When the pain stopped, the image disappeared.
“What was that?” Anastasia’s skin changed back to normal and her eyes transformed into black.
“That was me putting you in your place.” Krerina stood from the table. “I hope we understand each other.”
Anastasia heard the bathroom door open and blinked to make her eye color return to normal. Sia returned from the bathroom with both eyes sewn shut and her face completely clean of any blood.
Krerina’s demeanor also changed. “Spell is done.” She walked to her room.
Sia nodded. “What is that smell?”
“It’s nothing.” Anastasia hid her healing palm from her, not like the Adze could see anyway. Krerina’s display and ability to inflict harm on her still wasn’t enough to turn her into a believer of what this supposed Kashshapu could do.
“You should pack your things,” Sia said. “Now that the spell is finished, we need to leave.”
She ignored Sia and instead, glared at the door to Krerina’s room.
“Anastasia, did you hear me?”
“Shh.” Using her hearing, she attempted to listen in on what the teenage girl was doing.
“Anastasia, what is it?” She sat across from her.
She heard nothing.
“Did something happen between you and Krerina when I was in the bathroom?”
“Nothing I couldn’t handle.” She turned and faced her. “But I do have a question for you.”
“If this is about Krerina, then please, let’s not do this right now. We can talk about it at a later time. Now, you should pack. We’re leaving for Minneapolis as soon as we can.”
“We’re going back? That city is far too dangerous for Maris.”
“Everywhere is dangerous for Maris. But we have to go back. We need the Dark Curse tablet and while I do appreciate that your friends are doing what they can, it isn’t enough. Amenirdis will kill anyone in her way to get it and my sister serves her so it’s safe to say that soon, your human will die by her hands if we don’t get the tablet from him.”
“My friends aren’t pushovers, Sia. They can handle the threat.”
“I understand, but it’s still not safe until it’s in Krerina’s hands.”
“Oh, you call handing it over to that girl, safe?” she mocked.
“Dear God, yes, it is!” she replied, exhausted. “When will you accept this? Why is it so hard for you to have faith in what we’re trying to do?”
“Faith.” Anastasia cringed at the word.
They heard the door to one of the bedrooms open slowly. Ayden appeared first, bare-chested and wearing loose-fitting blue jeans. His hair was disheveled and he rubbed his eyes. He paused in mid-step, noticing that Anastasia and Sia had directed their attention to him.
“What’s that smell?” He then sniffed the air. “Is that burning flesh?”
“You and Maris need to pack,” Sia said. “We’ll be leaving for Minneapolis shortly.”
“Why?” Maris appeared in the doorway. Unlike Ayden, she looked fully awake and prepared for anything. She’d dressed herself in a faded T-shirt with an image of a comic book character and white leggings. She looked familiar, normal, and adapted to human clothing and, by looking at her, no one could suspect that her blood was the key to either ending or saving the entire Deamhan race.
“Amenirdis is still there, right?” Ayden said. “We should stay as far away from that city as possible.”
“That’s exactly what I’m thinking,” Anastasia added.
“No one has heard from her or seen her in years,” Sia spoke. “She’s in hiding. Now is the perfect time to do this. We’ll be fine.”
“So, we’re protected?” Maris questioned.
“Old magic items from some teenage girl’s treasure chest can’t protect you,” Anastasia sighed. “We shouldn’t go back.”
“We have to if we want to end this,” Sia said.
Maris buried her face in Ayden’s chest.
“It’s up to you,” he said to her. “What do you want to do?”
“I just want this all to end,” she mumbled.
“And this is the only way to end it,” Sia assured her.
“Are you sure?” Ayden wrapped his arms around her.
“Yes. We’ve been constantly moving for two years now. I’m tired of running. I’m tired of hiding. The whole point of this was to confront the Dark Mother and send her back to Limbo. Krerina is the weapon to do that.”
Sia nodded. “Get dressed and pack your things. We leave in a moment’s notice.”
“Maris.” Anastasia stood from her chair. “I don’t like this.”
“You don’t have to like it, but we’re doing it.”
Both Maris and Ayden returned to their room. Only Anastasia remained where she stood, still apprehensive of their plan. “Sia, I hope you’re right about this.” She pointed at the door to Krerina’s room. “I hope you’re right about that girl.” She walked back to her room and grabbed her backpack full of clothes.
Krerina’s presence irritated her to no end. Not only was she too young, which Anastasia felt the need to constantly stress to the others, but the girl was also annoying and inexperienced to boot. Her claim to be a Kashshapu pushed at Anastasia’s tolerance limit. They didn’t exist and she didn’t understand why no one else considered that.
She studied the skin on her hands again. What Krerina did to her felt exactly like how her body would react before it went into Hibernation. However, seeing the weird shadowed figure wasn’t part of that process.
When she returned, she waited alongside Sia and Krerina for Ayden and Maris.
What happened between you and Krerina? The Adze Deamhan telepathically spoke to her.
“I would ask you not to invade my memories, but you’re three times older than I. It wouldn’t do me any good.”
I’m not invading your memories. They come to me under their own free will.
“We had a disagreement, that’s all.”
Did she… did she use her magic against you?
Anastasia swallowed hard.
What did she do to you?
Anastasia kept silent.
“I know it will take much to trust her,” Sia finally spoke aloud.
“Yes, and you all took her in with opened arms. In my eyes, that’s too big of a risk.”
“Then what do you suggest? We keep running? We keep moving from city to city? We can’t do that forever. It’s not fair to your offspring.”
Ayden and Maris returned, and Sia held out her arms. “You all need to hold on to me. I don’t want to lose any of you in the shadows.”
Ayden took her right hand followed by Maris who took her left. Krerina grabbed the gold-etched, covered box and then held onto Maris. Anastasia, finding no other way, held on tight to her right forearm.
“All of you, close your eyes. This will only be but moments.”
Anastasia closed her eyes. Shadow travel wasn’t number one on her list of ways to reach a destination, especially to head back into a city she still considered her home.
CHAPTER FOUR
REMY
Nestled against the bank of the Mississippi River on the east side of the city, the Wabasha Caves once housed barrels of liquor during Prohibition. Gangsters from Chicago also used them for entertainment purposes, catering to everyone and anyone in a time when the land went ‘dry,’ as Prohibitionists called it. Now they were also the perfect hideout location for anyone attempting to lay low.
Remy still couldn’t see Ruby calling this area home. She proclaimed herself as leader of the Dorvo Coven, vampires who claimed to be related to the very first vampires to have walked the earth. They separated themselves from others like Lambert and Alexis by placing the blood in their veins on a pedestal.
The smell of sewage from the Mississippi River engulfed his nose. The pungent odor made him turn his head in the opposite direction, toward a group of Lambert’s trustworthy vampires who stood off to the side. He decided to keep
his distance and for good reason. He had no interest in being in proximity to food. He counted seven: four women and three men, and they all looked delicious. He fidgeted with his fingers and the craving for anything vampire troubled him. Soon he didn’t know if he could contain himself.
Just a dab to get me going. He snickered. A Deamhan who craved what he did made him a dangerous person for vampires to be around. He always could sustain his thirst, but this time… it became too much.
“I thought you said she was here?” he whispered to Lambert.
“That’s what I was told.”
“The only scents I can smell right now are fish and shit. Maybe they were wrong.”
“I trust them.” He cleared his throat.
“Are you sure they just didn’t smell another Deamhan or some random Dorvo vampire?”
“What Deamhan and Dorvo vamp smells like rose-water perfume?”
“Ruby,” Remy replied. “She could never get enough of that rose water.”
“But I agree. We have to be certain that this isn’t another Deamhan.”
“Or Amenirdis.”
“Or the other crazy one,” Lambert added.
“Does it really matter?”
“No, it actually doesn’t. All my vampires are on heightened alert regardless of the threat.” He lowered his voice. “I can only keep them that way for so long until they take matters into their own hands.”
“What you’re saying is that you can’t control them.” Remy pointed to the seven vampires. “Lambert, King to all Minneapolis vampires? Say it ain’t so!”
“Just like Deamhan, we love revenge. Some of the vampires here… they want Deamhan dead, especially Anzuna. They’ve lost friends and those they’ve sired to her. For two years, she’s been running around like a wild dog, killing anyone in her path, and we’ve been cleaning up after her. They’ve lost their patience. She needs to be controlled.”
“She needs to be killed,” Remy replied. “I know how much of a threat she is, but it’s not like she’s decimating every supernatural in the city. C’mon, Lambert, you know the Queen of Limbo doesn’t want her servant to expose us like that. Even for someone like her, that’s too much.”
“Let’s just say that my vampires don’t care what your queen wants and they’re less enthusiastic of Deamhan—vampire relationships right now. Currently, they’re tolerating you and the rest because I told them that you can deal with this little problem. That can’t last forever.”
The vampire craving returned again and instead of imagining his mouth filled with their essence, Remy turned his thoughts to Veronica. He thought about what she might be doing at that exact moment, where she’d run off to and, most importantly, if she was still alive. “You know, when Ruby tortured me at your club, she was pissed off about Veronica.”
“What does Veronica have to do with this?” Lambert asked.
“I’m just making conversation.”
“Thinking about her will only distract you.”
“I beg to differ. Thinking about her makes me… think straight… I guess.” Yes, it was a bit unusual for him to be this invested in anyone, especially a human, but she wasn’t just any human. She was Veronica. He thought about her every minute and hour of each night since the Brotherhood took her away years ago.
Remy felt his craving intensify and he patted his stomach. “I’m hungry.”
Lambert raised his head slightly. “My vampires are off limits.”
“Relax.” He raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t say anything about chomping down on your brood.”
They approached a large metal gate that blocked the entrance to the caves. “Well, I guess we came here for nothing.” He turned on the heels of his feet. “I’ll be back at the house if you need me.”
Lambert placed his hand on Remy’s shoulder and spun him back around. “I don’t know what has gotten into you.” He then grabbed the lock and examined it briefly before breaking it free. “But whatever it is, you need to correct it. Immediately.” He opened the gate.
“I’m just not interested.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“Why? It’s true. I just can’t find it in myself to care about a lot of things anymore.”
“It’s clear that you still care about Veronica.”
“Who’s the one bringing her up now?” He glared at the still waters of the river.
“Think about this. You want her to come back to Minneapolis but as it stands, the city isn’t safe for her.”
“It isn’t really safe for anyone. Besides, she belongs with her people.”
“The Brotherhood? Really? You don’t believe that.”
It wasn’t a question if he did or didn’t. It was the truth and the evidence to back it up was overwhelming. Not only did she discover that a Deamhan killed her mother, she too almost suffered the same fate. Only when Anastasia forced herself into Kenneth’s mind did Remy find out that the Brotherhood held her prisoner in their facilities in San Diego. While he personally still wanted to rescue his damsel, he understood that he couldn’t just leave Minneapolis while the destruction of Deamhan loomed over his head, and he couldn’t return her back to the same environment she blamed for her mother’s death. His Veronica would have to wait a spell.
Lambert peered down the dark tunnel. He lifted his nose slightly. “Do you smell that?”
Remy smelled the scent the moment they arrived. “I smell sewage.”
“Not that.” He waved at Remy to come back to the gate. “I smell Dorvo vampires.”
“Oh… that.” Instead, he walked to the river’s embankment.
Lambert strolled over to the other seven vampires and chatted with them. He soon returned back to Remy. “We’ll wait until back-up arrives.”
The city of Minneapolis glowed among the nighttime sky. Towers of various heights and sizes created a skyline that Remy found pleasant to gaze at. He thought about how long he’d lived, hunted, and roamed the streets of this Mini-City and all the while, failed to notice its true beauty.
The city wasn’t always this beautiful and seemingly innocent. There was a time that Deamhan ravaged and slaughtered one another. They’d run amok, burning sanctuaries, and maiming whomever stood in their way. Ramanga hunted Metusba. Metusba hunted Lamia. Lamia hunted Lugat and Lugat hunted Ramanga. To add to the chaos, all Deamhan pissed on the shoes of vampires, irritating the only other supernaturals in the city. It had been a never-ending, hellish festival with no ending in sight until Veronica appeared at Lambert’s club, Dark Sepulcher, asking questions about her mother who had disappeared twenty years ago. A mother who was heavily involved in Deamhan affairs.
Stop thinking about her.
That night, when he saw her wavy, brown hair and her beautiful brown eyes, he did believe that his shriveled heart had begun to beat again. From that moment forward, he knew he had to have her. He had to have his Veronica. Everything that happened since that day revolved around her.
“You’re thinking about her again.”
Remy snapped out of his daydream. “What?”
“Veronica.”
“No, I’m just reminiscing about how fun the city was before all this started.”
“Suuuuure.” Lambert gazed into cave’s darkness. “I’ve heard of this area but never had a desire to actually go inside. If Ruby’s down there, we’ll walk straight into a trap.”
Remy dipped his hand in the smelly water. “She isn’t down there.” With his Deamhan sight, he gazed past the murkiness, seeing debris and other garbage resting on the river’s floor. “Like I said before, she prefers an immaculate environment.” He turned around. “Not a place near a smelly river protected by a flimsy metal gate. She’s a doll, always in need of a good pamper.”
“Is that how she won your heart years ago?”
He shrugged. “That and many other ways.” He looked around. “Back then, she was a woman of beauty who refused to be around anyone or anything she found ugly and disgusting. She used her grace, her good looks
, and her boldness to force others to appreciate her.”
“The fact that she was a Dorvo vampire didn’t tell you to run the other way?”
“No. I thought she was destined to do great things. Plus, I was curious and, like they say, curiosity kills the cat.” The river’s fish-like smell toyed at him. “Where’s your backup? I don’t want to wait all night in this stench-hole.”
“Don’t worry. They’ll be here.” He backed away from the entrance.
It didn’t take long for back-up to arrive. They appeared from every corner and cranny in a semi-annoying, grand appearance. Remy rolled his eyes, finding himself surrounded by vampires of all different sizes and ages. His hunger demanded he take a nibble from the nearest one—a woman with gorgeous curly blond hair, who stood a few feet from him. He ignored the urge for the time being.
Lambert pointed to the cave and off they went, obeying his order. They rushed in fast, leaving behind a trail of dirt with the wind blowing Remy’s brown hair. He waited for mere seconds before following Lambert inside the cave. His eyes adjusted to the darkness and he saw the rock walls on both sides and overhead. As the group inched forward, he found no need to remain on alert. If Ruby was down there with her Dorvo vampires by her side, at least they’d attack them first.
“So, what gave you the idea that she might be here?” he whispered to Lambert.
“Like I told you before, my vampires have been scouring the city as of late. They reported unfamiliar traffic in this area, among other things.”
“What other things?” Curious, he waited for the vampire to answer.
“Different smells… different individuals. I don’t know what to make of it but these reports have spooked my vampires.”
“So, you think it’s more than just Dorvo vamps?”
“At one point, I thought it was the person who’s been going around, killing Deamhan.”
“Anzuna?” Frazzled, Remy pushed Lambert to explain.
“This is why you need to get out more. You would’ve already known about this if you did.”
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