They came to a sudden halt, and Veronica felt her body jerk forward. She attempted to open her eyes, but her eyelids remained closed. Pressure throughout her body increased and she fell to the floor, feeling the liquid expel from her mouth.

  Remy straightened his clothes. “It’s breath taking, isn’t it?”

  Their surroundings matched exactly what Anastasia described. They saw the tilted abandoned shack with its broken windows. Dead corn stalks dotted the landscape along with patches of snow and dirt.

  Veronica remained on the pavement, moaning in pain. Hallie bent over to help her but Remy stopped Hallie.

  “I got her.” He placed his arms around her waist and lifted her to her feet. “Don’t pass out on me now,” he whispered as he placed her right arm over his shoulders. They slowly walked into the cornfield, heading toward the stream.

  Veronica felt her stomach twisting and knotting. She felt as if her body was on its last breath and her blood boiled inside her veins. In between her moans she heard Remy talking to Hallie. He found it odd that his Deamhan hearing couldn’t pick up any animal noises around them; no bird overhead, no wolves in the distant. The silence, except for the snow crunching beneath their feet, became overbearing.

  Thick clouds blanketed the sky, blocking the stars and hiding any warning of sunrise. Eventually Veronica gathered enough strength to finally open her eyes.

  They continued walking through pine trees and through leafless bushes.

  “This place reminds me of Washington,” Remy said.

  “When did you live in Washington?” Hallie asked.

  “A long time ago.”

  The sound of running water ahead broke the silence and Remy slowed his pace. He moved Veronica’s strands of hair from her face. “I think she’s okay.” He slowly set her on her feet.

  Hallie waved her hand in front of Veronica’s face. “You okay?”

  Veronica wiped the droplets of bile from her chin. “Yeah, I’m fine.” She stood up straight. “Let’s keep going.”

  “Are you sure?” Remy questioned again. “We can go back if you’re not feeling well.”

  “I’m fine,” she replied again. “Let’s go.”

  “Just like a champ,” Remy said.

  They approached a steep creek bed, cloaking a small half frozen stream.

  Hallie skipped over it and immediately slipped, falling on her back. The wind picked up briefly and she lifted her eyes, seeing Anastasia, dressed in black pants, black shirt, with her hair blowing in the wind, standing in front of her.

  A look of enjoyment ebbed from Hallie’s face.

  “I’m not going back and you can’t make me!” She stood up. “Remy invited me along.”

  He stepped over the stream and he helped Veronica by letting her use him as support as she crossed. “I knew you’d come sooner or later.” He smiled at her. “You could never resist the temptation to play with fire.” He wiped his forehead.

  Anastasia looked at Veronica, watching her erratic breathing. “You shouldn’t have brought her here.”

  “Oh lighten up.” Remy smiled. “She wanted to come.”

  Anastasia sniffed the air briefly. “Sensual Appetite?”

  “It was the only way to transport her without hurting her, and you know that,” Remy stated.

  Veronica moaned slightly, feeling the cold arctic wind cutting at her face.

  “She’ll slow us down,” Anastasia said.

  “Carry her if you want then.” He continued through the bushes followed by Hallie and Veronica.

  They headed north, carefully stepping over tree stumps. Drops of water from icicles above landed on Veronica’s forehead and she wiped them away. She pushed low tree branches from her path, and she saw Anastasia easily lift a huge branch out of their way.

  “How far is it?” Hallie began to complain.

  “It’s not like you’re cold out here,” Remy replied.

  “I’m not. I just don’t understand why any Deamhan would live out this far. I mean, how does she eat?”

  “She doesn’t.”

  “What do you mean ‘she doesn’t’?”

  “Deamhan in Limbo have no need for sustenance.”

  “I’d always thought she was merely a fairytale,” Remy added. “Something Deamhan say to scare us new ones in line.”

  “No one alive knows what she looks like.” Anastasia quickly turned to him. “Your thoughts are demented. Why are you looking forward to encountering her when you almost died the last time you both met?”

  He stopped in his tracks. “Who invited you into my thoughts?” He smiled devilishly.

  Anastasia moved in closer, standing inches from him. “Answer my question.”

  Veronica watched their standoff, waiting to see who’d be the first to attack. But no fists flew. Instead, Remy placed his hands in his pockets and he continued to smile.

  “What can I say? She excites me,” he replied.

  Anastasia glared into his eyes.

  “Guys, shouldn’t we be moving?” Hallie whispered. “Dawn is only a few hours away.”

  Remy’s eyebrows lifted. “Yes, we should.”

  They continued their journey. Veronica hoped they’d reach the cave before her fingers froze. She feared frostbite and her toes felt numb.

  While walking, Anastasia continued her story to Hallie about Amenirdis. According to her, Amenirdis had no sides and no boundaries. She cared little for right or wrong. Those who respected her as a goddess, Lucius included, feared her. She found it ironic that no one knew her of origins, except for the fact that she was just one of the first Deamhan to have ever existed and that she excelled at Dark Magic.

  No one knew how she became known as the Queen of Limbo (even the creation of Limbo remained an obscure thought.) The main ideas surrounding her was that she was all powerful, all knowing, and a Deamhan that you did not cross.

  Ahead, Anastasia noticed a small overhang of rocks and an entrance to a cave. She lifted her head slightly, trying to inhale any scent in the air.

  “I don’t smell anything,” she said.

  Remy sniffed and he too shook his head. Hallie even tried and she came up empty.

  “Just tree sap and fish.” Anastasia adjusted her eyes to look into the cave. “Even my eye sight won’t allow me to look in there. It’s too dark.”

  “Dark magic,” Remy suggested. “Must mean we’re here.”

  “Hallie, wait here with Veronica.” She moved forward but Veronica stepped in front of her.

  “I’m not staying out here.” Veronica’s stern approach caused Anastasia to snarl.

  Remy snickered. “Anastasia, she’s going in there, no matter how sharp your canines are.”

  Veronica stepped over a splintered branch and she approached the cave. She swallowed her fear hard enough to feel her throat throb. This was it. This was the reason she came to Minneapolis.

  A group of bats flew over her. The sound of their wings flapping uncontrollably didn’t startle her. When she took her first step into the cave, the area somehow suddenly came to life. The interior lit up and Veronica could now see the rocky cropping ahead of them.

  The sandy dirt floor, littered with bat droppings, made Veronica pause for a quick second. A square rock sat in the middle of the cave and on top of it, a small lit candle flickered. But the cave was extremely bright and Veronica couldn’t understand how one small flame could give off so much light. Boulders lazily stacked upon one another blocked the end of the cave.

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  She turned back, watching Anastasia, Hallie, and Remy enter the cave cautiously. For Deamhan, they seemed more scared than she was. But if what Anastasia said was true, they had more to fear than she did.

  “Hello?” She called out in a trembling curious voice. She waited for a reply yet instead she heard the soft footsteps of Anastasia behind her.

  Anastasia sniffed the air again. “Stale and empty,” she said to herself as she walked forward.

  Suddenly the figure of a bald woman, dressed in a white flowing gown materialized from the side of the cave. Two other female figures dressed exactly the same, manifested from the back and the right wall. They looked young; barely teenagers. They had to be Amenirdis’ minions, the ones that Remy mentioned back in Blind Bluff Manor. Their appearance startled Veronica and she wondered why someone as powerful as Amenirdis needed humans to do her bidding in the first place.

  This time Anastasia made the approach. “We’re here for Amenirdis.” She lowered herself onto her knees followed by Remy, who forced Hallie to follow.

  Witnessing this, Veronica followed their behavior.

  The triplets didn’t speak. Instead, they remained still with their shiny, soft looking immaculate skin. They stood near the rock, and one of them blew out the candle.

  The cave went dark, but their robes pulsated in the darkness. Veronica stood up and she stepped back. The power exerting from them was staggering and just enough to make her rethink coming to the cave in the first place.

  “We seek Amenirdis’ wisdom.” Anastasia remained on her knees with her head lowered. “Is she here?”

  The triplets turned their white hollowed eyes in Veronica’s direction.

  “She is everywhere,” the third triplet replied.

  “Offspring of Lucia,” the first triplet said. “Amenirdis knows why you’re here.”

  Anastasia stood to her feet. “I no longer consider myself her offspring. The last time I was called that was centuries ago and that human priest didn’t live to see another day. Is Amenirdis here?”

  “She’s here,” the second triplet replied.

  Anastasia looked around and didn’t see her.

  Simultaneously, the triplets looked in Veronica’s direction. “Humans are not allowed here.” They spoke in unison.

  “Look who’s talking.” Remy stood to his feet.

  Wind rushed past them and all of a sudden he found himself on his knees again. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and his body convulsed. Hallie jumped up in Deamhan speed and she screamed, jolting out of the cave and disappearing into the cold night.

  Veronica saw that Anastasia was also taken back. Her fangs dropped and she barked.

  “Offspring of Julian Endor,” the first triplet said with her eyes still glued on Veronica. “Did you not learn your lesson the last time we let you go with your life?”

  Remy gripped at his throat and his body flew back into the cave wall. His hands contorted and his head shook violently.

  “We didn’t come to fight,” Anastasia quickly offered. “We came for Lucius. We aren’t foolish enough to challenge Amenirdis.”

  “Please,” Veronica begged.

  The first triplet raised her hand. “You aren’t allowed to speak.”

  Suddenly Remy fell face first into the dirt floor. Seconds later he lifted his body, using the wall as leverage. His dark, pupil free eyes reverted back to normal.

  “I guess not.” He stepped forward and fell again, but Anastasia caught him in mid-air. She gently laid him back against the wall.

  “Humans aren’t allowed in Deamhan affairs,” the first triplet said again.

  Veronica stepped forward. She chose her words carefully, realizing that if they had that much power to harm Remy, they could do much worse to her. “Please, may I speak?”

  The first triplet lowered her hand. “No, you cannot.”

  “The human came here to seek Amenirdis’ wisdom regarding her mother,” Anastasia replied.

  “Her human mother is not our concern.”

  “Yes, but her human mother was with Lucius who was placed in Limbo by Amenirdis. I came here seeking Lucius’ whereabouts and to plead with your master to free him from Limbo.”

  “While your strength and determination is admired…” the second triplet started.

  “…no human is allowed here.” The third triplet finished the sentence.

  “It’s against—” the first triplet continued and then fell silent.

  “…the rules,” the third triplet concluded.

  “She speaks through you, but I don’t want to speak with you. I want to speak to Amenirdis,” Anastasia insisted. “I want to know what she did with Lucius.”

  The triplets turned to one another. Anastasia glanced at Veronica, who remained assertive, staring at the triplets ahead. Again she risked unknown determination. The triplets could do to her what they did to Remy or Amenirdis might appear and kill them where they stood. If it came down to a confrontation, she hoped that Anastasia was strong enough to hold them off until she escaped.

  “Why are you helping this human?” The first twin asked.

  “What makes this human different, offspring of Lucia?” The third twin continued the questioning.

  This time Anastasia replied. “Does it matter? You already know what I’m going to say. You know the real reason I’m here.”

  “Yes, but does the human know the real reason why you traveled to this domain?”

  Suddenly a strong force slammed into Veronica and she saw Anastasia’s thoughts thanks to the Sensual Appetite she devoured earlier. Pictures of her human life as a farmer’s daughter in the late 1500’s England and her strict Catholic parents appeared in crisp images. She saw Anastasia’s maker; a dark-haired woman who laughed like a jackal while watching Anastasia, drained of blood, lying helplessly in a bale of hay. Then the images of death and murder. A group of what looked like vampires, staking her and placing her in a metal coffin. That was soon followed by the image of a man who Veronica somehow knew to be Lucius, freeing her from death.

  Veronica sensed Anastasia’s strong loyalty to Lucius. She would do anything for him. The images changed and she saw through Anastasia’s eyes when she confronted Branda and Brandy in the bathroom at Dark Sepulcher. Her eyes watered. The information became overwhelming and she wanted the projections to stop but they continued.

  She sensed Anastasia’s regret and hatred for her own sire and being made a Ramanga. She wasn’t bounded by human emotions, but she strongly wanted to be. Somewhere, inside her Ramanga soul, hid the sympathetic, caring and loving farmer’s daughter by the human name of Auerelia who desperately wanted to help Veronica, not the iniquitous Anastasia who wanted to bathe in human blood.

  Then the image of Nathan, surrounded in white light gave off a sense of relief. Veronica felt Anastasia’s respect and admiration for him, even though the Deamhan side of her wanted to rip his throat out. The images fluttered rapidly: Anastasia in her room at Dark Sepulcher, pacing back and forth in Deamhan speed, ripping her hair out from its roots just to watch it grow back again. She then saw Anastasia watching Nathan from a distance in his study, glaring at his mannerisms and hoping to copy them to perfection one day.

  The Ramanga longed for her humanity and she fought her dark desires and urges and, in her brain, she repeatedly told herself that she would do anything to protect Nathan from harm.

  Anastasia envied Veronica’s humanity.

  “Lucius must be freed from Limbo,” Anastasia demanded.

  The pain stopped and Veronica opened her eyes. The feeling of remorse engulfed her.

  Anastasia quickly looked over her shoulder, past Remy and at the dark entrance of the cave. The smell of Selene circled in her nose just in time to see the Lugat walk toward them from the shadows with Hallie close behind her. She made no attempt to hide her approach. Frost covered the top of her reddish hair, glistening in the darkness of the cave. Her eyelids were also covered in frozen perspiration, and she wiped them with the back of her hand, clearing almost all of it away.

  She kneeled and lowered her head. “I come as a servant of Amenirdis,” she announced humbly. “And as the offspring of Lucius.”

  The triplets nodded and Selene stood to her feet.

  “Offspring of Lucius,” the third triplet said. “You also seek Lucius?”

  “Yes, and I implore you to free him,” Selene replied. “Kei had no right to seek Amenirdis’ help in placing Lucius in Limbo.”

  “Her favor…” the first triplet started.

  “…does not come without a price,” the third triplet finished.

  “And what price is that?” Anastasia argued back.

  “A price that only Amenirdis knows,” the second triplet answered.

  Selene looked to Anastasia. “I accept the price,” she stated.

  “As do I,” Anastasia also said.

  “Only one must accept the price,” the second triplet said.

  Veronica swallowed and she gathered her wits to speak. “And my mother?”

  “Quiet!” Anastasia looked back at her. “You aren’t allowed to speak.”

  “She should be allowed,” Selene replied. “She came with the same reason we’re here. Being human shouldn’t hold any weight in that.”

  The first triplet raised her hand. “Will you accept the price offspring of Lucius?”

  Selene nodded but suddenly Anastasia stood in front of her. “No, I will accept the price.”

  “You have no right!” Selene quickly grabbed Anastasia by her arm and she tossed her aside. Anastasia landed on her feet and in breakneck speed she launched herself at Selene. The triplets intervened and with a quick swipe of their hand, Anastasia found herself pushed against the cave walls.

  “Offspring of Lucius has accepted the price.” The triplets spoke in unison. “The deal has been made.” Their clothing became brighter, illuminating the surrounding area. They watched as the effulgent light blasted into Selene, turning even brighter.

  The glow seeped between the cracks of Veronica’s fingers, and even when she closed her eyes, the darkness illuminated, making it impossible to block it. The light gravitated, and the intensity of it decreased until darkness overcame the room and the small candle reappeared, kindling on the surface of a rock.

  Veronica cautiously opened her eyes.

  The triplets were gone. In their place, lying on the floor in front of the huge rock, was the body of Lucius.

  His long light brown hair gracefully lay across his chest, covering his nipples and part of his stomach. His distorted skin looked like leather; a sign that he hadn’t fed in a long time. His eyes were closed and his lips were partially opened. Anastasia rushed over to him and knelt over his ravaged body.

  Veronica saw that Selene was also lying on the ground. She slowly stood to her feet, wiping the dirt from her clothing. She looked at her hands then she felt her face. Her eyes riffled through the cave and when she made contact with Veronica, she smiled.

  “That was easier than I thought.” Remy watched as Anastasia turned Lucius’ body on its side. When she gently touched the side of his cold face, he opened his hazel eyes.

  “Lucius,” she whispered.

  Tears began to stream down Veronica’s face, and her mouth quivered. Yet a hint of anger hid behind her sorrow. She still held onto the thought that her mother would reappear with him.

  Anastasia gently placed her hands under his body and lifted him to his feet. He slightly opened his eyes, letting out a grunt when he felt the hardened soil underneath his feet.

  “What was the deal you made, Selene?” Remy asked.

  “I don’t know and I don’t care.” Selene approached Lucius. “My beloved, my sire. Welcome back.”

  Lucius turned his head slowly to look at her.

  “Am I the only one who cares about this deal?” Remy spoke again. “Any deal made with Amenirdis can’t be good.”

  Ignoring Remy’s statement, Selene whispered softly into Lucius’ ear. “Kei will suffer for what he’s done to you. And you will be there to witness his death.”

  Lucius looked up at Veronica, and in his eyes she saw his strength slowly regaining. Without notice, he pushed both Anastasia and Selene violently away. He took a step toward her then stopped, trying to focus his eyes on her. He held out his wrinkled hand and spoke only one word; Caroline.

  “She’s not Caroline.” Selene jumped to her feet. “She is her daughter.”

  Sensing an opportunity, Veronica spoke. “Do you know what happened to my mother?”

  Lucius calmly lowered his hand. In a gust of wind he ran past her and toward the entryway of the cave knocking Remy and Hallie against the rock wall, disappearing from their sight.