The Last Keeper

by Michelle Birbeck

  “Dinner was delicious, Liz,” I complimented her as we cleared the table.

  “Thank you. I must apologise about the vegetable mash once again.”

  I laughed. It had been the worst part of the meal, and the only part Ray was responsible for.

  “It was fine, really. You should have seen some of the concoctions I created when I first started cooking. I swear, you couldn’t feed them to the animals.” Of course, practice made perfect, and I’d had almost three thousand years of practice.

  “I’m sure it wasn’t as bad as that.” Ray’s voice startled me. I hadn’t heard him enter the kitchen.

  “They were far worse, I assure you. However, that’s a story for another time. For now, I’m afraid I must be heading home. I promised Jayne I’d read her a story before bed this evening.”

  “Well, it has been wonderful having you, Serenity. You must come for a visit again, soon,” Liz insisted, grasping my hand tightly in hers.

  “I have a feeling she’ll be spending more time here, Mother,” Ray interrupted, stealing me away. He led me to the door and just . . . stopped. He seemed worried.

  “Is everything all right, Ray?”

  “Yes. I wanted to ask you something,” he mumbled, looking at his shoes.

  “You can ask me anything, Ray.”

  “I . . . I wanted to ask if we could make this, us, official,” he said, finally glancing back up. “I’m enjoying your company so much and find that you are almost constantly on my mind. My birthday is coming up and Mother is insisting on throwing a party. I would like you there with me, by my side.”

  “Ray, I’d love to, but . . .” I wondered how to explain it to him.

  “But?”

  “There are some things I need to tell you before you accept me. Things you may not understand. Come to my house tomorrow morning. We can take a ride out, and I’ll tell you everything. Then after that, if you still want me, I am yours.”

  There was concern on his face, thoughts, perhaps, that I didn’t want him. That was utterly ludicrous but I needed him to know what I was. I had to give him the chance to run if he chose.

  “Does this have something to do with your parents?” he asked, his eyes searching mine.

  “In a way. It’s more to do with me and why my life is so complicated. Please, try not to worry. It’s nothing bad, I promise.” Hesitantly, I brought my hand up to his cheek, running my fingers down to his chin. “Please?”

  “Tomorrow morning?”

  “First thing,” I said with a smile.

  “Then I shall see you first thing.”

  “Thank you,” I told him before I turned towards the car.

  I felt his gaze on me as I greeted Sam and climbed into the back. Turning back to the house, I saw that Ray was indeed standing there, watching my every move. Smiling, I raised my hand and waved one last time before Sam shut the door and we were off. I toyed with the idea of roaming the streets again after I’d read to Jayne, but I would only be tempted to guard his home as he slept. It would be best if I avoided him for the night.

  Most of my time was spent ghosting around the house.

  By the time dawn was raiding the sky, I was ready for the day to be over with. I wanted to tell him everything, to get it out in the open and face whatever reaction he had. It wasn’t until Helen reminded me that I realised I hadn’t changed after dinner. It wouldn’t do for Ray to turn up and find me looking the same as when I’d left him.

  Once I was in proper clothes, I went to prepare Tara. Ray didn’t have a horse of his own, or at least he didn’t keep one at his house, so I readied my other horse, Falcon. We mainly used him to pull the carriage, but he was well-tempered enough to be ridden when the occasion called for it.

  Not long after breakfast, Helen called down. It was barely loud enough for me to claim to have heard it down at the stables, but I answered anyway. Ray would soon find out exactly how much I could hear.

  “Send him down, Helen,” I called back to her.

  It was a beautiful day with few clouds and little chance of rain according to the news. A perfect day for taking a ride through the surrounding countryside.

  “Good morning, Serenity,” Ray greeted me a few moments later.

  “Good morning. Have you ridden . . . ?” I stopped speaking as I turned towards him.

  How could I have forgotten?

  “I’m not very good, but I have ridden before,” he answered, saving me from embarrassment.

  “I’m sorry, we can take the carriage or one of the cars if you prefer,” I offered, not entirely sure how I managed to be so oblivious.

  He smiled, giving me the impression I was forgiven. “So long as you have a step I can use, it will be fine. Which one will you be riding?”

  “Tara. I prepared Falcon for you. He’s getting on a bit now, but you shouldn’t have any problems with him,” I explained, pointing out the grey gelding.

  Ray had little trouble mounting Falcon once he was provided with a step. It was fascinating to watch how he adapted to challenges so easily.

  “Ready?”

  “As I’ll ever be.” He smiled, looking uncomfortable.

  “We’ll take it slow.”

  There was somewhere I wanted to take him. It was a good hour’s ride out of the city, but it was a safe place. Once there, I’d answer all of his questions and demonstrate anything he needed to see. I should have been terrified, but I was strangely calm yet again. It really was him. How had I ever seen him as my weakness? Even though I hadn’t managed to sleep, I felt more alive and alert than ever before. That was all because of Ray.

  Neither of us said much during our ride out of the city. He glanced at me every few minutes, but the silence we shared was comfortable.

  Well, that’s a new feeling.

  It was just over an hour later when I steered Tara off the path and into the uncharted woods at the edge of London. Fortunately, I knew where I was going. Falcon was used to letting Tara lead and followed her into the trees. It wasn’t long before we got to where I wanted to be. It was secluded and far enough from the city that we weren’t likely to be disturbed by anyone, especially any travelling vampires.

  “Where did you learn to ride like that?” Ray asked as I set up the blanket and food that I’d brought.

  “I learned to ride when I was very young, many years ago,” I answered truthfully. “I like the speed Tara is capable of, but I prefer my own.”

  “Your own?” he questioned as we sat down.

  “Yes. Ray, what would you say if I told you there were things in this world far beyond anything you know and believe?” It was as good a place as any to start.

  “I’d ask to which things you are referring,” he said, speaking slowly.

  “Creatures. The things nightmares and fairy tales are made of. Beings who walk the night preying on those weaker than they.” I couldn’t look him in the eye as I spoke.

  “Are you trying to tell me that you’re some mythical creature here to do some unspeakable deed?” he whispered, worry in his voice. At least he wasn’t laughing.

  “No. I’m not here to do unspeakable deeds, and I’m not a mythical creature. Myths and legends do not cover what I am.” I glanced up to observe his reaction.

  “You aren’t human.”

  “No. Not in the sense that you are. I don’t need to eat or sleep. I’m faster than anything you know of and I’m stronger than you could imagine.”

  “What are you?” he asked gently. There was no scepticism in his voice. It simply sounded as though he didn’t want to offend me by asking.

  “No one really knows. It’s not clear exactly how we came to be. We’ve existed for as long as the other races, and at some point someone decided we were here to protect those needing it, to keep the balance. Our name came about long ago, but it’s the title of what we do, not what we are. Keepers. Immortal Keepers of Peace.” I paused for a moment to let him absorb the information before continuing. “Ray, I was born in the year 1067 BC.” I look
ed away as I finished my speech. This was where he would surely run or laugh or accuse me of creating some farce.

  “You say you keep the balance between our race and the others. Who are the others?” he asked, shocking me. I’d expected him to question some part of my statement, but not that part.

  “There are five races: humans, vampires, witches, Weres, and us,” I began. “The witches and Weres are relatively reclusive. After the witch trials they kept to themselves, mostly out of fear. The Weres stick together, living in colonies in remote places. It’s the vampires we have the most trouble with.”

  “Vampires? As in Dracula?”

  “In a way. They have few traits in common with that fictional portrayal. Although they are somewhat more complex. The myth about them burning in the sunlight is only partly true. It depends on how powerful they are. The more powerful, the more potent their weakness is. Generally, they’re as strong as I am and nearly as fast.” The excitement of sharing this with him was almost enough to leave me breathless. “They aren’t entirely never-changing. Their hair and nails grow, though at an exceptionally slower rate. They have the strength, the numbers, and the organisation to take over the human race without a second thought—”

  “And you’re the reason they haven’t?”

  “Yes.” I paused for a moment, staring intently at him. “You’re taking this very well, Ray.”

  “I guess it isn’t much of a surprise, really. I always thought there was something else beyond what I was seeing—especially when it came to you.” He shrugged. “Even before I met you, when I heard you would be attending the auction, I knew I had to be there. There were so many rumours about you, about what you did and the causes you gave to so willingly. Something in those stories intrigued me and made me want to meet you all the more. Then, when I did, you were like no one I’d met before. So it stands to reason that there’s more to you than meets the eye.”

  “Still, I tell you I’m three thousand years old, and that vampires, witches and Weres are real, and . . . This,” I gestured to him, all the while shaking my head, “is not a normal reaction.”

  “Would you prefer me to run screaming? Or fetch the men from the asylum?” There was a light, teasing edge to his voice.

  “No, but you may do that yet.” I sighed, not quite able to believe how well things were going.

  “There’s more to your story?”

  “Much more. Life with me is never easy. It is full of danger, more so now than ever before. Every few years I’m forced to move. There are occasions when I’ll be gone for days or weeks at a time, and I cannot always tell you where I’ll be.” This was the breaking point. Would he be able to accept me, faults and all, and without explanation when needed?

  “Serenity, the feelings I hold for you are growing. Each day I spend with you finds me wanting more time. I understand things aren’t as they seem, and I’m willing to accept that. More than willing. As much as I’d like to aid you in what you do, I know I can’t. However, I’d like to be with you,” he told me, taking my hand.

  “There’s still a lot for you to learn, but if you’re willing, and you’ll still have me, then I am yours. Completely.”

  “I’d like that. I’d like that very much.”

  We spent most of the day sitting among the trees. I told him so much, but they were only a few of the things I’d seen in my life, what I remembered at least. Names and specifics faded over the years, but I still remembered the magnificence of the places I’d visited. However, my friends and family were always engraved into my mind, a constant reminder of what we protected. I fought to hold onto those memories, refusing to let them go.

  Our conversation skirted around the aspects of how to avoid and identify the vampires.

  “May I ask you a question?”

  I laughed. He insisted on starting each question like that, asking if he was allowed to ask. “Of course you may.”

  “How are only some vampires able to walk in the sun?”

  “It all depends on the lives they take,” I explained. “Draining the life from someone gives them power. The more lives they drain, the more powerful they are. And the stronger they are, the more potent their weakness is. For those who insist on taking the life of their meal every time, it means they’ll never see the sun. Even a cloudy day is too much for those vampires to risk. Although, if they stop taking lives then their power will wane.”

  “That makes sense. As the saying goes: the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Or similar at least.”

  Ray sat there, smiling, taking everything I told him at face value, with barely any questions. He leaned forward eagerly whenever I told him about my past, as if he couldn’t get enough of who I was and what I’d done over the years. He was either burying his feelings so deep that I had no chance of finding them, or he really was taking things as well as he appeared to be.

  “You mentioned something about Seats of Power earlier. What do they do?” he asked, lying flat on his back, staring up into the trees.

  “They police the race. There are eight of them spread out over the various continents and hot spots. If we don’t influence a vampire who’s causing trouble first, then they’ll inevitably be called for an audience with the nearest Seat.”

  It was a simple system they used, one created by Poppy Baruti herself. A vampire was called to the nearest Seat, given an opportunity to state their defence, and then effectively made to submit to their own execution.

  “Few vampires survive an audience. For those who fail to attend, their fate is much worse.”

  “How so?”

  “How about we save that discussion for another time? There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.” Detailing The Seats’ preference for dealing with those who didn’t comply was not something I wanted to discuss. It was gruesome at best. At worst . . .

  “Ask away.”

  “Why history? You could teach anything you wanted. Why choose the one subject that you cannot ever truly know the answer to?”

  “Exactly,” he said, his eyes going wide and lighting up. “I can never know the answer. Over time things will change and new information will arise, but we’ll never know for certain. There are so many glorious cities and cultures which have been lost to the sands of time. How can I not want to keep them alive in some way?” He spoke with such passion, such purpose. It was easy now to see why he’d chosen history as his subject. “Then of course, you would know more about that than I do. Would it be too much for me to ask hundreds of questions about the places you have seen?”

  I had to laugh. The historian in him would want to know that. I could have sat with him for hours just talking about my life. It would have been an absolute pleasure to tell him of the party I had once attended in Rome. Or the mixture of sadness and relief as the people of Egypt buried their last Pharaoh. But there was the distinct smell of rain in the air, and I didn’t want to keep him out in it.

  “It must have been fascinating to have lived for so long.”

  “More like a curse.” Eternal life wasn’t something I would recommend. “For years I’ve watched my family grow and pass. It has been a joy, seeing each of them through their lives . . .”

  “But you want that for yourself?”

  “Yes. In my life there has never been time for relationships or families of my own. And I would never have wanted them. The way we find our wea—our partners is designed so that we cannot possibly miss them. We allow our instincts to guide us when we choose where to live, and then, when we meet them, we know. I cannot really describe it, except to say it’s the feeling of wanting to stare into someone’s eyes for the rest of time.”

  Even that wasn’t accurate enough. Sometimes people met each other and they just knew they would get along, something in them called out to the other. It was like that with us, but deeper and more profound. And then that connection was made, that dreaded connection which was the end of us.

  “You were going to say something else, instead of our partners,” h
e prompted gently.

  “I was,” I admitted, looking away.

  “Tell me? Please?” He sat up, reaching for me.

  “Weakness. I was going to say weakness,” I said quickly, glancing down to avoid his gaze. I wasn’t able to lie to him.

  He was gentle as he ran his fingers down my jaw, guiding my face back to his. “Is that because the vampires will try to use me against you?”

  “No. Ray, what I have to tell you isn’t easy, and I need you to know that I will protect you for as long as I live. No matter what happens.” My words were slow and measured in an effort to make myself clear. I searched his eyes as I spoke, staring into them as though I could see his very being.

  “Serenity,” his tone was almost chastising, “nothing you can say will make me leave.”

  “Even so, you’ll always have that choice.” I paused, wondering if there was any point in choosing my words carefully now. “Our weakness is our partner. The only way we can be killed is through their death. There’s an unbreakable link between your life and mine. When your life is over, by whatever means, so is mine.” Taking his hand, I placed it over my heart so he could feel my heart beating, as I could hear his. “We used to have a saying: As your heart beats, so does mine. When your heart sleeps, so will mine.”

  “That sounds fair enough,” he answered, leaving his hand where it was when I moved mine.

  “I just told you that the only way to kill me, a three thousand year old immortal being, is to kill you and you say that sounds fair enough?” He was smiling, running his fingers over my collarbone. I frowned, wondering if he was sane.

  “Yes. It makes sense. I assume you only feel this contact once. I also assume that each race has a weakness. Therefore, it’s understandable that this connection is yours. From what you’ve said, and what I’ve seen, there’s little that can harm you. I’m a firm believer that everyone has his or her time.”