The Keeper's Vow

by B. F. Simone

  “Katie?” her dad said. He and Lucinda were watching her like she might sprout wings and fly out of the window.

  “I’m fine,” she said too loud. Everything was too loud. And bright. “I Just need to go, sit or something,” she said. The world was coming at her on full blast. But it felt good. Her body felt so good. Was this what it was like for Tristan?

  —I hate this…

  There it was again. He came in and out like a static radio.

  “Why don’t you go lay down?” Lucinda said. They were moving toward her like she might collapse at any second.

  “Yeah, I’ll do that.” She backed away from them. She could feel the space around her. They were too close.

  She went up to her room. She took off her shoes and socks. As soon as her feet touched her fury rug she flipped out. It was too much fur. It was too much fur at one time. She jumped on the bed but that was almost no better.

  She breathed. This must have been what snorting cocaine felt like. She could hear Lucinda and her dad even though they were downstairs still in the kitchen. She could see the dust floating around in her room. She blinked. It was really a feather that must have escaped her pillow when she jumped on it.

  She was tripping out. She spent hours in her closet feeling her clothes, running from one side of the room to the other. She’d jump over her bed effortlessly and land as quiet as the feather that drifted to the floor.

  She stopped when she felt him getting angry. It was like a slap in the face, she could see Lucinda as clear as day, sitting at the dinner table. It was just the two of them. He was so angry.

  “Are you trying to say you want me to drop out?” he said.

  “I don’t know what they’ll do. No one is answering my calls.”

  “Then stop calling.”

  “And do what? Sit around and wait? I won’t let them think they’re better than me.”

  “You can’t control what people think about you,” he said.

  “No, Tristan. I’ve spent my entire life building up my reputation. I can’t just let them discredit me because I’m—"

  “Related to a halfbreed?” Just admit it. You hate it.

  “You know that isn’t what I mean.”

  “Do I?”

  “I would never say that!” Lucinda slapped her hand against the table.

  “I don’t care what you think. Don’t you get it? You asked me to stay here. You want me here because you want to prove to yourself, you’re not a terrible person. You wanted to prove you’re not someone who would throw a kid out on the streets.”

  “Tristan!”

  “If you weren’t so busy trying to prove yourself a saint, you would have seen how pathetic your son is.”

  Tears streamed down Lucinda’s red face. “You don’t think I know that?” she screamed. “You don’t think I’m in my own personal hell because of all this?”

  Lucinda used her napkin to wipe the tears off her face. Her tears were coming from somewhere deep. It made him angrier.

  He was leaving, but Katie couldn’t see where. He was moving too far maybe, or she wasn’t good enough at listening. It was like static. A small whisper.

  An idea struck her. She was going to follow him. She’d have to sneak out. Her dad would never know she was gone if she waited until Law and Order stared. He was always out like a light before the middle of the show.

  She took a shower and yelled that she was going to bed. He never checked in on her. She’d be able to leave and come back before he’d notice. She put on a dark pair of skinny jeans and a tight black shirt. She was going to have to do some climbing if she was going to get in and out. There were light sensors on the ground, so she couldn’t go through the door; but she could use the tree next to her window. If she took the longest branch and swung a little she could land in the neighbors back yard.

  She grabbed her cell phone, turned out her lights, and opened her window. Wind blew through her hair. She should have been cold. It was a March night, they were always cold, but she wasn’t.

  Climbing and swinging from trees was much easier than it should have been. Her body was strong and she held on to the branch like she’d been doing it her whole life. Climbing over the neighbors fence was an easy hop too.

  She was free. She hadn’t realized what being trapped in the house day in and out was doing to her. She was a bird spreading its wings after being clipped and caged.

  She took off running through the wind. It was exhilarating. Her lungs felt full and light. Her legs took her faster and faster. She was laughing before she realized she was out of her neighborhood and spinning in circles.

  As she breathed in the night air she felt him. He was close. Her body turned like a compass and he was the magnetic pulse. He was going toward Gray City. Katie stopped. What was she doing? What would she do when she found him? They still weren’t talking and she still hated him.

  She called Allison.

  “Kay? What do you mean you’re going to Gray City? It’s a school night and you’re supposed to be in your house. This is screaming bad idea.”

  “Allison it’s either yes or no. Are you going to come with me?”

  It took Allison thirty-minutes to meet her downtown. It was like a normal Thursday night in Boise, the college students were all out getting ready to drink their weekend away. A few guys stopped to shout cat calls at Katie. It made her uncomfortable at first, but she liked the attention. She wished she were wearing something more sexy. She hadn’t bothered to do her hair, or put on makeup. She pulled it out of her high-pony just as Allison appeared around the corner.

  “What exactly are we doing?” Allison said. She’d bothered with the make-up.

  “Do you have your make-up bag?” Katie pointed to Allison’s purse. It was smaller than her usual pick and strapped around her body.

  “Of course. Kay, would you like to explain why I just snuck out of my house at eleven at night?”

  “Let’s go to a club, where they don’t card us,” Katie said, feeling dangerous. She wanted to dance. She wanted to feel sexy and she wanted boys to stare at her and shout things as they passed.

  Allison looked skeptical but the sly smile didn’t go unnoticed. Katie started to walk toward the Bistro but Allison stopped her. “Kay, we can’t go in there. They’ll call the school if we take the elevator alone. That’s a guardian entrance. We have to use another one.” Allison took her to the a large warehouse that acted as a concert hall for bands. There was a concert going on and a line of people showing their ID’s to get in.

  “Well there goes that plan,” Allison said, sighing.

  “Where is the elevator?” Katie asked, thinking of something she never would have before her body felt like it could fly.

  “It’s behind the stage why?”

  Katie grabbed Allison and took off to the door. Allison screamed behind her but once Katie pushed through the girl looking at ID’s she picked up speed. There were footsteps behind them but as soon as they started pushing through the crowd inside, the music and jumping bodies blocked them out.

  Allison pulled on Katie’s arm. “Are you flipping crazy?” Allison looked wide eyed but she was smiling just as hard as Katie. They started giggling. “Come on,” she screamed through the music. Allison led her to the back stage. No one was guarding it—it must have been a local band on stage. The room Allison led her to was locked. Allison knocked three times and kicked it.

  A guy opened it and looked them over. “Bathrooms are on the other side.”

  “Two tickets to Gray City, please,” Allison said, pushing her way through the door.

  “Oh,” the man said. “It’s you. Aren’t you supposed to be supervised or something?” The guy had a long thick beard, two gauges, and a nose ring with spikes.

  “You gonna rat us out?” Allison said, holding her ground.

  The guy closed the door finally and locked it. “Whatever, my shift’s almost over anyway.” He led them down a hallway and to a small room. Katie could have burst into g
iggles. They were doing it. Whatever it was, and it felt good. The guy pushed a few buttons and told them to hold on. Katie remembered the last ride and held on tight.

  This elevator was much faster than the last one but she was balanced and centered. This was what it felt like when she drank blood. Was it worth the rancid taste?

  She smiled.

  The elevator opened and they were free in Gray City.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  They stepped out onto the street and Katie knew exactly where to go. It was like a pull. He was definitely here and close. It was different down here at night. It wasn’t as docile as it was during the field trip, it was alive. More lights, more people, more cars, and more noise.

  If she didn’t know any better, she’d think she’d just stepped out onto the streets of New York City.

  She watched as a man pushed a woman against a wall of a short, yellow brick building. They were in the shadow, but she could see them clear as day, making out. The guy even had his hand up the girl’s skirt.

  “Apparently things don’t change no matter where you are,” Allison said, squinting into the shadows and catching on to what Katie was looking at. “Some people just don’t have the decency to get a room.”

  Katie blushed. That night in her bed—how far would she and Tristan have gone if no one had knocked on the door?

  As Katie walked through the streets, Allison pointed out a pet store where vampires frequented for discrete meetings (she learned from listening in on one of Wills conversations), restaurants to find werewolves, and where not to go because fates were notorious for spiking drinks. It was a better tour than the one Mr. Carver gave. This time she she wasn’t wearing a dorky shirt that everyone glanced at. This time, as she walked down the streets, she saw things. Things even Allison hadn’t seen. The people with Silver eyes. They were most definitely Vampires. They all smelled the same, (not that she’d gotten up close and personal, it was hard to miss). Like stale blood.

  As they walked past a short, green, sunken in building, she saw a shadow curled into itself—watching her. She blinked—it was impossible, but silver eyes blinked back.

  “That place gets busted every other month. Fates lure drunk humans by the masses down here and do things to them.” Allison pointed at the green building. The sign on it read The Pony Express.

  By the look on Allison’s face, Katie knew that whatever they did, it was something wrong.

  “Once I waited outside when Will went in and a guy ask me if the fur matched the drapes,” Allison shook her head.

  As they continued into the heart of the city, she didn’t see anymore living shadows, but there was a new living buzz in the air. They stopped outside of a club blaring electronic music. Flashing blue and red lights, lit up the sidewalk. It was called Hot Flash.

  He was there.

  “You want to go in there? Looks good to me,” Allison said, swinging her hips.

  Katie stopped her. “Put makeup on me.” Katie was starting to get nervous. What would she do when she saw him? She’d made it this far she couldn’t go back yet. But what would she say—what would he say?

  When Allison was done applying her makeup, Katie tried to make her shirt look less—shirty. It wasn’t working. She tried to stretch the neck a little. It ripped.

  “Crap, Kay. Who are you? The Hulk?”

  Katie started to panic. Allison grabbed on her shirt and tore it more. Katie almost yelled until she realized what she was doing. It was genius.

  When Allison was done her shirt looked like it was supposed to be torn and showing a good deal of cleavage. Allison the savior. Katie was ready. She didn’t know what she was going to find in there, but she was ready to do it.

  Getting in was just as easy as everyone had made it out to be. They walked up to the door, the guy at the door opened it, and they walked in—it might of helped that the guy at the door was checking out her chest. As soon as she stepped into the club she felt Tristan’s eyes on her. She couldn’t see him but he was there and watching her. His confusion filled her. Allison pulled her onto the dance floor and Katie let her. They danced to the beat as she felt him closing in. She focused on the music. It bounced on the walls and radiated from the bodies that surrounded her. Bodies swayed around her and people shouted lyrics to song’s she’d never heard. She moved her hips and found she was more bendy than before. What she wanted her body to do, it did.

  She wasn’t the only one to notice.

  “You’re a good dancer,” a voice said behind her. It wasn’t Tristan. She turned around to a brown haired guy with deep brown eyes. He swayed behind her and smiled.

  She smiled. When did this ever happen to her. At school dances she always found herself dancing awkwardly with Brian or as a group. Now, electricity flowed through her veins and with each breath she floated above shyness.

  He moved closer behind her until his body was against hers. She put her arms in the air and he wrapped them around his neck. She tingled—and liked it. Someone paying this close attention to her body. She knew he was staring down her chest. His hands gripped around her waist pulling her closer. She was mixed with embarrassment and pleasure when she felt his nether-regions pushing up against her.

  It never escaped her that Tristan was there lurking. She still hadn’t seen him. She didn’t have to.

  “What’s your name?” She yelled behind her. The song had change and they moved faster.

  “Sean,” he said, in her ear.

  “I’m Katie,” she said back, in her throatiest voice. She felt stupid but he seemed to like it.

  Allison raised her eyebrows at Katie then to Sean.

  Sean moved his hands from her hips to her stomach and she felt dirty. Like she was cheating. How stupid. She had no one to cheat on.

  He moved his hands, higher and higher. She stopped him and he took it as an opportunity to move them lower. Just as she was about to add a little space between them, she saw him. Tristan. A wave of heat and anger vibrated through her body as he stared at her. To be honest, she couldn’t decide who’s heat or anger it was. His or hers? Why were they always like this?

  His face was unreadable, but she heard every curse he was spewing in his mind. She wasn’t the only one trying to look her best, he was wearing a black blazer over a white, expensive-looking, v-neck. She didn’t even know he owned a blazer aside from his uniform.

  He marched toward her pushing people out of the way.

  He grabbed her arm but she pulled it away. He squinted his eyes and looked her over.

  “Hey, Man,” Sean said, stepping between them. “Back off.”

  “Katalina. What the hell are you doing here?”

  “I said back off man,” Sean said, looking back at Katie.

  “Say one more word and I’ll break your face,” Tristan said, moving closer to Sean.

  “Since when do you care what I do?” Katie said. The electronic melody spread through her body making her feel charged and ready for battle. She grabbed Sean’s hand and it felt so wrong, but she wanted to make a point. She moved him deeper onto the dance floor.

  “Katalina!” Tristan’s voice vibrated through her. The world, the music, and time stopped. Her heart ripped, as torn as her mind.

  “You know what,” Sean said, walking back towards Tristan. “Nobody likes a sore loser—”

  Tristan punched him in the face. Katie, and group of girls shrieked as Sean backed into them.

  “TRISTAN!” Katie screamed, but even she started to drown in the wave of violence he was swimming in.

  Sean swung back, in Tristan’s stomach. Tristan took the hit and grabbed his face. Sean screamed as Tristan forced him back and into the bar. People parted like a wave. Sean slammed his fist into Tristan’s side, panicking.

  Tristan’s grip tightened and Sean began to spasm. Tristan let him go and kicked him into the bar. Sean’s face had red burns scratched across them.

  “Fucking untouchable?” Sean gasped holding his face.

  Three guys pushed pass
ed Katie and grabbed onto Tristan. He fought back kicking one into a concrete beam. Allison grabbed Katie and pulled her back and away from the other two guys trying to hold Tristan down. They couldn’t hold him. One guy yelled in pain. “Get back, he’s an untouchable.”

  Another guy with yellow teeth and yellow hair pulled out a gun. “Look, Kid. Calm down or we’ll have to put you down.”

  Tristan snarled.

  Katie pulled away from Allison and tackled Tristan. They fell into the bar and Tristan’s head smacked against the ground. He grabbed her and she thought he’d throw her of for sure. He squeezed her and yelled, “Get off me, Katalina or I swear—”

  “Then stop,” she yelled back. “Just stop.” She wouldn’t move until his breathing steadied.

  A different guy walked up to them wearing the same black polo as the other three guys. “Boss wants you to bring up those three.” He was pointing at Katie, Tristan, and Allison.

  Katie contemplated running.

  “Get of me, Katalina,” Tristan growled.

  As soon as she got up one of the guys grabbed her. It was the door guy.

  Tristan charge him.

  “Stop!” she pulled her arm away, but it was too late. The guy with yellow hair shot him. Tristan’s body shook and he dropped to the ground. They’d tazed him.

  “This kid is a beast,” said one guy as Yellow-hair helped pick-up Tristan’s body. Tristan was still fighting, but they were able to hold his arms back.

  The three of them were herded down a hallway and into an elevator.

  “I hope this is what you had planned when you came here,” Tristan said, slurring his words. “I hope this is exactly how you planned it.”

  “All right, Kid. Calm down,” Yellow-hair said. They marched them down another well-lit-hallway covered in marble tile. They stopped at the door on the far end and the guy holding Katie knocked. He’d relaxed his grip on her.

  What had she gotten them into? Katie looked at Allison, she was just as terrified as Katie. The door opened and Katie’s jaw dropped when she saw the man staring back at her.