I immediately sensed fear in my sire.
“And I thank you for that. However, regardless of what I do from here and now, you will never trust me,” Anastasia replied. “You will always think wrong of me.”
Before I opened my mouth to speak, in one blurred movement, Silvanus rose from his chair and stood in front of Anastasia. He placed his hand around her throat and lifted her just inches from the floor. Immediately my protective instincts kicked in and like clockwork, he glared at me and mouthed the word, “no.”
I stood still, watching him choke her. I heard the bones in her neck crack and instead of fighting back, Anastasia took the punishment. Her eyes fluttered and she held onto his forearm.
“You've been a Ramanga for what—almost two hundred years now, maybe three hundred?” He continued. “And you still roam the countryside like a mad, wild, Deamhan orphan. You sire unwanted children and keep them around like servants, all willing to do your bidding because of their bond to you. You've used Deamhan for your own protection and now you tend to do the same with Maris. But I tell you now that will not happen again.”
Unable to help her, I did the next best thing that came to mind. I dropped to my knees, crawled over to Silvanus, and I begged for him to spare her. I didn't care if my act was low and embarrassing. All I cared about was Anastasia and her wellbeing. He ignored my helpless attempt, but I pleaded to him again.
“She is all we have,” I said to him. “She is all we know.”
“That is your bond talking nonsense,” he replied to me.
“Bond or not, she is my sire,” I said in a harsh tone. “If you kill her, I will gladly die along with her.”
He quickly eyed me.
“I will fight you until either you kill me or I kill you,” I spurted back at him.
Silvanus quickly let her go and Anastasia fell onto her back. His light brown eyes, now dark, beamed into my soul. “Are you threatening me, dear Maris?”
I swallowed hard. “Yes.”
“You're still young.” He stepped back and straightened his jacket. “You clearly don't know anything about your sire.”
I stepped back and watched him rub his hands together. “You were going to kill her,” I said.
He nodded. “That I was.” He walked back to his seat.
“And you expect me to stand back and watch?”
“No.” He sat in his seat. “I would expect you to do what you could to save her.”
I reached out to grab Anastasia by her wrist to help her to her feet but she pulled away from my weak gesture.
“You're strong minded. It's a rare trait in the Deamhan world,” Silvanus said to me. “I can see that your mind is worried about your family. But I'm telling you now, you don't have to worry. I will not throw them out onto the streets. They will stay here until necessary preparations are made.”
“Thank you.” Anastasia stood to her feet and rubbed her throat.
“Don't thank me. Thank Maris. Her close-knit bond with you saved your life. What you do starting here and now will determine if your family is worthy to stay in my protective sanctuary. Now leave us. I need to have some time alone with the newest addition to your family.”
I watched Anastasia turn around and walk out, closing the doors behind her. Left alone in a monumental room with him, I started to become wary of his intentions and I thought that he would punish me for the threat I made earlier.
“I will make the necessary preparations. It could take weeks, maybe months, to secure your passage to America.” He scrunched his nose. “I never understood why America, of all places. It's such a dirty country. Why not Greece or Italy or any other place full of like-minded, sophisticated individuals?”
“America?”
“Although there is a high chance that Ruby and her Dorvo vampires will follow you there,” Silvanus said. “But you will be safer there with her than here, trust me.”
“Her?”
“Yes. She is a very old Deamhan, much older than myself. She is the one who ordered me to declare the Decretum.”
I didn't care about that old Deamhan. I shook my head. “What about my family?” I asked. “I don't want to leave them.”
“You have to and you will.” He lifted his body to sit up straight. “Maris, this is much more than your asinine bond with your maker. This is about the future of our kind.” He read my thoughts and now, educated in my feelings toward my family, he leaned toward me. “You are unfortunate to have Anastasia as your sire.”
“I don't want to leave my family because some old female Deamhan commands me to.”
He raised his hand to interrupt me. “She isn't just some old Deamhan. She is wise and knows everything. Show more respect.”
I silently stood down.
“Many Deamhan, including your sire, don't know of their lineage,” he replied. “They show no regard for those who came before them. Most think that once they are Deamhan and no longer human, they can do what they want to do. They let their primal instincts take over and they kill whenever and whomever they want.”
I opened my mouth again but he reinforced my silence by raising his hand again.
“I'm not done talking,” he replied. “They don't worry about the implications of their horrors and the pain vendettas they cause among humans, vampires, and other creatures in the world. They don't understand that all species are in fact closely related.”
I tilted my head slightly to the right, confused as to why he was telling me about this and what it had to do with my bond to Anastasia.
“I've witnessed several Deamhan throughout the centuries throw their lives away, your sire included. They all thought they were untouchable and truly immortal. They traveled from city to city, town to town, killing everyone in their path because they could. Even the oldest of the old could not control them for they were too many. This old Deamhan tried but her only desire was to make sure that your ancestors were safe from any harm. Other Ancients came together to try and solve this ongoing and out of control problem. Lucius, a Lugat, Nicias, a Metusba, Marjolaine, a lovely and beautiful Lamia, and Gennadios, a Ramanga—they believed that rules were needed to secure the survival of our species. They wrote down those rules and created The Dictum.” He lowered his hand. “Now, you can talk.”
“What does this have to do with my bond with Anastasia?” I asked.
“Because your sire has broken these rules too many times to count. She breaks them now.” He continued. “I've been alive for a very, very long time, Maris. You aren't the first or the last human she will sire. Heed my words, young Deamhan.” He moved in closer to me. “You will have to break your bond with her if you are to survive—and believe me, your survival is of the utmost importance to myself and other Ancients. If not, she will use you as bait. She will turn on you and throw you away like unwanted trash. You are of use to her because of her history with Ruby. She is just one of the Deamhan who spent the earliest moments of her life killing without remorse and without thought. Hence, you will go to America to be away from her and to be away from her history that is catching up to her.”
I remained quiet as my brain processed this new information.
“I remember Anastasia when she was a young one, like you are now. Over time she grew to be the Deamhan you know today. She has survived off the backs of her offspring and other Deamhan. She has made enemies and now they are your enemies. Both Deamhan and vampire hunt her and you are too important to be caught in the middle of her squabbles.” He cleared his throat. “Believe me when I say that you are worth gold to me and to all Deamhan.”
“How is it that I'm this important?” I asked.
“You are descended from the humans who created our kind,” he replied. “The knowledge is in your blood.” He extended his arms. “Would you like to see?”
I opened my mouth but I couldn't find my voice. He then placed his hands on my forehead and immediately a flurry of images crashed into my thoughts in rapid movements. The staggering pressure lifted me to my t
oes and made me close my eyes tightly. In the darkness, I saw the visions he sent of Anastasia in her early years; killing, siring, killing, siring. I saw buckets of blood showering these visions like rain glistening off the leaves on a tree. Over and over again these images didn't stop until I saw how my sire viewed me. What Silvanus said was true. She saw me not as her offspring but as a bargaining chip with vampires and Deamhan alike.
I then saw how she viewed Finley, Branda, and Brandy. She used their bonds with her as a way of securing her survival, just like her own sire. She cared little if nothing for us or any Deamhan, including Silvanus. The night of my attack she watched and let the vampires attack me, bringing me near death, before she intervened. Her main goal wasn't to save me but to sire me.
“Bonds are tricky little things,” he said. “They can be broken, mended, and created anew.”
The images suddenly changed. Now I felt Silvanus digging through my mind and my head began to throb in pain. I wanted to force him out, but he proved to be too strong and countered my attempt. I saw vampires and humans surrounded by death. At first the humans ran from them but in the end, they stood tall against the vampires. Power exuded from them; a dark energy that made the hair on my arms stand firm. Then I saw Deamhan standing with the humans against the vampires. Balance restored, they pushed the vampires back, but it only lasted for a short time. The Deamhan turned against the humans and like oil in water, each group separated into its own entity. Death had embedded itself into every inch of a Deamhan, down to our very core.
Finally, I managed to force myself away from his touch and I stumbled back, looking wide-eyed at him. He had shown me things that I didn't want to see or know. No longer did I have a desire to remain bonded to Anastasia or anyone for that matter. He proved to me that not only was I now damned like all Deamhan, but there wasn't anything I could do about it.
He slowly dropped his hand. “The energy in you is different. I felt it.” He leaned back in his chair. “You are the one, Maris.”
Still reeling, I stepped back. “How did you do that? How did you show me those images?”
He shrugged as if what he had done wasn't that big of a deal. “I'm an Ancient, my dear. I can do many things.” He reached out and caressed my cheek. “I wanted you to see just how important you are.”
“All I felt was death circling inside me,” I replied, “and a feeling that we are all damned.”
He dropped his hand. “We are all damned. We're death.” His eyes moved to my chest. “What is that dangling from your neck?”
Immediately I placed my hand over my chest and stepped back. “Jewelry that my mother gave me a long time ago.” He went to reach for it but again, I stepped back. “It's dear to me. It used to belong to my mother.”
Silvanus dropped his hand. “It's more than that. Let me see it.”
I felt reluctant to show him but he continued to gawk until I slowly pulled it from underneath my clothing. He stared at it for what felt like hours before speaking.
“You don't feel it?” His eyes moved to my face. “You don't feel its power?”
I looked down at the amulet. “No, it's just a family heirloom.”
“It's much more than that.” He snapped out of his stare by shaking his head. “It will protect you.”
“It didn't protect me from my attackers.” Now interested, I took a closer look at the amulet. “I don't feel anything or any power coming from this.”
“Just keep it close. Don't tell anyone what it can do; not even your siblings and definitely not Anastasia.”
Still yearning to know what he sensed from the amulet, I stepped forward and he quickly moved back from me. “It's time for you to go.” For the first time I saw fear in his face, which caught me off guard. He waved me away. “Take your trinket far from me. I don't like being in its presence.”
I didn't want to leave but he gave me a fierce look that made me quickly leave his chamber without question. Still befuddled, I found myself at the fork in the middle of two long dusty roads with one road calling at me to run away from this new life and the other to embrace it. Maybe Anastasia wasn't the only mother figure in my life keeping secrets. Maybe my own mother kept secrets from me and if so, why? I desperately wanted to know what my life now meant.
Everything I witnessed felt like a confused family tragedy, played out in dishonor, murder, and betrayal. Was this the new life that I now lived? How had I turned from just one unimportant whore to an important individual in the eyes of Deamhan? I didn't want that burden and I blamed Anastasia for forcing it on me.
I damn well didn't want to be bonded to her anymore, but a part of me couldn't imagine my Deamhan life without her and my siblings.
CHAPTER FOUR
Ethel
My feeling toward Anastasia was almost immediate. When the sun rose, I remained up, thinking about everything I had seen and what Silvanus revealed to me. I wanted to desperately tell my other siblings and warn them, but somehow I knew that they wouldn't listen. They didn't trust or like Silvanus. To them, he was just another Ancient who used power to dominate over everyone in the vicinity. So I kept my mouth shut and eventually I fell asleep, cradling the amulet in my hand.
In the days that followed he ordered that my siblings be kept on a strict feeding schedule while I had the luxury to eat whenever and whomever I wanted. He ordered the humans to stand in front of me and he showed them off like cattle at an auction. I picked out the most delicate ones: average size males with brown hair and darker skin. I found their blood easier to devour, unlike the paler males whose blood tasted watered down. During one of these ‘auctions’, Silvanus had his minions bring in a girl with long dark hair and big brown eyes. He called her Adele and he offered her to me as something to snack on between my meals. I examined her bite wounds and I briefly mentioned to Silvanus that she'd fit Finley's desire more than my own. However, Adele belonged to him and he bluntly refused.
My siblings were given one orphan girl a week. Weakened by lack of food, I knew that her blood wouldn't satisfy their hunger. By the end of the week, they all had become so ravenous that Branda lost control and killed the girl before the rest had their turn. This angered Silvanus and he barred them from eating. This didn't sit well with Finley and one night he left the room and returned with five rats he'd caught in the horse stables just behind the sanctuary. Feeling pity, I secretly shared my male meals with them and during one feeding period, I traded my human for their rats.
Rat tasted terrible. The blood was cold and I fought against my body’s attempt to regurgitate the liquid. Afterward, Finley discarded the rat carcasses and we promised to never tell a soul. They continued to eat rats and mice until Sunday when Silvanus brought them a fresh meal: another orphan girl.
I begged Silvanus to be lenient. I missed my family, even Anastasia whom I rarely saw. I couldn't find any bravery inside me to tell my siblings that I would soon leave them for America. I badly wanted to inform them but Silvanus said I had to keep quiet on the subject. If they found out, they would do something drastic that would jeopardize their own lives and I didn't want that.
By the third week, he allowed them to leave their room and to go outside, but not far. That week went by without any problems. I began to spend more time with Finley and I felt our bond growing stronger. I refused to let my feelings toward our sire ruin the last month I had with him. We got to know the majority of the Deamhan in the sanctuary. Silvanus continued to warn me about my bond, but what better way to severe the relationship I had with my sire than by growing closer with my sibling? Anastasia also noticed the growing bond I had with Finley but she never said a word. She didn't have to. I saw it in her eyes when I was able to find her. Soon the tension between Silvanus and my siblings decreased and our new lifestyle consisted with an endless supply of humans to feast upon.
This also meant that we had the privilege to attend his parties, called ‘Gatherings.’ Deamhan from all across England came in droves to see me, the most important Deamhan in
the Deamhan world. During these festivities, which sometimes lasted for days, we gorged ourselves on humans and ran around the vicinity carefree. There wasn't any reason to worry about anyone or anything. Silvanus instilled in us how special, beautiful, and dangerous our species could be and together, we were strong and untouchable.
During this particular Gathering, Finley and I stood in a corner and watched the Deamhan as they mingled. Silvanus turned his meeting room into a lounge, complete with large cauldrons of blood for the Ramanga. His minions stood silently against the wall for the Lamia, Lugat, and Metusba to handpick them. He also brought in other humans that Deamhan caught and chained them against large posts located in the middle.
Finley's quietness began to bother me. I pulled on the sleeve of his shirt to get his attention. “What's troubling you?”
He continued to sip on his bloody drink and he licked his lips. “Nothing. I'm fine.”
“You're lying.”
He turned toward me with hostile eyes. “This whole place troubles me. I don't like it here.”
“It isn't the most welcoming of places but there is still a roof over our heads.”
“I'd rather starve on the streets of London than spend one more day in his house under his control,” Finley replied. “He's breaking our family apart, Maris. We're barely holding together as it is. I rarely see Anastasia and the twins...they don't even acknowledge our family's connection. They hate it here just as much as I do and they also want out.”
As Finley and I sipped on our chalices full of blood, a rosemary scent filtered into the room, suffocating us in its enchanting smell. Looking toward the door, I saw a medium sized woman with hazel eyes and auburn hair entering slowly. Several Deamhan standing near the doorway also noticed her entrance and they nodded to her and moved out of her way. She walked around, looking like a lost child at first, until Silvanus greeted her with a hug.
Deamhan Chronicles, Books 1-5: Deamhan, Kei. Family Matters, Dark Curse, Maris. The Brotherhood Files, Ayden. Deamhan Minion Page 57