“You won't harm me, Finley.”
“Don't be so sure about that.” He lowered his head. “I wanted to rush back here and rip out your heart in your sleep.” He rubbed his hands together. “Last night , after returning from the city, I stood in your room as you slept. I thought that this was the moment where everything would change for the better. But seeing you there, I just couldn't do it. All I could think about was protecting you from all of this, and taking you far away from here, regardless if it meant my death or the death of all Deamhan.” He pointed to my chest. “I'm afraid to say it but that trinket, whatever it is, will save you one day.”
I felt his remorse and I understood his confusion about what to do. He stood at a crossroads, afraid to make a decision and to take sides. I felt it in my blood that our bond was now stronger than it had ever been up to that moment and I was sure he could feel it as well.
“Tell Silvanus,” he said to me. “Maybe he can send you to America as soon as possible.”
“I want you to come with me.” Deamhan don't cry. It's not that we don't want to, but there isn't an ounce of liquid in our bodies to create tears of any kind. However, his face trembled and he forced himself to show emotion; another thing that we had a hard time achieving.
“I don't think you'd want me to, Maris. I don't know if my instincts to kill you would prove stronger than my bond with you.”
Suddenly we heard a loud scream coming from the first floor of the sanctuary. We locked eyes and I sensed that Finley knew the heart wrenching yell came from Adele.
I immediately latched on his arm. “Don't go out there.”
“Let me go.” He growled and slapped my hand away. He immediately left the room and I followed. We rushed down the stairs just in time to see Brandy heading toward the meeting room.
Finley placed himself in her way. “Brandy, what's going on?”
When she saw me, her eyes narrowed. I remembered what Finley said just moments ago and I stood behind him to hide myself from her stare.
“Brandy, why is Adele screaming?”
“Why do you care?” she questioned him back.
“I'm curious.” Finley's weak reply only made her more suspicious.
“She's the traitor,” Brandy finally answered. “She is now our enemy. Just like that one hiding behind you.”
CHAPTER SIX
Traitor
We walked toward the meeting hall, stopping just short of the entry.
“Finley, don't go in.” I tried to warn him again but he didn't listen.
“She can't be the traitor,” he said. “I would have known.” He pushed the doors open. We saw Silvanus sitting in the center of the room on his ridiculous throne but Adele wasn't anywhere in sight. Soon Deamhan began to fill the room, including Anastasia who walked by me silently.
The harsh stares of my brethren made me feel uncomfortable and unwanted in their presence. When Ethel entered the room, the environment changed. She had their respect. It was different from Silvanus who demanded their respect.
He looked up in our direction while he flicked small pieces of dirt from underneath his fingernails. Only when the collected crowd quieted down, did he speak. He started his dialogue with a humble question. “We are strong together, are we not?”
The crowd mumbled in agreement.
“I've heard terrible things these past few days,” he said. “Things that make me question if some of you are worthy of remaining under my roof.”
Finley folded his arms across his chest and planted his feet firmly on the ground, as if he waited for Silvanus to rat him and the others out.
Silvanus continued. “There is not only one traitor among us, but several.” The Deamhan around us remained quiet. “I have no patience for traitors—human and Deamhan included. I also have no tolerance for those who do this blatantly in front of my face or secretively behind my back.”
Ethel stood next him. Dressed in black slacks and a black jacket that only men would wear, she leaned against the throne and her hazel eyes moved around the room.
“We are strong as a community, but only as strong as our weakest member,” Silvanus continued. “Back in the day, if a Deamhan disobeyed the rules of an Ancient, he or she was dealt with severely.” He looked at Ethel. “How would you punish a human traitor?”
She blinked slowly. “I would bring her among Deamhan in the sanctuary to be devoured.”
Silvanus settled back in his throne and crossed his legs. “Bring the human in here.”
Two Deamhan hurried and left the room, leaving the door opened. I grabbed Finley's hand and instead of shunning me away, he squeezed it and looked to me.
I looked over my shoulder, smelling Adele's scent. Deamhan dragged her, gagged, into the room with a rope tied around her wrist. Her tear-filled eyes looked into mine then to Finley who snarled at her. More puncture wounds covered her neck and dark purple bruises scoured her flesh. She looked weak, defeated, and scared. All the Deamhan in the room started to heckle her. I couldn't pick up on her thoughts as if she blocked them from us, which made the woman all the more interesting to me.
Silvanus raised his hands for silence and the crowd hushed. “She will be made an example to any minion who crosses a Deamhan.”
The crowd erupted into cheering again.
“This traitor who works with the vampires to end our existence will die tonight.” He pointed to Adele and the crowd's cheering turned into hissing, growling, and booing.
A Deamhan ripped the rope from Adele's wrist and joined in a newly formed circle, surrounding her. Some Deamhan lashed out at her, scratching at her legs and arms, drawing blood. Like a caged animal, Adele attempted to fight her way through the circle, but they pushed her back. The smell of her rich blood made my senses tingle and my eyes revert. Her hot breath mixed with sweat and fear wasn't something I could ignore. I wanted to move back in, to get a good look at her, and perhaps take a swipe at her, just to suck the blood from my fingertips.
“Please let me go!” Adele screamed.
“Why should we let you go?” Silvanus asked. “So that you can run back to your vampires and tell them everything?”
“Help me! Someone, please!” Adele screamed again. Her eyes scanned the crowd for a savior and when she saw Finley, she held out her hands to him. “Please, I'm yours. I don't want to die.”
From the corner of my eye I watched Finley, who joined the circle and began to taunt her. His face filled with rage and I understood the complications of his actions. He felt that not only did Adele use him, but she did so at the word of our enemies. His fangs dropped at the ready and he moved into the circle and grabbed Adele by the throat.
“Silvanus, let me do it,” he said. “Let me kill her.”
“Why should I?” Silvanus smiled slowly. “Do you no longer want her?” He laughed gently. “Did you think I didn't know what you two did behind my back?”
Finley slowly began to choke Adele. “I didn't do anything wrong.” I heard bravery in his voice, which also made me anxious and fearful that Silvanus would kill him on the spot alongside her.
“You fed from my human without permission,” Silvanus answered. “You disobeyed my rule.”
“I was tricked.”
“So you were weak?” Silvanus placed his finger over his mouth. “Be quiet, Finley, before I change my mind and decide to kill you.”
Finley grinded his teeth and he obeyed. From the way he looked at Ethel, he hankered to speak out against what was going on. He held her tight with one arm and raised his other arm to grab everyone's attention.
Surprisingly Anastasia stepped up to defend Finley. “He isn't weak. Just misguided.”
Finley held Adele tightly with one arm and raised his other arm to grab everyone's attention. “I'll show you weakness.” He then forced Adele's arm up to his mouth. In full Ramanga regalia, he chomped onto her wrist. He didn't drink from her. Instead, he began to tear at her flesh, ripping it from the bone. A blood curdling scream escaped her mouth and the
smell of her blood became too much so that not even I could resist. Soon all Deamhan in the room, including Anastasia, dove in, feasting on her. I watched as they ripped her body into pieces and sucked on her flesh like soup.
Finley tore her head from her shoulders and with his own head held back, he let her blood drip into his mouth. I saw Branda, who managed to grab her arm and tear it from its socket, sucking the blood from her fingertips. Another Deamhan disemboweled her. When it had finished, they all stood around, covered head to toe in her bloodied remains.
Silvanus, who didn't participate in the carnage, raised his hands and the Deamhan stood facing him as if he prepared to tell them a bedtime story. Instead he turned to Ethel again. “How would you punish a Deamhan traitor?”
Ethel blinked slowly. “I would tie that Deamhan to a tree and leave them there until sunrise as a reminder that no Deamhan is exempt from punishment.”
He nodded. “Yes, no Deamhan is exempt.” Without warning he grasped her by the neck and I heard her gasp. “After all these centuries, you, Ethel, have yet to learn that.” His brisk movement made all of us cower in fear. With one hand, he lifted Ethel off her feet. “How dare you try to start a rebellion in my own sanctuary?”
She grasped onto his hand, trying to remove it from her throat. Her eyes turned dark and Silvanus acted by showing his fangs that suddenly appeared from his gums.
“This is my home,” he said. “You live under my rules and if I declare Maris to be protected, she remains protected.” He released her and she stepped back, rubbing her throat.
“This isn't how it should be done.” Her dark, cold eyes turned to me. “She is a threat to our existence. She shouldn't live.”
“Your opinion doesn't concern me,” he replied.
“Maybe it should.” She glanced around the sanctuary. “I'm not the only Deamhan here who feels that way. Most of us see her as the enemy. Only you and the other Ancients are unaware of that fact.”
“Then any Deamhan who believes she shall die will have to go through me,” Silvanus said.
Silence closed in over the room and we waited and watched for anyone to make the first move but no one did. Even Ethel seemed reluctant to be the first to test Silvanus.
“No one will touch her,” he said. “Do you hear me? None of you will touch her or I promise you that I will you slowly.”
“None of you will even think of harming her.” Finley's interjection surprised us all. He stepped forward and wiped Adele's blood from his mouth and lower face.
“Do you think you can stand up to everyone here?” Ethel asked him in a cold tone. “There are many Deamhan older than you, boy. They would crush you before you have time to move—”
“I'm not afraid of them nor am I afraid of you.”
“Close your mouth, Ethel!” Silvanus said in a raised voice.
“You always have had a soft spot for Deamhan.” Ethel chuckled.
Silvanus pointed to the door. “Leave my sanctuary and don't come back here.” He raised his voice. “Any Deamhan who agrees with her should leave now, as well. This is your only chance.”
At first no one moved, but soon I saw a Metusba head toward the door followed by a Ramanga. More Deamhan began to leave and I looked over my shoulder, seeing Anastasia also headed for the door. I found Brandy and Branda standing still, watching our sire leave with fearful eyes.
“Your Deamhan have dwindled.” Ethel walked across the room and toward the disfranchised crowd. “How can you protect your sanctuary from vampires when half of your army is now gone?”
“Ethel, you may be of age and some may consider you an Ancient, but you and I both know that you are too rash and foolhardy to be one,” Silvanus said as he laughed.
His reply was met with a quick retort from Ethel. “Rash? You are joking, right? You're the only one here that's being rash when it comes to Maris.”
“You don't have all night.” Ignoring her reply, Silvanus stood up from his chair. “You and your delinquents only have a few hours to find shelter before sunrise.”
Abashed, Ethel's mouth dropped. “Let her live for all I care.” The crowd parted as she stormed out of the room. The group of Deamhan followed her, but Anastasia and the twins remained.
“Finley, come with us.” She held out her hand to him.
He looked back at them. Regardless of how I felt about his confusion about if I should live or die, I just couldn't stand by quietly and allow him to walk out of my life. I grabbed onto his arm and I stood close to him. Even if he decided to leave me here, I wasn't strong enough to intervene. “We've bonded, Anastasia,” he said to her. “I'm not leaving.”
“You'll die if you stay here with her.” Anastasia dropped her hand.
“I'll die out there without her.”
“We should stick together,” Brandy said. “We should all leave.”
“Yes, I agree that we should stick together,” Finley said. “And that means standing by our sibling.” He placed his arm around me. “This is about family and protecting one of our own.”
Anastasia's eyes turned dark. “He's made his choice.” She turned to the twins. “Let us go.” But Brandy and Branda didn't follow her. Anastasia stopped in her tracks and she eyed them briefly. Without saying a word she walked out of the room.
“We should go with her.” Brandy wrapped her arms around her waist. “She is our sire—”
“Then go if you want.” Finley dropped his hand from me.
I placed my head on his arm. “Thank you.”
“Please. Don't.” He walked toward the huge windows and pulled the blinds back. Quietly he watched as Ethel took her new band of Deamhan and they rushed into the night.
The sanctuary felt empty. The Deamhan that remained still outnumbered those who left but the mood had changed. Everything would be different. My worry mounted about our future and if Ethel would return to slaughter me.
“It isn't easy to break sire bonds,” Silvanus said to us.
“But what now?” Branda spoke. “I don't agree that she should be protected.” She pointed at me.
“Neither do I.” Finley looked over his shoulder. “Yet here I am, vowing to protect her with my life.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Dorvo Vampire
After the massacre and Ethel’s banishment, I headed back to my room to be left alone. When I noticed that pieces of Adele's flesh had littered my clothing and my skin, I quickly undressed and showered to wipe away what I just witnessed from not only my body, but my mind. The warm water soothed my skin and afterwards I rested on my bed, staring at the ceiling, as her death replayed over and over in my mind.
Yes, Finley had stood up for me along with the twins, but at what cost? It was my fault that the sanctuary now stood half empty and those who remained behind didn't know what the future held for them. I wanted to thank Silvanus but I felt that I also had signed his death warrant. What price did they pay to secure my future?
Finley's pungent odor traveled from the hallway and into my room before he appeared, standing in the doorway with his blood-covered head lowered. He picked at the pieces of flesh peppering his hair and he dropped them to the floor. “Can I come in?”
I raised myself from my bed. “Of course.”
He stepped into my room and shook his head in disgust. “I'm sorry for the way I acted to you.”
I shook my head. “It's okay. I understand.”
“I don't think you do,” he replied. “I just don't like being here just as much as the twins don’t, but I couldn't just allow Ethel to rally up the others to kill you.” His tongue slithered out his mouth, gliding over his stained lips.
“She's right,” I replied.
His face filled with discontent and sadness. “No, she isn't. Like all of us, she's frightened of you because you're so important.” Finley quickly looked at me, whispering. “Whatever we do from here on doesn't matter because you control our future.” He sat on my bed. “But I don't care, Maris. I would never allow anyone to take you away f
rom me.” He wiped his face and stared at the blood on his palm. “Our bond is stronger than that. I would give up my life for you.”
“You almost did tonight.” I wanted to tell him badly about my feelings toward leaving for America but I feared that would only give him an excuse to make more irrational decisions. Would he let me go if he had to? Did he even have a choice or say in the matter?
His eyes had turned black and he spoke with stained teeth and the smell of blood on his breath. “I'd do it again if I had to.”
I wanted to freeze his image in my thoughts so I would never forget him and he would never forget me. “Believe me when I say this, Finley. I want to be alongside you, forever.”
He eyed me suspiciously. “You're saying this as if we won't be?”
“Have you forgotten about America?” I asked him. “Our time together won't be forever.”
“It will be forever.” He spoke in confidence. “I will find a way.” He opened his arms to me. “Come here.”
I nestled my body close to his blood-soaked shirt.
“I've bonded with you, Maris.” He kissed me on my forehead.
I looked up at him. “And what about your bond with Anastasia?”
“That's a sire bond,” he replied. “Lay with me.”
He climbed into my bed and I wrapped my arm around his waist. He began to play with my hair and he kissed me on my forehead again. “I have the right to fight for what is dear to me and you mean so much to me.” His human features returned. “I think...I think I love you, Maris.”
My smile disappeared at the thought. Love? What did Deamhan know about love? How could he, who had just slaughtered a human, talk about love? Whatever the case, I didn't question it. I just wanted to cherish my next moments with him.
I could smell the sun rising and the fear of it overcame me. I felt it every sunrise since I was turned. Our blood feared the sun just as much as it feared sharp wooden objects.
The sun had risen. On the floor, a few feet away, I saw a sliver of sunlight that managed to peek through the window curtains. Instead, I forced myself to continue to stare at it. Maybe by looking at it, I could learn how to not fear it so much. I continued until the sliver slowly disappeared. Clouds set in, blocking the sunlight. I don't remember what time I actually fell asleep.
Deamhan Chronicles, Books 1-5: Deamhan, Kei. Family Matters, Dark Curse, Maris. The Brotherhood Files, Ayden. Deamhan Minion Page 59