Winter arrived in Minnesota late that night. Veronica and Sean awoke to six inches of fresh snow on the ground with the air carrying thick and sticky snowflakes. The temperature dropped to below freezing with the wind burning any exposed areas of Veronica’s face as they left her apartment and climbed into the backseat of a taxi. The taxi’s tires spun over the black ice on the pavement, making the car move uncontrollably from left to right before it sped down the street.

  The drive, an hour long, for the most part remained quiet. The Somalian driver tried to start a conversation with Sean about the weather, but Sean’s bitty, apathetic replies killed it.

  She lost herself in her thoughts. A few times she looked at Sean from the corner of her eye, still wondering if he told her everything about why he came to Minneapolis. For the first time in her life, she didn’t trust him. The person she knew before she left California was now lost to her. Part of her understood why he couldn’t say no, but another side of her didn’t understand why he agreed either.

  She shuffled through the backpack sitting on her lap, pulling out her notes and some of The Brotherhood paperwork on Blind Bluff Manor (she also started to question the information Sean brought her as well.) The sanctuary, reportedly owned by a human and nestled far from the city, still didn’t seem real to her. Images of what the place looked like flooded her mind. She expected it to be large, dark, overfilled with passageways and secret compartments for the Deamhan to rest during the day.

  What she knew about sanctuaries she learned from her father and The Brotherhood. Deamhan sanctuaries were necessities in the time when the Deamhan were almost driven to extinction. Each sanctuary had an older Deamhan who acted as its leader with several Deamhan under him or her. They weren’t mixed and each Deamhan type preferred to stay with their own. Some sanctuaries could be cramped, others not so much, but each sanctuary had its distinctive traits, depending on what type of Deamhan settled there. They preferred their locations to be further away from humans, usually in abandoned homes, farms, and even cemeteries, but that was not always true.

  The Somalian driver weaved in and out of traffic. In the rear view mirror, Veronica saw downtown Minneapolis become smaller and smaller until it turned into just a pinpoint. The taxi meter read a little over five dollars. She expected the bill to round out to eighty. Nothing the driver said to them pushed on the conversation. Sean only replied when the conversation turned to the house fires. Another fire last night claimed a house in the Uptown district of the city. The police increased the reward to $50,000, in the hope to catch those responsible. This fire didn’t make the news like the fires before it. Veronica assumed that the news reporters were already moving onto newer news.

  Thirty minutes into the ride, the taxi driver blurted the name of the city. The taxi passed a green sign with the words: “Prudence Population 3,000” in white letters. Huge pine trees with snow collected on their branches grew on both sides of the road, standing tall and erect, creating a tunnel effect while the car moved. The freeway turned into a one lane paved road, surrounded by fresh, heavy snow.

  “Excuse me, are you sure this is the right way?” Veronica decided to question the route.

  “Yes, yes, yes.” The driver’s accent was thick as he spoke. “Your friend said you both want to go to Prudence, right? We are close now. Soon.”

  The taxi came to a four way stop with an abandoned gas station on the right corner. Veronica peered out the window, staring at the desolate land and its seemingly vacant scenery. The price of gas shown on its billboard still read ninety-nine cents a gallon.

  She nervously tapped her fingers on her leg. Just yesterday she considered the thought of coming to Blind Bluff Manor as something she had to mentally plan for. She envisaged her behavior in the city as gung ho. She needed to be. Now she believed that maybe her aggressive behavior turned against her. Blind Bluff Manor was no Dark Sepulcher. The secluded place worked against her. She tried to relax. She practiced for this moment and she feared those years of practice would fail her miserably. She couldn’t afford to have her mind read—not now if not ever.

  The taxi turned left and drove for ten more miles until it veered off on Lake Bend, another one lane road. Ahead, a black gate guarded off the remaining road.

  It stood about fifteen feet tall, and its metal gates were more than an inch thick. Above the gate, twisted in the black metallic frame, were the words “Blind Bluff Manor.”

  “I’ll wait right here,” the driver told them. Sean handed him the money, and they left the car. The air was chillier than in the city, and it carried a dust of snow. She approached the electronic lock and pressed the talk button twice.

  “This is secure for a sanctuary.” Sean glanced around.

  She pressed the button again and noticed the icicles hanging from the edge of the electronic lock.

  “They never described anything like this in the books,” Sean continued.

  “Hello, is anyone there?” She raised her voice. She began to grow impatient, waiting for a response that she believed they weren’t going to receive while standing in the cold. Up ahead, dim lights glowed behind a row of tall pine trees. She pressed the talk button again and raised her voice to a banshee scream. “Hello? Please answer me! Someone? Anyone? My name is Veronica Austin. Remy sent me here to see Nathan Tiernan.”

  Silence.

  Sean tapped her shoulder and pointed off to their right and left. The length of a tall black steel fence stretched off into the distance on both sides. Like she predicted, Blind Bluff Manor sat on a large area of secluded land. The wind picked up, and their bodies gave out a quick quiver. The cold was beginning to affect them.

  “Maybe no one’s home?” she whispered to him.

  “Maybe.” He approached the electronic box and pressed the button. “Hello, is anyone there?”

  “Remy sent me here to speak with Nathan Tiernan,” Veronica tried again.

  Static exploded from the box followed by silence. Sean pressed the button frantically, becoming anxious to hear a voice. Suddenly the sound of static was followed by a man clearing his throat.

  “I usually don’t receive visitors at this time of day,” the male voice replied. “May I help you?”

  “Am I speaking with Nathan Tiernan?” she asked. More static echoed from the box.

  “Yes, I am Nathan Tiernan. It is cold out there, I can imagine.”

  They strained to hear the voice.

  “Please, tell the taxi to follow the road into the front of my home.”

  Sean breathed a sigh of relief. “I guess that means we can go in.”

  Befuddled, Veronica looked around the area. “How did he know about the taxi?”

  “Maybe there’s a camera around here somewhere,” Sean whispered. They walked back to the car. “When the gates open, follow the road in.” He instructed the taxi driver.

  The driver shook his head and turned off the car. “You both walk rest of way.” He spoke in broken English.

  “What’s wrong?” Veronica asked.

  “Bad things about this place.”

  “What bad things?”

  The driver began to describe the superstitions that came with every unknown possibility to man: ghosts, demon worship, sacrifices, and paganism. Veronica wanted to confirm some them. Instead of giving an explanation, she reached into her purse and pulled out a hundred dollar bill.

  The gates slowly opened, and the driver took the money. They climbed back into the taxi and the driver started his car and proceeded to drive forward, taking his time approaching the house. He nervously looked in his rear view mirror, the side mirrors, and ahead. Reddish gravel and small, harmless rocks paved the road leading to the sanctuary a half a mile from the gate. Large trees empty of their leaves and brown grass sticking through the thick layer of snow completed the scene around them.

  Veronica’s fabricated picture of the sanctuary fascinated her inner curiosities. Blind Bluff Manor was the size of a mansion. Delicately beautiful, it had stained glass windows decorated with pictures of clouds tricked their eyes. Four windows lined the second story mansion sized sanctuary with a large balcony.

  The amber colored front door itself stood towering over them. Overall, the sanctuary seemed secure, even with a small frozen pond near the front. Here, in this beautiful decorative palace, sat a Deamhan sanctuary.

  Veronica comforted the driver one more time before exiting the vehicle. She and Sean walked up to the door. The porch creaked eerily with every step they took. The door opened slowly. A middle aged man, a little taller than Sean, stood in the doorway. His deep dark blue eyes met them at the edge of the steps. His neatly trimmed brown hair showed streaks of gray near his ears. He slowly took off his reading glasses, revealing crow’s feet in the corner of his eyes, and he extended his hand with a smile, showing his gleaming teeth.

  He moved aside. “Please, come in.”

  They walked in cautiously, not expecting the inside to be more amazing than the outside. A long, elegant red carpet lay from the front door to a beautiful staircase leading to the second floor with a majestic balcony—a perfect place to view anyone walking into the home. Sean noticed a huge portrait of Queen Elizabeth II hanging above a fireplace in the far backroom illuminating its surroundings. Huge shaded lamps in the corners of the room illuminated the granite marble ceiling.

  Besides the beautiful artistry that jumped at them from all sides, Veronica found the place to be empty and dark. She glanced up at the ceiling far from their reach, and her eyes rapidly found the next big thing to awe over.

  Roman marble statues of gods and goddesses positioned on pedestals outlined the room. A replica of a Roman forum complete with a balcony for a Roman emperor completed the luxurious den.

  “You like Roman art?” The man noticed Veronica’s interest in his statues.

  “Almost anything historical, actually.” She turned to face him.

  “Well.” He smiled. “As do I.” He stared them over for a couple of seconds before speaking again. “So, Miss Austin.”

  “Veronica, please.”

  “And you can call me Sean.” Sean held out his hand.

  “I’m Nathan Tiernan.” They exchanged a handshake. “So, Veronica and Sean. What can I help you with?”

  “Yes,” said Veronica. “I have a couple of questions about the Deamhan in Minneapolis.”

  “Deamhan?” Nathan repeated.

  “The Deamhan and The Brotherhood,” Sean added.

  Veronica continued. “I’m sure Remy has told you about me.”

  Nathan nodded. “Yes, Remy told me about meeting you at Dark Sepulcher but I’m afraid that’s all he told me.”

  “I don’t want to take up too much of your time,” she replied. “We just have a couple of questions, and then we’ll be on our way.”

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  “Nathan, please. Mr. Tiernan sounds so old. I don’t look that old, do I?”

  She noticed the deep dark wrinkles covering his forehead and his sagging cheeks. Obviously he seemed older and around the same age as her father. “No you don’t, Nathan.” She respected his correction. “Remy said you could help me with some questions that I have.”

  “I take it you had no trouble finding my home?” he asked.

  “No.”

  “Uh huh.” His enunciated reply sounded strange to Veronica.

  “We mean no disrespect,” Sean said, apologetically.

  “Please.” Nathan ignored his comment. “This way.”

  They followed Nathan to the illuminated backroom. A red velvet chair with a sunken impression sat in the corner. Next to it was a small dining table with a lone coffee mug on top of it. Sean and Veronica sat across from him in a twin matching couch, cushioned enough that Sean felt swallowed by it. She felt they were invading his privacy.

  “Excuse the mess,” Nathan said. “I don’t have visitors often, and this room isn’t set up for anyone but me.” He crossed his legs. “So, how can I help you?”

  She dug through her backpack and pulled out the paperwork. “I came to Minneapolis to find out what happened to my mother.” She spoke over the rattling of papers. “She was a researcher around the time the Minnesota Chapter was running in Minneapolis.” She looked at Sean. “From what I was able to find, she worked alongside you and my father was the Region Leader. We believe her last assignment was to track a Deamhan by the name of Lucius.”

  “Yes, I do remember your mother and your father.” His answer was quick. “But I’m afraid I can’t recall what her last assignment was since the Region Leaders were the only ones who handed out the assignments.”

  “Do you know anything about Lucius?” she asked. “Lambert, the vampire owner of Dark Sepulcher, told me a few things but I can’t confirm what he told me since I can’t find anything on him from The Brotherhood.”

  Nathan’s eyes locked onto the files in Sean’s lap. “Of course you won’t. They’re really good at hiding secrets.” He shifted his body onto his left side with his legs still crossed. “There were many members in those days that came in and out of Minneapolis and there were many Deamhan as well. At that time Lucius was the head Deamhan in the city—that I do remember.” He eyed Sean. “Are you a researcher?”

  Veronica looked at Sean, who didn’t seem fazed at Nathan’s question. He kept his posture, and his answer was quick. “No, not anymore.”

  Mr. Tiernan looked to Veronica.

  “No, I never was,” she answered. “I was raised around it, and my father is now the President of the Midwest Region.”

  Nathan sat upright, uncrossing his legs. A slight hint of a smile appeared on his face. “You remind me of your mother. She was a determined woman, always searching for the truth.” He leaned back in his chair and continued. “She was also really protective of her family, more than your father.” He grabbed the mug from the table and stood up from his chair. “Along with your mother, I openly questioned what your father was doing at that time, Veronica. Things were hectic and the environment unsafe. Many researchers lost their lives and the Chapter was on the brink of collapse.

  “It was Lucius who kept things in order. He managed to control the Deamhan as long as we agreed to not interfere. Afterward there was a calm period and no issues arose between us and the Deamhan. We were there to watch, to gather information, to understand them from a distance like our ancestors did. However, your father had his own agenda and priorities.” Nathan slowly paced over to his fireplace and leaned on the mantle, his eyes drifting over the files for a moment. “And things turned for the worse.”

  “What did my father do?”

  “That’s the problem. I never found out. No one in the Chapter knew until it was too late,” Nathan answered. “By then your mother had disappeared and we had been attacked. We were forced to disband the Chapter and to leave the city in fear of our lives.”

  “But you didn’t leave the city. Why?”

  “No, I didn’t.” He sipped from his coffee mug. “Your father had me ejected from The Brotherhood and my parents, who had dedicated their lives to the organization, were cast out as well.” He placed his coffee mug on the mantel of the fireplace. “But I can’t say that I didn’t see it coming.”

  “If you didn’t know what was happening, why would my father cast you out of the organization?”

  “History,” Nathan answered. “Your family and my family have squabbled for power in The Brotherhood for generations. We are the only two families who never got along.” He closed his eyes in thought. “The Dearhorn family stood on the side of the Austin family and the Pavel family stood on my family’s side.”

  Veronica stared into the fire, caught in its hypnotic flare. It was the first time she’d heard of the conflicts between the families in The Brotherhood. There were so many questions and so many thoughts about what Nathan could reveal. She didn’t know where to start.

  “Hey,” Sean whispered to her. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah.” She nodded, snapping herself from her vertigo daze. “Yeah, I’m—I’m fine.” She looked at Nathan. “My father never told me anything about this but that’s not a surprise.”

  “I’m sorry that you have to hear it from me,” Nathan replied. “After I was ejected from The Brotherhood I decided to stay in Minneapolis and further research the Deamhan on my own.”

  “Did you happen to find out what happened to Lucius?”

  Nathan closed his eyes for a moment. “Lucius Valerius Pulcher. That was his birth name.”

  Veronica quickly glanced at Sean, who looked back with a confused stare. “His real name?”

  “Yes,” Nathan answered. “He’s an old Deamhan; an Ancient is what they call them—Deamhan who are over a thousand years old. He was an avid follower of their Dictum and he believed in coexistence between humans, Deamhans, and vampires. It wasn’t a popular stance among his own kind.”

  “Lambert told me that the Chapter was involved in his disappearance,” Veronica asked. “Is that true?”

  He nodded. “Yes, and that Lucius was possibly killed by his offspring. No one knows what happened to him. After he disappeared his consort, Kei, placed himself as leader in the city. Since then, the Deamhan have been out of control, killing each other, and burning sanctuaries.” He walked toward the middle of the room and stood in front of them. “I’ve been watching and documenting the Deamhan from my own home here. Those in support of Lucius are fighting against those in support of Kei.”

  “And where do you stand?” Sean asked.

  Nathan paused before replying. “My stance is not important.”

  “But you live with Deamhan here.”

  He nodded. “And their stance is not of my concern. However, Lambert seems to be more vocal when it comes to Kei.”

  The smell of hazelnut coffee drifted past Veronica’s nose. “I could tell. When we spoke, I had the feeling that he didn’t like Kei and he didn’t like The Brotherhood.”

  “And he never will,” Nathan answered. “Lambert has lived in Minneapolis for a long time. He is like the head vampire in the city. Most vampires shy away from the Deamhan but he has somehow found a way to incorporate them and tolerate them.”

  “And you want to go back to Dark Sepulcher?” Sean whispered to Veronica.

  Ignoring his comment, she continued to question. “Do you know where I could find Kei?”

  “I don’t.” Again Nathan’s response was quick.

  She glanced at Sean. Their eyes met. He probably had the same questions flopping through his brain. “Do you know anyone who might know where he is?” She slowly turned back to Nathan. Who folded his arms and exhaled. His body language suggested that he wasn’t thrilled about Kei, like Lambert.

  “You don’t want to look for him.” Nathan stepped in front of the glow from his fireplace. “You don’t want to find him.”

  It was the same reply Lambert had given her at Dark Sepulcher. Instead of scaring her, it fueled her curiosity.

  “Kei isn’t known for his hospitality,” Nathan added. “He is and has always been dangerous.” He clasped his hands together. His body language immediately changed from being open and inclined to being uncomfortable and unsettled. He stared past them, his eyes glassy and nervous. “He will kill you or anyone he thinks is a threat to him. He’s killed humans, researchers, and Deamhan.”

  “He’s the only one that knows what happened to Lucius and my mother was researching him around that time, then maybe he knows what happened to her as well?”

  Sean reached over to her. “It’s not a good idea, Veronica.” He lowered his voice. “You heard the man; he’s dangerous.”

  “Eh.” She snarled at him. “How ironic.”

  He pulled his hand back. “Veronica, please.”

  “It’s not like I can find Lucius without him,” she raised her voice.

  “Kei isn’t hard to find.” Nathan’s eyes slowly followed a mosaic pattern of the Roman Goddess, Ceres, surrounded by pieces of fruit, on the floor of his study. “It’s just that no one bothers to seek him out, especially a human. If a Deamhan like Kei can easily rid himself of his own sire, someone as old as Lucius—” He didn’t finish his statement. Instead, he returned to Veronica. “Imagine what he could do to someone like you.”

  “If I could find Lucius without Kei, I would, but I need to find out about my mother and what happened to her.”

  Nathan rubbed his chin. “Lambert was right. You’re very determined.”

  “Damn right.” She held her head high. “Deamhan don’t scare me.” She spoke against what she felt. The Deamhan did scare her but her desire for the truth weighed more on her apperception. A glimpse of her father resonated in Nathan. He had the same attributes that most researchers learned from the organization, including Sean. He didn’t take flak from anyone. He paid attention to her detailed statements. Many researchers from his time had to be. With Veronica’s father sitting in an influential position, she understood his signs of caution.

  “If it helps, I can look through some of my research I’ve accumulated over the years.” Nathan’s eyes drifted to the marble ceiling. “I might find something that can help you.”

  “Yes, that would help me a lot.”

  He blinked and refocused his attention back toward them. “If you would like, we could meet tomorrow again to discuss these things.”

  “So you’ll help her?” Sean asked.

  “I can try.”

  “Tomorrow?”

  Nathan nodded. “Yes, tomorrow at Dark Sepulcher.”

  Veronica’s ebullient feeling halted when the words “Dark Sepulcher” exited his mouth. “I can’t go back there,” she said in a panic.

  “I’ll talk to Lambert.” He smiled. “I’ll ease his worries about you.”

  “You have pull like that?”

  “I wouldn’t call it pull, Miss Austin. More like a favor.” He reached out his hand, a gesture to end their conversation. “Tomorrow. A little after sunset.”

  Sean stood up without questioning and shook his hand. “Thank you for your time.”

  Veronica also stood up, surprised at Sean’s quick submission to end the conversation. Nathan led them out from his study and to the front door.

  “I will do all that I can.” He opened the door, letting the brisk cold air into the foyer.

  “Thank you again, Nathan,” Sean spoke up. At that moment, Veronica felt a sudden glance from above. She looked up. A woman with medium black hair and strong brown eyes glared down at them from the balcony. Her stern and organized gaze made Veronica pause for a brief moment, causing Sean to look up as well.

  She knew the woman was a Deamhan but her origins turned into a question for another day. She sensed that the woman didn’t want them there at Blind Bluff Manor. Her eyes, now pinpointed directly at her, scowled at them. The woman placed her hands on the balcony as if preparing to jump and squash them both under her feet. Nathan looked up at her, then back to them.

  “Stay safe out there.” He looked back at them.

  “Yes.” She agreed again to their future meeting. She glanced up one more time at the balcony, but the woman had vanished. They walked out into the cold and approached the taxi.

  “Veronica, you seriously aren’t thinking about going back to Dark Sepulcher,” Sean said, pleading to no avail.

  “Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do.” She opened the taxi door. “I’m going. End of story.”

  “Do you really believe him?”

  “I don’t know, Sean. What I do know is that he’s shown me that I can trust him. Something that you, my friend, haven’t done.” She looked back at the mansion one last time.

  “Well I’m going with you, then.”

  “You can’t. They’ll read your thoughts before you even enter. Besides, I don’t think my father would want you to.”

  “Don’t.” Sean sternly objected.

  “No, I will. I don’t know anymore, Sean. I don’t know what side you’re on.”

  “I’m on yours.”

  “Sure.” Veronica huffed.

  ###

  Nathan closed the door, and the silence of his sanctuary returned. He watched the taxi drive off his property and disappear down the road.

  He remembered the day Caroline Austin disappeared. It happened to be on the same day Veronica’s father ejected him from The Brotherhood. By that time, the stability of the Chapter edged toward breakdown. Lucius made it clear about how he felt when it came to The Brotherhood being in the city. He didn’t like it at all but that threat didn’t make Veronica’s father budge. He insisted that if The Brotherhood ran from every threat, there would be no Brotherhood.

  Lucius went out of his way to avoid violence. For a Deamhan his age, he’d somehow relearned the human trait of negotiation. Under his reign, researchers remained protected as long as they remained out of Deamhan affairs.

  But it didn’t last long.

  In line to become the President of the Midwest Region at that time, Mr. Austin ignored Lucius’ simple demands and his wife suddenly became the outspoken figure of her husband’s undoing. She followed and researched on Lucius against his wishes, and when she finally came face to face with this dangerous Deamhan and survived, Samuel Austin had seen enough.

  Nathan heard her footsteps behind him, and he didn’t take notice. If the Deamhan he allowed to stay at Blind Bluff Manor wanted to creep up on him, they could easily do so.

  “Lambert explained her situation.” He chose not to face the female Deamhan. The figure stood behind him. He felt her stare on the back of his neck and he assumed her quietness was due to her attempt to listen to his heartbeat.

  “Even if she is protected, it won’t stop Kei or anyone who cares less, for that matter.” The female Ramanga stood next to him. She stared into his face and spoke within his mind.

  Your blood is racing.

  “I’m concerned for her safety, Anastasia. That’s all.”

  The male’s scent was nauseating.

  “You know I prefer speaking than telepathy.”

  Anastasia nodded. “The male can’t be trusted. He’s a researcher.”

  “I know.” Nathan referred to Sean. He looked at her, the old and sometimes calmed Anastasia. Her gloomy and bewitching presence still made him agitated but her awe-inspiring beauty made up for it. He trusted her, even if her nature called for her to turn on him without warning. He never forgot his status among the Deamhan who stayed with him in his home; her, Remy, and Hallie. But he trusted her judgment—if he could call it that.

  “He is spying on her,” she stated. “I tried to read his thoughts but he blocked them from me. But her thoughts were opened to me. She isn’t a researcher. What she says about looking for her mother is true.”

  Nathan licked his lips and blinked his eyes slowly. “Did you pick up anything about The Brotherhood coming back to Minneapolis?”

  “Yes, they’re making their way back to the city.”

  “Well, let the games begin.” Nothing he could do would change the fact that old organization was coming back to the city.

  “I can kill him, the researcher.”

  “No.” Nathan folded his arms across his chest. He always contemplated what would happen if The Brotherhood came back. How would the Deamhan react? What would the vampires do?

  “They’ll interfere again.” She read his thoughts.

  “Killing Sean won’t stop them from coming back. Plus you know how I feel about killing. I don’t tolerate that in my home.”

  Anastasia scrunched her lower lip. “Even if the female is protected and not to be touched by the Deamhan and the vampires, Kei will still try to kill her if she searches for him. You can’t save her. You can’t stop that.”

  “I know.” Nathan walked toward his study room. “But I can try, Anastasia. I can try.”