Keeper vs. Reaper (Graveyard Guardians Book 1)

by Jennifer Malone Wright

  “Knock it off before I change my mind and give you a run for your money.”

  Greg laughed and disappeared back underneath the sink.

  “Where are James and Ethan?”

  “Sleeping. They were up all night on patrol.”

  “Oh.” Of course they would be sleeping off their all-nighter. Thankfully, whatever they were doing, neither of them caught her sneaking in or out of the house, or realized that she was gone. Thank goodness. She hadn’t wanted to leave Jack, but she was sure relieved when she was safely back in the house.

  She sipped on her coffee some more and stared at the kitchen table. “I’m going to go check out that trunk some more. See if there are any clues.”

  Greg’s muffled voice floated out from under the sink. “Ok Velma. Make sure you keep an eye on Fred and Daphne when you split up.”

  “Ha ha, very funny.”

  “Have fun. I’ll be here.”

  They had stashed the trunk up in her room, having decided it was hers since she was the Chosen One and all.

  She stood in the doorway of her room staring at the ancient trunk. Her crossbow was sitting on top, the pouch of arrows resting beside it. She hadn’t needed it for anything since the night she had been attacked, since no one would let her out of the house.

  Moving the crossbow and its arrows aside, she lifted the lid and then pulled the white silk completely out of the trunk. The book lay exactly where they had left it, as well as the parchment, which had been carefully re-rolled and the ribbon tied back around it.

  Lifting the book out, she set it on the floor in front of her and ran her hand over the emblem on the cover. Apparently, this was their family symbol. It was weird that neither she, nor her siblings, had known about the family symbol. It wasn’t important really, but drove home the fact that her father had kept this from her.

  Opening the book, she carefully turned the old pages one by one, looking for any entries that she would be able to read. As the pages flipped by, she noted the handwriting changes and the types of ink were different. She couldn’t read any of it, until about three-quarters of the way through.

  The first English entry which was legible was dated 1892.

  My name is Amelia Estmond, daughter of Thomas Estmond, and this entry is the first of my language in the Estmond family records. It had been passed into my hands several years ago. However, no ink has stained this parchment until now. I give no excuse to my neglect, and shall get to the matter of recording my endeavors as a Keeper.

  This day was not a day I wish to repeat. I was forced to kill my first Reaper. I shall never forget, for the bloodshed is written in my memory forever. Now, it will be written here as well.

  We, the Keepers, do not wish to kill. We only wish to save the souls. The souls, if taken by a Reaper will never cross over to wherever it is they are destined to go. If a Reaper takes them, from what we know, they are then consumed into the body of the Reaper forevermore. Therefore, we must protect them at all costs.

  My life as a Keeper thus far has been simple. Battle the Reapers and they shall eventually run. The Reapers are not afraid of us, and they would simply rather not have to make acquaintance with a Keeper at all.

  Each day that passes, there is yet another death. People are being murdered, and are frequently falling ill with disease so terrible that death finally takes them. I have no husband, no children, so my life is committed to protecting the souls in the crude and ever growing graveyards.

  This night, the Reaper came looking, and came upon me before he found a soul. I carried twin daggers, the blades of which were silver. I fully admit to having stolen the items from which they were forged. In any case, I drew my blades and ordered him to leave the graveyard.

  He charged me, wielding his own large knife. We fought, both giving and receiving wounds, which weakened us. In the end, it was my dagger which struck the final blow.

  I cannot put into words exactly how it feels to have taken a life, even the life of a Reaper. However, I shall honor my commitment just as my ancestors have.

  We are born Keepers, it is a calling which lies in our blood. Some of our line thus far have chosen to ignore the calling and attempt to live what they think is a normal life. Sadly, they eventually discover that it is not something which can simply be discarded.

  The souls are everywhere and they cannot be avoided, even if you try to pretend they are not there. Yet, where there are souls, there are Reapers, and no matter how hard one may try to deny the urge, a Keeper will act on instinct to protect those souls.

  I do not like the things I have to do, especially when I must act as I have this eve, but I will never turn my back on my commitment to the souls. I do not deny my calling.

  So, in closing to this first entry I must say that I do not regret having to take a life. Not one ounce of regret lies within me, because I know that I saved a soul in doing so.

  No, I do not wish to kill again … but I will if my hand is forced to do so.

  Lucy looked up from the pages of Amelia’s first entry. It was pretty cool to read about how her ancestors had fought, and how they perceived the life of a Keeper. Her father had never really told them much about any of their relatives, except for their grandmother.

  She was beginning to think that her father had intentionally tried to keep them secluded from a lot of the Keeper heritage, but why? That was something she was definitely going to have to ask her dad about next time she saw him.

  Sitting on the floor was beginning to get uncomfortable. She picked up the book and took it over to the window seat so she could sit on a cushion and lean back. After she had settled in, she found another entry from Amelia and had just began to read when soft knock sounded on her bedroom door.

  “Come in,” she called, looking up expectantly.

  The door cracked open and Ethan poked his head in. “Hey, just checking on you.”

  “I’m all right, just checking this out.” She gestured to the book before her. “It’s a record from the Estmond Keepers.”

  He entered the room and bent down beside her. “Really? That’s pretty awesome.”

  Ethan knew just as much, or as little, as she did about the Keepers of the past, so it probably was pretty exciting for him too. “I found some of it in English, not much, but there are some that we can read. Check it out.” She patted the cushion next to her, motioning for him to sit.

  She turned back to Amelia’s first entry and let him read it for himself. “Wow,” he said when he was done. “She is certainly committed to the life.”

  Lucy nodded. “Yeah, we all are, but, I sort of feel like living in a small town has secluded us from a lot of what happens in the real world, with Keepers and Reapers. Not that I’m complaining or anything, I just feel like there is a lot we may not know.”

  Ethan shrugged. “I don’t mind this. If we don’t know what we are missing, who really cares.”

  “Yeah … you’re probably right,” she agreed.

  “That stuff she wrote, about Keepers denying their calling. Have you ever felt like you wanted to be normal, you know, not see the souls?”

  Like when she is going through a relationship crisis, and there is no one to date because the only available Keeper in the area is her best friend, and even though she loved him, she didn’t love him like that. Yeah, that would be one of those moments. “Yes, I have, but it’s never lasted long. I love my life.”

  “Back when Mom and Dad were around, I used to wish that I wasn’t able to see them. But, now … I never do.”

  Man, Ethan had had a tough life, she often wondered what would have happened if the Estmonds hadn’t taken him in. They didn’t usually bring up his parents or how she and Ethan felt about each other, but Lucy suddenly felt like apologizing to him and it was out before she could stop herself. “I’m sorry.”

  He furrowed his eyebrows and managed to look sincerely confused. “What on Earth are you sorry about?”

  “I don’t know … about your parents, about u
s … about everything.”

  “I don’t know why you would bring all that up, but as far as my parents go, you and I both know I’m better off without them. If they hadn’t been such shitty parents than I wouldn’t have become as close to you and your family as I am. You are my family, they aren’t.” He paused, as if contemplating on continuing. “And as far as you and I go, we’ve had this discussion. You know my stance.”

  “I wish it was different.” Lucy turned away and stared out at the graveyard. The sun was peeking through the fluffy clouds that filled the brilliant blue sky.

  Ethan reached over and gently touched her chin with his fingertips, turning her head toward him so that he could look into her eyes.

  God, his eyes were such an intense shade of blue.

  “I wish it was different too,” he whispered. “You feel how you feel, I know how you feel, and that is just the way it is.”

  Lucy looked into his eyes as he spoke and knew that this was a man who loved her. Maybe, just maybe, she could force the feelings for Jack away by trying to feel something for someone else.

  She leaned in just a little bit closer and let her hand drift over and settle on Ethan’s leg.

  “Lucy, what are you doing?” He didn’t move.

  “I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I want to kiss you right now.”

  He shook his head. “We can’t do this anymore. That ended a long ti…”

  She cut him off by closing the gap between them. Their lips met and he immediately responded to her, opening slightly. Suddenly he took hold of Lucy’s arms, holding her firmly in his grasp and hauled her into his lap.

  Lucy ran her fingertips over his bicep, feeling the hard muscles built from construction work and fight training.

  His arms slid around her back, holding her tightly against him, as if he were trying to savor each second of the moment he knew wouldn’t last.

  Even as his hands wound their way up into her hair, the pangs of guilt began. She was using him. She was positive that he knew she was using him for something, but his feelings for her were so much that he didn’t care and would take what he could get.

  This man loved her.

  Why couldn’t she love him the way he loved her.

  As the urgent kisses continued, Lucy fought to send Jack out of her mind. Kissing Ethan didn’t feel wrong, but it didn’t feel right either. When Jack had kissed her before, back at his house, there had been a sense of perfection that just wasn’t there with Ethan.

  Finally, it was Ethan who broke away and gently pulled back. “Lucy.” His breathing was heavy and his voice huskier than usual.

  She tilted her head down so her forehead pressed into his shoulder. “I’m sorry. I just … I’m sorry.”

  She felt his hand smooth down her hair. “It’s all right, I understand.”

  With her head still against him she shook it back and forth. “No, no, it’s not all right.”

  “Is something going on that you need to talk about. What brought this on?”

  Pulling up her head, she looked into his eyes and said nothing. Right then, she knew that he could tell she was hiding something. “It’s nothing,” she told him and then scooted off his lap, back over to her spot on the window seat. “I guess I’m just messed up from all the commotion lately.”

  He reached over and took her hand. “I am here for you always. Do you understand that? There is nothing you can’t tell me.”

  Yeah, she highly doubted that.

  “I won’t push you, but I’m not stupid. We stopped this kind of thing a long time ago, and something had to have happened for you to kiss me.”

  Damn, when he said it like that it made her look like a big asshole. She was the worst friend in the world.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered again. “I don’t know what happened.”

  Finally he smiled. “Well, I’m not going to complain too much. It’s certainly nothing to be sorry about. I’m not.”

  Yup, she was right, he would take what he could get, which only made the whole thing even more fucked up. Maybe she should just tell him and get all this shit off her chest. Maybe he would be all right with the whole thing. On the other hand, it could make things worse and he would take his bodyguard job even more seriously than he already was.

  Probably best just to keep it to herself … even though she sort of owed him an explanation.

  She flashed him a small smile in return and patted him on the shoulder. “I’m so glad that you can always find positivity. That’s one of your best qualities.”

  “If there is one thing I’ve learned in my lifetime, it’s that you have to make the best out of bad situations, and that you don’t always get what you want. If you don’t keep a good attitude during those times then all the bad things will eat you alive.”

  Lucy nodded. “Yeah, I get that.”

  Ethan stood and stretched. “Well, as awesome as this little visit has been, I have to go find some food. I haven’t eaten yet today.”

  “Go on, I’m going to stay here and read some more of this.”

  He gave her a wave and a smile then opened the door and stepped out.

  After he was gone, she let out a huge sigh and leaned back on the wall behind her. Well that didn’t work for shit and only made her feel worse than she had before.

  Fucking wonderful.

  She turned her head and gazed out at the graveyard. She could barely see the faint blue glimmering from some of the souls. A sudden movement at the edge of the woods caught her eye. Directing her gaze to where she had seen the rustle within the trees, she searched until she saw it again.

  When she focused, she realized that she was looking directly at a face hidden among the trees and bushes.

  With a gasp, she pulled back away from the window and yanked the curtain in front of her enough so that she could still peek around it.

  Oh God, what if that Reaper had come back?

  She could, indeed, see the misty red aura floating around the face. He wore a hood and a pair of sunglasses to try and conceal his presence, but if you looked close enough you could still see it.

  He was watching her, she realized, because after he saw her pull back from the window, he lowered his sunglasses and nodded to her. She saw the dark brown eyes focused on her and let out a long breath filled with relief. It was Jack.

  Yeah, it was Jack, and he was watching in the window where she had just been kissing Ethan.

  Son of a bitch.

  She nodded back and then motioned for him to get back farther into the woods. Without waiting to see if he complied, she quickly got up from the window seat and hurried out the door.

  Even though he was protected by the shade of the trees and brush, he was still roasting his ass off. In order to stay concealed, he had worn a thin hoodie and gloves, as well as sunglasses. This shit was crazy. It had to be at least a hundred degrees out and here he was, standing in the woods baking like an idiot.

  To make matters worse, he was waiting here to make sure that Lucy was safe and what did he get? Front fucking row to her make-out session with another Keeper, that’s fucking what.

  In a way, he actually hoped that Aiden would just try and attack so that he could get the hell out of Summer Hollow and away from Lucy. Hopefully, like she suggested, the feelings would fade the farther away from each other that they get.

  But for now, it was just getting worse with each passing moment.

  He had watched her in the window, reading or something and then that mother fucker had come in and sat down with her. It had been agonizing watching the whole thing take place. The kind of agony where you don’t want to watch, but, at the same time, you can’t look away.

  Watching her kiss another man had brought up the kind of feelings that were on the same level as when Aiden had attacked her. Yeah, he wanted to rip the guy limb from fucking limb. No one touched her … except for him.

  Well, that’s how he felt, and he couldn’t help how he felt, so he’d forced back the urge to smash th
at Keepers face in and just watched. Luckily for him though, it didn’t last long. If it had, he wasn’t sure he could have controlled himself at all, and that was the last thing that any of them needed. He could see it so clearly, him busting into the house and running up the stairs to beat the shit out of that guy.

  He shook his head, trying to get the vision out of his head. Yeah, that would have only gotten his ass killed since none of the other Keepers, aside from Liv, knew what was going on.

  Then, he’d been staring up there when she fucking saw him.

  Awesome. Just awesome. Busted, staring into her window like a peeping tom or some shit.

  “Hey.”

  He turned and spun, reaching for his gun at the same time. Of course he was prepared to fight. Sitting outside of a place that housed a hell of a lot of Keepers was not a place that he was going to go unarmed.

  Before he could even draw his weapon his eyes met with Lucy’s.

  “What the fuck are you doing out here? Go inside!”

  She lifted her chin. “What the fuck are you doing out here? This is my property and you are the trespasser.”

  He turned and backed off into the trees a bit more. “God dammit, Lucy! You’re lucky it’s only me out here.”

  His red haired Keeper was not about to back down. “Every time I see you, you tell me that I need to be careful and stay safe and all that other bullshit, but did it ever occur to you that maybe I’m worried about your safety as well.”

  Uh, no. “This isn’t about me.”

  She waved him off. “Yeah, yeah, I’m the Chosen One … blah, blah, blah. Well it isn’t about just me. Now it’s about us. I don’t want my family to kill you just as much as you don’t want your buddy to kill me. So fucking deal with it. If you’re going to be running around out in my yard I am going to come out and talk to you.”

  “Not a good idea.”

  “Says you.”

  Their eyes were locked in challenge. “And I know what I’m talking about. Go home, Lucy.”

  “And, you know,” she continued “it’s kind of stalkerish that you’re out here lurking about in the woods outside my house too.”