“Why?”
“Because it can kill you.”
Remy placed it back on the table. “I don’t believe in that magic mumbo jumbo anyway.”
“She’s right.” Anastasia also moved away from the table. She remembered seeing the amulet before dangling around Maris’ neck the night she sired her. At that time she also felt uncomfortable near it and she didn’t know why.
“So how does it work?” He squatted to take a closer look at the amulet.
Anastasia ignored his childish antics. She knew he didn’t believe in anything magical. It was part of his Catholic upbringing he carried over from his human life. Instead, she looked at Nathan who sat quietly in his seat. She pried on his thoughts, finding them blocked.
“The question we should ask ourselves is how will it help us?” Nathan arranged the pieces of stone. The writing on the tablet was in cuneiform writing and according to what he knew, Kyra was the only one who could decipher it. Still, he asked Maris and when confronted with the idea, she denied it.
“I don’t have any idea on how to read it,” she said. She glared at the puzzled pieces. “It should’ve been destroyed years ago.”
“So where can we find this ‘Kyra’?” Remy questioned.
“She contacts me,” Ayden replied. “But she won’t. Not as long as Lucius and Selene are chasing her.”
“Well I guess you need to brush off the cobwebs and tell us what’s on this stone,” Remy said in a snobbish tone to Maris.
“I told you. I don’t know.”
They continued to argue as Hallie entered the room.
“I may have found something.” She hurried over to them and she placed a blank journal on the table. “When you were all out at the graveyard searching, I was looking through all these Journals of Blank Pages. There’s one that talks about the Curse and I think the amulet.” She flipped through the blank pages. “There’s something about recharging the amulet but I don’t know what that means.”
“Recharging?” Nathan questioned.
“The amulet is supposed to protect the person wearing it from any Deamhan,” Hallie said. “Here it says that you need ‘Juniper Herbs’ to recharge. Oh, and it also won’t work if no one is wearing it.”
“Are you sure?” Ayden asked.
“If you don’t believe me, find some moonlight and read it for yourself.”
“No, no. I believe you. Besides Nathan, you’re the only other person in this room I trust.” He smiled at her. “You and I are both Metusba Deamhan, Hallie. We tell the truth more than our counterparts. It’s in our blood.”
Nathan snapped out of his silence. “There are a few New Age stores located on the east side of the city, near the Mississippi River. They might sell Juniper Herbs.”
Ayden paused before he picked up the amulet from the table. “We need to go.” He placed the amulet in his pocket and looked around the room.
“I’ll go with you.”
Hallie’s unusual jump at the chance to go startled Anastasia, but before she could say anything, Remy nudged her with his elbow, signaling for her to be quiet.
“I’ll go too,” Maris replied.
Nathan nodded. Anastasia watched as they left. After hearing the front door close, Remy clapped his hands together and waited for a few moments before opening his mouth.
“Hallie did good! Remind me to buy her as many cigarettes as she wants.”
Baffled, Anastasia said to him. “What did she do?”
Remy raised his hand. “Before you and Nathan get on me about this, let me explain.”
She stepped up to him. “Did you force her?”
“You know I can’t force that girl to do anything she doesn’t want to do,” he replied. “Look. You don’t trust Ayden and Maris and neither do I.”
“Remy, what are you doing?” Nathan’s lips quivered.
“The three of us need to have a little chat about those two.” He folded his arms across his chest. “We also need to discuss what to do if we manage to stop Lucius and Selene.”
Anastasia sensed that Nathan felt confused and troubled about Remy’s suggestion. She glared back at the pieces on the table again, wanting to know what he had in mind.
“They’re going to try and kill Anastasia and I’m sure they won’t stop there,” Remy said. “Nathan, I know you trust Kyra and her judgment but something doesn’t fit.” He walked over to the table and picked up a broken piece of stone. “Like why they didn’t destroy this in the first place? Why Ayden didn’t tell Kyra that he brought Maris here?”
“It’s crossed my mind,” Nathan replied.
“Maris should not be alive.” Remy’s brown eyes danced in the dim light of the study. “The longer she lives, the more danger she puts our species in.” He looked to Anastasia. “Lucius will get Kyra. It’s just a matter of time. Am I wrong?”
Anastasia scrunched her lips at the idea.
“That isn’t our choice to make.” Nathan exhaled and he wiped the sweat from his brow.
“It’s not your choice, Nathan. It’s ours,” he replied. “We’re Deamhan. We’re the ones who will suffer the most if Lucius frees the Pure Ones.”
“All of us will suffer, Remy,” Nathan objected. “Killing Maris won’t end this.”
“Not only Maris. Kyra too.”
Nathan shook his head. “I’m not listening to any more of this.” He headed for the door. “No one is killing anyone. That is not what we’re here to do.”
“I’m not risking my life for them,” he replied.
“Then don’t. No one is asking you to.” Nathan left the study.
“Sometimes he can be so stubborn,” Remy mumbled. “You know I’m right, Ana. You know that both Kyra and Maris have to die.”
“I’m not doubting it, but we need them against Selene and Lucius.”
“So, we kill her tomorrow then, along with Ayden?” Remy leaned on the table and smiled. “And we find Kyra and kill her to?”
“Kyra won’t be easy to kill. She’s the oldest Deamhan alive.”
“But she’s no Pure One. She has the same weaknesses as we do.”
She didn’t hesitate. “Yes. You know, Nathan will never forgive us if we do this.”
A wide grin appeared on Remy’s face. “I don’t care about his forgiveness. Besides, he’ll get over it.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Anastasia felt ecstatic and ready to take on anyone and anything.
Human blood did that to her. Every time, after a fresh kill, her body felt as if transformed into a bigger, better killing machine and with no force or no one standing in her way, it made her Deamhan-self feel indestructible.
Shortly after sunset she left Blind Bluff Manor, ready to gorge on as much fresh blood as possible. She had to be healthy for the plan to work or in case it backfired. By the time she finished with her human meal, she made her way to a nearby rooftop of a building across the street from Ollie’s warehouse, scaring the human mercenary who also waited alongside Remy, Maris, Ayden, and Kenneth.
Anastasia eyed the human, still wary of The Brotherhood’s involvement. The mercenary, dressed in all black military garb, holding a walkie-talkie, moved off to the side with his eyes focused on the building. She placed her foot on the ledge and rested her hands on her knee, taking in the scent of the nearby Mississippi River mixed with wet pavement and rotting trash. In the distance, she heard the engines of cars driving over a bridge above the river.
Remy leaned close to her with his mouth close to her ear. “You’ve fed.”
She licked her lips. “Have you?”
He chuckled slightly.
She looked forward. If their plan in killing Maris and Ayden faltered in anyway, she knew Remy wouldn’t hesitate to go to Plan B which meant leaving Minneapolis all together, with or without Nathan. She was determined that the plan wouldn’t fail, even if it meant her death.
A static voice came over the mercenary’s radio and he replied back with a “ten-four.” He placed the radio in his pocket. “Everyone
’s in place, Mr. Dearhorn.”
Wearing a dark suit and tie with a trench coat, Kenneth straightened his clothing and he stood up straight. “Nathan said that you have the piece?” he said to Anastasia.
She eyed him carefully. “Do you think he’s dumb enough to trust you with it?” She patted her coat pocket. “I have a fake.” She held out her hand to Ayden. “Give the amulet to me.”
Ayden refused.
“Are you going to give it to her or should we make you give it to her?” Sensing the commotion, Remy joined in. Ayden pulled out the green amulet and placed it in Anastasia’s palm.
“What’s that?” Kenneth asked.
“An amulet that protects the wearer from Deamhan,” Ayden answered.
Kenneth shook his head in disgust. “There’s nothing in the world that can do that.”
Anastasia wrapped her left arm around Kenneth’s waist and she stood on the ledge of the building. She heard his heart race for a moment before she stepped off and safely landed with him on the pavement below. She scanned the area for a brief moment and lifted her head. From where they stood, she could still smell Mr. Austin’s scent along with Kei’s and the other Deamhan being held. However, she didn’t pick up the scents of either Lucius or Selene. She walked toward the front door, opened it, and walked inside with Kenneth following her. The sanctuary was vastly silent and emptied of any humans, not like the first time Anastasia walked in. The assembly lines, once filled with human workers, now sat motionless.
She headed for the elevator just as Kenneth grasped her arm. “If you do anything to double cross me or The Brotherhood, there will be consequences,” he whispered.
“Your threats don’t scare me.” She wrestled her arm away from his grasp and she placed her finger over her mouth. “Now shut up.” With her Deamhan ears zeroing in, they stepped into the elevator. The metal doors closed and it began its descent below.
Kenneth gripped his long trench coat and he cleared his throat.
“They can smell your nervousness from a mile away,” she whispered to him.
“I’m not nervous.”
The elevator stopped and the doors slowly opened. Still vast with a towering ceiling, the basement of the warehouse now smelled of a mixture of Deamhan. Anastasia stepped out of the elevator and she waited, her eyes scanning the grated walkway and the four cages on her right and the four cages to her left.
“They know we’re here,” she whispered to him. The last time she’d stepped foot in the basement, Lucius showed her the cages containing Deamhan. Now they were all empty except for one. She walked up to one cage, seeing a female sitting with her back toward them. The woman looked over her shoulder and immediately Anastasia sensed her age.
She placed her hand on the glass. “So you’re Kyra,” she whispered.
“Kyra? The oldest Deamhan on the planet?” Kenneth questioned.
“Yes, that is Kyra.” They heard Lucius’ voice. Dressed in a long tan shirt with black jeans, Lucius stood firm with dark penetrating eyes. Along with his scent, Anastasia also smelled the blood of the Pure Ones running through his veins at alarming speed. Selene stood next to him wearing a long black dress with her carrot colored hair pulled back in a ponytail.
“That’s a nice setup you have going on back there.” Kenneth pointed to the cages. “I didn’t think this was all that serious, Selene.”
Ignoring his statement, Selene growled at Anastasia. “Why did you bring her here?” She rushed at Anastasia and in one movement, Selene pinned her to the floor. Her black eyes widened and she snarled.
“I’m not here to fight.” She felt Selene’s hardened grip on her chest.
“Then what did you come here for?”
Kenneth spoke up. “She helped me find the piece of The Dark Curse you’ve been looking for.”
Anastasia jumped to her feet, pulled out the fake piece from her pocket, and handed it to Kenneth.
“I hope our deal still stands.” Holding the piece, Kenneth extended his hand to Selene.
Lucius eyed it and said in exhilaration, “That’s it. Now it’s complete.”
Selene relaxed but her eyes still remained on Anastasia. At that moment, Anastasia felt her head beginning to throb and a sharp sensation over-take her thoughts. It brought her to her knees and her eyesight began to fail. The pain traveled down her spine to her feet and suddenly she felt paralyzed.
Kenneth stepped back. “We have a deal, Selene.”
“Yes.” Selene snatched the piece from him and she examined it carefully. “Anastasia, on the other hand, isn’t part of it.”
“Fine by me,” Anastasia grunted, “but I wouldn’t be so quick to kill me now.” Just then Anastasia felt the pain subside and her eyesight return to normal. Her legs wobbled as she struggled to stand back on her feet. Pulling a rule from Remy’s handbook, she replied with a snicker. “I have something else that might help you and if you want it, you have to play nice.”
“What do you have that we would want?”
She reached in her pocket. “This.” She pulled out the amulet and held it out in front of her. “If you want it, take it.” She watched as Selene’s eyes twitched at the sight of the amulet in front of her. Lucius also slowly crept forward. Anastasia expected one of them to grab it and for the amulet to take effect and do what it was created to do. It was the first step in Remy’s plan and so far, it was working perfectly. But what she didn’t know was that Kenneth would bluntly betray her.
“Touch it and it’ll kill you!” he yelled out to them.
She quickly pushed Kenneth to the ground. In Deamhan speed Lucius rushed her and his movement proved too fast for her, making her jump slightly at his now up and close presence. “Is that your goal, Anastasia?” Lucius whispered to her. “To kill us?”
“She told me that it protects whoever wears it from Deamhan.” Kenneth swallowed hard and raised himself up to his feet.
“Why are you doing this?” Lucius grabbed Anastasia’s wrist and squeezed. “I don’t want to kill you, but you’re giving me no other choice.” The pressure made Anastasia wobble and she tried to stay on her feet.
Suddenly they heard the sound of the front door to the warehouse blast open and the frantic footsteps of mercenaries heading toward the elevator. Above, the small basement windows shattered and she witnessed multiple movements in the dark. The human mercenaries, all dressed in black, began to crawl through the shattered windows, gripping automatic machine rifles and wooden stakes.
Seeing the humans carrying guns was almost enough to make Anastasia snicker while still in pain. Bullets hurt their kind but it wasn’t enough to fear them. The sounds also echoed from the mercenary’s radio and he screamed back into it. “Team 456, move in!”
A blast rang out and Anastasia watched as bullets slammed into Selene and Lucius. Before she could react, she felt a sharp pain in her right shoulder followed by another pain in her back. She fell to the ground next to Lucius who dropped his tablet piece-the real piece-to the floor.
More shots rang out and Kenneth picked up it up and stuffed it into his pocket. “Did you really think I’d make a deal with Deamhan?” He turned and yelled out to the mercenaries flooding the room. Anastasia attempted to get up but Kenneth’s foot connected with her midsection, knocking her back to the floor. “You’re all evil demons who need to be dealt with.”
Anastasia heard more shots whizzing by her head and body. She managed to look up, seeing Kenneth running for the elevator, passing several mercenaries headed in her direction.
Lucius stood to his feet and he slammed his hand into the chest of the one mercenary, killing him in his tracks. She felt more slugs rip through her flesh and she watched Selene, still lying on the floor, being riddled with bullets. She gathered her strength again and raised herself up from the floor just in time to place her hand around a mercenary’s neck, snapping it.
Anastasia reached Selene and knelt beside her. “This is what your behavior, your blind judgment has done.” She felt anoth
er bullet enter her lower back and she hissed. “You’ve started a war.” Gripping the amulet in her hand she raised it, preparing to place it over Selene’s heart.
“A war is exactly what we need!” A trickle of blood poured from Selene’s mouth. “Get away from me.” With her right foot she kicked Anastasia hard in her abdomen and Anastasia found herself airborne, landing several feet away on her back.
She immediately stood up, watching helplessly as Selene, now on her feet, joined Lucius in his slaughter.
Just then Anastasia heard Remy speak behind her. “And they say never trust a Deamhan.”
She turned around and watched him wipe the dust and dirt from his white, crisp T-shirt. “Where are the others?”
“Killing mercenaries outside. They’ll be in shortly.”
“We were stupid to let Ayden open his mouth to Kenneth about the amulet.”
“What happened?”
“He told them before I could act. When the mercenaries came in, he ran off with the piece Lucius had.”
“Well, that’s a shame.” Remy grinded his teeth.
“Veronica’s father is in the back. We have to get him out of here.” She pointed to a room near the far back. “Kei is there also.” Over the noise of shooting and screaming, they heard the elevator door open. Anastasia watched as Maris and Ayden walked out slowly. Upon seeing Kyra, Ayden ran up to the cage.
“Go!” Anastasia pushed Remy away. “I’ll handle them myself for now.”
A bullet grazed Maris’ right arm. She stared at her wound before her fangs dropped from her gums and she rushed in Deamhan speed toward three mercenaries who continued to fire at her. She sank her fangs into the face of one of them while she reached to her right and left, slamming the remaining two mercenaries into each other.
“I have a better idea.” Remy grabbed the amulet from Anastasia and he rushed off toward the backroom. She took off after him, jumping over the bodies of dead and dying humans as she angrily called out his name. He was going for Kei, to kill him, and that wasn’t part of the plan.
He broke through the office door and he paused in the entryway at Veronica’s father who remained chained against the wall. Anastasia pushed him inside and began to free Mr. Austin.
Deamhan Chronicles, Books 1-5: Deamhan, Kei. Family Matters, Dark Curse, Maris. The Brotherhood Files, Ayden. Deamhan Minion Page 52