“She speaks through you, but I don’t want to speak with you. I want to speak to Amenirdis,” Anastasia insisted. “I want to know what she did with Lucius.”
The triplets turned to one another. Anastasia glanced at Veronica, who remained assertive, staring at the triplets ahead. Again she risked unknown determination. The triplets could do to her what they did to Remy or Amenirdis might appear and kill them where they stood. If it came down to a confrontation, she hoped that Anastasia was strong enough to hold them off until she escaped.
“Why are you helping this human?” The first twin asked.
“What makes this human different, offspring of Lucia?” The third twin continued the questioning.
This time Anastasia replied. “Does it matter? You already know what I’m going to say. You know the real reason I’m here.”
“Yes, but does the human know the real reason why you traveled to this domain?”
Suddenly a strong force slammed into Veronica and she saw Anastasia’s thoughts thanks to the drink she devoured earlier. Pictures of her human life as a farmer’s daughter in the late 1500’s England and her strict Catholic parents appeared in crisp images. She saw Anastasia’s maker; a dark haired woman who laughed like a jackal while watching Anastasia, drained of blood, lying helplessly in a bale of hay. Then the images of death and murder. A group of what looked like vampires, staking her and placing her in a metal coffin. That was soon followed by the image of a man who Veronica somehow knew to be Lucius, freeing her from death.
Veronica sensed Anastasia’s strong loyalty to Lucius. She would do anything for him. In Minneapolis she stood by his side. The images changed and she saw through Anastasia’s eyes when she confronted Branda and Brandy in the bathroom at Dark Sepulcher. Her eyes watered. The information became overwhelming and she wanted the projections to stop but they continued.
She sensed Anastasia’s regret and hatred for her own sire and being made a Ramanga. She wasn’t bounded by human emotions, but she strongly wanted to be. Somewhere, inside her Ramanga soul, hid the sympathetic, caring and loving farmer’s daughter by the human name of Auerelia who desperately wanted to help Veronica, not the iniquitous Anastasia who wanted to bathe in human blood.
Then the image of Nathan, surrounded in white light gave off a sense of relief. Veronica felt Anastasia’s respect and admiration for him, even though the Deamhan side of her wanted to rip his throat out. The images fluttered rapidly: Anastasia in her room at Dark Sepulcher, pacing back and forth in Deamhan speed, ripping her hair out from its roots just to watch it grow back again. She then saw Anastasia watching Nathan from a distance in his study, glaring at his mannerisms and hoping to copy them to perfection one day.
The Ramanga longed for her humanity and she fought her dark desires and urges and in her brain, she repeatedly told herself that she would do anything to protect Nathan from harm.
Anastasia envied Veronica’s humanity.
“Lucius must be freed from Limbo,” Anastasia demanded.
The pain stopped and Veronica opened her eyes. The feeling of remorse engulfed her.
Anastasia quickly looked over her shoulder, past Remy and at the dark entrance of the cave. The smell of Selene circled in her nose just in time to see the Lugat Deamhan walk toward them from the shadows with Hallie close behind her. She made no attempt to hide her approach. Frost covered the top of her reddish hair, glistening in the darkness of the cave. Her eyelids were also covered in frozen perspiration, and she wiped them with the back of her hand, clearing almost all of it away.
She kneeled and lowered her head. “I come as a servant of Amenirdis,” she announced humbly. “And as the offspring of Lucius.”
The triplets nodded and Selene stood to her feet.
“Offspring of Lucius,” the third triplet said. “You also seek Lucius?”
“Yes, and I implore you to free him,” Selene replied. “Kei had no right to seek Amenirdis’ help in placing Lucius in Limbo.”
“Her favor…” the first triplet started.
“…does not come without a price,” the third triplet finished.
“And what price is that?” Anastasia argued back.
“A price that only Amenirdis knows,” the second triplet answered.
Selene looked to Anastasia. “I accept the price,” she stated.
“As do I,” Anastasia also said.
“Only one must accept the price,” the second triplet said.
Veronica swallowed and she gathered her wits to speak. “And my mother?”
The first triplet raised her hand. “Will you accept the price offspring of Lucius?”
Selene nodded but suddenly Anastasia stood in front of her. “No, I will accept the price.”
“No.” The triplets spoke in unison. “Offspring of Lucius has accepted the price.”
“You have no right!” Anastasia quickly grabbed Selene by her arm and tossed her aside. Selene landed on her feet and in breakneck speed she launched herself at Anastasia. The triplets intervened and with a quick swipe of their hand, Selene found herself pushed against the cave walls.
“The deal has been made.” Their clothing became brighter, illuminating the surrounding area. They watched as the effulgent light blasted into Selene, turning even brighter.
The glow seeped between the cracks of Veronica’s fingers, and even when she closed her eyes, the darkness illuminated, making it impossible to block it. The light gravitated, and the intensity of it decreased until darkness overcame the room and the small candle reappeared, kindling on the surface of a rock.
Veronica cautiously opened her eyes.
The triplets were gone. In their place, lying on the floor in front of the huge rock, was the body of Lucius.
His long light brown hair gracefully lay across his chest, covering his nipples and part of his stomach. His distorted skin looked like leather; a sign that he hadn’t fed in a long time. His eyes were closed and his lips were partially opened. Anastasia rushed over to him and knelt over his ravaged body.
Veronica saw that Selene was also lying on the ground. She slowly stood to her feet, wiping the dirt from her clothing. She looked at her hands then she felt her face. Her eyes riffled through the cave and when she made contact with Veronica, she smiled.
“That was easier than I thought.” Remy watched as Anastasia turned Lucius’ body on its side. When she gently touched the side of his cold face, he opened his hazel eyes.
“Lucius,” she whispered.
Tears began to stream down Veronica’s face, and her mouth quivered. Yet a hint of anger hid behind her sorrow. She still held onto the thought that her mother would reappear with him.
Anastasia gently placed her hands under his body and lifted him to his feet. He slightly opened his eyes, letting out a grunt when he felt the hardened soil underneath his feet.
“What was the deal you made, Selene?” Remy asked.
“That is my business.” Selene approached Lucius. “My beloved, my sire. Welcome back.”
Lucius turned his head slowly to look at her.
“Am I the only one who cares about this deal?” Remy spoke again. “Any deal made with Amenirdis can’t be good.”
Ignoring Remy’s statement, Selene whispered softly into Lucius’ ear. “Kei will suffer for what he’s done to you. And you will be there to witness his death.”
Lucius looked up at Veronica, and in his eyes she saw his strength slowly regaining. Without notice, he pushed both Anastasia and Selene violently away. He took a step toward her then stopped, trying to focus his eyes on her. He held out his wrinkled hand and spoke only one word; Caroline.
“She’s not Caroline.” Selene jumped to her feet. “She is her daughter.”
Sensing an opportunity, Veronica spoke. “Do you know what happened to my mother?”
Lucius calmly lowered his hand. In a gust of wind he ran past her and toward the entryway of the cave knocking Remy and Hallie against the rock wall, disappearing from their sight.
Veronica heard Nathan’s footsteps pacing back and forth in the foyer of Blind Bluff Manor. She stood near the window, watching a black limousine drive up the path and stop in front of the door.
Since the night of Lucius’ release from Limbo, everything in and around the sanctuary came to a complete stop. She could barely sleep and her appetite was close to non-existent. As far as she was aware, no one else knew about Lucius’ release and Selene wanted to keep it that way. After he ran from the cave, Anastasia followed and had tried looking for him, but his scent became lost among the vampires and Deamhan in the city.
Veronica also became intrigued with Anastasia after the fiasco. She knew exactly what thoughts the Ramanga kept hidden. They weren’t normal, but it proved to her that underneath the Deamhan persona, Anastasia still had human tendencies. A few days passed and she grew impatient. Selene promised that she would keep in touch but she’d sent no word after the night in the cave. When she finally sent word, it wasn’t on the location of Lucius but an invitation to a Gathering that Kei was throwing.
“She’s here,” Nathan announced. He walked to the front door and turned the knob. “Are you sure you want to go?”
Veronica waited before nodding her head.
He opened the door, standing face to face with the human limousine driver. Before she left the sanctuary, he whispered in her ear telling her that she had nothing to worry about. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes, picturing an image of her mother in the dark, looking back at her.
“This is for you, Mom,” she whispered as she exited the sanctuary into the cold air. The driver followed her and made his way around to the back passenger door. She approached the limo cautiously, staring at her image in the car window.
The driver opened the door and Veronica caught a glimpse of Selene, who motioned for her to get in. She glanced back at Nathan before entering the limo. She gave him a soft smile as she climbed into the back seat. Once inside, she smelled lavender. Small wine glasses were stacked near the floor, next to the opposite door. The cushions, made of velvet material, gave the limo an elegant almost expensive look.
“It’s good to see you.” Selene wore a red, short dress with red high heels. Her red hair sat on the top of her head in a neatly formed bun.
Veronica turned around and found herself looking into the eyes of an attractive male dressed in a tuxedo. Like all of The Deamhan, his light brown eyes were pupil free and his smooth, skin lacked any blemishes. His short, dark hair contrasted, fooling her eyes into seeing his skin glow under the light in the limo. She felt totally underdressed.
The Deamhan male sipped on his wine in small gulps then he smiled. “I have the pleasure of two women.” His body was average and his square face seemed too big for his body. The body of a female with ratted brown hair sat next to him, slouched in her seat with her shredded mini skirt raised high above her hips, showing her red silky underwear. Small puncture wounds covered her neck, arms, and her stomach.
“Just push her onto the floor,” the Deamhan male suggested. The driver walked around the back end of the limo. He sat in the front seat and started the engine. The male grabbed Veronica’s hand and brought it up to his mouth, kissing it. “She’s beautiful.” His mouth slightly opened while he gawked at her.
“She’s under my protection,” Selene replied.
Veronica jerked forward as the limo proceeded to move. The Deamhan male moved aside, making enough room for her to sit. She had no choice but to sit next to the corpse.
“She must be a piece of work.” He snickered and dropped her hand. “Pity.”
“Silvanus, I wouldn’t have your driver drive all the way out here for just a meal.”
“Meal?” He looked at Veronica. “More like a snack to me.”
Selene smiled briefly. “Don’t make me regret inviting you all the way out to Minneapolis for this.”
“I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
The limo drove through the front gates of Blind Bluff Manor and continued down the road.
Silvanus pouted. “Tunisia was getting boring anyway. It’s not like it used to be. I remember when you could get a good, virgin meal for half the price. You’d think the bigger the human population, the more abundant the food.” He reached under his jacket and pulled out a metallic flask. “But they all have diseases, their blood is just dreaded awful and you can’t just toss them in an alley without finding their murder featured on the ten o’clock news.”
“It’s called adapting.”
“Deamhan in this city sure aren’t adapting. It’s like a Bacchanalia festival every night here with Kei leading the young Deamhan astray . . . poor bastards.” He smiled. “Don’t get me wrong. I’ll take a Bacchanalia festival any day, but not with that inbred throwing the party.” He unscrewed the lid and took a sip. “And I thought the English were bad. Even the blood is horrid here.” His face shriveled at the taste of the liquid.
Veronica had heard about the ancient Roman festival celebrating the god of wine. Adapted from the Greeks and their festival for Dionysus, the festivals had drunken humans, letting go of their humanity, and losing themselves to chaos and free will. It wasn’t her area of expertise, but from Silvanus’ interest in the subject, he appeared to be fond of them. She remained quiet, watching the two Deamhan in conversation. Like many Deamhan she encountered in her search, she’d never heard of Silvanus until this night.
He placed the flask back into his jacket. “Why can’t I find one poor soul who doesn’t put crap into his or her own blood stream?”
She continued to look out the tinted windows at the darkened scenery. She wanted the car ride to be as quick as possible. The car turned the corner, and the female body fell over just inches away from her feet.
“Get rid of it,” Selene demanded.
Silvanus chuckled and he picked up the body, clumsily placing it on his lap. “Don’t give me the whole ‘I’m an Ancient routine. It gets old.”
She sighed. “Just get rid of it.”
“If you say so but we will attract the eyes of humans.” He opened his door and pushed it onto the street. Veronica heard a huge thump as the body hit the ground and rolled onto the pavement. Silvanus closed the door and resumed his comfortable position. “There. Happy?”
Selene looked back, watching the dead body roll into the bushes on the side of the road. “This isn’t about being happy or what the humans will think, Silvanus. This is about following the rules.”
“The Dictum, yes, I know,” he said while rolling his eyes. “The Dictum . . . everything is about ‘The Dictum’ to you.” He looked back at Veronica. “Excuse Selene, she’s very adamant about our laws. Just like her sire.” He leaned back in his seat, focusing now on Selene. “So, where is Lucius? From what I heard, he hasn’t been seen since his release.”
Selene didn’t answer.
“You lost him? Already? You can’t sense him?”
“No.”
“Do you think he’s dead?”
“No, I would’ve felt his death,” she quickly replied. “He’s alive, out there.”
“You know, my dear, Lucius is the only known Deamhan to have been freed from Limbo”—he rubbed his hands together in thought— “there is a reason that Amenirdis decided to let him go and it wasn’t out of the goodness in her shriveled heart.”
Selene positioned herself on her right side and she gazed out at the scenery. “I know the price and I’m willing to pay it.”
He rubbed his hands together in glee. “Personally, I can’t wait to see what that price is!” He studied Veronica. “So this human is important to Lucius?”
“Yes. Very much so.”
Veronica cleared her throat and decided to speak. “Lucius will be there? At the Gathering?”
“Why wouldn’t he?” Silvanus smiled. “No one misses out on a Gathering, and from what I’ve heard, Kei knows how to throw them.” Silvanus sighed in exuberance. “Haven’t been to one of those in centuries
.”
“I’m only bringing you because Amenirdis failed to tell you about your mother,” Selene said to Veronica. “If what we know is true, then Kei was the last person to see your mother. I will force the information from him.”
“Not before I get a little private time with him.” Silvanus grabbed onto his lapel triumphantly. “I owe that bastard a beating or two.” He placed his hand on Selene’s thigh. “And after I rip his head off, you can thank me later by throwing some praise my way.”
Selene tilted her head. “When Kei is nothing but dust and blood, then we can all rejoice.”
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
The limo arrived in the warehouse district, located in what once was the thriving center of the city. Extraordinary in their day, the tall, now gutted brick buildings had a history filled with competing businesses, factories, and living spaces. Buildings like the one used for Kei’s macabre parties still had their use.
They exited the limo. Veronica stayed close to Selene, following her to the front door guarded by two large male bodyguards dressed in long, black robes with expressionless masks. The masks resembled the legendary Moai; frozen forever but still guarding their sacred space.
When Silvanus reached the door, one of the bodyguards greeted him by name. However, they stood still with no intention of moving aside.
Selene looked to Silvanus, who smirked. “Out of my way,” she demanded.
The bodyguards remained in their position. “Kei gave strict orders barring you from his Gathering ma’am.”
“You heard her,” Silvanus interrupted the bodyguard. “And I suggest you listen to her and step aside.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but we have to follow Kei’s orders.”
Selene easily pushed the bodyguards aside, showing her brute strength. “Tell him I don’t listen to his orders, especially when they come from the mouths of human bodyguards.”
Veronica waited for the bodyguards’ reactions, but they did nothing. They stared as Selene pushed open the front door and proceeded inside.
Deamhan Chronicles, Books 1-5: Deamhan, Kei. Family Matters, Dark Curse, Maris. The Brotherhood Files, Ayden. Deamhan Minion Page 23