The Ashtear were created many millennium ago before the Sidhe split. We were born of sidhe mothers and ancient mage fathers. We were a hidden army that was to sweep the sidhe away as well as the ancient mage and humans and their army. The race of man has declined much since then.

We turned on our masters at the last moment and before we were done they were dead or fleeing. The sidhe did not want anything to do with us and gave us the name of Reapers. A rift back to the world we had been born on was opened. It was the sidhe home world but far enough away that we could keep to ourselves.

Those that chose to attack us were killed by ones we called protectors. There were many protectors at first but as time passed the numbers became less. Millenniums went past as the Ashtear changed even more and became fewer. For the last fifty years I watched and learned from the new humans that had come to the sidhe world.

They came from the stars with many wonders. My people no longer wanted or needed protectors and I was the last. I settled the pack before leaving the hidden camp. I wore my weapons as well as a hooded cloak and moved through the sidhe port city in the quiet morning. The sidhe representative did not look up as I came through the door until I stopped at his desk.

He glanced at me and shifted with a frown, "we do not deal with humans."

I moved the hood of my cloak off and looked at him calmly. Like all Ashtear I was tall and well built with long braided auburn hair and slitted eyes. Not vertical like a cat but horizontal and the pupils were a golden color, "my name is Killian. You are responsible for those of this world that wish to leave."

His eyes widened and he looked around as if for help and I sighed, "we have not touched any sidhe that has not attacked us. I wish to go with these humans and see other worlds."

He looked at me for a moment before nodding and turning to a machine, "do you have money? They do not provide everything for free."

I smiled, "I will have enough to start with."

He held out a small machine I knew was called a comp. I looked at it and then at him as he blushed and gestured, "you will need it."

I nodded and reached for a pouch at my belt and he cleared his throat, "pay me if or when you return."

I hesitated before accepting the comp, "thank you."

He smiled, "fare well Ashtear and may the true gods favor you."

I glanced into his eyes and mind before nodding, "and you."

I pulled the hood up and left and went to a specialty shop beside the port gate. I waited until the human finally opened and slipped in. He did not notice me as he walked towards the counter at the rear of the shop. I stopped on one side of the counter and waited until he turned. He gasped and jerked back, "damn!"

I smiled, "I wish to sell a few relics human."

He moved up on the other side of the counter, "you know we do not like it when you call us that sidhe."

I pushed my hood back and he gasped when he saw my eyes and moved back, "what are you?"

I knew what he saw and shifted to unhook a pouch from the side of my pack. I set it on the counter and looked at him, "we are called Ashtear. What the sidhe once called Reapers."

He licked his lips, "no one has said anything about your people."

I gestured, "the sidhe would that we did not survive."

He moved back to the counter and I opened the pouch. I read his thoughts easily and saw the greed. Of course he thought to cheat me and acted like he desired what I had not. I did not show all but enough before shaking my head and putting everything back in the pouch, "you are greedy human. If you knew what I was you would know not to lie."

I turned and started for the door and that was when the bargaining began. I walked out with more than enough to pay for a trip to the closest human empire. Central was the capital system and the commercial center for the empire, its neighbors as well as a few dozen alien races. I paid for a set of rooms in what was the poorer part of the huge port city.

I had learned much on the way here and had packed my weapons away. I only had a thousand credits left when I went to the galactic commodity exchange. It was a huge building with thousands of people that yelled and shouted. I turned my cloak inside out so that it was grey and sent out my thoughts as I seemed to vanish.

I moved in and through the crowds and read the tangled thoughts. I used what credits I had and before the end of the day they had increased a hundred fold. I slipped away when I felt hungry even though another set of people had began to bargain all over again. I wondered the streets and went to libraries and places where they stored things from their past.

I felt the thoughts of two men ahead of me and sighed as I removed the tight leather gloves. As I reached them one turned and lifted what he called a plasma pistol. I have been a protector and warrior for a very long time and turned and slid in. One hand caught his and twisted and bent the wrist as he screamed.

My magic surged and pulled as I brushed the stabbing knife away that the other man used. My hand caught his throat and he froze and tried to scream like the first. I let both go and they dropped to the ground and began to shake and convulse. I watched them for a moment before I turned and started walking.

A month and my credits were at eleven digits. The mega rich exchange merchants had begun to notice and ask questions. I was returning to my rooms and walked into the small entry way of my building. Six well dressed men moved away from the wall and one stepped in front of me, "our employer would like to speak with you."

I looked at him and then at the others. I had felt their thought and already removed my gloves. I reached up to remove the hood of my cloak, "I do not know who that is and do not wish to speak with him."

They laughed and the man in front of me opened his jacket to show a weapon, "we insist."

I looked at him and sighed, "you begin to irate me human."

One of the other men reached out to grab me and I began to move. I turned and shifted as I caught his hand and pulled as my magic surged. He screamed as he flew past me and crashed into a wall and I blocked a fist and stepped to the side as I reached out. I grabbed another man by the throat and tossed him as he screamed.

He crashed into two others and they all went down. I turned and caught a fist and let my magic surge before releasing the fist and letting the man fall. I spun and stepped as the first man pulled the pistol. I caught his hand and twisted it until the weapon was pointed at his throat as my magic swept out.

I let him fall and moved towards the two men coming to their feet. One kicked out and I brushed the foot up and let him fall. I tried to turn and side step but the last man had a knife and it slid into my shoulder. I jerked as the magic within reached through the knife and he was thrown back screaming.

I kicked out and into the one man still on the ground before I looked at all the men convulsing on the floor. I turned and walked down the hall and then began to climb the stairs. Once in my rooms I walked to the fresher and looked at the knife still embedded in my shoulder. I pulled it out and dropped it in the sink before covering the wound with my bare hand.

I shifted the stolen life energy and the wound closed as if it had never been. I undressed and stepped into the shower and washed before drying and then going to dress. I had new clothes that was soft and very comfortable and sat to let the euphoria from the life energy fade. It was many hours before I finally went to lay down and close my eyes.

There was a reason the sidhe called us reapers. The men had brought it back after so long without using it. The ancient mages that had bred our mothers had used spells to create us and that was what had destroyed them. The next day I shifted and turned the thoughts back on the four assassins and sent them after the men that had paid them.

When I left the exchange I had followed the thought of an eatery or what he had called a restaurant. Since it was early evening I wore the dark side out on my cloak. I walked in the large double doors as I removed my gloves and stopped at the thoughts of a those walking towards me. There were two males in front that were guards.

Another male was behind them with a female slave beside him. I was to the right side and out of the way but I knew what the front two would do. They shifted and moved left and stopped before they walked into me. One growled, "move scum."

I lifted a hand and pushed the hood back, "look at my eyes dark one and then you may go around me."

He barely glanced at my eyes as he sneered, "what do we care for your eyes."

I looked beyond them to the other as his thoughts spun and smiled, "so one of the dark masters remember."

I looked at the two guards, "go around or move fool before you truly find out what I am."

The other one stepped and struck but I was already moving and caught the fist as my magic surged like a storm. He screamed and the other one reached for his weapon as I stepped closer and reached out and caught his throat. His scream was cut off but not the total look of horror as I dropped them both and the weapon slid back to their master's foot.

I took two steps until I was close, "go ahead and pick it up."

He looked around frantically before looking at the slave. She was much more than she seemed according to his jagged thoughts. She was a genetic clone of the greatest sidhe queen and still not out of her teens. He shoved her towards me, "a tribute Reaper!"

He ran around me and fled towards the door as if demons were following. I turned to watch before looking at the trembling girl. Humans were beginning to gather and I gestured to one who was a working in this place. He moved closer warily, "sir?"

I turned to the nasty collar and leash on the girl and removed the leash and held it out, "would you please get rid of this?"

He smiled and then grinned, "it would be my pleasure."

I turned and held the girl's elbow as I walked towards the restaurant. A man was quick to show me to a table and I took time to seat the girl. I sat and glanced at the man, "would you ask around and find a set of..."

I searched his thoughts, "cutters."

I reached out to touch the cruel collar and he nodded before setting menus on the table. I looked at the girl as he left, "my name is Killian."

She glanced up, "they call me Dusk."

I snorted, "more like returning sun."

Her eyes searched mine before she looked down. I removed my cloak and folded it over the back of my chair. I glanced at the man crossing the room and read his thoughts. I turned to look at the menu and read the waiter as he stopped at the table. I glanced at Dusk before ordering and sitting back to look at the constable.

He looked from me to the girl, "were you the one that assaulted the ... dark Sidhe?"

I smiled, "constable I am sure you know the answer to that. I also know you are probably having someone looking at the recording of the incident."

He pulled a chair out and sat, "what I would like to know is what you did to them?"

I sighed, "I am Ashtear constable. If you wish to know what that is ask the dark ones or the sidhe. The sidhe might tell you but I doubt if they really know. The dark ones know but I doubt they would tell."

He looked at me, "and you could tell me."

I nodded, "I could but that would involve having to tell you the whole story and that is between the sidhe, the dark ones and the Ashtear."

I looked at Dusk, "I will tell you that now that they know, the dark ones will send their corrupted humans for me. First to torture and punish and then to kill. When they fail they will send their own warriors until they have none left or until I am forced to come for them."

I looked at him as the waiter set glasses of cold water on the table, "they will live and will never try to touch an Ashtear again."

He stood, "do not pursue some type of feud while you are here."

I ignored him as I turned to push a glass of water to Dusk, "drink my lady."

She glanced at me before reaching for the glass. I watched and listened to those in the restaurant and turned to accept the cutters when the waiter brought them. I moved closer to Dusk and carefully cut and then removed the collar. I handed it to the waiter with the cutters, "would you see that this is destroyed?"

He bowed, "with pleasure sir."

I looked at the drops of blood on her throat and the scars and slowly put my hands around her throat. I closed my eyes as I shifted the stolen life essence of the two dark ones. Dusk sighed as the wounds in her throat vanished and even the old scars disappeared. I removed my hands and turned to pick up a table linen and gently clean the blood from her throat and then my hands.

The waiter shifted and I glanced at him and read the awe. He held out his hand, "let me get you a clean one sir."

I nodded and sat as I handed the linen to him, "thank you."

The constable cleared his throat before he turned and walked away. Dinner was good and I made sure Dusk ate and was satisfied before I paid and we left. I felt the humans that were waiting as I called for a public transport. I knew of an expensive and exclusive shopping center and gave the directions.

Dusk was unsure and pensive as she kept glancing at me. After we walked in I led her to a clothing shop and summoned a woman to help. I could feel the humans outside and knew they would only wait so long. While Dusk tried on clothing the woman brought she kept looking to me for approval.

After two dozen outfits we went to another shop that had cases for travel. I bought a large one and packed the outfits away. We started going into other shops, jewelry and then a sundries shop and that was when the humans finally came in and triggered the weapon alarms. By the time we were done shopping several squads of constables had the humans in custody.

This time I had the transport take us home. The streets were dark when we entered but I could feel the thoughts of a dark one as he watched. I pulled the case after us as I led Dusk up to my set of rooms. I closed and locked the door before moving to look down into the dark street. I turned to look at Dusk before going to her and pulling her towards the fresher.

I undressed her as she looked down and I stripped. I pulled her into the shower and she looked at me as I made sure the water was warm enough for her. I took my time washing her and she finally smiled as she watched me. I helped her out and dried her before myself. I led her out and to my bed before holding the sheet as she slipped in.

I shut the lights off and returned to climb into the bed and laid back with a sigh. It was several minutes before she turned to look at me in the dark, "I will not break."

I smiled, "but did you wish my attention?"

She moved closer and put her head on my shoulder, "you can look and know."

I hesitated because I had not done that and reached out before smiling and turning to lay her back. I moved over her and kissed her softly, "there are other ways and things."