Sylvie

About a minute later a deep black shadewraith floated through the glass windows and started swirling around Elle’s inhabited body. 

{“The Nightstalkers got away from our trap, Archaios Enas.  They obtained the two items from the one I took - Haley Grant.  I was unable to find the other text, the shell didn’t have it.”}

Archaios Enas held out her hand and the shadewraith condensed itself into a small sphere and settled in her palm. “You might have failed in your task, but that wasn’t completely unexpected.  The nightstalkers are quite adaptive, unlike our new hosts.”  Archaios Enas ran her fingers through Sarah’s long red hair and spoke softly. “You are about to find out what it means to be taken and to just…”  It laughed, “...disappear.”  When the white-wraith uttered its last word, it felt Sarah quivering uncontrollably and felt something warm and wet soak the denim Archaios Enas wore.

Archaios Enas spoke to the black ball, 

{“So easy to intimidate. She just lost her control and like everything else about these creatures, it stinks.  Feel free to have this shell.”}

Following its orders, the black cloud hovered under Sarah’s nose briefly.

{“Why are you keeping this creature alive, Archaios Enas?”}

Holding up her hand, Archaios Enas replied aloud so Deputy Director Powell could hear. “This creature has some influence and ability within this world, my curious friend.  I wish you to torture the information from her before you make her..”  The white-wraith laughed, “...disappear.”

Sensing the danger and absolute horror building up in Sarah, Archaios Enas slipped her wispy, web-covered white hand from her victim’s red locks and resumed choking her. “Shhhhh, I can’t have you screaming.” It paused, “That will alert others..”  It reformed its flesh hand one sinew at a time, “...while I don’t mind killing more of the denizens of this world, now isn’t the time.  Nightstalkers first, and that requires a touch of diplomacy.”  Archaios Enas winked and nodded to the other shadewraith.

{“Now, take her now.  Take your time extinguishing this one, extract all you can.  Do not fail again.”}

Howling in deep guttural gratitude, the second shadewraith drove itself into Deputy Director Powell’s nose and disappeared from view.

{“Archaios Enas has commanded. By fear, chaos and pain her will is enforced.”

The second shadewraith spoke to its leader as the beast found the part of Sarah Powell and began twisting her personality to fit that of the shadewraith.  It took mere minutes for the shadewraith to take over the body of its new host, then used Sarah’s voice. “Crude method of transmission,  Archaios Enas.  The one called Sarah still partially exists.”  Showing its diamond eyes through its new host to prove the hostile takeover, the shadewraith made its new body shake. “This one is so tasteful to feed from. Her fear and doubts run deep.”  It paused, “What did you want extracted from this shell,  Archaios Enas?”

Stepping away from her victim, Archaios Enas spoke to the remains of Sarah’s personality. “Little fleshling, I told you my wispy tendrils will invade your mind, then twist and break your body.”  Archaios Enas added, “They all are extensions of my will, my being.  Thousands of us, shell…slave.”  Pulling off the jeans she had donned in the bedroom, the white-wraith tossed the piss-smelling clothing into another room, and then answered. “It said there were things that my shell, Elle, and she needed to accomplish.  What are these … things?”

Delving deeply into what was left of Sarah Powell, the shadewraith forcefully pulled its hosts' memories and gleefully gave a small report to Archaios Enas.

{“I have this fleshlings memory at my command, White-One, it took some…coaxing.”}

It laughed and fluttered its brown eyes, clearly having just fed.

{“What would you like to know?  This one had a myriad of ideas concerning your shell.  A prevalent one comes back to visualizing her bare form.”}

Hearing Elle’s body grumble from hunger, Archaios Enas sighed and walked to the kitchen and dug around for something to eat. 

{“Pleasure is probably the most overwhelming thought these simpletons have.  I don’t need to know that information.  What was on your lackey’s mind when it came to the door?  Start there.”}

Archaios Enas opened the refrigerator and sniffed around until she found a small red container labeled ‘Maple Honey Ham’ and she tore open the plastic, then ate the meat within.

{“It was important enough to interrupt this shell’s need for rest or slumber.  Something must have happened that needs this one’s attention.”}

Closing its eyes and concentrating on Sarah’s past, the shadewraith began to nod with understanding.

{“White-One.  It would appear that something happened at a place called Fort Gregg.  This one is a leader of some sort and lost what she calls a ‘team of agents’ this evening.  Based on limited descriptions of the two involved, it sounds like the same duo of nightstalkers that eliminated Haley Grant.”}

It paused briefly to collect the right words for Archaios Enas.

{“This group of agents also lost what she calls a ‘serum’ that they developed to fight the nightstalkers.  Renders them powerless and vulnerable…but it requires them to…”-}

The black shadewraith made Sarah’s body smile widely.

{“...be in or have used ghostform first.  Could it be that these things created a weapon we can use?”}

Standing in quiet contemplation, Archaios Enas had one word echoing in her head, vengeance.  Long before she gave herself a name and before taking on a permanent female form, she desired the means to destroy the nightstalkers.  Hundreds of Earth years trapped in the Harsh Expanse after being ripped out of her nightstalker and cast into a virtual oblivion, the means to her salvation was closer than ever before.

{“More likely that one of their own betrayed the others.  I cannot conceive that these creatures had the means or understanding of the nightstalkers to create a ‘serum’.  I want you to take your slave-shell and see if you can discover where the item was made.  I will gather some of the others and find these two nightstalkers that managed to defeat you.”}

Archaios Enas watched as her trusted soldier left the apartment.  Finishing the container of ham, Archaios Enas went back into Elle’s room and stretched out on the bed and allowed her memory to flow.

-The past is the answer to the present and will secure our future.  It all starts with the portal and the book contains the control of the portal.-

Content to allow her memories to flow freely, Archaios Enas closed her eyes and thought about how she’d become self-aware.  The single among many.  Recalling the vampire she inhabited with disdain, Archaios Enas visualized Randal Louis.  Unlike others of his kind who happened to be perfect to look upon, her nightstalker had been the opposite.  Nothing about the man had been fair to observe.  Stringy and foul-smelling brown hair, bloodshot brown eyes that reflected uncertainty, so overweight that if not for his tall frame, wouldn’t be able to stand or walk.

-Disgusting from head to toe.  Easy to exploit.  Just like their victims, nightstalkers have self-esteem issues.-

 Archaios Enas told herself as the memory flowed.  Realizing early that Randal was close to tipping over the edge into madness, she knew two things.  First, if the beast turned into a crazed hunter it would be a matter of time before it perished.  Second, that she’d be the one that pushed the blood-shell into self-destruction.  Tied to Randal’s fate, Archaios Enas made the decision that somehow she would escape the body prison she’d inhabited.  Weeks into pushing Randal towards unending chaos, Archaios Enas felt the rush of power that followed when the nightstalker fed from its victims and made a connection.

-He was so vile that his charm was useless and terrorized the humans he fed from.-

Archaios Enas laughed quietly.

-All it took was a perspective and soothing voice to make Randal do my bidding.-