One Of The Shadows

Aiko

   He got off of me and frowned at me, looking me over.

   "Who are you?" He asked.

   "Are you Grayem?" I asked again.

   "Yes. And you?"

   "Annora St'Kline."

   "What do you want?"

   "I want you to help me."

   "What would I get in return?"

   I stopped and thought about it. I couldn't think of anything that I could give him. But if I could it would be "anything." I told him.

   "Anything?"

   "Anything that you want that I can give."

   "What do you want me to do?" He crossed his arms.

   "My friend recently died."

   "You want me to bring them back? Where did you hear that I could even do that?"

   "I did a lot of research. You take the very essence of life from people. I think that you can hold on to it, maybe gain power from their life source. I want you to put that life source into him. Bring him back."

   "Even if I could do that, all I get is anything you could give me?"

   I nodded.

   He thought it over. "Would that include you?"

   "What?"

   "Would you give yourself to me? Are you willing to do that?"

   I nodded. "Anything."

   He started walking away and I followed him, quickly grabbing my bags. "By the way, I don't hold onto their life source, I transfer it. I could hold on to it, but I want to give it up. I'm already plenty powerful."

   "Who would you give it to?"

   He turned and looked at me, "my sister."

   "So that's why you kill? To give her the power? Or does it only keep her alive? Does that mean he wouldn't last long? My friend, would he not get to live very long?"

   He shrugged. "I don't have any fancy medicine, he might. That could keep him alive, but not revive him. But just in case I would need to get heaps of lives for him. Are you willing to help?"

   "I would go to the ends of the earth for him. And beyond. Of course I'm willing to take some useless lives."

   He hesitated. "You care about him that much?" He had his head down and I stood behind him, but his voice sounded darker somehow.

   "Yes."

   He nodded and continued to walk. "I think you and my sister will get along. Her name's Aiko."

   "Is that Japanese?" I asked him.

   "We renamed ourselves after our whole lives were ruined."

   "How old is she?"

   "Fifteen."

   We walked until we came to a small log cabin with cobwebs covering the front and the door looking old. Grayem had no problem walking right in, but I hesitated.

   "Come on, you won't die," he said irritably.

   I walked in. The main room had a fraying couch with sunken cushions and the kitchen looked pretty beat down. No TV. No pictures. It looked lifeless. One of the windows was broken with glass on the inside.

   Grayem called his sister's name and came and stood next to me by the door. He still had his hands in his pockets.

   A younger girl ran in and stopped when she saw me.