Mors Praetor – part 3

“She needs a hospital.” Ant took pulled me into a shadow and took the girl from my arms as I bent over and lost the contents of my stomach. Walking through the shadows always did that. Ant carried the girl into the Emergency room and was back outside before anyone could ask him any questions. Not that they would have remembered anyways, his magic was just that simple. No one remembered him unless he wanted them too. In the beginning there is no telling how many times I’d met Ant before he let me remember him.

“I couldn’t make you forget me.” Ant said softly as his hand rubbed the back of my neck while I bent over trying not to get my vomit on my shoes – or his. But the feeling had stopped and I was able to stand up right.

“You could just trust me.” Ant laughed.

“I do trust you.”

Ant nodded.

“Anger is a rare color on you.” A voice in the shadows sounded cold and distant though she stepped into the light of the street lamp outside the alley we were standing in. She was short, her hair cut short. The auburn color was purple in the yellow light and her skin was paler than the moon above. She was beautiful in the way a cobra was. Deadly and scary.

“Il Cane, I presume.” I smirked.

“He didn’t attack you.” She said. The dual swords that hung at her side stayed in place. It was a matter of fact not a threat.

“He killed kids.” I growled. “He fed on them and took away their future.”

She nodded. “Perhaps. But who are you to judge?”

“I didn’t judge. You did. You made him my problem.”

A small smile slide across her lips. “He expected a trial.”

“He expected me to be..”

“You,” she interrupted. There was no smile left on her lips as she took a step closer baring her fangs at me. “He expected the boy but he got Mors Praetor instead.’

“Who?” I asked.

She only smiled. Then turned to Ant. “He will do.” She said and then turned into the shadows and was gone.

“I will do what?” I frowned at Ant.

He smiled, “You are now back up plan number four.”

“For what?”

“If Il Cane ever goes rogue again. You will be the last line of defense against her.”

“What?”

Ant laughed, “Don’t worry, it will have meant, Tony, myself and Ryan have failed in our jobs.”

“To kill your mother. Yeah thanks. I can see you hating me for it.”

Ant shook his head, “She won’t be my mother, and I’ll likely be dead.”

I stood staring at Ant in the shadows. “What does Mors Praetor mean?”

“Death Consul, in literal translation. But it means you’ll do the job if you have to, no matter the cost.”

“But I don’t kill.”

Ant laughed, “You do. My mother is afraid of you. It’s not you she’s afraid of though, it’s your anger. You just proved her right tonight. It wasn’t about protecting the dead girl. It was anger that he’d tried to feed in front of you – again. It wasn’t the anger of the past, it was the moment. It was hard to breathe in the room when you were the righteous fury that all Venatori have. But you don’t. I’ve seen you before, this was different. And I think we should all be afraid of you.” Ant grinned, “But don’t worry, I’m not afraid of your weak ass.”

“We have a ring to get to, walk?” Ant stepped into the shadows and offered me his hand.

“Fuck no. We walk.” I turned to walk to the street behind us. Ant followed with a laugh that echoed in the alley.