The Keepers: Declan

by Rae Rivers

  “A bit sucky if they opt to side against us.”

  “They won’t. Lora’s only ever sided with us and Declan seems to think that Kate will too.”

  Declan frowned. “Lora?”

  “This is her lineage.”

  “Are you suggesting … ?” Declan muttered, mentally chewing on the pieces as they slipped into place. “Lora’s granddaughter was called Kate, wasn’t she?”

  Sienna’s nod was brief. “Lora is Kate’s grandmother.”

  “It explains why Kate’s mother urged her to come back here,” Ethan added.

  “And the sudden boost in Kate’s power supply last night,” Sienna explained. “Witches like Rose and I draw our energy from the elements of nature but witches like Kate and Lora are different. They tap into each other and their ancestors to generate their power. If Kate is connected to that lineage, then this town is an energy magnifier for her, considering the generations of women buried here.”

  Declan was still trying to get his head around the fact that Lora – Lora! – was Kate’s grandmother. Two women who’d thought they’d lost everyone. No wonder Lora had charged them last night like a mamma bear on a maternal high. Shit. “Lora hasn’t practised magic for years and now suddenly she’s the missing link to all this?”

  “Her daughter left because of her fear of witchcraft and shielded Kate from it too. Not surprising considering how strong their powers are – especially if they’re channelling each other.” And Sienna knew exactly what it felt like to wield a power stronger than her. Mastering Rose’s powers had been a challenge. “Lora stopped practising magic in hope that her daughter would return.”

  She never did. The blow had been brutal for Lora and despite all efforts to maintain contact with her daughter, she’d lost track of them.

  Until now.

  Archer shifted in his chair, motioning to the Grimoire with one hand. “How is it possible that we never knew that Lora’s from a lineage of Nulls?”

  “Because witches love their stupid secrets,” Declan grunted.

  “Declan.” Sienna’s tone had an undercurrent of warning. “We both know that you care for Kate. Considering her lineage, and that there are now witnesses to her powers, you’re going to need all the help you can get to protect her.”

  Declan went weak at the reality of her words.

  He needed air. Space. Walking around the pool, he shoved open one of the glass doors and stood in the doorway, welcoming the blast of cool air.

  The urge to protect Kate and run from the truth in Sienna’s words attacked all his senses, fuelling his panic. He looked out across the snow covered lawn, itching to charge down the stairs and get as far away from Rapid Falls – from Kate – as he could.

  Because Sienna was right. He cared for Kate. Too much.

  Turning, he looked at Sienna, his entire reason for existing.

  And now there was Kate too.

  Shit.

  “Declan,” Sienna said. “The Blue Moon should be here within a few days. Whatever Harper’s planning is going to happen by then. We need to get Kate back here.”

  “It starts with Lora,” he said, shutting the door. “Track her. She can confirm if any of this lineage crap is true.”

  “It’s true,” Kate said, walking into the room, the softly spoken words sending a punch to his gut. In her hands, she held a small Grimoire and the two daggers she’d stolen. “Lora’s my grandmother.”

  He lifted his brows, surprised by the tug of relief that clashed with his anger. And suddenly, his brothers’ fears and objections became his own. “You’re the ultimate Kryptonite on witchy steroids to every damn supernatural being on earth and you never thought to warn us?”

  Kate’s gaze locked onto Declan’s, her chin raised in quiet defiance. Despite the fire that burned in her eyes, she looked weary, her eyes swollen as though she’d been crying. “I’ve just discovered that I have a grandmother, that everything my mother told me was a lie. So back off, Declan.”

  “You could’ve killed us!”

  “I didn’t, but maybe with Lora’s help, I’ll be able to learn how to channel my powers so that it doesn’t happen again.”

  “‘Maybe’,” Declan said with a fake smirk. “A word that inspires a massive confidence boost.”

  “Are you always this infuriating?” Kate asked.

  “It’s his thing,” Ethan replied drily, “along with his messy hair and love of whiskey.”

  “Whiskey’s harmless,” Declan retorted. “Kate, on the other hand, isn’t.”

  “A moment ago you were defending her,” Ethan reminded him.

  “Maybe but it doesn’t change the fact that you’re both right. Anymore of her magic last night and we would’ve all been fried.”

  “Don’t be snarky, Declan,” she shot back, standing her ground.

  “You screwed with my powers, Kate. No one gets to do that, ever, so I’ve earned snarky.”

  Kate turned to Sienna. She handed over the daggers. “I’m so sorry … for everything.”

  Sienna didn’t say anything but Declan couldn’t miss the relief that flashed through her eyes as she held them against her chest.

  Kate sighed and looked at Declan. “Messing with your magic was the last thing I intended to do. But as your town is infested with warlocks and I’m the one with a target painted on her ass, could we please skip the lecture and figure out what Harper’s up to?”

  CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

  Kate ignored Declan’s scowl, her heart beating a nervous rhythm against her ribcage. Lora’s admission still churned in her head, a rollercoaster of emotions demanding attention.

  Later. For now, she was wired in a way that was new and she drew on that to process her new discovery.

  For the first time in years, she felt empowered. It was unnerving, but exhilarating too. A powerful Null, stronger than she’d ever anticipated.

  And she had a grandmother.

  The realisation that she wasn’t alone in the world conflicted with everything she’d once believed. It sparked so many questions about her mother, many of which Lora had answered, and although Kate had a clearer understanding of why her mother had made the choices she had, Kate couldn’t suppress the itch of resentment. She’d been kept from a grandmother, told she had no family, no connections.

  How wrong she’d been.

  Now Kate had a grandmother who was fast creeping into her heart.

  An anchor in the crazy world she’d so far been hoping to avoid.

  A world divided, in which both sides wanted her powers. Powers she had yet to master – and master them she would. But in order to do that, she needed the help of the four people gaping at her.

  “Lora thinks it has something to do with Mason,” Kate said, walking toward them. “She’s scouring her Grimoires as we speak.”

  “She thinks Harper’s after Mason?” Sienna asked.

  Ethan began to make a fresh pot of coffee. “They’ll always be after Mason but without Sienna to undo her spell, her Grimoire, and the four stones that open it, there’s no way they’re releasing him.”

  “What does Kate have to do with freeing Mason?” Declan grumbled. “They’re scavengers. Killing Kate and scavenging her powers would be far easier yet they’ve kept her alive.”

  “Maybe Mason has a use for her?” Sienna removed more mugs from the cupboard against the wall as the smell of freshly filtered coffee wafted through the room. “He’s the only one powerful enough to access the energy at the site of the witch massacre.”

  “Energy?” Kate asked. “Even though the witches are dead?”

  “When a witch dies, the spot is marked with a mystical energy,” Sienna explained, her expression grim. “This particular spot is saturated because of the number of witches who died there.”

  “So what’s it to Mason and Harper?”

  “Accessing that energy will make Mason more powerful than you can imagine. Almost indestructible.”

  “So you think they’re after that?”

>   “Still doesn’t make sense,” Declan said. “If they’re after the energy at the site of the witch massacre, they’d need Mason, which, in turn, means they’d need Sienna.”

  “Yet they were willing to trade me for Kate,” Sienna added, reaching for one of her Grimoires.

  “Maybe Sienna’s not the only key to unlocking the spell?” Ethan suggested.

  “If your spells aren’t as warlock proof as you think, surely your witch tutors would have warned you?” Declan asked.

  Sienna shrugged. “Every spell is unique, and linked to the casting witch.”

  “Kate was able to immobilise Megan’s magic enough to break her spell.” He pointed to Kate. “Would a Null be able to undo your spell?”

  “I don’t know, Declan. My magic is a lot more powerful than Megan’s. Usually, whatever seals the curse unseals it, but they’ve made it clear they no longer need me, which makes me think they’ve figured out another way.”

  “They have,” Lora interrupted from the doorway, a Grimoire clasped in her hands.

  Kate’s heart lurched, the slender woman with stark white hair triggering butterflies in her stomach. Worry lined her features and her lips were pursed together in a tight grimace.

  “I knew there was a reason they hadn’t scavenged Kate’s powers yet but I only figured it out when I saw her earlier at the bar,” Lora explained, placing the Grimoire on the counter. “So I did some digging.” She flipped to the back of the book and jabbed a finger at the page.

  Sienna moved in, tilting the book in her direction, and groaned. “Oh, my God, Lora. Are you sure?”

  “Every supernatural element needs a weakness in order to maintain the balance. Your magic is no different, Sienna.”

  Declan raised a sceptic brow. “You have a weakness? You?”

  Sienna didn’t answer and looked at Kate, her expression grim. “That’s why they cast the spell to trap a Keeper. They were hoping to confirm their suspicions.”

  Lora nodded. “And they did. Although they weren’t prepared for the strength of Kate’s magic.”

  “Enough with the witch speak!” Declan snapped, reaching for the Grimoire. “Lora, I’m still waiting for the part that explains how they’re going to break the curse on Mason!”

  Lora glanced at Kate, her eyes filled with concern. “All these years, your mother wasn’t hiding from our world, Kate. She was hiding you.”

  Kate stilled. “What do you mean?”

  “She knew the risks you faced because of your powers but she also knew that once anyone discovered who your parents were, they’d want you even more.”

  Kate’s universe reeled and she clutched the edge of the chair, reaching for composure. “My parents? What do they have to do with any of this?”

  “It’s because you’re a hybrid.” Her frown became more pronounced. “Your mother never told me who your father was. It’s been years since I received a photograph of you but when I saw you at the party, I knew immediately. He’d been our Keeper for years before he died. You look just like him.”

  Declan’s soft curse had Kate closing in behind him, peering over his shoulder. The page was marked ‘animal hybrids’ and in the centre was a sketch: half-man, half-unicorn. Ethan and Archer came up behind them, staring down at the Grimoire.

  Kate saw the moment everything reeled into place for them, despising the pregnant pause that followed. “What?” she prompted.

  Archer spoke first. “Is it possible that a human hybrid can be used to break the seal of a spell?”

  Sienna shrugged. “Kate’s the first human hybrid we’ve ever encountered.”

  “Is it possible?” Declan snapped in a deadly tone.

  “It would explain why Harper’s so invested in her and why he hasn’t killed her yet,” Lora answered, tapping the book. “And there’s a reason this drawing appears in my family’s Grimoire. It’s a warning.”

  “That’s why they’re after the Blue Moon,” Sienna said. “They’ll need an energy boost for a ritual that powerful.”

  Declan gaped at them. “If the legend is true … do you realise what this means?”

  “What?” Kate demanded, anger flaring. “How am I supposed to help them? I have no knowledge of making or breaking any stupid spells. My powers won’t –”

  “It’s not your knowledge they’re after, Kate. Or your powers.” Declan slammed the book shut and looked at Kate. “It’s your blood.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

  Kate felt the impact of his words as though he’d struck her. She reeled back, her jaw unhinging as she gaped at them.

  Levi sat up, whining softly at the sudden shift in tension.

  Sienna stood, punching Declan on the arm. “Dammit, Declan, do you have to be so coarse?” She turned to Kate. “Kate, it’ll be okay –”

  “My blood?” Kate whispered, backtracking, not believing her for one moment. “How?”

  “There’s a witch folklore that hints at a hybrid’s blood being used to break the seal of any spell,” Sienna said quietly. “Even mine.”

  “You’re a Beckham witch.”

  “According to the legend, that won’t matter.”

  “That’s what will unseal Mason?” Kate asked, hating the squeak in her voice. “That’s why they’ve been hunting me all this time?”

  “Kate –” Lora began, reaching for her hand.

  “My mother was right,” Kate whispered, feeling sick to her stomach. She stepped back, out of Lora’s reach. “She knew I would be hunted, and not just because I’m a Null.”

  Lora nodded, her expression grim, her eyes shimmering as she fought the tears.

  “She never told you?” Kate asked her grandmother.

  “When our Keeper, your father, died, we were devastated. She blamed herself and spiralled into depression. She was in a constant state of dread. Now I know why. Her hatred for our magic and her fear for our world grew worse so she ran.” Lora scowled at the memory. “I discovered later that she’d had a baby but besides the odd letter or photograph when you were younger, she refused to have any contact. I stopped practising magic, hoping she’d change her mind. She never did. Returning home would risk exposing you.”

  Kate squeezed her eyes shut, shame washing over her. Her breath caught, and she fought for control. Her mother’s lectures and warnings to stay away from the realm of the supernatural rang in her mind. She shuddered.

  Declan took a step toward her, hand outstretched, but she swatted him away, and fled to her room. Her stomach churning and with shaky hands, she locked the door.

  She was trembling, horrified to feel the wetness on her cheeks. Tears. Dammit, she hadn’t cried in so long, and now twice in one night? Giving into the frustration that riddled her, Kate buried her face in her hands and sank to the floor.

  The bedroom door opened and Declan walked in, a book in one hand.

  Kate’s mouth rounded in surprise. “How did you get in?”

  He shut the door and showed her a key. “Sienna made me a new one.”

  “Go away, Declan. I locked it for a reason.”

  “You’ve never respected locks around me, Kate. You can’t expect me to do the same.”

  A wave of panic washed over her and she looked at him, desperate to be left alone. She was mortified that he’d seen her cry, crumpled in a heap on the floor. “Please, Declan … please go away.”

  But he didn’t budge.

  Ignoring his harsh frown, narrowed eyes, and muscular frame that seemed to take up the entire room, she turned away.

  “She gave up everything because she knew this would happen,” Kate whispered, swallowing back tears, reaching for any answers that would ease the cold grip around her heart. “All this time, I’ve been angry with her but everything she did was to protect me.”

  “You couldn’t have known, Kate.”

  “I resented her!” She looked up at him, blinking back more tears. “I despised her fears and the way she made us live. I thought she was a coward but she wasn’t afraid for herself.
She was terrified for me!”

  It all came pouring out of her, like a lid that had popped. The sobs wracked her body as she pined for a woman she’d never understood, aching to go back and make everything right.

  But she couldn’t.

  Declan was beside her, drawing her into his arms. “Ssh,” he murmured, pressing his lips against her head. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”

  “I should have trusted her!”

  He pulled back, capturing her face in his hands so that she looked at him. “And now you need to trust us.”

  “You’re the very people she was running from!” she snapped, unable to keep the anger from her voice. “She knew I’d be caught in the middle of the two sides and that’s why she chose to avoid both.”

  “We’re nothing like Harper.”

  “You’re Keepers, Declan. Warriors that protect a witch. You’re from the same world.”

  “We’ve been through this, Kate.”

  “She knew they’d come for me and when they did, she was the one to pay the price.” She swiped at the tears, fought back the crippling sadness, and dragged in a ragged breath. “How stupid was I for thinking that I could track down Harper and have my revenge? All I did was issue a golden memo confirming my existence.”

  “You’ll be safe here, Kate.”

  “Harper knows I’m with you. He knows where I am. I should leave. My mother had the right idea by running and keeping hidden.”

  The only indication that he’d registered her words was the slight hitch to one eyebrow. “You’re not going anywhere.”

  “They want my blood!”

  “And that’s not all they want. Your hybrid blood aside, you’re a Null. They’re scavengers and they know they’ve struck gold with a double whammy.” He waved a hand at her body. “A hybrid and a Null. Breaking spells and immobilising magic. Honey, you’re the biggest damn weakness and strength all rolled into one package and I bet my Harley that they’re salivating at the idea of getting their hands on you.”

  His words sent a shiver down her spine, chasing away the tears. “All the more reason I can’t stay here.”