But Remy pulled back, grabbing just enough of her life force to stun them both for a few seconds. “I wish we Deamhan could feed off each other.” He held his head back in his woozy state. “I love this feeling.” His breath, now warm and not bitterly cold, slightly touched her cheek. “You’re a killer, Anastasia.” He slid his rejuvenated hands up the side of her body to her face. He leaned in to her again, his lips locking onto hers. She pushed hard on his shoulders but she felt her body slowly arching back. Remy hummed in ecstasy but a small pinch on his lower lip silenced his joy. He rolled his head back and felt blood trickling down to the back of his throat. He touched his lips, feeling the warm liquid on his skin. He pulled back immediately, staring into her black voided eyes and sharp fangs.
“Interesting.” He glazed his tongue over his wound, tasting the salty iron flavor. “See, I knew you could do it.”
She lunged at him, striking her hands into his chest. He flew backwards, landing on top of a bed of sharp twigs and undergrowth. Blood streamed from the deep wound on his lip.
“That wasn’t so hard.” He stood up and wiped the dirt from his clothes. “I give, you take. You give, I take.” He swiped away the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Enough. Why are you here?”
Remy’s lips curled, forming a smile. “Kei.”
Anastasia turned away from him. She didn’t have to ask Remy why. She already knew Veronica accepted his help back at the manor. “You think finding Kei will get you closer to Veronica?”
“That or close enough to get in her pants.” Remy shrugged. “Whatever works.”
“Lucius won’t let you.”
“Let me worry about that.” He approached her. “By the way, do you know where I can find him?”
“No,” Anastasia quickly replied. “I’m not looking for him.”
“We’re talking about the same Lucius; the Deamhan you’d follow until the ends of the earth, right?”
“I haven’t spoken to him in weeks. You know that.”
He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Aw c’mon, Ana. I know you know more than that.”
“Lucius will kill you if he finds out what you’re trying to do.”
“Why do you care? If he does, I’ll be out of your hair and you’ll be the only Deamhan in Blind Bluff Manor...well besides Hallie but she doesn’t count.”
Anastasia had had enough. She readied herself for her swift trip into the city. Hopefully, while she traveled in Deamhan speed, she would lose him along the way.
Warm air brushed against her cheek and suddenly she found Remy unexpectedly standing in front of her. Annoyed, Anastasia leaned to the side. In the past she would’ve never allowed any Deamhan to continue their utterance for this long. Maybe Remy was right. Maybe she was losing her touch.
She retracted her teeth and closed her eyes, giving them time to revert back to their normal shade of brown.
“As much as I like to get under your skin, I didn’t come here for that.” He stepped in closer to her and Anastasia could feel the air tense. “You’re weak, Ana. I don’t like seeing you this way. You need to feed.”
At that moment she felt her legs wobble underneath her but she caught herself. Remy had taken a little too much of her energy. He was right. She needed to feed before taking Deamhan speed again.
He placed his arms around her shoulder. “There’s an outside art exhibit near the Mississippi River. Victims for days!”
“No.” She pushed his arm away.
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.” He dropped his arm. “Fasting now?”
“You’re wasting my time.” She looked over her shoulder, giving him the evil eye.
He shrugged and stepped back. “What else is there to do around here?”
Anastasia gathered her strength but again her legs failed her. She leaned against a nearby tree, trying to gather what strength she had left.
“Here, I’ll help.” He wiped his hands on his black pants and he looked up. Suddenly, he climbed in Deamhan speed up the tree, grabbing a squirrel by its throat. “I’m afraid that all this tree has to offer is squirrel.” He softly landed next to her. With a quick flick of his wrist, he broke the animal’s neck and tossed the carcass to Anastasia. “Eat up. You need your strength if you want to out Deamhan-run me.”
She caught the squirrel and she stared at its lifeless body. She didn’t want to admit it but Remy was right. The last time she had human blood was at the sanctuary a few days ago and even then, it wasn’t enough to satisfy her. She was running out of minions and criminals to eat.
“Drink up,” he said in a sly tone. “Or do you not like squirrel?”
She hesitated.
“Well if squirrel doesn’t suit your taste, how about some younger, sweeter blood?” His eyes drifted back to the white house.
“I’ll end you if you harm anyone in there.”
“Woah, calm down.” He held his hands up in defense. “I was just making a suggestion.”
She lifted the squirrel to her mouth. She felt her sharp canines drop and she bit into the animal’s side, crushing its bones. The warm blood flowed into her mouth and down her throat. As she continued to drink, she felt the blood being absorbed throughout her body.
“So, back to Kei.”
She dropped the empty cadaver and wiped the corners of her mouth with her eyes still centered on Remy.
“Lucius and Selene have been searching for this inbred since the day Lucius slaughtered his followers,” he said. “But I’m not really comfortable not knowing why they haven’t found him already.”
She looked down the street. Before she wanted to know everything there was to know about Kei; his whereabouts, his sanctuaries, his followers. Now she didn’t care because Lucius told her not to. Eventually they’d find him and make him pay for his crimes.
“Doesn’t it intrigue you that both of them can’t find one simple young Deamhan by now?”
His question was worth acknowledging but she didn’t know the answer. At that time she wanted to join them in the search for Kei but Lucius had forbidden it. It did make her a little suspicious that Kei was still out there, somewhere. But she knew how Remy worked. He loved to twist the truth.
“I don’t know where he is but maybe someone else does,” Anastasia replied.
“Who?”
“I’m not telling you.” She gathered her strength again and she started to move, increasing her speed until the objects around her began to melt together. She ran as fast as her Deamhan legs could carry her, swerving around cars and people, crossing streets, yards, and empty parking lots. She didn’t know where she was going; not yet anyway. But anywhere away from Remy would suffice.
But she heard his steps behind her followed by his annoying chuckle. He too traveled as fast as his he could in Deamhan speed and he kept enough distance so that he wouldn’t lose her in his sight.
She abruptly stopped in an empty parking lot near downtown Minneapolis. Seconds later Remy appeared in front of her. “That was fun.” He swiped the few wild strands of his dirty blond hair from his face.
Anastasia turned away from him and continued to walk.
“So, this ‘someone else’...do they know where I can find Kei?” Remy followed her.
“If you want to know about Kei, why don’t you go to the one person who keeps track of our kind in the city?”
“Selene?” Remy repeated with uncertainty. “She hates me more than she hates you.”
“Not Selene, you idiot.” She looked to the distance, seeing the tall buildings that made up the downtown area. Their tops were brightened with lights, glowing in a darkened hue. “Lambert.”
“That vampire?” Remy squealed.
“Yes, that vampire.” Anastasia continued to walk down the street. “He knew about Kei, The Gathering, and The Brotherhood reopening their Chapter.”
Remy tapped the side of his head. “Yeah, that annoying bloodsucker does know a lot about our kind,” he said in agreement with her.
“So, I guess we’re going to Dark Sepulcher.”
The last time Anastasia stepped foot inside Lambert’s club, Dark Sepulcher, she’d saved Veronica from Brandy and Branda. The place catered to both vampires and Deamhan, natural enemies in their own right. Somehow Lambert managed to keep both species in line and content right under his own roof.
A Lugat scent carried by the wind caught Anastasia’s attention. It rushed into her nostrils and soon Remy picked up on it. “We’re not alone.” Her body grew tense and she lowered her voice.
Her keen eyesight didn’t pick up on anyone around them. Other various scents came to her; the sick and dying in the hospital, strong cologne, the greasy smell of rotting French fries in the garbage can nearby. She felt her fangs slowly retreat from underneath the comfort of her gum. Her upper teeth rasped against her lower ones and she waited. Somewhere near them a Lugat lurked.
The thought drew quickly but not as quick as the Lugat who appeared. The Deamhan launched himself from a row of waist tall bushes behind Anastasia and Remy. Feeling the push of wind from behind her, Anastasia moved to the side, watching the long brown trench coat that the Lugat wore, skim the side of her face. He landed on his feet and spun around, again with his coat blocking her view. She felt a strong force against her face and she fell back, realizing that her cheek had just met the bottom of his steel-toe boots.
Remy stepped back, eyeing the tall, muscular male who eyed him back. He wore a dingy white T-shirt and dirtied blue jeans. In his left hand he carried what looked like a makeshift stake, its edge sharpened to a fine point.
Anastasia eyed his uncanny appearance. Lugat Deamhan preferred stirring in the thoughts of their victims and they weren’t known for being strong in a fight unless pushed. She concluded that somehow she herself had pushed this one too hard.
“I guess that squirrel blood is going to come in handy after all.” Remy’s stark comment didn’t faze her.
She jumped to her feet, somewhat startled. It had been too long since a Deamhan got the first hit on her. “You don’t want this confrontation.”
The male remained quiet and launched at her again with the stake pointed directly at her chest. She easily caught his wrist and she flipped him over onto his back. He tried to kick again but her foot met his neck instantly. She pressed down slowly, watching him wither and snarl until she heard a large crack exploding from his neck. She grabbed his stake, raised it, and embedded it in his chest, striking his heart.
His body arched and his eyes protruded from their sockets. His body convulsed for a few seconds more until it began to disintegrate, drying itself out until nothing remained but a pile of blood and dust.
Anastasia and Remy stood over the remains.
“Note to self.” He picked up the stake. “Next time, find you a bigger squirrel. Naw, screw that. I’ll find you a dog or a damn cow.”
She searched the surrounding area, finding a ripped cardboard box. With her foot she began to sweep the remains onto it. When she finished she carried the cardboard box to the nearest dumpster.
“Now that’s the Anastasia I know.” He stood off to the side and clapped gleefully.
She tossed the cardboard box into the dumpster. “Were you able to read his thoughts?” She slammed the lid shut.
“You killed him too quickly for me to read him,” he replied. “But I did pick up on one thing, though.”
She wiped her hands on her pants and she turned. “What?”
“Revenge,” he calmly replied. “For Kei.”
1
DARK CURSE. DEAMHAN CHRONICLES #2
CHAPTER SEVEN
The complete renovation of the outside walls became the first thing Anastasia noticed when they approached Dark Sepulcher. No longer did the windows exhibit a dark shade of black. Now they came in different colors; purple, pink, and red. The sign itself looked bigger than before with all the lighted letters of the name “Dark Sepulcher” blinking in unison.
Like many previous nights, humans lined against the side of the building, waiting to get in. The sound of music’s bass thumped through the walls. On the roof of the building strobe lights pointed to the sky and a lighted billboard with the club’s name sparkled with various colors.
The building had gone through several renovations since it was built long ago. First it served as a bottling factory for fifty plus years before being turned into a bus station for ten years. When the city cut back on its transportation services, the building was abandoned and placed on the market. That was when the vampire Lambert bought the old building, renovated it, and a year later opened the doors of Dark Sepulcher, catering to the dark and the unusual.
They walked to the front approaching two tall and muscular human bouncers wearing shirts with the words ‘Security’ emblazoned on the front in white letters. She pushed them out of the way and walked in, bypassing the cashier. She pulled back a long black curtain, which separated the outside of the venue from the inside.
The odor of vampires and not Deamhan almost suffocated her. Decorations, the waitresses, the bartenders, and the stage looked vastly different from the last time she’d been there. Rotating disco balls now replaced the life size macramé figurines that once hung from the ceiling. The dance floor had expanded and the black boxes which used to house scantily clad dancers were now gone. Everything had changed except the attendance of humans who Anastasia saw behind the bar counter, standing in the corners, dancing on the dance floor, and crowding the seating booths around the dance floor.
Remy’s mouth curled in pleasure. “More humans. More meals.”
She hid her amazement and she walked through the crowd with Remy following her.
The VIP balcony, located above and to the right of the dance floor, hadn’t changed (that didn’t surprise her.) Regardless of who attended Dark Sepulcher, Lambert still needed his space to stalk and feed.
Her eyes scoured the crowd. Vampires from all walks of life; younger looking ones to the older looking ones, intermingled among the humans. She watched as an older male vampire wrapped his arms around a young human woman as they danced slowly to the fast paced music.
“We don’t belong here,” Remy whispered to Anastasia.
“Vampires should be the least of your worries.” She felt the vampire stares all around them. Refusing to believe that she and Remy were the only Deamhan at Dark Sepulcher, she looked around the venue again. “Where are all the Deamhan?” she thought out loud to herself.
“Not here, that’s for sure.”
She watched as a vampire couple walked by with their menacing eyes scanning her and Remy from head to toe. Compared to their kind, vampires were saints... or so Anastasia wanted to believe. She hated them and didn’t think twice about killing them. They loved the spotlight and the attention humans gave them. They relished the human’s fascination and they sired anyone. Where Deamhan stuck to secrecy, it was the vampire who exposed themselves, gaining access and acceptance in human culture.
“And to what do we owe this visit?” a familiar voice behind them said.
Feeling the presence of vampire eyes staring at her, she slowly looked over her shoulder, watching Alexis, Lambert’s consort, sip blood from a metal chalice in her hand with not a care in the world.
Anastasia didn’t recognize her at first but her foul and wretched vampire scent gave her away. A blond fitted wig cut into an even bob diverged attention away from her caramel colored skin. Heavy makeup: sparkling blue eye shadow, bright red lipstick and a drawn-in beauty mark in the shape of a dot slightly above the corner of her mouth covered her face. Nearly naked, wearing only a black bra and a matching black thong, she eyed them both.
“My, my, don’t you look all skanky.” Remy smirked at Alexis.
“Just the way you like your women.” Alexis smirked back.
Not only did Anastasia loathe vampires, she also hated the way their presence alone could tense up a situation. “Where’s Lambert?”
Alexis turned her head sharply to Anastasia, just e
nough for the strands of her blond wig to gently smack Remy across his face. “Lambert’s in the VIP section, as always.” She took two steps away and lazily motioned with her hand toward them. “Didn’t expect you both to come here after Kei’s fall from grace.”
“Take me to him.”
Alexis paused then replied, “Follow me.”
They walked through the crowd in single file, reaching the stairs that led up to the second floor. Alexis gracefully climbed the steps, sliding her hand along the railing and staring down at the crowd. The crowd looked fairly small from the second floor. The music changed to a faster rhythm and the gyration of the crowd soon followed.
Alexis reached for the doorknob but Anastasia pushed her aside and opened the door herself. It swung violently open and slammed against the wall, creating a loud enough thud that it echoed over the music. It startled the occupants inside.
Lambert sat in the middle of the room, surrounded by four vampire girls, dressed identical to Alexis. His hair was no longer the brown color that Anastasia and Remy were used to. He had dyed it black and cut it short. He wore a one piece leather matching outfit with a long trench coat to match. A dark mask with a red and black Florentine design covered the upper half of his face. He swiveled his chair to face them, making his appearance seem taller in height. He removed the straps of his mask from around his ears and he carelessly tossed it to the side.
“I told you it was her.” He looked at one of the women sitting on the floor next to him. “Only Anastasia makes an entrance like that.” Like a king to his servants, he waved the women away to leave his VIP section. They stumbled slowly out, walking by Anastasia and Remy. The last woman mumbled incoherently into Remy’s ear and blew him a kiss. He winked back.
“Come in.” He raised his voice over the music. Lava lamps rested on small lamp tables in the corners of the dark room. Even though the area smelled of lavender and incense, the stink of vampires caused Anastasia to curl her nose. Remy sat across from Lambert on a red leather couch while Anastasia chose to remain standing near the door.
Dark Curse (Deamhan Chronicles Book 2) Page 7
