The male nodded.
They headed up the stairs to the second floor of the sanctuary, which looked just as filthy as downstairs. Cardboard boxes crowded the hallways, some damaged from water dripping from the ceiling. The floor creaked as they walked. A cockroach ran in front of Remy, and he crushed it with his foot without interrupting his stride. An intricate cobweb spun above them from the left side of the wall to the right.
This couldn’t be the Deamhan The Brotherhood spoke about. They weren’t the harbingers of death and destruction anymore. They were squatters and out of control vagrants. These minions and their Deamhan masters seemed too busy dwelling in their own filth to concentrate on someone as puny as herself. Somehow, along in their history, they lost their spine chilling image. It was sanctuaries like these that were being destroyed and burnt to the ground. Veronica began to think that maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
“It’s the last door on the left.” Remy pointed. They came upon the door and without warning, he forcefully pushed on it. The door cracked, separating from its hinges and crashed to the floor.
A female and a male, both naked and startled from the noise, raised themselves from their bed. The female immediately covered her breasts and her crotch with her hands, and the short statured male, smiled at the appearance of Remy.
“Hey, Ollie.” Remy moved to the right side of the bed and Hallie moved to the other. The male laughed and raised himself up.
Fully naked, he walked over to a pile of clothes stacked in the corner of the room.
Veronica peered into the room, watching him dress in a faded shirt which read “Drunk on Duty” and white soiled shorts. An odor of sex lingered in the air. She wrinkled her nose at the appearance of this Deamhan who didn’t seem to care who watched him parade around unclothed.
“Still sexing up your food instead of eating it?” Remy briefly looked at the startled female.
Ollie smoothed back his short brown hair and shrugged his shoulders. “Best of both worlds.” His speech staggered with a prominent lisp. He whistled at the woman and harshly told her to beat it. She scurried out of the room with her head hung low. Now fully dressed, he sat back on his bed and pulled a pack of cigarettes from underneath his pillow. “You don’t knock anymore?” He lit one and inhaled.
“I’ve never knocked,” Remy responded back.
Ollie’s eye focused on Veronica. “She’s a cutie,” he muttered. “But I’m not buying today. Come back tomorrow.”
“She’s not for sale.” Remy brushed aside dirt particles from the bed. He sat down and crossed his legs. “I need some.”
“Need what?”
“The drink, you twit.”
Ollie inhaled again but delayed in exhaling. “Don’t have any,” he replied, “I sell that like hotcakes. I get a new batch in tomorrow.”
Remy reached out and yanked the cigarette from Ollie’s hand. He crushed it in his grip and tossed it back into his lap.
His reaction made Ollie jump slightly. “Jeez, you didn’t have to do that.”
Remy kneeled beside the bed, pulling out a small wooden box with a small lock from underneath. He placed it on the bed and yanked the lock and tossed the broken pieces on the floor.
“That’s my personal stash.” Ollie stood up.
The box was filled with small glass vials stacked gently next to each other. The liquid contained in these vials varied from orange to blue to bright red.
“What’s that?” Hallie questioned.
“Human blood in a bottle, manufactured by Deamhan for Deamhan. It’s like heroin for our kind,” Remy answered. “It’s made so that any Deamhan can devour it and experience the taste of a meal, with additives added.”
“I’ll pass.” Hallie’s nose scrunched.
“That isn’t cheap, y’know.” Ollie inhaled.
“How much?” Remy held the small vial between his thumb and forefinger, examining the reddish bubbly fluid.
“Five hundred and I’m being generous.”
“Oh, Ollie.” Remy grabbed the liquid. “You’re funny, did I ever tell you that?” He tossed the vial to Veronica. He patted the bed and stood up. “It was nice seeing you.” He walked toward the door.
“You can’t take that!” Ollie rushed after him.
Remy turned around. “Why not?”
“I’ll be short, and my supplier will kill me.”
Remy snickered and patted the top of his head. “Well, that’s your problem.”
“C’mon, Remy. My supplier isn’t going to sit well with this.”
“I wouldn’t worry about your supplier.” Remy watched Veronica put the vial in her pocket. “I’d be more worried about Anastasia. She knows you’re selling this and she doesn’t like it.”
They walked out of the room.
“It’s better than a taxi.” Remy opened the vial.
They stood on the corner down the street from the sanctuary. The cold affected Veronica and she began to shiver. The coat Remy gave her off his back helped a little, but she wasn’t sure if it was going to help her while traveling in Deamhan speed.
The Deamhan felt cold, but it was nowhere near the way a human felt it. The human heart worked harder at maintaining body temperature. As far as she knew, they didn’t have a body temperature nor did their heart beat at all.
Remy sniffed the liquid and handed the vial to her. “Are you sure?”
She hesitated.
“You can’t continue to travel in our speed. Your heart can’t take it,” he replied. “But this will help you tolerate it.”
She glanced at the vial then looked up at them. For mother, she thought to herself. She dreaded tasting the same icky taste when she first had Sensual Appetite. She also feared what this amount would do to her. The drink she was given in Dark Sepulcher was mixed with alcohol, but this wasn’t mixed with anything.
She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, feeling the warm liquid ooze down her throat. She dropped the bottle, and it shattered on the pavement. Immediately she felt the effects of the drink. Her sight became blurred, and it was a challenge just to keep her eyelids from closing shut. Her head became too heavy to lift. She felt the cold of Remy’s palm against hers.
“Whatever happens”— he pulled Veronica closer to her— “don’t let go.”
She grasped him tightly and closed her eyes, hearing the wind rush in her ears. Her hair flew uncontrollably, and her legs no longer touched the ground. She felt dizzy while they constantly moved. Her body jerked to the left and to the right and the cold breeze blew down her shirt.
They traveled in Deamhan speed.
For a moment, she felt a part of their world. She attempted to squeeze Remy harder, afraid of what’d happen if she let go. She heard the frequent stomps of his feet hitting the ground and he was in mid-air again, taking uncanny strides; strides unfathomable for a human.
This experience felt nothing like she’d felt before and nothing she’d ever feel again. Their speed increased, and the wind’s cold chills brushed against her skin. She had no fear and no pain. Only the feeling of floating and a sense that she was invincible.
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
They came to a sudden halt, and Veronica felt her body jerk forward. She attempted to open her eyes, but her eyelids remained closed. Pressure throughout her body increased and she fell to the floor, feeling the liquid expel from her mouth.
Remy straightened his clothes. “It’s breath taking, isn’t it?”
Their surroundings matched exactly what Anastasia described. They saw the tilted abandoned shack with its broken windows. Dead corn stalks dotted the landscape along with patches of snow and dirt.
Veronica remained on the pavement, moaning in pain. Hallie bent over to help her but Remy stopped Hallie.
“I got her.” He placed his arms around her waist and lifted her to her feet. “Don’t pass out on me now,” he whispered as he placed her right arm over his shoulders. They slowly walked into the cornfield, heading toward the stre
am.
Veronica felt her stomach twisting and knotting. She felt as if her body was on its last breath and her blood boiled inside her veins. In between her moans she heard Remy talking to Hallie. He found it odd that his Deamhan hearing couldn’t pick up any animal noises around them; no bird overhead, no wolves in the distant. The silence, except for the snow crunching beneath their feet, became overbearing.
Thick clouds blanketed the sky, blocking the stars and hiding any warning of sunrise. Eventually Veronica gathered enough strength to finally open her eyes.
They continued walking through pine trees and through leafless bushes.
“This place reminds me of Paris,” Remy said.
“I’ve always wanted to go there.”
“Maybe I’ll take you one day.”
The sound of running water ahead broke the silence and Remy slowed his pace. He moved Veronica’s strands of hair from her face. “I think she’s okay.” He slowly set her on her feet.
Hallie waved her hand in front of Veronica’s face. “You okay?”
Veronica wiped the droplets of bile from her chin. “Yeah, I’m fine.” She stood up straight. “Let’s keep going.”
“Are you sure?” Remy questioned again. “We can go back if you’re not feeling well.”
“I’m fine,” she replied again. “Let’s go.”
“Just like a champ,” Remy said.
They approached a steep creek bed, cloaking a small half frozen stream.
Hallie skipped over it and immediately slipped, falling on her back. The wind picked up briefly and she lifted her eyes, seeing Anastasia, dressed in black pants, black shirt, with her hair blowing in the wind, standing in front of her.
A look of enjoyment ebbed from Hallie’s face.
“I’m not going back and you can’t make me!” She stood up. “Remy invited me along.”
He stepped over the stream and he helped Veronica by letting her use him as support as she crossed. “I knew you’d come sooner or later.” He smiled at her. “You could never resist the temptation to play with fire.” He wiped his forehead.
Anastasia looked at Veronica, watching her erratic breathing. “You shouldn’t have brought her here.”
“Oh lighten up.” Remy smiled. “She wanted to come.”
Anastasia sniffed the air briefly. “You gave her that drink, didn’t you?”
“It was the only way to transport her without hurting her, and you know that,” Remy stated.
Veronica moaned slightly, feeling the cold arctic wind cutting at her face.
“She’ll slow us down,” Anastasia said.
“Carry her if you want then.” He continued through the bushes followed by Hallie and Veronica.
They headed north, carefully stepping over tree stumps. Drops of water from icicles above landed on Veronica’s forehead and she wiped them away. She pushed low tree branches from her path, and she saw Anastasia easily lift a huge branch out of their way.
“How far is it?” Hallie began to complain.
“It’s not like you’re cold out here,” Remy replied.
“I’m not. I just don’t understand why any Deamhan would live out this far. I mean, how does she eat?”
“She doesn’t.”
“What do you mean ‘she doesn’t’?”
“Deamhan in Limbo have no need for sustenance.” Anastasia added to the conversation. “And Remy,” she faced him, “why are you looking forward to encountering her when you almost died the last time you both met?”
He stopped in his tracks. “Who invited you into my thoughts?” He smiled devilishly.
She moved in closer, standing inches from him. “Answer my question.”
Veronica watched their standoff, waiting to see who’d be the first to attack. But no fists flew. Instead, Remy placed his hands in his pockets and he continued to smile.
“What can I say? I love to live dangerously on the edge.”
“Guys, shouldn’t we be moving?” Hallie whispered. “Dawn is only a few hours away.”
Remy’s eyebrows lifted. “Yes, we should.”
They continued their journey. Veronica hoped they’d reach the cave before her fingers froze. She feared frostbite and her toes felt numb. Ahead, Anastasia noticed a small overhang of rocks and an entrance to a cave. She lifted her head slightly, trying to inhale any scent in the air.
“I don’t smell anything,” she said.
Remy sniffed and he too shook his head. Hallie even tried and she came up empty.
“Just tree sap and fish.” She adjusted her eyes to look into the cave. “Even my eye sight won’t allow me to look in there. It’s too dark.”
“Dark magic,” Remy suggested. “Must mean we’re here.”
“Hallie, wait here with Veronica.” She moved forward but Veronica stepped in front of her.
“I’m not staying out here.” Veronica’s stern approach caused Anastasia to snarl.
Remy snickered. “Anastasia, she’s going in there, no matter how sharp your canines are.”
Veronica stepped over a splintered branch and she approached the cave. She swallowed her fear hard enough to feel her throat throb. This was it. This was the reason she came to Minneapolis. A group of bats flew over her. The sound of their wings flapping uncontrollably didn’t startle her. When she took her first step into the cave, the area somehow suddenly came to life. The interior lit up and Veronica could now see the rocky cropping ahead of them.
The sandy dirt floor, littered with bat droppings, made Veronica pause for a quick second. A square rock sat in the middle of the cave and on top of it, a small lit candle flickered. But the cave was extremely bright and Veronica couldn’t understand how one small flame could give off so much light. Boulders lazily stacked upon one another blocked the end of the cave.
She turned back, watching Anastasia, Hallie, and Remy enter the cave cautiously. For Deamhan, they seemed more scared than she was. But if what Anastasia said was true, they had more to fear than she did.
“Hello?” She called out in a trembling curious voice. She waited for a reply yet instead she heard the soft footsteps of Anastasia behind her.
Anastasia sniffed the air again. “Stale and empty,” she said to herself as she walked forward.
Suddenly the figure of a bald woman, dressed in a white flowing gown materialized from the side of the cave. Two other female figures dressed and looking exactly the same, manifested from the back and the right wall. They looked young; barely teenagers. They had to be Amenirdis’ humans, the ones that Remy mentioned back in Blind Bluff Manor. Their appearance startled Veronica and she wondered why a Pure Deamhan needed humans to do her bidding in the first place.
This time Anastasia made the approach. “We’re here for Amenirdis.” She lowered herself onto her knees followed by Remy, who forced Hallie to follow.
Witnessing this, Veronica followed their behavior.
The triplets didn’t speak. Instead, they remained still with their shiny, soft looking immaculate skin. They stood near the rock, and one of them blew out the candle.
The cave went dark, but their robes pulsated in the darkness. Veronica stood up and she stepped back. The power exerting from them was staggering and just enough to make her rethink coming to the cave in the first place.
“We seek Amenirdis’ wisdom.” Anastasia remained on her knees with her head lowered. “Is she here?”
The triplets turned their red hollowed eyes in Veronica’s direction.
“She is everywhere,” the third triplet replied.
“Offspring of Lucia,” the first triplet said. “Amenirdis knows why you’re here.”
Anastasia stood to her feet. “Is Amenirdis here?”
“She’s here,” the second triplet replied.
She looked around and didn’t see her.
Simultaneously, the triplets looked in Veronica’s direction. “Why did you bring this human?” They asked in unison.
“Just answer the question.” Remy stood to his feet.
“Is she here?”
Wind rushed past them and all of a sudden he found himself on his knees again. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and his body convulsed. Hallie jumped up in Deamhan speed and she screamed, jolting out of the cave and disappearing into the cold night. Veronica saw that Anastasia was also taken back. Her fangs dropped and she barked.
“Offspring of Julian Endor,” the first triplet said with her eyes still glued on Veronica. “Did you not learn your lesson the last time we let you go with your life?”
Remy gripped at his throat and his body flew back into the cave wall. His hands contorted and his head shook violently.
“We didn’t come to fight,” Anastasia quickly offered. “We came for Lucius. We aren’t foolish enough to challenge the Dark Mother.”
“Please,” Veronica begged.
The first triplet raised her hand. “You aren’t allowed to speak.”
Suddenly Remy fell face first into the dirt floor. Seconds later he lifted his body, using the wall as leverage. His dark, pupil free eyes reverted back to normal. “I guess not.” He stepped forward and fell again, but Anastasia caught him in mid-air. She gently laid him back against the wall.
“Humans aren’t allowed in Deamhan affairs,” the first triplet said again.
Veronica stepped forward. She chose her words carefully, realizing that if they had that much power to harm Remy, they could do much worse to her. “Please, may I speak?”
The first triplet lowered her hand. “No, you cannot.”
“The human came here to seek Amenirdis’ wisdom regarding her mother,” Anastasia replied.
“Her human mother is not our concern.”
“Yes, but her human mother was with Lucius who was placed in Limbo by Amenirdis. I came here seeking Lucius’ whereabouts and to plead with your master to free him from Limbo.”
“While your strength and determination is admired…” the second triplet started.
“…no human is allowed here.” The third triplet finished the sentence.
“It’s against—” the first triplet continued and then fell silent.
“…the rules,” the third triplet concluded.
Deamhan Chronicles, Books 1-5: Deamhan, Kei. Family Matters, Dark Curse, Maris. The Brotherhood Files, Ayden. Deamhan Minion Page 22