“What makes a great meal?”
She thought for a moment before replying. “I prefer babies. For you, I think you might come to find that virgins suit your taste.” She dropped her handkerchief. “I don't know what it is about babies that makes them so appealing.” She thought. “Their psychic energy is pure and fresh. Untainted, perhaps.”
“I don't want to kill babies.”
She placed her arm around my own and she led me away. “That's just my preference. Soon, you'll find what soothes you the most.”
I trusted my sire to show me where I could find the good meals. We continued to walk until we reached an area swarming with humans and taverns. She loved taverns and told me that she spent the majority of her nights seducing and feeding from humans in them. She moved easily from one drunk human to another without being seen. This could only happen if I trained my Deamhan body to get used to blood tainted with alcohol.
“In the past I didn't have to worry about vampires or The Brotherhood,” she said. “But now they've grown bolder and smarter. We have to protect ourselves and each other, Maris, in whatever way we can.”
I stopped walking. “What did the vampires want with me?”
“To eat you, of course.” She placed her arm around my shoulder.
“No, not that.” I wanted to know more. “The Ancient who declared this Decretum on me. Why was it done? Who is this Deamhan?”
“You'll find out soon. But now you need to eat.” Again she avoided the question. “There has to be a type of human you like. We'll find that one for you.”
We took a sharp right and turned down a dimly lit alleyway. The cobblestones felt hard underneath my feet and the archway was low over my head. Anastasia stopped suddenly and she looked over her shoulder. I didn't catch it at first but I could tell by the way her eyes narrowed and her body tensed that someone had followed us.
She pointed for me to stand against the stone wall and remain still and quiet. I didn't want to disobey her, so I quickly followed her command.
The wind increased and I felt a blow on my cheek that stunned me almost into unconscious. I fell to the floor. As a human, I knew I couldn't take a blow like that and come out unscathed. Thanks to the Ramanga blood in my veins, I found myself standing to my feet just in time to witness Anastasia place herself between me and a male wearing a standard red vest and white Victorian shirt underneath a brown frock coat. He didn't resemble anyone who lived in the area. He didn't smell like a human or a Deamhan.
They rushed toward one another and their movements blurred in the dim light, like two butterflies swarming around each other. This male, who stood a little taller than Anastasia, made use of the wall by running on it and launching his body at her. She ducked as he flew right by her. Anastasia stood up and struck him with her foot in his lower back. He tumbled forward and turned around. He pulled out a long wooden stake from the pocket of his frock coat, gripped it tightly, and turned to me. That's when I instantly knew that he had come for me.
Part of me wanted to join in the altercation but I didn't dare go against her order. I also didn't know if I was strong enough to fight him. Again Anastasia placed herself in his way and he jumped with the stake in his right hand. He took a stab at her but she quickly moved to the right. He stabbed again and she moved this time to the left. In his final attempt he aimed for her midsection and she caught him by his wrist. She took her other hand and pushed at his shoulder. I heard a loud crack and he dropped his stake, gripped his shoulder, and staggered back.
Anastasia kicked the stake off to the side and it glided across the stone floor, stopping in front of me. I knelt down to pick it up when my senses heightened and I looked to my right. He came toward me and I tensed up, not knowing what to do. But she pushed him and he flew back, hitting the wall. Anastasia snatched the stake from me and in a blink of an eye she now stood over him. I saw her raise the stake and she struck.
His body lurched forward and he tried to yank the stake from his body. The skin on his right cheek turned dark and it began to spread, moving over his face and down his neck. He opened his mouth and I saw fangs, longer than my own. His eyeballs sunk into the back of his skull and his body melted right before our eyes. The atrocious smell made me cover my nose. Anastasia stood up and straightened her clothing.
I approached her cautiously, still staring at our attacker's remains. “He is a Deamhan, like us?”
“No. When Deamhan die we don't die like that.” She used her right foot and began to poke at the remains. “This one was a vampire.”
“A vampire.” My mouth drooped.
“From the Dorvo Coven,” she replied. “He probably works for Ruby, a very old and powerful vampire.”
“Ruby?” I asked, curious to know.
“She and I have bad history.” Anastasia grabbed the wooden stake and examined it. “She means to hunt and kill all Deamhan.” She placed the stake in her cleavage and pushed it down, concealing it. “But this time she wasn't after me. She was after you.” She reached out her hand for me to take. “You're not safe here, Maris. We need to go elsewhere.”
“Go where?” I took her hand.
“To a place where you will be protected and surrounded by Deamhan from all clans,” she replied. “A sanctuary.”
My body signaled the oncoming sunrise by sending a prickly feeling throughout my insides. We returned back home to find that Finley, Branda, and Brandy had already returned and had covered the windows with long wool covers to keep the sunlight out during the day.
Almost immediately, Anastasia began to pack her clothing and she told us to do the same. I still didn't understand the urgency and I stood helplessly as my siblings began to throw their belongings in large leather bags and later stack them against the wall.
“It's her, isn't it?” Branda protested as she pointed at me.
Anastasia didn't reply.
“You have to protect your precious Maris.” Again Branda continued her spiel. “They want her, Anastasia. Just give her to them and be done with it.”
“And go against the Decretum?” Anastasia stopped in mid movement. “Stop talking, Branda, and pack your things.”
Seemingly exhausted, Finley tossed his packed bag against the wall and stared at Anastasia. “Where are we going?”
“To Silvanus' sanctuary.”
“Silvanus?” Finley repeated in a tortured voice. “He doesn't like us.”
“We don't have a choice,” she answered.
“We do have a choice!” Branda exclaimed. “I'm not dying to protect her. I don't care what the Decretum says.”
“Silvanus is the one who declared the Decretum. Do you want to be on his bad side, Branda?”
Finally I had the name of the Ancient responsible for my wellbeing, if I wanted to call it that. I saw the look of annoyance on her face, a look of worry on Brandy's face, and the look of anger on Finley's face. The name ‘Ruby’ repeated in my thoughts over and over again and soon Finley picked up on it.
“I'm not afraid of Ruby and I'm not afraid of those Dorvo vampires,” he said. “Let me kill them all for you.”
“This is not about being afraid of Ruby,” she replied. “This is about obeying an order from the mouth of a Deamhan who wouldn't think twice about ending our existence. Silvanus wants Maris and Maris he will get.”
“Regardless of what we do, Silvanus will still treat us like dirt on the bottom of his shoe.”
Anastasia exhaled. “Now isn't the time to argue or complain, Finley. Pack your bags.”
“When will be the time?” he asked. “When will we ever stop running and face our enemies? We are just as strong as they are.” He looked at me. “Why is Silvanus so fixated on her?”
Anastasia bit her lower lip.
“You keep telling us that she's special,” Branda continued. “But you never told us why.”
I also wanted to know the answer to that question.
“That's not your concern.” Anastasia's reply angered Branda who dropped her ba
gs and quickly rushed over in my direction, slamming me against the wall. Her fangs dropped and with her eyes darkened, she growled at me.
Anastasia moved against her attack, throwing her off me. Branda landed on the floor and she quickly hopped to her feet.
“You like her more than us?” she asked in a deep grouched voice.
“Did you not hear what I said about Silvanus?” Anastasia replied in a chilled voice.
“I heard,” Branda replied. “I just don't care.”
I gathered my strength and watched, thinking that Anastasia was going to kill her. But she placed her hands on Branda's face instead.
“We will do this because we have to.” She looked over her shoulder at the others. “Do not make this harder than it is.” She walked back over to her bags and returned to pack them.
Branda huffed. “Silvanus will throw us out the moment he sees us.”
“That may happen.” Anastasia continued to pack her bags. “Or he will give us respect for making sure that Maris remained unharmed.”
Finley sighed. “How long will we stay there?”
Brandy's eyes expanded. “Maybe he will finally agree to send us to America like we wanted.”
“He'll never do that.” Branda jostled her sister. “Stop filling your head with that nonsense.”
“How would you know?” Brandy replied.
“How would you know?” Branda threw the question back in her sister's face. “You've always been quite the daydreamer, sister. You believe anything that comes out of an Ancient's mouth. You forget that we can only trust ourselves.”
Anastasia slammed her hand on the wall, squashing their argument. “Pack. Now,” she said in a stern voice.
As we packed, we continued to listen while Brandy talked about this new land located across the vast Atlantic Ocean. She said that this place, America, has industrialized cities, unique animals, countless lakes, and unclaimed lands where we could hunt and kill without fear of The Brotherhood and these Dorvo vampires. In the end, even Anastasia became enchanted by Brandy's vivid descriptions and I too wanted to go there. As a whore, I saved the money I received to get as far away as I could from the city. America sounded distant enough. However, I sensed that this new country wasn't in my future and that I was destined to remain at this sanctuary under the watchful eye of Silvanus.
CHAPTER THREE
Silvanus
I awoke to the sound of horses’ hooves stomping along dirt. My sire and my siblings were already up, moving about, when I raised my head. Anastasia told me to hurry and within seconds, still sleepy and hungry, we loaded the carriage with our luggage and headed away from the city toward what Anastasia called our temporary home.
Along the way she comforted me, saying that I didn't have to worry. We would be around other Deamhan. I would be safe and protected there until time permitted. I had her word. Throughout the ride, I continued to question why Silvanus felt adamant to protect me. My existence was important to him and when I questioned Anastasia about it again, she told me that he would answer all my questions. In the meantime I had to tread carefully when it came to him. As an Ancient and the oldest Deamhan living in London, he warranted respect. He could easily decide my fate and the fate of my siblings with a mere flick of his wrist. He could deny us safety under his roof and throw us out to the streets to fend for ourselves. I became the deciding factor on how the meeting would play out. I carried the end result in my own hands.
We came upon a huge two-story brick home with land that extended into the horizon. A long, black metallic gate cornered wooden stables that connected to the rear of the majestic home. I'd never seen anything as huge and grand in my life. I heard about these types of home and I seriously thought I'd never get the chance to step inside of one.
A tall human male approached the gate, unlocked it, and opened it slowly. He stood aside, staring straight ahead as if he waited for us to walk in. I grabbed my luggage and proceeded through the gate. As we quietly walked toward the home, I questioned Anastasia about Silvanus’ age.
“He is the oldest Deamhan I currently know and the strongest.”
Her response made me stupefied. “Currently?”
Silvanus stood at the front door holding a silver colored cane which, unlike the human, grabbed my interest immediately. Dressed in a bright white shirt and a golden taupe gentlemen's vest with silk buttons underneath his medium length stock coat, he took off his tall black hat and bent slightly forward to greet us. As he held out his hand to Anastasia, I noticed a silver pocket watch dangling from his vest.
“Anastasia. I can't say it's good to see you...again.” His deep brown eyes moved to Finley, Branda, and Brandy. However, when he turned to me, he didn't smile. “She isn't human?”
“I had no choice.” Instead of grasping his hand, she placed her arm around my shoulder like a parent proud of their teenage child. “This is Maris.” Knowing that she showed me off, I held my head high.
Silvanus smirked. “There's always a choice.” He placed his hand underneath my chin and moved my face to the right to look at my scar on my left cheek. “And who's responsible for scarring our little jewel?”
Anastasia nodded. “Dorvo vampires.”
“Those beasts.” He grabbed my hand and pulled it up to his lips. “It's nice to finally meet you, my dear Maris.” He kissed the top of my hand. “I'm Silvanus but I assume you know that already.”
I returned his kind gesture with a smile, wondering if he truly found me to be that bewitching.
“Such a pretty name for such a pretty woman,” he said as he gently dropped my hand and stood aside. “Welcome to my sanctuary.” He opened the door.
We walked in to the huge foyer with a tall ceiling. Moonlight hit the shiny marble floor, blinding me for a second. Paintings adorned the walls. I saw a female human maid, dusting a bronze bust statue in the hallway and another walking up the stairs cradling a stack of sheets in her arms. We stood silent in the foyer as he closed the door and walked forward.
“Anastasia, your offspring will stay in this foyer until my minions show them to their rooms.” He motioned for her to follow him. “However, you will come with me. We have catching up to do.” She followed him down a long narrow hall and disappeared around the corner, leaving us alone.
His butler approached us. “Please follow me.” He ascended the stairs and my siblings followed, but I didn't want to go. The thought of sleeping under the roof of this magnificent house excited me but not as much as the thought of talking to Silvanus and getting the answers to my questions.
I waited until they were out of sight before I followed the scents of my sire and Silvanus down the hallway. I walked by the female maid who moved aside and continued her work. I approached two large opened doors leading to a room with white marbled walls. I saw Anastasia standing in the center. Her body blocked my view from Silvanus.
Anastasia looked over her shoulder at me and she spoke in my mind. Head back.
I heard Silvanus speak. “She came all this way. Might as well let her in.”
I cautiously entered the room. Silvanus stood up from a large throne covered in colored gems and stones. He towered over us, looking like a glimmering African statue. I thought of him as an immortal king and I lowered myself onto my knees to show him respect.
He laughed at the gesture. “I'm not something to worship. Stand up.”
I immediately stood on my feet.
“It's you who I should be kneeling to, if I knelt to any Deamhan.” He then looked to Anastasia. “I suspected that the descendant would be an aristocrat and not the daughter of a whore.”
“Do you doubt that she's the one?” Anastasia asked.
“No.” He sat back in his seat and I moved back, cowering behind my sire. “I didn't mean to humiliate you, Maris.” Upon seeing my reaction, he smiled at me. “You're just, unusual is all.”
I held my head high, pretending to not be bothered by his comment.
“If I come off as brash and insincere, pl
ease don't think of me that way. I'm just upset with your sire,” he said. “It seems that she can't follow a simple Decretum.”
“I did what you asked of us all,” Anastasia replied. “I protected her. I brought her here safely to you.”
“Yes, but as a Deamhan and not as a human.”
Taken aback, I looked at my sire who didn't have the guts to look back at me. Instead her eyes remained forward and her face expressionless.
“Maybe it's better that she's this way in the long run,” Silvanus continued. “As a human, she wouldn't be able to protect herself from those pesky Dorvo vampires.” Silvanus repeated the name with a hint of distaste in his voice. “They will still come for her, especially Ruby, and she won't stop until she has her but now, since Maris is one of us, that will make Ruby's task quite difficult.”
“She wouldn’t be stupid enough to come here,” Anastasia said.
“Oh but she will.” Silvanus’ reply left my sire tongue-tied. “When have you ever known her to give up so easily?” He repositioned himself in his chair. “And now Maris is bonded to you, which gives you leverage over Ruby and over me. What devious game are you playing, Anastasia?”
“Would you have been content if I left her to die, then?” she asked.
“Of course not, but I know you. I know how you work. I know what you will do before you do it. You waited until she was almost dead to come in and save her pending death. That would make siring her your only reasonable choice.”
I listened intently to his strong accusations, all the while refusing to believe what he said. Anastasia saved me and I thanked her for it. She protected me from the vampire who came for me the first night after my transformation, and I would always thank her for it, regardless of what Silvanus thought of her.
“I'm no longer the woman you remember from your past,” Anastasia said to him. “I've changed.”
“Changed?” He spoke with clenched teeth. “Why are you lying to me in my own home?” He pointed at her. “May I remind you that you are only alive because I promised your sire, who is my sibling, that I would spare your life? I promised her that I would give you plenty of opportunities to right your wrongs against our kind.”
Deamhan Chronicles, Books 1-5: Deamhan, Kei. Family Matters, Dark Curse, Maris. The Brotherhood Files, Ayden. Deamhan Minion Page 56