The Keeper's Vow: A Chosen Novel (The Keepers Book 3)

by Meg Anne

  “You going to tell me why you lied to them?” Lucian asked instead, his head tilted as he stared down at her. There was no censure in his eyes, only curiosity.

  Pangs of guilt gnawed at her. She should have known he wasn’t going to let her get away with that. “It wasn’t a lie. Not exactly.”

  He lifted a brow.

  “Everything I told them was true. I just modified one of the details . . .” she trailed off, trying to find a way to explain the bone-deep certainty that it was not yet time to make public all that the Mother had revealed to her.

  Lucian moved closer, his hand lifting to smooth the crease that had formed between her brows. “If your instincts are telling you to keep it to yourself, you should trust them. They have not led you astray before.”

  As she considered his words, Effie realized that the thought of revealing her vision in full to Lucian was causing none of the same warning bells to sound off within her. He was not the one she needed to tread carefully with.

  “No,” she murmured, “I think you should hear this. Lucian, it wasn’t my grandmother that appeared to me. It was the Mother.”

  His eyes flared, and he went very still. “The Mother?”

  Effie nodded. “Everything I shared with the others was true. She said the Shadow Years were not her doing, and that the Chosen had misunderstood Her warnings. That everything that happened to me needed to, including my becoming a Guardian, so that for the first time She could deliver Her warning in person. It was the only way She could directly communicate with me. She said that I was Her Voice.”

  Lucian’s eyes never left hers, and if not for the thrum of tension pulsing through her along their link, she wouldn’t have had any idea how he was taking her news. His face was completely blank.

  He finally blinked, running a thumb along her lips as his expression turned serious. Threads of worry wove themselves through her, replacing the tension.

  Effie reached out, his stubble prickling her palm as she pressed it against his cheek. “What’s wrong?”

  Connected as they were now, there was no way for him to pretend everything was fine. His eyes darkened, reminding her of a storm rolling in from the horizon. The danger was heading straight toward them, and all they could do was hope to outrun it.

  He let out a soft breath and rested his forehead against hers, his eyes briefly closing. “For Her to appear to you in person, to make a point to warn you about what’s coming . . . it does not fill me with ease. I don’t know what’s waiting for us at the citadel. Hardly anything was left standing, but—” Lucian broke off and shook his head. “I just have a bad feeling.”

  “You just reminded me not to ignore those kinds of instincts. If you’re worried, you likely have a right to be.”

  Lucian was silent, his eyes boring into hers as his fingers idly traced a pattern along her neck and jaw.

  “What is it?” Effie finally asked, on edge as his emotions continued to batter her.

  “I can’t lose you,” Lucian whispered fiercely.

  Pushing up to her tiptoes, she kissed him, promising, “You won’t.”

  He gave her a half-grin but it didn’t reach his eyes. She was still being pelted by his fear, but at least now she understood the true cause. It was a twin of her own.

  “I think I’ve proven by now that I can hold my own in a fight. Meaner things than you have tried to cut me down and haven’t succeeded. There’s no reason to believe they will this time. Not when you’ll be right there beside me.”

  His throat bobbed, and his eyes went tight, as if her words caused a nightmare to come to life behind his eyes.

  “I’ve failed you before.”

  Effie shushed him. “Am I standing here in your arms?”

  His brows puckered. “Yes.”

  “Then how did you fail?”

  “I—”

  She put a finger on his lips. “Lucian, stop. I’m right here. Whatever happens tomorrow, we’ll face it together. No matter what is waiting for us, those are the best odds we can ever hope for.”

  Lucian’s body quaked as a tremor raced through him, and his relief rained over her as the emotional storm within him broke.

  “I don’t deserve you,” he whispered, cupping both of her cheeks with his hands.

  Effie tilted her head, unsure whether to tease or to soothe. She decided on honesty. “The Mother said that you do.”

  He pulled back slightly. “What?”

  “I asked Her why She almost let me die if She needed me to be Her Voice. Her answer was that all of this had to happen, and that you were my gift for enduring it. So,” Effie said with a shrug, “stop trying to weasel your way out of being with me. I earned you.”

  Lucian stared at Effie for one long moment. Shock etched in every line of his face before he threw his head back and laughed. His arms dropped to wrap around her waist, and he lifted her high, kissing her hard.

  “I guess that settles it,” he said, his eyes soft and warm.

  “Finally,” Effie said with a smile, still lightheaded from his kiss. “I love you, Lucian.”

  Kissing her once more, softer this time, Lucian whispered against her lips, “Not as much as I love you. Now, let’s go to bed so I can prove it.”

  Effie stared into the mirror, focusing on the man still sleeping behind her. Lucian was sprawled out, one arm folded behind his head, the other curled on top of his chest. One of his long, tanned legs was hanging off the side of the bed, the other beneath a hunter green blanket that was concealing his impressive bulge.

  She’d spent the last night having her way with everything that blanket hid until the sky turned pink with the dawn and they’d collapsed beside each other in a sweaty tangle of limbs.

  Her cheeks heated as her eyes roamed over his sculpted body. Lucian as a lover was every bit as demanding and attentive as Lucian in every other aspect of his life. Effie selfishly wished they could ignore the rest of the world and spend the day, or even the entire week, in bed. They’d only just found their way back to each other, and barely had more than a handful of hours to enjoy it.

  “You keep looking at me like that, love, and I’ll haul you back in here, responsibilities be damned.”

  Her eyes found his in the mirror, and she gave him an impish grin. “Between the other Guardians, Ronan, Von, and Helena, I’d like to see you try.”

  His answering smile was potently male, and she was far from immune. Her belly tightened, and her breath caught as he slowly sat up, bracing himself on his elbows. “You really think even if they combined forces they could prevent me from doing anything I wanted to do? Do you think so little of my ability, fledgling?”

  “Of course not,” she managed to rasp. “But that’s a lot of people for you to overcome on your own.”

  “Shall I prove it?”

  “No,” she answered quickly, though every fiber of her being screamed a resounding yes.

  “Spoilsport,” he said, giving her a playful pout.

  Effie was discovering that playful Lucian was her favorite. He so rarely gave into that side of himself, or maybe it wasn’t giving in as much as having an opportunity to relax enough to experience them at all. Either way, she cherished those moments with him.

  Who was she kidding? She cherished all her moments with Lucian. Every second she had with him was precious. After what they’d been through to be together, they’d more than earned their right to enjoy life’s simple pleasures. Like eating a meal together, or waking up together, or losing themselves inside of each other. Effie would gladly face any number of chores or mundane tasks if Lucian was at her side.

  A knock sounded on the door.

  “Last chance,” Lucian said with a lift of his eyebrows as he swung his legs over the side of the bed.

  Effie stared unrepentantly, getting an eyeful as the blanket fell to the floor. “Mother have mercy,” she whispered, the temptation to tackle him replacing any other thought. She was still sore from last night’s festivities, but it only took a look at hi
m and she was already ready for another round. Or ten.

  Lucian laughed at her, brushing a kiss to her shoulder as he bent to pick up his pants where they’d landed the night before. He was in the middle of pulling them on when the second knock came. Mostly decent, Lucian opened the door with a barked, “What?”

  “A month ago you’d have my ass if you had to come hunt me down the morning of a job,” Kael’s amused response came.

  Lucian didn’t bother to apologize as he slammed the door closed in his blade brother’s face. He held his hand flat to the door and turned to wink at her over his shoulder with a hushed, “Let him wait.”

  Effie laughed, stepping under his arm and prying the door open just enough to peek through the crack. “We’ll be right there.”

  Kael’s dimples flashed as he smiled knowingly down at her. “If it’s longer than five minutes, I’m coming in, and I won’t bother knocking. Keep that in mind if there’s anything you don’t want me to see.”

  “Two minutes,” she promised with another laugh.

  Lucian was pushing the door closed as she spoke, letting her know he could have prevented her from opening it in the first place if he’d really wanted to. She turned, angling her body between him and the door.

  “Not a morning person?” she teased.

  His smile turned wicked, and he leaned forward to nip at her bottom lip. “I think you know exactly what kind of person I am in the morning.”

  It was difficult to remember what she was going to say. Her body went molten, and her eyes shifted back to the bed. Yes. Yes, she absolutely did.

  Lucian’s eyes burned bronze as he leaned down and stole her breath with a mind-numbing kiss. Eagerly, she wrapped her arms around his neck, loving the way his body pressed against hers as he deepened the kiss.

  The door vibrated against her back and Lucian moved so quickly she didn’t understand what happened until Kael’s laughter came through the wood.

  “Let’s go you two,” he hollered. “Everyone’s waiting.”

  Lucian’s palm was above her head, holding the door closed. “Ready?”

  She knew without needing any sort of psychic connection that if she said no he’d stay with her until she was, no matter who was waiting. Heart full, Effie cast one last longing look at the bed. “I guess.”

  He leaned close as his hand dropped to his side. “I was really hoping you were going to say no.” Stepping away, he winked at her before he turned to finish getting dressed while she laced up her boots.

  “Here, you’ll need this,” he said, moving back into her line of sight.

  Effie looked up, her eyes widening at his offering. “Where did you find that?” she asked, awestruck.

  His smile was almost shy when he responded. “You’d told me that I owed you a weapon more substantial than your daggers. I made it for you using one of my old blades, but didn’t have the chance to give it to you before . . .” he trailed off, but she had no trouble filling in the blanks. He’d had it since before he’d realized she’d been turned. Shrugging, Lucian held it out a little further. “Anyway, I’ve been carrying it with me ever since. It’s time for you to have it.”

  Effie reached for the hilt, lifting it up and inspecting it. The sword was as thick as her arm and just as long, but as light as one of her daggers. The metal was as pale as moonlight, and seemed to glow with its own inner light. Runes were etched into the blade, the same runes that marked her as a Guardian.

  “Lucian, it’s perfect.”

  He moved to stand next to her, his finger gliding along the runes. “These runes are imbued with our power. They will protect the blade.”

  “Protect the blade how?” she asked.

  “It will never dull or rust, but more importantly it is indestructible.”

  Lifting to her toes, Effie pressed a kiss to his scruffy cheek. “Who knew a weapon could be such a romantic gift?”

  Lucian laughed, his amusement rolling through her. “Come on, fledgling. We should probably go before Kael comes barging in.”

  “Oh, it wouldn’t be so bad. All he’d discover is us in the middle of a little swordplay.” Effie lifted her brows meaningfully, shoulders shaking with laughter.

  Lucian shook his head, lips fighting a smile as he moved toward the door. “That was a terrible joke.”

  “No, it wasn’t. It was hilarious. Admit it.”

  “Never,” he said, but his eyes were twinkling with suppressed laughter.

  They were both still smiling as they walked out of the room hand in hand.

  Effie wasn’t smiling anymore as she stared at what was left of the citadel with open-mouthed horror. The beautiful city with its mist-colored buildings was nothing but ash. She’d hardly been coherent for the better part of the battle, but even with Lucian’s warning she hadn’t been prepared for this level of destruction.

  The City of Light was gone. A few crumbling buildings were all that was left to mark where it once stood. Effie hadn’t been one of its citizens long, but it was the first true home she’d ever had. And now it was gone.

  Lucian squeezed her hand, his grief a mirror of her own. “You okay?”

  Effie pressed her lips together and gave a tight shake of her head. Rationally, she knew this wasn’t her fault, but she still felt guilty. What little she could remember of the battle was bloody. Some of that blood she was responsible for spilling. As far as her emotions were concerned, that meant she was culpable for the resulting chaos.

  “We did our best, but the Shadow Fire was impossible to control.”

  Effie bit the inside of her cheek, the jolt of pain helping steel her nerves. “It’s a miracle there were any survivors at all.”

  “Letting it burn was probably the kindest thing you could do for the fallen,” Helena said behind them. Effie and Lucian turned to face her. They must have looked dubious because she added, “Fire purifies.”

  “Even Shadow Fire?” Effie asked.

  Helena’s eyes cast out over the ground, her voice a little flat as she replied, “Well . . . it certainly ensures that there’s nothing left to corrupt, so there’s that.”

  Effie wasn’t so sure that was true. Ever since stepping foot through the portal, a creeping sense of wrongness nagged at her. This place may be little more than soot and ash, but there was something else . . . something other that had staked its claim in the wreckage. Effie could feel it even now, sinking itself deeper into the earth, taking root.

  She shivered, not sure where the certainty came from, but not about to question it. She had two separate gifts now, both tied to knowing. The Guardians gave her the ability to see the world as it truly was, while the Mother had simply given her the ability to See. It’s only natural that she would start to sense things others couldn’t. This would hardly be the first time Effie had a premonition without understanding what exactly her instincts were trying to warn her about.

  “There’s something wrong with this place,” she said.

  “You feel it too?” Helena asked, her brows lifted in surprise.

  Effie nodded, turning to glance at Lucian. “Do you?”

  The flecks of bronze in his eyes flared and he gave a terse nod. “It’s tainted. The place reeks of corruption.”

  “This is the feeling you associate with the corruption?” Helena asked, her head tilting and her eyes going iridescent.

  A muscle spasmed in Lucian’s jaw as he gave another jerky nod.

  “I’ve felt this before—twice now—but hadn’t recognized it for what it was,” Helena murmured, studying their surroundings with more interest.

  “How could you? You didn’t know it was a possibility,” Lucian replied.

  Helena’s lips were a flat line. “Even so.”

  Von was staring at his Mate from across the clearing. He was half-listening to Kragen, Helena’s Sword. He along with her Master, Joquil, had joined them this morning—his attention clearly not on the conversation. Joquil, however, was listening with rapt attention, taking notes in a small book
as he nodded along with whatever Kragen was saying. The two Circle members had been waiting for them in a tamer part of the jungle. If they’d been waiting awhile, they didn’t make a point to mention it.

  Effie allowed her attention to briefly shift over the rest of their party. Nord had stayed behind to maintain the Triumvirate’s presence with the Keepers—and as a failsafe in case anything happened—but Kael had come with them. He was staring in her direction with curious green eyes. Ronan and Reyna stood just beside him. The Night Stalker’s arms were wrapped around her body, and her dark eyes darted from side to side as if she was waiting for something to jump out at her. Ronan was talking to her, his voice pitched low and his icy eyes flashing with intensity. Apparently, no one was feeling entirely at ease being back here.

  That was it; the extent of their hunting party. Effie didn’t mind admitting that each of these people individually were more powerful than most armies. Together they were a damn force of nature. The thought should have been reassuring, but all it seemed to do was reinforce the fact that they needed an army in the first place. The last two times she’d been on a battlefield that necessitated this kind of manpower, she’d lost two of the people she’d held dear. And those were both battles their side had actually won.

  Effie clamped down on Lucian’s hand. She’d be damned if she said goodbye to anyone else she loved.

  She must have been transmitting her thoughts because Lucian returned the vice-like grip with one of his own. “I’m not that easy to kill, and I have a whole lot more to live for than anything we might face in the days to come. You never need to worry about losing me.”

  His conviction was appreciated, but she’d thought that before and been proven wrong. Effie was pretty certain that when something vital was on the line, there was no choice but to worry. And for her, Lucian was absolutely vital.

  Because he was expecting it, she gave his hand another squeeze and tried to muster an authentic smile. That was the best she could manage under the circumstances. Not wanting to dwell on everything that could go wrong, Effie returned her attention to the woman beside her.