Deamhan (23 page)

What Nathan said to him about The Brotherhood working with the Deamhan came back to him. Deamhan didn’t work for humans. They hated The Brotherhood. Yet, here was a Lugat, following Kenneth’s orders. What more was The Brotherhood hiding from researchers like himself, who were trained to not trust the Deamhan ever?

“You will take care of the body?” Kenneth spoke to the woman as he slowly opened the door.

She nodded.

“Oh and don’t kill him,” Kenneth added. “Mr. Austin needs him alive.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The Surge restaurant proudly held the title “Best Seafood” restaurant in Minneapolis. Customers chose their crabs from an elongated fish tank set up in the foyer of the building. Seafood wasn’t Veronica’s first choice, but she couldn’t persuade Murphy from not going.

Murphy told her it was the best place in Minneapolis to eat. Besides seafood, they had the best salads, lobsters, clam chowder, and buffalo wings on this side of the Mississippi.

But during dinner her mind wandered. She no longer wanted to wait or talk. The thought of meeting Nathan at Dark Sepulcher excited her to the point that she became restless. Going back also meant that Lambert would bombard her with more meddling questions about The Brotherhood and her father.

Murphy rambled about his family again, his interests, and his life. His father was a retired electrician living comfortably off his 401K in Pennsylvania. His brother was married with two kids and worked at a law firm in Florida. However, when he spoke about his mother, Veronica couldn’t help notice that she retired as a teacher and died just recently after a three year battle with ovarian cancer. Before, after they’d left Dark Sepulcher days ago, he told her she was a receptionist.

She didn’t question his mistake but she kept note of it. After dinner he drove her home and told her about his uncle Charlie who won the lottery and spent his winnings on Star Trek collector items and old vintage wear from the 1920s.

Once in her apartment, she felt relieved, but her disburden was short lived when she saw Sean’s note.

In a scribbled line he wrote: “If not back, don’t worry about me.”

Sean had taken all his belongings, only leaving the files he’d stolen from The Brotherhood. Confused and angry about why he’d left, she suspected that The Brotherhood coming back to Minneapolis had something to do with it. She tossed the note in the trash and walked back to her couch. She gathered The Brotherhood papers in a pile and waited for the night.

When night finally came, she headed for Dark Sepulcher.

The bouncer immediately recognized her before she approached the door. He didn’t bother to check her ID. Instead he stepped aside to let her in. The cashier nodded at her and pointed to the black curtains.

Again Veronica found the club crammed full with Deamhan, vampires, and humans. The way the crowds danced in harmonic rhythms to the music reminded her of ancient Dionysian cults.  She straightened her black blouse and her dark blue jeans and walked toward the back.

Out of nowhere she heard a male voice inside her head call out to her.

To her right she saw Remy sitting in a maroon-colored booth with a dark haired female. The female took a sip from her glass and giggled while his cold hand gently rubbed the side of her face. His brown eyes didn’t blink while he stared at Veronica. He wrapped his right hand around the dark curls in the female’s hair.

“You actually came.” Remy moved to the outer edge of the booth. He stood up, straightening his long, black shirt that he wore with his black jeans. He swiped his brown hair back. “I didn’t think you had it in you to come back.” He spoke loud enough over the music for Veronica to hear.  “But here you are.” He approached her. “And my, my, don’t you look lovely.”

Veronica blocked her thoughts. “I’m here.” She cradled The Brotherhood files, in hopes that he wouldn’t notice them, but he did.

 “You brought presents?” he asked.

The female in the booth let out a whimper and Remy quickly turned around. “I’ll deal with you in a minute.” He then turned back to Veronica.

“Don’t let me disturb you from your dinner.” Veronica turned.

Remy’s cold hand clasped onto her wrists, halting her in her tracks. “Nonsense.” He raised his hand to her cheek. “She’s just a little midnight snack.”

Veronica removed his hand. She turned around but Alexis now stood in her way. Her sudden entrance stunned Veronica, making her feel caught in the middle . . . just like last time.

“Welcome back.” Alexis placed her hands on her hips and her eyes darted to Remy. “I hope this little flea didn’t frighten you.”

Veronica stepped aside. If they wanted to see who could out stare each other, they could do so without her standing in the way.

“This feels familiar.” Remy smiled. “Just like the first time you came to Dark Sepulcher, Veronica, except that Alexis isn’t forcing her sluttish persuasion.”

“Yes, but this time you’re not part of the conversation.” Alexis pointed to the dark haired female sitting in the booth. “And this time, Deamhan, make sure you dispose of your food in a more disguised manner.”

Remy laughed gently, then nodded. “Tell Lambert not to worry. I won’t place that burden on his vampire bodyguards this time.”

Alexis waved at Veronica to follow her to the door and up the stairs to Lambert’s quarters.

This time the walk felt shorter to Veronica. She didn’t pay much attention to the stairs and the hallway. Instead her fingertips tingled at the mere thought of meeting Nathan and Lambert. When Alexis opened the door she saw them sitting across from each other on couches centered in the middle of the room.

She cautiously walked in. When Alexis slammed the door shut behind her, she jumped at the noise.  

Lambert slowly motioned for Veronica to sit next to him. To Veronica, he looked more relaxed than the last time. She believed that whatever Nathan said to him before she arrived calmed him enough to tolerate her. Still gripping The Brotherhood papers, she sat next to Nathan.

“I see you came prepared.” Lambert placed his hand over his chest. He wore his brown hair in his signature ponytail. His mouth remained opened, stuck in mid-sentence. The room fell into a moment of silence. Nathan uncrossed his legs and glanced at her with a smile of encouragement.

Lambert pushed the bowl of grapes sitting on the coffee table toward her.

“No, thank you,” Veronica said. She dropped her guard, losing her concentration. Vampires couldn’t read human thoughts, not as easily as Deamhan could. She relaxed.

“I’m glad you were able to make it safely,” Nathan said. His conservative outfit consisting of a gray casual suit with a white shirt underneath, seemed unusual to what she thought Nathan would usually wear.

“We were just discussing the differences between the Ramanga and vampires,” Lambert said. “I personally believe that behavior is the major and only important difference between them. The typical Ramanga Deamhan tends to be pitiless and homicidal, while vampires tend to have a much calmer way of feeding. What do you think, Veronica?”

Veronica shrugged, uninterested in his question. To her, the Ramanga and the vampire were pitiless and homicidal; their names being the only difference.

Nathan slowly slouched back into the couch, revisiting his comfortable position.

Lambert continued. “And you can kill a vampire easier than you can kill a Deamhan.”

“Some vampire historians claim that vampires have their age on their side,” Nathan added, “and that they’ve existed longer on earth.”

There were many types, different types of the undead that Veronica knew about. Besides vampires and the Deamhan, there were demons, half demons and even vampire and werewolf mixed breeds. But as far as she knew, The Brotherhood wasn’t interested in researching their kind.

“My own maker was older than dirt when he made me vampire.” Lambert crossed his hands. “She was a true beauty back then. Pity that I can only remember brief images of our time together before she abandoned me on an Italian beach.”

Veronica wanted to question Lambert about his sire but that wasn’t the information she wanted to know. Not yet anyway.  

Lambert turned to Veronica and he spoke slowly. “What do you think?”

“I’ve never researched vampires,” she answered. “So I don’t know.”

“What about your researcher friend? Perhaps he knows?”

Veronica shook her head. Here he goes again; about Sean. She didn’t play into it.

“Veronica”—Nathan held up his hand to respond—“there’s something you need to know about Sean.”

“I’m sure she knows he’s a researcher,” Lambert interrupted.

 “He’s not a threat to me or to any of you.” She raised her voice slightly.

“They’re always a threat, my dear.” Lambert snickered. “You told me you had no affiliation with The Brotherhood but your friend Sean is a member, which makes you an affiliate.”

Nathan cleared his throat and Lambert stopped his attack. For the first time Veronica witnessed Lambert’s respect for Nathan. Like Deamhan, vampires showed it in crazier ways (murder being one of them.)

Nathan spoke up. “I was once an affiliate, Lambert. So according to your logic, I’m a threat.”

“Stop trying to turn Veronica into a harmless human,” Lambert interrupted him. “You know this is vastly different.”

Veronica felt her breathing increase. If Lambert already knew about Sean, what else did he know? She decided to back off from her defense. “He was my connection in The Brotherhood, Lambert, but he left. I don’t know where he is now.”

Nathan exhaled slowly. “Lambert is partially correct, Veronica. Your friend may not be as trustworthy as you think. He’s working for your father.”

Veronica didn’t want to show that she already knew Sean’s true reason for being in Minneapolis. She dropped the papers on the table. The bowl of grapes bounced gently to the side. She forced herself to exhale, and she looked to the floor. Her act was a lie and she was a fabulous actress.

She sifted through the paperwork page by page until she came across the documentation on Lambert. Like the other information, the heavily inundated markings made it somewhat hard to read. She skimmed through what wasn’t blackened out, cursing under her breath that she should’ve done this before, the moment Sean gave them to her.

“Here.” She tossed it into his lap. “This is what my affiliation with Sean was able to provide.”

Lambert slowly lifted the paper to his line of vision and he began to read.

“Brotherhood files?” Nathan asked.

“I’m flattered. They actually have an interest in me.” Lambert skimmed over the information.

“Are all of them blacked out like this?” Nathan asked.

“Yes,” Lambert crudely answered for Veronica. He held one piece up close to get a better view. “This is nothing.” He placed the papers back on the table. “Should I be surprised about this?”

Veronica stared at the documents on the table, thinking. The idea that The Brotherhood somehow came back into Minneapolis devoured whatever positive thoughts she had left of Sean. They overwhelmed her. Her breathing increased, and her stomach twitched.

Lambert gently pushed the bowl of grapes closer to Nathan with his foot.

“Hungry?” He pointed to the grapes. Nathan grabbed a grape and popped it in his mouth.

 “Eating is the one thing I miss about being human.” A caricature smile appeared on Lambert’s face, revealing his fangs. “Grapes were my favorite food to eat when I was human.”

“I’m sure I wasn’t invited her to talk about grapes.” Veronica’s bold statement silenced Lambert’s fluffy thought.

Suddenly the tension overcoming the room became gut-wrenching.

She felt the blame, and it made her want to lash out, to clench her teeth and exert her anger by punching at random walls. This blame would never stop. Her thoughts gravitated to her father. He pushed Sean into spying on her, if it was true. Nothing in that organization happened without his say. Sean turned into an expendable researcher. She wasn’t going to let her father win, even if she had to endure Lambert’s pithy comments and his lack of trust.

“You do know you are protected.” Nathan leaned over to her.

“I’ve heard, but I don’t know what that means. What does it mean?” she questioned in an untroubled voice.

“It means that somewhere, out there, a Deamhan has claimed you,” Lambert answered. “And no one can harm or kill you.” He didn’t stray from his skepticism or from his continuing comments. “Oh, the pressure of being related to the Midwest Region Leader.” He began to mock her. “It’s just enough to make me heave up the blood I devoured earlier.”

“Only a Deamhan with power and age on their side could give out an order like that,” Nathan added.

Veronica thought about the mysterious woman she saw at the burnt home, the van, and the two Deamhan twins. Maybe it was Kei? Apparently not every Deamhan obeyed this order. She grabbed the pieces of paper on Blind Bluff Manor and handed it over to Nathan.  He accepted the paperwork and slowly went through it page by page.

 “Sometimes you have to play along with Lambert’s comments.” Nathan witticism appeared to finally cease the tension.

“Yes, yes, yes, ignore poor miserable Lambert.” Lambert motioned Nathan’s remark away by flicking his wrist. “I’m the vampire who doesn’t know anything, even if I’ve been around longer than most.”

“My old friend,” Nathan replied. “Your advice is always appreciated and needed.”

“Well, my advice for Veronica is to give up her search,” Lambert said. “Go back to your father and forget coming to Minneapolis.”

Veronica remained quiet and listened.

“It doesn’t help that you’re the daughter of a man in a high position in The Brotherhood.” Lambert shook his head. “It’s a stamp of disapproval. And now you want to find Kei? Oh, how the turns keep turning.”

“It’s crossed my mind,” Veronica replied. “Unlike you, I’m not scared of him.”

“You say that now.” Lambert laughed openly.

“My mother was assigned to research Lucius. She went missing when he went missing. Lucius sired Kei and Kei is involved in his sire’s disappearance. Why wouldn’t I not try to find him?”