Irene covered Aliyah up with the blanket and sighed. She caressed her head softly and leaned down to kiss her forehead, slowly casting a spell on her to make her sleep better just like she has been doing every night for the past two months.
“So now we understand she feeds on blood. Should we be worried about what she would feed on as a demon?” Sean asked.
“Not really. Royal blood demons are like the night howlers, they feed on food and only take their demon form when there are irritated or wants to fight,” Rasmus explained.
Sean nodded, remembering that night in the palace that Irene was wounded and the rogues were attacking. The form that Edward had taken making him not recognize him initially. He shuddered at the hideous creature; the red face, the extra feet that made him look like a giant and those glowing red eyes. “Ever wondered why he didn’t take his form during that fight?”
Irene and Rasmus sighed and Sean knew why. They really can’t understand why Edward never fought the High council chiefs and the High howlers with his demon form and demon powers until last resort when he used it to save them. It was still a mystery to them judging from the fact that they all knew he would have stood a chance of surviving if he had.
“We can never know that now, now shush, she needs her sleep, let’s go,” Irene ordered and shooed them out of the room.
“Quick question, where did you get the rabbit?” Sean asked Rasmus.
Just then, they heard a shilling scream from next door, followed by, “Mr. Whiskers is gone, Mom, Mr. Whiskers is gone.”
Sean gave Rasmus a disapproving look and the man shrugged. “Would you have rather I took her instead?”
“No,” Sean replied, “but then, you know how much she loves that rabbit.”
“If I hadn’t taken that rabbit the time I did, Sean, trust me, my lady would have hurt Irene.”
“Rasmus is right,” Irene answered as they all sat on the floor in their living room. They had chosen the poorest neighborhood to hide their scents from the witches and rogues with the dirty environment. And so, naturally, the house they rented was completely empty with cracks on the walls and leakage on the ceilings. “Never underestimate the strength of a hungry nightwalker.”
Sean nodded. “What are we to do then? I don’t think I need to tell you that we would be the suspects,” he chuckled. In as much as they try to blend in, their neighbors always seem to see through them and then dislike them. Children hardly come close to him and Rasmus whenever they were patrolling outside and they loved it that way. They don’t need to create bond with anybody, they are not there for leisure after all.
“Don’t we always?” Rasmus rolled his eyes. “I will get her a new rabbit tomorrow, if that’s okay.”
“She will know the difference,” Sean said.
“Not true, I will get exactly the same one.”
Irene smiled. “One thing you don’t know about children is that they always know their pets, no matter how identical it can be, they always know.”
“Yeah,” Sean nodded. “I had one toy growing up and Eric’s parent’s got him exactly the same one. When he spoilt his own when we were all playing, he had it fixed and then tried to switch it with mine. I didn’t even touch it and knew it wasn’t mine when I saw it.”
“And that was just a toy, now talk about a living breathing thing that it’s obvious she must have taught some things which the new one obviously won’t know,” Irene said.
“Then what are we going to do?” Rasmus asked but a violent knock on the door seized their discussion.
Irene sighed, “I will handle this. I’m the people person in this group,” she chuckled and got up. She went to the door and putting on a warm smile, opened the door. “Yes?” she said to the angry mother who was holding the hand of a crying girl.
“I demand to see your husband,” the woman said.
“Excuse me, why?”
“Because he took my daughter’s Mr. Whiskers,” the woman yelled.
“Can you please keep it down, my pregnant daughter is asleep.”
“I don’t care! Get your husband here right now, or I will scream this building down and tell our neighbors what you did.”
“I don’t understand, you came knocking at my door and not only do you demand to see my husband but you are accusing him of stealing your daughter’s cat?”
“He is not a cat, he is a bunny,” the little girl said amidst cry.
“Mr. Whiskers is a bunny? Oh, I didn’t know, sorry about that,” Irene smiled at the girl and then turned to the mother. “Can you please tell me what makes you think my husband took your daughter’s bunny?”
“She came running into my room, crying that she saw someone like your husband jump into her room through the window. I told her it was just a dream, I mean, we live on the sixth floor, how can he jump into her room from the window?”
“Exactly,” Irene added.
“So I tried to calm her down,” the mother continued, “but when she went back to her room, she discovered that her Mr. Whiskers is gone and he was there when she came to my room. So tell me, how could her pet disappeared just after she claimed seeing your husband?”
“You just said it yourself. We live on the sixth floor, how can my husband climb up into her room?”
The woman was breathing like a raging bull and it was clear that even her was wondering about the same thing. “You tell me.”
“The only thing I can tell you is that your daughter had a bad dream and I am telling you that it was not my husband that she saw. We have all been inside tonight because my daughter had a little problem.”
“Then what about Mr. Whiskers?” the crying girl asked.
Irene smiled and leaned down to her level, “sweetheart, Mr. Whiskers is a wild animal, he may have left the house without you knowing or he could have crawled under somewhere. You said he’s a bunny, which means that he’s small so he can fit in almost everywhere.”
“But, but…” the girl repeated until her mother pulled her behind her, making Irene to stood erect to look at her.
“I know there is something going on with you. You daughter has only been seen the day that you moved into this place and after that, your husband and son are always outside at nights. I don’t know what it is yet but I will figure it out, just like I know that your husband took Mr. Whiskers. I won’t rest until I get to the bottom of this and when I do, trust me when I say that I will make sure that everyone in this neighborhood knows about it so that you are not accepted anywhere else. Come Milly, let’s go. Mommy will save some money and get you another Mr. Whiskers.” With one last glare at Irene, they walked over to their door and got in, slamming the door shut.
Irene sighed and closed the door, turning then to the men in the house. “That’s a problem.”
“Say the world and she won’t leave to see another day, I need to feed after all,” Rasmus said.
“Come on Rasmus, the walls have ears. Trust me when I say that everyone in this building heard us talking and if she doesn’t wake up tomorrow then, we are doomed and we don’t want that.”
“As much as I dislike her attitude, Irene is right, we can’t do anything now. In fact, we can’t do anything to her at all,” Sean added.
Rasmus shrugged. “Whatever. I need to tell you guys something.”
“What is it?” They asked.
“I need to go to the palace,” he said.
“What?” Irene asked while Sean was in shock. “The witches and the rogues are always there, do I need to remind you of that.”
“Exactly. It’s a suicide mission,” Sean commented.
“I know, but if I don’t then our next move would be really difficult.”
Irene frowned then, “how so?”
“We are low on cash, Irene, we have been living off you all this while and even you know that you didn’t stack away a lot of money when you dropped by your hut the last time.”
“Why do you need to go to the palace then?” Sean asked.
“He was not a called a prince for nothing. There is a treasure room back in the palace filled with enough gold bars that would last us a life time, including our generations to come. The prince and his knights had nothing to do with their time so they had traveled around, picking up golds and jewelries that worths a fortune. That’s why the high chiefs are not poor, their fathers left them all their wealth. Prince Edward never had a family of his own so he just stacked them in a room in his palace. I know which room it is, I took a few gold bars that I used in renovating his house when he was asleep. Just one of those would last us for two years or more.”
Irene nodded knowing that he was right. “It’s going to be dangerous.”
“That’s why I will be going alone. I will be faster and lighter alone.”
Sean and Irene shared a look, knowing there was no other choice. “When would you be leaving?”
“Right now. We don’t know what would happen in the next minute.”
“Be careful,” Irene said. “Let me make a potion for you, take it every hour to hide your scent from the witches.”
“Thank you,” Rasmus said.
“No, thank you,” she smiled and went into the kitchen.
“Hey,” Irene sighed just as Rasmus was getting ready. “Be careful, alright?” she handed him a small bottle which he took, his fingers brushing her skin lightly. She glanced down at her feet, hiding the colors that crept on her cheeks. Ever since the fight in the meadow, she and Rasmus had been playing family to hide in the human world while Sean and Aliyah are their children. She doesn’t know if it was her character that was getting to her but she knows for a fact that she had started caring a little too much for the man and also, thinking about him in ways she has never thought of any man but Edward. The problem is that sometimes the man gives her the attitude that he was on the same boat with her and sometimes he doesn’t. She had found herself wishing to have a vision about them to know what the future holds for them but the vision doesn’t work like that.“Thank you and rest assured that I would come back to you,” Rasmus whispered.Her head sprang up and she looked deeply into his b
“High Alpha,” a man bowed in front of Damien and the man sighed.“What is it now?” he asked.“It’s the rogues,” the servant answered.“Again?” Damien asked.“Yes Alpha, and they looked more deranged the more.”Damien sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Any news from the high chiefs?”“Not yet alpha. We have sent ten letters to them upon your request but they have not replied to any.”Damien exhaled. “Malachi is still in mourning for the death of the prince so it’s understandable. Any news about Aliyah?”“Nothing alpha. The witches are also looking for her as well.”“So she has not contacted her parents since then?”“No single news. We have kept close eyes on them and they have never left their pack. The Luna hardly leaves her room in fact and Alpha Alan, although he carries out his alpha duties, he is like a walking corpse.”Damien nodded and waved the man away. He rested his head on his chair’s headrest as he was overcome with thoughts. The witch Melissa had confessed to them
Sean put on his clothes and picked up the bunny he had got in the woods and then walked. He put on the hood of his hoodie with his head bowed and the bunny tucked in his arms. His senses were on high alert and being a wolf, he could hear ten times better than an average human so he focused his attention on whisperings, wanting to know who to avoid and when to start running. Luckily, he got to their neighborhood without being spotted and nothing said about him other than the human wondering what could be his problem.He smiled when he saw the person he was looking for and walked up to her. “Hello Milly.”The little girl turned and on seeing him, she retreated a step back. “My mommy said I should stay away from you.”Sean smiled, “why, did I do anything?”“She said you are strange; your entire family is strange and she said that I should stay away from you.”“Well, you can go back to staying away from me but just give me your attention today, okay?”The girl glanced around them and then
Rasmus was getting ready to leave after waiting in the treasure room for night to fall when he heard a whisper. He leaned closer to the door and placed his hear on it and the whisper came again but he was able to hear what the person was saying. “The dead rogues suggest that he is here.”“Shush,” another voice shunned. “He is a nightwalker, he can hear you, you know.”“But I’m whispering,” the first voice said.“Like whispers are too low for a nightwalker to hear,” the second voice mocked. “Come on, we have to check all the rooms and signaled Melissa about the update while at it. If we are lucky, he can lead us to the princess.” Their footsteps started fading and Rasmus sighed. He had been taken Irene’s potion every hour like she had ordered and he was out now. He had just taken the last drop before he heard the witches and that means that he has an hour to get back to the human realm. The potion hides his scent not make him invisible so that means he has to avoid being spotted by the
“He is not back yet?” Aliyah asked Sean and together, they both glanced at Irene who had been pacing in front of the window for the past five hours.Sean sighed and shook his head. “He said he would be back in the evening and it’s half past ten already. Even if he was afraid of walking under the setting sun —which we know he is not— he should be back by now. I mean, it’s pitch black out there.”“Something is wrong,” Irene said. “I mean, he has never said he would do something and never do it the exact time he said he would.”“Do you think he went back home, you know, the High council?” Aliyah asked and both Sean and Irene glared at her.“Come on Aliyah, cut him some slack,” Sean said.Aliyah raised her hands up while saying, “just saying. I mean, the last time he snuck out like that, someone died,” she shrugged.Irene sighed and shook her head. “I’m going out to look for him.”“Hello, he is a nightwalker, where are you going to look for him?” Aliyah asked.“I’m coming with you,” Sean
Rasmus sighed and opened his eyes, he could still feel the witches spell trying to take over him but he was resisting. The spell wasn’t as strong as it was when they were newly casting it so he knew now that he can go home, hopefully, Irene can save him from it. He had purposely wandered around the human realm, making sure that he wasn’t being followed and he wasn’t being driven home by some power.Getting up from where he lies, he shook his head to shake off the dizziness of the spell and clutching onto his bag, he started walking home. Running now would only make him dizzier and so he refrained from it.Irene hadn’t gone far when she heard Sean and Aliyah calling for her, she was surprised to see them initially but was glad they came out to help, she would love the company a lot. With the street lights on, they didn’t need a touch to see where they were going, not that it would have been a problem for Sean and Aliyah because of their night vision but they all enjoyed the amber glow
A woman walked into a prison and bowed on seeing the man standing there. “I’m sorry for being late,” she bowed.“It’s okay,” Damien shook his head, “the good thing is you are here. Can you take a look at him?”Catherine nodded and walked to one of the cells there. There was a wolf in there, its eyes were white like it has been glazed over with a white paint and spittle drooled from its jaw. One look at it, one would know that it has gone derange but it is not a rogue, after all, everyone knows now that only the rogues look like that. “Another one?”“Sadly yes. And it’s really tiring since nothing has been done about the others. However, I’m surprised that it’s happening here. Yes I have heard the news of the rogues biting and infecting some wolves but it has never happened here, not here.”“It doesn’t matter where it is happening, the most important thing is that we have to find out how to treat them. It’s a surprise since the rogues can shift into their human forms despite being like
“Alpha,” Aton barged into the hall and glanced at the man standing by the window. He quickly walked up to him and reported, “the rogues are here again.”“Then we do what we do best, we fight them,” Alan replied without as much as looking away from the window.“The warriors are already on it and from the looks of it, we are winning, as always,” Aton responded.“Any casualties?”Aton sighed at that and nodded. “Three men has been bitten. We already have them restrained.” Alan didn’t say anything and Aton sighed. “Do you think it will ever end?”“There is no cure for the infected ones, the rogues attack us twice or thrice in a week. So, I don’t think it will ever end, I think that they would keep attacking us and infecting us until we are all like them, slaves to whoever that is controlling them.”Aton licked his lips. “Do you think they are okay?”Alan knew about who he was asking about immediately and only then did he look away from the window to his loyal beta. “I don’t know. I just h