Chapter 31

Divina was walking down the stairs, marching gracelessly towards something or someone obscure or bleak. Somehow, she had the feel of a pendant around her neck-it was like that of Kane’s. A perfect replica. The particular house was dark and there were several levels of corridors to the Dark House, even though she knew nothing about the stairs and rooms it seemed as if she knew exactly where to go, each turn, corridor, room, and passage weren't strange to her.
Finally, she reached a shadowed cellar. Just like every part of the house, it was dark down there, the walls clammy with unpleasant moisture, though apparently Divina didn't mind. A narrow corridor led away in another direction, vanishing into darkness.
Divina didn't have any idea of that particular hallway. However, something about the thickness of the shadow assured her that she was on the right path. She walked into one room carelessly and did clomp inside. Then a strong feeling of hate filled her. Hatred for this room more than any other place on earth. To begin with, it was hot and wet inside, like a swamp and the skies outside were gray and rainy. The walls seemed to seep and sip the moisture while the upholstery on the seats and sofas was always blooming with mold. The smell cheeky intimate like the banks of the forest river on a sweltering day. Her guest was present, she was, no, they were already there. Like they were there always. Seated behind their enormous, raised desk. Each entity was covered in an unusual colorful sleeve. One was dressed in a vibrant salmon pink, another in a dark gown of peacock blue. Above her the brilliantly colored satins like deflated gray balloons did have bizarre loveliness. Each entity both wore gloves despite how hot the room was. Divina was sure of one thing-they were both vamps. One was spinning the heavy brass globe on the desk with one plump, white-gloved finger. Divina had many times tried to get a better look at the globe-something about the way the continents were laid out had never looked quite right to her, especially the space in the center of Europe-Europe? That wasn't Europe. The globe wasn't just any globe.
"Don't think much, it’s for the underworld," One of them spoke. Her voice-a pattern of rain cloaked in sturdiness.
"Okay, why am I here?"
"Do you ask anyone why you dream?" The other spoke, having a similar voice like the first.
"I know this is not just a dream,"
Both speakers walked into the light. The memory came swiftly like a gush of wind. It was the lady vamp she met in the hospital. The white-gloved one sounded so familiar while the other strange.
Sisters? Oh no! I did fall for it.
"We aren't sisters who use your head,"
Instinctively, Divina could now tell that they were the same person but different projections.
"You are a walker too? Oh perfect. Lies about me being the last dream walker, all lies-"
"We've only met once, you can't possibly know who or what I am," the vamp said.
"Okay, Lady Vamp-News Flash; I couldn't kill Blackclaw, and I can't kill Kane. Your sword was perfect. Just too perfect-" She was about to go on and on with the whine but. . .
"Blackclaw wouldn't be a threat anymore for now. You let Kane live-"
Anger in her eyes, she looked the vamp in the face.
"You want me dead, don't you?" Her voice accentuating distinctive emphasis
"If you didn't want me dead, you wouldn't have sent me. You are a vamp, you could do this on your own," her voice went sour for a while.
"Why should I be here talking to you?" The lady vamp kept mute for a while before speaking again.
"Kane is bound to Blackclaw. You kill Kane and Blackclaw dies slowly,"
Divina could hardly believe her ears. Both were having a conversation before the attack. Something wasn't right there but she couldn't tell. Slowly the surrounding darkness engulfed her again and her dream became like the night.
Slowly she opened her eyes. They were now acclimatized to the dull hue of the room. Like she didn't have enough trouble, killing Kane was now her priority but how could she do such a thing? Her wandering mind drifted back to the sweet days where Kane was just an imaginary hot guy in her dreams.
The sex, they were out-of-this-world. She enjoyed dreams about them than the recent ones-the old man in the ice, the lady vamp.
Her problems and worries kept growing as the days kept going. She had a reason to kill Kane but how could she kill him? Hastily cut his hideous head off with the sword. Nope, he wasn't hideous. She couldn't do that.
The search for Divina became stronger each day as the Witch became physically strong. All injuries from the fight between her and Blackclaw were healed. Kane still remained himself, visiting her from time to time and when it was time to leave Divina decided to tarry for one more night. Each day they spent the early hours of the night together. No matter how Divina tried to hide it, the chemistry was there. Like the opposite poles of a magnet, they were attracted to each other and repelled like poles.
"Take me outside for once" Divina pleaded.
"You'll be leaving soon so I don't mind,"
Kane brought out a dark piece of cloth and was about cover her eyes with it.
"What are you doing?" A flustered Divina asked him.
"Trust me, I should do this," He answered. There was something about his voice. Calm, cool, collected, and chilly. She couldn't argue anymore and allowed him to do the blindfold. He led her by his gentle hand to a large clearing. Divina could feel the breeze rush through her hair. The cold chill of the night sent a sharp sensation down her skin resulting to thrilling goosebumps.
After removing the blind, she let out a relieving sigh. She had little or no idea of where she was. Kane had been able to hide that successfully from her. Divina took in the cold silent hair in a noisy heavy breath. Kane was getting so comfortable around her, and she knew it.
"Hey, apart from my destiny what else do you know about me?" She was quick to get him talking. With this she could hide her real intentions.
"You’re from a family of four, met with your mother some decades ago. . . and your father too." He added.
"Well, I guess knowing someone's destiny also means that you know all about them,"
"Not really, like I don't know you know you,"
Divina grinned.
"Like what else do you want to know?"
Kane had wondered why she had never mentioned that his nephew was responsible for what happened to her Pa. In fact, she didn't even mention Blackclaw or how she was going to get him. A dead silence prevailed over them for some seconds.
"Have you ever killed someone you really love? Or I mean have you ever killed someone you care for?"
Why should she ever ask me such a question?
"Uhm, why should I kill someone I care for?"
"Destiny, may be your destiny is to kill someone you really love,"
"We make our own destiny Divina,"
"So, you can't kill someone you like?"
Kane shook his head slowly. The witch had little or no idea of how the underground world went about its daily activities.
"We don't just kill, reasons must exist"
"Yeah, they do," Divina whispered.
In the next microsecond Divina lunged himself forward and tried to land a blow but she was promptly blocked and knocked down onto the ground. Pain surged through her body, but she refused to give in to it. She jumped up at him again, hoping to catch him off guard but she was only successful at punching the still dark night. She couldn't read Kane's expression, was he surprised or serious?
"Is a drill? Or you just want to know how strong you are?"
"This is for my Pa!" She screamed before running towards him. Unexpectedly he began running away until he reached a plain floored with rocks. He stopped to look back at her. She wondered why he had brought her there.
"You would need this too," he said and threw the sword to her.
Where did that come from, she thought?
Divina picked it up. Bracing herself for the first real attack. Her face was set with determination. It was Divina who struck the first blow. Lunging forward with the sword, she tried to shear through the chest of the wolf-vamp, but it wasn't possible. She was so swift but no faster than Blackclaw. She launched another attack, but Kane was quick to get the sword out of her hands with just a gentle tilt of her hand. It was down to a fist fight. Definitely he wasn't going to hit her.