by Sarah Beth
The Faye's Keeper
Keepers of Light: Book Two
Sarah Beth
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Copyright
The Faye’s Keeper
Copyright @ 2020
Sarah Beth
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the US Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author.
Cover Design by: Diana T. Calcado, www.triumphcovers.com
If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it or it was not purchased for your use only, please delete it and purchase your own copy from an authorized retailer. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.
Sarahbethwrites.com
Chapter One
Abby
When Abby’s nightmares started playing out in real life, she knew something was horribly wrong.
It had been two months since the pack found the warlock responsible for the murders. Two months since she had killed him. After healing up in the mountains, she returned to the city with Wesley in tow, ready to finish up the school semester as strongly as she could. But over those two months, murders started happening all over the coast — including some in New York. These killings were different, though. They weren’t witches, wolves, or Faye. They were human. Normal, everyday people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Unconcerned at first, the pack went on with their daily business. Abby went back to her classes and moved in with Claire. No one paid much attention to the human murders. Humans killed each other, that’s just how they were. It wasn’t until three girls were murdered, slaughtered, near Claire’s house, that the pack paid attention. Ever since the warlock incident, the wolves were a little protective of the two witches in their company.
Turned out they had reason to be nervous — Vampires were behind the murders. All of them. Every body was found drained of blood, not a drop left behind.
Something occurred, something changed, to make the vampires lose concern about the humans finding out about them. They used to be careful, only taking the blood they needed. Now they didn’t even clean up their messes. They fed, slaughtered helpless people, as if it were a game.
Now, sitting in Claire’s living room at two in the morning, Abby watched the newscaster speak of another set of murders in L.A. A party gone wrong, according to the cops. But people were starting to talk. Murders like these could only go on for so long before people started paying attention.
Glancing down at her phone, sitting limp in her hand, Abby wished that Wesley would call. She had spoken to him that morning, but only briefly. He was in Colorado with Alex, investigating a murder and trying to find any news on where Elazar was. They’d had no word on the Faye since the events at the warehouse. With no idea where he was, or why he had vanished, Abby was left to her own devices in her training. The books Elazar had given her helped, and taught her a lot, but they were just books. She needed her teacher back. Staying in the city, she felt disconnected from her magic. Making it harder to focus. But school was over now. She could go stay in the mountains, again. As soon as Wesley and Alex got back.
With a sigh, she turned the TV off, sending the house into silence. She wanted Wesley to call her. She always felt better when Alex and Wesley were safely at home on the mountain, not gallivanting all over the country investigating murders. Or, better yet, when Wesley was sleeping beside her. With finals over, she had thought she would be less stressed. But then they left again, and her anxiety rose a few notches. Walking into the kitchen, she deposited a half-drunk cup of mint tea, before heading towards the bedrooms. Passing the entry to the sunroom, something caught her eye.
Looking out into the back garden, Abby gazed at the snow-covered ground that seemed to give off its own glow. The crescent moon gave off little light, the illumination in the yard mostly coming from the light pollution of the city. There, standing just inside the tree line of the yard, was the girl from Abby’s dreams. She looked the same as she always had — long dark hair, white lace gown. But this time she looked older, her body more filled out. When Abby looked at her face, however, she noted the biggest change. The girl’s eyes were no longer black but iridescent, a kaleidoscope of color as they stared at her.
Abby stood in the doorway for a moment, taking the time to study the girl. She hadn’t seen this spirit in months, not since the events at the warehouse. She’d seen other spirits though, plenty of them in fact. Just like before, they were drawn to her light. She tried to help them as best she could, answering their questions and sending them on their way. But she had the sinking feeling that seeing this spirit again wasn’t going to be so simple.
Taking a deep breath, she walked into the sunroom. Stopping in front of the windows, she looked out over the glittering snow. “What do you want?” Her voice sounded abnormally loud in the silence of the night, and she had only whispered. The girl didn’t say anything, which didn’t surprise Abby. Most didn’t, and when they did, it wasn’t usually out loud.
Pulling at the power in her chest, she let it warm her chilled body. The knowledge that spirits couldn’t get into Claire’s house helped give Abby some confidence. It was protected, just like Alex’s house in the mountains. Once she felt the power fill her, leaving her fingertips tingling, she raised a hand to the glass. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what you need.”
A rush of images flooded her mind. First, it was a view she knew all too well and yet wished she could forget — the building where the warlock had tortured her. Then, so much quicker than the first, more pictures she didn’t understand flashed before her. Buildings, alleyways, people she didn’t know, beings with fangs, Big Ben, a glade that look like Elazar’s but she knew it wasn’t. And there was blood, so much blood. But it wasn’t just images that filled Abby — smells, and sounds assaulted her senses. Wet dirt; the sounds of a city; shuffling feet; the sound of someone choking on their own blood. And screams, ear-splitting screams.
Gasping, the images fled her mind, leaving her shaking. If it wasn’t for her hand on the pane of glass, she would have fallen. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she looked out at the spirit. She hadn’t moved; her face an emotionless mask. Although her head pounded, Abby understood what the girl was trying to tell her. The vampires were u
p to something alright, and the spirits wanted Abby’s help to stop it.
“I....I don’t know what you want from me.”
The girl raised her hand and placed it over her heart. She bowed shallow at the waist, before vanishing into the darkness.
Abby took a few deep breaths before walking backwards, practically falling into the cushions on the floor. It didn’t matter how many times spirits visited her. Each time, it left her feeling utterly exhausted. Add the fact that she hadn’t seen that spirit in a while, and her hands couldn’t stop shaking. Focusing on the warmth in her body, Abby slowly released the power. It flowed out of her limbs and back into her center, leaving her limbs chilled in its wake.
She was startled when her phone rang. How long had she been sitting there? Looking around the room quickly, she found it sitting on one of the small tables near the windows. Picking it up, Abby smiled at the caller ID. “You’re supposed to be sleeping.” She said with a smile, leaning further back into the cushions and looking back outside. The yard was empty and quiet.
Wesley’s laugh filled her ear, making her smile wider. “I could say the same thing, little witch.” He paused, she could hear fabric rustle in the background. “I felt you pull at me.”
She sighed, rubbing a hand over her eyes. “Did I? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. Go back to sleep—.”
“Don’t.” He sighed. “Don’t apologize, again. You know you can call me anytime, for any reason.”
Suppressing her own sigh, Abby shifted her gaze to the trees. They had been having that argument a lot recently. “I know. But I’m so tired of everyone losing sleep. Just because I don’t sleep much these days doesn’t mean everyone should be tired.”
“I know, and I’m tired, that you’re always tired.”
She smiled weakly.
“But I need you to know that you can count on me whenever you need me.”
Closing her eyes, Abby felt another pang of guilt hit her stomach. “I know that, Wes. I do. I’m just—.”
“Not used to people being there, I know.”
Silence took over the conversation. All Abby could hear through the phone was Wesley’s breathing and the occasional fabric being pushed around. She could picture him, as if he was laying in the room with her. Curls going every which way on top of his head. The sheets pushed and bunched up by his feet. Boxers on, definitely no shirt. Werewolves ran hotter in their sleep than they did during the day. There was a pull in her chest, her magic pulsing with the pressure. No matter how used to being alone Abby was, she couldn’t ignore the empty feeling that would overtake her when Wesley was gone. “When are you going to get back?”
A pause, and when he spoke again, she could hear the smile in his voice. “Tomorrow.”
Sitting up straighter, her phone nearly dropping out of her hand, Abby said, “Tomorrow? I thought you guys were still a few days out?”
He chuckled, the sound filling her chest with warmth. “I did too, but Alex wants to get home. We left Denver early this morning, so we’ll be in Seattle by tomorrow.”
Her nerves were starting to calm. Just the knowledge that her family would be back home in the morning made her insides settle. Rising from the cushions, she cast one last glance out the windows before heading into the main house. “Do you know when Warren and Kyle will come back from L.A.?”
“No—.” A yawn filled her ear, causing her to smile as she passed through the kitchen and headed for the guest room. “But I’m sure they’ll call Alex in the morning.”
Abby nodded her head, realizing at the last moment that he couldn’t see her, and then said, “You’re probably right.” Another yawn came through the phone and she chuckled, “Wes, go back to sleep. I’m fine, I promise.”
“You need to sleep too.”
As she pushed open the door, the lavender incense she had set alight before going to the living room filled her nose. “I know, I’m heading back to bed right now.” He mumbled something, sleep grabbing at her wolf. “Sleep well, I’ll see you tomorrow.” She said with a chuckle. She didn’t wait for an answer, knowing full well that he was likely out for the count already. It was something she couldn’t help but feel jealous over — Wesley could fall asleep within minutes. Setting her phone on the bedside table, Abby crawled under her pile of warm blankets and sighed at the clock. It was almost three a.m. Maybe now she would be able to sleep without nightmares.
Chapter Two
Wesley
There were a lot of things that Wesley enjoyed, but all of them were trumped by the days spent up in the mountains, Abby by his side. Thank god her finals were over — they had gone on forever. He thought she had been stressed when they first met, but that was completely overshadowed by the levels of stress during exams. But now they were finally back at Alex’s house. Sitting by the roaring fire, he sighed contentedly as she stood in the kitchen, talking to Tori.
Everything was as it should be, finally.
After arriving back to Seattle early that morning, Wesley and Alex helped Abby grab her things, before heading back to their home.
With the vampires on some rampage, Wesley didn’t want Abby anywhere near the city.
They knew there had to be a connection to the current murders and the murders of the witches back in October. But they hadn’t figured out what that connection was yet. He and Alex had been throwing thoughts back and forth, but nothing seemed to fit. Hopefully Warren and Kyle could garner some useful information from the L.A. pack. Alex didn’t get anything useful from the Denver pack, but it had been worth a shot.
Alex was going to New York soon, to meet with the Head Alpha of New York. Ira was an old friend, they had spent a lot of time together back in Europe. Alex never spoke about that time of his life, but Wesley knew it hadn’t been the brightest part of his existence. Sometimes, Wesley wondered if what was happening now reminded Alex of the darker days of his youth. Something was going horribly wrong. They could all sense it, and they had to stop it before the humans got too close.
As Abby’s laugh filled the room, Wesley smiled softly to himself. The people most important to him were safe, that’s all that mattered. A small hand snaked around his neck, laying flat on his chest. Turning his head, he met Abby’s ivy-colored eyes as she peered over the couch at him. She smiled before leaning down on her other arm, “Kyle just texted Tori, they left Seattle a few minutes ago. We were thinking of meeting them in town for dinner since Alex is busy.”
Glancing towards the hallway, and the closed office door, Wesley sighed. Alex had been so focused lately, more so than Wesley could ever remember him being. It wasn’t a bad thing, but he worried about his father. Alex hadn’t been in the kitchen much since the murders started. Turning back to Abby, Wesley nodded. “Sounds good.”
“Perfect.” She placed a quick kiss to the side of his head before pushing off the couch. He watched as she and Tori disappeared up the stairs, probably to change into something other than jeans and flannel shirts for dinner. He sighed, glancing down at his own red flannel shirt and jeans. To heck with it, it was way too cold to put on a nicer button-down shirt. It wasn’t like they were eating anywhere nice, anyway. The Connel’s restaurant in Buern was a small family owned place. His jeans and flannel would fit in just fine.
Glancing again at Alex’s office door, Wesley pushed himself off the couch and headed over. Knocking firmly before opening the door, he peered in. He was thankful that werewolves didn’t grow gray hair, because he was fairly sure that his father would have had a few strands peppering his brown locks. Bent over his desk, Alex had his cell phone pinched between his shoulder and ear. A thoughtful look on his face, his eyes hard and focused on whatever was laid out on the wood surface.
Stepping inside, Wesley shut the door quietly behind him before walking over to the desk. There was a map of the country laid out, with red dots in several cities. The murders — he was marking where they were happening. There was also a small map of Seattle to one side, marked up with a few dots, too
.
“Yes, Ira. I understand. I’ll be in touch.”
Wesley looked up as Alex hung up his phone, dropping it to the desk with a huff. He sat down in his chair with a sigh, scrubbing a hand down his face. Wesley glanced at him as he sat on the edge of the desk, “Ira Abrams? From New York City?”
Alex nodded, gesturing at the map. “They just found another murdered woman, drained of blood.”
Wesley shook his head. Crossing his arms over his chest, he scanned the map. “That’s four this week. And one of those was a group of victims.”
Grunting, Alex leaned onto the desk. “I’ll be leaving in two days...I don’t know if I can be of any help, but I have to try. Warren will be back soon.”
“Actually, that’s why I came in. We’re going to meet them in town for dinner tonight. Did you want us to bring you anything?”
Alex glanced at the clock on the wall above the fireplace, sighing heavily. When Alex looked back, Wesley couldn’t remember the last time he had seen his father look so tired. “Yes, I suppose so. Whatever you have will be fine.”
Wesley touched the map, “Why don’t you take a break — come with us? You’ve been locked in here for hours, ever since we got back.”
He watched as Alex thought about it, his eyes searching over the map. After a moment, he shook his head, just like Wesley expected. “No, I need to make a few phone calls. You and the girls go, have a good time.” And with that, Alex went back to his work. Scribbling notes on a piece of paper, making another dot in New York. It had been like that for weeks. Wesley would try to get Alex out of his office, but it seldom worked. It was a miracle if he got him to think of anything other than the murders.
With a nod, Wesley slid his hand off the desk and walked to the door. Taking one last look at his father, he left the office. Maybe there would be some blueberry muffins left at the bakery when they got into town.
