Soul Snatcher (12 page)

“
Soul snatchers interest you, do they?” He asked
bringing his eyes back to her.

“
The fact that I am unaware of what it is indicates
that I would have to disagree,” she reasoned. She had no idea how
she was being so brave, this person could be a psychopath and she
was locked in a room alone with him. From her experience he was
incredibly strong and fast which made this whole situation worse
for her.

Eli placed
the book down on the seat and started towards her again. Annie
braced herself and started to slowly move around the desk. Eli ran
after her and she sprinted for the door but he was too fast and cut
across the room, catching her easily. He grabbed her around the
waist and pushed her against the shelves, being careful not to harm
her. He used his body to hold her against the shelves then grabbed
her wrists and held her arms above her head. Annie was panting from
the effort and he was completely fine.

Their faces
were close and her heavy breathing blew against his face as she
exhaled. She could feel his chest rising and falling evenly against
hers. He looked at her for a moment before he spoke.

“
What do you know of soul snatchers?” He
asked.

“
I am telling you that I know nothing. I swear to you,
Eli.” She tried to subdue the panic she felt growing in
her.

“
How did you find the daggers?” He
questioned.

“
As I said, I came to find you. I then decided on a
book to read and as I walked to the day bed I stumbled and my book
fell onto the cushions. It made a strange noise and then…I…opened
it.” It sounded really bad and she trailed off trying to ignore the
fact she had done the wrong thing by looking.

“
Why that book?” He asked with suspicion in his
voice.

“
It had an interesting title,” she explained
innocently. After measuring her honesty and how weak she felt, he
lowered her hands to her side but made sure he kept hold of them.
His body remained against hers, partly for precaution but mostly
because he wanted to be close to her.

“I
see…”
he said. Silence filled
the room as he realised his mistake in accusing her.

“
I think I
should be the one asking the questions,” Annie suggested. She felt
a little more at ease as Eli’s face became softer.

“
Well there seems to be no walking away from this
without an explanation now,” he half joked, realising she was
innocent. “What is it that you would like to know?”

“
Everything.”

“
I am not sure if that is the best idea,” he
warned.

“
Then I will have to find another residence. I will not
stay somewhere I do not feel safe.” She struggled against him
trying to move away but he kept her pinned.

“
I am not the one you should be running away from,” he
cautioned.

“
Then who is?” Annie jutted her face toward him in
question. He searched her face for something she wasn’t sure of and
he let out a sigh.

“
I will tell you but this is something I am trusting
you with,” he said seriously. She thought for a moment about
whether she wanted to know or not. It seemed like something that
could lead her into trouble. Her own internal warnings did nothing
to tame the curiosity that had already planted itself inside her
and she decided that she wanted to know. How bad could it
be?

“
Shall we take a seat?” Annie suggested. Eli released
her and moved over to the day bed that started all of this. “Fine
choice,” she said sarcastically as she sat next to him.

“
What I am about to tell you may sound ridiculous.” He
looked at her as he spoke. “Correction,
will
sound
ridiculous.”

“
Eli, I am sure whatever it is I will be able to
manage,” she assured.

“
Have you ever heard the words soul snatcher?” He asked
half trying to shock her into taking it seriously.

“
Only just now after I found that book,” she answered,
laughing a little at how silly this all felt. When Eli didn’t join
in her laughter she soon sobered and became a little
fearful.

“
This is not a joke, Annie. They are much more than
dangerous.” Annie wasn’t sure what to do with his words, laugh or
run screaming. The rational part of her felt like shunning
everything he said but, from the strangeness that had recently
surrounded her life, part of her grabbed hold of the fear and
believed what he said.

“
Then tell me, what are they?” She asked warily,
feeling the gravity of it all.

Without a word
he stood and started to search
through the books. He found a book and walked back to his seat,
flicking through the pages intently.

“They are
beings that should be treated with caution and avoided at all
costs!” He passed the book to her, opened to half way, and then
went to retrieve another book from the shelves. She looked at the
pages, it had a picture of a disgusting looking man, bloated and
half dead.

“
How does anyone know of these things?” She asked,
scrunching her face up in revulsion at the image.

“
Attacks. Some snatchers are careless and do not think
about consequences. They can come in all different shapes and sizes
and can be either men or women.” Eli grabbed another book as Annie
was left shocked at his words. He opened to a specific page, handed
it to her and walked back to the shelves. “Some look like rotting
corpses and others are enticing creatures. It depends on the type
of snatcher that created them.”

“
How do people become a…snatcher?” She asked as she
inspected the books.

“
With bane that is administered into the victim. It can
either be ingested by a human drinking from the creature themselves
or by the snatcher biting them and injecting it into them,” Eli
explained, handing yet another book to her.

“
It is fine, Eli,” she said refusing the book politely.
“At this rate it looks as if you will hand me the whole shelf. Just
sit and tell me.” He nodded then took his seat next to her. “From
my understanding of the word ‘bane’, it refers to something that
causes death, especially from poison. But do people die after being
infected?”

“The fluid
they produce is injected into the victim. It stops their heart
beating for a time until the transformation is complete, then the
heart restarts,” he clarified. “So in a way it is a death but not
technically.”

“So it is
poisonous?” She wondered.

“We consider
it to be a corruptive influence in a human’s system, so yes.” He
watched her carefully to ensure she was not too overwhelmed. “The
bane replaces the human’s blood which is one of the reasons why
they have the option of drinking blood to survive. If the bane is
not subdued then it becomes too…” He searched for the word.
“Blistering within them and it burns through their skin, killing
them. Am I going too fast?”

“
No, it is fine. Continue.” Annie was overwhelmed but
fascinated.

“
From what we know snatchers are ageless. If you are
transformed in old age you lose some of the age and remain looking
possibly a decade younger. However, if someone is changed during
their physical peak they are frozen in eternal youth. Bane
maintains the body at its peak but also influences a person’s
capabilities. It makes you better at everything but also allows you
to endure things for longer. For example snatchers can run faster
and longer, they do not need rest or food, they can see better and
hear well. How are you coping with this?” He checked with
her.

“
Fine.” She was intrigued to know more.

“They only use their
heightened skills when it is necessary. For instance, if they were
defending themselves against a danger or they were preying on a
victim. Otherwise they just come across as any other ordinary human
being because technically they are…just much more improved.
The bane sets a person in a mold
once it is infused into them,” he summarised. “Their bodies are
still able to be injured but the bane heals them at a very fast
rate and they cannot die the same way humans do.”

“
So why are some disgusting?” She queried, thinking of
the revolting image she had seen.

“
There are some that feed off dead bodies because they
think it an easy meal. Also the sporadic outbursts of the plague
are another way they ingest spoiled blood, any disease ridden blood
really. Because bane absorbs the blood it also absorbs its
qualities but because they cannot be killed by human disease they
become walking, rotting corpses. If they create a person in a
diseased state then that human becomes the same,” he
expounded.

“
How did they come to be?” Annie asked.

“
Legend has it that at the start of the dark ages there
was once a woman so vain she thought sacrificing others would bring
her eternal youth. So every few years she would sacrifice someone
she lured to fall in love with her to gain longer life. She
believed it had to be someone who genuinely loved her, so she would
live with them and be with them for years so she was sure that it
was true love. Then she would kill them and drink their
blood.

After
countless deaths by her hand a young man came to her door seeking
refuge from a storm. He asked for entrance to her home and she
granted it to him. She intended him to be her next victim but she
was unaware that this person was apparently a demon in disguise. He
offered her eternal youth in exchange for a soul. He said it could
not be just any soul, it had to be the soul of the one who loved
her most. She said she would easily find a man willing. The demon
said it would not do because there would always be one that would
love her more than any other…herself.” Annie took a sharp breath in
and he paused.

“
Then what?” She whispered.

“
Before she had time to think of the consequences she
willingly offered herself. The demon asked how she would manage to
sacrifice herself yet be eternally youthful. Again without thought
she said she would give her soul if he supplied her body with
another source of life. With this as the truly desired result that
the demon wanted, he granted her wish without her caring that the
conditions were made by him.

Her soul was
removed by a simple kiss and she gained eternal youth. She became
less human and more demonic, though keeping her human shell. So she
gained bane, strength etcetera. The theory it that the demon’s aim
was for her to sacrifice more human life on a larger scale so he
gave her abilities to accomplish it.”

“
Is it true?” Annie had never been so bombarded with
information but she was retaining it.

“I do not
know, all I can tell you is; that is the myth and there are soul
snatchers today,” Eli said diplomatically.

 
“
If the legend is true
then from my understanding, the people who are turned by another
snatcher would have souls because bane is used instead of a kiss to
change them. So people are turned into these creatures but have to
battle against this one woman’s curse,” Annie mused feeling a
little sorry for them.

“
I am not sure.” Eli seemed to become a little guarded
and changed the subject of souls rather quickly. “According to the
legend the demon specifically had to be welcomed into her home of
her own free will. Now a snatcher must be asked into a home before
they can enter it, unless they have been welcomed there before
their change.” Annie nodded, taking it all in. “There is so much
more. They were designed to do something far worse than what I have
already told you,” he started to warn but a knock came at the
door.

Annie was
startled by the noise
, it was
so normal compared to everything she was just told. It brought her
back to reality but she still felt like she had fallen into a
bizarre fairy-tale with a frightening twist. Eli went to the door
and answered it.

“
Mr. Brighton,” Garrick said from the entrance. “Miss
Danes is at the door to see you.” Eli turned back to Annie who
looked just as shocked as he did.

“
Stay here,” Eli said to her then left the library with
Garrick.

“
Because I am really going to stay here,” Annie said to
herself then she snuck out of the room quietly.

CHAPTER
10

Eli silently
walked up to the closed door that had Miss Danes behind it. Before
he opened it he looked to Garrick in question.

“
Why is she standing outside?” He whispered.

“
She advised that this would be a hasty visit and did
not wish to disturb you any more than necessary.” Garrick looked
meaningfully at him.