Her age interested me. Like Silvanus, the scent coming from her indicated an old Deamhan. I watched him take her hand gracefully and lead her toward the chained humans in the center of the room.
“I wonder who she is,” I said to Finley.
He wasn't interested. “Just another Ancient who has come here to order us around.” He sipped from his chalice.
“Not every Ancient is like that.”
“You'd be surprised how many are just like Silvanus.”
I understood his frustration, but I didn't have any way to console him. “Let's go outside, away from all of this,” I whispered to him. “We can gaze at the stars, like we did yesterday.”
“I don't want to gaze at stars.” He looked at me.
“Maybe we can just walk somewhere?”
“Where could we walk to, Maris?” Now annoyed, he glared at me. “Within seconds Silvanus would have his minions searching for you, his precious darling Ramanga.” He placed his drink to his lips and this time he finished it. “I'm going to get some more.” He walked toward the large cauldron and I slowly followed after him.
“This isn't how I want things to be,” I said to him.
“It doesn't matter. This is how things are now.”
“I don't want you to be cross with me, Finley. I did what I could to make sure that you were treated better.”
“Yes, you have.” He stopped and looked over his shoulder. “I guess we should be thankful that Silvanus hasn't kicked us out of his sanctuary...yet. Oh and while I'm at it, I should also be thankful that instead of eating orphan girls, we now survive off sloppy seconds.” His voice carried a sarcastic tone. “You don't get it. We know that Silvanus has you where he wants you. He has his prize. Now nothing matters to him.”
“So you are upset with me.”
“I'm not upset with you, Maris, just the pedestal Silvanus and other Deamhan have placed you on.”
We made our way through the crowd and for a brief moment, I saw Brandy and Branda together, near the opposite side of the room, standing quietly. I waved to grab their attention but they didn't return the gesture. They, too, looked annoyed and after a few moments they walked out of the room. After making it to the cauldron, I saw Silvanus and the woman in conversation. He looked at us from the corner of his eye before speaking.
“Ethel, I'd like you to meet Maris.”
The woman turned to me and her eyes gazed into my own. Feeling uncomfortable, I smiled briefly and turned back to the cauldron.
“It's a pleasure to meet you, Maris.” She eyed my scar. “The vampires really did a number on you.”
Finley refilled our cups with blood.
“She's the one who will change everything,” Silvanus said to Ethel.
“Yes, be it good or bad. Are you sure that the information has survived her transformation?” she asked.
“I got a glimpse of it. It's still there.”
“This is a risk, Silvanus,” she replied back. “Are you sure you know what you're doing?”
Silvanus nodded. “I couldn't be any clearer.”
Ethel moved toward me. “Maris, may I ask you a question?”
I had no reason to deny her so I nodded.
“What do you think Deamhan should do against Dorvo vampires?”
Not being able to think of an answer to her broad question, I shrugged. “I don't know.”
Silvanus chuckled. “Why even ask?”
“I'm curious,” she replied. “If it was up to me, I'd kill every last one of them.”
“But it isn't up to you.” Silvanus sipped his blood.
She grabbed his wrist and dipped her finger in his chalice. “It should be.” She licked her finger and almost immediately, she groveled. “Ehh, that is so disgusting. I don't know how you Ramanga can drink that stuff. Tastes like metal.”
“Acquired taste.”
“I guess so.” She wiped the blood from her finger onto his wrist. “You have to admit, it would be easier to just kill them all off. You wouldn't need to worry that they would come for her or for us.”
“The last thing we need right now is an all out war,” Silvanus replied. “The other Ancients have made that quite clear.”
“Not all,” Ethel said with a smile on her face. “This Ancient Lamia doesn't agree.” She pointed to herself.
I wasn't comfortable being shown off as some trinket that needed to be protected so I tugged at Finley to leave.
“You aren't an Ancient,” Silvanus replied as his canines dropped from his gums.
“I should be.” Her voice carried a sexual tone that put even me on edge. She gently swiped her hand against Silvanus' face and slowly walked away.
He watched her quietly pick one of his minions from the wall. She took his hand and led him out of the room. “Ethel is overbearing at times.” He sipped his drink. “She thinks too highly of herself.”
Finley retorted before sipping his drink. “Like most Ancients do.” He walked away and melted back into the crowd. I stepped up to Silvanus so that he wouldn't react to Finley's rude statement.
“You're wearing your necklace,” Silvanus said.
“I'm always going to wear it.” I placed my hand over my chest. “It's underneath my clothing.”
Standing tall over me, he leaned slightly forward. “Please do. It would be a shame if something happened to you.” His tongue moved over his teeth. “Will you excuse me?”
I searched the entire sanctuary for Finley. I went outside, interrupting a few Deamhan, and then I headed back in and up the stairs to my room, finding him not there either. Eventually I made my way to his room and before I reached the door, I heard a familiar female giggling and Finley laughing with her.
“Maris! Come in!”
He smelled me before I opened the door.
He sat in a reading chair with a human sitting at his feet. He had her wrist in his mouth and he fed from her like a suckling baby. Upon realizing that it was Adele, I angrily pulled her wrist away from him. “Leave.” I growled at her.
“No. This is my room.” He stood up and licked the blood from around his lips. “She doesn't have to leave.”
The female moved back.
“She shouldn't be here.”
“Why? Because the only person that can have her besides Silvanus is you?” He smiled. “Taste her! Her blood reminds me of when I used to eat strawberries. You remember how strawberries tasted, right?”
I stood over them. “This is dangerous.”
He lifted her to her feet. They began to dance. He spun her around then pulled her into him as their bodies rocked back and forth. Her silk, flowered pattern dress hugged her hips as they danced. “Why would any Deamhan keep such a tasty treasure away from anyone else?” He pushed her toward me. “Why didn't you tell me she tasted so good?”
I heard Finley speak in my mind. She smells sweet.
I nodded. She did smell sweet.
Taste her, Maris.
I shook my head. She isn't yours to eat. I noticed that her eyes moved to the left side of my face and to my scar.
“I promise I won't tell Silvanus,” she replied, looking at Finley. “He won't ever find out.”
“He always finds out.” I pointed to the door. “Go. Now.”
“I've claimed her.” He pulled her back toward him and gently lifted her head to the side, revealing her long neck. “She's mine.”
“She isn't yours to claim.”
“She isn't yours to claim either.” He rocked back and forth with her. “But here you are, trying to make her do what she doesn't want to do.” He turned Adele around to face him. “Do you want to go?”
“No. I like it here.”
“As you can see, Maris, she's perfectly fine with me.” They continued to dance but I had had enough. I forced her away from Finley and I pushed her toward the door.
“You won't meet Silvanus' wrath because of her. I won't let you.” I pointed to the door. “Leave, Adele, and don't make me ask again.” Adele nodded and she
left the room.
Finley grabbed a towel from his nightstand and began to dab away the blood from his lips. “Did you have a nice little talk with Silvanus and Ethel?”
I sat on his bed. “Please, stop being angry with me.”
He sat next to me. “Did they tell you how precious you are to all Deamhan?” He mocked me.
“I didn't come here to talk about them. I wanted to make sure you were fine. Obviously you were more than fine. You seemed happy breaking one of Silvanus' rules.”
“And so?” He tossed his towel to the floor.
“He will kill you if he finds out. That doesn't bother you?”
“No,” he replied. “Are you on his side now?”
“What do you mean by that? I've bonded with you, Finley. I deeply care about you.”
“I can look out for myself.” His fangs retreated into his gums. “So there is no need for you to be bothered by my wellbeing.”
“That's not the point.”
“What is the point then, Maris?” He stared out his bedroom window at the darkened scenery.
Not knowing what else I could do, I wrapped my arms around his waist. “I don't want to leave for America. I want to stay here with you.”
He turned to face me. “You're going to America?”
“Yes, he is sending me there.” I hugged him tighter. “There's another Ancient—”
“No, no.” He shook his head. “I'm tired of these Ancients. They can't force you to go where you don't want to go.” His jaw tightened. “I'm telling Anastasia and the others tonight, and then tomorrow, we'll leave this place for good.”
I moved my chest closer to his, unaware that my amulet began to singe his skin. He quickly pushed me back and a look of fear covered his face. “What was that?” He pointed at my chest.
I froze, unsure to tell him the truth behind my mother's family heirloom, but he asked again. “My amulet.” I pulled it out from underneath my clothing. “Silvanus says that it protects me from any Deamhan.” I looked up at him.
“That's impossible.”
“I thought so too, until a few seconds ago.”
The skin on his chest healed immediately and I slowly took the amulet from around my neck and placed it in the palm of my hand. “I don't know exactly how it works. It doesn't work on me and it didn't work on Anastasia when she sired me.”
“By touch,” he replied.
“Please don't tell the others. No one is supposed to know.”
“Why?” He tilted his head to the side. “Did Silvanus tell you that?”
I nodded.
“He only said that so you wouldn't use it on him,” Finley spoke. “That's exactly what you should do.”
“He isn't the enemy,” I replied. “He's told me a lot of things. He's showed me so much about Anastasia and who I am—”
“What did he tell you?”
I began to explain the images to the best of my ability. However, I didn't tell him what Silvanus said about me. I didn't think he was ready to understand everything yet. After I finished, Finley lay back on his bed and held out his arms to me.
“Lay here with me.”
I joined him and buried my body into his side. Staring at the ceiling, I could hear the distant chatter of the Gathering still going on in the meeting room and the gentle human screams as the Deamhan devoured them. We remained there, listening, and soon I wanted to know what he thought about my revelation.
He kissed me gently on my forehead and answered my thought. “I don't care about what Silvanus showed you. It isn't something that I don't already know.”
“You know about Anastasia?”
“We all know but she is our sire.”
His point had torn into my core. I had to make him care. I wanted to make him see sooner or later, but for now I ignored my feelings toward the whole situation. I just wanted to lie next to him, away from everyone and everything. I emptied my mind and until the sun rose, not once did I think about the problems we would potentially face in the upcoming days.
Eventually silence swept over the sanctuary as all Deamhan closed their eyes and fell asleep, waiting for night to come.
CHAPTER FIVE
To Condemn Or To Save
I now understood why Silvanus demanded respect. He ruled his sanctuary with an iron fist. He proved to us that we could maintain our Deamhan nature without bringing attention to ourselves. We just needed to remember that our actions affected our brethren and our kind around the world. Instead of allowing our animal instincts to take over, we had to control it. If we had to kill, it was our responsibility to dispose of our victims in the proper manner. We fed discreetly but only on humans who knew our true nature, never on those who remained clueless.
These rules contradicted Ethel who believed that not only did we not have to fear anyone, but they had to fear us. She didn't care about the consequences of leaving our victims in the open. She hunted in the cities, taking a large group of Deamhan with her, and they wreaked havoc among the cobblestone streets. Some Deamhan considered her an Ancient and now, with two Ancients staying under the same roof, no one could stand up to us, including the vampires.
Content with the humans that Silvanus provided me, I didn't leave the sanctuary in the following weeks, unlike my siblings. Finley often went with Ethel and when he returned, he told me stories about how thrilling it felt to eye his potential victims from the shadows, picking out what scent soothed his hunger at that moment. He enjoyed the young Irish girls while Branda and Brandy hunted whoever smelled good and they shared their meals together. Anastasia proved to be more particular and she took her time in choosing whom she wanted: older women who smelled and looked like they had suffered in life.
Still Finley's nighttime activities didn't stop him from secretly feeding from Adele. I warned her to stay away from him but that only made her want to be around him more. In order to protect their secret, I lied to Silvanus when he questioned the extra bite marks on her neck.
News had spread among us that the Dorvo vampires now knew of my location and they would soon come to the sanctuary to kill us all. Silvanus and Ethel didn't tremble at this news. She volunteered to go to London and smite any that crossed her path. Bent on avoiding a war and making things worse, Silvanus forbade her to go but she went anyway and returned with the news that she had slain a nest of vampires and that one of them revealed to her that a traitor lived among us at the sanctuary.
This news angered Silvanus and for days he questioned all Deamhan, including Anastasia whom he believed to be the traitor. During one night, I went to Finley's room and planned on begging him to stop feeding from Adele. When I walked in I saw that Adele had taken her shirt off and now, instead of feeding from her stomach, Finley had moved to her inner legs in an attempt to hide her bite wounds from Silvanus' eyes.
I violently pushed her away from him. Finley didn't like my reaction and he began to scream that I had no right to interrupt his feeding. “Do you want to die?” I screamed back. “She will be the death of you, Finley. Mark my words.”
“You don't feed from her anymore,” he said to me. “Why do you still continue to care?”
“Are you deaf or are you just refusing to listen to reason?”
Adele tucked her hair behind her right ear and she opened her mouth to speak. Before she could, I snapped my head in her direction.
“Say another word,” I warned her, “and I will kill you myself.”
Adele instantly drew quiet.
“Now leave this room and don't come back here. This is your last warning.” I grabbed her arm and shoved her out of the room, closing the door behind her.
“Please, don't speak of my wrongs and how you're trying to save me.” Finley eyed me. “I don't think I can take it anymore.”
“I'm going to keep telling you until you understand and stop your nonsense.”
“I don't want to stop what you call nonsense, Maris.”
“Remember what Anastasia said before we arrived here? All the mini
ons belong to Silvanus,” I said.
“Oh! So now you're quoting our sire. Someone you no longer trust?”
I sighed. “As we speak, Silvanus is out there trying to find the traitor.”
“And so?”
“So you have to tread carefully these next days. He's on the hunt.”
“Who bloody cares!” He raised his voice at me. “I'm tired of hearing about his wrath! I'm tired of your blind trust in him! I'm not afraid of him! He isn't the one holding our future by a string. You are!”
I stopped. “What are you saying?”
He looked away from me.
“No, tell me. What are you saying?” I asked again.
“Never mind I said anything.”
“No, I want to know what's on your mind. I want to know what you think of me.” His outburst now weighed me down, pushing my feelings for him to an all-time low. I wanted to believe that he stood by my side and that our bond was strong enough to stand up to anything thrown at us. In that moment, though, I felt it stretching and soon it'd snap like a rubber band under pressure.
“Ethel spoke about you on our feeding nights in London.” He remained still and I felt his eyes move back and forth. “She said that you had the knowledge, the power, that would either condemn us or save us. She told us everything, and you know what?” His eyes finally locked onto me. “It made me angry. It made me wonder why Silvanus—why any of us—still allow you to live.”
I sat next to him and I placed my hand on his leg.
“She said if the Dorvo vampires had you, they would use you to end us. She also said that Deamhan could use you to secure our future but whatever is inside you has most Ancients fearful for their lives and safety. It is not stable. That is why Silvanus keeps you close to him.”
“I know.” I placed my hand on his cheek and I smiled briefly.
“All of us ate up her words without a doubt. Then I saw it in Anastasia's eyes. It was the same thing I saw in Branda and Brandy's eyes. I knew they had subconsciously reached a decision that you are too dangerous to let live.” He turned toward me. “Ethel will kill you, Maris. If not Ethel then maybe the twins, maybe Anastasia, maybe even myself.”
Deamhan Chronicles, Books 1-5: Deamhan, Kei. Family Matters, Dark Curse, Maris. The Brotherhood Files, Ayden. Deamhan Minion Page 58