The Last Guardian Rises (The Last Keeper's Daughter) (7 page)

“Have you had sex with this man?”

“No!” She prayed Rohm hadn’t heard her. “I wouldn’t do that. Not without telling Krieger.” She got up and paced back and forth.

“I assume you have already, but you’re acting so strangely that I have to ask. Have you and Krieger…?”

Her cheeks burned. “No.” She blinked back tears. “I’m such a coward.”

“Sit.” The tone was one Martha had used throughout her life when Lily was in trouble.

She plopped onto the chair and struggled to meet Martha’s eyes.

“You are no coward. Do you hear me?”

“Yes, ma’am,” she replied, automatically.

“It’s no wonder you’re confused. With a father like Walter you never had any role models. You have no idea how wonderful it can be between two people who love each other. The physical attraction is only one ingredient. It’s the sharing of one’s heart, one’s soul with another that makes it into love. Most people don’t know the difference between lust and love. It usually starts with lust, and then over time becomes love. When people talk of ‘love at first sight’ what they mean is we had lust at first sight and hung around until the magic happened and it became love without us knowing the difference.”

This was the most animated she’d seen Martha in a long time.

“Your Mr. Barnes would be intimidating to most women. He’s not some fumbling school boy behind the barn. He is a man who knows what he wants. He wants you. You need to answer the question do you want him.”

Lily closed her eyes to push back the tears. “Walter was so obsessed with his love of my mother. I never want to be like that. To be a part of something like that.”

“You won’t,” Martha moved to hug her.

Lily instantly leaned back. She loved Martha like a mother, but had always hated to be touched.

“You’ve changed so much since meeting Mr. Barnes.” Martha needlessly aligned the salt and pepper shakers. “I thought perhaps that had changed too.”

Would it comfort Martha to know she felt no unease when Krieger touched her? Would Martha’s worries cease once she told her about the Other world? That she was not human, at least not completely human, and was an Other that no one knew existed.

“I have changed.” Lily placed her hands in her lap.

“Is this the true reason why you’re unsure about Mr. Barnes?”

“No, it’s… That’s not a problem with him.”

“Follow your heart, dear. It won’t lead you wrong.”

“So you don’t think I’m a horrible person?”

Martha patted down imaginary wrinkles from the placemat. “Rarely do horrible people question their actions. No.” She smiled. “Not at all. Living is hard. You’d think life would get easier the more you know, but with each passing year it just gets more difficult.”

“Why didn’t you get married?”

“I should have.” Martha leaned back and got up from the table, returning with a box of tissues. “George worked with the horses here on the farm. He got drafted to go over to Vietnam. He begged me to marry him before he left, but I was all sensible and logical, saying we should wait until he got back so we could do a proper wedding. Stupid is the better word. His mother had to come tell me that he’d died in some jungle over there. Stepped on a mine or some such thing.”

“I’m so sorry.” How little she knew about the person who’d raised her.

“After all these years I still visit his grave weekly. His people have all died off now, so I keep fresh flowers by his tombstone. Reverend Shay said the prayers when they put my George into the ground. The reverend was a young man then, just starting at the church. I think George was his first funeral.”

The Reverend Shay was a lifelong friend of Walter and had visited Waverly often. The reverend had eaten many a meal in Martha’s kitchen. Lily remembered watching them as they’d laughed and told stories while she’d enjoyed a slice of fresh apple pie. As they were so much older than her, it was hard for Lily to imagine the reverend or Martha as being young; they’d always been old to her. The last time she’d seen the reverend had been at Walter’s funeral when Liam and his pack had howled into the night and she’d seen fear in his eyes. 

“Oh.” Martha waved her hand like she was pushing the memory aside. “It was many lifetimes ago now. If you love Mr. Barnes, and I think you do, don’t let your fears get in the way. Think of everything you’ve overcome already.” Martha smiled at her. “I never thought we’d be talking like this, but here we are sitting around the table chatting away.”

“When we get back from our trip, would you like to come over to Stoke for dinner?”

“Of course, I’ve been waiting for an invitation. Is it really a castle?”

“It is.” Lily’s eyes drifted outside. “I’d like Jo to come too. You could spend the night. You wouldn’t believe some of the bedrooms. And there’s an indoor pool, and a map room that’s three stories high.”

“Have I helped you any?”

“You have.” Would Martha still think so highly of Mr. Barnes, as she insisted on calling him, when she knew what he was? Would she run? And Jo, her crazy friend, what would she do?

“You aren’t the only one who’s been to see me with man problems.” Martha got up and brought the coffee pot over.

“Really?” Lily shook her head to let Martha know she didn’t need more caffeine.

“Jo stopped by and we went to lunch at the Ashby Inn. They make the best eggs benedict.” Martha was a huge foodie. “And what’s better than breakfast at lunch?”

“She didn’t go back to Jeffrey, did she?” Jeffrey was an old flame of Jo’s. They never seemed to realize that they were toxic to each other.

Martha heaved in a huge breath and released it slowly, like a balloon deflating. “She did and ended up with a split lip when she broke up with him, again.”

“Why didn’t she call me?” Lily’s fists balled up. “I hate Jeffrey. If I ever see him I’ll—”

“You don’t have to. It seems someone gave him a broken jaw. Danny, you remember Jennie’s son?” Lily nodded. “He was on call at the emergency room in Winchester when Jeffrey came in. He wouldn’t say who had done it, but I suspect it’s the man Jo’s been hinting about.”

Lily couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Jo had the worst taste in men.

“I know, I know, but this man is different. I can hear it in Jo’s voice when she talks about him. I think he might be a keeper.”

There was a knock at the door, and Martha popped out of her chair. “He’s here.” She patted her hair. “Do I look alright?”

“Who’s here?” It was eleven o’clock. Who would be coming to visit Martha at this hour?

“Mr. Varek.” She scurried around putting the coffee cups in the sink and straightening the placemats. “He’s renting the old farm manager’s cottage.”

Lily thought back to the latest correspondence she’d had from the lawyers. She did remember someone renting the cottage, but hadn’t given it any thought and before she could say anything else Martha had left the kitchen and opened the door.

“Mr. Varek,” she heard Martha say, “please come in. Oh, thank you, they’re beautiful. Did you grow them in your garden?”

Lily lagged behind. She hated to meet new people and yet she was curious to see the mystery man. When she rounded the corner there was Martha holding a bouquet of bright pink peonies.

“He has the most amazing green thumb.” Martha beamed.

Lily smiled. “I need to get back.”

“So soon,” Martha cooed.

The man was positioned so Lily couldn’t see his face, but something about him seemed familiar, and then he turned and she realized Mr. Varek was the Ancient.

Lucien

Lucien awoke in the belly of the plane taking them to Wyre Island. He hated planes almost as much as he hated politics. He was to be rid of one soon enough, as he could feel the aircraft circling around the small rocky island like a vulture eyeing a carcass.

They’d left Stoke in the early morning hours in order to arrive at dusk. There would be very little rest while the royal houses met. Standing at the back of the plane, he ran his thumb down the sharp edge of Dragon, his sword, and recalled one of his creator’s favorite sayings. “
If you can’t fuck it, eat it. If you can’t do either, kill it
.”

Things had been so much simpler when his creator was alive, and what Lucien wouldn’t do to have him here, alive, and with him. He stretched and wound his way up the plane’s spiral stairs into the cabin. Krieger’s back was turned to him as he spoke with the pilot. Lily was seated alone, looking out the window.

“How much longer until we land?” he asked no one in particular.

“We’re next in line,” the king said without looking back. “Just waiting on Carlos’ plane.”

“May I?” He pointed to the seat next to Lily.

She looked up, her eyes drifting over his sword, and picked up the book that had been lying on the seat.

He wondered how Thaddon Hall looked to her. He’d seen it many times before, but still felt a sense of awe at its structure. The island was but a mass of rocks piled high above the cold ocean waters. There was no vegetation, no animal life, nothing but the castle spiraling up to meet the sky. The builders had constructed the castle to hug the side of the cliff which lorded over half the island and instead of stopping when they reached the top, they’d continued until the castle and its six towers seemed to threaten the equilibrium of the isle.

“When was it constructed?” Lily asked.

“It was started around the third century.” Lucien placed Dragon on the bench in front of them and eased his body into the seat. Lily clutched the leather bound book in her lap. He’d noticed she’d been carrying it when they’d boarded the plane. “Some light reading?”

She looked down at it, blushed and then turned back to the window. “Something like that.”

“That’s the North Sea out there, and that way–” He pointed out towards the open ocean– “will take you to the Arctic Circle. It’s cold this time of year on the Scottish Isles. You won’t be doing any swimming on this trip.” He often watched her swim at Stoke Castle. The rhythm of her arms and legs slicing through the water never ceased to soothe him. The plane dipped to the right, giving them a better view of the castle. “The six towers represent the six Royal Houses of Vampire.”

Lily almost pressed her nose to the small window trying to see the whole structure. “The bottom half is so bulking looking and yet they built those delicate spires on top.” She moved slightly to the right so he could see out the window. “They look like candles on a birthday cake.”

“Midway through construction the builder died. His assistant took over for him and had ideas of his own about how the castle should look.”

“Oh.” Lily was clearly amused.

Lucien wanted to kiss her, here, now. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Krieger turning to watch them. “Those candles are called turrets.” Lucien leaned back in his seat and pointed. “See how each tower has a different royal standard?”

“Standard?”

“The flags.”

“Yes, I couldn’t see them before. Which one is for the House of Krieger?”

“There,” he said, pointing to the far tower. “The red one with the black border. You’ll be able to see it better once we’re inside the castle.”

“Please fasten your seatbelts for the final descent,” the pilot’s voice announced.

“I hate flying,” Lily whispered.

“As do I.” He wanted to comfort her, to speak to her with his mind, but he did neither. He castigated himself again for using his mental telepathy with Lily. What a foolish, reckless, and impulsive action, which he was still shocked that he’d done. More importantly, and something he’d wondered often, was how was it possible for him to communicate with her that way? It shouldn’t be. But something about Lily called to him, and over the past few months, Lucien had spent many hours in the skilled embrace of the ouleds trying to forget Lily, but no matter how many women he bedded, she was still the only one he truly wanted.

The landing was bumpy with too much wind and not enough runway, not that it mattered much to him or Krieger, both gifted with flight. He saw the relief on Lily’s face as the plane finally came to a stop, and as she peered out the window at Krieger’s royal guards lined up on either side of the stairs. Did she welcome their attendance for fear she would be harmed here, or worry that someone would try and harm the king?

Krieger was already outside speaking with the guards when Lucien followed Lily down the airstairs.

“Guard Lily,” Krieger barked, before flying with his personal guards towards the castle.

Lucien clenched his jaw. At times, he felt like the king was pushing him and Lily together. Perhaps it was a test to see if he was loyal. He turned to her, masking his irritation with humor. “Are you ready to storm the castle?”

She looked at the jeep and the windy road leading up to the bottom of the castle. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but…” She tilted her head back to look him in the eyes. “Would you mind taking me?”

He reached out his hand. “It would be an uncomfortable drive.”

“And an awful lot of stairs,” Lily added. She took his hand and stepped onto the tops of his feet, like a child would play dance with an adult. 

Lucien took his time, flying slowly, holding her tight against his chest, pointing out the different royal towers as they went. He even stilled in midair so she could look at Krieger’s royal standard with its depiction of his longsword and the great ship that had brought him to the New World, until he felt her shivering with cold. Reluctantly, he dropped down, placing her feet onto the turret balcony, and separated from her. Lucien had heard the king’s words about Lily’s free will. He’d also seen the savage glare Krieger gave anyone that looked upon her too long.

She walked into the sitting room of her small suite; to her right were the bedroom and a small bath. She placed the leather bound book on a table and went to stand in front of the fire, rubbing her hands over her arms to warm herself.

“My room is through that door and Krieger’s is there.” Lucien pointed to his left. “Just outside that door are the stairs. They connect the different levels and chambers of Krieger’s tower until you reach the great hall below. Right now the royals are having a private meeting. Later there will be entertainment.”