Into the Darkness

by C T Scribe

  17

  Chapter 17

  The thing about prophecies is they lead to rare events. Events that shape history, or at least shape a moment in history. The tall man couldn’t shake the feeling that he was responsible for the next big event to tip the scales. The irregularities he’d encountered over the past year were higher than he’d seen in over a decade. A magic user at a football game, beast inside the library at Highbrow, walking into an ambush, and running into M at the bar. That last one he doubted the crew at base would believe, but he drank the elixir and it had to be her. Now the beast trail led him back to the school, back to Highbrow. He felt the residual magic miles away. Something happened here recently. He had heard no reports except one student went missing. Her name was Claire something. She was a freshman in the advanced track. Looking through the students in the advanced track could lead to clues. Maybe she ran away with a boy. It was hard to tell, but with all the oddities lately he was given the command to check it out. The tall man preferred tracking the old way. By scent and evidence he found countless prey over the years. Staring at the digital screen in his lap, he wondered if those days were gone. Often times his next objective was pinpointed through satellite imaging before he could decipher the next location himself. He hated when base chimed in to his earpiece, but he new they would ultimately save him time. Precious time. Swiping left through the missing girls classmates he found another oddity. One student, one boy, had crossed paths with him before. The last time he was yelling at the sky with a broken leg in a small football town. The last time he was targeted by magic. The tall man had his first lead. Tracking the boy marked by magic would be a simple task. The tall man could smell the trap brewing. Something bigger was happening here. His senses had recently betrayed him. A near fatal mistake. So instead of rushing in the tall man found himself blending in. The quaint town housing Highbrow University was all about the simple life. Minimal distractions for the students, but the cozy town had its perks. Several bars, a theater, and a few diners littered the place. The tall man found a small hotel on the main road. Usually vacant during all times of year beside graduation, he had no problem procuring a room. The journey had been long. He found himself needing a rest. After check-in he followed the signs up two flights of stairs. His room was the first room on the left after exiting the stairwell. Once inside he dropped his bags, and made his way to the balcony. That was two hours ago. Since then he located a trail of magic leading to the boy. He even spotted him going into a bar with a blonde haired girl. She caught his eye as beautiful. A word the tall man rarely used. He would keep an eye on things from his vantage point. While staring into the setting sun, he fine tuned his revolvers. Spinning their chambers like an old cowboy. Spinning the guns by their triggers. Loading and unloading the cartridges. He had learned many many gun tricks over his many many years. He realized he was doing this to keep his hands from fidgeting, but he continued his tricks anyhow. He didn’t need to check over his pristine weapons. His guns were always perfect, and he knew they’d always be perfect until he died a true death.

  18

  Chapter 18

  Marie had been different lately, touchy thought Tye. She kissed him longer. She kissed him a lot, as if something had changed the day he nearly died. As the couple walked down the path, Tye found himself squeezing her hand at the thought. She didn’t skip a beat as she leaned in and planted a kiss on his lips again. Being kidnapped felt a lifetime ago as his endorphins raced through his body. He didn’t know why things felt different. Things felt better. He didn’t want to question it. He remembered everything that happened. The green spark monster Mari called a glimmer, the living forest, the engravings on the secret door, the immensely powerful woman with the sword, and of course the death of Claire. A classmate. Nobody paid much attention to her in class. She was marked absent for the first week. Well for two weeks, as he himself was absent for a week of recovery. He remembered nothing from that time but he had the feeling Mari saved him again. Claire was a nobody, but her execution played over and over in his mind. The void absorbed the fear from the memory, as if fueling itself. He had more than his mini sun’s to battle it back this time. He had Mari. Her kisses felt nothing like his pills, but the effect was similar. The strength of her heat depended on how much free time they had between class. They spent weeks like this. Hand in hand. Lips on lips. The two would get annoyed glances from classmates, and other random students around campus. They were too aware of their surroundings now. After the events that happened on the path they were always aware. However, they could care less what ways their classmates faces contorted in disapproval or jealousy. All that mattered was them, together. Tye had made his mind up to give her his class ring weeks ago. He knew it was a dated idea, but it was his favorite story his dad would tell. He would tell the story at family gatherings of how he gave Tye’s mom his class ring to keep her finger full. Well full enough until he gave her a wedding ring. His mom would always blush at the story, and proudly show off both rings. The class ring she still wore on a necklace everyday. He liked that. He wanted to say that one day about his own wife. He wanted her to have something of his. He had slowly maneuvered her to the fountains. He had never been to this part of campus with Mari, but he remembered her saying how cool they were. A lost treasure from an ancient time with intricate engravings of gods and men. He found the way here earlier in the week and committed it to memory. Slowly as they walked and kissed he led her here. Slowly he worked up the nerve to formally express his feelings. Looking around at the fountains behind Mari, the sunset in the horizon, and feeling the ring in his pocket he was happy with his plan. They fountains were beautiful, as was she. He understood why she was drawn to them. Everything was in place as he worked up the nerve to give her his ring. “Hey, I don’t know if this will sound silly,” he said. His eyes were heavy. They aimed for his feet, but he lifted his chin to fight a downcast stare. “You see my dad gave my mom his class ring. Freshman year of college he said he knew that he didn’t want any other guys thinking she was up for grabs with an empty ring finger. And, I feel that way about you. If it’s too dated or whatever you don’t have to wear it.” She interrupted his words before nervousness swallowed him by stepping into his space. He felt her presence overlapping his own. This closeness again. As if they shared each other’s energy. When did it grow so strong. She began talking. At first he focused on her lips with such intent that he missed the sounds her mouth formed. Snapping out if it he heard her say, “but I don’t have anything for you. If we’re branding each other your not getting off with just having my hand full.” She grinned, then pulled at her necklace. “This is always with me, but now your always with me. This should be always with you.” He leaned into her allowing her to hook the pendant around his neck, but she didn’t remove it. She grabbed his hand, and placed it on the pendant. It felt warm. “One day I’ll share this with you. It’s magic is tricky, but I will it to you.” She kissed him before his gaze lifted. Leading the way this time she pulled him by the arm, and pulled him into her lips. Leading him on the path to her room. She wanted this. She wanted this since the day she used the Succubus to save his life. Perhaps since before that day. Slowly the couple worked their way down paths and sidewalks. Through campus security points and traffic lights, as they kissed and pulled each other along the way. Slowly. The word made her smirk to herself. None of this had happened slowly. Meeting him the first day of school, being in classes with him, and working out with him had all just clicked into place. No, it had all happened rather quick. It felt like they were meant to cross paths. In fact her decision to attend Highbrow was so similar to his. She wanted to go somewhere no one knew her. She was a big deal back home. She hated the attention anymore. She hated holding herself back in sports to seem only slightly better than everyone else. She was so much faster, and more agile. Even in her own family of hunters, she was stronger than they were from the beginning. But with Tye, she watched his strength grow with alarming speed. She tutored him, but
his mind soaked up the information with a sharpness near her own. Then he could see the things few mortals could see. He was different than anything on this Earth, save her reflection. This bond happened quickly, instantly. The world and circumstances had been slow to catch up. She considered these thoughts in between steps and kisses. Her mind evaluating their origin in between grabs and embraces on the sidewalk. Slowly, slowly they made their way to her room.

  Her room was actually an apartment. An upstairs apartment to a furniture store below. Without realizing, they had ascended the staircase adjoined to the alley side of the building. Now she was using her key to unlock the door. Pulling him into her room gently. Kissing him as he crossed the threshold. She reached for the light switch, but he grabbed her hand. “Keep them off,” he whispered in her ear. She listened leading him to the bedroom in the dark. A frameless mattress lay in the center of a room. Identical nightstands with empty surfaces sat on either side of the mattress. The walls were blank. No TV. No radio. She pulled him into the room. Undressing him first. Slowly she began peeling away the layers of fabric separating their skin. She felt nervous, or perhaps scared. The butterflies in her stomach moved in a way she had never felt before. She pushed the feeling aside as she unbuttoned his pants letting the denim drop to the floor. He lifted his shirt over his head, then cast it away carelessly. Raising her hand to his chest she felt for the rhythm of his heart. His skin felt colder than usual and clammy. His eyes pierced into her soul. He wanted this. She wanted this. Her lips wet his neck first. Small kisses working her mouth from one side to the other. She felt him as she kissed. His hands, which were on her waist now rested lower on her hips. Grabbing her. The touch made her fluster as her kisses turned ravenous and sensual. She began to kiss lower on his body, but started with his collar bone. The long trail down his frame marked by her wet lips teased him thoroughly. Her hand held him firm giving him pleasure. Her lips now on his stomach settling there. He wanted her to continue her path to where her hand touched, and she did. The nonverbal order she secretly wanted was easy to follow. He felt his feet curl as she kissed him there. He felt the slight grating of her teeth as she moved her head and mouth rhythmically taking him in. His feet grew warm and his toes began to crinkle, then suddenly she stood. She pulled her shirt over her head, and cast it aside. She reached behind her back in a mild contortion to snap the bra off. Shrugging her shoulders she allowed it to fall at her feet. She moved her hands to her shorts next pulling them down. Then she stood showing her body to him. No hiding. Fully exposed allowing him to take her in. In a frenzy he rushed her, and she jumped into him wrapping her legs with ease. They plopped on the bed as she tilted her hips and widened her legs for him. He showed no hesitation as he licked his hand, then rubbed the saliva on himself. Using the lubrication he slid into her. Her back arched as she took him in. The moans that escaped her mouth couldn’t be muffled. They were joined. He thrust into her with all of his strength. His newfound strength. He didn’t ease in as she had anticipated, but rather moved his body into her more intensely than she could imagine. The quiet of the room was replaced with grunts and moans as the two found themselves sweating from the activity. They thrust and rolled from one position to the next. At his limit finally, after an hour she was on top. Her hips seeming to move on their own. “I’m going to, you know, if you don’t stop.” She heard his warning, but her hips kept moving. His voice more fragile than she knew it to be. Her hips kept moving. “Get off.” Her hips kept moving. “You’ll get pregnant.” Her hips kept moving. He felt the heat increase in his feet. He felt his glutes tighten. He was going to finish inside of her. “Marie!” At the last possible second she slid off of him. As he finished on her flesh she touched herself. Never had she felt so good. Never had she imagine she could feel so good. After she lay with him. Kissing him wherever her lips landed. Holding his hand, and cuddling him with her whole soul. The night was still young, but she could lay here forever she thought.

  19

  Chapter 19

  The tall man sat on his perch with unease in his stomach as he waited. He felt the beast gathering. Each presence he detected made the mission more dangerous. He had rushed into a den of wolves just weeks before, and barely escaped with his life. This time was different. He spun the slots of his six shooter pistols. Loading them and unloading them for sport. His trigger finger itching at the thought of what awaited him in the dark. His long trench coat had taken its share of damage in the past months. The magical armour would need mending soon, but it would be enough protection for one more job he thought. The pockets of his armour nearly bottomless had all the accessories he could hope for. M had left him some lower quality potions before departing. A waitress he didn’t recognize brought them over before he left the magical bar that night. Quickly stashing them inside his trench the tall man was ever grateful for his encounter with that woman. In another pocket void he had extra bullets ready for multiple reloads. He and his equipment were ready and waiting for the moment to strike.

  With hawk like vision he zeroed in on the location of the den. He felt the presence of the beast in strangely disappearing waves. In a town this small they could be watching a movie together. The tall man found that theory unlikely, but in the back of his mind he received the phrase, “seen stranger things.” Or, they were congregating at the bar near the edge of town. The latter of course made more sense to him. He couldn’t tell what kind of beast would be waiting for him. He only knew that the number was increasing. The overall power of the den seemed moderate. He wouldn’t need reinforcements, but he decided check in with HQ anyway. Sliding the earpiece into place he began a series of alpha numeric gibberish passcodes. After a long string of nonsense and a longer silence, the earpiece sprang to life. The usual voice was on the other side. “Situation report,” said the familiar tone.