Veronica climbed into the vehicle on the passenger side of a parked black Oldsmobile hidden in an alleyway nearby as Anastasia dumped Murphy in the backseat. The Deamhan started the car and pressed her foot firmly on the gas. The tires screeched and they took off.

  Anastasia drove violently, swerving in and out of traffic. She kept only her right hand on the wheel and she rolled down the drive side window. A cold wind blew into the car. Veronica shivered. There was no way she could ask her to roll up the window.

  Veronica looked around in the car at the interior. It was spotless; no dust on the dashboard, no garbage on the floor of the car. The rear view mirror was missing and so was the passenger side mat for the floor. Other than that (and the fact that there was a cassette player, instead of a CD player) the car looked in pristine condition.

  Murphy moaned and several times he cursed under his breath. She wondered what Anastasia planned to do with him if he survived the trip to Blind Bluff Manor since she didn’t finish him off at the park. She turned around to look in the back seat. The leather seats were covered with blood.

  He looked up at her. “Fucking bitch.”

  She turned back around, looking at Anastasia who looked unimpressed by Murphy’s constant spiel. Every so often she adjusted her hand on the steering wheel or she brushed back her bangs from her face. Even when his moans turned into screams, she didn’t look in the back seat to see if he was stabilizing or slowly dying.

  Veronica kept quiet for the rest of the ride. They sped down the streets and past the orange tinted lights. Away from Minneapolis, the roads became dark and the stars were visible in the clear sky.

  They reached Blind Bluff Manor before midnight. Anastasia drove up to the front stairs where Nathan waited in the front doorway, dressed in a white night robe that extended slightly below his knees. Before Veronica closed the passenger door, Anastasia sped off and disappeared behind the home with Murphy still in the back seat. Exhausted, she slowly walked up to Nathan. He placed his arm around her and helped her into his home. He walked her into his study, which was warm from the fireplace. She sat, and he poured her a cup of tea.

  “Are you hurt?” He sat across from her in another chair.

  “No, I’m alright. Thanks.” She sipped the hot tea. “My father is in Minneapolis. I guess he’s helping set up the new Chapter.”

  “Anastasia told me about Selene’s minion and the note.”

  She jerked her head back, surprised. “When?”

  “She told me in my thoughts. I didn’t know Selene was in Minneapolis.”

  “You know her?”

  “Yes, I know her. But I didn’t know that she had her minion follow you.”

  “Or that Selene promised my mother that she’d protect me. Who is she?” It bothered her that she wasn’t able to know more about the promise Selene made to her mother. She felt the lack of distrust pointing directly at her and infiltrating the air around her. Part of her wished she’d gone with Jessica.

  If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  “Selene is a very old Deamhan, older than the majority of Deamhan living today.”

  “Jessica, her minion, mentioned that,” Veronica replied. “But who is she? I felt like Anastasia doesn’t like her.”

  “No, Anastasia doesn’t, but that’s a story for another day. Selene was sired by Lucius in the 800s. From what I remember, her human family and clan were slaughtered by a rival clan and she was saved by Lucius who sired her. She was a brutal Deamhan according to old research documents. She slaughtered human and Deamhan alike. However, she was loyal to Lucius, like Anastasia is loyal to Lucius now.”

  “But Anastasia isn’t a Lugat. Why is she loyal to him?”

  He tapped her on her shoulder, signaling her that he was finished answering her questions. There was so much to learn and she wanted to know all of it. Instead, he changed the subject back to her father.

  “They won’t come for you here.” As he continued to speak, she didn’t hear a word while she contemplated her next move. His words were clouded, but his offer for her to stay in Blind Bluff Manor while everything blew over was free from any intrusion.

  She agreed, but on one condition.

  “Murphy,” she said. “What’s Anastasia going to do with him?”

  Nathan looked to the floor of his study for a moment before looking back up at her.

  He avoided the question. “You must be tired. I’ll take you up to your room.”

  She agreed and decided to leave her questions for tomorrow.

  She followed him out of his study and they walked to the den just in time to see Anastasia walking through the front door, closing it behind her. She stood off to the side, her eyes fixed on Nathan and her hands firmly on her hips.

  Anastasia placed the note in Nathan’s hand. He thanked her, and with Veronica in tow, they headed up the stairs.

  Down the hall they turned right and walked down another hallway.

  Veronica didn’t recognize this part of the sanctuary. It wasn’t the same hallway from earlier. The windows weren’t blocked from the sun. In fact, they weren’t covered with curtains of any kind. She looked out, viewing the back yard of his home and the dark sky and the full moon. This wing of his home, his mansion, was his own personal space. The walls were bare and lacked any detail. The hallway contained plenty of low dimmed lights spaced feet apart.

  “What did she look like?” he said to her.

  She snapped back into reality. “Who?”

  “Jessica, Selene’s minion who gave Anastasia the note. What did she look like?”

  Veronica described every detail she could remember about her, down to the way she reacted when Anastasia confronted her. Nathan nodded while she spoke and at the end of the hallway, he stopped and faced a brown door.

  “This is your room.” He pulled out a ring of keys and began to unlock the door. He opened and motioned for her to walk in.

  The room was bare except for a queen size bed with white sheets, two standard size pillows and a black comforter to her right. A huge window sat opposite the other side of the bed covered in thin see through white curtains. In one corner was a make-up counter with a table mirror and a cushioned chair. Unsure of this new environment, Veronica took her time to look around.

  Nathan walked in after her, standing partially in the doorway. “I hope this room suits you.”

  She looked around another time before finally facing him. “I’ll manage.” Who was she fooling? She missed her apartment, she missed her personal things, and most importantly, she missed Sean. It didn’t matter what room Nathan chose for her; she wasn’t going to get any sleep with these worried thoughts on her mind.

  “If you need anything, please let me know,” he assured. “You can find your way back to my study?”

  “If I have to.” She nodded.

  He stepped out, closing the door behind him.

  She walked over to the bed, falling into it and letting her body sink into the cushioned layers. She needed to familiarize herself with this room and her new living conditions. She was going to be here for a long time.