Erlking

Six

The new crime scene in the centre of the city was silent. The sound seemed to have been sucked from the area. A crowd of onlookers stood with heads bowed, shawls of mourning over their hair. They held single rose stems. I felt the same emotions from my first official hunt try to rise within me. The cold I'd hid behind beginning to c***k. Jackson's head snapped around at the sound of my faint, shuddering breath. We were still in his car. He reached out and grasped my hand. I saw it in his eyes; he expected me to pull away, rebuke his comfort.

"You feed on live prey to keep your emotions in check." He murmured, more a statement than a question. I nodded, he could feel the slight tremors in my hand, held gently within his.

"Feed, from me." He whispered. I met his gaze and what I saw there drew a smile to my lips.

"Pervert." I chuckled, drawing a laugh.

"You cannot blame a male for trying. The thought of you in my lap, your mouth at my throat and your delicious body moving against mine are enough to give me a hard-on as strong as a bat. Get out of the car female, before I give the onlookers something new to see." Firebrand growled playfully. I opened my door, wiping the smile from my face. I stood on the cement footpath and froze. I could hear a familiar chittering. I spun around, my sharp gaze scanning the tall buildings around us.

"Sarg, the call came in about an hour ago. They were-." Swift stopped talking, having spotted us and crossed the space to Firebrands side.

"Gloom?" Jackson called softly, watching me. Seeing what I was looking for, I launched for the side of the closest building. I jumped, my fingers gripping the almost non-existent holds as I ran at speed up the front of the towering structure.

"I'm going to have nightmares Sarg, that's some creepy s**t, right there. f*****g vampires are scary. I am so glad they are not allowed to hunt anymore." Garu announced coming to stand with swift.

I could see the forest sprite. It was trying to fade into a pot plant on the twenty-second floor, and I couldn't let it escape. Erlkings never hunted without them. They were integral to their plans. I'd never managed to figure out why. I only knew the male could not function outside the palace without one. I met the creatures shocked gaze, seconds before I grabbed it. The sprites screams echoed through the still morning air. I turned and slid back down the facade of the building. My boots hit the ground with a resounding thud.

"Got it," I growled with a fang-filled grin. Garu chuckled.

"Aww, Gloom, you give the best gifts." The towering werewolf called striding over. He took possession of the creature struggling in my hands.

"Thank you." I murmured joining Swift and Firebrand beside the tape, marking the crime scene. Visor suddenly appeared beside me. 

"I saw you." She whispered. I arched one brow, curious. I was usually a blank spot to oracles. 

"Save it for later, will you. Do you see anything here?" Firebrand asked her. Visor shivered, she took a deep breath and ducked under the tape. We followed closely. Oracles were incredibly vulnerable while they read. I caught Firebrands small encouraging smile; he covered quickly with the expressionless mask he's worn since I met him.

"Fear. There was such Fear." Sharee whispered. s**t, I thought. This was not going to go well for the female.

"Wait, Sharee, have you ever channelled a crime scene before?" Swift asked softly, not wanting his voice to travel. The raven-haired female beside him nodded.

"Yes, several times, however, I do not usually work alone. I use a filter-."

"What kind of filter?" I interrupted, my tone sharper than usual. Sharee turned to meet my ice like gaze. She licked her lips nervously.

"A sprite. I use sprites to filter out the emotions, so I can read without it kicking the s**t through my cortex. My sprite, he died last week. Out of the blue, he just keeled over."

"Do you have to train them, or is it instinctual?" Garu asked. Sharee shook her head.

"Instinct, it's how they live. Sprites feed on psychic energy. Maru had a particular fondness for life readings." She explained. I turned around, scanning the stores around us. I spotted a pet store and strode off in their direction. The crowd parting to allow me through. After witnessing my building climb, no one wanted to step into my path.

A little bell chimed as I opened the door to the stop. I stepped inside, and the creatures grew silent. They were sensing a predator. 

"Can I help you?" A nervous voice was coming from my left. I turned to see a young she-elf, wringing her hands behind the counter.

"Sprites, do you have any?" I called looking around. The female nodded. She hurried out from her place to the right of the store. I followed, meeting her in the back. I stood before several cages, frowning.

"You can talk to them, they respond. The three at the bottom like positive energies-." I turned to study the elf when her voice trailed off, her gaze catching the sprite at the top of the pyramid on which they sat.

He had come down from his perch, eyes wide as he pressed himself against the cage bars.

"H-he is a shadow sprite, they um, they-."

"Dark energies. Can they survive on the other types too?" I murmured. She nodded.

"Yes. Shadow sprites are very rare. Shuggy is the only one I have ever seen or heard of in this part of the country." 

"I will take him."

"Ah, excuse me. You're not going to e-eat him, are you?" She whispered. I chuckled, unable to help myself; I shook my head.

"No. Contrary to popular opinion, Vampires are very picky about what we consume. We do not eat everything placed in our paths. I am one of the investigators on the case outside. Our oracle needs a filter. Her sprite Maru passed on last week, and this scene is particularly disturbing." I explained casually. The female suddenly relaxed. She smiled and grabbed Shuggy down from his shelf, smiling as she walked with him to the counter. I eyed the cage, stepping closer. Shuggy was pressed against the bars, smiling at me. His wide purple eyes, unblinking.

"You're not for me," I whispered. Shuggy frowned, sitting back on his haunches. His leather-like wings wrapping around his body. I swiped my card to pay for him and pocketed the receipt. The shop attendant also handed me a USB stick. I arched one brow.

"Our front cameras point out to the quad. You might see something. I watch the footage each day to see if anyone has been loitering or casing my shop. I've not done so today." 

"Thank you for the Sprite and your help." I grabbed the top of the cage and walked to the door.

"Oh, Shuggy is trained to sit on your shoulder. You open the door and tell him to perch. He also loves coffee beans." She called. I waved over my shoulder, striding out the door. I crossed the quad back to the crime scene and the rest of my team. I staggered as a wave of psychic energy washed over me. Shuggy stood up, eyes alert, he looked around, his gaze locking on Sharee excitedly. I looked down at the sprite and back to Visor, who was kneeling on the cement several feet from the bodies of the murdered children. I opened the cage door. Shuggy stepped out, onto my forearm. I placed the cage on the ground and ducked under the tape. I crouched beside Sharee.

"This is Shuggy. He is a Shadow Sprite. He loves coffee beans, and he has been taught to sit on your shoulder. Shuggy, perch." I said. The black catlike creature jumped onto Sharee's shoulder, rubbed his head on her ear and sat. His little back claws were gripping her shirt. Sharee turned her head to look at him. Shuggy grinned. Visor suddenly grinned.

"Hello, Shuggy. Could you help me out here?" She asked. The sprite closed his eyes and began to glow; the oppressive energy around us began to dissipate rapidly. A minute later, he opened his eyes and released a loud burp, with a contented sigh, he settled himself under the oracles hair and promptly fell asleep.

"Gloom-." She began. I held up a hand, stopping her.

"Just read," I growled, hiding my emotions once more and turning my back on her.