A long blonde haired female sat with a short haired brunette as they devoured their breakfast, a mix of scrambled eggs and toast. “So, what are you planning for today?” The brunette asked in a rather relaxed tone as she downed a good deal of steaming coffee from the large owl mug resting an inch from her plate. The blonde shrugged slightly, Eva hadn’t considered what she would be doing aside from work. They may be witches, but they still had to earn a living. “I thought about getting some coffee and a piece of pie from that new coffee shop at lunch, but that’s about it.” She chuckled softly. Ana was older than Eva, about two years give or take a few months. It was clear she wasn’t at ease this morning, Eva just put it down to the fact that she wasn’t a morning person.
Little did Eva know, Ana had seen glimpses into this day long before it had come around. There was something lurking around her sister, and she was determined to protect her. “How about you blow off work, we can go get coffee in town. Maybe do some shopping?” Ana’s voice was tender, pleading even. Eva glanced toward her sister with a slight frown as she placed her fork down. “Ana, what’s wrong? You never want to take leave.” The brunette shrugged, “You know, sister time. We’ve both been working so much we barely see each other.” Well, she wasn’t wrong. Eva sighed deeply, rolling her eyes. “I’ll take this afternoon off; you can meet me outside Benny’s for lunch, then we can shop.” Ana’s features lit with a genuine smile, “Good,” She beamed before leaning in, pressing a tender kiss on Eva’s forehead before cleaning up their plates.
As Eva made her way toward the office she couldn’t shake the feeling of something looming over her. It just felt as if today was going to be a tough day. Eva Whitbane worked as an assistant to a CEO of a large art dealer. It wasn’t something she particularly had hoped to do but it paid well enough to keep their apartment and give them some extra cash. Ana worked as a secretary at a local law firm, even with them working so close, the girls struggled to see each other during the day. They usually spent the nights together, watching movies, drinking wine and cooking together. They were as close as sisters came.
Despite the turmoil of her usual work day, Eva found the day was swiftly passing. She’d almost missed her cut off time. The blonde checked her phone as she made her way out into the busy street. Usually, Ana would give her a text and let her know she was out. Nothing. Eva, absent-minded, crossed the road, swiftly sending a text to Ana to let her know. The next thing she knew, she was hurling toward the ground, her body colliding into the hard concrete of the side walk, her vision and hearing blurred; yet the blood curdling screams echoed within her mind.
A crowd of people began to brush past her; Eva could barely see what was happening. Someone offered her a hand, asking if she was okay. The older man who helped her up immediately asked her to sit back down once he noticed the blood trickling from the side of her forehead. His attention was soon diverted by the screams rippling from the crowd, they were all gathered by a car. Someone had been hit? Slowly, Eva rose, fighting the woozy feeling that dared attempt to take her over.
As she brushed past scared on lookers, she saw traces of blood over the road. It was only when she managed to brush past the last line of on lookers that she noticed how much blood was pooling at the scene. The crimson fluid spilled from a victim, staining their clothes and the lower half of their body. From the wound it appeared that the car had almost used the victim as a buffer. It was only when her gaze began to drift up the victim’s body, that clung to life, that her blood ran cold. Ana.
In a haze of fury, the petite blonde shoved her way through the crowd, seeing the older man tending to her sister, no doubt he was a doctor. “Ana!” Eva hissed, immediately rushing to her sister’s side. The brunette lay there, her skin slowly changing from a sun kissed tan to a rather pale, pasty colour. Eva could see the blood was stemming from her right leg, the bone had been forced through the muscle and skin. It almost made Eva gag. “It’s okay,” she breathed softly, brushing her sister’s hair from her face, “Eva,” She breathed hoarsely, “Don’t let them take you. You’re meant for great things,” Blood began to dribble over her lower lip, seeping down her face as her breathing became light.
“Please tell me there is something you can do.” She turned her gaze to the doctor who was trying to stop the bleeding. “Someone called an ambulance, young lady, this kind of wound… She will have internal bleeding. I’m not sure she’ll make it to hospital.” Tears immediately stung as they began to pour, Eva clung to her sister as she began to murmur a soft spell, Latin words echoing between them. “Come on Ana, say it with me.” She pleaded hopelessly. Ana was always the stronger witch; she had been the one to teach Eva everything that she knew. “Please, say it.” Eva cried softly, leaning down to touch her forehead against her sisters.
Pain filled screams echoed from within her. The moment the paramedics came she was torn away from Ana’s lifeless body, only allowed to look on as they confirmed her time of death before carting her away. “NO!” Eva screamed, fighting against the grasp of a young paramedic. “No, no no,” Her voice strained and broke as her heart filled with pain. The one thing in this life she loved, she was connected to, was all gone.
A few days later, Eva had made the trip up to their family. Well, coven. The girls had moved into the city together to begin a journey. That journey was over. Eva ordered their apartment to be put up for sale and packed her things. Her coven, which included her aunt and other close friends, were distressed to learn they’d lost one of their own, to a car no less. “Are you sure you didn’t sense… Darkness?” One asked, Eva shook her head as she entered the grand coven mansion, the place had been modernized since she’d been last, not that it registered to her.
After a good deal of discussion and comforting, Ana made her way up to her old room. Ana had the gift of sight, and her last words kept ebbing over and over in Eva’s mind. Don’t let them take you.. It wasn’t an accident; she knew something was going to happen. No doubt to Eva. The guilt consumed her at the thought, maybe Ana was the one who shoved her out of the way. She’d saved her.
Death has always been a harsh reality of the world. Everything that has a beginning must have an end. All beings that spring to life must one day embrace Death. However Death itself grew tired of working alone. Mankind was expanding, spreading across the globe and this is when Death decided to ensnare men by promising them immortality. However there was a catch to this. The ones who were given this so called gift of immortality were to serve Death till the end of times. They cut off all their desires in order to serve Death and do its work. These men or servants of Death were known as Reapers, blessed by Death with special powers. Thus the Bureau of Expiration came into being; a supernatural organization that was run by Reapers and presided over by Death. Now all Death had to do was issue orders in the form of a “Plan” and seldom recruit new Reapers.
The “Plan” was what one might call a timeline of the lives of people, which showed how they were destined to die. This was decided by Death itself and every Reaper had to carry out the “Plan” exactly as it was issued. There was no room for error, not even the slightest mistake was tolerated. The bureau worked like clockwork and had a proper chain of command, with Death being referred to as the “Chairman” by all Reapers. The rules of this organization were strict and stern. The slightest mistake made by a Reaper could result in him being terminated. The Reapers roamed among the mortal men, carrying out their tasks, never to be seen or discovered. Hence they maintained the balance and carried out the “Plan.” However there were times when uncontrolled events would occur, certain anomalies that lead to deviation from the “Plan”. Even Death could not predict these because not everything in the world in certain.
One such example of a deviation from the “Plan” was the death of Ana Whitbane. Ana Whitbane was not supposed to die that fateful day. Instead it was her sister that a Reaper had come to claim. However witches with a certain degree of power and the gift of sight had always been a pesky interference in the “Plan.” Death could never tolerate such meddling in its business and so to combat these anomalies, it had assigned certain high ranking Reapers to clean up the mess and bring the right soul back to Death. Eva Whitbane’s soul was what Death wanted. Not only the Reaper who failed was punished and terminated but the Bureau of Expiration sent one it’s most skilled Reapers to handle the matter. Eisenheim was an old and skilled Reaper, one who ranked high in the Bureau and his expertise were to solve these deviations from the plan. Never had he failed nor had he been late in his work.
The rules of the game were simple. Eisenheim was going to kill Eva Whitbane but he had to make it look like an accident. He had seven days to make it happen and he was not to be discovered by the witch during this time. If on the seventh day, he fails to kill the witch, the mission would be a failure and Eisenheim would be terminated. This looked like an easy job for him because he never took more than three days to complete such a task and he had been at it for centuries.
Eva Whitbane had retreated to her coven in the town of Greenfield. A small town but old and it seemed her coven owned quite a fancy mansion on the outskirts of town. Two days after the accident, Eisenheim appeared, emerging at the edge of the forest that bordered the hind side of the mansion. It was midnight and the game had begun. For a man who was centuries old, he looked like he was in the prime of his youth with jet black hair and well sculpted physique. Among the many rules that Reapers had, one of them was that they always dressed formally and wore a hat. The hat was their source of power. Without a hat, a Reaper was just an ordinary man who was immortal. They needed their hat to channel their powers. Each had their own preference, but Eisenheim donned a black bowler hat. He was dressed in a fancy looking suit and wore a long overcoat that went down to his knees. This was his uniform as some might say.
The man’s red hues gazed at the large mansion. A few rooms were lit and he could make out the silhouettes of girls wandering about. He had to be careful so he maintained a good amount of distance in order to avoid being detected. “Witches. Always the ones causing trouble. The day the earth is rid of all of them, I’ll be at peace.” The male whispered to himself and dug into the pockets of his coat to take out a small diary and a pocket watch.
The pocket watch was no ordinary one. Instead of having twelve numbers on its dial it only had seven; one representing a day. When the watch would complete one revolution, his time would be up. The clock had started ticking.
“Let’s see now. Eva Whitbane…… how should you die?” Once again he murmured to himself while opening the diary and skipping through the pages. There was no text in the pages. Only lines that kept moving and changing potions and moving around the page. This diary was the “Plan” and every Reaper had one. They used this to interpret Death’s orders and carry out their jobs. After studying the magically moving lines, Eisenheim got down on his knees and tapped the muddy ground. After a few seconds, a little rattle was heard and slowly a large rattle snake slithered over to his hand. “Good girl.” He cooed out, stroking the serpent’s head. The serpent seemed to be calm and obedient, as if it understood what the man wanted from it. “Go now, my little pet. Make sure the girl doesn’t wake up alive tomorrow.”
Snake bites were common in the area. With a little bit of his powers, Eisenheim made sure that the bite from the serpent would not be felt by Eva and it would bite her in her sleep. The venom would be enough to kill her in an hour and no one would know until morning. The event would look like an accident and the job would be done. Little did he know that things weren’t going to be so easy as he thought. He was confident but he decided to stick around near the mansion so he could make sure Eva got bit.
It was safe to say that Eva didn’t fall asleep, all she managed to do was toss and turn, slowly coming to terms with the fact that her dreams would be haunted by the devastating events she’d endured. Every moment she was almost taken by sleep, the vivid memory of Ana’s last words filled her mind. She couldn’t rid herself of them. It seemed that no matter how hard she tried, they returned to bring her back down. To cage her, prevent her from getting some relief. It was only when the clock ticked past two am that she decided she couldn’t lay in bed any longer. She needed answers, something just wasn’t right.
The female rose, her blonde curls messy and all over the place as she slipped on her black silk dressing gown. The slick material covered the short night dress she wore, thankfully. The last thing she needed was her coven picking at the way she dressed. Most of them were old fashioned, no sex before marriage, no boyfriends sleeping over, and certainly no sexy lingerie or provocative clothing. Eva wasn’t entirely sure that they would be fine with her dressing gown but it was better than nothing, of course.
It seemed the rest of the coven were asleep as Eva made her way down to one of the kitchens. Her room was located on the newly added section of the mansion, well, the newly renovated side. The interior was minimal, light and welcoming. The other side was kept in its original form, old fashioned furniture, log fires, various old dusty rugs. It was needless to say the mansion appeared to be two different places entirely.
Eva made it into the kitchen, grabbing a glass and filling it at the tap as she gazed outside into the darkness of the night. It was a beautiful place, no doubt about that. Something just felt… Off. As if there was something that she couldn’t fully control. A muffled sigh escaped her, she needed to know more about all of this. And exactly who Ana believed was following her. It must have been a group, several people. With that thought in mind, the young woman took her glass and made her way through the home, finally reaching the library located in the left wing of the home.
Slowly, she began to hunt through the books, taking sips of water as she went. Eva had no idea what she was looking for. There was no hunch, no inkling of what this could be. All she knew was that there had to be more than one. So that was where she would begin. Creatures or beings hunting in packs or groups. As Eva began to pull several books from the musky, old shelves she couldn’t help but feel as if she was being watched. The young woman placed the books on one of the old oak tables, settling down to read. It was only when she flicked through one specific book that she felt a cold chill. Rising from the table, she immediately began to glance around, something was in there with her.
It wasn’t long before she heard something, she wasn’t sure what it was but it sounded almost… like heavy silk being dragged across the hard wooden floor. It was a very light sound. Eva made her way past each isle, glancing down cautiously before noticing a trail in the dust, it had been moved. Eva frowned somewhat, a snake? There had been quite a few snake attacks in the area but they’d never made it into the mansion before. The blonde slowly followed the trail, maybe it was being controlled? Eva wasn’t sure what was wrong with it, but it didn’t seem natural. When her view finally settled upon the creature, she noticed the way it was staring at her, rising up in a defensive pose.
“Are you the threat, really?” Eva growled softly, her gaze never leaving the snake. The female murmured several curses. A snake of all things? The witch slowly began to murmur a soft chant, fire soaring from her palm and hurling toward the snake, it crackled and roared; rising into a powerful, volatile orb as it hurled through the air, striking its target. It didn’t take long for the creature to burn up, a pile of ash left in its wake. Eva was unamused to say the least. It was a clue, though. Without a second thought, Eva padded through the house toward the back door. No doubt the creature came in from the garden.
Fury rose up within her as she cast the back door open with a flick of her wrist, her bare feet repeatedly slamming down against the recently dew kissed grass. It was needless to say she was being brash. Yet, she couldn't quite bring herself to care. Ana was dead; all she wanted to know is why. What did Ana know that Eva didn't? Who was responsible for Ana getting this information? It was all too much. In reality, Eva needed a release. A target. She craved to lash out, to summon every possible piece of energy she had left and take revenge. Oh she was going to make them regret every move they'd made.
The female stood in the breeze, it lashed and caressed her tender skin, causing her gown to flutter around her form. "It's rather pathetic to send a snake in to do your dirty work." She snapped, her voice carried throughout the darkness. Leaves and branches swayed and danced in the breeze. It felt eerie, something was there and she knew it.
“Pesky little witch. You can’t really trust anything these days.” The words came out as a harsh hiss. Eisenheim blinked his red hues furiously as the snake combusted and burnt to a crisp due to the witch’s spell. He had been observing through the snake’s eyes and it wasn’t a pleasant feeling seeing the fireball hurl towards it. It almost felt like Eisenheim himself was on fire. He sighed in disappointment as his first dirty trick had failed but he was half expecting it to fail since witches were never easy. He had been dealing with witches who interfered in the “Plan” for a long time and this brew up a certain dislike for their kind within him. They always made his job difficult.
While he was busy looking through the diary, the lines of the “Plan” suddenly showed an abnormal deviation which surprised the reaper. “This is not right. What the….” He looked up and saw the blonde outside and in rage. He was well hidden behind the trees, using the darkness to his advantage and adding a bit of his powers to make him nearly invisible. A devious snicker danced out of his maw when he observed her demeanor and heard her rant. “Pathetic. Who the fuck are you calling pathetic little witch. We have rules that we need to follow.” He muttered to himself, clenching the diary rather harshly betwixt his hand. His work was lonely and grim to say the least, and so he had a bad habit of talking to himself most of the time. Her words did get to him a bit, but he wasn’t stupid to let his anger or dislike for witches get the best of him. He had to stay focused and remain hidden. Being discovered was against the rules and could land him in serious trouble despite his high rank in the Bureau of Expiration. He could even be terminated.
For a minute he stood watching her as silence took over. The only audible sounds were those of the leaves blowing and the eerie whistle of the wind. Reapers always had a sinister aura encompassing them and if someone was smart enough and had the right amount skill in commanding magic, they could easily detect reapers. Eisenheim’s crimson orbs fixated on the gown Eva wore and the way it clung to her frame whilst the wind blew her hair. It was very theatric as if it were a scene taken out straight from a horror movie where the cute girl is about die in some horrific way. “If only I was not bound by these rules….. but alas I must follow protocol. But that doesn’t mean I can’t play around with you.” A sinister smirk enveloped Eisenheim’s grim visage as he decided to toy with her for a bit. Accidents happened anywhere and anytime. The reaper lightly snapped his finger and suddenly the wind stopped blowing. He was channeling a great deal of his power for this and he could only use this for a short time. Nature was something very hard to control even for the strongest of reapers. However his ego was at play here.
Once the wind stopped, the power in the mansion went out, shrouding everything in darkness inside. The moon was hidden behind thick dark clouds tonight, so it was already pretty dark outside, giving him more advantage. Of course tricks like these weren’t going to kill Eva Whitbane nor did Eisenheim intend them too. He only meant to scare her. With another snap of his fingers, a large tree suddenly cracked fell in front of Eva, making a loud thud and sending off a swarm of leaves into the air. The wind started blowing again, but the reaper made sure it switched directions for a few seconds so the dusty leaves from the fallen tree could blow into the blonde’s face and disorient her. In a matter of seconds things went back to normal again and the power came back on. The wind whistled again, like it was before and the eerie silence with little sounds was back to play.
The fallen tree was a warning for the blonde that she was not to meddle in his affairs, a hypocritical gesture when he himself was here to claim her life. Eisenheim remained in the dark and hoped that this would force her to back off but something about her was different. She was fiery for sure and fiery witches were always a problem. Death was surely watching this closely and Eisenheim knew that, because if there was something that Death did not like, it was when someone interfered in its plan. The hat that he wore was his connection to the Bureau and a way for Death and the Bureau to watch reapers. If he took his hat off he would be off the grid for a while which wasn’t a problem as long as it wasn’t too long.
“Go back inside now.” Once again the man muttered to himself as he reopened the diary and watched the lines move about, trying to figure out a new way of killing her an making it look like an accident. He had to come up with something intricate and complex. She wasn’t going to fall for petty tricks and the mansion was where her coven resided which could prove arduous for the man since he could sense that the witches inside were quite skilled in using magic. Day 1 had just begun, it was 2:30 AM and he had ample amount of time to plan things out. “Gas explosion? ….. No too risky. A lot of collateral damage involved. Car accident? …. Too cliché. She’d be expecting that.” He began to get absorbed in his thoughts, figuring things out. He forgot about Eva, not bothering whether she even did go inside or she was still out and looking for him. Daylight was going to be a problem. He had to be extra careful during the day which made things difficult.
The moment the wind halted its gentle assault Eva paused, her lips pursed as her luminescent emerald orbs focused on the darkness before her. Not many creatures could control the weather, that was reserved for the more powerful beings in their world. Eva had been blessed with the ability to summon fire, but that was where her powers limited. Of course, she could manipulate other elements but it took a great deal of effort. No doubt, it would render her weak to attempt to even hone in on the wind such as this being had. Whatever game it was playing, wasn’t to be taken lightly. At least it gave her more information. It narrowed her search down significantly.
Almost as if on cue, a loud groan began to tear through the clearing. It wasn’t a human sound; it was that of bark being torn, splintering into debris as the dominant half of the evergreen began to hurl toward the ground. As it collided into a space all too close to Eva, she could feel the ground shake slightly. As she glanced behind her, she noticed the lack of light coming from the home. With a muffled curse she turned back, intent on finding exactly what was causing this before she noticed a breeze of flurried leaves swarming toward her. A mix of oaths flew from her ruby tinted lips as the natural debris swept through her curls, brushing past her face and blocking her vision.
Eva remained in the same spot, her lip twitching slightly as she watched the leaves fall to the ground. They wanted to play? Fine. She could play. Whatever this being was, it was all too clear that their attitude was that of pride. To taunt a witch in such a way, well, it said more about the attacker than it did Eva. The wind swirled around her legs, caressing her skin with a gentle chilling force as she crossed her arms along her chest. The audacity of this being was unmatched, and insulting. If it believed it could breach their parameter and simply toy with them, it was wrong. “Just wait until I find out what you are.” She growled softly under her breath, gazing toward the tree that had fallen before her.
Eva wasn’t one to simply back down, no matter the cost. Right now, she had nothing left. The one person she loved truly was gone. She and her sister had a relationship most sisters would only dream of. They were incredibly close; best friends would’ve been an understatement. It felt as if they’d been one person, in two different bodies. Currently, she stood alone. Her gaze falling over the darkness surrounding her. Delicately, her digits brushed up against her silk covered arms. Unfortunately, the comforting touch did very little to lift her spirits. Ana was gone. In the wind, so to speak.
The blonde paused, the wind swept the leaves from around her feet, forcing them toward the darkness. Her gaze lingered on the delicate leaves being cast through the air, carried by the breeze toward the edge of the forest. If only Eva could truly believe that Ana was still there. Eva knew better than most that hopes could be distractions. It was the same with their parents. No matter what they dreamed or wished, it was simply false hope. In this world they lived in, it was all too easy to get swept away in what ‘ifs’ and dreams of bending the world to their will. Unfortunately, it didn’t work like that.
The blonde turned on her heel after offering a searing glare. These past few days had left her drained; unable to restart her desire to find something truly captivating. The only thing that kept her moving right now was the idea of getting revenge. The idea that she could force the being who was responsible to pay in blood until they lost all they desired. Eva had always been fiery; it was simply part of her. It was needless to say that this experience was bringing forth the worst in her. It brought forth the need to make someone suffer the way she had, oh she wanted to bring them to their knees; she wanted to hear them beg for forgiveness.
By the next morning Eva found herself being woken up by the sound of chatter. She’d completely forgotten to clean up the ash. The moment she’d returned inside she’d made her way up to her room and went straight to bed. She wasn’t sure why, she just felt that she was far too drained to continue with research. Thankfully, when she woke, she felt more than prepared. Little did she know, the coven already had made plans for her that day.
“Morning sunshine.” One of the women called as she slowly edged toward the kitchen. She didn’t realize she’d been up so late. “Any chance you could explain the ash and open books in the library, what’s going on?” Maria was like an aunt to Eva. The older woman sat on a breakfast table stool, sipping her coffee as Eva circled the island. “Well, I think something came to attack me. Well, not attack me. Play games. When Ana died she told me something was after me. I didn’t know what she meant, I still don’t.”
Maria nodded slowly, her gaze focused on Eva. “Hence the tree?” the young witch gave a nod. “I felt something outside. It controlled the weather. Ana told me that there were things after me, plural. So whatever this is, it works in a group.” The older woman paused, placing her cup down carefully. “Look, Eva, I know you’ve been through a lot. But this… This needs to stop. Honey, you lost her. We all did. We need to keep going. Sometimes there’s a normal explanation. I know it’s hard,” she rose up, making her way over to embrace the younger witch. “Sometimes, the easiest explanation is the right one.”
Eva didn’t agree; she knew she felt something out there. The women soon whisked her off to town, planning to buy her some new clothes and attempt to cheer her up. Little did they know, they weren’t alone. By the time they'd picked out several new outfits Eva dismissed herself for a quick smoke. She'd managed to kick the habit before but since she lost Ana, she needed something. The female looked forlorn, her golden curls swept up in a messy bun, slight dark circles masked the soft flesh under her eyes. It was needless to say she looked a state.
As she slowly inhaled the smoke she began to relax, closing her eyes for a moment as she leaned against a large, decorative lamp post. The town was sweet, quaint. Cobblestone roads, beautiful lamp posts, little boutiques. It was hard to enjoy it without Ana around. All Eva knew was that she had to get to the bottom of this before whatever it was struck again. Ana couldn't have died for nothing, she wouldn't allow it.
By the time it was 3:30 am, Eisenheim still stood amidst the darkness at the edge of the forest, hatching plans in his mind and studying the moving lines on the diary. The “Plan” could tell a lot to a Reaper about his victim’s future but Eva was a deviant and the lines only gave him a vague idea of her activities which made the task incredibly arduous for him. This is where his rank, skill and experience came in to play. Finally realizing he had been engulfed for too long, he looked up to see if the woman had gone or not. Indeed she had vanished to realms of sleep. This is where Eisenheim’s twisted mind decided to stroke his ego. He Eva was onto something but he was confident she would never actually find him or anything about the Bureau of Expiration. They were discrete and never left a trace. No literature existed about them. He quietly made his way to the blonde dame’s bedroom, silent as an assassin. Her room was dark and a bit cold. Eisenheim took a seat on a chair across from her bed and watched her sleep while his mind ran over ideas. Some would call this perverted stalking but he was never going to touch her for that was strictly against the rules. This was a way he displayed arrogance. A Reaper could never touch a deviant or kill her himself. He had to make it look like an accident at all costs. “If only I could taint that pretty little skin of yours with blood myself. Ah the satisfaction it would give me.”
His crimson hues remained glued on her figure whilst she enjoyed a few hours of slumber. She would never know he was here nor would her coven. He was stealthy enough to make sure of that. Now and then, a few thoughts did run into his mind about twirling with her blond locks because she was indeed eye candy for grim eyes like his. He was sitting with one leg over the other, trench coat open to display a fancy suit underneath. The diary was open in his lap and soon something caught his eye. “So you’re going into town tomorrow….. this will be a good window of opportunity. Enjoy these few hours of sleep in blissful dreams Eva Whitbane.” The man left at first light, silently as he came, leaving no trace.
As the day passed noon, half of day one was over and the needle on the reaper’s eerie pocket watch was now betwixt seven and one. He had quietly been following the women around, walking like an average man who was dressed too formally with a bowler hat. The hat did attract some unwanted attention but wasn’t something he was too worried about. For the people that saw him, he was just an ordinary man roaming around. Opportunity presented itself when Eva was enjoying her cigarette by the lamp post. Eisenheim was seated in a small café across the street, holding a newspaper up to conceal his visage and make him look busy. However he was watching her closely and now was the chance for strike two. “There you are…” He cooed out in low whisper and took a sip of the coffee he had ordered.
Greenfield was a small town and it didn’t have underground electricity. Instead it had the usual utility poles with messy high tension cables and transformers mounted on them. Once again the reaper opened the “Plan” and smirked in a sinister manner. “The timing is perfect.” Behind Eva there was a small building and on its balcony two people were carrying a large glass slab to replace an old one in a window. If it were to fall there was a high probability that it would fall on the blonde’s head and cut through her in a bloody mess. The injury would be fatal. However there was also the probability that it could hit something and shatter making the shards fall over her and only leave her with a few deep cuts and scratches. The odds were in Eisenheim’s favor, at least according to his calculations. Even if she did survive this little accident, it would be amusing for him to cause her a bit of pain.
Now the only problem was how to make the men drop the glass. This is where the utility poles came in. Old utility poles had several problems and often transformers would trip or short circuit, causing a loud explosion. This was his distraction. He folded the newspaper neatly and took one last sip of his coffee whilst eyeing the blonde. Adjusting his hat, he snapped his fingers and bang! There was a loud explosion outside as sparks flew from the utility pole and the transformer mounted on it. This caught the attention of most of the people nearby as the silence had been shattered so brutally. This loud sound caught the men holding the glass by surprise, frightening one of them and making his grip loose. Alas, the glass slab slipped from his hand and fell down.
The reaper’s eyes narrowed as he watched, time slowing down and his heart racing with excitement. This was it, mission accomplished. She was going to die in a freak accident. But was she really going to be subjected to another one of his petty tricks? He would know in a few seconds……
Eva drew from the cigarette lodged between her index and middle finger; as she exhaled the smoke her mind was clearly elsewhere. Ana would be having a fit if she was around to see her sister indulging in her disdainful habit again. As powerful as Witches were, illness could touch them. Eva knew this, of course. She didn’t care, not now. It was needless to say the petite witch was ignorant to the plan conspiring against her. It was almost as if she were a lamb to the slaughter; no real chance to defend herself. As the loud bang echoed throughout the air the female immediately honed in on the sound, only to feel a large gust of wind force her body backward.
It happened in a blur. For the second time in a few days she was cast down onto a cold, hard floor with an audible thud. A searing pain stemmed from her thigh, immediately causing confusion. A few of the coven raced over. Maria could manipulate wind; no doubt she’d been the one to cast Eva back. A slow breath escaped her throat as she remained on the ground, slowly easing her body up to rest on her elbows. Her hues widened as she gazed at the shattered glass covering the road; a small piece was lodged firmly in the flesh of her thigh, thankfully, it was dead centre, not her inner thigh where it may have severed a vital artery.
“Eva!” Maria rushed over, her face that of horror and confusion. “Hold still,” It seemed a crowd was gathering, this was bad. They couldn’t cast magic in front of humans. “Maria, just pull it out.” The older woman frowned toward the blonde, “And let you bleed everywhere? Work with me here, we need to close the wound.” Eva knew exactly what she meant. Heat something, place it against the wound. It would be one of the worst pains she’d ever felt no doubt. “There’s too many, you have to call an ambulance.” Much to Maria’s disdain, Eva was right. Witches didn’t like outside help, they had more than enough power and tonics to induce quickened healing.
----
The rest of her afternoon was spent in the emergency room. Several stitches and panic later, Eva was allowed out. “You’ve been unlucky these past few days.” Maria thought aloud. “Do you feel as if you’ve been cursed?” It was rare, but certain magical beings could form curses. They were dark, complicated and savage pieces of magic that witches were forbidden to cast for obvious reasons. Not only did it affect the cursed but it would affect the very one casting the spell. Nothing in this world was for free, after all.
“No, I don’t feel cursed. I feel fucking unlucky.” Eva huffed lightly as they arrived home. Maria didn’t hesitate to begin mixing a few different tonics in the kitchen; it was her more favoured hobby. They worked, but they tasted like ground pieces of dirt, herbs and blood; exactly what they were. Eva wasn’t amused with the idea of being pumped full of tonic along with several spells cast over her. Honestly, the medication the hospital had given her for the pain was enough. Eva just wasn’t allowed to operate heavy machinery or drink; neither of which she planned on doing. Well, she could debate dealing with the coven was like operating heavy machinery, these women were relentless.
“Guys!” One of the younger witches rushed into the kitchen, several others of the coven joining as she began to wave around a leaflet. “I completely forgot, it’s the masquerade tonight.” Her eyes glimmered with excitement, “Can we go?” Maria cocked her brow as she turned to the group, tonic in hand. “Eva?” The blonde grunted softly as she sat with a mug of tea in her hands. “If you come, we can go. I’m not leaving you alone. Not after this afternoon.” The gazes turned toward her; suddenly she felt as if a pack of wolves were staring at a wounded buck.
“We have nothing to wear.” Eva stated logically. “It requires old school gowns. We don’t just have those…” Several of the girls ran off. “What?” She glanced toward Maria. The older woman chuckled softly. “You know; they prepare for this. It’s the only event they really get to dress up for.” Eva allowed several curses to slip from her lips. “Well, I can’t go, I don’t have anything to wear.” Maria’s eyes lit up; fuck. She wasn’t escaping the event so easily.
----
The coven was soon arriving at the grand hall. The women flailed and rushed toward the doors, all to keen to have a night away from their average lives. Believe it or not, Witches also enjoyed fantasy. Such as those stories of princess and princes; humans, really. A life without magic would be empty, but it would be less complex. Witches were supposed to find their match in other covens. It was a ritual that had gone on for centuries; thankfully, Maria seemed to understand that sometimes they were better off alone than merging covens through marriage.
As Eva entered the hall she glanced upward. Large, glowing chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Light trickled down over the grand hall, the old treated wooden floor looked rather appealing. Many people were already dancing. Several types of gowns were displayed. There were the Cinderella types that no doubt would have problems seating their dresses; then there was the half mast type. It gave enough flare for the event but it remained less formal than the large gowns. Lastly, there was the kind that Eva voted for. Maria had given her several options. Much to her coven leader’s dismay, she’d picked a rather simple dress. It clung to her curved frame; the silk material felt good against her skin; that’s all that mattered.
A slight slit ran its way up toward her bandage, which happened to be covered by a garter. Thankfully, the dress covered it unless she was walking in long strides. “You realise if you wore this while you were in that age you’d be named a harlot?” Eva couldn’t help but allow a mischievous grin to cover her lips. “Or a witch?” Maria snorted, edging Eva toward the dance floor. Several women had opted for the less dated look, at least she wasn’t alone in that.
Eva wore her curls up in a rather tightly wound bun, keeping any stray strands firmly in place. The black silk that clung to her was decorated by a small ruby pendant that hung from her neck on a loose link chain. It was old; it happened to be her mothers. Along with the matching tear drop shaped rubies hanging from her ears. She wasn’t the type to conform, that was partially why she chose to wear what she had. The coven wished to go, so she went. But she’d be damned if she dressed up like a woman hungering for a prince to sweep her off her feet. That didn’t happen in their world.
The large room boomed with music, soon couples began to meet, dancing together. It seemed so perfectly… magical. Eva could only snort at the thought; no doubt witches had been attending this ball since it’s very first run. This town had a history of burning witches; these balls were a couple of times a year to raise the hopes of the towns people. It was to bring joy and excitement. How little they knew. They’d been dancing with the enemy for as long as this tradition had been spanning for. Little did Eva know, she was falling into the same trap.
A handsome man dressed in a mix of burgundy and grey approached her. His choice in clothing was ghastly, clearly he was trying to keep with the dress code. “Shall we?” The mask that covered her face was black, matching the dress she wore. Small red gems glistened around the edges of the mask. It wasn’t enough to hide her disapproval at his offer, it didn’t seem to hold him back from offering out his hand. The mask he wore was frilled, it didn’t hide his faded blue hues. Eva wasn’t especially keen on dancing with anyone, but what the hell.
It was only when he placed his hands on her clearly defined hips that she began to feel awkward. Nevertheless, they swayed to the music; he soon gripped her hand and lifted her arm, giving her a swift spin which she of course aided before being pulled back against his chest. Eva had to bite back a growl at the action. It was only when she averted her gaze from him in an effort to escape the intimate seeing that she noticed a man that caught her eye. Now if he’d asked her to dance, her skin wouldn’t be crawling the way it currently was.
Eisenheim’s orbs narrowed at the falling glass and suddenly changed their hue from stone grey ones to the normal crimson tint they had. Amidst the public and mortals he had to conceal his red eyes since they weren’t natural, and he for one liked to have them turn back to the color they once were, when he was a mere mortal and ordinary human. It was just a matter of seconds before the femme would be put to rest but once again, something interfered with his plan; and like before it was a witch. “Impudent cunts…. Fucking witches!” The words left his maw in a low hiss as a few vessels popped out of the skin of his forehead. Clearly he was pissed and foul language was something that emanated from him when he was frustrated. He swallowed hard, taking a sip of his bitter hot coffee in attempts to dissipate his anger. Everything was perfect. His calculations were on spot but Eva Whitbane had luck on her side. Eisenheim was getting a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach that this was going to be a hard case. However there was another angle at play here. The reaper felt challenged and he had never been challenged like this in over a century. This initiated a rare feeling of excitement inside him, a feeling that was going to make him bend the rules of the game a bit too far. The mischievous delinquent inside him fluttered, feeding on his own frustration to push him to take things further in terms of playing around with his prey.
Silently Eisenheim got up from his seat, his eyes turning back to stone grey as he decided to leave the café. The fact that he got her hurt lowered the disappointment of his failure. At least he was able to attain a minor objective. He spent the day lazily following her and the other witches around from a distance. It was later in the evening that he observed something strange. The women were picking dresses and getting ready for something. Eisenheim had done his homework on Greenfield and he did know about the Masquerade ball at the Grand Hall but the unique turn of events had pushed that fact to the back of his mind. It took him a while to realize everything and this gave him ideas, the wrong sort. He was going to attend this ball and now he was going to mingle with his prey. It was the perfect opportunity to have some fun. He would be anonymous to her and he could be off the grid for a while. No one from the bureau would suspect anything. The history of the ball was something that made him laugh. He knew very well that witches had been attending this since it began and the fact that this event was where the hunter mingled with its prey since the day of its inception even made it more intriguing. He was certainly going and he was certainly going to dance with Eva.
10:00 PM. Day 1 was a few hours shy of being over. In cases of deviants like that of Eva Whitbane’s, protocol was that the reaper assigned to the case had to report his status to his superiors by the end of each day, which meant that Eisenheim had to report his progress to his ‘boss’ so to speak, by midnight. The bureau worked like clockwork and in his world everything had to be on time however for tonight he was willing to gamble on being late for reporting as his plans for the night might take him past midnight. The playing field was leveled for the dance. Eisenheim had taken his hat off and handed it at the reception along with his long black trench coat. He was now without powers, a mere human who was just immortal. These could be very dangerous for him if something were to happen. He was practically defenseless but the risk was worth all the fun and twisted amusement he hoped to gain from tonight’s antics.
The grand hall was elegantly decorated and the ambience hinted of tradition morphing with changing trends into an amalgamation that was classy yet modern. This was evident from the various types of gowns, costumes and suits the patrons wore. Not to mention the masks. They were fancy and looked as if they were crafted specifically for this occasion. Since he could see through the masks without his hat, Eisenheim had made sure to get a glimpse of Eva so he could spot her at the ball. It was easy finding her. She didn’t stand out but he knew what he was looking for and he easily found her. Silky black paired well with the blonde, not to mention the rubies that her pendant, earrings and masks donned. They certainly made a statement and gave her a look that spelled mystery and sexiness.
Contrary to her, the reaper did somewhat stand out. He didn’t have anything special to wear so he was here in his jet black suit and matching silk tie that was tucked behind the buttoned suit jacket. The rest of the men were in tuxedos and old fashioned suits and everyone had a bowtie or something fancy. He didn’t have time to go pick clothes so he was here in his work attire, his so called uniform. However he wasn’t ill dressed. The suit was well tailored for his strong and tall physique, his shirt crisp and the white standing out from under the black. But Eisenheim did have a thing for a bit of theatrics and thus he wore silver skull cufflinks which shimmered in the yellow light when he moved his arms. His visage was shrouded by a half face mask that covered his forehead completely and the left hemisphere of his face. It was bronze in color with tiny holes poked through it in clusters. This was something he picked out from a shop. He couldn’t come without a mask and this was perfect since it made his stone grey eyes stand out and even displayed the lower right half of his face so anyone seeing him could get a hint of his expressions.
He kept watching Eva from a distance, waiting for the right time to approach her. She wasn’t dancing yet but he hoped the flow of things would get to her soon. This was going to be something peculiar for Eisenheim too. The man had been working as a reaper for four centuries and in all this time he had rarely touched a woman since the rules forbade him from doing such a thing. The atmosphere was getting to him; he was old, very old but looked young and vibrant, like a man in his mid-twenties since this was the age at which time was frozen for his body. However his mind had so many memories that sometimes events like these would make him reminisce. His attention was being diverted by recollections of the past, from a time when he was normal, from a time when Death had not chosen him yet. This was four centuries ago, a time very different from the current one. His mind was soon engulfed with flashbacks and he was lost for a few seconds in his memories, unaware of his surroundings.
In his previous life, he was a street magician and illusionist who traveled from town to town, earning little coin for showing people intricate tricks which they thought were magic. Some even called him a wizard and cursed him. It was a time when magic was considered a taboo and unholy craft. However he wasn’t a real magic user. He only had tricks up his sleeve and used deception to cast illusions. He was well versed in his craft but not very famous and most days he barely made enough coin to feed himself. He traveled a lot, performing at various events sometimes to leave the crowd in awe and receive a loud applause. The masquerade ball was giving him flashbacks from the very few performances of his life where he tended to an elite crowd. His head was filled with sounds of people cheering, women gasping. These memories calmed him down even more, bringing out wisps of mirth from within his grim heart. However this reminiscence was short lived and he soon returned back to the current times.
When his senses returned back to the ball, he had lost sight of Eva. It took him a few glances to spot her. To his surprise she was dancing with a rather uniquely dressed man. The reaper carefully observed the femme twirl and sway around with the man. It wasn’t hard to make out that she wasn’t enjoying it. But seeing her move around in that manner and in her plain dress that rather suited her pretty well, he was being drawn towards her, finding it hard to keep his eyes off her. When he saw her averting her dance partner’s gaze, Eisenheim finally gave in to the temptation and made his move. His shiny black oxfords tapped on the wooden floor with his gait as he drew closer to her. What he was about to do was plain out rude but something told him she would ditch her partner for him. He was willing to gamble on this even thought his instinct was telling him to stay away and stop with this childish satisfaction of his pride and ego. But the idea of dancing with the one you were soon going to kill was far too captivating.
“Would the lady do me the honor of a dance?” He extended his hand out to the blonde, eyes starring right at her in a piercing gaze. He completely ignored the man she was with, using their slow pace as an opportunity to make his move. There was a small grin on his face half of which could be seen from the uncovered right side of his face. Paired with the bronze mask it gave him a mildly sinister look. He was there to steal her away and all she needed to do was take his hand.
It felt almost as if every move happened in some kind of trance; they were simply following a rhythm. There was no real connection, not that Eva considered it. She was just simply not interested in the man attempting to sweep her off her feet. As the blonde glanced up she saw a man advancing on the pair with clear intent. It almost felt as time began to slow around her; couples moved into a crawling pace, her heart began to skip a beat, even her own dance seemed to be a haze. Until she heard a voice break her trance. It was an incredibly alluring tone, Eva couldn’t help herself as her gaze took him all in.
His suit was exquisite. Fashionable, simple and sophisticated. It was only when she glanced toward the outstretched hand that she noticed the small silver skulls. It brought a slight smile to her red tinted lips. “It’s only fair, I need to mingle,” she breathed toward her partner, but mainly toward the newcomer. The blonde didn’t hesitate to place her delicate, soft hand in his before slipping away from her now ex dance partner. “Thank you,” She whispered between the pair as she took the liberty of dragging him further into the dance floor, soon disappearing into the crowd.
An amusing thought of leading the dance crossed her mind, but she remained as a lady and allowed him to take the lead, simply following his movements. There was something about him that was… Different. It felt as if she were a moth to a flame. Considering his mask hid half of his face she couldn’t exactly tell how handsome he was; but he seemed incredibly handsome. Not to mention the aura he carried with him. If there were ever a need to describe her type, he would be it. Usually she had bad taste in men, but he was at the Grand Hall Ball, how bad could he be?
As they eased into the dance, the female leaned a little closer, her body pressing up against his as her left hand slid up along his shoulder, her fingers spanned at the bottom of his neck. “I don’t think I’ve seen you here before.” She murmured softly between them, it was more of a thought than a question. “I think I would have remembered this mask, nice choice by the way.” Her gaze never moved from his, not even an inch. She felt as if he demanded her attention, not just some, but every bit of it.
Eva was all too aware of how her body fit with his, how it moved innately with his; there was no effort involved, they simply spoke to one another. “So, do you always steal women who have a partner or was it merely heat of the moment?” Her lips curved in a deliciously devious grin as she held his gaze; she couldn’t deny she wanted to rip that mask off and see his whole face. She wanted to see his full expressions, not being able to read his face was incredibly difficult for her. Eva didn’t like being in the dark, not in control.
As the female felt a magical push within her she quickly spun them around, her gaze immediately finding the sender of the push. One of her coven was eyeing her, sharing a rather taunting smirk with another of the coven by her side. Eva chuckled softly, her right hand raised slightly; with a flick of her wrist she sent a burst of her own energy toward them. Thankfully, nobody stood in the way. Magic hit humans harder than witches; no doubt it’d have sent someone hurling into the wall.
Her gaze soon returned to her partner. She still couldn’t place the feeling she had about him, all she knew was that there was something else there. No doubt it’s what she was attracted to. Mysterious men were far more interesting.
Once she took his hand a little shiver crawled down Esienheim’s spine, for he hadn’t felt touch like this in so long. His eyes were glued to hers, not moving nor displaying any hints of emotion indicating the tingling sensation he felt in the pit of his stomach. He had a strong aura of confidence and a bit of arrogance which he was trying to suppress. His feet moved like clockwork, recalling the steps from old memories. He hadn’t danced in a long, long time yet he was here leading the blonde to the music, swaying gently around with her; for now. “You’re welcome.” Was his simple response to her. His voice was low and heavy but he made sure to keep it alluring. After all, unbeknownst to her, she was being played around with.
As they eased into the dance, he felt her hand slither up his shoulder and over to his neck. Needless to say the shivers from her touch increased tenfold. Who knew breaking the rules for once could be so much fun. Now that she was very close to him, their bodies lightly brushing against each other, Eisenheim realized that Eva was indeed very pretty and had an alluring salacious aura around her. Reapers were not allowed carnal pleasure or any other pleasure for that matter. It was part of the deal for this job yet they were men and human after all. It was hard to suppress these kinds of emotions and attractions. His eyes drifted down her nape, and the smirk enveloping his visage grew, the visible right half of his lips making a significant change in appearance. If only she knew who he actually was, she would burst into flames and kill him right here. Eisenheim was deriving a twisted pleasure from this, imagining feeling her pulse at her neck. He was going to kill the woman he was dancing with very soon.
“Wasn’t the purpose of events like these to remain anonymous?” He teased her with his words. Her mask had no significance to him since he already knew what she looked like yet he wanted the shroud off her face for some reason. He wanted to stare deep in her eyes and whisper that she was dancing with death. “I like the pendant. Red and green compliment you on top of black.” He hinted at her captivating green eyes the rubies she wore. Eisenheim had one intertwined with hers and the other gently settled on her side, not too low now too high. Just a moderate amount to show that neither was he too interested in her body nor would he back off if the night led them to some debauched endeavor. “I don’t steal women all the time, but I can’t help offering my services to a damsel in distress. Prince charming over there wasn’t really charming you off you your feet now, was he?”
A small chuckle escaped his lips when he was spun around. He didn’t know it was magic since he didn’t have his hat and he couldn’t sense it. Hats were a way Death controlled the Reapers and prevented them from doing anything against the rules or rebelling. Eisenheim had his mysterious aura bumped up a notch since whenever he spoke, only half of his lips moved. He knew very well how feisty and fiery Eva could be so he decided to test it out with something not so subtle. There were ulterior motives to his actions, main one being he wanted her more on his body. “My turn.” He cooed out mischievously and suddenly stepped back, withdrawing his hand from her side and giving her a quick spin before whirling her in with momentum, causing her torso to hit his with a light thud. This time he snaked his hand on her back, placing it at the center, along the contour of her lower back. They resumed their former position, swaying to the music but he had her in a tighter embrace this time. Even his firm hand intertwined more with her delicate one.
He shot her a challenging look; as he was inviting her to sort of duel. “You know what else I like about your choices? Your choice of perfume.” The male had keen senses and the soft yet deep aroma of the perfume she had on was drawing him towards her like bees to honey. She was definitely interesting and the type of woman he liked. She kept things simple yet spiked it up with little trinkets when it came to her dress. All in all she presented herself to him as a challenge and Eisenheim loved challenges because he never lost up till now and this made him cocky.
It was needless to say that his voice caused her body to react; not in a physical way but it seemed every inch of her body responded to him, it waited for his voice, ached to hear it. The female hadn’t been so interested in another for some time; there was just something bringing her to him, maybe it was that eerie gaze that so easily bore into her. “So you wish to abide by their rules?” Her voice was a tender retort, yet her gaze mirrored the hint of challenge. Eva had never been one for events, hence her rather plain dress. It was a subtle, ‘fuck you’, despite her attendance. “Thank you, I figured I’d keep it simple. There’s enough colour here already.” Her voice was soft enough to keep the conversation between the pair as they danced, no doubt only he noticed her snicker at the rather obnoxious choice of gowns.
The moment his hand had settled on her side; Eva could feel warmth radiating from his touch; her body already eased a little toward his. A charming, soft laugh erupted from her lips upon hearing his comment, “He was boring me. If I’d had one more dance with him, I assure you I’d die of boredom.” Little did she know the pun she made was all too close to her current situation. In a moment she heard his words, a little frown appearing over her otherwise pristine features. The blonde didn’t have time to consider what he meant until he stepped back, her body immediately following his lead and influence. Delicately, she spun on the ball of one foot, her gown swayed to expose the tender flesh of her upper thighs before she was brought back toward him a flurry of power.
A soft, playful laughter left her parted red lips as she collided against his chest. One palm already raised to rest against his left pectoral muscle. She couldn’t help but noticed the way his muscled form moved beneath her touch; oh he was far too delicious to be at some old, traditional ball. Her lashes swept up toward him, her emerald hues misting a darker tint as she felt his grasp span over her petite lower back; sparks of warmth trailed from his touch. Eva couldn’t deny the taunting action he’d forced her body to take was amusing; he knew exactly what he was doing. She could feel the aura exuding from him. Power. Authority. He was all too cocky with his new position, she would have to bring him down a peg; if she could stop day dreaming about it.
The moment his challenging gaze met hers, Eva’s heart skipped a beat. If he wanted to go, she’d follow suit. “Sandalwood.” She quipped softly, leaning her head toward his chest before blatantly taking a deep breath; her chest rose as she inhaled the slightly musky scent. “You don’t smell bad, either.” The female purred softly before leaning back slightly; allowing her body to ease back enough to put pressure on his grasp over her lower back. If he wanted to remain her dance partner for tonight; he’d need to make sure he clung on. Of course she may be swaying toward being presumptuous, not that she cared. These events were often mind numbingly boring. Finally, she had a chance to have a little fun.
The music began to pick up as the next song kicked into action. “You may like some of my other choices, if you get to see them.” Her tone was low, her gaze locking with his for a short moment before the female slipped out of his grasp as she took his hand and span herself with delicate foot falls to the side. Instead of summoning a tug back, she tip-toed in a flurry of paces, pressing her chest to his before giving a firm spin to place her back against his. Her body swayed gently from one side to the other, the silk like material allowed her body to breeze against his with barely any friction between them. “Don’t you just hate these dances?” she breathed up toward him as her neck bent lightly to one side as she gazed up toward him. “These people are always so frigid.”
With a slight spin she pressed her body tightly up against his, her hands already snaking up his chest in an effort to stir something within him. “How about we go get a drink. Just the pair of us?” She knew she shouldn’t have offered, but she was incredibly bored of this tradition. She’d much prefer a good drink with a handsome man.
“I shower from time to time.” Eisenheim chuckled and eased into the dance. He was surely enjoying swaying around with her. She knew what she was doing very well; evident from the way she spun and retreated back into the male’s arms. He had his arm coiled a bit tighter around her now. “The night is still young. Who knows what I might get to see. I might even like it.” He cooed out dipping his head between the pair so his low voice could be clear amidst the music. He was well aware of her hands crawling up his chest. She was confident, just as he had expected her to be and he liked it. However he was getting too carried away with this endeavor and the notion of time had completely skipped his mind. The hand on her back slipped off whilst he spoke and dug into the pocket of his jacket to take out his pocket watch. The hand of the watch was almost about to strike one which meant day one was almost over and he had to report his progress at midnight sharp. Eisenheim was too engulfed in the fun making the fact that Eva could see the strange watch he was looking at, slip his mind. This could arouse suspicion within her if she looked carefully. After all who carried a strange pocket watch with only seven digits?
Her offer was tempting and the reaper could feel himself wanting to have more fun with her. Everything about her spelled danger for him since the risk of exposure was high but he liked to play things on the edge. This rush of excitement was too high to ignore. He was quick to put the watch back in his pocket as if it was a mere glitch of a few seconds interrupting their dance. The thought of killing two birds with one stone was jammed into his head and so he made her an offer to see if she was indeed as tempted as him to find out more about each other. Eisenheim leaned in further, brushing the exposed part of his cheek against hers as his lips found her ear. His footwork had slowed down, and his arm now coiled around her back, pulling her closer. He took a fraction of the moment to relish this closeness with his prey and enjoy her warmth and the scent of sandalwood. “I hate to be ‘Cinderella’ but it is almost midnight and I need to vanish. But let me leave you with a glass slipper.” Being a magician and stage performer, he still knew some of his old tricks. Letting go of her hand to stop the dance, he brought his fingers up to her other ear and gave it a flick before conjuring up a small card which was obviously hidden in his sleeve.
The card was of a bar, one with a more traditional architecture when it came to bars and hotels in Greenfield. “The Witch’s Cauldron” was a one of the town’s oldest bars and was rooted with the town’s history of witches. The bar’s name and address was printed on the white card in fancy lettering. Once he handed her the card, Eisenheim retreated and took a few steps back. He gave her a small bow for the dance and smirked. “If it isn’t past your bedtime, you can find me there an hour after midnight. We might even talk about your other choices.” It was bold and cocky move but he wanted to push her a little more and see if she was really willing to share a drink with someone like him. Without further delay the reaper left the Grand Hall taking his trench coat and hat from the reception as he exited.
“You’re late Klaus.” One of the three men standing in front of Eisenheim spoke to him in an authoritative tone. It was ten minutes past midnight and Eisenheim was slightly late. The bureau however was rarely flexible when it came to timings and rules. “I thought I made it clear that I do not like being called that.” Eisenheim retorted with a hint of irritation. ‘Eisenheim’ was his surname and stage name from before he was in this business; Klaus was his given name. When he joined the bureau, he preferred that all the others called him by his surname, since this was away to leave the past away. The three other reapers were dressed like Eisenheim; long trench coats, fancy suits and hats. The one that was addressing him was his superior and the one overseeing this operation. “And I thought you should remember your place Klaus.” Gordon grumbled harshly. Gordon was one of those men who took it very personal when someone tried to challenge his authority and this was why he and Eisenheim were not on good terms. “I see that you were off the grid for a while. You can have your fun but keep in mind we’re watching you.” Those words were a threat that was not to be taken lightly. But Eisenheim didn’t pay much attention to it. He had other things on his mind, mainly Eva Whitbane and whether she would come to the “Witch’s Cauldron” or not? The meeting ended after he briefed the three reapers on his findings but before they departed Gordon gave yet another ultimatum to him. “Finish the job within four days or I’ll be forced to step in myself.”
1:00 AM, Day 2. Now this was something Eisenheim wasn’t going to be late for. In fact he arrived at the bar a bit early. To make things interesting he was wearing the mask again and had his trench coat folded besides him and hat on the table. He was seated at booth opposite to the entrance, right at the back which gave him a view of whoever entered the bar. He wasn’t alone in wearing masquerade masks, since there were a lot of people here who come straight from the ball in search of something fun. The place was a tribute to the history of witchcraft in the down, evident from the décor that varied from photographs and paintings to skulls and spell books. That was the reason he called her here. The place certainly carried a different atmosphere with its upbeat music and décor, even though the crowd here was mostly from the Grand Hall Ball. Eisenheim was fairly excited, his eyes being glued to the entrance, waiting to see if a familiar figure would pop in. Once again his hat was off but he didn’t care. He was hell bent on bending the rules for this. The small encounter during the dance had made him even more interested in his prey.
Eva was on the cusp of suggesting that most people had decent hygiene, it was more that there was something about him that smelled so incredibly enticing that kept her inhales around his collar ninety percent of the time. As their dance flowed with a great deal of grace and precision, on both parts, Eva couldn’t help but bring herself to admire the beautiful, yet stern jaw line that was revealed to her. No doubt he was handsome; from what she could tell. Not only that, but he was graceful, his movements fluid and practiced. It was one of the only times she’d attended the ball without concern for her partner stepping on her foot or tripping her up. It would seem that they were in sync, their bodies moving against one another, merging with one another.
It was only when his hand slipped from her back to hoist a pocket watch that the female glanced toward the object that held his attention from her. Why were there only seven digits? Eva found herself easing her body against his as his arm coiled around her, pulling her toward his strong frame. As the warmth of his cheek caressed against her own, she couldn’t help but feel a rise in adrenaline filling her blood; his warm breath soon seeping against her ear. It was only when he spoke that she was brought back to the moment as opposed to day dreaming about what he looked like without the mask. The moment he broke away, it seemed as though his words would soon be clear; despite Eva’s dismay at his release.
The witch couldn’t help but chuckle at his display of magic. It was something she found appealing. The moment he mentioned her bedtime the female’s brows rose in defiance. “If you’re fortunate, you’ll see me there.” The female purred tenderly as she watched him bow, slightly nodding her head in respect as he disappeared. The young witch couldn’t help but twirl his card between her delicate digits, caressing the material before glancing down to the address. There was just something she found incredibly alluring about him. Eva wasn’t someone to give up. So, she had a little time to kill before she was due to meet him at the bar. She was going to use this time to plan exactly how she was going to make him eat out of the palm of her hand.
It didn’t take long for Eva to make her way toward the bar. After all, there wasn’t much left for her at the ball. Sure, the rest of the coven were still mingling and drinking but it wasn’t as if they would really notice she was gone. Besides, they wanted her to have some fun and try to recover from what had happened; so that’s what she planned to do. Eva breezed through the dancing crowd; her movements graceful as she side stepped and dodged various twirling couples. She couldn’t help but feel excitement rise up within her; it had been so long since she’d felt interested enough to pursue someone. Usually it was the other way around, with Eva playing games.
The moment she sized up to the entrance the female couldn’t help but recognize the place. It’d been there for clearly some time if she could recall it. No doubt it was older than she was; the décor may have been somewhat modern but Eva could clearly see some of the old trademark beams along the ceiling and the exterior which only supported the building being at least several decades old. As Eva pressed open the door and took a step in, it was very clear the kind of place this was. Just as she remembered it; a tribute. The walls were graced with various trinkets and newspaper clippings of a human’s perspective on some unfortunate events, no doubt. The name had of course given away the bar’s intentions; Eva couldn’t help but wonder who this man was that she would be meeting there.
Considering it had taken her some time to find the bar, Eva assumed he would already be there. Immediately her gaze began to scan through the crowd in the bar. She watched over several tables; nothing. Just before she was about to give up and head out, she noticed a booth sitting opposite where she stood. A familiar mask caught her curious and hopeful gaze. A slow, tempting smirk slid over her lips as she gazed over toward him before turning to bend her frame slightly against the bar as she ordered a red wine. Why not? It was a date wasn’t it?
Once she was ‘equipped’ Eva took a fairly slow pace as she advanced on the booth, her hips swaying slightly which only caused the silk of her dress to slip against her toned frame as she moved. “So what makes you think I’ll want to talk about my other choices?” Her voice was a tender purr as she took a seat opposite him, her fingers clasped around a fairly large glass filled with the dark red tinted liquid. “Oh and before you bring up the fact that I met you here, I’m merely curious. This doesn’t mean anything.” The blonde allowed a hint of a smirk to grace the corners of her lips as she her fingers reached up to brush against his mask, her body hovering over the table slightly. “So, is this your usual place or did you pick it for me?”
Of course Eisenheim had spotted Eva as soon as she entered, the red jewels she wore being the first thing to capture his attention. He wasn’t going to wave or do something to catch her attention. No, he would silently wait; after all she was the one who was supposed to find him. All he did was observe her swaying hips and the black silk that flowed with it as she drew nearer. To say he was impressed was definitely an understatement. He loved the aura of confidence that surrounded her because the inner demon inside him wanted to exploit a weakness out of her and use it without exposing himself. He had been observing her closely for the past twenty-four hours and she still managed to intrigue and surprise him.
“Oh just feeling in my gut. I like to gamble on many things and you telling me about your other choices was a gamble. I’m sure you’ve noticed this. I’m not from around here.” The reaper responded adding an equivalent amount of honey to his deep voice to match the purr that danced from her lips. “But I picked this place just for you. I’m sure you know the stories about the Grand Hall Ball.” It was clear by the way she touched the bronze mask shrouding his face that she wanted it gone. Eisenheim didn’t shift his grey hues from her bright green ones, not for one moment whilst he spoke. “The stories about how the witches would mingle with the locals who despised them and dance with them at the ball. What are the odds that I might find a dame who can cast a spell or two on me? It only seemed fighting to choose this place don’t you think?” The male’s hands were laid flat on the table but Eva was distracted and he used this opportunity to quietly take an earring off one of her ears. He had very light fingers, part of his training from his days as a stage performer. When he was done talking he brought his hand between them and wiggled the ruby earring. “You’re paying too much attention to what is in front of you my dear. We have all night to talk about your choices but let’s first talk about your choice of red.”
Eisenheim let slip a snicker from betwixt his lips as he placed the earring down next to his black bowler hat and leaned back against the leather seat. “Never trust a man with slippery fingers. Who knows what they might slip into?” A wide grin enveloped his visage along with the rise of his brow to match the look. “Let’s play a game. I’ll ask you about some of your choices and you can ask me about mine. One question at a time. But there is a catch. With each question you get to take something of mine and I get to take something of yours. So….” For a moment there, Eisenheim almost let slip her name, that being the reason for the minor pause. It soon dawned on him that she hadn’t introduced himself and neither had he. Such a mistake could cost him dearly, since he knew a thing or two about her. “Chose wisely. I go first. I like the pendant. Seems old but very precious. Is it a family heirloom? For starters I've taken your earring off.” He pointed at the earring next to his hat. He then slowly exhaled and intertwined his fingers as he waited for a response. It did look suspicious that he had no phone, no drink nor and an old fashioned hat. But his attention was captivated by her features. He admired how well-crafted she was because it was rare that he found a woman as sexy as he found her. This encounter was not only arousing his curiously but also his suppressed carnal needs.
Reapers were strictly forbidden the pleasures of alcohol, women and other intoxicants. But every now and then some of the high ranking ones would find loopholes to evade Death’s strict gaze and indulge in forbidden pleasures. However none of them ever mingled with their prey or person of interest. That was one rule no one in the Bureau broke and Eisenheim would probably be the first to commit this crime would could result in him terminated if he was caught, but the risk just added more to the rush and thrill that came with doing something like this. It was funny how he hated witches and considered them to be a pest yet it was the blonde witch in front of him who was bringing to the point of taking such a risk. Maybe it was the eerie satisfaction he felt that he was going to fool around with his prey, a witch, before killing her that made him so pumped with excitement.
The tone of his voice was alluring enough for her to be drawn, her gaze lingering on that mask that concealed the other half of a no doubt handsome face. So he picked this place for her? She wondered what exactly he knew, maybe it was just the event. After all, it was a tradition related to Witches, the bar clearly fit in to that theme. As he soon explained his choice, Eva couldn’t help but allow a slow, lustful smirk to cross her lips. He was smooth, she’d give him that. However, she was all too interested in what he had planned for them. The witch had been far too distracted to even notice the slip of his hand toward her ear. It was only when he brought her attention to the earring that a light blush covered her cheeks. It wasn’t often anyone managed to distract her from what was going on around her.
Eva wasn’t about to allow him to keep the earring he’d slipped from her, so she made sure to note exactly where it was before her attention returned to her companion. His joke only caused a further blush as her lips curved into a devious smile. His proposal of this game was rather intriguing, and not a game she’d assume to play in public. Thankfully, she had several things he could remove before clothing, including her garter that was concealing her bandage. “The set came from my mother. They were in her family for centuries. Our history goes back to the witch trials. In fact, the woman who owned these was said to be the very first discovered witch in this town.” Eva’s emerald hues glistened with amusement as she spoke, her gaze never leaving his.
It wasn’t normal for her to neglect her surroundings or be completely absorbed in a conversation. Something about this man was just… Alluring. More so than that, it was almost like a blood hound sniffing something out, the innate need to discover and hunt down what they had been searching for. The real question was; why did she have her sights on him? What exactly was it that she was hunting?
“My turn,” The blonde drawled warmly as she glanced toward the mask hiding his full features. “You said you weren’t from around here. I’ve never seen you at the Ball. So why is it you’re here currently?” The blonde leaned up on her toes, her body bending over the table, displaying a flexible, curved figure as her fingers reached out and brushed against the material of the hat. With a swift motion she swooped it up, placing it on his head for a moment, a slight smirk curving up along her supple crimson tinted lips as she took in the sight. It was a strange addition.
Before the female could reach back and retrieve the item she desired; a strange vibration of power began to fill the room. She knew that feeling, all too well. An ex of hers, a warlock, was there. Her gaze swiftly panned over the room until she found that familiar, icy glare focusing on her own. Perfect. That was one thing she didn’t prepare for. As he began to walk toward her the female immediately sat back in her seat, giving the impression that she wasn’t moving. “Eva.” Even the way he spoke was cold and disconnected; there was no real hint of life behind his words.
“I need to speak with you, alone.”
The female visibly tensed. “I’m busy, as you can see. I have nothing to say to you. So if you don’t mind, please leave.” Her tone wasn’t as soft and alluring as it had been toward her companion. This time it was cold and rather brash. “Eva. Now.” The female was radiating power, and rage. That was clear enough for humans to see, the way her brow curved with disdain. “Michael, I said no.” The familiar traces of heat began to ebb from her finger tips, threatening to almost glow with need to unleash the flame that burned within her. Michael hadn’t been a trustworthy person to begin with, after their relationship ended it was clear he was only using what he could to get what he wanted; Eva had been one of the things he was using to gain power. He’d once tried to siphon hers.
Michael glanced toward the man sat opposite his ex, a slow smirk crossing his lips. “So who’re you then buddy? Another one-night stand? You see, this one has problems keeping a man longer than that.” Eva simply rolled her eyes before reaching out to grasp her glass, taking a long sip of the wine before gently placing it back on the table. “If you get to fuck her, make sure you shove her down. She’s a kinky bitch.” He muttered before taking his leave. Eva simply sat, muttering a soft oath. “So, your turn.” She breathed, almost in shock.
The tint of red spreading across her cheeks only made Eisenheim feel more satisfied, as if it nurtured his arrogance. Arrogance was his weak spot and it was soon going to make things even more interesting. He listened carefully to her answer. He had guessed right about the pendant being a family heirloom but with this little bit of information he know knew from where Eva’s and her sister’s strong powers stemmed from. He didn’t respond with words, but his expression and body language gave off the feeling that he was satisfied with her response. He slowly straightened himself up and placed his palms on the table, exposing the silver skull cufflinks as bait. He was dead sure she would aim for them or his mask, but it turned out she wasn’t that easy to trick.
“Business and pleasure bring me to this small town. I would tell you the nature of my business but then we’d be breaking the rules of the game. One question per move.” His smirk suddenly faded into surprise as she went for his hat. It did get him a bit tense but he controlled himself and once his hat landed on his head he felt a sudden surge of power, like machine coming back to life. He quickly dampened the surge of power so he could conceal it from the witch. He was back on the grid as the reapers termed it and back with his powers. The stakes had been set higher now. Eisenheim didn’t like when things didn’t go his way and his mind raced to work a way to regain control. This endeavor was supposed to be calculated and for his amusement, not the other way around. Though the way she slowly placed the black bowler hat over his head did distract him for a moment. He frame was curvaceous by the right amount and the way the silk she wore clung to her flesh made him wonder if he’d be able slip it off her.
Time seemed to slow down while they were playing this game. The game was rigged in his favor since both had quite a few items to strip off, which could be managed in public, and Eisenheim knew more about her than she did about him. He knew all the right questions to ask. Before he was able to make a move he felt a strong aura of power. Someone rather strong was approaching the pair. He was well trained to conceal his powers making him seem ordinary and that is what he did. The reapers grey hues showed a hint of mischief as he merely heard Michael and Eva’s little encounter. Not once did he turn his head to face Michael. He was far too interested in seeing how quickly Eva’s tone had changed and the amount of rage that was spewing from within her, translating into her fingers. For a moment he thought she would lose her cool and burn the bar down. However things, calmed down.
“Kinky Bitch.” Suppressing a loud laugh upon hearing that was too hard and it made the man let slip a small chuckle. This new development had made the game more interesting. The reaper’s fingers slowly drummed on the table, his half exposed features hinting that he was definitely up to no good. Eva’s display of the power she could muster had tickled Eisenheim’s arrogance and cockiness to the point that suddenly he let his iris return to the dark shade of crimson that they usually were when he had his hat on. The transition from grey to red was clearly visible and was on purpose because he was going to raise the stakes higher. Sure it doubled the risk factor of him being exposed but the blonde in front of him was excitement and Eisenheim craved excitement paired with lust.
“You should learn to control your powers. Witches are supposed to be careful. You could’ve set everything on fire. But one should expect this from a fiery woman such as you, right?” The dynamics were suddenly shifted. The element of surprise of him being able to sense magic and being able to use magic, evident from his eyes was enough to make him feel like being in control again. “It’s my turn but before that, I forgot to mention a rule.” Eisenheim acted as if nothing had just happened and things were continuing normally. “Never touch my hat again.” For a moment his tone changed to a more sinister one as his voice became stern. Yet there was still that hint the threat being slightly sugar coated, as if he was tempting and challenging the blonde to try it again. After adjusting the hat over his head, he continued towards his question.
“My question for you is simple. Did you screw him over first or was he sly enough to fool you with his wand?” If she was thinking that he’d ask about her powers or something related to her being a witch, she was mistaken. He already knew about that. He was more interested in her other endeavors. “It is safe to assume that you attract the wrong kind of men” This was a pun hinted towards her ex and towards himself as well, for he too wasn’t someone to be trusted or taken lightly. His left hand slithered across the table as he leaned in, gliding across her cheek to unhook the other earring, making sure she felt his touch but most importantly, he wanted to feel the still flushed skin of her cheek. It was as he expected, soft, warm and tempting. After placing the earring next to its other half, he reclined back into the leather seat, intertwining his fingers once more. “Curious about me? Well here is your chance. Ask away but ask the right question.” Cockiness echoed from every inch of his body as once more, she was playing right into the palm of his hand.
Eva couldn’t ignore the sound of a chuckle echoing from her companion, so he thought it was amusing? No doubt it was meant to be a pain in the ass, which to some extent it had been, but clearly it was at least amusing to her companion. The moment her gaze trailed up to find his she noticed the visible change in his hues, they were no longer grey, but a shade of red. There was no way he was human; which was a surprise. Eva hadn’t sensed any hint of magic around him; she couldn’t help but notice the change happened after she placed his hat on his head. Not to mention the way his tone changed as he commanded her not to touch it again; there was something special about that hat. No doubt that would be a key point she could research to discover what he was.
Her brow rose upon hearing his comment, so he knew what she was. The playing field wasn’t even, and Eva didn’t like that feeling. It was strange how he knew which way she swayed, magically speaking. Sure, different elements gave off different tells but she was curious as to how he knew she was linked with fire. The young witch didn’t miss the way his tone was somewhat taunting. If they were alone she wouldn’t hesitate to act. Considering they were in a busy bar, it would be foolish to attempt to put him in his place. Her hues smouldered as she scanned his form slightly. He continued, asking her a rather personal question; which she wasn’t surprised by.
“First of all, I’m in control of my powers.” She purred tenderly as she leaned toward him slightly, resting her elbows on the table. His assumption was correct; Eva had never been able to find a man that wasn’t trouble. No doubt, the man sitting before her was just another one of her bad choices waiting to happen. “He screwed me, so I screwed him back.” It wasn’t an answer she wished to give; it exposed that she’d been bested before. It was clear with the way she spoke that she didn’t plan on it happening again. “It had nothing to do with his wand either, it takes more than a cock to distract me.” Her words were slightly vulgar, yet her tone remained tender. It was more matter of fact than lashing out. If he planned to distract her then he should be prepared that she wasn’t as easy as he may have assumed.
The female tensed slightly as she noticed his hand coming toward her. The moment his skin brushed against hers the female inhaled softly, her skin almost burst into flames at the mere touch. There was something in the way he acted, the way he carried himself. The blonde tilted her head slightly to give him better access to her second earring. Eva could count two, maybe three items she had left to remove before rousing any suspicion in the bar. She wondered when they would determine the winner. Her thick, dark lashes fluttered up upon hearing his words, her gaze locking with his. It felt like an open challenge; the question in her mind was how she would proceed. There were many things coming to mind. What are you? Where did you come from? Why is the hat so important? Eva knew she could only ask one. And so far, he owed her a piece of clothing considering she was interrupted by Michael.
The blonde reached forward, her hands sliding to rest beside one of his as her fingers brushed against the fabric of his shirt. Swiftly, her index finger and thumb parted the skull cufflink from its once comfortable position. Once she placed the silver item closer to her body her hands swept back toward his, taking one of his hands with hers. A warmth began to radiate against his flesh, ebbing from her own. Her skin began to glisten, as if it were shimmering. Fortunately, Eva could keep the flames at bay while summoning the heat from them. She could play his game, or she could step into her own game. Eva was curious about him, there was no question about that. However, she would also be foolish to assume he’d tell her the truth off the cuff. They didn’t know one another; so how would he even trust her?
It seemed all too strange. She was being hunted, she knew that much. Then suddenly a man appears at the ball, only to know she’s a witch and which element she swayed toward. Whatever he was, she couldn’t sense him. No doubt that was due to whatever he was doing right now. He must have been powerful. “Do you like the heat?” Her dark lashes fluttered upward as she focused on his gaze. As much as she wanted to reach up and rip off the mask concealing his features, she also wanted to keep him waiting, as well as herself. That was half of the fun; the mystery of it was incredibly exciting. “Oh, and I want your shirt.” The female didn’t move her hands. She had remained heating his hands to see his reaction; Eva wanted to know if her powers affected him or not. A soft, playful chuckle left her lips. “So, you prefer to play games in bars rather than take women home? I can assume tonight will be a long night.” Oh, she hoped so. The last thing she wanted to do was go back home back to her rather mundane coven.
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