Divination (Deamhan Chronicles Book 4)

by Isaiyan Morrison

  “Still thinking with what’s between your legs, even as a Deamhan.” Lambert sipped his glass.

  “Hey, give me a break. She made me feel weird… and I liked it.”

  Sia remained quiet and stood near the window, watching the gathering crowds of vampires below on the first floor of the club. She inched back and turned to Lambert. “You sure they can’t see us up here?”

  “It’s a one-way mirror.”

  “They can’t see us but they can smell us, I’m sure,” Remy said. “And I’m pretty positive that they aren’t happy campers.”

  “I can handle them,” Lambert replied. “So, now that you’re all better, healed, and don’t look like skinless zombies, can you tell me exactly what happened?”

  Remy didn’t know how to explain it and part of him didn’t want to. How could he inform Lambert that Nathan, whom he had known for decades, was killed by a dark magic-controlled Anastasia? How could he tell him that the queen of hell now resided at their sanctuary with Krerina and the Defiler as her servants?

  “I need a drink.” Remy grabbed an empty glass and the bourbon. “It’s going to be a long day.”

  “Looks like you all need a drink,” Lambert replied.

  “Yeah, why not.” Hallie stood from the couch. “I’ll take one.”

  Lambert poured her a drink but Remy snatched it from him. “She’s not ready for the hard stuff yet.” He downed the harsh liquid and slammed the glass on the counter. “Good Lord, this stuff is disgusting.” He spat it out almost immediately.

  “So, tell me what happened?”

  “Krerina,” Sia replied. “I should’ve known. I should’ve listened to Anastasia. She knew that he couldn’t be trusted, but I was too blind to see.”

  “Yeah, maybe you should’ve kept your eyes opened instead of sewing them shut,” Remy snarled. “But it won’t change the fact that this might be our last night on this earth.”

  “So tell me what exactly happened,” Lambert asked. “And don’t leave anything out.”

  Remy couldn’t take his eyes off his glass. He spun it on the counter. “We found the other piece of the tablet. Ruby had it all along, inside her.” He thumbed at his littlest Deamhan. “After Hallie killed her all hell broke loose.”

  “Krerina betrayed us,” Sia added. “We found out that she was one of the triplets who used to serve Amenirdis. She managed to somehow take control of Anastasia who…”

  “What?” Lambert asked.

  “She made Anastasia…”

  “Just say it!” Hallie blurted out. “She made Anastasia kill Ayden and Nathan.” She rocked her body back and forth on the couch.

  They all suffered but it was his littlest Deamhan who felt the full brunt. Facing annihilation wasn’t easy, on top of losing the only human person in the world who understood them.

  Lambert stumbled back at the news. “Nathan’s dead?” he asked in a broken whisper.

  “Yes and there wasn’t anything we could do to stop it.” Remy rubbed his finger on the edge of the glass. “Just know that it wasn’t really Anastasia. She didn’t do it on purpose or because she wanted to.”

  “And we just left his body there.” Hallie stood from the couch. “We just left him there.”

  “This may sound harsh but that’s not our biggest concern.” Lambert’s eyes widened. “Amenirdis has what she wants to start Revelation.”

  “Yeah, we’re well aware,” Remy said.

  “So, how did you all end up in broad fucking daylight?”

  “We ran. What else could we do?” Remy walked around the bar and toward the see-through glass. “Yep, we ran like cowards.” He placed his hands on the glass. “And now, there’s not much more we can do besides wait for the other seven Pure Deamhan to be released.” He believed that, with everything going against them, it was only a matter of time before Lambert would join the same bandwagon. He wouldn’t blame him, though. His vampire friend would have to jump ship if he wanted to save his own ass. “Anastasia and Maris are still there. I have no clue if Kenneth is there or if he’s still alive.”

  “Remy,” Lambert’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “I’m truly sorry. Nathan, of all people…”

  He licked his lips. He still couldn’t get the image of Nathan’s lifeless body on the floor at the manor. “Yeah, yeah, but we don’t have time to mourn. We can mourn later. Right now, we have to figure a way to get back in there. Krerina and her sister are experts in dark magic. They made our sanctuary impenetrable.”

  “We have to find a way to stop the ritual,” Sia replied. “If we don’t, we’ll all be dust and blood before the next sunrise.”

  “So, how can we stand up against them when they can control us?” Remy folded his arms and waited for someone to come up with a solid plan. He couldn’t think of anything, except for revenge, which soothed his rampant thoughts. “C’mon, people, let’s think.”

  Lambert paused in thought. “Do you know if Nathan managed to contact the Brotherhood?”

  “Yeah, and he said they were on their way here. Do you honestly think they’d lift a finger to help us? Really?” Remy laughed at the vampire’s suggestion.

  Hallie stood with her arms folded and her back against the wall. “Veronica would.”

  “We don’t know if she’s still alive, if they still have her… so don’t think about her. Not now.”

  “We don’t know that.” Hallie stepped forward. “It’s worth a try, right? I mean, Nathan said they never left the city. There are researchers who are still here. Maybe they’ll let us talk to her.”

  He saw it in her eyes. She wanted this to work. She wanted to trust them, but he couldn’t. “Hallie,” he said her name in a strong voice. “Don’t. The last time we asked for their help, they betrayed us. Not to mention that they took Veronica in exchange for their help.”

  “We have to trust them.”

  “True, but let’s not start with this.” Remy looked to Sia who refused to get involved in the conversation.

  “It might be the only viable solution to this issue,” Lambert said.

  “A solution? When they first heard that Lucius wanted to free the Pure Ones from Limbo, they thought that the Pure Ones were myths!” Remy replied. “So tell me, how could they’ve found a solution to our problem when they can’t get their facts straight?”

  “I can have a few of my human workers visit the chapter right now, see if a meeting can be set up.” Lambert tapped his hand on the counter.

  He wasn’t lying. Lambert had a natural talent, connections, and money to boot. His connections in the city remained endless.

  “Screw that.” Remy dug his chin into his chest. “I’m not that scared of two teenage-looking rejects who serve some Pure Deamhan hussy to trust the Brotherhood.”

  “Well, I for one won’t sit here and let her release them from Limbo,” Lambert said. “Either you can sit there and sulk, or you can help.”

  Sia’s dark and brooding Deamhan eyes beamed at them. “Do it. We need an audience with them now. We cannot wait around and allow the Dark Mother to succeed in her plan.”

  “You know the Brotherhood wants the Dark Curse tablet and Maris in exchange for their help.” Remy placed his elbow on the counter and rested his chin in his hand. “We might as well kiss their feet and lick their boots.”

  In Deamhan speed, Sia rushed at Remy. “If you have a better idea, then say it!”

  Her reaction surprised and gently pushed him off balance. His glass fell from the counter onto the floor, shattering into tiny pieces. “Calling them is a bad idea.”

  “What choice do you have?” Lambert asked. “Remy, from the sound of things you, Hallie, and Sia can’t stop her.”

  “And the Brotherhood can?” he snickered.

  “We won’t know until we try. Just look at all the drama you Deamhan have been through in these past few years alone. Nathan had cancer, Hallie was forced to grow up faster than she should, you nearly died because of a damn Deamhan bite, and Krerina is pulling Anas
tasia’s strings, turning her rabid again. You’re living in odd times, right now and you can’t handle this all on your own.”

  “More like the end times.” He stared into Sia’s eyes and he saw the same fire he saw in Anastasia’s when she made up her mind. There was no wiggle room and there was nothing he could say to make her rethink what they planned to do. “I was just saying! Fine. Contact the Brotherhood. But there’s no way I’ll let you hog all the glory. Krerina is mine. I’m itching to add her to my victim list.”

  “So, it’s settled.” Sia calmed herself. “Lambert, would you please make the call?”

  “Sure.” Lambert poured himself another drink. “I guess I know the one who is calling the shots around here.”

  Sia calmly walked back toward the one-way mirror.

  Remy scratched the back of his head. He felt a loose piece of skin and instead of pulling it, he jerked his hand away.

  “Get some rest.” Lambert sipped his drink again before placing the glass on the counter. “You still have a long way to go before you look like yourself.” He stepped from behind the bar. “I’ll make that phone call.” He left the room.

  Alone with Sia and Hallie, Remy watched his somber littlest Deamhan sit at the bar and rest her head on the counter. “We’re going to die, aren’t we?” She stared off into the distance and her lower lip trembled.

  “No, don’t say that.” He stood next to her. “Before you know it, this will be all over and you can go back to sulking around the manor and being a thorn in my side.”

  “No, we can never go back to how things were.”

  He placed his arm around her. “We will.”

  She pushed him gently away. “Nathan’s dead. We don’t have a home. I’m scared, Remy.”

  “What happened to the fearless Metusba?” He rubbed his hand on her cheek. “The one who said she could handle whatever life throws at her?”

  “She never existed.”

  “I know Nathan’s death isn’t something we can easily just get over but right now, for our own survival, we have to. It takes time, my littlest Deamhan. Believe me, I’ve watched plenty of people who I knew and loved, die. Mourning is natural; feeling angry and revengeful is a part of that closure, but eventually it will pass.”

  “Just promise me something.”

  “Sure. Anything.”

  “Promise me that Nathan will get a proper burial.”

  “Do you have to ask? Yes, he’ll get a proper burial.”

  “Okay.” She nodded. “I think I need to sleep for a little bit. I’m tired.”

  “Yeah, go ahead. I’ll be on the couch.” He turned to walk away but she grabbed his arm.

  “You’ll kill Krerina for what she did, right?”

  He didn’t expect that type of question. It wasn’t the Hallie he knew. “Yeah.” He pussyfooted around the issue.

  “I want you to make sure. I want you to kill her. Say that you’ll kill her.”

  “I’ll kill her.” He nodded. “Pinky promise.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  ANASTASIA

  Anastasia dreamed.

  She dreamed of sunny days, beautiful, white-pillowed clouds, and clear blue water.

  She dreamed of her father standing among the tall shards of grass, surrounded by the beauty and silence of her childhood home.

  She dreamed of picking field flowers with her mother.

  She dreamed and dreamed. It was the only way to avoid the nightmarish state she was forced into. Her mind found a way to further distance itself between her and the real world. It had a calming effect and the more she saw her human parents, the more she missed them.

  She didn’t know how long it would last. Would be long enough to totally engulf her in the fake reality? After being forced into Hibernation, she closed her eyes and had no choice but to allow the darkness to surround her. During this particular period, visions of the past appeared and time passed smoothly. However, she could feel the darkness changing her; warping her from the inside out. It flowed like a wild, mad river and invaded every inch of her body. It also made her dream of weird places.

  When her vision focused, she found herself in a cave looking and feeling oddly familiar. She lifted her head from the sandy dirt floor, littered with bat droppings. She recognized the square rock, still positioned in the middle of the cave, and on top of it, a small lit candle. The stacked boulders around her… No… not here! It was the exact same place she went to seek Amenirdis’ wisdom to free Lucius from Limbo years ago. She remembered speaking to Krerina and her two sisters. All of them served the Dark Mother in all her glory. Afterwards, she remembered Limbo spitting Lucius out from its void.

  Dragging her feet, she approached the middle of the cave. I need to snap out of this. I need to wake myself from Hibernation. Yet the more she tried to force herself, the harder it became. The dark magic keeping her in this state felt stronger than anything she’d experienced before. It polluted the air around her.

  The candle in the middle of the cave remained lit, even as she tried to blow it out. She lifted it off its base and in the air, to lighten the interior. While she wasn’t fully educated in dark magic, she knew enough about it. She had to challenge herself to escape it. She had to think outside the box and couldn’t trust the environment around her.

  From the corner of her eye, she thought she’d seen an image of a dark shadow speed by. She took a second look and saw it again. “Who’s there?” This time it ran toward her at full speed.

  It tossed her aside like a limp rag doll and her body hit the cave wall in a deafening thud. Her shattered ribs caused her to cough up blood. If this was only a figment of her imagination, then her imagination also twisted the idea of pain. Sore, she struggled to stand back up. “I said, who’s there?”

  The figure darted from left to right until it seemed to wisp away in midair. Rubbing her aching lower back, she stepped slowly forward.

  “Me.” A familiar voice echoed throughout the cave.

  It couldn’t be! That voice… it belonged to Ayden. “What are you doing here?” Anastasia called out. “I thought I killed you!” She felt a cold hand on the back of her neck and a whisper in her ear.

  “You did.”

  Anastasia found herself lifted several inches off the ground. “You’re dead!”

  “We all are dead here.” Ayden pushed her against the wall and she felt the hardened rock crush against her face. “Just one of many perks of dark magic.”

  Weakened, she turned around to face him. There was so much she wanted to say, so much she felt the need to apologize for. However, one question raced to the front of her mind. “If I’m with you and you’re dead… does that mean… I’m dead as well?”

  Ayden’s vibrant eyes stuck out among his smooth face and blemish-free skin. He looked young and healthy. He looked recharged. But she noticed that his eyes revealed something else—anger. “You should be.”

  “This doesn’t make sense.” She attempted to break the hold he had on her. “I’m dreaming. This isn’t real.”

  “This is real. All of this is real.” Again, he pushed her back against the wall. “This is where dead Deamhan go; this is where the dark magic inside us takes us. After our deaths, we return back to the source. If you happen to stay longer than you should, you’ll come across many familiar faces.”

  The idea of seeing Deamhan who died by her hands wasn’t something she looked forward to. She still didn’t quite understand how being forced into Hibernating could expose her to what she could only call ‘the Deamhan Afterlife.’ She didn’t believe in any form of afterlife, regardless of the religious source gave birth to the notion of it. Deamhan didn’t deserve it. None of them did.

  “Let me go,” she growled.

  “Or what?” He smiled at her. “You’ll kill me? You already did. There’s nothing more you can do to me.” He squeezed harder.

  “I’m sorry for what I did to you but you must understand, that wasn’t me.” She struggled to speak. “Think of Maris!
She mourns you… like we all do.”

  “I doubt that.” He finally let go and she felt her legs wobble underneath her own weight.

  She turned slightly away. “I never wanted to hurt… kill you.”

  “If that’s sympathy, then I don’t need it.” He backed away from her.

  “It’s not sympathy. It’s… it’s my attempt at sadness.”

  “After you killed me, I woke in darkness. All I could hear were voices, familiar voices of other Deamhan who were long dead. Do you know what they told me?” He turned with his back facing her.

  She shook her head.

  “Show no mercy.” He walked toward the back of the cave.

  “Where are you going?”

  He didn’t respond.

  “Ayden. Wait!” Reluctant, she followed but within seconds, he appeared to dissipate into the air right before her eyes. She called out his name, worried that he’d left her alone. Fraught and eager to escape, she ran around, looking for anything that resembled an exit.

  “Sister, look at what I found,” a female voice spoke behind her.

  She spun around and her right cheek met a strong fist, sending her to the floor. She looked up and made eye contact with two more Deamhan who she knew to be long dead.

  “You found a play toy,” the second familiar figure replied.

  “No, I found our sire.”

  Anastasia couldn’t believe her eyes. Staring down at her were the last two individuals she thought she’d see in this nightmare. She never forgot about Branda and her sister Brandy. She sired them and roamed England for nearly fifty years before betraying them. Almost a full century later, she came across the two sisters in Minneapolis and didn’t hesitate in slaughtering them to protect Veronica. Now, they stood over her with dark, black eyes, full of anger and rage. It was exactly the same at which Ayden also viewed her.

  “What are you going to do?” Brandy asked.