*Check the Author's Page for Updates on upcoming chapters
Dark Oppression
Chapter 1
By: O Sei San
Simon caught the movement with no difficulty. It was one of the benefits being a vampire-the daylighter, even more so. The night was damp and cold while the lampposts on the alley barely gave any light, but he still caught the shadow that he was suspecting following him since he left the Pandemonium Club. His heightened senses were on alert now. It was either an enemy or someone who needed something from him, not that both was any different. Ever since he lost the Mark of Cain, he couldn't help but get paranoid. Raphael, the leader of the New York vampire clan wants him dead. Camille Belcourt, the only vampire that he could have bargained any protection with was now dead. Murdered by Maureen, the innocent girl from Simon's life turned into a viscous vampire because some people wanted to get to him. When Clary Fray told him the news, heard from depressed Alec, she advised him to go underground.
Jesus, his life was turning into some fucked up fantasy action movie and yes, he was complaining even it would never help. Apparently Alec also relayed to Clary that he and Magnus are finished, it means the glittery warlock couldn't give him any protection. Give it to Magnus Bane to disappear and curl up in some unknown hole while the Shadowhunter world was going into war against whatever Sebastian Verlac a.k.a Jonathan, cooked up. Sighing, Simon turned around to face whoever-whatever-was following him. He was half-pissed on the things happening around him, he didn't need this stalker bullshit now. "Hey, apparently I'm lonely. So why not let's walk together to my apartment?" Being pissed showed his sarcasm.
There was no sound, no movement, no something. Simon stared at nothing for maybe a minute before turning around, thinking that the stalker thought better of showing himself and gave up. Simon was dead wrong, more specific he was dead. When he turned to get moving, Sebastian Verlac was staring at him with clear amusement. Sebastian's face changed from amusement to being simply smug. "Did you just invited me to your apartment, daylighter?" Simon swallowed and took a deep breath, some mundane habit he never lost and wouldn't want to. He can't speak, he was frozen, and he knew he was fucked but at least Sebastian wasn't doing anything yet. He tried to regain himself by coughing and straightening his back. "Oh. Hey, Sebastian right? I'm Simon Lewis, your sister's best friend. I-I think I bit you, yeah. You were asleep when I did that though, that's why you're alive now." Babbling, he was babbling. Damn.
Sebastian took one step closer and Simon got to look at him without getting embarrassed. His hair was disturbingly better than Jace, his face was sharper than Jace, and his build was bigger than Jace, in short he was currently having a creepy man-crush on Sebastian but he quickly recovered when he thought about his missing Mark of Cain. Sebastian can kill him, here, now, with no difficulty. Sebastian raised a brow, "You killed Lily, my mother." It was a statement and the longer Simon stood there, the greater the certainty of death was getting to him. "Where's your Mark of Cain, daylighter?" Sebastian asked.
"I traded it for some angel sword." His reply was quick, no pretenses. He was going to die anyway. "My name is Simon, not daylighter either." The way he replied was asking for some quick death.
"Simon." Sebastian said, as If he was practicing the name, tasting it. "Aren't we about to go to your apartment?" Simon nodded going along with whatever Sebastian wanted. If he wanted to kill him there and make it look like some robbery, so be it. He started to walk and was happy that his knees didn't give out as he brushed past Sebastian. Also, he internally thank god that Jordan was out with Maia tonight. Just for how long? He didn't know, so Simon paced. Sebastian was quiet behind him but he didn't need to look back to see if he was following. The guy's presence was like some dark aura that any vampire can feel hovering if it was close. Man, was he close, Sebastian was almost walking on his heels. If Sebastian thought he would try to escape, Simon proved him wrong.
It was about 5 minutes when they were finally in front of the apartment door. Simon calmly opened the door and casually asked Sebastian to come in but in reality, Simon's skin was already jumping of anxiousness. He thought feeling Sebastian near him would ebb some danger he felt but it only increased as they got to the apartment. When Simon finally locked the front door, he sighed. He wanted to do something, write a note for Clary, and call Isabelle, anything before his dead body really drops dead. But compromising Sebastian wasn't going to help his situation right now. He turned and saw Sebastian sitting on Jordan's couch. His long fingers grazing the leather, "This living room is horribly decorated." Simon couldn't argue, Jordan's decorative skills weren't one of his strongest points. He's got Maia for that but Maia hasn't got around complaining about it, because whenever she was in the apartment, she only ended up on the kitchen or on Jordan's bed.
"It could be worse." Simon answered. Sebastian's eyes flicked to his and there was a moment of silence.
"I heard Camille is dead." Oh, Sebastian wanted to talk still. No killing, yet. He could handle that.
"Yeah, I heard too. Bummer, huh?"
Sebastian chuckled, it was low and husky. "Not really. That's one out of the two New York vampires I want dead."
And the second is me, right? Simon thought. "Thank Maureen for that."
"Oh I have." Sebastian smiled slowly and full of mischief. "But she isn't … the leader of the New York clan-still."
Simon had no idea where this was going. "And you're telling me… why?"
Sebastian sighed, leaning back lower at the couch. His eyes on the ceiling for a while then he turned his attention to Simon again. Sebastian gestured the sit next to him. "Why don't you sit, Simon?"
This was it. Simon held his chin up and walked over to Sebastian and sat beside him. He did it excruciatingly slow. He sighed again, and told himself to calm the shit down. He wanted to die without whimpering, screaming, or both. Sebastian was eyeing him sideways before speaking again, "Raphael, wants you dead, correct?" Simon had no idea why Sebastian cared, or why he even knows but he just nodded. "Will you kill him to survive?" That was totally unexpected that Simon turned to Sebastian. Sebastian was also facing towards him. There was a stretch of silence before Simon got to ask why.
"It's only natural, Simon. Raphael wants you dead, because you're annoying as much of a threat to him. But why should you die because of that reasons?" Simon was never slow, and he got it within that reply. Sebastian wanted Raphael dead. He is routing for Maureen to be the new leader because he's got Maureen on his leash. The New York vampire clan will be his allies. But Simon still couldn't point where he fitted.
"Why don't let Maureen kill him?" It was a logical question and it made Simon question himself why did he even care? Why couldn't he just tell the man that he wouldn't kill Raphael? He wasn't going to be some piece of pawn to his games. Not ever, especially not now.
"Maureen killed Camille, yes. I'm very proud of her but I don't think Raphael would take a little girl's challenge seriously even if the girl killed the Lady Camille Belcourt. But you…"
Simon could swear he heard some light bulb sound effect while his eyes turned bigger and rounder, drowning on the piece of new information. Sebastian face was still neutral when he shouted, "You want me to kill Raphael! And you know he won't accept challenges, especially now because you're waging war, except for me!" Simon shook his head and stood up, he walked maybe two steps before turning to Sebastian again, "But that's stupid Sebastian. Even if I do kill Raphael, that means I'm the new leader. Where's the part that benefits you?" He couldn't help but ask rather than keeping it to himself. Now that he knew Sebastian doesn't want him killed, if he does ever become the new leader, he could secure the alliance with the Shadowhunters. Real smooth Simon, real smooth. His train of thoughts was interrupted when he heard another chuckle from Sebastian. Sebastian, that was now 3 inches in front of him.
"The part that benefits me, Simon, is that you'll do this for me." Simon's brow furrowed, confusion running through his mind that he didn't notice that Sebastian had a stele in his hands. The next thing Simon knew, his face was on the hardwood floor of the living room. His hands securely twisted on his back, as Sebastian leaned on him. "Did Clary ever tell you about a rune that would put you on my command?"
Simon, forgetting he had the strength to fight Sebastian off him because of the demeanor the guy was emitting was plain terrifying, just answered. "Like what you did to Jace, asshole!"
"Oh no. Nothing like that. Jace was some life investment but you? I don't care or need you to live or die. I just need you to submit to me." Simon struggled for a while, in pure panic to the hell Sebastian was saying. He wiggled then he felt Sebastian's knee on his back. Simon let out a bark before he felt Sebastian's weight on him again. "You will kill Raphael and secure the vampire's alliance to me, Simon Lewis. You do not see that now…" Then Sebastian's voice was like a whisper against his cheek. "But you will." Simon felt a hot mark on his back, with a yelp, the last thing he remembers was the darkness.
