Vaurien felt his head slam against the side of a wall and then six chalk white fingers tightened around his neck. For the first time in his life Vaurien was too petrified to even whimper… A voice as cold as ice and as dark as night seemed to sing its words into the air around them.

"Tell me" it sang, the bloodlust having a frenzy in its eyes "Where is she?" it smiled.

The eyes on the creature seemed to pin Vaurien to the spot he squeaked and tried to stammer his answer, but the tight and aggressive grip on his neck seemed to cut off any words he could produce.

The creature laughed and coughed up a gravelly dust…

"Your making me hungry, talk idiot…or im just gunna have to tear out you windpipe."

Vaurien shut his eyes and breathed deeply, well as deep as possible because he didn't want to expose his windpipe.

"i…i…i….i r…really… " he stuttered, the fear in his voice making him sound half his age.

Vaurien felt an overwhelming sense of pride; he finally kept an important secrete to himself.

"You going to speak?" it warned him "or can I eat now?" The mouth of the creature started to froth with the over produced mass of saliva.

Vaurien screamed tears pouring out of his eyes.

"OOOHHKKAY!" he screamed "PLEASE, PLEEAASSEE! IM SORRY I'LL TELL YOU ANYTHING! ANNYTHIING!" He struggled in the grasp of the monster, clawing his way at the brick wall pressing against his back.

The monster's smile faded and it tried to swallow the sticky mess of drool hanging out its mouth.

"Tell me where she is, and then I'll let you g…" The conversation between the two was interrupted by a gentle but purposeful coughing.

"Sorry boys, I interrupting anything?" A woman sheathed her sword her body wrapped in a tight brown leather jacket and a strapless shirt that looked like it was going to pop.

Vaurien smiled "Oh m-m-my god-t-thank you…." he rolled his eyes the relief on his face was so clear that the creature in front of him scowled.

"Who is this?" it asked.

Vaurien's sweaty body shrugged.

"Haven't the foggiest" he lied "But I have the sudden urge to beg her to take me away to my nice warm cell already… please?"

Tanith laughed "I'll have that in writing please after this Vaurien, just hold on two secs and you can have your neck back."

The creature laughed making a vicious glugging sound "Don't even try beautiful, im not fighting anyone today, especially not a pretty little lady like yourself..."

Tanith shook her head and smirked "Oh you scared of me now? Come and have a go sweetie…if you think you're hard enough?" She charged forward raising the sword high into the air.

The creature grunted, threw Vaurien to the floor and as Tanith's sword sliced between its eyes the whole of its body evaporated into shadows and it fled into the night sky.

"Wow…that was easy…" she smiled looking up into the stars.

"He…he's not dead…." Vaurien whimpered placing his head between his legs, shivering violently.

Tanith sighed and crouched down.

"You coming back to your safe, warm cell now?" she raised her eyebrows as he laughed sadly.

"Yeah…."he agreed "but it won't make a difference…he'll find me anyway…he'll kill me for what I've done…" Vaurien wiped his pale eyes with the back of his sleeve; his skin was so pale Tanith swore she could see through it.

"What? Vaurien, there's no way that big idiot will find you in prison ok? You'll be safer there than you are out here." She tried to look into his eyes but he was quite oblivious to where she was crouching.

"That's what I'd like to think…you might as well kill me now…"

Tanith pulled her tussled hair behind her ear and lifted the slumping man to his feet.

"As much as I'd like too, you know I can't do that, technically that's still be classified as murder, so your just gunna' have to come with me, now can you get in the car…or do I have to handcuff you again?"

Vaurien was already reaching for the door handle and he got in reluctantly, without saying a word.

Tanith shut him in and paused for a second, she opened the door again and Vaurien didn't even bother looking up.

"Vaurien…why is that thing trying to kill you in the first place? What does he want from you?" Tanith ducked her head under the car roof so her voice was concealed.

Vaurien laughed and shook his head… then he swallowed and tried to look up into her eyes- his own eyes were a tear stained puffy mess and he rubbed them once again with his sleeve.

"I…I can't tell you…" he sniffled.

Tanith rolled her eyes and slammed the door shut.

As she got into the driver's seat she heard Vaurien weeping uncontrollably in the back of the car.

A weird sort of fear entered her mind…Vaurien always cried, like always…he cried when he got caught, when he felt scared, threatened, and sad but this was a new kind of sound…like something out of one of these old horror movies.

"Vaurien are you ok?" Tanith asked, as she turned around to look at him…

Her pupils widened.

Vaurien was crying alright, but he was smiling too, and pointing the revolver straight between her eyes.

"Your turn" he laughed.