Chapter 27: Game of Cut-Throat


    Isaiah woke to light streaming down from above and put a hand over his face. It was near midday. He


    let out his mind and felt that there were at least thirteen people in the house. That was a lot for being


    delivered during the moon.


    He sat up and reached over one shoulder to scratch his back. The twin lines there were red with


    irritation and slightly scabbed over. He stood and grabbed a fresh pair of clothes. He felt really well fed


    which told him that he''d been more focused on that, then killing during the moon. Always a plus he''d


    rather kill them for substance than for the hell of it.


    He also mentally felt to see if he could catch something from ir. Of course he didn''t but what was


    new? He''d been lucky the first day she''de with the group to have felt her. He wondered what had


    changed in that time. Leaving the room he padded barefoot through the house moving toward the


    grand staircase. He could hear voices there. Curiosity led him to see what humans might entertain him.


    "Smash it out."


    "If you can''t go out a door. How the hell can you go out a window?" A woman''s voice said, it was a bit


    more high pitched. Kind of annoying really. Didn''t really flow all that well.


    Isaiah came down the hall and looked down the staircase. A blonde haired male was holding a chair


    and near him were two others. A light brown haired male and a dark haired woman. He had to do a


    double take because for an instant he thought ir was standing there. There was a disappointment


    that he pushed away. He''d find herter.


    "I''d prefer you didn''t smash the windows in my house." He said. "You can''t get out that way, but you


    should know that already." They spun around to look at him. The woman had been staring at the


    picture on the wall at the bottom of the staircase, ir''s picture of the caves. He was wondering where


    that ended up. He''d seen it moving around the house a few times along with other drawings she


    seemed to leave out. Like the house enjoyed them too.


    "Who are you?"


    "He''s that thing that ir told us about." Isaiah sighed inwardly. ir would warn them, probably had


    helped a few hide. By now she should have learned to just look out for herself. That little female was a


    perplexing thing and it just added to her. That and a few other things he could definitely name.


    "And where is ir?" Isaiah asked.


    "We haven''t seen her since the night we got here." Isaiah came down the stairs. The three looked


    panicked as he was holding them to the spot. He was well fed and they had weaker minds that he just


    went into. He didn''t want them to run yet, but it was draining. He was better at it in his other form.


    However if he changed he''d be feral. Fuck this ce and the restraint it put on him.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    There was a sudden re from the woman. Like a sharp jab to Isaiah''s mind. A defensive reflex from it


    and he immediately focused on her. His eyes narrowed and he pinned her with a harsh stare. He


    forced his mind into hers instantly searching it. For one second he''d had a sudden excitement and


    possible hope. She had a psychic signature, he however felt a curl to his lip for a moment.


    She made a cry of pain as he tore through it tearing down her barriers. He let her go with a bitter


    disappointment. She was psychic alright, just not what he needed. She wasn''t anywhere near the


    strength that he required and her blood type was wrong. Useless, fuck, he nearly walked over to snap


    her neck just for the fact for one second he thought Michael had failed. No, but she was useless. Her


    mind didn''t have the capacity to expand and train her talent. She was just food.


    If only he could take that signature and give it to ir. He''d bet his fucking life if ir was given a


    chance she''d learn. She''d get stronger, but she had no signature. However she had one hell of a


    mental block on her mind. Still if she was psychic she should have used it against him by now. ir''s


    blood type was right, he knew the moment he''d scented it. She had to be psychic or she would not


    survive what was needed. He pushed thoughts of her back. ir was starting toe to his thoughts a


    lot he realized.


    "What are your names?" He more demanded looking them over.


    "Leanne."


    "Carlos."


    "Giovanni."


    "Tell me Giovanni. Do you really think you''ll get out that way? Not worried even if you got out you


    wouldn''t hit the ground a broken mess. Or one of the hounds wouldn''t follow you, tear you to pieces?" It


    was clear that he hadn''t thought about the hounds, and he swallowed.


    "I''m willing to try." He answered, still holding the chair. Isaiah''s gaze moved over the couple and then


    back to Giovanni. Stupid, he wasn''t getting out.


    "You break the window and I''ll break both of your arms." Could they not feel the slight pressure from


    the house to stop? Of course not, humans were getting worse as the years progressed. However,


    Giovanni knew that Isaiah was being serious. He set the chair down as Isaiah was not in their heads


    controlling anything now. The three of them went very pale, as behind Isaiah two hell hounds walked up


    rather nonchntly. Isaiah looked at the hell hounds.


    "Full?" Beta gave a nod, Zeta gave a shake.


    "Do you y pool?" Isaiah asked and the three looked very confused. He never got tired of that


    reaction. They always expected him to just jump on them and rip them apart. Listen, blood lust and


    such got very dull without a bit of sport first.


    "N..no." The woman said. "I don''t know how." His gaze moved to the two men. He already knew the


    answer to his question.


    "Yes." Was the answer from both.


    "Good, d neither of you lied. Not that it matters I''d have made you y anyways. Follow." Isaiah


    looked over his shoulder. "Don''t force me to make you either, or I''ll let them have at you right now."


    They went down the hall to a set of stairs and went down. He waved his hand and a door opened. They


    went in and two pool tables were there, one green and one red.


    Zeta and Beta followed them in having been behind the humans forcing them forward. Zeta jumped up


    on the green one. Both of them in the form of dogs at the moment. Still the humans looked nervous.


    The door shut and Isaiah moved to a cab pulling out a deck of cards.


    "What are we doing?" Carlos asked.


    "I get very bored in this house. Do you know how long I''ve been stuck in here?" He didn''t wait for an


    answer. "A very long time, and I get little groups of humans to y with. I caught you and you belong to


    me now. You signed your life to this house, and to feed me and mine. You''re going to y my game,


    refuse and I''ll kill you anyways."


    "So you''re going to kill us when it''s done? What the hell''s the point?" Giovanni nearly shouted.


    "Do you know what happens when I make a promise?" Isaiah asked, looking at Giovanni who had


    spoken. "I have to uphold it."


    "Two of you are going to leave this room alive. One of you is going to feed Zeta." Zeta''s head perked


    up and the humans were giving off so much fear it was feeding the three of them. Speaking to the


    predator in them.


    "How do we do that?" Leanne asked with a shaking voice.


    "You''re going to y each other for it. Ever y cut-throat?" Both men nodded.


    "Excellent, I''ll give you your numbers. And then you can have at it. No speaking what your numbers are


    to others." He said looking at the couple. "All three of you will y."


    "But she doesn''t know how."


    "Then she better learn fast." Isaiah said. "And she better hope that you don''t go after the ones that are


    hers." Giovanni and Carlos would be evenly matched, and Leanne was not good. However it would


    also be two on one. He didn''t doubt that the couple would find a non verbal way ofmunicating.


    Leanne was an empath, he would find it interesting. Not a very strong one, but fear had a way of


    amplifying them. On a normal day she probably would never be able to control it or even realize it was


    there.


    "This is twisted."


    "Hence why I find it entertaining." Isaiah said with a quick smile. "Nothing better than watching one


    battle for their life. You''d be surprised how intense such a simple game bes when the oue is


    dire." The three of them grabbed a pool stick. Carlos handed one he thought would suit Leanne best.


    He quickly told her how the game was yed and they stared at each other worried. Isaiah gave them


    their cards with the numbers that they were.


    "Giovanni can have the break." Isaiah said and then they started the game. Zeta watched closely


    though she didn''t understand how the game worked. She loved seeing the tension and concentration


    on the faces of her prey.


    Isaiah stayed quiet watching them from where he leaned against the wall. He liked things like this to


    figure out the human mind as well. He listened to them mentally. The more he did so, the easier it was


    to manipte them. To learn how to read one when you weren''t in their head. He saw the way that


    Leanne and Carlosmunicated with looks and gestures so small that it was hard to tell. However


    Giovanni was very good, he knew pool very well.


    It was a rather good game, but also fast as the two men were good. Carlos had two balls left, while


    both Giovanni and Leanne had one each. Zeta had shifted to what she really was, but none of them


    noticed as they were so engrossed in the game. The concentration of the yers was immense. Their


    whole world revolved around that rectangr ying field.


    It was Carlos''s choice, and he was looking at the two that weren''t his. The two and the eight ball. He


    was staring at the eight ball as it was the best shot but he didn''t know which Leanne''s was. Leanne


    gave off a desperate and oppressive feeling as Carlos looked at the eight ball and he instantly switched


    to the two ball. Isaiah gave a kind of half smile, how quaint.


    Carlos took very careful aim and he knew that it was Giovanni''sst ball. However he was fine with the


    man being dinner rather than the woman. He was just buying them a few more days of life as far as


    Isaiah was concerned. Still in the back of his head Carlos never thought he''d have to make a choice


    like this. That he was capable of it, and now he realized that he could choose. He could pick a life over


    another and not feel much for it. That was survival wasn''t it?


    He hit the cue ball and the two rolled to the side pocket. For one second it just teetered on the edge


    and then went in. The three of them stood there for a moment. Giovanni looked like he was going to be


    sick. The fact that Isaiah really meant what he had said wasn''t sinking in yet. This was all still new, still


    sinking in.


    "Carlos and Leanne as promised you may leave unimpeded. You are free to go." They jumped, no one


    had been talking all this time. The two of them had spotted Zeta and were extremely eager to get out of


    the room. Giovanni moved but Isaiah spoke.


    "You lost, don''t worry she''s not in the mood to y with her food today. That''s lucky for you." Zeta stood


    on the other table looking at Giovanni.


    "You can''t do this kind of shit!" He said as Zeta lept down and moved toward him, Giovanni slipping


    around the table as Isaiah moved toward the door. The man looked ready to fight but he was going to


    lose.


    "I can do whatever I want." The couple was already far down the hall at a dead run.


    "Should have just left the window alone. I''d have made the two of them y each other instead." That


    really would have been an interesting game.


    Zeta jumped up onto the red table. There was no ce for Giovanni to go, and he backed up. Isaiah


    went out the door and walked down the hallway. He''d left the door open. There was a snarl and the


    sound of breaking wood. Then the scream of pain that was short lived. Guess Zeta really wasn''t in the


    mood to y with her food today.


    Beta was still in the room and simply would wait till Zeta had filled herself before seeing if he wished to


    join. Isaiah went up the stairs, he felt the spike of fear from those that were near where the man was


    that had screamed. Everyone knew what pain and agony sounded like. Isaiah mentally checked those


    around that he could feel. A couple with decent mental blocks but nothing psychic. He let out an


    annoyed sound thinking.


    Michael had messed up, the first time by letting Leanne in. However to his credit it was very hard to tell


    that she was even psychic. It came and went from her, nothing reliable. He needed someone on par


    with Athena. She had had unbelievable control of her talent. He should really stop thinking Michael


    would fail. He''d had years of practice at his talent. No young mortal was going to have the skill level to


    compare to either of them. That would be like catching lightning in a bottle.


    Isaiah was feeling in a rather good mood at the moment despite this. He''d had a rather entertaining


    afternoon so far. He was well fed, and there were plenty of humans still in the house to y with over


    the next twenty seven days or so till the next full moon. In terms of good days for him, he considered


    what had gone on today to be pretty high on the list.


    No one had tried to stab, shoot, or maim him in any way. That always pissed him off. The humans he''d


    yed a game with had done so with little to noint or force. However he did desire more to add


    to it, and that was why he now hunted for a trace of ir. Hunting her down put a smile on his face that


    was hard to shake.