“I think she’ll be fine in a few days.”
Anastasia heard Remy’s voice behind her. She looked over her shoulder, seeing his cracked lips pull back into a smile. “It’s good you didn’t sire her. I thought you would.”
“I’m not that disorderly.” He walked up to her and stood at her side. “I can handle my emotions.”
Anastasia felt her hunger pangs beginning to become more emphatic but again she pushed the thought of feeding aside. “You said last night that Veronica researched about the Pure Ones.”
“Yeah.” His eyes narrowed in on her. “You have a plan, don’t you?”
She walked out of the room and down the hallway, heading toward Nathan’s study. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been there when Nathan wasn’t there. It wasn’t a room she enjoyed or even bothered to discover. But she knew he kept all his research materials about the Deamhan tucked nicely on the bookshelves lined against the wall. However, Veronica had made a mess. Countless opened books laid on the table and on the floor. Anastasia walked over to one of the bookcases and began to read the writing on the spine of the books.
“Veronica scoured all those books.” Remy stood in the doorway.
“Maybe she missed something.”
“No, I think she covered it all. We can’t kill the Pure Ones because, they’re impossible to kill. Oh and if we did manage to do that, we end up killing ourselves as well.”
Anastasia immediately walked away from the bookcase. “Kill ourselves?” She didn’t understand.
“Veronica told Hallie who told me that if a Pure Ramanga dies, its descendants die along with it. So if I managed to kill a Pure Lamia, I’d die too.”
She returned to her search. “There has to be something we can do.” The thought about dying didn’t faze her. The Pure Ones couldn’t be this unstoppable. Everyone and everything had a weakness. She just needed to find it.
“Yeah, we can stop Lucius and Selene from getting the other piece of the tablet.”
She opened one of the books and searched it as fast as she could, but came up empty. “We need to find Nathan. I’m sure he knows what’s going on by now.”
“I have a better idea.” He stepped into the room. “We should pack up and leave Minneapolis.”
She stared at him, mind-boggled at his suggestion.
“At least we’d be alive and far away from this city.”
“It doesn’t matter where we run.” She closed the book in her grasp and her eyes narrowed. “Once they’re freed, there won’t be any place to hide.”
“I’m not saying we hide. I’m saying we run.” He folded his hands across his chest. “I mean, if you want to stay here and try to stop it, then that’s your call. I love a good dirty fight myself but this fight...we won’t win.”
“We have to separate Lucius and Selene.” She walked out of the room, heading toward the front door. “Maybe they won’t be as strong when they’re apart.”
“And how are you going to do that?” He followed her.
“Selene’s the weakest.” She stopped by the Greek statues in the foyer. “Maybe if we talk to her, she’ll see the wrong in all of this.”
“Talk? You want to talk?” Confused, Remy’s mouth dropped. “That’s your big plan?”
“I’m not going to kill her.”
“Why not?”
She opened the door and felt the cool wind waver against her cheeks, tickling them briefly.
“I’m all for civil conversations but what makes you think she’s going to take your word over Lucius?” Remy descended the front steps and stopped just short of the front yard that still had small mounds of snow that had not melted yet from the warm weather. “She’ll die for Lucius.”
“And eventually, she will.”
The right corner of his mouth curled in a halfcocked smile. “Awesome sauce.” He took a few steps before looking over his shoulder at her. “Shall we?” Without warning he took off in a blur, jumped over the fence surrounding the yard, and took off through the trees, heading to Minneapolis. Anastasia quickly followed, staying on his tail. Everything around them moved as if it existed in its own realm. The stars streaked in the night sky and the city lights combined their auras. They were moving faster than anyone or anything could move.
They zigzagged around cars and trucks stopped at stoplights. When they made it into downtown Minneapolis they moved around pedestrians who had no idea except for the surprising gust of wind. Remy continued through the downtown area and to east Minneapolis where he slowed down just before reaching a busy intersection. He moved into the alley and seconds later Anastasia appeared beside him, stirring up empty cans and other garbage from the streets.
The smell of car exhaust filled her nose. She heard the sounds of roaring engines and the thoughts of humans around them.
“So much better than a taxi.” Remy straightened his clothes.
They stopped across the corner of Pierce and Market. The street was deserted except for pot holes in the asphalt filled with water from melting snow. Anastasia stared down at her reflection in one puddle at her pale face. She needed to feed but she didn’t have the time. Ahead, the smell of Deamhan and Selene’s human minion exuded from the sanctuary. Anastasia crinkled her lips in disgust.
She walked forward with Remy following her in silent steps, their bodies on high alert. Selene was there, somewhere inside the two story home, maybe along with Lucius. She walked up to the door, noticing that it was slightly opened. She kicked it gently and it swung back, knocking against the wall. Her keen sense of smell picked up on the sweet smell of poinsettias and peppermints. Ahead she saw Jessica who jumped to her feet, on alert at their unexpected visit. Remy chuckled quietly at the human.
Anastasia approached Jessica, sensing that she was not afraid of them.
Instead she stood tall. “Are you here to see Selene?” Her voice sounded somewhat archaic.
Remy examined the human closely. “Well, who else do you think we’re here to see?” He turned back to Anastasia who looked down the hallway. In one quick movement she grabbed Jessica, sinking her teeth into the base of her neck. Jessica let out a gurgled scream but Anastasia placed her hand over her mouth to silence it. The warm blood trickled down her throat, healing her and silencing her hunger pains. She released her grip, letting Jessica’s limp body fall to the floor.
“You don’t waste any time, do you?” he glared at the body on the floor.
“I was hungry.”
“And how was that supposed to help you get Selene on our side?”
“I needed my strength.” She looked down the hallway, seeing a bright light illuminating from a room. She then heard Selene’s voice, clear as day, in a whisper.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“Of course she did. It’s Anastasia,” Remy replied.
They walked down the hall and to the room. They saw Selene standing near a wide open window with her back to the door and to Anastasia’s surprise, Lucius standing off to her right. The large room encompassed the length of three large master bedrooms. A bed was lined up against the wall with several packed suitcases on top of it. Selene looked over her shoulder, frowning at Anastasia but her piercing eyes revealed a woman who still had something up her sleeve.
“I told you we couldn’t trust her.” Selene stared wildly at Lucius.
A look of disappointment appeared on Lucius’ face.
“And she brought her annoying friend.” Selene’s green eyes circled to Remy.
Remy’s eyes tapered and he quickly turned to Anastasia. “We’re about to die, aren’t we?”
“There’s a high probability,” she muttered to him.
“So I guess I should just say what’s on my mind.” He cleared his throat, preparing for his speech. “Believe it or not I’m a Deamhan that follows Decretums.” He looked toward Selene. “Your Decretum, in particular, demands that Veronica be protected at any cost. So, yeah, whatever happened to that?”
Selene’s eyes na
rrowed in on Remy. “You need to leave. This doesn’t concern you.”
“Hey, we’re all sorry that Lucius was thrown into Limbo, but what you’re both trying to do now...it isn’t right and you know it,” Remy said.
“And what makes you think my stint in Limbo was wrong?” Lucius asked him. “It was the best thing to ever happen to me.”
Remy burst out in laughter. “You’re kidding, right?” His eyes moved to Anastasia. “He’s kidding, right?”
Anastasia allowed her body to tense up and at any moment she felt that Lucius would strike Remy down in a single blow. She wanted to avoid any confrontation and hoped to sway Selene with words alone.
“We don’t have time for this.” Lucius looked to Selene and nodded. “Go. I’ll join you shortly.”
Anastasia didn’t want to Selene to leave. She would miss her opportunity to get her alone and if she made one move to follow her, Lucius would easily manhandle her.
Selene walked over to the bed and she picked up a long brown jacket with a white ruffled collar. She slid the jacket over her body and adjusted it. “You made a mistake coming here.”
“What makes you both think that once you release them, they’ll welcome us with open arms?”
“Because we are their children, Anastasia, and good children obey their parents,” Selene answered.
“Yes, but good parents don’t kill their children,” Remy said. “That’s what they did. They killed their children, betrayed the humans who made them. They will do that to you, to me, to Anastasia, and to Lucius. They will kill everyone, mortal and immortal alike.”
“Heretic,” Lucius growled.
“Maybe.” Remy shrugged. “But we all know how Deamhan act. We know what our kind are capable of.”
“Enough!” Lucius raised his voice. “Selene, go. I’ll handle this.”
Selene nodded back and before Anastasia had any chance to stop her, she rushed out of the room and her sanctuary in Deamhan speed.
“Well that was a bust,” Remy whispered to Anastasia. “What now? Do we follow her?”
Lucius turned to them. “You’re a strong Deamhan, Anastasia. You’re exactly the type we need to bring in the age of the Pure Ones. Don’t abandon that.”
“I don’t serve anyone, including them and including you.” Anastasia moved forward. “Not like this, Lucius. Not anymore.”
Lucius raised his right hand calmly. “Don’t fight me. You won’t win.”
“I’m not here to fight you. I’m here to reason with you.”
“Well, I’m here to fight you,” Remy added in a joking voice.
Lucius took a step forward. “If that’s the way you want it,” he balled his right hand into a fist, “so be it.”
Anastasia felt a force inside her chest beginning to weigh itself down on her. Her legs quivered and she lost her balance, falling to her knees. The pain shot up through her throat and to her brain. It rung her ears and played with her Deamhan senses. She’d never felt this pain before. With her vision blurred, she placed her hands on the sides of her head in a feeble attempt to control the pain. It suddenly stopped.
Taken aback by what he just saw, Remy stepped forward. “Wow, the Pure Ones really worked some mojo on you. Look at you!” He smiled at Lucius. “I mean, who would want to worship something like you?” As fast as he could, Remy launched himself at Lucius, managing to wrap his hands around his neck. Lucius reacted just as quickly, tossing him against the wall like a ragdoll. He then waved at Remy to advance again.
Anastasia stood up with her Ramanga teeth fully exposed. She couldn’t allow Lucius to harm or even possibly kill Remy. This wasn’t the reason she came to Selene’s sanctuary. “Think about what you’re doing Lucius!” She felt her body surging with uncontrollable strength.
“I have thought about it.” Without warning, he leaped at her, catching Anastasia and slamming her to the ground. “I’m doing what should have been done a long time ago.” He pinned her by her shoulders and his moonless eyes gaped at her. “I’m securing a future for our kind.”
“No.” She reached for Lucius’ hands, using her strength to move him aside but he didn’t budge.
Remy advanced, wrapping his arms around Lucius’ waist, holding on tight. Lucius reached around quickly, grabbing Remy by the strands of his hair, and swiftly throwing him aside.
He returned to Anastasia and gripped her by the neck. This time he raised her a few feet from the ground and tossed her through the large paned window. Small shards dug into her face and arms and she landed face first onto the wet soil outside.
“I get it. You’re all strength.” Remy jumped to his feet. “You want power. Who doesn’t want power?”
Before he could make another move, Lucius turned to face him. “I don’t want power.”
Anastasia jumped to her feet, wiping away the clumps of dirt from her eyelids. She lunged herself back inside through the broken window, landing firmly on her feet. “But you have it, now.”
“Yeah, yeah you want this ‘golden age’ thing to happen, I think we get it,” Remy said. “But at what price?”
“Whatever it takes,” Lucius said. “We’re weak without their guidance.”
“Weak maybe, but it doesn’t take away the fact that they’re in there for a reason and we’re out here for a reason,” Anastasia commented back. “Our strength is in numbers, Lucius. You told me that once.”
“I was wrong.” He moved quickly, catching Remy by the throat. He lifted him and tossed him at Anastasia. And just like that, he was gone.
She slowly raised herself to her feet. She felt a burning sensation in her left forearm, noticing a long shard of glass embedded in her skin. She yanked it out, examined it, and tossed it over her shoulder.
“Tell me why I agreed to this stupid plan of yours in the first place?” Remy lifted himself from the floor and brushed himself off.
“At least we’re still alive.”
“Yeah, I wonder why.” He rubbed his neck.
Anastasia couldn’t ignore it any longer. Lucius wasn’t the same Deamhan she’d known before and this wasn’t the first time that she fought someone as old as him, finding herself being tossed around like a limp doll. She sauntered to the front door of the house and stopped. Her eyes were quicker than her nose this time as she picked up on the sight of two Deamhan standing in the street, facing her. She then realized that her nostrils were plugged with soil and she blew the chunks free.
The two Deamhan stood in the cover of darkness, away from the street lights. The moon’s white glow did little to reveal their identity but it was the scent that spoke words to Anastasia. One of them was a Metusba and the other one, a female, was a Ramanga like herself.
Remy noticed the figures as well. “You’re pretty popular, Ana,” he said in exhaustion.
“Doesn’t matter.” She waved them away. They weren’t the priority. She needed to get to Ollie’s warehouse and fast.
“Phone’s buzzing.” He reached into his pocket pulling out his phone. He placed it up to his ear.
Anastasia heard Hallie’s panicked voice on the other line.
“What?” Remy replied to Hallie over the phone. “Slow down. What did you say?”
Anastasia heard Hallie’s reply as clear as day. Humans had broken into Blind Bluff Manor and she had barricaded herself with Veronica in Veronica’s room.
“We’ll be right there.” He hung up the phone and stared at Anastasia. “Okay, now I’m really annoyed. I’ll bet you it’s The Brotherhood.”
“You go back.” She moved toward the two Deamhan standing on the street.
“Anastasia, The Brotherhood is at our sanctuary.” He stopped her by placing himself in front of her. “Remember the last time a human came uninvited to our sanctuary?”
She couldn’t think of a time.
“Exactly,” Remy said. “These two random Deamhan can wait.”
She knew that he spoke the truth. The Brotherhood began their retaliation for what Selene did at their headqu
arters, starting with her. They had to get back to Blind Bluff Manor. She stood down and pointed to the two Deamhan. “They’re going to follow us.”
“So we’ll kill them along the way.” His eyes lit up. “No big deal.”
They approached the Deamhan male and female, stopping just a few feet away. Anastasia’s eyes meandered over them. They were young, no older than ten years max. When she attempted to scour their minds, a barrier blocked her. The female Ramanga rushed at her in Deamhan speed but she quickly moved out of the way, grabbing the back of her shirt and tossing her several feet in the air and onto the roof of a parked car. The Metusba catapulted himself at Remy but he jumped several feet into the air, avoiding his attack.
Anastasia rushed at the Metusba and she sank her teeth into the base of his neck, ripping at his flesh. He screamed, pushed her away, and fell to the pavement on his knees.
From the roof of the car, the Ramanga flew at Remy with fists raised and her mouth opened, revealing her fangs.
“I’ve never hit a pretty woman before.” Remy smiled.
She swung and he ducked, feeling the brisk wind travel over his head. Her punches continued nonstop but with each punch Remy evaded, the faster the punches came. He finally found an opening and his fist connected with her stomach. The Ramanga’s feet wavered but she immediately found her footing and she swerved to the left, avoiding Remy’s rising left punch. She raised her knee, striking Remy’s in the chin and he fell back on the pavement. She quickly maneuvered herself on top of him, striking him over and over again with her fists. Remy’s head jerked from right to left, feeling his cheeks burn with each hit until Anastasia wrapped her arm around his attacker’s neck and threw her off of him.
Deamhan Chronicles, Books 1-5: Deamhan, Kei. Family Matters, Dark Curse, Maris. The Brotherhood Files, Ayden. Deamhan Minion Page 47