purposely skipped.
She told him the real reason why she came back to Minneapolis and how important it was to her to find out what happened to her mother. When she’d finished her spiel, she shrugged, realizing she had nothing left to say. It was now up to Murphy to handle what she just revealed.
Veronica returned to the kitchen for two cups of coffee, giving Murphy a moment alone to process what she’d told him. She filled the sugar bowl from the canister and she watched him stare down at the floor in thought.
When she looked back again, his expression morphed from confusion to concern.
Finally, he turned toward the kitchen. “So those two chicks, were these Deamhan creatures?”
“Yeah.”
“And they’re immortal. They live forever?”
“Pretty much.”
“Stakes can kill them?”
She couldn’t suppress a grin. “They can also die from exposure to sunlight and be beheaded.”
“Like vampires who also live in the city?”
“Yeah.”
“What about garlic?” A look of hope appeared on his face.
“No.” Veronica peeked out from behind the wall separating the two. “Garlic doesn’t work for vampires either.”
“Why not call them vampires?”
“Because they aren’t vampires. They’re Deamhan,” she answered. “They’re different. I mean, I look at them as like distant relatives or cousins of vampires. But they’re different. Even siring a Deamhan is a totally different process than siring a vampire. There used to be tons of them. So many different types. One time, they actually outnumbered vampires.”
“What happened?”
Veronica shrugged. “I don’t know. I just know that now they’re like an endangered species. It’s just the Ramanga, Lugat, Metusba and Lamia now.”
“There used to be more?” His eyes widened.
She took a deep breath and muttered, “I believe so. I heard that there were eight clans in total but now, only four.”
“These creatures hang out at Dark Sepulcher?”
“Not all of them. Majority of vampires hang out there.”
“And the main reason you came back to Minneapolis is to look for your mother, right?”
“Yeah.” Veronica walked from the kitchen carrying a coffee, sugar, and cream on a tray.
“Oh.” Murphy soaked up the information like a wet towel. “That explains a lot.”
Veronica stood in front of him. “What do you mean?”
“The people I saw at the club doing weird shit to one another.” A look of confusion returned to his face. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?” Veronica said as she handed the cup to him. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe there was a chance.”
“I don’t know.” He sipped the coffee and cradled the cup in his hand. “I guess I’m sorry for what you have to go through.”
Veronica opened her mouth to speak, but he quickly interrupted.
“I always thought this city was a little weird.” He chuckled. “Boring, but weird.”
“Well, every city has its secrets.” She drew a long sip from her mug; the hot, sugary coffee warmed her chest on the way down.
“If you need my help with anything, Veronica, I’m here. Unless you want me to kill one of them and—well, I’d have to sit that one out.”
Veronica watched as doubt clouded his face. “Oh no.” She laughed, and he smiled sheepishly, his eyes crinkling in a way that warmed her as much as the coffee. “I wouldn’t do that, Murphy. I’m not here to hunt them.”
“What if your mom is one of them?” he asked. “What if they sired her?”
Veronica swallowed hard. The thought never crossed her mind. She didn’t have a plan if she found her mother sired. The thought of it made her cringe. It wasn’t possible. Her mother was still alive, somewhere in Minneapolis.
“She’s alive. I know it.” She patted his leg.
Veronica stared into her mug, watching the cream swirl into the murky darkness. The attack at Dark Sepulcher wasn’t a setback. She still had to move forward, starting with checking out the burned house again to see
She told him the real reason why she came back to Minneapolis and how important it was to her to find out what happened to her mother. When she’d finished her spiel, she shrugged, realizing she had nothing left to say. It was now up to Murphy to handle what she just revealed.
Veronica returned to the kitchen for two cups of coffee, giving Murphy a moment alone to process what she’d told him. She filled the sugar bowl from the canister and she watched him stare down at the floor in thought.
When she looked back again, his expression morphed from confusion to concern.
Finally, he turned toward the kitchen. “So those two chicks, were these Deamhan creatures?”
“Yeah.”
“And they’re immortal. They live forever?”
“Pretty much.”
“Stakes can kill them?”
She couldn’t suppress a grin. “They can also die from exposure to sunlight and be beheaded.”
“Like vampires who also live in the city?”
“Yeah.”
“What about garlic?” A look of hope appeared on his face.
“No.” Veronica peeked out from behind the wall separating the two. “Garlic doesn’t work for vampires either.”
“Why not call them vampires?”
“Because they aren’t vampires. They’re Deamhan,” she answered. “They’re different. I mean, I look at them as like distant relatives or cousins of vampires. But they’re different. Even siring a Deamhan is a totally different process than siring a vampire. There used to be tons of them. So many different types. One time, they actually outnumbered vampires.”
“What happened?”
Veronica shrugged. “I don’t know. I just know that now they’re like an endangered species. It’s just the Ramanga, Lugat, Metusba and Lamia now.”
“There used to be more?” His eyes widened.
She took a deep breath and muttered, “I believe so. I heard that there were eight clans in total but now, only four.”
“These creatures hang out at Dark Sepulcher?”
“Not all of them. Majority of vampires hang out there.”
“And the main reason you came back to Minneapolis is to look for your mother, right?”
“Yeah.” Veronica walked from the kitchen carrying a coffee, sugar, and cream on a tray.
“Oh.” Murphy soaked up the information like a wet towel. “That explains a lot.”
Veronica stood in front of him. “What do you mean?”
“The people I saw at the club doing weird shit to one another.” A look of confusion returned to his face. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?” Veronica said as she handed the cup to him. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe there was a chance.”
“I don’t know.” He sipped the coffee and cradled the cup in his hand. “I guess I’m sorry for what you have to go through.”
Veronica opened her mouth to speak, but he quickly interrupted.
“I always thought this city was a little weird.” He chuckled. “Boring, but weird.”
“Well, every city has its secrets.” She drew a long sip from her mug; the hot, sugary coffee warmed her chest on the way down.
“If you need my help with anything, Veronica, I’m here. Unless you want me to kill one of them and—well, I’d have to sit that one out.”
Veronica watched as doubt clouded his face. “Oh no.” She laughed, and he smiled sheepishly, his eyes crinkling in a way that warmed her as much as the coffee. “I wouldn’t do that, Murphy. I’m not here to hunt them.”
“What if your mom is one of them?” he asked. “What if they sired her?”
Veronica swallowed hard. The thought never crossed her mind. She didn’t have a plan if she found her mother sired. The thought of it made her cringe. It wasn’t possible. Her mother was still alive, somewhere in Minneapolis.
“She’s alive. I know it.” She patted his leg.
Veronica stared into her mug, watching the cream swirl into the murky darkness. The attack at Dark Sepulcher wasn’t a setback. She still had to move forward, starting with checking out the burned house again to see
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