Shroud of Darkness (Eternity Series Book 1)

chapter 4

He bolted from his class, leaving all his belongings behind. He needed to find the closest exit. As he rounded one of the corners to the stairs, he bumped into Mr. Jones, almost knocking him over. Their eyes met, but before Mr. Jones could speak, Beau charged down the stairs as fast as possible. Somewhere in the back of his thoughts, he could hear Mr. Jones, but he wouldn't let himself be distracted. He had to get out of the school.

Bursting through the school doors, Beau ran straight for his car. He hopped in, turned the key, and floored it out of the parking lot, almost causing a collision. Unsure of where he was going, he just drove, and with everything that just happened, he wanted to disappear forever. His whole life was gone because he couldn't control this beast that he had never asked for.

"She should've let me die.", he hissed to himself.

Driving was a blur to him as he passed building after building, street after street. He had zero focus and zero care about the roads and everything in front of him. He just went while occasionally receiving several honks from other cars. Coming across a traffic jam, Beau was gnawing on the side of his lip, making blood run down his chin. He didn't have time to sit here in a crowded area. He needed to run and get out of the city. His heart felt heavy, and breathing became increasingly difficult as he continued to think about today's event. He couldn't help but to continuously replay the event in his head. Beau was absolutely sure his newfound secret was already out, and this was for sure to get him killed by Lauralye or another vampire.

Lauralye or another vampire. He thought.

His following course of action was almost decided for him as he quickly turned onto a road to return home. Beau needed to go home, pack up what he could, and leave, to get as far away as he could and hide. He wouldn't tell his mom anything because he wouldn't want her to become involved. They would kill her or use her to get to him and then kill her. Either way, it wouldn't end well for her, and he just couldn't let his mom suffer like that. She was too good and too kind to deserve the fate that his presence was sure to bring. To put his mind at ease, he picked up his phone and tried calling his mom. She was at home, so she should answer. The phone rang and kept ringing until it went to voice mail. His stomach hit the floor. Beau was speeding home by this point, with his heart pounding hard enough to break his ribs. He began to worry that someone had already gone by to collect his head. He reached his house in record time to find an unfamiliar car sitting in his driveway. Pulling into the driveway, Beau threw off his seat belt and bolted out of his car, heading right for the front door.

Please don't be dead. He thought.

As he reached the door, he held out a shakey hand to slowly turn the nob. He pushed the door open and stepped inside. Pausing for a brief moment to listen, he could hear faint laughter coming from the living room. Once again, it was a laugh that was unfamiliar to him. He slowly crept along the wall until he reached the edge of the opening to his living room. With extreme caution, he began to peer around into the living room to find his mother and another woman sitting in his living room. Beau couldn't tell if he knew her because all he could see was the back of her head, but his mom was still alive and breathing, so that was a relief. Straightening himself up, Beau came around the corner, trying to act casual, which is when his mom perked up.

"Oh, there he is. What took you so long to get home?" she said.

"I, uh, did a small drive around town to see the sights. It's a beautiful place, ya' know. Anyways who's this?", He responded.

His mom raised an eyebrow at him, "What do you mean who is this. You invited her over." she turned her attention back to the woman, "I'm sorry, I swear he's not always like this. He's probably just nervous about going on a date with such a gorgeous young lady."

At this, the woman finally spoke, "Oh no, it's ok, miss Hayes, I find it adorable.", She turned and looked at Beau with a beautiful smile on her face, "Hey Beau."

His blood went cold as he looked at the girl's face. It was Lauralye that was sitting on his couch.

Dear God, help me.

"H-hi, Lauralye. W-what are you doing here?" he asked.

She tilted her head, "Did you forget about our date?"

"What date?" he asked, becoming more confused.

With this, Lauralye shot him a look of she'll gut him if he doesn't play along.

Beau tapped himself on the head and said, "Oh, right. I'm sorry, today has been a long day, so it completely skipped my mind. Let me go get dressed, and then we can head out."

Feeling anxious about leaving his mom alone with Lauralye, and then on top of that, being alone with her himself, he turned and quickly made his way to his room. This would set him back from running away, but what was he to do? If he tried to run, she'd probably kill him.

She'd probably kill me if she knew what happened today. Beau mentally high-fived himself as he found his way out.

He planned to tell Lauralye about the incident so she'd hopefully end his life and spare his mother from suffering the same fate. Beau was rummaging through the box of clothes trying to find semi-appropriate attire for a date. Seeing as this was his first quote-on-quote official date, he was clueless about what was appropriate for a date. Rubbing his chin, he scanned over all the clothes thinking about combinations that would look okay, but all of them ended in him looking like a complete dork. He had to wear something that could stand side by side with the elegant blue dress that Lauralye was wearing. Sighing, he sat down on his bed on the verge of just closing his eyes and picking clothes at random. Beau began to fidget with one of his white polos while he looked around his room. A light bulb finally went off in his head when he noticed a bit of plastic sticking out of one of the boxes. Beau finally knew what he was going to wear and what a perfect time to wear it.

Lauralye and Beau's mom looked up as he reentered the living room. Both of them were taken aback by his appearance as they looked over the expensive all-black Armani suit that his mom managed to get for a really low price at a yard sale. The suit usually went for at least a grand, but the owner was happy to part with it for two hundred. It had become Beau's favorite bit of clothing, but he had yet to wear it after they had it altered to fit him.

"Well, don't you look handsome? I didn't think you were ever going to wear it.", his mother said.

Beau chuckled nervously because he felt silly in the outfit, "Well, better opportunity than my first date."

Lauralye stood up and walked over to him, "Your mother's right. You do look extremely handsome."

Beau might have been going crazy, but he could have sworn he saw a hungry look in her eyes. It made shiver, even though he was sure it was just his imagination. She turned around to face his mom before she wrapped her slender arm around his.

"Miss Hayes, would you like a picture before we head out?", Lauralye asked.

His mom stood up and pulled out her phone, "I absolutely would."

The level of embarrassment that Beau felt was enough to kill at least fifty people.

"Alright, you two get close.", his mom said as she held up her phone.

Beau went rigid as Lauralye pressed herself against his side and laid her head against his arm. His face was on fire. He was positive that his face had turned every shade of red in existence.

"Beau, smile, sweetie.", his mom said.

Sighing, he put on his best smile.

"Ok, here we go. One, two, three.", she said before tapping her phone several times, "Alright, all done."

Lauralye stepped away, putting a little space between herself and Beau, which turned down some of the heat flooding through him. His mom was so happy as she scrolled through the several pictures.

There was a big smile on her face, "You two are so adorable together. You really did a good job, Beau."

"Thanks, mom.", he responded with pride that he didn't have.

Even if he did try to actually get a girl, he couldn't score one even close to the realm of someone like Lauralye. One, she was a vampire, and two, she was gorgeous. If only his mom knew the truth.

Lauralye grabbed his hand and gave him a light tug, "Are you ready to go?"

Looking at her, Beau swallowed as he prepared himself for his untimely death, "As ready as I'll ever be."

She began to lead him towards the front door. He followed her until his mom grabbed his other arm and pulled him back to whisper in his ear.

"Be good, okay. She seems like a good girl. Don't let her get away from you, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'll do my best.", he said back.

"I'm serious, Beau. A girl like her only comes around once. You lose her. You'll have lost a very valuable person.", his mother said with a stern look on her face.

Beau was beginning to feel embarrassed again, so he hissed back, "Okay, mom, I get it. Please stop lecturing me."

She sighed, "You're right. I'm sorry." she finally let go of his arm and smiled at both Lauralye and Beau, "You kids have fun and be safe."

"We will." Lauralye and Beau said in unison before heading out the door.

She called out after them, "Don't be reckless, have her home at a reasonable time, and if you decide to do adult things, please use protection."

As soon as those words left her mouth, Beau's cheeks went red as he met Lauralye's eyes. His mom couldn't see her, but she rolled her eyes at the thought of ever having any relations with him at all.

If she doesn't kill me, the embarrassment will. He thought.

His mom shut the door behind them, and Lauralye's demeanor changed. She immediately released his hand and began to walk towards her car.

"Let's go.", she hissed.

He hesitantly followed her to her sleek black sports car. It was a two-door coupe with windows tinted darker than Satan's soul. Beau took in the beauty of it as he walked around to the passenger side. Just as he reached for the door handle, Lauralye rolled down the window and looked at him.

"If you damage any part of this car, I'll gut you.", she said with venom.

He slowly reached down and grabbed the handle and pulled until the door opened, "I wasn't planning on damaging it, but I appreciate the warning."

He sat down, making sure not to harm the car in any way, which was a little more complicated than he thought due to his height. He was so scrunched up he felt like his feet were going to punch the floorboard. Once he had successfully sardined himself into the tiny vehicle, he pulled the door closed before struggling to pull on his seat belt, which took all of like five minutes alone. By the time he was ready, Lauralye was looking at him with a look of annoyance that screamed, 'I hate you so much.

He raised his eyebrows, "What?"

She looked away from him, "Nothing. I just don't understand how one can struggle so much with a seat belt."

"You try being my size and fit in a car like this.", he scoffed at her.

She said nothing back as she turned the key in the ignition and placed the car in reverse. They had been rolling down the road for about ten minutes before Beau broke the silence again.

"So uh, where we headed?" he asked.

She side-eyed him for a moment before her red lips parted, "As of now, nowhere in particular."

"Ok, so what about later?" he continued to question.

Once again, she side-eyed him, "Tonight, you will be attending a party with me as my escort. Before you ask, yes, it is for vampires only."

"Ah, so then you didn't get all dressed up just for a ruse.", he said.

This time she looked at him like he was stupid, "Of course not. I don't dress like this just for a ruse."

He nodded, "Okay, so why am I going to be your escort? Wouldn't you rather bring some friend or lover that you have in your world?"

"Our world for one and two little vampires, I don't have any lovers, and all my friends will be there. You are going to accompany me because it is a part of helping guide you through our world so you can blend in. While I don't much care if you get yourself killed, I told you I'd help, so I shall give you all the tools and information you need. How you use them is up to you.", she said, seeming highly aggravated.

"Someone's full of sass today, but fair enough.", he said, which earned him another look or 'I'll kill you.

Unsure of what to say or ask next, Beau just looked out the window and began sorting through his thoughts. He had many questions, but he also had to find a way to tell her about school today. Another thought that started to invade his mind was her love life. He was very much curious about why she didn't have any lovers. It was very unusual, at least to him, that a woman like her would be single.

"Alright, little vampire, listen up.", Lauralye spoke, drawing Beau out of his thoughts, "First things first, if you want to live, you must blend in."

He gave her a look, "Wow, that simple, huh? I guess I should've thought of that."

"Quiet, or I'll leave you decapitated in a ditch.", she hissed.

He held up a hand, "Sorry."

She took a deep breath before continuing, "To blend in, you must look the part. Even if you don't know what you're doing or what's going on, follow everyone else. Pick up on the customs."

"Ok, got it. Watch the others and mimic.", he responded.

She gave him a look of 'sure you do, "Next thing, control your thoughts. Some vampires can peer into your mind even if they are not a part of your lineage."

His heart sank a little as his lips parted, "Are you one of those?"

She shook her head.

That's a relief.

"Ok, how can some vampires do that?" he asked.

"Each vampire has gifts in which make them unique. While mind's eye is a common power among all our kind, only some possess a powerful enough form of it to extend its reach to all sentient creatures.", she responded.

He nodded, "Ok, is there a commonality between those with a stronger version?"

She nodded.

"Ok, what is it."

"Royalty. Those of the royal bloodlines can use this ability, and they tend to have more powerful gifts usually.", she said.

"Well, I'll do my best not to screw you over with my mind.", Beau responded.

Lauralye rolled her eyes and spoke with sarcasm, "I'm sure you will."

"Thanks for the confidence.", he responded sarcastically, "On to the next question. How does one discover their powers and use them?"

She shrugged at him.

"Ok, that's helpful.", he said to her.

"I don't have an answer for you. It's something you have to dig deep to figure out. While using said abilities just comes naturally, seeing as it feeds off the blood that fuels your body. Anything and everything about you runs off blood. It is your life source, and like humans, the more you burn, the more you need to consume."

"Would that explain why my stomach has been munching on itself all day?"

Lauralye pulled off to the side of the road and came to a screeching halt.

"Did you kill someone else?" she asked as her temper began to rise.

Beau quickly raised his hands and began to speak frantically, "No, no, no. I didn't kill anyone or even feed. I mean, in my last class, I almost did, and my eyes did some freaky shit, but no one was harmed. I've just been overwhelmingly hungry since you damn near killed me last night."

At that, she backed down, and her mood calmed, "I guess that would be my fault, so no use in getting mad at you."

Lauralye sat back and put the car back in drive before returning to the road. Once they were headed back toward wherever they were headed, Lauralye spoke again.

"I guess the next order of business is feeding. I'll go over with you the do's and don't's."

"Alright I'm listening.", Beau responded.

"First off, killing is a no-go. That is the quickest way to end up on the Council's chopping block.", she said.

Beau perked up, "The council?"

"Quiet.", she groaned before continuing, "Second, you need to understand your body's limits. In other words, how far can you push until you frenzy."

He spoke up again, "Frenzy?"

This time she glared at him for a second, "If you ask one more question, I swear to those above me. I'll rip your tongue out."

Beau threw his hands up in defeat before leaning his head on the window. He gestured for her to continue as he stared out into the dense forest.

"As I was saying, your body will tell you when it's getting low on blood to fuel itself. You'll feel weaker like you haven't slept in days, the sun will have a more adverse effect on you, and lastly, your powers won't be as easy to use nor as powerful." she paused for a moment to see if Beau was going to say anything. Still, he didn't, "As for you, you've depleted your body so much that you've hit the pre-frenzy phase. This means we'll need to find you something to eat soon, or you'll go on a rampage, killing multiple people, and put yourself on the council's radar."

Beau finally looked over at her to speak, "So what I'll have to feed like every other day?"

She shook her head, "No, most can go a couple of weeks depending on power usage and healing. The reason you already need to feed again is that your body is still changing. It takes time for your body to complete the change and unlock its full potential. Now you should've lasted a few more days, but after healing from the extensive damage, I caused, you used up almost all the source left in your body."

"How long does the change take?" he asked.

Lauralye shrugged, "It varies from person to person."

Beau sighed as he stared out the window, "I think I've had enough knowledge intake for the moment."

He could faintly see her reflection in the Window, and she glanced over at him, "Are you alright, Beau?"

"I suppose." he grew silent for a moment, "It just seems like I've been handed the biggest eff you someone can give. I don't understand why she changed me and left right after."

"Had it been back before new creations were made illegal, I'm sure you would have enjoyed your new gift. As to why your sire left, I assume they saved you out of guilt and then left to save their own skin. If they're smart, they've left town already to make it harder for the connection to be made.", Lauralye said as she gave Beau a small pat on the shoulder.

"That didn't make me feel any better about this.", Beau muttered.

Lauralye responded in a matter-of-fact tone, "Sorry, just being honest."

Beau just responded with a thumbs up before sitting back and closing his eyes. The hunger was taking over again, and he felt fatigued. He needed to eat and soon. The last thing he wanted was to massacre a crowd before he died.

"Hey, Lauralye.", he said barely above a whisper.

"Yes?" she responded.

Beau looked over at her to speak, "I don't feel well. My stomach really hurts, and I feel like I haven't slept in years."

Without warning, Lauralye held her wrist to him, "I guess you're more hungry than I thought. I was hoping you could last until tonight, but I guess not."

Beau looked at her, confused, "I'm not going to drink from you. Are you crazy?"

"Drink now, or you might find yourself dead.", she hissed at him.

Beau was about to refuse again, but instead of letting him argue, Lauralye bit her wrist before shoving it into Beau's face. At this moment, he had no choice but to drink because he was too weak to fight back, so he drank. Deeply.

***

It was just getting dark when they pulled up to this huge mansion of a house. The yard was covered with various expensive cars, and the inside, from what could be seen, was packed with vampires. Beau was absolutely taken aback by the crowd at this party.

He looked over to Lauralye as she looked for a space to park, "Are there really this many vampires in New Orleans?"

"Some are from out of town, but for the most part, yes.", she responded as they pulled in between two luxurious cars.

She looked at him, "Alright, let's go. Time to see if you listened to anything I said earlier."

Beau was terrified that he was about to enter the lion's den with a chair and whip to defend himself. While, yes, Lauralye told him how to look the part, he still had no clue what he was doing. They both slipped out of the car and came back together at the front of it. Beau stood there awkwardly as other arrivals began to walk past Lauralye and Himself.

Lauralye pinched his arm before coming up on her tiptoes to whisper, "Stop looking around like a lost puppy, and remember to control your thoughts."

With that, she looped her arm through his and began to lead him toward the mansion. He couldn't feel more out of place. He felt fake. A party crasher if you were, or like this was some elaborate prank set up by the popular kids, and he was the dork to be pranked. They began to climb the front stairs and follow the line of people through the large front doors, which led to a very spacious foyer. The crowning jewel was an enormous and expensive-looking crystal chandelier. It was something you saw in movies set in the eighteen hundreds. The walls were painted a soft grey that met with mahogany wood trim and floors. Lauralye had dug her elbow into his side to pull him back to reality.

"Ow, that hurt.", he muttered.

"Stop gawking at the place. This kind of lifestyle is common in our world. You need to act the part, or you won't last an hour.", she said from the corner of her mouth.

He groaned, "It's a bit hard when I don't exactly come from this life, but anyways why are we here?"

"I already told you to teach you how to fit in, and now that you will have been seen by so many, it'll increase your chances in case someone starts asking questions." she whispered to him, "Now enough questions go get us some drinks."

Lauralye slid her arm out from around his and patted his shoulder, indicating for him to go complete her task.

Beau looked at her, completely bewildered, "Where would I even begin to look for drinks in this place?"

She just shrugged, "Figure out and then come find me. Consider this to be your official test."

With that, she gave him a small wave before vanishing into the crowd. Beau now stood alone, surrounded by people that would end him in a second had they any inclination about his illegality.

Alright, Beau Hayes, get a grip. Let's put on a show and do this quickly.

He began to work through the crowd towards the nearest set of double doors. He felt like everyone was staring at him as he passed the various groups. The room Beau walked into was just as massive as the foyer. The only difference was that this room was mainly marble, and for a good reason too. It was like a dining room, and a bathroom spat out a love child. Many drains littered the floor and in the center of the room were two long tables lined with food. This puzzled Beau because vampires don't eat.

He began to walk along the back wall, trying to avoid looking out of place while simultaneously trying to understand the room's purpose. He paused for a moment when he noticed a woman pulling a leash attached to a collar on a young male's neck. The guy's body was riddled with scars from being bitten.

He's human. Beau concluded to himself.

There was a slight tug coming from his left. When his eyes shifted over, he found another vampire standing beside him. They had a human on a leash, and it took everything in Beau not to show his repulsion.

The man holding the leash spoke to Beau in a low tone, "Care to taste her? She's pretty delicious. "

Great, just what I need, some weirdo offering me a human to feed on.

Beau smiled and held up a hand, "No, thank you."

The man tilted his head and furrowed his thick grey eyebrows, "Oh, come on, friend, just a small taste. It can't hurt after all."

Yeah, right. It'll send my little bit of sanity into the oblivion.

"No, seriously, I'm ok. I've already had a bite. I appreciate the offer.", Beau said quickly as he began to back away and head for the next room as fast as possible.

When he got to the next set of doors, Beau peered back, and the man was still standing in the same spot, just staring.

What the eff.

Deciding the best thing to do was to keep moving, he did so. He next found himself in a lounge area where vampires were engaged in various activities. None of them seemed to pay him no mind, so he pushed onward. The next room was a giant ornate ballroom. There was a band on the platform in the center of the room playing a slow melody as couples danced. Beau also finally found his prize. Along one of the walls was a table lined with glasses full of a crimson red liquid. It resembled blood, but Beau wouldn't know for sure until he either smelled or tasted it. Coming up next to the table, Beau peered down into the liquid for a moment before picking up a glass and taking a sip. The sweet taste of crimson nectar combined with the burn of alcohol swished around Beau's mouth and down his throat. It was like someone made wine out of blood.

Hoping his assumption was correct about the liquid, he grabbed two glasses of it and began retracing his steps to find Lauralye. It was long until he was back in the weird dining room area. He was crossing through the room towards the foyer until the same man from earlier stepped into his path. This time the vampire held the woman in front of himself with one of her arms outstretched.

"Hello again. Are you ready to take my offer?" the man said.

Beau looked at him, this time doing his best to be intimidating, "The answer is still no. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have   to find my date."

Beau made a motion to step around the vampire until the man reached out a grabbed Beau's arm with a firm grip.

"Give it a try.", the man hissed.

Beau was trying to tug his arm free, "No, now let go of me, you freak."

The man tightened his grip, so Beau did what he had to do. Beau reached out with his other hand grabbing the man by the throat before slamming him down so hard the floor beneath them cracked. This freed Beau's arm, but both drinks he was carrying were now in a puddle of glass and crimson liquid. The crowd around them had also turned their attention to the commotion. They all were seemingly taken aback by what Beau had done. He was about to pull a repeat of school when the vampire he had just used as a jackhammer grabbed his ankle. He wrenched Beau off his feet and, with inhuman speed, came to his feet to grab Beau by the hair and launch him at the wall. Beau hit the marble with a thud and a loud crack as a bit of tile hit the floor.

"You dare lay hands on me, you filthy mongrel! Do you know who I am!?" the man snarled.

Beau was pulling himself off the floor when he responded, "To be honest, I've got no idea who you are, but ain't no one gonna invade my personal space without me crackin' back."

Beau wasn't sure where this confidence was coming from, but he was going to ride it victory or death because something inside himself told him he could easily kill this son of bitch. Entirely on his feet now, Beau spat some blood out of his mouth before placing himself in something of a fighting stance. His adrenaline was pumping.

"Now asshole, if you wanna keep goin', then put your dick beaters up.", Beau said nonchalantly.

This set the man off as he roared with fury, "You dare insult me, a member of your council and one of the oldest members of the first royal bloodline. I'll teach you to disrespect your superiors."

With great speed and power, the vampire launched himself forward at Beau. Even though the royal vampire was moving with inhuman speed, he was moving in slow motion for Beau. As the man reached Beau with an outstretched hand, Beau proceeded to duck under and come up with a fierce uppercut to the gut. The impact was so hard that instead of sending the guy flying, Beau's hand went straight through and out the other side. The Vampire let out a grunt, and blood began to seep out of his mouth and the fresh wound in his gut. Beau retracted his blood-soaked arm from the gaping hole and looked the vampire in the eyes. He wanted to drain him, to feed on the life source and the power within.

Do it! The voice in his head screamed. Yes, I think I will.

Everyone panicked as Beau's eyes flashed crimson red, and his fangs came to light. He was about to bite when a hand smacked his face hard enough to snap bone. Now that got his attention. Looking for the source of the attack, he found Lauralye, and she was beyond pissed.

"You fool. Do you know what you've just done for us? Now the council will find out about you for sure.", she hissed in his ear, "We need to leave now."

Beau nodded and began to follow her as they began pushing their way through the crowd. They were all but rushing to the front doors when a group of vampires in matching uniforms blocked their path. Both Lauralye and Beau stopped, and Beau looked to Lauralye for guidance. All he saw in her face was fear.

Crap. I've really done it now.

One of the men stepped forward and spoke, "Lauralye, I'm gonna need you and your friend to follow us."

Even though Beau knew he should keep his mouth shut, he couldn't fight the adrenaline, and that confidence was still lurking within.

"And if we don't?" Beau questioned with a grin on his face.

This time another voice spoke as and tall, pale man, at least six foot five with shoulder-length black hair, stepped forward, "Then I'll be forced to exercise lethal force upon you."

Beau cracked back, "I'd love to see you try."

The man laughed as he beckoned Beau forward, "Come then, little vampire. Show me what you can do."

Beau grinned as he charged forward. He was almost within range of the newcomer, and he could see a bit of surprise on his face before everything went dark. When he came to, he was on his knees with his hands shackled. He was now in a large room made entirely of grey stone and in front of him was a panel of vampires staring back at him. In the center sat the man who somehow knocked him unconscious. Two seats to his left was the vampire whose ass he kicked.

Shit.