“If you really knew enough, researcher, you would know not to compare Dorvo vampires to vampires,” she said. “We’re nothing like them.”
“You are like them,” he protested. “You’re vampires!”
“We are nothing like them,” she said slowly. “I will not tell you again.”
Her reply made him uncomfortable. He dropped the subject.
“You were right Johanna. This one has big balls.”
“There’s truth behind what he’s saying, Ruby,” Johanna spoke.
She snapped her head in her direction and her hair bounced from her left to her right shoulder. “And what is this truth?”
“They have to go,” she replied. “These Deamhan have to be dealt with by any means necessary. You know it. I know it. The Brotherhood knows it.” She jutted out her chin. “This city will be the first. After we get rid of them here, we’ll help other cities as well. Together we can push them on the run, making it easier to hunt them all down.”
“And you don’t fear that Amenirdis will retaliate?” Ruby pointed at Kenneth. “She’ll come for you.”
“I’m not afraid,” he replied. Now that he had her attention, he had to offer her something in return—something so rich that no Dorvo vampire could deny.
“I know your coven wants Maris, but she left the city weeks ago. No one knows where she is, and you want to know how the incantation to release Amenirdis was done. There were two Deamhan in attendance besides Maris who survived and they’ve become a thorn in my side.”
“Anastasia and Remy.” Ruby placed her hand in the air, halting him from speaking any further. “I know the Ramanga and the Lamia fairly well.”
“I know about your history with Anastasia.” He eyed her carefully. “How do you know Remy?”
She settled back in thought and twined her fingers together. “That doesn’t concern you.” She directed the question at herself, breaking away from the conversation briefly before speaking up again. “No one will touch him.” Her voice trailed off. “He’s mine.” She sharply turned back to him.
Noticing that Remy revealed a sharp yet soft side of her, moreso than Anastasia, made him suspicious. He continued with his explanation. “The Brotherhood didn’t think the ritual would work. That kind of magic was lost to history, but I know that your coven wants to recreate it so you can lure the Pure Ones from Limbo to kill them. I want that as well. The organization has lost its way. They choose to sit back and watch while Deamhan ravage cities. That can’t continue. We have to interfere and help save those who can’t save themselves.”
“This is all too nice of you,” she said in a soft, sexual voice. “Sounds like you want to be a savior—the messiah that Christians have been waiting centuries for.”
“I just want to survive.”
“It also sounds like you need our help more than we need yours.” Her multi-colored eyes moved to Johanna. “I now understand what you see in this researcher. He’s motivated and quite snippy in his speech.”
“But he’s right,” she said. “We have to do something to stop them. One Pure One on the loose is one too many.”
“You think Deamhan are a nuisance now. Wait until all the Pure Ones are released,” he added.
“And once your organization has succeeded, who else will be left to be researched?” Ruby reached out and gently caressed Johanna’s left cheek with her hand. “Dorvo Coven?”
“They’ve never been a threat to The Brotherhood,” he replied.
“Brash. We’ve always been a threat to them. We weren’t created through magic. Like humans, we’ve existed since the beginning.”
“With myself in charge, I promise you. That won’t happen.”
“Do you?” She snarled. “I feel like you’re not telling me everything.” Drastically, she became on edge. Her behavior changed and, before he knew it, she violently pushed him to the ground. He felt the back of his head hit the dirt with such force that stars glittered in his eyesight.
“Ruby, he’s telling you the truth.” Johanna raised her voice in a panic.
Ignoring her cry, Ruby lowered herself over Kenneth. He attempted to push himself up but with a quick jolt, she forced him back down.
Never in his life had he been this close to any vampire however, he made no attempt to grab his stake. She placed her hands underneath his chin and forced his face to meet her own. He fought but, once her eyes penetrated him, his body relaxed.
“You’ve made me a little apprehensive,” she replied in a soothing voice. “And I don’t like that feeling.”
At that moment her penetrating stare sank deeper into his own psyche. He tried to open his mouth, to tell her to stop, but he found himself unable to control his bodily motions. He imagined a brick wall—again, something he was trained to do when a Deamhan attempted to invade his mind—but it didn’t work as well. Eventually she made her way into his deepest thoughts.
“Now, tell me. Why do you need our help?”
If he wanted to lie, there was a force inside himself making it impossible. “To release the Pure Deamhan from Limbo so that they can be killed.” He heard his voice answer her.
“And what do you want for The Brotherhood?”
“Power.”
She smiled and raised herself to her feet.
Suddenly, Kenneth felt himself returning to normal. Now in control of his own body, he scurried back on the dirt and eyed her in a horrid stare. “You didn’t have to do that. I told you the truth.”
“No. I had to do that.”
He stood up and wiped the dirt from his pants. “Satisfied?”
“Wholeheartedly.” She smiled.
From his peripheral, he watched Johanna staring back at him with disbelief in her eyes. “It’s agreed, then.” He brushed off her glare toward him. “We’ll work together to stop Deamhan.”
“I’ll pass word to the coven.” She turned with her back facing them.
“And how long will that take?”
“Have patience. I keep my word. Just make sure you keep yours.” She looked over her shoulder at Johanna. “I’ll be in touch.”
“You can contact me directly,” he replied.
“No, researcher. I only talk to her.”
“If we’re going to work together, we have to trust each other.” He folded his arms across his chest.
“I’m not the one keeping secrets. You have more than enough stored in your fragile brain. You’re quite a conundrum, Mr. Dearhorn.”
He took a deep breath. “I have those secrets because I need to.”
“Perhaps.” She began to back away. “Just remember, failure is not an option. Dorvon vampires relish in our colorful history. We cherish it. We celebrate it, and that includes the Dark Curse. After this is all over and we are victorious, I will take back what’s mine—what belongs to us. It doesn’t belong to you.”
1
DECEPTION. DEAMHAN CHRONCILES #3
CHAPTER FIVE
Anastasia found Hallie’s carved path to be erratic. Like a newborn Deamhan taking their first steps, she made vital mistakes along the way like colliding into a human couple walking down the street. Hallie still had a lot to learn before she could graduate from a baby to a full-fledged Deamhan. Fearing that she would expose them, Anastasia pulled ahead of her and forced the inexperienced girl to use the dusty trail she left behind as a guide.
Her new route took them over small riverbanks. She took sharp turns, passing in and out of traffic. Along with the smell of car exhaust, she noticed Maris’ scent again, which almost brought her to a complete stop. Her offspring couldn’t be in Minneapolis! She told Ayden to take her far away from the city where no one would find them.
She blamed this confusion on Amenirdis’ blood coursing through her system. Sure, she absorbed it through a dream, but somehow that dream escaped its confinement, making itself comfortable in her reality. The blood was strong enough to upset and transform her.
Anastasia looked over her shoulder again, watching Hallie leap several feet onto
overpasses, and eventually traveling alongside cars on the freeway into downtown Minneapolis. She abruptly stopped on a downtown street next to an overweight human male who fell onto the pavement, bowled and terrified. Hallie arrived a second later and watched the human crawl away from them. He rose to his feet and disappeared around the corner.
Anastasia pointed to him. “That one is getting away.”
“Him?” Hallie eyed their potential meal. “He smells funny.”
“If you’re hungry, smell won’t matter.” She walked around her and spoke again. “Like babies. I use to prefer them. In the past, they smelled sweet and fresh.”
Hallie shivered at the thought. “Why babies? I would never eat a baby.”
“How would you know? You’ve never tried.” She leaned her head back and admired the tall brick buildings that towered over and surrounded them. Maris’ scent remained strong.
“And I won’t. Why would you even consider eating babies? It sounds...”
“They were easy targets.” Realizing how demented her excuse sounded, she reiterated, “I was young and inexperienced back then.”
“So you don’t eat babies anymore?”
“No.”
“Good. I’d rather starve than go that low.” She caked on her courageous attitude like thick makeup only a whore could wear.
“Like I said, I was different during my early years. Everything was different. Adults were more superstitious and they, too, smelled sweet.” She hadn’t stopped to eye the true beauty of the downtown area in weeks. Minneapolis, the mini city, now had a truly dark aura that she couldn’t help but notice.
The city held its secrets, locked down tight like enormous metal doors of a bank vault. Once, the metropolitan stronghold had stood with its arms opened out to her and her kind; now, it shunned them away. The city changed the rules of the game. No longer could she force anyone to do what she wanted without facing the consequences. She couldn’t kill and leave her victims where she found them. Things had become complicated and she had to be careful. They all had to be careful.
“What do they smell like now?”
“Like medicine and powdered milk.”
Hallie wrapped her arms around her midsection and stared out at the city. “So, how do you choose who to eat?”
“That depends on what you prefer, but you’re in a hurry so you have to choose quickly.”
“No, I’m not.” She paused. “Oh, yeah, I forgot. I can’t block my thoughts from you.”
“You don’t know how to.” She turned, facing her. “Do what the researchers do. Imagine a brick wall.” She scoured Hallie’s thoughts. In no time, she saw a brief image of a chained fence. Confused, she tilted her head slightly to the left. “I said a brick wall. Not a fence.”
“I’m trying.” Hallie concentrated again. This time the image changed but, to Anastasia, the wall felt weak. She easily broke through it.
“I can’t do this.” Defeated, Hallie pouted.
“It takes time and practice. Just remember what I told you. Now, let’s hurry. You want to get back to Nathan in time.” She turned and took two steps forward. “So, how is he...really?”
“He’s sick. You know that.”
“Yes, but how sick?” Since the warehouse incident, she had pushed Nathan’s health down on her important list, slightly above Veronica. But to her, it didn’t mean she stopped caring as much as any Deamhan could about his well-being. He was the only human who trusted her when she first arrived in the city. He allowed her to stay at his home, turning it into a sanctuary. He pushed her to open herself up to her human emotions that she tried to rid herself of. When Lucius went missing, he supported her every effort to find out what happened to him. In the end, Nathan was more of a leader to her than any Deamhan had been in her life. But as long as he had Hallie looking out for him, this gave her more time to deal with important matters.
“Anastasia, I know you don’t care, so you can stop pretending that you do.”
“I’m concerned. Nathan is the only human ally we have. It’s important that he remains healthy and...”
“And what?”
“Alive.”
“You only care about Maris and this Dark Curse thing.” She tapped her right ear. “I hear you and Remy argue about it almost every night.”
“Maris is my offspring. I have to be.”
“But you sent her away because she wasn’t safe in Minneapolis.”
The conversation brought back memories of the night she took Maris, a new and inexperienced Deamhan, on her first hunt. They explored the backwater Irish Burroughs lined with taverns and whores willing to satisfy even the filthiest of men. During those days, Maris believed every word that poured from her deceitful mouth. She had no idea that she was being used. She never showed her how to survive. Instead, she used her to save her own skin.
Anastasia sniffed the warm air, detecting a vast array of scents, including the unmistakable odor of their enemies. But none as strong as her offspring’s.
“What is it?” Hallie too joined in. “What’s that smell?”
“Dorvo vampires.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“How can you tell?”
“They smell like rotting flesh.” A moment of silence entered their conversation as they also smelled odors of urine, pizza, and car exhaust all around them. “There’re more of them in the city than I realized.”
“Yeah, because of what you and Lucius did.”
“Yes.” The past few weeks brought in these Dorvo vampires, filling the void left behind by Deamhan who either left the city or were killed by the hands of Lucius, Selene, and herself. She regretted joining them in the massive slaughter but, at that time, she believed it had to be done. Little did she know that Lucius had ulterior motives, one which included releasing Amenirdis from Limbo. The city’s population turned against them, knocking them a peg down on the supernatural food chain. Bold and gutsy, they now had full reign of the town, including dominance over the other vampires who already lived in the city. They walked around freely to show their dominance, and it wouldn’t take long for their reach to extend out to Blind Bluff Manor.
“Aren’t they all vampires?” Hallie asked.
“Yes.”
“So why don’t we just call them that? Why call them ‘Dorvo vampires’?”
Anastasia walked down the street, following the scent left behind by their potential victim. “Because they’re different.”
“But you just told me they were the same?”
“To us, they are the same. Like humans and vampires, we can eat them. And”—her eyes turned toward the pavement— “silver works well against them. We’re created in their image, so to speak.”
“Why not just eat them instead of eating humans?”
“Why only eat one when we can have both?” She didn’t hear Hallie’s footsteps following her so she turned around. “Are you coming?”
They treaded carefully, walking by humans on their nightly strolls. She also noticed more human cops on patrol. Their appearance startled her briefly, but she understood the precaution. The murder rate and disappearances in Minneapolis had jumped significantly since the sanctuary fires. They had to take preventive measures.
When they stopped at an intersection, still on the trail of their victim, Hallie whispered to her, “You know, this is the second time I’ve seen you attempt to care for someone other than yourself.”
Anastasia glared at her from her peripheral.
“I know it was hard for you to let Maris go with Ayden. I don’t know how it feels to be bonded, especially to my sire, since...you know...I don’t know who sired me.”
“You should consider yourself lucky.” She stared at the light signal, waiting for it to turn so they could cross the street. “The majority of Deamhan don’t trust their own sires anyway. Not knowing your sire may be a blessing in disguise, as they say.”
“So it was that bad, huh?”
She watche
d as a car sped by. “More than you can imagine.”
The signal turned and they crossed the street.
“So, what exactly happened between you and Maris?”
“What always happens when you betray your offspring in return for your survival. She hated me...more than she hated anything else in her life. She stewed in it, grew up in it, and it’s a part of her that I want to correct.”
“Can you?” Hallie continued to follow her.
“I’ve never been optimistic on such matters.”
“Do you think she’ll forgive you?”
The conversation took on an eerie silence. Anastasia grew tired of the questioning. She felt uneasy revealing her past mistakes with Maris. She felt that as a young Deamhan, Hallie didn’t understand how Deamhan relationships worked.
“We’re hunting,” she said. “When we hunt, we don’t talk. We...hunt.”
“I know, but I’m curious. My foster mother had this saying. ‘The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.’ I think it’s a Gandhi quote or something.” When they reached the opposite side, she jumped on the curb and held her arms out to the side. “I used to hate my birth parents. I wondered why they gave me up. I mean, what was so bad about me that they decided to abandon me? Thinking about it now, I don’t really hate them. I pity and feel sorry for them.”
Anastasia tilted her head to the side. “I don’t feel sorry for anyone.”
“Maybe you should.”
“I don’t.” Her hunger pangs returned and she wanted to pick up the pace to reach their victim.
“Start with forgiving yourself.”
Her tolerance began to wane. “I come from an older world that was full of violence and death. At the time, it was common to kill other Deamhan, stalk humans, and hide from vampires. Deamhan did whatever they had to if they wanted to survive. My case was no different. I was on the run from Dorvo vampires and when they finally caught up to me, I had what they wanted. I had Maris. So I gave her up without a thought.”
“Sorry I said anything.” She placed her hands in her pockets.
Deception (Deamhan Chronicles Book 3) Page 5