The Last Guardian Rises (The Last Keeper's Daughter) (38 page)

“No, Miss, you will not. We cannot leave yet.”

“What do you mean? Of course we’ll go right now.” She whipped around to face him, causing him to take a step back from her, and rubbed the iron ring on her left arm.

Liam held eye contact but was clearly uncomfortable telling her the situation. “Sundown is an hour away. You are not to leave the mountain. The king has ordered this.”

Lily didn’t have anything to say to that. Instead she turned and strode up the path leading to the castle.

“Give me your phone.” She reached out her hand. “I can call her, right?” She was taking her anger out on him. “Thank you,” she said guiltily, accepting the offered phone. Hadn’t Liam suffered enough for her impulsive actions? But this was Martha. She blinked back the unshed tears pooling in her eyes. Lily couldn’t lose Martha, not Martha, the one true constant throughout her life. The woman who’d raised her as her own with love and understanding. Who, with no complaints, had silently and heroically placed Lily’s needs above her own. 

“I’ve contacted the king. He’ll see you when he can.”

“No, we’re going to him right now. I don’t care what he’s doing.”

“Miss, that would not be wise.”

She remembered another occasion when she’d insisted on being taken to the king. “I have no choice.” Lily pressed the dial button and Jo picked up on the first ring.

“Are you on your way? They’re stabilizing her now.”

“What happened?” Lily resumed her walk up the path – at least now she could see the castle.

“I don’t know. I found her slumped over a book in her favorite chair. Oh Lily, she can’t die, she just can’t.”

Hearing the panic in Jo’s voice increased her own. “She won’t.”

“You’re coming, right?”

“Yes, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Hurry, will you? I can’t stand to be here by myself.”

“I promise.” She looked up at the castle.
I won’t lose Martha, I won’t allow it.
She and Krieger had planned to visit her tonight. To tell her about the Other world and have her come live on the mountain with them. Why had they waited so long? How cruel was fate.

“Miss.” Liam reached out for his phone. He immediately started texting, waited for a response, and texted again. His shoulders raised a fraction with tension. “The king will meet you in your suite in twenty minutes.”

“The hell he will. Take me to him.” Liam widened his stance. “Has he rescinded his order? I’m to be taken to him whenever I wish it, no matter what he is doing.”

“Please, Miss, wait the few minutes, don’t put me in this situation.”

“She could die!” Lily screamed. “I’m going to take one of the cars. I don’t have to wait for permission.” She started jogging again, going towards the garage on the other side of the castle. Liam, a thousand times quicker than she, blocked her path and put his hands on her shoulders to stop her. “Miss, I’ll take you as far as the doctor’s office below.”

“Fine.”

He lowered his hands and she followed behind him. Too mad to look at him, she kept her eyes on the ground as they entered the elevator and descended.

Doctor Caanan was waiting for them when the doors opened, looking about as happy as Liam. “Come wait in my office.” He stepped in with them. “I’ve arranged for a private suite for Ms. Best, and I contacted the best cardiovascular doctor to consult on her condition.”

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Liam texting again. “The king’s helicopter will be here in five minutes,” he said.

He had a helicopter?

There were muffled loud voices, a door slammed, and then she saw Krieger moving towards her.

He had on black trousers and a white button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and her heart stopped, overwhelmed by how handsome he was – until Krieger grabbed her by the arms. “Will I ever break your nasty habit of defying me?”

Lily would have stepped back if it were possible. “Martha could be dying. I have to get to her now.”

He let her go and exhaled. “I’ve made arrangements. I have urgent business right now. I can’t go with you. Lucien will go and all the vantors.”

She was stunned by his anger and it took her a moment to see the blood on his shirt. “What’s going on?”

He gave her a blank stare.

“There’s blood on your shirt.”

“It’s not mine.”

“Were you feeding?”

“No.”

She pointed at the blood, and asked, “Your urgent business?”

Krieger gave Liam a glacial stare. “It is state business.”

She’d heard of Krieger’s hunts to find her. She knew, or thought she knew, what he was capable of. “You’re interrogating someone.” Krieger blinked. “Aren’t you?”

Footsteps echoed down the hall and Hunter came into view. He was pale, very pale. “Lucien will be here momentarily.”

“Is it anyone I know?” she asked Krieger. He gave her no response. “Isn’t this enough?” She grabbed each of the bracelets that encircled her arms. “You force me to wear these.” The tips of Lily’s fingertips were tingling with that strange sensation of electricity. She had to calm down, to control herself, or she might have another episode like she had at the council meeting. “But this isn’t enough, is it? I feel like a prisoner here!” She gulped in air. “This can’t continue. I’m wearing the iron rings.” She noticed more bloodstains spattered on his shirt. “You must stop this witch hunt.”

She was lying to him as surely as he was lying to her. Each, in their way, was trying to protect the other from a truth neither wanted to acknowledge. Since the night she’d returned from her father’s realm, Lily had been formulating a plan to safeguard the ones she loved. The guardian would find her. Tonight, tomorrow, or months from now, she didn’t know when, but it was inescapable. She had to separate herself from Krieger, no matter how much pain it would cause her, to keep him safe. 

Krieger reached out for her hand. There was blood on his forearm, and she shrank back from him. His jaw clenched and his eyes turned to ice. “Trust in me.”

“I don’t know you anymore,” Lily whispered, tears welling in her eyes. His anger was good.
Let him hate me. Let him live.

“I’m ready.” She tore her eyes from Krieger, afraid he’d see the truth in them.

Lucien was walking briskly towards them. His hair was wet like he’d just stepped out of the shower. “Liam, your pack is on their way to the hospital. You’ll come with us; we’ll meet up with them there.”

Lily was numbed by the realization that someone was most likely chained, probably beaten, and being questioned right down the hall, and there was nothing she could do. They deserve it, she told herself, knowing the atrocities the Brotherhood had committed.
What have I become? I won’t think about that right now. Martha, I have to get to Martha.

Sandwiched between Liam and Lucien – covered in a tarp protecting him from the sun which hung just above the horizon – she rode in the backseat of the helicopter, praying that Martha was alive. When the helicopter touched down, hospital security swiftly moved them through to Martha’s room in ICU. The woman Lily saw through the window hooked up to far too many machines, looking old and frail, could not be Martha.

“Oh, baby.” She turned to see Jo run into Liam’s arms. “I’m so glad you got her here.” Jo reached out her hand to Lily. “What took you so long?”

“How is she?” Lily asked, clinging to Jo and not caring that she was touching her and crying.

“Not good. They found evidence that she’s had some silent strokes in the past.” Jo leaned against Liam. “I don’t know if she’s going to make it.”

“Don’t say that.” Lily wiped tears from her face. “She will be fine.”

“Go, sit with her.” Lucien nodded towards the door.

Jo extricated herself from Liam’s arms. “I’ll go in with you.”

The nurse looked up as they walked into Martha’s room. “You can stay for five minutes.”

Lily ignored her and started to take Martha’s hand, but decided against it. There were needles in her veins and she didn’t want to hurt her. “Martha, Jo and I are here.” Could Martha hear her? “We’ll stay right here with you.” The thought of Martha waking up alone brought fresh tears. “You rest and get better, all right? You can’t miss Christmas.”

“That’s right,” Jo picked up the thread when Lily couldn’t talk for crying. “We’re going to take a cruise this year. Get away from all the Christmas brouhaha.”

Lily spoke through the tears. “We can sit by the pool all day and take in a show at night, maybe hit the midnight buffet.” This was what Martha always wanted them to do, but they’d never gotten around to it.

“She missed you,” Jo said.

“I know. I was gone.”
I was taken. I came back and everything had changed. I’m the reason Krieger is acting like a monster and everyone is so afraid. I’m the cause of all this bloodshed and heartache. I’m to blame.

“She understood. We’d talk for hours about what you were doing and seeing in Italy. She was so excited about the wedding.”

“I’m so sorry. For being an awful friend. I should have been there for Martha. She should have been living at Stoke instead of by herself.”

“It’s not your fault.” Jo took her hand. “She’ll get better and we can fuss over her and give her the best Christmas ever.”

A bright red light lit up on the board above Martha’s head. Then a long high pitched beeping noise started. “You need to leave.” The nurse jumped up from her seat and hit a button on the wall behind the bed, making the noise stop. “Go.”

Jo pulled her out of the room. They watched helplessly through the window into the room until the nurse pulled the drape so they couldn’t see inside. A doctor followed by three nurses ran down the hall and rushed inside. 

I won’t let you die
. Lily walked up to Lucien. “You could save her.”

He pulled her closer to him and spoke softly, “No, my little mermaid, I cannot.”

“Yes.” Lily grabbed his arm, trying to pull him towards the room. “Your blood. Just a drop or two and she’ll be fine. Do it for me,” she pleaded.

“Blood? What’s she talking about?” Jo looked from Lily to Liam.

“Haven’t you told her?” Lily asked, and instantly wanted to strangle herself. Of course she didn’t know.

“You need to get control of yourself.” Lucien put a hand on each of her shoulders and leaned down so he could speak into her ear.

She tossed her head. “I need
you
to save Martha,” she said two levels too loud. “Why won’t you do that?”

Around them she could see the humans watching, their eyes anxious and afraid like steers going to slaughter, unable to look away as the drama unfolded between the small woman and the fierce looking man. “Please.” She placed her hands on either side of Lucien’s face and whispered, “I know you love me. I’ll leave Krieger for you. He’d let me, if I told him I didn’t love him anymore.” It felt like her insides were being shredded by glass to say it, but she did, she was desperate to save Martha. “Do this for me. Save her for me.”

The doctor was standing in the doorway, his face fixed. “We did everything we could,” he said, detached. “The damage to her heart was too extensive. I’m sorry for your loss.”

“No,
no
, no!” Lily started towards the doctor until Lucien pulled her into an embrace.

“You could have saved her.” Lily’s hands dropped to her sides, lifeless. “I should have told her, told her that I loved her.”

“She knew.” Lucien lifted her in his arms and carried her into a waiting room two doors down. “Get out,” he snarled at the people inside, who didn’t argue and scurried away.

“Lily.” He sat with her pressed to his chest. “My blood would not have saved her.”

Jo came in with Liam following at her heels. “What were you ranting about?” she asked.

“Nothing. She’s gone now. It doesn’t matter.”

Jo grabbed a tissue from the box on the table in the room and blew her nose. “I think she knew.”

Lily looked up. “Knew what?”

“Knew she wasn’t going to make it,” Jo said between sobs. “When I found her she said to tell you she loved you. And she told me the same. She kept telling me her mother was calling her home.”

Krieger swept into the room too fast, too ferociously. Jo’s face showed horror and grief as she stared at him.

“What you said.” Jo backed away from Liam. “You are all different, aren’t you?”

“Jo, please, baby, now is not the time.” Liam, clearly worried about the king’s presence, pulled her into his arms.

“You need to tell her,” Lily said to Liam. Her voice sounded lifeless and not like her own. She stood up from Lucien’s lap and smoothed down the front of her dress with her hands. “I’ll take care of the paperwork.” She didn’t look at Krieger. She kept her head down and walked back to the room where Martha lay.

The nurses were unhooking Martha from the machines and quietly left the room as she entered. She sat down on the bed and pulled the blanket off Martha’s face. It was like a trapdoor had opened up and taken her away. One moment she was living, the next dead, and now all that was left was the body.

“I’m sorry you were alone. You should have been at Stoke, with me.” Lily held the hand that had nurtured her. “I’ll take care of Jo. I know you’d want that. You needn’t worry about us anymore.” Martha’s hand wasn’t cold, but it wasn’t warm either. “I love you.”

She felt a breeze move through her hair and looked up to see Krieger standing by the doorway. “Tell me you didn’t trance Jo.”

“No. Liam is responsible for her.”

“Will you punish him?”

“No.”

“Was it worth it?”

Krieger said nothing.

“The reason you couldn’t be bothered to come here with me.”

“The Brotherhood is no more.”

Well, that was something. “Martha wanted to be cremated. She always said burying her old bones would be a waste.” Lily brushed the hair back from Martha’s face. “I’ll contact Reverend Shay to handle the ceremony.”

Krieger moved behind her in between blinks and placed his hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry I was harsh with you.”

“Would you have saved her if you’d been here?” It had to be asked.

“No, her heart was too damaged. It would not have worked as you think.”