look. I’m not going to hurt you. We would have done that while you were unconscious,” Mr. Muscle said. “Just talk to me.”

“No. You talk to me,” Raven shot back. “I’m the one who doesn’t know what the hell is going on and yet was attacked more than once by a bunch of beefed-up guys.”

“I already apologized for my attack on you. I thought you were one of them,”

“Was it as big of a surprise to you as it was to me when one of them dragged me by the throat?” Raven asked, feeling herself tremble slightly.

“It was. I’ve never known them to attack someone without cause,” he said and then paused, looking at her hands, before continuing. “You said someone was in your apartment. Were you attacked? Was it the blondes?”

“The disciples, yeah,” Raven said.

“So, you patched yourself up and came here?” he glanced down at her duffel bag with a frown before meeting her eyes again. “Why?”

Raven met his golden eyes steadily. “You tried to help me that night. I figure you could give me answers since they showed up at my apartment.”

“Did you know they were there?”

Raven shook her head. “They showed up, we fought and I ran. It didn’t surprise me too much. I lost my wallet that night in the park so someone was bound to show up.”

“I picked up your wallet and we ran the trace. They had to be following a different lead because I didn’t find anything with the name on your I.D.,” his eyes moved and he stared at her hair. Raven vaguely remembered his words that night: ’You have beautiful hair.’

“What lead?” Raven asked, fearing for her sister.

“You cut the rope with a dis— one of their daggers and cut yourself, right?”

“If someone hadn’t yelled,” Raven said pointedly.

“It was a bad move but I was just trying to warn you,” he said.

“So, you’re saying it was poisonous?”

“In a sense,” his eyes flickered to her hair again. “Why did you dye your hair?”

“I didn’t. I woke—” Raven said before stopping herself and saw his yellow eyes grow wide.

“You have to trust me,” he said, arms up in peace. “You’re in grave danger but my Brothers and I can help you.”

“There are more of you?” Raven asked.

“Five others,” Isaac replied stiffly. What kind of a name is that anyway?

“How am I supposed to trust any of you when I still don’t get what’s going on?” Raven asked. “Why do you call them disciples and why did they attack you? Is it some kind of gang war thing? How did they find me?”

“Look, my Brothers and I have been fighting them all our lives. We know how to defend you—”

“I don’t need defense. I can do that myself,” Raven said. “Why would I need you?”

“These aren’t your usual… ah… opponents, Raven. They are much stronger and faster,” Isaac said.

Raven remembered when she fought with them. “I remember. So? I did alright.”

“How do you think you’ll do with a crowd of ten or twenty?” Isaac asked.

“Well I did alright with eight of them,” Raven said, feeling slightly put off by his attacks.

“I bet you barely got away,” Isaac said and Raven narrowed her eyes at him.

“Big talk coming from the guy who couldn’t even fight back against me and ran away from four,” Raven shot out. Suddenly she felt stupid because his expression darkened to the point where he didn’t look human.

“Couldn’t isn’t the term to use,” he growled and suddenly he was directly in front of her. Raven gasped as he continued, “Wouldn’t is more accurate.”

Raven quickly recollected herself and launched a quick punch toward the middle of his chest. Just as the tip of her knuckle hit him, he was gone again. Raven looked around, surprised.

“Your speed for a human is amazing,” his voice said but wherever Raven turned, he wasn’t there.

“I would tell you the same thing,” Raven began softly, stance up as she moved, noting the slight growl in his voice now as he finished her sentence,

“Except I’m not human,”

“Figures,” Raven muttered.

He suddenly appeared at her right side and shoved her hard. Raven, off guard, stumbled to the side and pivoted to launch a kick at him, which he dodged and tripped her. Quickly, Raven jumped to her feet and raised her stance again. His arms shot out and grabbed her wrists. Twisting her hands around his to grab his wrists, Raven fell backwards and pulled him over her. With a grunt, she pushed him away with her feet and let him soar over her before jumping to her feet. Turning, she saw him reaching for her and dodged around his arm to twist and launch a fist into his side.

Isaac grunted and tried to recover by launching a kick but Raven had no intention of falling for it and ducked. She tried to bob up and launch a punch but his open palmed hand was already shoving her backwards by her stomach. Surprised at his speed, Raven felt her feet leave the floor for a second as she flew back from the simple push.

Landing on steady hunter’s feet, she met his eyes for a second as he neared her before turning and running away from him. Kicking off the wall, she rose up and reached for both her tennis shoe soles before tucking her head in to roll to the side. She straightened up and raised her hands just as he grabbed her wrists and pushed her back onto a wall. Her hands were holding two make shift blades scissoring across his throat. He looked surprised, as if he hadn’t seen the blades.

“You’re impressive,” he grinned and began to back off when she shifted her hands slightly so the blades were pressing against his throat; if he moved, the blades would cut him. His smirk shrunk a bit as he eyed her, curiously. “I believe this is a draw.”

“What are you?” Raven felt herself ask as she held fast against his hold on her arms. She couldn’t move the rest of her in an effective manner.

“I am the only one who can help you now,” Isaac growled and Raven could see that his K9 were longer than normal… and sharper. “You are in deep trouble, Raven, and you need to trust me,” he continued softly. “If you can’t, then at least comply for your own benefit.”

Raven didn’t answer, her lungs trying to pant. Her side burned where a blonde had kicked her and her knuckles were straining against the bandages.

“You have until tomorrow to decide,” Isaac continued. “Or we’ll have to make the choice for you.”

“Tomorrow?”

“We’re too busy with our own shit to protect someone who doesn’t want it,”

“So, what’ll happen if I say no?”

“We’ll let you go and you try to handle this on your own. But understand that they will find you wherever you’re hiding. They can go a while without food or sleep. They will not stop until they get you.”

“You’re saying they aren’t human either?” Raven stared into his darkening yellow eyes and forced herself to look at his hair. His eyes were so intense that she knew he was telling the truth… and it was freaking her out. He wasn’t human. Those disciples weren’t humans…

“Understand that if they catch you and we ever cross paths again… I will be forced to kill you,” Isaac continued gravely and Raven froze as she stared at him, her grip on the blades slackening.

A few seconds later, he released her and stepped out of arm’s reach. Raven stayed where she was, trying like hell to figure out what was going on. She watched him move toward the wall to her right where a door opened from the outside.

Without another word, Isaac left the room and the door shut.

Raven, alone now, sank down the wall and let herself pant. She hugged her knees, setting the blades beside her. She sat there tried her best not to lose it. She hugged her middle but tried not to make it look too obvious, knowing the others were still watching.

Why did she have to take that stupid shortcut?

B.O.E. - Chapter 4: Isaac

 Isaac felt pathetic. He’d lost her. The blondes got to her first.  He remembered walking to her apartment to find the door ajar and pushed it open carefully to see inside. The apartment was trashed as if there had been a major struggle. He managed to look ahead to see a broken window before he realized the apartment was filled with baby powder infused disciples.

He knew that the woman wasn’t there and there were too many slayers so he ran. Four had followed him and he made it halfway to the car on foot before knowing the fight was coming. He ducked into an alley and finished them. Then he went to his car after collecting wallets and drove straight home.

Where could they have taken her? What could they be doing to her now?

He growled to himself. It didn’t matter what they were doing to her. It was his fault.

“Was the address any good?” Damian asked as soon as he got home.

“There were signs of a struggle and the apartment was full of disciples. I got away and killed four but she wasn’t there,” Isaac reported. “I couldn’t tell if they had taken her or she got away.”

Damian cursed before pulling out his phone. “I let the Doc know the score since that night. He’s been working non-stop to find a possible reversal. Seems he’s got theories.”

“Anything promising?” Isaac asked.

“He’s gonna set up a work lab here. The others are out getting him a few test subjects.”

Isaac nodded with a sigh. “Now we just need to find her.”

“We’ll find her, Isaac,” Damian assured him after a pause.

Isaac felt his hands fist as he turned away from the King. “I’m going to my room,” he said, planning on fogging shit up with smokes.

He knew it was a filthy habit that often stunk his clothes but it helped when he was off. His mind was in an uproar and all he could think about was that woman in the hands of the hunters. Tearing at her skin… ripping out tuffs of her beautiful hair as they dragged her about… her green eyes widening in fear… again.

With a curse, he slammed his door shut and dove for the wooden box by his bed. He grabbed for a rolled cigarette and a lighter, flicking it until the flame lit. He took a deep drag and held it as he dropped the lighter back in the box. He then turned and sat on his bed, finally exhaling slowly.

“Wow,” Zeke’s voice interrupted his peace and his eyes snapped open to glare at his brother.

“Close the door,” he growled when he heard soft footsteps behind him.

“Uncle Isaac!”

Zeke immediately reached for a small child who nearly pushed into the room beside him. “Ah, LeeLee, let’s give your uncle a few minutes. Daddy needs to talk to him.”

Leela’s wide eyes looked from Zeke to Isaac as he hastily hid the lit cigarette behind him. “Are you in trouble?” she asked.

Isaac let out a quick laugh. “No, darling. Do as your daddy says. I’ll go help you draw in a few minutes.”

Leela smiled. “Really?”

Isaac nodded. “Go get your paints and papers ready so we don’t make a mess. Your mom will kill me.”

“Okay!” Leela’s smile grew impossibly wider as she hurried away.

Zeke stepped further into the room and closed the door, locking it. He turned and eyed his brother as he took another deep drag. “Don’t give me shit.”

Isaac smirked. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Zeke rolled his eyes. “How long until I live it down? C’mon.”

“What could you be referring to, brother mine? You’ll need to explain further… daddy,” Isaac shrugged.

“And there it is!” Zeke pointed an accusatory finger at him, his muscles rippling.

Isaac grew serious and looked at his younger brother. There was a time when they were considered twins… centuries ago. Now, their differences outweighed. Isaac was built bigger but that was years of training and taking care of himself. His brother had been more destructive with himself, hating himself for centuries. Of the monster he couldn’t seem to control. Then she came along.

“How’s Bonnie?” he asked and Zeke rubbed the back of his neck.

“She’s everything I couldn’t dream up on my own. She’s too amazing,” he sighed. “Motherhood suits her.”

“Just as fatherhood suits you,” Isaac pointed out.

“Hardly,” Zeke eyed him and crossed his growing arms. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

Zeke nodded toward the smoke. “Haven’t seen those for a while.”

Isaac shrugged and took another drag. He let the smoke escape as he spoke next, “Felt like it was time.”

Zeke moved closer. “Heard about what you found at the female’s place. You should have taken back up.”

Isaac waited for his unasked question.

“Why didn’t you?” Zeke didn’t let up the eye contact.

“I didn’t expect the hunters to beat us to the location, did I?” Isaac snapped and took another drag. Finally, the smoke was affecting him. He could feel his mind calming down and focusing on his conversation instead of imagining her green eyes stained with tears as they tortured her. His smoke was almost out. He needed another after this next drag.

"We're concerned about you," Zeke started. "The Brothers have noticed how you've taken point on this. Your attention is causing a lot of concern and questions."

"What? Why?" Isaac asked.

"Cause you're actually getting invested in a human!" Zeke frowned.

"I am not getting invested in a human," Isaac defended. "I'll set the Brothers straight."

“Fine, you do that. But between us, you’ve been acting weirdly with this one,” Zeke muttered as if not wanting to be heard.

“I don’t want another hunter against us. Pretty sure that’s our job, brother,”

Zeke frowned. “Why do you feel responsible for this one? Is it because she’s human? Or because it’s a female?”

Isaac froze as she flashed in his mind again. He took in her stance and the regret in her eyes as his arm flopped about, useless. “Why would I feel anything for a human?” he asked, pulling himself back to the present. “I could have any female. I don’t see your reasoning.”

"I think you see something in this human female. I just hope you don't lose sight of our duties. For the good of the species,"

"For the good of the realm," Isaac finished. "Are you truly asking for the good of the Brotherhood or because you have a female for yourself?"

Zeke’s frown deepened but he didn’t reply and Isaac took this moment to finish his smoke.

Isaac was about to reach for another one when there was a soft knock on his door. It was a small fist that knocked. He sighed and closed the box, standing up.

“I wish you would also settle down, brother,” Zeke muttered after a sigh. “I should not be the only one who is happy.”

Isaac froze and met his brother’s eyes. After the centuries of neglect on his brother’s side, the only similarity they had left was their eyes. Golden brown eyes were rare even among their kind. Everything else was nearly so different, no one would think them related.

“Yeah, I’ll get right on that,” Isaac muttered as he patted his brother’s arm and moved to answer the door. “Is that my niece who calls upon me?” he called before yanking it open to meet her large honey eyes.

“Can we draw now?” she asked sheepishly.

“Of course, fair lady. I am your humble servant,” Isaac offered his hand and she gladly took it. “Direct me to our workspace for I would surely be lost without your guidance.”

“You talk funny,” she giggled and pulled him along to the library.

Without looking back, Isaac followed his niece, pushing his brother and the woman from his mind.

B.O.E. - Chapter 3: Raven

 Raven opened the door to her apartment building and took the stairs two at a time. She felt good as she went grocery shopping after checking on her sister. Anise was so happy living the college life that she practically radiated good vibes and Raven felt them. Their talk had been short but fun and Raven was glad her sister was safe. Now all she had to worry about was getting old too fast. Was that why she had that new white streak in her hair? At least Anise thought it was a hairstyle she was trying out.

Truth was, Raven had woken up with the white streak. It wasn’t there yesterday or the months before that and there was no way she could have missed it… right?

As she moved to her apartment, she shifted the bag of groceries to reach for her keys. She unlocked her door and pushed it open. She stepped inside and pushed the door with her foot to close it, unsuccessfully. Deciding to go for it later, Raven continued into her apartment to place the groceries on the kitchen counter but she froze. Something tickled her nose and she took a deep breath to smell baby powder.

With a gasp, Raven dropped the groceries to get into a stance at the exact time a blonde dropped in front of her. She heard more drop from the rafters as she raced toward the first blonde. He got ready but Raven pivoted to the side and jumped onto a chair. With a grunt, she pushed off and rolled over the counter into the kitchen. She grabbed a sharp knife and turned to see eight blondes staring at her with wicked smiles.

The one closest made to grab her but Raven kicked him away and stabbed the middle of his chest with the knife, leaving it there. The blonde man grunted and wheezed, sinking to the floor and grabbing his chest. Raven turned to see the others start to move forward and rolled back over the counter to give herself space.

Raven ducked under the next one’s punch and pivoted around to kick at his back while blocking another hit to her face. She reached under and sent a quick jab behind the blonde’s arm and he grunted as she kicked at his face next. He stumbled away, his arm limp. Raven gasped as another blonde kicked at her back, sending her stumbling forward to another blonde who punched her. Raven grunted but turned with the punch to back punch the blonde. Her knuckle hurt but she ignored it to jab at the distracted blonde. She had him immobile as she cartwheeled over him to avoid another punch. She turned and kicked at the next closest blonde but he ducked and sent a strong sidekick into her chest.

With a shout, Raven flew back and hit the floor of her apartment hard, the air knocked from her lungs. Groaning, Raven whirled her legs over her to turn. She pushed herself up as another blonde stood in front of her and managed to kneel before him as he kicked. Raven blocked his kick and punched twice at his middle before jabbing at his thighs. The blonde grunted and his knees began to give way when Raven leaned on her hands and kicked up at him, making him jump back and tumble to the floor. His legs were numb.

Rolling, Raven stood up and faced the others, her coffee table between them. They were so strong. She noticed none of them were panting but she was. Hell, she knew bruises were already forming on her body and her hands were shaking but she couldn’t focus on that.

“You’re coming with us,” a blonde growled.

Thinking quickly, Raven remembered what her father had said to her: “Do not give up without a fight but living to fight another day is just as important.”

And Heaven knew she’d put up a fight.

“Pass!” Raven used her left foot to kick up the table and sent it into the first blonde’s chest before whirling around and running full speed to a window. Holding her breath so she wouldn’t lose her nerve, Raven crashed through the window and flew out. With a tiny squeal, Raven grabbed onto a tree branch and used it to stop swinging. With a glance at the not so far ground, Raven let go and landed with a grunt. Looking up to her apartment, she saw three blondes stick their heads out of the window she’d crashed.

Before they decided to come after her, Raven forced her stiffening-from-shock body to run.

She pelted across the street and ducked into an alley. She jumped onto a Dumpster and used a building’s escape ladder to climb up to the roof. She practically threw herself over the edge to the roof; so tired. She army-crawled to the edge of the building and glanced back at her apartment. The blondes were arguing and gesturing at the window she’d gone through. One of them sat on her couch and flipped on her tiny TV. The others began to look through her things.

Cursing, Raven wished she’d packed a kit for this kind of thing. She should have been ready. Now she put herself and Anise at risk. Smacking her already hurt forehead, Raven did a self-inventory.

Nothing was missing and nothing was broken. But her chest hurt where one of them had kicked her and her cheek burned from one of their punches. She was covered in sweat from the effort she had to put into her attacks. She reached up to rub the back of her hand on her lip and saw blood. Alright so her lip was bleeding too. She looked at her knuckles. Three were cut and bleeding and her second knuckles were swollen. It was like punching at brick again.

Raven sighed and analyzed her situation next. She was unarmed and the blondes were physically strong. She was hurt and they were in her apartment, gathering more information on her. If she didn’t act soon, she’d be putting Anise in danger. If she did act in her current condition, she’d be killed or disabled completely. Cursing like a sailor, Raven looked at her apartment again as the sun began to set.

The blondes were trashing the place, searching every nook and cranny. They were tossing her clothes everywhere. They hadn’t yet found the only frame with a picture of herself with Anise.

Anise… shit! Raven felt her heart race. If they found that picture and targeted her sister to get to her…

From the corner of her eye, Raven saw a giant black shape strolling up the block. She stared when she realized it was Mr. Muscle from the other night. He was still walking with his limp but still looked as strong as ever. She watched as he walked into her apartment building, wondering what he’d do when he saw all the blondes.

She knew the exact moment when Mr. Muscle appeared at her apartment because all the blondes moved forward at once. A few seemed to fly back as if Mr. Muscle had thrown them. Then Mr. Muscle came tearing out of the building, followed by four blondes while the rest seemed to return to the apartment.

Her apartment was still not safe so Raven forced herself to move. She army crawled back to the staircase and slid down it, landing on the Dumpster with a grunt. She tested her body by jumping off the Dumpster with a flip. She could run and she did.

She raced down the street in the same direction as Mr. Muscle had. He was fast on his feet, she realized when she saw his leather coat turn a corner two blocks up and the blondes all race after it. She followed, cutting through alleys and jumping fences with minor difficulty. She had to keep off the blonde’s radar or she’d be in for the fight of her life again.

Raven jumped over a fence and realized that she was now in the direction Mr. Muscle was running. She jumped back over the fence and heard the sounds of fighting a second after she landed. She didn’t dare move a muscle as she overheard the grunts and screams of guys in pain. She heard an eerie silence followed by four popping sounds and flashes of light.

Raven fought the urge to look over the fence as she listened with everything she had. Where did the flashes of light come from? She heard tired, ragged breathing start to move away with the sound of heavy feet.

Mr. Muscle won.

Raven jumped off the wall to hold onto the fence and peeked over it. There were pools of black liquid on the ground but no bodies. Raven rolled over the fence and jumped around the pools to look around the corner of the alley. Mr. Muscle hopped into a giant SUV and drove off, looking angry.

Raven waited a bit before moving to a mini four-door Sedan Cooper and used a key around her neck to open the door. Then she reached under the wheel and hot-wired the car. She followed Mr. Muscle at a fair distance, letting him take the turns before she did.

He turned off the road and drove up a long driveway to an amazing mansion looking place. Raven continued driving and realized that if she hadn’t followed Mr. Muscle, she would never have found the place. She put the car back and left it as it was when she’d gotten into it. Then she began to plan her next moves.

The next morning, she went to her PO box and took out her police issue gun holster and placed a gun into it. Then she took out an extra wallet that only contained $500 in cash and went to an armed goods store. She bought a hip holster for two knives and extra gun ammo. She hid her whole arsenal under a dark green windbreaker. She also bought gloves after going to a pharmacy to buy first aid essentials and a sidesaddle bag for the kit.

After reassuring the cashier that she didn’t require medical help and that she was fine, she left the store wondering just how bad she looked. Then Raven started the long walk to Mr. Muscle’s mansion, while also cleaning herself up.

The blondes had shown up in her apartment. It wasn’t safe anymore. They already knew too much. Then Mr. Muscle showed up. If those two were focusing on her now, they were going to have another thing coming. They’d violated her space, made her run, jeopardized Anise’s safety.

If they make a move on her, I’m going to kill everyone until we’re left alone. Starting with you, Muscles!

Brotherhood of Eternity - Chapter 2: Isaac

 Who was she?

Isaac growled as he searched the perimeter of the park but the female was long gone. He then bent over to the disciple that had dragged her and went through his pockets before finishing the job. He managed to pick up eight wallets before stuffing them into his coat pocket. He still couldn’t get the female out of his mind. The way she moved was graceful and powerful. His arm tingled as he moved it. She had made his best arm useless with a single hit. How did she do it? With a snarl, he pulled out his phone and called the others.

“What’s up, bro?” Wyatt answered.

“Found an injured civilian in the park and was attacked by disciples. They’re dead but there was something else.”

“What is it?” Wyatt asked.

“I’ll tell you and the others about it later. I’m headed home.”

“Want a ride?”

“No, I’ve got my own,” Isaac hung up and moved to his car.

That human female with the dark flowing hair had cut herself on a disciple’s cursed dagger. She was in so much trouble. He had to find her or else he and his brothers could have one more disciple to look out for. Unless tonight was her try-out… but then it wouldn’t make sense. Why would they drag her away from him by her fucking throat if she was trying out?

One thing was for sure, she was a fighter. Her moves were one of a kind. There was something about her. She was different. Very different.

Especially now with disciple blood in her veins, Isaac thought ruefully. He should have stopped her.

Slamming his car door shut, Isaac pushed the gas to the Pit.

Upon entering, he waved Luther away before the servant could begin to coddle. He walked past the library, where he heard two female tones speaking. Eliza and Mary were talking about books.

He phoned the others before walking into Damian’s study. The Blind King sat behind a desk, which he was leaning on, rubbing his temples.

“Rough night?” Isaac asked with a smile.

“I can’t read any of the papers these aristocrats want me to sign and Eliza has to read all the books in the library just to understand some of them,” Damian growled. “How was your night on patrol?”

“I’m waiting on the others to begin my report,” Isaac said. “It was… an interesting night.”

“How interesting?”

Before Isaac could answer the door opened again and three others walked in: Liam, Wyatt and Rubin.

“Where’s Z?” Isaac asked.

“Ah, you know him,” Wyatt said. “Always has to be fashionably late.”

“Why did you call us together anyway?” Rubin asked.

“Isaac wants to tell us about his night of patrol in Sector 7,” Damian said.

“And while we wait for Z, I can tell you that in Sector 4 there are a lot of sweet females. I mean, really sweet.” Wyatt said.

“What would Mary say if she heard you now?” Rubin wondered, crossing his arms. Wyatt seemed to pale as he raised his hands. “Should I let her know?”

Wyatt began to shake his head violently and wave his arms. “If you do that, I won’t hear the end of it for months. And then I’ll have to spend more time with you.”

The door opened just as everyone burst into laughter and there stood what everyone would consider the most dangerous of the Brotherhood… well, a few months ago.

Zeke walked in and looked around the room as the other brothers quieted down. Then Isaac decided to break the silence.

“How’s Bonnie?”

Zeke turned his cold eyes on his brother and they seemed to warm a little deep, deep down. “She’s well. And Leela is growing swiftly.”

The Brothers congratulated him but Z just looked at the floor, not making eye contact or showing any sign of acknowledgement.

“Alright, so I called you all here to report,” Isaac said. “I found an injured civilian in the park of Sector 7. Just as I helped him, four disciples showed up and surrounded me. The civilian ran and none of the disciples moved to him.”

“Why would they go for beef jerky when filet mignon just showed up,” Wyatt said with a scoff.

“Then what happened?” Damian asked.

“I fought them and killed them all temporarily to take their wallets. But I didn’t realize that a human female had been watching. When I found her, I approached her to remove her memory. She wouldn’t let me,” Isaac said remembering how the female kept stepping backwards. “So I grabbed her head to make eye contact… she punched me in three places and I couldn’t breathe. Then she punched somewhere behind my arm and she numbed it! My arm was useless for a few minutes.”

“You let a human female hit you? More than once?” Wyatt teased. “You losing your touch?”

“She was a fighter. She knew just where to hit to get a reaction,” Isaac defended. “It’s like she takes you down from the inside.”

Wyatt and the others stared at him.

“Was she part of the disciples?” Rubin asked.

“I thought that too until one of them tossed a rope around her head and dragged her away from me by the throat,” Isaac said and even his brother seemed shocked by that fact. “Then more showed up and I fought with them. I turn back to her and she has the disciple on the ground, unmoving, while she’s trying to figure out the rope. She used the disciple’s blade to cut the ropes—”

“She cut herself,” Liam suddenly cut in and Isaac turned to him, surprised.

“Did she cut herself?” Damian asked and Isaac nodded. The Brothers cursed.

“Where is she now?” Rubin asked.

“I don’t know. She sent the disciple on me and ran away,” Isaac said. “She’s quick.”

“And smart,” Liam added, stroking his goatee in thought.

“How deep was the cut?” Damian asked.

“Not deep. A tiny one inch cut but it bled,” Isaac answered.

“We have to find her,” Damian said. “She doesn’t know what kind of monster she’s turning into. If we get to her in time, we could stop the transformation. If not…”

Isaac glanced away, knowing the next part of that sentence.

“Isaac, you know if it’s too late to help her, we have to kill her,” Damian said, trying to be gentle.

Isaac nodded as his mind replayed the images of that night. “She won’t go easy… I vow to do it myself.”

Damian nodded. “You also know the risk of bringing her here. She can’t know what we are. The disciples will be looking for her too. She could lead them right to us.”

Isaac didn’t make eye contact. He couldn’t fathom the thought of taking an innocent female’s life… especially a human one.

“Alright, so we have a human female turning disciple on the loose,” Rubin said suddenly. “What were in those wallets?”

“I haven’t looked through them yet,” Isaac pulled out the wallets and passed a few around.

Together, the Brothers and Damian looked through the wallets.

“I have an address,” Wyatt announced.

“I have one too,” Rue said.

“I have nothing on the disciples,” Zeke said. “But I found a few bucks and a fake I.D. with a female picture.”

Isaac quickly moved to him and took the I.D. card. He stared at the picture and then turned to Damian, “This is her.”

Damian didn’t move closer to look at the I.D. but the others did.

“She’s cute,” Wyatt said.

“She is indeed a looker,” Rue said.

“Don’t get too cozy,” Damian’s voice said suddenly. “She’s turning into a disciple.”

“They are getting a great asset,” Wyatt said with a grin.

“It won’t come to that!” Isaac said with a growl. “We have to find her soon,” he snatched the I.D. back and thrust it at Liam. “Run a trace.”

He left the room quickly and went to his own room, leaving his Brothers behind.