Plat-eyes aren't something you normally see around these parts. It was always said that they stuck to the old and empty roads looking for travelers. They circle like sharks and the poor soul caught in the middle is never seen or heard from again. My family had often wondered if it was a Plat-eye that took my cousin Hadley. She had run away from home when we were teenagers. The local authorities had said that a large dog-like animal had been seen in the woods when she disappeared. That's the shape they favor when hunting. You can always tell if an animal is a Plat-eye, though. They can shape shift into any animal, person, or object of their choice but the eyes never take shape correctly. In animal form, they have one large eye glowing in the middle of their heads. I had heard in the officer's mind that an eye witness said that this "dog" only had one eye. He had assumed that the witness had just been drinking too much.
While modern inventions like cars made it more difficult for them to hunt, interstate highways made it easier for them to travel. I had never seen one this far west before. South Carolina and Georgia are their main hunting grounds. That certainly gave me something to chew on later.
"It was real lucky that you were here, Mr. Northman," I said.
"Call me Eric," he replied. Looking up at him, I noticed that the injuries from the fight were already beginning to heal themselves. His hair was mussed and blood stained his shirt in ugly blotches but he appeared to be just fine. Well, that just wasn't fair.
"It was real lucky that you were here, Eric," I said again. "Plat-eyes are much faster than people. I would've been killed for sure if you hadn't shown up."
"Yes," He said with a smirk. "I suppose that it was fortunate. Tell me, how did you know that the Plat-eye was there?"
I hesitated. Gran had always told me as a child to be careful who I revealed my secret to. There are creatures in this world and others that make it their business to use humans with gifts for their own gain. Eric already knew that I couldn't be glamoured. In for a penny, in for a pound.
"I'm a telepath." I said quietly. You never know what could be listening. "I can read minds."
Eric's face became stony and he turned to face me. I could feel my heart racing. Since I only came up to his chest, I raised my head to look up at him. His gaze went from my head down to my feet and then back again. He was considering me. He was deciding whether or not I was a threat.
"I can't read your mind. The minds of supernaturals are difficult to read." I explained in a rush.
"You can't read me at all?" He asked seriously.
"Not a peep." I said. It was something that had puzzled me since I began grave guarding. It hadn't taken me long to realize that I couldn't read nonhumans. Up until then, I had assumed that I would be able to hear just about anything. The first time I tried, I had gotten nothing except white noise and I needed to know why. I started spending more of my time in the library. While most of the neuroscience books had gone over my head, I had come to some of my own conclusions since then. Maybe the neural pathways of supes were different than those of people. I'd probably never know for sure without becoming some sort of mad scientist's pet project. There isn't a book on telepathy for dummies anywhere I've looked.
"That's interesting." He said after a long pause. Eric seemed satisfied with my answer. "I had a psychic once. It was incredible."
"Did the psychic think so?" I replied tartly.
"For a while." As the unpleasant images of the psychic's demise paraded through my imagination, Eric looked off into the distance. His blue eyes were so clear and focused that I thought for sure that he could see through the trees as easily as looking through a window.
"I must go." He said simply. After he spoke, I looked down at my wrist and pressed a little button on the side of my watch. The face glowed softly to life and I glanced at the little hands and was surprised to see that it was well past four in the morning. I hadn't realized that it had gotten so late. Sunrise would be coming soon and my job would be done.
"Before you go, will you promise me that you will get my message to Mr. Compton?" I asked.
"I will." He replied. He smiled and his fangs flashed white. "Mr. Compton will see to his business next sundown."
"Thank you, Eric. It was a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure was mine."
Author's note: Sorry that this update took so long. I've often had this problem when I write. I know what I want to see as far as major events and turning points in a plot but I have trouble getting them to flow together smoothly. Besides that, I'm in between jobs right now, and starting research for a novel I want to rough draft for NANOWRIMO. I'll try to keep things more regular. And if any of you have hints for beating writer's block, I'd love to hear them.
