Veronica walked through the front yard of the sanctuary, observing the frozen pond and the trail that circled through it. Dressed in a winter jacket that Nathan provided for her, she went exploring, staring at the stars in the sky and the thin clouds hovering in front of the moon. Her thoughts circled around Anastasia’s continuing torture of Murphy and what he blurted out to her. She didn’t believe a word Murphy said. However, the thought of Kei coming to Blind Bluff Manor to rescue his servant was still a possibility.

  With Murphy being sent to watch her closely, it only meant that Kei knew she was in Minneapolis. She wasn’t afraid. In fact, she wanted Kei to find her.

  Maybe he’d tell her about her mother or Lucius. Either way, she couldn’t just stay in Blind Bluff Manor and do nothing. Her search had to continue, regardless if it put her back on a dangerous path.

  She prayed in front of the small frozen pond for some kind of resolution. She wasn’t overly religious; her parents never forced it on her. There was always the notion of good and bad; something that allowed Deamhan to live in this world, and for her mother to be taken by it. If anyone deserved a life beyond death, it was her mother.

  Her hair swayed at the cold rush of air and she no longer felt alone. The change of environment didn’t startle her. It was either Anastasia or Remy who now stood next to her.

  “Every Deamhan can smell each other,” Anastasia spoke slowly.

  Above, the clouds began to break and the moon finally showed off its glistening tint, adding dark shadows to the bushes and the trees below.

  “I smelled them with you outside the door.” Anastasia slightly turned to look at her with disturbing eyes. Her dark hair was loose and it fell over her shoulders. She wore a long black dress, which flapped in the wind. “Don’t think what I’m doing to Murphy is because of you.” Before Veronica replied, she spoke again. “It’s not.”

  “I don’t think you’re doing it for me. You’re torturing him for your own amusement. That’s what Deamhan do, right?”

  “You know the answer, why question?” Anastasia took a couple of steps forward. “You were taught that we are evil and you believe Deamhan killed your mother.”

  “You were evil enough to save me from the Deamhan sisters.” She saw Anastasia’s shoulders jump slightly as she laughed under her breath.

  “I’ve been trailing Branda and her sister for years,” she said. “I sired them and later, betrayed them. It just so happened that they were in the city when I arrived and that they attacked you when they weren’t supposed to.”

  Startled at what she just heard, Veronica looked away. It was the opposite of what Deamhan did; choosing a human over one of their own. A slight breeze blew through the courtyard and she felt the wind underneath her jacket. She noticed Anastasia looking up at the sky with her eyes fixed on the moon.

  “Selene is the one who placed the protection on me,” Veronica said. “And you don’t like her so why did you follow it?”

  “I’m not stupid. I’ve lived for a long time to realize that sometimes, you have to obey the rules to survive.” She continued to gaze at the moon. “I’ve lived long enough to know what happens when our kind becomes uncontrollable and how humans react. I lived through the rules of the Malleus Maleficarum, plagues, and humans reacting to the dangers Deamhan have placed upon them. I’ve witnessed tortures, hangings, murders and deaths in the name of your god and superstitions, researcher.”

  “I’m not a researcher.” She watched Anastasia move in closer to her with her eyes now tearing into her soul. Veronica looked down but found herself looking back at her. What Remy said about her was right. She fit the type who did what she wanted. She didn’t know if she could trust her.

  “I’ve killed plenty of researchers. One more would be nothing to me.”

  The atmosphere became thick and she found it extremely difficult to breathe. Anastasia’s warning seemed self-explanatory enough. She didn’t like her and didn’t trust her.

  “Saving me from Murphy? What was that?”

  The Ramanga lifted her head to the sky. “Mercy for Nathan.” Suddenly her eyes darted back and forth and they narrowed. She became completely transfixed on their surroundings. Something wasn’t right.

  “What is it?” Veronica whispered.

  “Q-quiet,” Anastasia stuttered in the continuation of her dark lecture. “And remain still—” She stopped again in mid-sentence, but this time she sniffed the air. She took off in Deamhan speed back to the manor.

  Veronica ran after her through the front door and stopped in the den. Pictures on the hallway’s walls were crooked. The table cloths on the small tables were scrunched, and a broken vase lay on the floor. She continued down the hallway, following the clues that Anastasia had come down that way and out the back.

  When she reached the backyard she saw Nathan, dressed in a brown robe with his smoking pipe in his hand, standing near the small empty garden, leaning against one of the many beautiful marble statues in the yard. Standing next to him was a woman with red hair braided into a long ponytail, dressed in a fitting red dress with Jessica standing next to her. Veronica looked to her right, seeing Anastasia with fists clenched and her eyes glaring at them with Remy and Hallie only a few feet away.

  The red-haired woman slowly turned around, followed by Nathan. Her face was rough, her cheekbones sharp, and her lips thin. Her bright, green eyes were bright and penetrated through Veronica. She was Deamhan.

  “Yes, I am Deamhan,” the woman answered Veronica’s thoughts. “You look just like your mother.”

  Fascinated with her appearance, she didn’t reply. This woman; she’s Selene! Her presence awed her.

  Selene held out her hand. “I’m the one that called for your protection.”

  “A pointless call,” Anastasia said.

  Selene licked her lips. “Anastasia, I see your pessimistic mindset hasn’t changed over the centuries.”

  Jessica nodded briefly at Veronica, acknowledging her presence. She looked different from the last time Veronica laid eyes on her. She could clearly see her face and she stood with her posture erect.

  “Veronica, I grew concerned that you didn’t accompany my minion to my sanctuary,” Selene said. “I wanted to come to you personally and introduce myself to you.”

  Concerned? She didn’t believe any Deamhan would be concerned for the safety of a human, not even Anastasia (who she still didn’t believe saved her at the mercy of Nathan.)

  “Do you know what happened to my mother?” She didn’t waste any time.

  Selene shook her head. “No, I don’t. But I do believe I know what happened to Lucius who your mother followed.”

  “You’ve known all this time, and you didn’t do anything?” Anastasia questioned. “He’s your sire.”

  “And he is Kei’s sire as well.”

  “You’re older and stronger than Kei.”

  “Yes, but Kei has thousands of Deamhan who’ll follow him into death. He has the support that I don’t have.”

  Veronica sighed and looked away.

  “I promised Lucius I would look after you and your mother, Veronica,” she continued. “I failed once. I won’t fail again.”

  She thought little of Selene’s excuse. There had to be more. Why would Lucius care enough about a researcher following him?

  “You can’t rush into battle with Kei,” Selene continued. “Especially when Ancient Deamhan refuses to interfere in the affairs here.”

  Anastasia rolled her eyes.

  “Anastasia, why do you seem so repulsed by my visit?”

  “Repulsed?” Anastasia stepped out from the shadows.

  “Angry?” Selene searched for the right word to say.

  “Maybe I seem repulsed because your excuses are disheveled,” Anastasia replied. “Or maybe I seem angry because you decide to do nothing about Kei. I’ve never trusted you, even in the past and even now.”

  “What do you suggest I do against Kei?” Selene asked. “I’ve called for a Decretum. Like you, I also want to see him dead.”

  “But unlike you, I’ve done something about it besides calling for a Decretum.”

  Veronica first heard about a Decretum from Sean, who was unsure about its main purpose. It was a calling for Deamhan to obey a rule or order.

  “You have his minion?” Selene nodded. “What do you plan to do with him?”

  Anastasia turned her body slightly away from Selene. “Whatever I want.”

  Nathan didn’t seem the slightest bit affected by Anastasia’s hostility. He remained quiet, choosing to watch and listen instead of speaking.

  “You are the oldest Deamhan in the city for now, Selene.” Anastasia raised her voice. “Lucius is gone. You are his replacement, regardless of what Kei and his followers believe. Do what Ancients are supposed to do; maintain order.” She started to walk back into the house. “Or are you scared?” She stopped and looked back at her. Their silence and staring competition allowed Nathan and Veronica to glance back at both of them, curious about what they were doing.

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  Unexpectedly, Selene moved in a blur and in a second she stood face to face with Anastasia. The Ramanga didn’t budge but her sharp teeth dropped quickly from her gums. Her brown eyes gradually changed as if they were filled with dark liquid, completely engulfing the white of her eyes. Selene’s eyes also changed and while they stared at each other, Remy moved in quickly and he gently separated them.

  “Ladies, this confrontation will get us nowhere,” he said with his eyes also dark and voided of white. “Even though I love seeing a good hair pulling fight, may I suggest that we get to the bottom of what’s happening in the city, find Lucius, and kill Kei.”

  Anastasia’s teeth retracted and her eyes returned back to normal.

  Selene stepped back and when her eyes turned back to its normal color of green, she spoke. “I want to see this minion that you have.”

  Anastasia turned back and disappeared into the house without responding. Nathan held out his hand as a welcoming gesture for Selene to enter Blind Bluff Manor. Selene motioned for Jessica to follow her, and without a moment of hesitation, she was trailing behind her and into Nathan’s home.

  Selene walked through the back door, and once inside the hallway leading to the basement, she paused at the crooked pictures on the wall. She rubbed the picture frame of one of them, a landscape painting with a scene of a riverbed and rocks. Another picture of a woman wearing a white bodice with an elegant dress with a scoop neckline also caught her eye.

  They walked down the very same steps Veronica traveled to reach the basement. Selene raised her hand, and Jessica stopped before reaching the top step. She stood to the side and watched Veronica descend down the stairs.

  Murphy was still chained to the wall, unaware of Selene’s grand appearance. His head was drooped forward, and a small pool of blood collected near his feet.

  His previous wounds had already healed.

  She approached him but not once did she concern herself with the various torture devices hanging from the wall. She placed her hand underneath his chin and she lifted his head. His left eye was swollen, but his right eye fluttered and opened slowly.

  “You sired him?” She looked over her shoulder, staring at Anastasia who stood next to the chains hanging from the basement wall.

  Selene examined him from head to toe. “Wake up, minion,” she whispered. “We need to talk.” She removed her hand from underneath his chin, watching his head go limp and his body lean forward. “Centuries passed and you still choose torture.” She referred to the state of his body. The expression on her face turned to concern. “But siring him…that is a twist, even for you.”

  Veronica found herself unable to keep her eyes off her. This woman, this Deamhan, made a promise to protect me. She wanted to know why. What was so dangerous, what was so important to her mother that she trusted Lucius to protect her daughter? The questions had to wait. Now wasn’t the time. She needed to find out what thoughts are in Murphy’s brain.

  “Kei is having a Gathering, soon.” Selene looked back at Murphy. “It’s the perfect time to confront him.” She placed both of her hands on the right and left side of his head. “He’s weak enough to probe.”

  Veronica wanted to know why this wasn’t done in the first place. The older the Deamhan, the more powerful they were. Selene didn’t need to fear Kei. Her thoughts were loud enough for Selene to answer them.

  “A Dictum needs willing Deamhan to enforce it. If the younger Deamhan see older Deamhan standing against Kei, they’ll choose survival. Alone, I’m weaker than he is. But with older Deamhan standing at my side, I will be a force to be reckoned with.” She closed her eyes. Murphy’s head shot back abruptly. He started to squirm, trying to get away from her.

  “I tried reading his thoughts, Selene and it didn’t work,” Anastasia said.

  “Of course it wouldn’t. Even at your age, you’re too young to break through placed barriers.” Selene made contact. The room hushed. Even Anastasia looked interested.

  Murphy’s body stopped squirming, and he was caught under Selene’s spell. Veronica heard soft footsteps coming down the steps. Hallie stood quietly on the bottom step and watched.

  A small trickle of blood poured out from his left ear, and suddenly his body began to shake violently. Selene released her grip and took a couple of steps back, slowly shaking her head.

  “Impossible.” Her expression changed from astonishment to absolute rage mixed with fear.

  “I told you,” Anastasia confirmed.

  “No, I was able to get through. It’s dark magic. They used dark magic to place Lucius in Limbo.”

  “Dark magic?” Veronica had heard about dark magic from her father, but like many other things he said to her, she didn’t believe it. It was demonic, evil, and practically unstable magic used for harming, torturing, and killing. It also was used to create Deamhan.

  Veronica remembered reading about Limbo a few times when she was younger. It was a magical state, a place where Deamhan couldn’t escape. If Kei did use dark magic and Limbo to get rid of Lucius, then the possibility of her mother also being placed in Limbo seemed all too real. It was a saddened thought but she felt relieved to know that her mother could still be alive.

  Murphy began to laugh. “He told me about you, Selene.” Blood dripped from the corners of his mouth.

  She made eye contact with him. “And what did he say?”

  “The first human to be sired by Lucius. A killer of Deamhan and human. You hated him because Lucius loved him more than you.”

  “Lies.” Her eyes searched the room until they locked onto a piece of wood sitting upright near the back room. In Deamhan speed she rushed over to it, grabbed it, and returned to Murphy. She placed her left hand around his neck and lifted his head and placed the wood over his heart.

  “No, don’t. Please.” His body tensed up, and his laughing ceased.

  Before Veronica knew what Selene was doing to him, it was too late. Slowly she embedded the piece of wood into his skin.

  His skin turned from a pale hue to a rusted color and it began to sink over his cheekbones and his neck. He gasped once and fell silent while his eyes shriveled into nothing.

  Eventually, the skin around his face began to flake and fall over. The discoloration traveled over his chest, to his arms and to his legs and eventually to his head. Selene released him and watched as his arms turned into a mixture of thick dust and blood as it dropped to the ground. His legs followed in the evaporation process until there was nothing left but a puddle of dust and blood.

  She licked her lips in sudden blessedness. Her black eyes returned to its normal state to stare at the dust floating through the air. Suddenly and abruptly without a word, she quickly ascended up the steps, followed by Jessica.

  Veronica also left, hearing Nathan closely behind her. Selene stood in the foyer and motioned for Jessica to open the front door.

  “What did you see?” Veronica’s questioned.

  “She saw Limbo,” Remy answered. “It’s enough to make the oldest Deamhan shake in their boots.”

  Selene shot Remy a quick glance then she spoke. “The state of Limbo is frightening, even for Deamhan my age.” She looked at Nathan. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

  Nathan placed his hands on Veronica’s shoulders, halting her from moving forward. “You are most welcome.”

  Jessica held the door open, and the cold winter air circled through the foyer, carrying snowflakes.

  “Is it possible that my mother is there with Lucius?” Veronica asked.

  “I don’t know.” Selene stepped out into the cold air, and Jessica closed the door behind them.

  “She must have seen something to scare her to leave so quickly like that,” she replied.

  They heard Anastasia’s faint footsteps walking up the basement steps. She stood in the entranceway and upon hearing Veronica’s statement, she quickly answered. “I saw what Selene saw.”

  They remained quiet as they listened to her describe seeing Kei dressed in a long silk robe, sitting on a large black throne in front of a huge panned window with several minions, including Murphy, surrounding him.

  Dressed in a black leather jacket with matching pants and boots, he sported dark rimmed sunglasses and he wore his brown hair slicked to the back. While the minions worshipped his every being, he remained relaxed and Anastasia sensed his strong cocky demeanor.

  The images changed to an old and abandoned farmhouse in the middle of a cornfield. It tilted to the side, the wood bleached from years of prolonged sunlight. A huge cliff near the edge of the field had a small stream that ran through it. Old and twisted corn stalks filled the surrounding fields. Darkness oozed from a cave near the fields. When Selene had tried piercing through the cave, the images suddenly stopped, leaving the feeling and the odor of Lucius on the tip of Anastasia’s tongue.

  “I don’t know why Selene was so hesitant to continue,” Anastasia said. “She probably fears the dark magic.” Before Veronica could ask why, Nathan interrupted.

  “There isn’t enough information about Limbo to understand what it truly is,” he exclaimed. “Deamhan and researcher alike have heard of it but there isn’t anyone alive who has experienced it.” His question left more answers.

  “The cave is located south from here,” Anastasia replied. “About fifty miles in Steele County.”

  With this new information, Veronica was ready to travel to the cave Anastasia described. Black magic or no magic, it didn’t matter.

  “It isn’t going to be easy.” A voice from above caught their attention. Remy leaned on the railing, looking down at them gathered below. How long he’d been up there, listening to their conversation, no one knew except for Anastasia. “There’s a reason why Selene left as fast as she did.”

  “And why is that?” Veronica asked.

  A wide grin appeared on his face. “Limbo is Amenirdis territory.”

  She looked to Nathan whose eyes widened. She saw Anastasia’s body stiffen and her lips slowly crunched together. Feeling kept out of the loop, she spoke up. “Who is Amenirdis?”

  “Oh just one of the very first Deamhan created.” He approached the stairs and descended slowly, gliding his hands along the railing. “She’s also known as a strong practitioner of dark magic.” He held his head high, like a king admired by his subjects, and when he reached the bottom stair, he stopped and lowered himself unexpectedly to sit.

  “But she’s dead,” Anastasia responded.

  “Don’t lie to the poor girl, Ana.” Remy smiled. “The very first Deamhan are still alive.”

  “Pure Ones?”

  Nathan leaned against the walls and folded his arms across his chest. “In The Brotherhood we were taught that the Pure Ones were myths.”

  “If they’re just myths then how would explain us?” Remy asked. “They are the first of our kind. Amenirdis is one of them.”

  “And she lives in a cave?” Veronica couldn’t believe it herself.

  “No, she is in Limbo but I’ve heard that she is reachable through three immortal human looking girls endowed with magic. They negotiate for her. I’ve also heard that she could trap humans and Deamhan in Limbo but not without a price.” He examined his fingernails in a cool and calm manner. “She’s more than just one of us. She’s old, older than all of us, Lucius, Selene, and Kei. Older than all the Ancients that live now.”

  Yet another powerful Deamhan entered her search, and Veronica wiped her face with her hand, taking in a deep breath.

  “She’s the whore of dark magic.” He looked up at Nathan in a cold and calculated smile. “She’s the Queen of Limbo. The Dark Mother. If you want anyone to suffer a fate worse than death, she’s the one to go to.”

  “You know a lot about Amenirdis. Have you met her before?” Nathan asked.

  “I’ve met her immortal humans.” He paused in thought. “My ego is still recovering.”

  They stared at each other for what felt like minutes.

  Finally Anastasia spoke up. “If this is true, you’re your search ends here Veronica.”

  “Yeah, sorry, sweat pea,” Remy added.

  “So that’s it?” Veronica wanted a better explanation.

  “We’re no match for one of the first Deamhan to have ever existed. Even her human servants are stronger than all of us.”

  Nathan rubbed his chin in thought. “If she is the one who did this to Lucius, then there may not be anything that we can do.” He walked toward his study.

  Veronica watched Anastasia walk down the back hallway and out to the backyard. She found herself alone with Remy still snickering at her. She contemplated her next move.

  “I admire your persistence,” he said to her. “But this isn’t one area you’d want to venture in.”

  She sighed. Not only did she have to deal with Kei but now Amenirdis, a Deamhan she’d never heard before until now and supposedly a Deamhan old and strong enough to scare Selene, her protector.

  Hallie raised her hand slightly. “If you go, Veronica, I’ll go with you.”

  Remy laughed under his breath. “You can’t protect her. You’ve never been past the front gates as a Deamhan.”

  Hallie lowered her chin into her chest and stewed. “At least I have the balls to go.”

  Veronica straightened her hair and she reached out her hand to Hallie. “Let’s go.”

  “Wait.” Remy stood in front of her. “You can’t seriously think about going there, tonight.”

  “Why not?” She walked around him and she headed for the front door with Hallie following her.

  Again Remy moved in front of her and he slowly licked his lips. “You humans and kids are so alike; so na?ve and eager for the thrill.” He opened the front door. “Before we go, I need to make a quick stop.”

  She looked at him, seeing the devilish spark in his eye.