“He’s dead,” Lucius said in a sorrowed voice. “If it makes you feel better, his death was quick.”
“Not quick enough.” Selene casually walked out of the room.
With widened eyes, Anastasia rubbed her throat. “It doesn’t make me feel any better.” She couldn’t believe the news. She didn’t want to believe it. She never saw eye to eye with Silvanus. Throughout the centuries, he had always proven to her that she was nothing more than a Deamhan who shared the same lineage with him. He viewed her as a bastard child; a Deamhan who had to be watched and kept under control. He flexed his age and power over her and he threatened her life numerous times but never had the balls to act through on them. She didn’t miss his passing, but for Lucius to kill him...it made no sense.
“You come from a long lineage of feared Ramanga.” Lucius moved in and crouched to Anastasia’s level. “Consider this moment to be special.”
“There isn’t anything special about this moment.”
He placed his finger over her mouth to hush her. “The Pure Ones have chosen you like they have chosen me.” He removed his finger and stood up. “You have the chance to stand alongside them.” He lifted her to her feet and leaned her up against the wall.
“And what about Veronica?” Anastasia asked. “You’ve forgotten about her.”
“I haven’t but she’s human, just like her mother. I was wrong to fall in love with her. It blinded me; made me forget my true purpose in the city.”
“And what is your true purpose Lucius? Even I don’t know.”
“To save Deamhan.”
Anastasia opened her mouth to respond but found her voice silent.
“Amenirdis, The Dark Mother, has instilled in me great power that you could never imagine. She has opened my eyes and I have opened Selene’s. I want to share this gift with you as well.”
Anastasia stared back into his eyes, knowing that whatever she tried to do from that point on, she couldn’t hide her intentions from Lucius. He knew enough about her past, which included Silvanus and the Dark Curse. He knew how she once helped Silvanus secure one of the descendants of this so-called Kashshapu, but then sired her into a Ramanga to save her own skin. However, she thought the problem had been solved decades ago. The descendant was no longer deemed important which meant that Lucius was after the other Deamhan; Kyra.
“Taste me and heal yourself.” He held his wrist up to her mouth.
She slightly turned her head away. “You know I can’t.”
“Yes, you can and you will.”
She hesitated but she knew in her state, she couldn’t deny his request. Her fangs slowly dropped and she bit into his wrist. His cold blood streamed down her throat and immediately she felt her body beginning to heal. It didn’t reject his blood. In fact her body craved it. Power swam through her entire body. The age his blood carried felt stronger than any blood she had ever consumed in her life. She wanted more and she sucked harder, taking in as much of the ambrosia until he forcefully pulled his wrist away.
“What just happened?” Fully regenerated, she stepped back and her fangs retracted. “Why was I able to feed from you?” She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Her body wanted more and she rushed at him.
“It’s their gift to us.” He held out his hand, stopping her from coming any closer. “My blood is mixed with blood of a Pure One.”
The blood continued to progress through her veins. Her senses heightened to a level she’d never felt before. No human or Deamhan blood ever did that. It just didn’t seem possible.
“Place your differences with Selene aside. We have to pull together. We have to start acting like a family once more.” He dropped his hand.
The blood felt too damn good; she couldn’t deny it. But what he asked of her; what he planned to do and his strong belief in the Pure Ones. That wasn’t anything she could just overlook. “I have walked this road before, in my past, Lucius. It never ends well.”
“Yes, but things are different.” He placed his arms around her and he brought her in close to his chest. “I trust you and Selene. With you both by my side, this can be done.”
“And Kei?”
“What about Kei?”
She increased her grip around Lucius. She knew no matter what the cost, no matter what it was, she would follow him blindly. Plus she didn’t have any other choice unless she wanted to see Lucius and Selene kill Nathan and the others at Blind Bluff Manor. For now, she had to play it safe and show her obedience toward him as a sign of good faith.
And his blood...she wanted more.
“We have one piece of the Dark Curse tablet and The Brotherhood has the other.” He increased his embrace. “Kyra, Nathan’s old friend, is the key to unlocking it. We must find her at all costs.”
Anastasia nodded.
“Now, you must start feeding again to be strong.” He smiled. “You’re no good to us if you aren’t at your full strength.”
1
DARK CURSE. DEAMHAN CHRONICLES #2
CHAPTER NINE
Nathan waited outside in the passenger pick up of O’Hare airport in Chicago, watching the taxis, shuttle buses, and cars drive by. The hectic traffic and the sound of several car horns overlapped each other in the thick and dense air. He placed his small suitcase on the ground next to him and put his hands in the pockets of his slacks.
It had been a long time since he’d been to Chicago.
His own father had grown up in the city in a family of well-respected researchers and members of The Brotherhood. In his father’s time the organization grew to be well respected. They had their moments and many questioned its clouded history, but nonetheless, his father taught Nathan to look toward the future and the time when he would replace his footsteps and become a researcher himself. Chicago was also the location of the first Brotherhood headquarters which burned in what they called the Great Fire.
Nathan learned a lot in Chicago and at the age of eighteen they handed him his very first assignment; to track down an Ancient as old as time itself, who sailed from Greece decades before his assignment. Any Deamhan over 1,000 years old was considered “Ancient” because Deamhan usually didn’t live that long. Those that did went into hiding or refused to be seen. With age came power and they rose in the ranks, becoming judge, jury, and executioner for their kind. It wasn’t long until the Ancient had tracked him down to his apartment in Los Angeles off La Brea and Santa Monica Avenue.
He had walked into his apartment near midnight to see a female Deamhan standing in his living room, examining his plants in the window sill. She had long dark hair, oval eyes and smooth skin. Her lips were full with a pink hue. He saw a circular tattoo that only minions were branded with on her upper right arm (usually minions were branded on their wrists when they were considered property of another Deamhan.) Dressed in a long evening gown, appropriate for a woman about the town, she turned to him and smiled. Her feet seemed to float over the cold, wooden floor as she walked over to him. Nathan found himself lost in her trance.
He had had sinister expectations for his first encounter with a Deamhan. But she proved to be the opposite of what he learned as a young promising student. She understood him, she respected him, and most importantly, she didn’t threaten him. She addressed herself to him as Kyra all the while letting him know that she would never harm him unless he gave her reason to. She revealed that she knew of him through his father who had helped her in her past. She also became used to researchers following her for as long as she could remember. It wasn’t a problem for her, as long as they didn’t interfere.
She had revealed everything about her history to him and she made Nathan promise her that he wouldn’t tell anyone about her arrival. She was the oldest Ramanga alive and before leaving him to Hibernate; a deep sleep for Deamhan. She promised that she would return to him in time.
Days later, a new Brotherhood Chapter had sprung up in Minneapolis and along with Veronica’s father, Nathan was also chosen to represent the Chapter. By that
time Kyra had disappeared and Nathan thought he’d never hear from her again until a few nights ago when his phone rang in his study.
His body tingled when he heard her soft voice over the phone. Yet this time her voice was filled with urgency. She needed him to come to Chicago, offering to pay for the first flight that he could take. Without hesitation he took the offer, hoping that she wasn’t in trouble.
A black limo pulled up in front of Nathan, making an abrupt stop. The tires skidded along the street and the side door opened.
Nathan grabbed his suitcase and stepped in, closing the door behind him as the limo pulled off. He sat across from her. A thin black veil covered her face and it matched a long black dress. Nathan began to think that she never wore anything different.
“Kyra.” He felt his lips curl into a wide smile. “How long has it been?”
“Ages.” She lifted up her veil. Her face still resembled the same woman Nathan remembered seeing in his apartment decades ago, except that now, her dark hair was cut short. Nathan admired her beauty.
“You’ve grown older.” Her oval brown eyes sparkled. They rapidly focused in and out, sometimes changing to the ever-noticeable black that all Deamhan had. “You remind me of your father.” She bit her lower lip. Nathan wouldn’t object. No matter how much her beauty caught his breath, being sired as one of them wasn’t worth the risk.
“You look as beautiful as ever.”
She flashed a weak smile. “On the outside yes but on the inside,” she placed her hand over her chest, “I hurt every day.”
“You’ve cut your hair since the last time I saw you.”
She combed her fingers through her dark strands. “I always cut my hair after waking from Hibernation. But now I wished I would’ve kept it. The long hair helps shield the thoughts of Deamhan around me.”
“What’s troubling you?”
She closed her eyes. “I heard him cry and scream and moan. He’s never done that. He’s never called out for my help.”
“Who?”
“His cries woke me up from my Hibernation.” She lowered her hand. “Things have grown worse since I fell asleep. This is not the same world I left decades ago.”
“Yes, the world has changed. This city has grown larger and there are more people.”
“No, no not that,” she interrupted, “not the human world but my world. I thought that this problem was solved years ago. I was wrong.”
A lot had changed and Nathan hoped to explain it to her in time. He couldn’t comprehend her sensitivity. Being one of the oldest Deamhan he knew, older than Anastasia, Kei, and Selene combined, her senses heightened themselves to a point that she felt every Deamhan emotion around her. Her eyes carried the imprints of places and people that Nathan could only dream about viewing.
“What problem?” Nathan asked. “Who woke you?”
“I felt his anger.” Her soft voice carried. “I felt his rage.” Kyra’s voice grew louder. “His thoughts told me that they are searching for me.”
“Who?” Nathan rubbed his chin. As with many elders, Kyra resorted to Hibernation to pass the time. It wasn’t a new concept. Nathan knew of many Deamhan who had done the very same thing. Hibernation left their bodies vulnerable so they chose crypts, grave sites, and caves to protect them. But Kyra still heard everything around her. She knew what was going on.
“Lucius betrayed him.”
“Lucius? What does he have to do with this?”
“Everything.”
“Who did he betray?”
“Silvanus.” Her eyes locked on Nathan. “He betrayed Silvanus.” Her eyes widened. “My body aches for him, Nathan. I miss him already.”
“You have always felt for Deamhan, Kyra,” Nathan replied. “You are different from many that I’ve met.”
“Maybe that is why I’m the fool.” She looked out the tinted windows of the limo. “Silvanus trusted them and for that, he paid with his life.”
Nathan paused at the revelation. At first he thought he misheard her. “Lucius killed Silvanus? Are you sure?”
The corner of her lips turned downward. “I have no doubt.”
Nathan crouched to the floor of the limo and he moved over to her. “When did this happen?” He sat next to her and placed his palm over her own. Oddly enough, her body was warm. She had just fed.
“A few days ago in your city.” She cocked her head to the side. “Deamhan sense what is coming. It will turn into Chicago all over again. They will kill so many just trying to free them.”
“Who is he trying to free?” Nathan didn’t understand her statement. His mind filled with questions and he began to stutter with his next response.
“The very first Deamhan to walk the earth,” she replied. “The ones who rot in Limbo.”
Nathan leaned back and his mind began to go into overdrive. “Pure Ones?”
“I can hear Lucius, in my head.” Kyra placed her hands on top of her head. “He is corrupted by their blood. It circles his veins, invading his body and mind.” She looked at him. “Throughout the centuries, I’ve never heard any Deamhan cry as loudly as Silvanus did to me. He tried to warn me.”
Nathan felt his voice drop and all he could do was stare at Kyra, watching her act out in her irate and weird behavior. Nathan couldn’t fathom why Lucius would kill Silvanus and what this all had to do with releasing the Pure Ones from Limbo.
Kyra shook her head. “There is so much you don’t know,” she continued, “so much history of the Deamhan that your father kept from you to keep you safe.” She frowned. “You need to know everything now,” she nodded to herself in her own affirmation, “yes, you will be the only human I shall share the history with.” Nathan didn’t understand what Kyra had just said. His father didn’t keep anything about the Deamhan from him. He allowed Nathan to read his personal researcher files when Nathan was young.
“Your home is not safe. It is too dangerous now for you to go back to Minneapolis.” Kyra placed her hand on his cheek, snapping him from his thoughts. “Promise me, you won’t try to go back.”
“Everything I have and know is in Minneapolis. I have to go back sooner or later.” He thought about Veronica and how she was alone with Anastasia, Remy, and Hallie. He knew they wouldn’t do anything to hurt her, but if things were as bad as Kyra made it out to be, he had to go back to warn them.
“Lucius can’t be trusted, Nathan.” Kyra answered his thoughts. “If you go back now, he will do great harm to you.” Her eyes fluttered briefly. “You must call The Brotherhood and let them know about this chaotic dilemma.”
“I haven’t communicated with them since I left the organization, Kyra.”
Kyra placed her finger over his mouth to silence him. “You must find a way to get in contact with them now before it’s too late, before Lucius comes looking for the tablet.”
“Tablet?”
Her eyes drooped with concern. “When Limbo spat Lucius from its womb, dark magic escaped along with him. It’s this same magic that I’ve stopped before. Now it’s loose and I’m afraid Anastasia has been introduced to it. We must be on alert, Nathan. This strong magic is too dangerous to confront, even for someone as old as the Ancients and myself. Your father helped me once. I need you to help me now.”
****
The drive from the O’Hare International Airport to the outskirts of Chicago took a little over an hour. Throughout the ride Nathan viewed the passing scenery, enjoying the breathtaking view of the shipping yards along the edge of the Lake Michigan and the suburbs that looks eerily familiar to the suburbs around Minneapolis.
Kyra closed her eyes throughout the hour ride, leaving Nathan in absolute quietness. She didn’t speak up once but her body did quiver, pushing Nathan to ask if she was okay. She nodded and locked her fingers together, resting them on her lap.
The limousine pulled off onto a patch of dirt road and began to pick up speed. Fields of decayed and dried long grass replaced the once mechanical environment around them. Nathan braced his body t
o the seat as the car drove over the bumpy road. Eventually the ride became smoother and they approached a large red brick mansion that seemed to suddenly appear out of nowhere.
The limo stopped and Nathan heard the driver side door open and close. A tall and older white male with brushy white eyebrows and long drooping ears opened the door and held out his hand for Kyra to take. With her eyes still closed she grasped his hand and he helped her from the vehicle. He then extended his hand to Nathan who climbed out of the car.
Nathan circled around, eyeing the vast and open space. Like his own sanctuary, the building was secure in the middle of nowhere. In the distance he viewed an old grain building that leaned to its right in a toppled stance. The horizon was brightening slowly and he looked at his watch. It was almost sunrise.
The driver escorted Kyra to the wooden front doors of the tall, three story mansion. Before opening the door Kyra opened her eyes and looked back at Nathan who still stood by the limo, mesmerized by the sheer vastness of the area around them.
“If you think this is breathtaking, you should see the inside.” She opened the door. “Your father loved this place. He spent a lot of time here.”
Once inside Nathan dropped his bags on the floor. A glass chandelier hung overhead, each candle’s light flickering from the slight breeze coming through the front door. Ahead a staircase circled up to the second floor where he saw Kyra standing in front of a plate glass window painted with pictures of flying fairies. Several pictures of Kyra throughout her existence hung along the walls along the staircase. One painting with an ornamental border depicted a vibrant, young Kyra wearing an ancient Roman stola dress with her locks pinned with white bone clips. Next to it was another painting of her in a long dress, standing next to Silvanus wearing a crown lined with jewels and a tunic dress. Two marble statue heads; one of Medusa and the other of a woman who also resembled Kyra were to the right and left of the plate glass windows.
Dark Curse (Deamhan Chronicles Book 2) Page 10