Darren Shan - Deaths Shadow

Deaths Shadow

Demonata - 07

Darren Shan

(An Undead Scan v1.5)

PART ONE

A WHOLE NEW WORLD

Snapshots of Beranabus I

Brigitta was sixteen years old and about to get married. She had been promised to a prince sincebirth. He was handsome and kind, and she was looking forward to the wedding. She had dreams ofbearing many fine warrior sons, becoming queen of a mighty empire and living a long and happylife.

But the prince angered a powerful priestess. For revenge, she summoned a demon on the day ofthe wedding. The beast killed many of the guests and kidnapped Brigitta. She suffered terribly, butthe demon didnt kill her. Instead, several months later he sent her back to the princepregnant. Brigitta was in shock, but the prince cared only about the shame this would bring upon hisfamily. He called in a favour of King Minos and sent Brigitta to Crete on his fleets fastest ship. Hermouth was bound and her face covered, so nobody could identify her.At the island she was led into the infamous Labyrinth, where her face and mouth were freedunder cover of darkness. She was left to roam the twisting pathways of the maze until the Minotaurfound and killed her.

Like hundreds of other doomed victims, Brigitta tried to find a way out of the Labyrinth, but herquest was hopeless. She could hear the harsh breathing of the Minotaur echoing through thetunnels, and the scraping of his hooves along the dusty floor. She knew he was following her,watching, waiting, savouring her anguish and fear.

Brigitta was in the final stage of her pregnancy. She hoped the Minotaur would kill her beforethe baby was born, to spare the child a ghastly death. But she could not delay the birth forever.Eventually she had to lie down and, in the blood-stained dirt of the maze, delivered a squealing boy.There was no light, so she could not check if he was deformed. He felt like a normal baby, but shewould never know for sure.

As she cradled her son to her breast, the Minotaur moved in for the kill. He did not mask hisfootsteps. The beast hoped she would run. He liked it when his prey ran. But Brigitta only sat there,hugging her baby and crying. Just before the monster reached her, she leant over the infant andwhispered, Your name is Beranabus.

Then the Minotaur was upon her, and the corridors echoed with human screams and bullishhowls of vicious delight.

When he had sated his inhuman appetite, the Minotaur turned his attention to the baby. The childhad been silent since the beast had separated him from his mother. The monster sat on Brigittassevered head and picked up the baby, studying him with a vicious smile.The Minotaur shook Beranabus wildly, to make him cry. But instead the baby did somethingentirely unexpectedhe giggled. Although he looked like a human child, he was a creature of twouniverses. He had the mind and curiosity of one much older.

The Minotaur growled and held the boy up by his foot. He clamped his jaws aroundBeranabuss head and squeezed softly.

Again the baby laughed, then reached out with a trembling hand. The Minotaur thought thebaby meant to slap him away. But Beranabus was only fascinated. He explored the beasts fangsand nose, patting and stroking them as if playing with a doll.

The Minotaur released the childs head and hoisted him up for a better look. The baby scratchedthe beasts scalp and horns. The Minotaur chuckled throatily, then winced as Beranabus tugged hishair. He reached sharply for the babys hands. But although he wrapped his large, hairy fingersaround the boys pudgy wrist, the Minotaur didnt rip the fingers off or even bite them. There wassomething unusual about this baby which the Minotaur had never experienced before.

Beranabus wasnt afraid.

Everybody else had been terrified of the beast. His mother, the midwife, the people of his village.Even the godly Heracles shook with fright when he came to capture the Minotaur. Nobody saw thegreat heros fear, but the Minotaur smelt it and as always it drove him mad with hunger and lust.During his long years of captivity in the Labyrinth, King Minos had sent many prisoners his way.Some were resigned and went to their deaths with a smile on their lips, praying for redemption. Buttheyd all trembled when the Minotaur breathed on the back of their neck and ran his claws alongthe soft skin of their stomach.

But this baby was calm and confident. The Minotaur was a bloodthirsty, savage beast, but evenat that young age Beranabus had a special way with animals.

Beranabus gurgled hungrily and tugged the Minotaurs mane again. Slowly the beast rose andsmiledit was the first tender, unhating smile of his life. He considered the problem of feeding thebaby, he clawed through Brigittas remains, but she was no use for milk as he had ripped her bodyapart. There was plenty of water in the Labyrinth, but the baby needed something more nourishing.With another warm smile, the Minotaur stooped, held the boy in one hand, cupped the other andcollected a fistful of blood from one of the pools around his feet. With a gurgle of his own, he heldhis hand to the babys mouth. Beranabus resisted for a moment, but despite his human form, he wasof demonic stock. And so, with only the slightest reluctance, he opened his lips and let the Minotaurfeed him, growing strong on the cooling blood of his butchered mother.

The next few years were the happiest of the Minotaurs miserable, slaughter-filled life. The babywas his sole companion, the only person he ever loved or who loved him back. He carriedBeranabus high on his shoulders as he stalked the young men and women sent to him by KingMinos. Some heard Beranabus laugh or coo as they fled and wondered where the sound came from.But they never wondered for long.

Beranabus didnt see anything wrong in what they did. He knew nothing but this world ofdarkness and butchery. The people they killed meant nothing to him. They were creatures to chase,animals to feed on.

When Theseus finally came to the Labyrinth and, through trickery, felled the mighty Minotaur,Beranabus wept. Vain, proud Theseus was severing the Minotaurs head, to take as a trophy, whenhe heard the childs sobs. Startled, he followed the sounds to their source and examined Beranabusby the light of a torch he had smuggled into the maze.

Beranabus didnt look unnatural. Theseus thought the boy was six or seven years old andassumed he was one of Minoss unfortunate victims. He tried to lead the child out of the Labyrinth.

Dont cry, he muttered awkwardly. The beast is dead. Youre free now.

Beranabus glared at Theseus and his eyes blazed with a yellow, fiery light. Theseus quicklybacked away. He hadnt been afraid of the Minotaur, arrogantly sure of his success. But this childunnerved him. The boy was an unexpected find and Theseus wasnt sure what to make of him.

Come with me now or Ill leave you, he snapped.

Beranabus only snarled in reply and crawled across to the dead Minotaur. Theseus watchedwith disbelief as the boy spread himself over the monsters lifeless body and wept into the thick