The right of the author has been asserted. All characters in this story are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

No part of this story may be reproduced, by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the author.

Do not read this if you are under the age of 18 or the legal age in the country or state you live in.

This story contains scenes of explicit homosexual sexual acts between two individuals, if this offends you, please leave now.

Author's Note: I have had an overwhelming response to the first chapter and I want to thank everyone for their comments and reading the story. If I didn't reply to your emails, I'm sorry. I got sick so this chapter is a little late, sorry about that. I'm better now so that shouldn't distract me from my writing. Please send your comments to mystories92@gmail.com. Here's chapter two

Darken Lightment

Chapter 2

Three weeks flew by without me really noticing. Cooper and I sat together at lunch daily and we became close friends. Life at school seemed to return to normal. It was as if the whole school gave one big sigh after I took care of Victor. Nobody wanted to know what happened to him and the only explanation our homeroom teacher gave was that he had transferred out of state. I knew the truth though.

I also started to have these funny feelings when I was around Cooper. Surprisingly, he made me laugh a lot. It was terribly tempting to look into his mind and see what he was truly like, but I managed to stop myself. He kept me interested. Whenever he grinned at me my stomach would flutter and I found myself blushing.

Was it possible that I was falling in love with him?

I couldn't be. Despite our friendship, we had absolutely nothing in common. I tended to be conservative, taking a keen interest in history and literature, whereas Cooper was outgoing and loved to talk a lot. He told me once quite plainly that I sounded bombastic. I had to pause for a moment to remember what the word meant, and when I realised that he said I was pretentious, I socked him in the arm. Not hard, mind you, but it surprised him. That was the first physical contact I had had with him since we met. I laughed thoroughly at his stupefied look. After that I started to tell him bits and pieces about myself, nothing revealing, but enough to let him know that I made an effort in being friends with him.

After Victor was vanquished, none of the lesser vampires tried to assume his position. They probably knew something stronger had destroyed him and decided that their unlives were worth preserving. I couldn't have been more content to let it stay that way.

One thing my mother taught me was how to fight properly. Vampires are extremely difficult to kill, those who are strong anyway. The quickest way, she said, was to use destructive fire, like lightning. Although, if a vampire gets struck by lightning accidently, while running around in a thunderstorm, it won't die. She taught me to focus my mental energy into drawing lightning from the air itself and channelling it through my body, adding my own destructive force and blasting it directly into the vampire's chest. The power will have been so strong it literally burns the vampire completely to ash.

There are of course a number of other ways to kill them, each one very tricky. But my mother patiently taught me. I did have a fear though, that a stronger vampire might come and investigate why Victor was gone. I hoped that wouldn't happen.

 

One day during lunch Cooper was unusually silent. I had been telling him about a trip my mother and I made to the borders of Turkey, Syria and Iraq once. Can you guess where? But it seemed like he was in his own world.

"Hey Coop," I barked at him. He started and looked at me, his face colouring slightly. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"Oh, uh, `scuse me. What were you saying?"

"What's up with you today? You seem out of it."

"It's nothing," he shrugged, but then had a thoughtful look on his face. "Would you like to, uh, come over to my place after school tomorrow?" I couldn't help but think he looked so adorable. His eyes sort of got big and innocent looking.

This was of course the first time I had ever been invited to another boy's house. I felt a little giddy, momentarily forgetting the trip my mother had taken us on, and looked at Cooper surprised. Of course I wanted to say yes immediately, but I knew I had to speak to my mother first.

"I'd love to Coop, but I have to get my mother's permission first."

Cooper smiled and nodded sagely, a wise look on his face. "Of course, seek her majesty's approval first."

I socked him in the arm again and he rubbed it, wincing slightly. "You do have quite a left hook, you know, Marky-Mark?"

I socked him again, and then we both laughed.

For all my confidence, I didn't have a lot of experience in dealing with children my age. One reason is because my mother was always cautious about who I talked to. The other reason was because I was eventually going to outlive them. I didn't want to form any attachments to anyone. My mother knew better than anyone else how it felt to watch human beings waist away. I once caught my mother, in a moment of vulnerability, praying to God. I left her in peace and did a silent prayer myself.

The more time I spent with Cooper, the more I began to understand that I needed his friendship, that all human beings needed friendship. My being perfect didn't exempt me from that fact.

 

When I got home, mother was already in the kitchen preparing dinner. My mother was, of all things, a lawyer. I knew that most lawyers were very busy people and barely had time for their families. But my mother made sure she was at home before I returned from school. She was dedicated to me, and I could find no fault with her. The only thing I wished for her was to have someone she could let her guard down with, someone special.

"Hey love, how was your day?" my mother said brightly. She was an immaculate person, barely looking over the age of thirty-five. I knew of course that she was thousands of years old. I could barely comprehend her age myself.

"Hi mom, it was good. Nothing really interesting happened," I told her as I settled at the table in the kitchen. Cooper's question rang through my mind. That was the only interesting thing that happened all day.

"May I ask you a question?" I said, pasting a bright smile on my face.

She smirked at me, already knowing I wanted something. "Sure, what is it?"

"Cooper asked if I could go to his house tomorrow after school. I was wondering if it was alright with you, you know? Seeing as there's vampires all over the place..." I trailed off, feeling a little silly.

She looked thoughtful for a moment, and then smiled. "I don't see why not."

I grinned. Great! Now what was I going to wear tomorrow?

 

Today I felt it. The probing. It was coming from the main entrance to the school. It was just standing there, not bothering to enter. It was so much more powerful than Victor, and I could feel it probe the student's and staff's minds. This was something my mother had failed to mention to me. Exactly how powerful did vampires get?

I knew that if I waited any longer, the vampire would eventually enter my mind and find out the truth about me. But I couldn't just shield my mind either. The vampire would definitely pick up the barrier. So instead I focused on making my mind disappear, like I wasn't even at the school. The vampire would overlook me, and maybe it would just leave.

I felt it get closer. Felt the difference in power between Victor and it. I sincerely hoped that no further investigations would be made. That would make the school unsafe for me to attend and I would have to leave again. That couldn't happen. And besides, I was planning to go to Cooper's house this afternoon, and no filthy vampire was going to prevent me from going.

So I concentrated until I felt the vampire leave. I was safe for now. But this encounter left serious questions in my mind. I needed to speak to my mother tonight. Was it possible that she could be keeping secrets from me? Secrets about the vampire world that was much more different than she was letting on?

 

At lunch Cooper was really excited to learn that I was going home with him. He couldn't stop babbling. I found it highly amusing, and smiled at his antics. He really was becoming a good friend.

"So now you'll get meet my mom and older brother. My dad won't be home till tonight, so I'll spare you that meeting..."

He just kept on and on until the bell rang. I didn't mind though, at least it kept him from noticing my distraction. That vampire really did unnerve me. Of course I knew I could destroy him. Victor was far from a worthy match for me, and that vampire would have been ashes in a confrontation, but I needed to learn more about them. Seattle was a large city, and the vampire count here was far larger than in Iowa.

The final bell rang, which signalled the end of gym class. I was told to meet Cooper at the bus he took home. I took my shower, and to my amusement, many students were peeking at me. I made sure they got an eyeful. I was about average height, with a swimmer's build. My muscles were toned and always ready for a fight. It was ingrained in me. My mother was always prepared for a fight.

I found Cooper leaning against the bus nonchalantly. I could tell he was happy though. I was too.

"Hey buddy!" he exclaimed as I got closer. His hair was really bright in the sunlight. I smiled at him and we got on the bus and took a seat near the back. Cooper continued to chat and I inserted the appropriate responses here and there. I was learning plenty about him, but there was a certain mystery about him as well, like there was something he was hiding. I still refused to search his mind for the answers though.

We arrived at his home a few minutes later and I was surprised that we lived so close to each other. It was probably about a two minute walk from his house to mine. Cooper grinned when I told him that.

"Well, I'll just have to walk you home when you leave, right?" he said.

His home was pleasant looking. The front yard was kept neat and the garden was well maintained. The house was a two-storey brick and cement structure painted in a creamy light brown colour.

He invited me inside and called out to his mother. She came out with a smile and hello. She was a strikingly beautiful woman. Nothing as close to my mother, but she was beautiful as well. I knew now where Cooper got his hair colour. Her hair was fiery and hung till about the middle of her back. She had deep green eyes and I could see a lot of wisdom in them.

"Hello, Mrs McGuiness, I'm Marcus Sera," I greeted.

"Well hello there, young lad. A pleasure it is to meet you," Mrs McGuiness replied. She retained her distinctive Irish accent, which was pleasant to my ears.

"Likewise, Mrs McGuiness."

"Oh, please, enough with the Mrs McGuiness. It makes me feel right old. You may call me Beth," she said. "Will you be staying for dinner?"

"No, uh, Beth. My mother is expecting me back before then."

"Well, that's fine, dear. Of you go now."

Cooper led me to his room on the second floor. His room was fairly typical of a teenager with posters of sportsmen and cars on his walls and a bookshelf filled with manga.

"Bleach..." I read off the spine of one.

"Oh, uh yeah, I'm into bleach right now, but mostly I just watch the animated series." He rubbed the back of his head and looked embarrassed.

"Mmmm," I hummed. He also had a desk with a computer on it, as well as a dresser and a closet where his clothes hung.

"So, what do you want to do?" Cooper asked.

I shrugged, "Anything really. I'm good at most things."

Cooper grinned. "Really?" he had a glint in his eye. "Why don't you put your money where your mouth is?"

"Whatever," I grinned back at him. I was sure he would love challenge.

"How about Soul Caliber 4?"

I nodded and he got his Xbox ready. We played for a while, and I periodically let him win, so that he wouldn't get bored. I truthfully was good at most things. My perfect brain saw to that.

And then I felt it. A stunning pain to the back of my head, like something had struck me from behind. That was a signal. I hadn't realised that I had cried out, and Cooper was startled by it. I cringed and held my head. Cooper rushed over and took hold of me. I barely registered him.

It was the signal. My mother was in trouble. I needed to get home. I kept muttering `Mom' over and over again. I rose quickly to my feet, nearly knocking Cooper over in the process.

Then a loud explosion vibrated through the house. I knew exactly where it came. I heard Beth shout downstairs I needed to leave now. I rushed downstairs and I heard Cooper follow me. I went out the front door and looked in the direction of my house. Sure enough smoke was rising from where my house was standing.

"No, no, no!" I heard myself say.

"Marcus, where are you going?" I heard Cooper shout behind me, but I was beyond answering now.

I focused on finding my mother's presence, but I couldn't find her.

"Marcus!" Cooper screamed.

And then I ran... no I flashed over to my house. Too fast to be seen. I looked forlornly at the burning mass that used to be my home and I saw red. I was literally trembling.

"Mom!" I screamed, but all I heard was the crackling and snapping of burning wood. There were no police or fire-fighters yet. I moved closer to the house and raised my hand, palm faced forward. I started moving my arm in circles, concentrating, trying to attract all the flames to my hand. When the flames started touching my hand I stopped and made fist, pulling all the flames into one compressed ball surrounding my fist. It left the smoking and charred but not burning, but I needed to release flames I held in my hand. My mind registered another presence nearby, watching.

I was the vampire from earlier. It was watching me. It stood behind the charred remains of my house. I immediately flashed over to the vampire. It was stunned when I suddenly appeared in front of it. I held my fist aloft, the fires singeing the vampire. It tried to flee, but there was no way I was going to let it escape. I froze its legs with my mind and it hissed at me angrily.

"What are you?" it hissed at me.

"Where is my mother?" I demanded. The flames were getting a little harder to hold now.

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" It said menacingly.

I had no more patience. I reached into its mind and plucked the information from it, causing as much pain as I could. It screamed.

I didn't care. I had what I needed. "Now you must die," I told it with finality.

I placed my fist against its chest and it immediately started to buck and scream, unable to move. I released the flames and it completely engulfed the vampire. Its screams died out after a few seconds, and a minute later it was ash.

I turned around, intending to search the wreckage. That's when I saw Cooper. He was frozen in place, staring at me with wide eyes, the shock plain on his face.

"Cooper I..." but then I felt faint, and darkness took me.

 

***

 

The Great One called, and his servants came immediately.

"Our God, exalted in might,
Source of all life and provider of the light
Your attributes and your glorious name,
Exultingly we will proclaim."

The voice was but a whisper, "Metatron, heavenly scribe; Gabriel, Messenger of God; Raziel, Keeper of Secrets."

The rest of the heavenly host receded, except Metatron, Gabriel and Raziel.

"Heavenly father, Sovereign Lord,
May Your great name forever be adored.
What do you command of us?"

There was a pause as the great being took time to deliberate. "Metatron, watch and chronicle the boy. Do not interfere. Gabriel, it is time for my daughter to stop running. Make her remember who I am. Raziel, in secrecy, find the Demon Angel of Death, Samael. His time for repentance is near. He has divine work to do."

The Seraphim bowed low.

"Praise our God! Praise our God!
Make His glorious name known to all!
Sound alarm! For His day is near,
And all men must heed His warning call.
We will do your bidding, Father!"

Metatron, Gabriel and Raziel left. Michael appeared next to his father.

"For all my need to help, my son, I cannot. Mankind must fight their battle. I made them that way."

"I will keep vigil, Father," Michael said.

 

***

 

Lilith sped through the underground tunnels. She had to be as far away from Marcus as possible. Better to draw the enemy to her.

"I should not have kept everything from him," she reproached herself.

Her arrogance might well be her downfall.

There was a bright flash in front of her. She stopped immediately. Gabriel had appeared before her.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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