The Two Kings (Afterlife Saga)

by Stephanie Hudson

  “Lucius is the Vampire king.”

  Oh dear, this really didn’t look good!

  Chapter 6

  Vampires

  I could now understand why Draven didn't want to talk about this with me. First I had to accept that Vampires were real and now they had a King, oh yeah and that he was the one after me! This was really hitting my limit on the ‘crazyometer’.

  “Ok, you’re going to have to explain this all to me because otherwise I am left with all I know from movies and Bram Stokes.” Draven made the TV go off and the lights come back on, making me wonder if we would ever just have a normal date that didn't include conversations that scared the living shit out of me. I sat facing him and folded my legs together ready for story time.

  “I should never have said anything. Being with me is already taking its toll.” He traced a finger down the side of my face, as if soothing out a suffering line around my eye.

  “And what is that supposed to mean?” I was a little hurt at this comment.

  “It means that we have been together only but a few days and already I am telling you things that will only make your nightmares worse.” He was trying to tread carefully around the subject but I just guessed he was stalling for time.

  “Draven! That is ridiculous. I have been going through this since I was seven years old and guess what...you weren't around then and I coped! I'm stronger than you think, please give me a little credit!” This had him in the palm of my hand within seconds. I could tell my words had hit home.

  “You are right. I forget how strong you are. I can't imagine what it must have been like for you to go through that on your own. I wished I had known of you sooner, I could have helped you.”

  “Things happen for a reason and I wouldn't change a thing....well ok being hunted by Demons might be one thing.” I laughed but he frowned at my joke on the matter.

  “Oh come on if I don't laugh I will cry, so pick one.” He didn't pick, he just kissed me instead and obviously I complied.

  “Anyway you are stalling for time.” He smiled on my lips and I couldn't contain my own.

  “You know me well Keira.” I liked it when he said this because he was proving to me on a daily basis just how well he knew me. This gave me some unneeded power.

  “I have known Lucius since his beginning.”

  “Have you always been enemies?” I couldn't help but ask questions but he grinned at me, which told me he had been expecting me to do as much.

  “No we have not. For most of his years we were friends, we even fought side by side in battle but that is another story and one I am in no hurry to tell you.” I gathered by his tone it was bad, with no doubt lots of blood shed.

  “Is he as old as you?” He smirked at me. Draven had not yet told me how old he was and this was one way to find out. I think he must be a little sensitive about his age.

  “No he is not. Why is it you are determined to know how old I am?”

  “Because I find it fascinating and excuse me but weren't you the one who did everything in your power to find out everything about me?” He just shrugged. HA! I had him there!

  “Lucius has been around since the dawn of Christ and his rebirth was days after the crucifixion of Jesus.” I was lost for words! So that would make Draven older than Christ! Holy shit! I tried not to react but he was staring at me waiting for the slightest of reactions. He let out a low growl when he saw one.

  “And when was that exactly?” I asked making one of his eyebrows rise but he just shook his head in submission.

  “It was a Friday, April thirty three AD. I think, we didn't document dates the same back then, as they do today.”

  “Were you there?” I felt kind of weird asking about it but I was near brimming over with questions and I didn't want to be disrespectful.

  “No, there was no need for us to witness his plans. And he was still a human then....well of sorts. Powerful for a human but as the son of one of the Gods, then it was to be expected.” He was talking about it with little emotion which surprised me.

  “What do you mean there was no need, couldn't you have prevented his death?”

  “Yes but this was not his wish, nor the wish of the Gods.” He said this with such ease, I it found baffling.

  “Ok, now I am confused, he wanted to die?” This was not the religious education I had learnt back in school. I think my teacher would have had one of her usual meltdowns listening to Draven talk about the crucifixion this way. Miss Brown used to keep a flask of coffee laced with whiskey in her top desk draw. She used to swig from it when being bombarded with questions like “Is there video games in Heaven?” or “Will I meet my dog there and will he still have the tire marks on him from where he got run over?” Needless to say she didn't last the year.

  “It is not as it is written, though some humans still believe the truth. Do you really think a man as powerful as he, wouldn't know that one of his disciples was going to betray him?”

  “You mean Judas...right? He sold out Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and revealed Jesus to the Romans, which is called the Judas kiss.” He looked quite impressed that I knew all this but I was a history buff.

  “Keira for someone that is not very religious you seem to know your material. That is how the bible tells it, yes, but these are not all the facts. See the faith that was being followed was dying out by the Romans. Jesus knew that the memory of something great, outlives a great man! And sometimes it only takes one significant act to change the world forever. He made the sacrifice for that faith to live on indefinitely. Which it did, being now one of the world’s oldest and most followed beliefs.” It sure did make sense but what did I know?

  “So let me get this straight, you’re saying that Jesus asked Judas to betray him?”

  “Yes that is what I am saying.” He said calmly.

  “But why? Why Judas and why go to all that trouble and pretence, why not just hand himself over to the Romans?”

  “That's a lot of whys Keira, even for you,” he said laughing but I just poked him in the ribs for making fun of me.

  “I do not know all the answers but I know that the act was more of an impact this way. See, he needed a way for the Romans to be looked badly on for their conquest and this turned out to be the ultimate sin. Judas was unfortunately caught in the cross fire. He did the deed before Jesus told the other disciples of his plans. So when he kissed Jesus this was the sign the Romans needed to arrest him. Judas was picked because of his well known greed but through this act, his sins were to be wiped clean in the eyes of God. He was actually known to be one of Jesus’ most loyal disciples.” I must have had my mouth open at this point because Draven playfully tapped my chin before carrying on.

  “But after Jesus was crucified the other disciples hung Judas as a traitor. He was first left to burn in the sun for days. He was then made to eat the silver that turned out to be the price of his own life, along with Jesus’. Finally, before running out of air from choking, he was cut allowing his guts to spill below his feet. Some say that the sky filled with another darkness, like the crucifixion eclipse that happened on the ninth hour that Jesus finally died.” His hands found mine and he kissed them twice before looking up into my eyes to judge my reaction.

  “Ok.” I blew out air like I was blowing the seeds from a dandelion.

  “So I hate to ask the obvious but what has any of this got to do with Lucius?”

  “He was Judas!” Right....Ok now I needed a drink....a real one.

  I got up and went to the liquor cabinet and searched for something strong.

  “Are you alright or have you hit your limit yet?” He said looking a bit worried about the shaky bottle of Jack Daniels in my hand.

  “I just need a human minute, you want one?”

  “Let me.” He said taking the bottle from me and placing me back down on the couch. He left me to my thoughts while he got the glasses and I hoped ice. It was such an emotional account of the most significant event in history. Emotional for
me that was. Draven told it with little conviction. I suppose as a human event, it didn't really affect him until Lucius came along. Which got me thinking, how did that happen?

  Draven was placing the glass in my hands and the ice made a cracking noise with the warm liquid that had been poured over it. He resumed his place and placed the bottle on the table ready for seconds. He downed his back like it had been apple juice.

  “Do you ever get drunk?” I asked bringing back the familiar roar of laughter that came from him when he found any one of my questions amusing.

  “Not in the same way that you do, I get more relaxed but that's about it”

  “I like to sing when I am drunk and trust me nobody wants to hear that!” This had him laughing harder.

  “I think I would pay good money to see that and of course hear it.”

  “Why would you do that?” I was shocked and suddenly very glad that he couldn't access my mind like he could with other humans or he might have had me doing karaoke with the click of his fingers.

  “I can imagine it would be highly amusing to see you intoxicated and well, I have never heard you sing before.”

  “And never will, not unless you like the sound of dying cats. You might be powerful but nothing would save your eardrums!” He put both hands on my face and pulled me in for a kiss while he chuckled at my descriptions.

  “I think you exaggerate immensely. Surly you cannot be that bad?” He really wasn't taking me seriously.

  “Well, you’re just going to have to trust me on this one ‘cause you ain't ever going to witness it!”

  “You know I just love it when you go all Northern like that, it is beyond cute.” I wrinkled my nose in disagreement.

  “No, still cute.” He said smirking.

  “Anyway let’s get back to my questions. So you said he is Judas or was or whatever, how is that possible?” He frowned, not liking that we were back to this.

  “Have you not had enough for one day?” I didn't answer. I just gave him a look which was pretty easy for him to interpret.

  “Ok but only if you promise one day to let me hear you sing?”

  “Draven you should be ashamed, that is blackmail!” But he just grinned like a bad boy and mouthed the word “Demon” to me.

  “You can't pull that one every time! You don't see me doing something bad and then say, Well, I am a Cancerian!” I punched him when he started laughing and we ended up having a bit of a play fight on the couch. Well, more like I tried to reach his body parts and he kept restraining me. It was a big turn on and I almost gave up my goal to have sex with him for the third time today. Wow, three times that would be my record.... umm, here's hoping.

  “Ok I give up, you win my goddess!” I made a satisfied noise and grinned with it.

  “Right, so explain, how is it possible for Lucius to be Judas?” He let out an exaggerated sigh before continuing.

  “Well the Gods in heaven are not the only ones with plans. Judas renounced his God with his last breath. He felt betrayed by Jesus but he was wrong. Jesus tried to clear his name to his disciples in one of his last of the seven statements he gave before his death. But it was dictated wrong in the scriptures. His disciples thought he was just trying to prevent vengeance and didn't believe his words when he said “Truly Judas, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” But they left out the “Judas” part for reasons of their own. Mainly to justify murder. When this was found out by Judas it was too late, he could not change the fact that he turned his back on his faith and so he was not accepted into the paradise that Jesus spoke of. Instead he was reborn by another God, one of the Netherworld.”

  “He became a child of the Devil?” Draven just nodded and I couldn't help but feel a small pain in my heart for how Lucius came to be.

  “Then what happened?”

  “Lucifer, who is father to most of the elders on this plane wanted a King to rule over the Vampir or Vampires as they’re more commonly known as. These Creatures have been around for thousands of years but they were weak and unpredictable. They needed a leader, one stronger than them all, someone who could control them whilst making them evolve. Imagine these weak demons like rodents becoming wild, powerful cats. They mutated, genetically so they became stronger, quicker and more methodical in their thinking. Lucius became their master and he is in all of the Demons that he turns.”

  “So it isn't humans that get turned?” I think he knew I was going to ask this because he tilted his head slightly.

  “No, these rumours originated because years before medical science, people weren't that great at distinguishing between death and someone that had just passed out for a time. As a result, a lot of people got buried alive and when the earth is wet and the graves shallow some would claw their way out. When rare cases like this happened it would naturally be put down to Vampires. Lucius is the only one that can change a Demon into something more, and if they are a partially gifted then they are even more so when they are turned. He likes to collect powerful Vampires because he can control them.” Draven was now very serious and sounded almost respectful to his lost friend.

  “So if I met a Vampire he wouldn't be able to change me or another Demon....right?”

  “That's right. Think about it, if they all had the power to change both humans and Demons then the world would soon be overrun. Considering they are immortal it would be very hard to stop them or to maintain control.”

  “So what about the other rumours, you know, garlic, stakes to the heart, sunlight, silver and feeding on humans.... that type of thing?”

  “Garlic no, but sunlight and silver, yes. But sunlight is the only weakness Lucius holds, although it does not kill him. He doesn't like these things because they are all a reminder of how he died as a human. So his memories of them got transferred into each one he turned, so therefore, it is now their weakness. But considering Lucius passed on despite these, it makes him immune to most cases. As for the feeding on humans I am afraid that part is true and not just for Vampires.” I wasn’t surprised considering I hadn’t been frightened when Draven had bitten me during certain, breathtaking times, I had already guessed as much.

  “What about the spiking?”

  “Ah well, that is highly unlikely as it would have to be made by the same wood as the tree he was hung from and considering no one knows what type of tree it really was then you would have to be extremely lucky. Plus it wouldn't have to be in the heart, anywhere would do.” Oh well I will keep that in mind. I couldn't help but giggle at the conversation we were having. Draven didn't seem to mind, I think he was just glad I wasn't screaming. I put my strange behaviour down to a coping mechanism.

  “So they’re not dead then?”

  “No, they have an immortal host like usual Demons but whereas most Angels and Demons outgrow their vessels. Vampires keep on to theirs because of the blood that regenerates them. The blood lust is down to wanting to be more powerful than the next. A lot of the time they feed on humans but do not need to kill them. Many have been bitten, drank from and then healed. Most don't even remember the act. It is a very sexual act and most prefer to have sex with the living. You do, however, get rogue Vampires that kill and trust me when I say I have had to deal with more than a few of those in my time.” I could just picture him as a slayer but then he and Buffy popped in my head doing the bump and naughty so I quickly pushed that far, far away.

  “What are thinking about?” He asked as I must have been staring at nothing. I usually did this when thinking hard about things.

  “I guess I am still confused as to why he would want me.” This changed Draven so quickly it took me a moment to realise he wasn't still on the couch. His body was ridged and at first I thought he had heard danger, like when you see a dog’s ears go back when they know some things not right.

  “That is quite enough for today. You do not need to be worrying about something that I will not allow to happen. And besides this is supposed to be a date and I doubt it is customary to talk about so mu
ch death and destruction.” I got up and put my arms around his neck, well tried to, but he got the hint and when I interlocked my fingers he lifted his neck back up and me with it. He held my waist and when he went to kiss me, I moved my head back causing him to let out a disapproving groan. I was teasing him and he knew it from the big naughty grin that spread the width of my face. He tried again but I moved and with his hands still holding my waist he couldn't do anything about it.

  “You’re enjoying this, aren't you?”

  “Maybe, but you’re not I gather?” I was clearly making fun of him, which was hilarious in it own right.

  “Cocky now aren't we, what happened to that shy girl that used to flinch if I came too near or jumped if I touched her lightly? I think I must be spoiling you Vixen?” He said giving me a thoughtful half smile and a new nickname. His eyes nearly closed from looking at me with such intense lust.

  “Do you want to spoil me again?” I asked biting my lip.

  “Always!” Was all he said before lifting me up into his impressive arms and running with me up the stairs once again to my room. There he sat down on the window seat and I was on his lap where he kissed my neck still trying to reach my lips. I stayed firm knowing that teasing him would be worth it in the end. See I had a plan, I wanted to see what he would do when under my control, then I would give in at the last minute. That is if I could last that long without kissing him first.

  “Behave,” I whispered and he gripped me tighter. I moved to straddle him and felt his eagerness increase into a hard bulge. I pulled my top off, leaving me with just a plain black bra. I really needed to invest in some fancy underwear.

  He cupped the material with me in it and then gripped them making me moan. He then stood up and held me wrapped around him with one arm. With the other he unfastened his jeans and lets his length breathe freely. He pulled down on my waist line and with a quick movement from each leg I was out of my black sweat pants quicker than it had taken me to put them on. He lifted me higher before sitting back down so he could lower me onto him. This way was always going to be more intense as it seemed to go in further making it harder to take, so when I screamed out he lifted me off slightly, knowing this could be a problem.