“Forgive me. I didn’t mean to upset you.” His voice was a whisper, his eyes downcast.
“It’s not your fault, Ray. Mine is a long and complicated story, the places I’ve lived and the things I’ve seen . . . I want to tell you, and I will, just not yet.” I forced myself to meet his gaze.
“I understand.”
I had to look away. He shouldn’t understand so much while knowing so little. “Let’s get you home. It’s getting late, and I don’t want to be responsible for your mother fretting over you,” I said, rising from my chair.
“Come for dinner,” he suggested as we reached the door.
I was all prepared to decline his offer when I heard the approaching hooves of my horse. Glancing down the street, I spotted Sam. He rode up quickly and came to a stop right outside the gate, a smile on his face. He knew what was in the letter he was surely carrying. His expression said so.
Without thinking, I sprinted forward, helping him from the saddle. He’d clearly been riding hard all day in an attempt to get home before nightfall. It was only when Sam was safely leaning on me that I realised my mistake.
Ray had seen everything.
He looked shocked as Helen moved past him, racing to her brother’s side. It wasn’t right for me to have done what I had. Women weren’t supposed to be able to help grown men from their horses. I was mentally berating myself as Helen led Sam into the house. The letter could wait.
My mind was working overtime, trying to come up with some lie to explain the strength he’d clearly seen, as well as my ability to recognise the hoof-falls of my horse from a distance.
Ray’s mouth remained agape for a moment longer before he carefully navigated the stairs and asked, “Dinner on Friday?”
“Friday,” I agreed, after realising he hadn’t actually asked the question I’d been expecting.
It was a couple of days away, so that would give me time to think about the mistake I’d made and what I would tell him about it. It also gave me time to read the message from William. After reading that, everything would be clearer.
I swore there was a spring in his step again. Listening harder, I heard the faint tune of whistling. It was a light, happy song, perfectly suited to him. Though I was concerned about him walking home alone, I kept that firmly to myself. He would no doubt refuse any kind of escort, especially one from me. He struck me as stubborn—and curious. I continued to watch him until he turned the corner after a brief glance back in my direction.
“Helen, would you take Tara around to her stable?
She’d been standing behind me for a couple of minutes, quietly observing. As she wandered off to take care of the horse, she was muttering under her breath. “No point in sending the poor thing halfway around the world. Should’ve just listened to me in the first place.”
Turning back to the house, it was my turn to smile. There really had been no need to send Sam to France for an answer I was now certain of. Whatever shred of hope I’d clung to was gone. It was impossible to deny the feelings that were stirring within me.
I found Sam in the kitchen sniffing at the leftovers.
“Any problems?” I asked as I took over preparing something for him. “Go on, sit down.”
“None at all. Just took longer than I thought. Six days there, six days back. William insisted I stay for a day before he wrote his reply, but you expected as much,” he answered, adding a thank you for the food.
“That’s good. He wrote a reply then?”
Sam let out a laugh as I hovered, eagerly awaiting his answer.
“He did.” He paused briefly, before pulling a sealed envelope out of his pocket and placing it on the table in front of me.
Grabbing the letter, I gave Sam a brief kiss on the cheek and turned towards the sitting room. Helen had come in moments before and was preparing a bath for her brother. Jayne was snoring quietly in her bed, unaware of anything that had happened, and Tara was stabled.
“There was also a message from William,” Sam said, as I reached the kitchen door. “He says: take your own advice.”
Turning back, I stared at him for a second. Sam’s dark hair was full of bits of leaves and dirt, but he didn’t notice. All of his attention was focused on his home-cooked meal, but the telling smile on his face between bites, accompanied by the verbal message, sent my heart soaring.
Take your own advice. The message was as clear as if William had been standing in the room chastising me for being so stupid. I’d given William the same advice upon meeting his wife.
He’d fought so hard when he met her. As soon as he stopped fighting, their lives had come together beautifully. He told her about us, about everything. William had asked me to be there. She sat there quietly while he explained. Afterwards, she rose from her seat, took his face in her hands, and scolded him for not telling her sooner. Neither of them had looked back since.
Eager to open the letter, despite already knowing its contents, I took the nearest seat.
Dearest Sister,
Of course you are correct in your assumption, and I am so very happy for you.
I trust that my separate message has also reached you. You are well aware of how hard your life, and his, will become if you choose to ignore that advice. I cannot stress how important it is that you listen to your heart for once and not your head. I know you far too well, my sister, and I know how you think. Do not let your fear of this cloud your mind. For both your sakes.
You are correct about rushing our meeting. I feel that the times, as they are, may be too unstable for us to meet safely. When things have settled, we shall arrange a safe place for us to do so.
One day I would love to meet the young man who has finally managed to render you speechless. You always were the most outspoken of us, and I know it is a sight I would relish. I am sure he must be a wonderful man to have affected you so deeply.
On a final note, I am pleased to hear you did not injure anyone during your most recent social outing. Perhaps this is a change for the better?
I hope to hear from you soon.
Always,
Your Brother
He was right. As if I expected anything else. There was an uncontrollable urge when Ray was around. One that demanded I tell him everything. I needed to stop hiding it. He knew there was something about me that was as far away from normal as possible.
But as much as I wanted to tell him, there was also so much I needed to do. Most important of all, it was time to prepare for the inevitable outcome of my numbered days. William and I would need to meet, the sooner the better, and we would have to exhaust any option we hadn’t already looked at for resurrecting our race. But he was right; we would wait until the war was over.
Panic flared through me at the thought of leaving the world to fend off the vampires on its own.
Pushing those thoughts to one side, I concentrated on how nice it would be to stare into Ray’s eyes and not have to look away. After reading the letter once more, I placed it in the fireplace.
My life had been going along the same path for so long, me being somewhat careless in my encounters with The Seats, or any vampire actually.
All that had to change. Ray’s safety was my highest priority, immediately followed by his happiness and well-being.
Changing my life wasn’t an issue, but it wasn’t just my life that was going to be twisted around like a knotted tree root. There were so many things I would have to explain, now that my decision was made, and all of them required me to choose my words very carefully. More so when I explained to him that his mother could never know of my world. That was for her protection more than anything else.
I changed into the dark-coloured men’s clothing that I had for such occasions, made my way through the quiet house, and paused for a moment in front of my study. It was tempting to stop in there and open the metal cabinet that was hidden away in the back of the room.
“You’re going hunting?” Helen’s voice startled me.
“No. Not tonight.
I’m going to sweep the area around Ray’s house.” There was little point in lying to Helen about what I was planning.
“Then you do not need what you’re thinking of getting,” she told me, crossing her arms over her chest.
“I was only considering the possibility.”
“Good. Now, will we see you for breakfast?”
“Yes.”
Helen smiled, and we exchanged our goodnights before she headed up the stairs for bed. Leaving the door to my study as it was, I slipped out into the night.
Ray’s house was easy enough to find. He’d tried, unsuccessfully, to invite me over and had insisted on telling me where he lived. I took note of his directions and reminded myself to check that there were no threats nearby.
It would be easier to start with the streets a few over from his house and work my way right up to his next-door neighbours. The task would take me most of the night, but it was worth it. Although I didn’t expect to find anything of significance, I’d sleep . . . feel a lot better knowing there were no immediate threats.
When I’d glanced over my map of London, I had overlooked the fact that Ray’s home was only four streets over from some of the places I frequented most. It was often visited by thirsty vampires. That area of the city was heavily populated with humans—all out after dark and none with families or people to miss them. It was close enough to the river that any bodies could be disposed of. And who would listen to the drunken ramblings of a vagrant who claimed to have been attacked by vampires if they were left alive?
Vampires weren’t designed to let their meals live.
And a thirsty vampire on the loose could wreak all kinds of havoc. So despite Ray’s house being as far away as it was, it was still too close for my tastes.
It looked as if I would be making trips to this part of town on a nightly basis.
I let my senses roam out around me as I walked, eager to get out of the area and closer to Ray’s house. Things had been quiet of late, but there were at least two vampires who would need to feed regularly, and human blood was the only thing agreeable to their palates.
It was possible to live off animals, but animal blood alone was simply not an option for most. Feeding from humans meant they needed blood twice a week, and that was if they didn’t kill their meal. Living off animals took a strong will, a poor palate, and an ability to feed on an almost nightly basis.
“I still don’t understand how you have never killed. You should try it sometime,” a hauntingly familiar voice said. It was barely above a whisper, but it was close.
“My dear, you know I will never take the life of someone. If I had the stomach for it, I wouldn’t drink from them at all.” It was Issac Baruti. Of all the places for him to be, and for his wife to be with him.
Hiding in the shadows cast by the nearest building, I eavesdropped on their conversation. It was clear they were out to feed, though that wasn’t my main concern. With Poppy Baruti being who she was, even though she’d left The Seats, I couldn’t let them have the slightest inclination of what I was. Being so close to a Seat of Power was bad enough, but Ray knew these two. He’d been training at the same university at which Issac Baruti taught. It was far too close for comfort, and having them in this part of town . . .
“Ah, I know what you mean, Issac, I do. I cannot believe you convinced me to give up killing them.” Poppy’s voice was as stunning as she was, the old Roman accent barely noticeable in her words.
“Power is not everything,” he answered.
Such true words.
The sounds that followed were ones I’d heard many times. The sound of drinking blood. It normally resulted in a dead body floating down the river—or whatever convenient dumping location happened to be nearby. However, when the sound of feeding vampires ceased, there was a slight moan from a distinctly human throat.
They’d left him alive. Perhaps Poppy Baruti had changed.
Sinking farther back into the shadows, I waited, fully prepared to follow the professor and his wife home. Knowing where they lived had become my priority for the night. Since Ray was friends with them, it was entirely reasonable that he would want to socialise. Unfortunately, not arousing suspicion meant I might also have to spend time with them. Perhaps I could keep Ray occupied enough that he would have no time to see them.
Following the freshly fed couple proved to be easy. They were distracted with each other’s company. They teased one another as they went, talking about their upcoming evening.
“You know what we haven’t done in too long,” Issac said, pausing in the shadows of an alley. “We haven’t had someone to play with for a while.”
I wasn’t sure I wanted to know, and judging by Poppy’s slight squeal, she understood exactly what he meant and was looking forward to it. Whatever it was, they didn’t act on it and continued heading home.
As I expected, they were living on the outskirts of town. Their house was nondescript, nothing to distinguish it from its few neighbours. At least they were a fair distance from Ray. That was the most comforting thought.
After watching them retire for the evening, I raced back towards town. Now that the task had been completed, I needed to continue with my sweep.
Ensuring Ray’s safety may have just become a full-time job.
The nights following my invisible encounter with Poppy and Issac Baruti, I wandered the streets around Ray’s house, watching. Most of my time was spent thinking about what I’d say to him, how I’d break through the cloak of secrecy surrounding my world. Death was the usual punishment to anyone who found out. At least where the vampires were concerned. The Weres weren’t so strict with their rules, though only humans mated to one were told. The witches kept to themselves. Scattered and scared after the burning times, there were few of them. Risking persecution again wasn’t an option.
“Stop it,” Helen scolded me.
“What?”
“You’re pacing again. It’s going to be fine. There’s no need to tell him everything tonight. Just ask him to join you on a ride tomorrow and tell him you want to talk to him.”
Friday had come too quickly. Nervous about dinner with Ray’s mother, and dreading his reaction to my secrets, I was as highly strung as I could get. Helen was sure I was going to wear a hole in the rug.
For two days I hadn’t seen him, and I had been deeply tempted to stalk his back garden in the night so I could catch a glimpse. The only time I’d been brave enough to chance a trip that close to his house, I found him watching out of his bedroom window. After that, I vowed never to spy on him again.
Other than the distinct upset I felt at being away from him for any length of time, things had become better.
Since accepting the connection, I’d never been more at peace. Though peace was clearly a laughable concept as I began to pace yet again.
“Sam is getting the car,” Helen informed me, placing herself in my path.
She stood there, hands on hips, staring me down. It was about the only way she was going to stop me.
“Oh, tell him not to fuss. I’ll walk.”
“I’ll do no such thing. Ray’s mother will most likely insist he walk you home if you turn up on foot. Then where will you be? Following him out into the night again. You are taking the car.”
She had a point.
“Fine, but if I’m a mess now, which is a clear fact, then I’ll be even worse if I don’t get to walk for a while.” She knew full well how I got when I was like this.
“You’ll be perfectly fine. Now stop worrying and go enjoy your evening.” With that, she all but pushed me out the door and into the waiting car. I expected to be a complete mental wreck by the time we pulled up outside Ray’s house, but I was surprised to find I was perfectly at ease.
It was Ray. He was the reason I was suddenly so relaxed.
So this is what it feels like, I pondered.
There was no nervous shifting as I waited for someone to answer the door. Even when I saw it was Ray’s impeccably dressed moth
er who’d opened it, I simply smiled, calm and collected.
“Miss Cardea, it is a pleasure to see you again,” she greeted me, smiling brightly as she took my shawl.
“You, as well, Mrs. Synclair. If you would, please, call me Serenity.”
“Of course, but I must insist that you call me Liz, dear. Mrs. Synclair makes me feel so old, and Liza was my mother’s name.”
Mrs. Synclair, dressed in a simple skirt suit with the same hairstyle she’d worn to the auction, stepped to the side, allowing me in. She and her home were a matching pair, both elegant.
Their house wasn’t as grand as some of the ones I’d lived in, but it was just right.
There were a couple of family portraits adorning the walls—large, heavy-framed things. Yet everything else was relatively simple. Matching carpets ran up the hall and stairs, thick and fluffy under my feet, and were more modern than the house led me to believe. It was exactly how I’d imagined Ray’s home.
Ray was in the dining room, setting the table with one hand, a wistful look on his face. I smiled as he shuffled around, grabbing a fork or knife from the sideboard then setting it carefully down in place. He was dressed as his mother was, impeccably. Dark trousers and a light shirt, neatly tucked in at the waist. The colours highlighted his hair, and no doubt the pale shirt would bring out those eyes of his.
“Ray, dear?” his mother prompted.
For the first time in my life, I felt embarrassed as he caught me staring. My head dipped when he looked up, straight at me, but I lifted it again, unable to keep my gaze from him for long.
Dinner went well after that. The slightly awkward silence that had developed as we stood staring at each other was soon cleared in the form of Liz. She truly was a wonderful woman, and she did everything possible to make me feel at home. She was more than happy to exchange a couple of interesting stories from Ray’s childhood, much to his displeasure and my amusement. Though when he insisted I should share some of mine, I refused. Those would come in time.
The Last Keeper Page 4
