A New World

Chapter 2

Ephraim sighed as he stood up, pulling out a few bills to put on the table before Taylor stopped him. "I said these were on me, remember." He slowly retracted his hand and put the cash back into his wallet. "I uh... Thank you, again. For saving my life." Ephraim tilted his head, not wanting to speak because of the pedestrians. "I guess you have to go now don't you?" He nodded and pushed in his chair. "See you later then." He waved a bit before heading down the street.

Taylor watched as Ephraim walked away and looked over to the six foot emo girl in front of him. "If yous wondering, yes, Ephraim-Akri has always been like that. Even to the Simi when he first met her."

"Cautious?" She giggled.

"No silly, quiet." She shoved another hot sauce covered beignet in her mouth and Taylor visibly cringed. "When the Simi is full she will take you home." Taylor had a feeling they were going to be there a while.

He watched the still busy night streets and felt his eyes droop a bit. He definitely needed to get home before he passed out standing up. Taylor was only out this late because he was feeling a little depressed after he had found his boyfriend hanging from the ceiling fan a week ago. He was going to go drink his sorrows away, but got saved instead.

His mood went grim as he remembered the sight of Sam hanging, his long brown hair tangled, dry tears on his face, and the note with Taylor's name on it attached to his wrist with a hair tie. Tears filled his eyes and choked him as old memories resurfaced of dates, marriage plans, and various other happy times.

He let out a shakey breath before he abruptly stood up. "I-I'm going home now." Simi looked up slowly and sighed, wiping her hands on her bib.

"Okay." After he set several bills down, Simi began to walk him home.

Ephraim sighed as he sat down on a bench, even after doing some of this for the past century and a half, it was still tiring. He sighed as he remembered Taylor. Why Acheron basically allowed him to break about three rules baffled him. Revealing your true identity, making friends with a human, and talking about the preternatural with an uninitiated human were basically cardinal sins and got you dead by Acheron faster than you can plead for your life. Either that or in some serious trouble.

Ephraim just looked up at the sky, admiring what stars he could see. I miss seeing the sun rise... He ground his teeth. It's something he'd never see again because Apollo was a dick, but never in a million years would he pick a fight with a god, only if he wants to die by a godbolt.

He pulled the Companion book out of his pocket and flipped to the page with a list of various powers that a dark hunter could possess, other than the obvious, god only powers. The closest description of his certain power was biokinesis, the ability to manipulate living things. He frowned at the entry for probably the hundredth time this past century. He couldn't exactly manipulate living things, he just killed them without even thinking.

He sighed again and put the book back in his pocket. His mind wandered back to Taylor. The man was cocky, Ephraim couldn't deny that, but it was a part of his charm. Besides, even with his clothes he could see the man had a really really nice body. He growled at himself as he felt his jeans become a little too tight for his liking.

Rule number six, no significant others. Although he could have a one night stand, he just didn't think it was right. Consequently, his intimate life was nonexistent.

He shook his head, irritated with himself, and started walking around. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and he took a small step to his left, just as a white Jaguar sped past him and screeched to a halt. He tilted his head to the side, wondering who the hell would drive on a sidewalk.

He walked up to the driver's side and knocked on the tinted window. To his surprise, it rolled down to reveal a very stricken Acheron and a boy who was in his early to late teens. "Nick what the hell did I tell you about driving on the sidewalk?!"

"Sorry Ash. The street signs were just asking for it." Nick turned to Ephraim. "Hi, you don't look like a cop."

"That's because he isn't. You almost ran over one of my dark hunters." Nick's face paled and he looked like he was going to shit his pants.

"Wait what." Ephraim smiled through his mask and used sign language to talk to Acheron, much too tired to even be bothered with pulling his phone out and typing on the bright screen.

"You're teaching this kid to drive?"

"Yeah but he might as well be an autistic monkey preforming brain surgery while high on acid." Nick looked back and forth between the two immortals.

"Uh, I'm a little short on what's happening here." Ephraim grinned a bit behind his mask. Ash sighed. "Is he deaf or something? Oh wait..." He thought about the question for a moment and Ephraim held back a laugh. "You can't be deaf if you heard what he said..."

"He's not mute. It's just his power."

"So what, he can control people by speaking or what?"

"I do pray you never find out." Ash looked back over to Ephraim.

"How does he know about the dark hunters?"

"He's Kyrian's Squire, youngest in history I might add." His eyes shot up in surprise. "I pulled some strings." He nodded in understanding. "By the way Gautier, this is Ephraim, the one Talon told you to leave alone."

"Oh. So you're the young dark hunter. Talon told me you're weird." Ephraim sighed and just shook his head. Of course Talon would say that... Ash patted Nick on the shoulder.

"Alright come on kid, I've got to bring you home before Cherise has an aneurism and decides to end the world because her baby didn't show up on time." Ephraim quickly caught the look on Nick's face before it was gone.

He knew for a fact that looks was one of utter fear and sadness. He looked over at Acheron to see if he caught it, but he didn't. For as omniscient as he is, he is sometimes oblivious to a lot of things, not like he would ever tell him that. He much rather walk outside on a summer day. "I'm sure Talon and Kyrian have the rest of the night, besides, you need to experience New Orleans. You've only been here a week and you've barely left your apartment. Go have fun with a woman or walk around. You still are young after all."

He frowned at his mentor. For most people, being over a century old is not young, but by dark hunter standards it is really young. "You know how I feel about one night stands." Ash gave him a smile.

"Go have some fun Didriksen." He was taken aback by the use of his surname and barely had time to respond when they drove off. He just sort of stood there for a moment, looking in the direction they had gone with a blank stare.

"Have fun...?" He muttered to himself. He just shook his head and began to walk back to his apartment, making sure he wasn't being followed. Unfortunately that was a habit he couldn't shake because of his past, but he never noticed he did it anymore.

He took his key out and unlocked the door, but not without readying one of his weapons before opening the door. When he made sure it was clear, he finally relaxed and began to take off his weapons and outer layer of clothing. He goes over to his book case and takes a book off the shelf and begins to read on the couch.

He was about half way through reading the 6th chapter when there was a knock on his door. He grabbed an athame he had conveniently placed by the door and opened it slowly. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end even when he opened the door to show his neighbor.

"Hey, uh... I was wondering if you had an extra light bulb? The one in my bathroom sort of went out." He shook his head, concealing the athame with the door frame. Then suddenly every nerve in his body shot off in warning and he didn't have time to think before his neighbor smashed a bat on his head.

Rule number five, an unconscious Dark-Hunter is a dead Dark-Hunter. He struggled to stay awake as the darkness overtook his vision.