The Last Keeper (31 page)

   
“I like your hair.”

“You do?”

“It suits you,” I said, turning the engine off.
 

As we sat in front of my house, something I realised was no longer needed, it became apparent that I had an eternity. There may have been many questions running around my mind, begging to be answered, but above all else, I wasn’t facing the end anymore.

“This is where you live?” Ray asked, gaping in wonder.

“It was designed to be a safe house for after I was . . . Well, for after. Come on, I’ll give you the tour.”

It was the first time I’d really looked at the building since it had been built. Jayne had been in charge of all the final details, decorating and such. She had done a wonderful job. The outside was simple enough, brick walls and bay windows, but it was beautiful all the same.
 

“Impressive,” he whispered.
 

“Wait until you see what’s inside.”

I planned on giving him the full tour, but when I opened the door, I realised that wouldn’t be possible. There was a note on the hall table. Lizzy wasn’t the only one waiting at the house full of vampires. Jayne had joined her after dropping Helen off for her evening at the movies.

I sighed. “Looks like the tour will have to wait.”
 

“What’s wrong?”

“Everyone is at your house.” It wasn’t a good thing.

“Not mine,” he corrected. “I live about two miles away from Issac. Leo and Al live in another house, but we spend most of our free time with Poppy. We tried living together a couple of times. It drove me mad.”

“Good to know. Let’s head to the basement.”

I wanted to return Ray’s things before we went back. It was strange how I didn’t think of Ray as a vampire. He was still Ray. It was clear what he was; I saw the differences in him. The predatory grace with which he moved, the shine of his eyes, and the distinct aura around him. It all screamed
vampire.
But the colour of his irises, the slight limp, his hair, and the way he smiled that beautiful smile, that was all Ray.
My Ray.
 

The basement ran the entire length of the building. Every wall was lined with bookcases and books. The box I’d dragged down when I’d run was in the middle of the floor, contents spilled.
 

Picking it up, I led Ray to one of the desks. The portrait was the first thing I gave back to him.
 

“I thought everything was gone,” he whispered.

“Gone?”

“When I went back to the house, before selling it, someone had broken in. Taken everything of value,” he explained. “The only things that hadn’t been taken were those in the safe. Fortunately, Mother had a habit of putting all of her valuables in there before travelling anywhere. I never got round to putting your book in there.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there with the two of you.” There hadn’t been much of a funeral for Liz, but it comforted me to know Helen had been there for it.

Ray placed his hand on my arm. “It wasn’t your fault.”

With a sad smile, I said, “You may want this then.”
 

I handed him the book, watching as his face lit up in recognition. “I was so worried about this.”
 

“I saved the best until last,” I told him, smiling brightly.

“Is this what I think it is?” He was hesitant.
 

“Open it.”

I swore his hands were shaking slightly as he lifted the lid. For a fraction of a second, he closed his eyes and his breath hitched. When he opened them again, it looked as if he didn’t quite believe what he was seeing.
 

“Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you so much.
My Herbie.
”
 

It was fully dark by the time we left the basement. Ray asked if he could leave Herbie, and I agreed. He didn’t want anything to happen to him and was sure something might if the others discovered him.
 

“Ready?” he asked when we pulled up in front of Issac’s house.
 

“Not at all.”

“We don’t have to explain anything to them if you don’t want,” he told me, pausing at the door.

“Like hell you don’t!” someone shouted from inside. Leola, I thought.

“Quit complaining,” Lizzy said. That girl was going to get herself killed if she wasn’t careful.

“Let’s get this over with, before Lizzy gets served up as dinner.” When I pushed the door open, I came face to face with one very angry vampire.

“Would someone please tell Miss Obnoxious Bitch to sit down and shut up?” Lizzy asked, indignant as ever.
 

“Watch your language, young lady,” Jayne said, sounding exceptionally calm. The look she gave Ray, however, showed how angry she was. Fortunately, she chose not to bring up her complaints at that moment.
 

“Not until someone explains what we’re doing discussing
anything
with these humans!” Leola snapped, snarling.

Poppy sighed. “Azrael is hardly human.”
 

“And you expect The Seats to allow us to discuss anything with witches? Or whatever she is,” she said, stalking back towards her partner. “The Seats hate everyone as much as they hate humans!”

“As you were told earlier,” Poppy continued, “The Seats don’t have a death wish. They wouldn’t dream of coming near Azrael. Not anymore.”

“I’d really rather you didn’t call me that.”

It was true The Seats stayed as far away from me as possible. After Elena fled from William’s house, they’d only ever confronted me once more. They hadn’t taken too kindly to losing two members of their largest group, both to snapped necks and removed hearts. I’d only removed the hearts so I could throw them at the feet of the remaining members. It had been a bad day. They steered clear of me after that. A good thing, too.

I’d certainly managed to live up to my name.

“Before I explain anything, I owe you an apology,” I said, turning to Professor Baruti. “I’m sorry for how I reacted earlier, Professor.”

“Please, call me Issac. I cannot say that I understand, but no apology is needed.” It was more than I deserved for my actions. “An explanation may clear things up?”

“Are you sure you want one?” I asked. “My story isn’t short, not by far.”

“I can imagine. You must be at least as old as Ray.”

“Ha! She wishes she was that young again.” Lizzy covered her mouth, but her loud laugh leaked out around her fingers.
 

“Lizzy, be quiet or I’m sending you home.”

“Fine.” She stuck her tongue out briefly.
 

“How about some introductions?”
 

The angry brunette was Leola, Leo for short. Al was the German, her partner. Issac and Poppy I already knew. Still, it was nice to be officially introduced, and it helped me to delay for a while longer.

“Where should I start?”
 

“How about at the beginning, or at least at the part where we can kill you already,” Leo hissed.

“Is she always like this?” I asked Ray.

“One too many brushes with fate,” he answered.

“You want me to . . . ?” I tapped the side of my head. “You know . . .”

“I think she may try to kill you for that.”

“You do remember I can’t die, right?”
 

He nodded then said, “You’re stalling.”

“I know.” I sighed. This was hard for me. The only vampires I talked to were The Seats, and that was more teasing and tormenting. “How about I start with a question? Did you ever wonder why The Seats order you to stay hidden in the shadows and punish you for revealing your secrets to the humans?”

The three vampires who didn’t know me looked confused for a moment. Most vampires never thought about the whys of their secrecy. It had been drilled into them for centuries, millennia even, that they had to keep the secret.
 

“That’s a stupid question. The human race isn’t ready to know about us,” Leola said.

“No, the human race is ready, it has been for years. Providing the revelation is handled correctly, they could know at any point. Anyone else?” It felt like giving a lesson to a bunch of hundred-year-old children. Though at least two in the room were far older.

“I have no idea,” Issac admitted.

“It never crosses anyone’s mind. Vampires are the ultimate predator. You have senses and abilities far beyond anything the human race is capable of destroying. You’re virtually indestructible, with only a handful of exceptions. Those of you who kill have power far beyond compare. So why is it you have all these strengths, the motivation, and ability to enslave the human race, yet you hide in the shadows?” I moved so I was perched on the edge of my seat, leaning forward as I waited for their answers.
 

“That doesn’t exactly tell us what you think you are.”
Would she be missed? Could I kill her and not feel guilty about it?
 

Perhaps.

“To understand what I am, you must first understand what I’m here for. Now, unless you have something useful to say, shut up.”
 

Poppy stepped in with, “Do you remember my telling you about the Angel of Death?”
 

“Everyone knows that story,” Al said, “but what relevance does that have?”

“She had another name,” Poppy said.

“Serenity,” I clarified. “Or Azrael, as The Seats often called me. I still hate that name.”
 

Leola laughed, long and loud. “Please! Are you trying to tell me this
thing
is the Angel of Death The Seats fear so much?”

“I thought the race she belonged to was wiped out years ago?” Issac said suspiciously.

“Not quite, although they did a pretty good job of it. I’m the only one left.”

It was harder than I’d imagined, telling them what had happened. I was light on the details, but they knew enough by the time I was finished. Leola quietly seethed as I spoke, glaring at Ray and me. Everyone else seemed content to sit and listen.
 

Time seemed to pass slowly as I told my story, and it continued to do so as they told me theirs. Poppy and Issac’s I already knew. The supposed difference in Poppy was great enough that their tale spread through our race before Issac was barely a year into his new life.
 

As old as I was, Poppy was almost as old. She’d been born a mere three hundred years after I had. She’d met Issac on a dark night on the coast of Egypt or Yemen, only they knew which, and turned him after an attack. He hadn’t tried to change her—he hadn’t tried to change anyone. Poppy just had. There was something about Issac Baruti that Poppy found irresistible, and she’d given up her Seat, given up everything in order to stay with him. I could understand it, but I couldn’t see what it was about Issac that was so interesting.
 

Leola was reluctant to share her origins. From her name, I deduced that she was Italian, or perhaps Spanish. She certainly had the appearance of having been born on the Mediterranean. Tall and elegant, she had darker than average skin for a vampire, but only went so far as to confirm her area of birth and a vague idea of how old she was. Everything else was apparently her secret to keep.
 

Al, on the other hand, was more than forthcoming with his origins. Born at the turn of the century, he’d survived World War I only to find himself at the mercy of a vampire after a night out. Walking back home, he’d come to the attention of the woman, and she’d almost drained him to death. At the last second, she changed him. Al had thanked her by taking her head.
 

They’d all come together as a matter of convenience. Leo was in trouble, which was apparently no concern of mine, and Poppy had bailed her out. Leola enjoyed Poppy’s company, and Al was fascinated by Issac and Ray’s devotion to not draining a human dry, so they’d decided to stick together. For Leo I suspected it had something to do with the sway Poppy held over The Seats. What better way to avoid death than to bring along the one they feared above all?
 

It was almost midnight by the time we’d finished exchanging stories. There was plenty I didn’t know about each of them, but Lizzy and Jayne were getting tired.
 

It wasn’t until they left, and I made sure to watch them as far as I could, that I returned to the house and was faced once more with Leola.
 

“Shouldn’t you be going to sleep, as well?” she snarled.
 

“The last time I slept was in 1940. I don’t
need
to sleep,” I informed her. Turning to Ray, I asked, “Would you miss her?”

“Not really. Poppy might and Al would,” Ray answered, reluctantly. “Was that truly the last time you slept?”

“I couldn’t sleep without you.”

“How sickeningly sweet,” Leo interrupted.

“You are trying my patience,
child.
I suggest you keep your mouth shut, before I shut it for you.”
 

As a vampire they were never anything more than a child unless they’d survived for at least half a millennium. Even then they were still a child. The most powerful vampires in the world had all been alive when the human race was beginning to realise its potential. A couple of hundred years old was insignificant.

There were muffled laughs as Leola stormed from the room, snarling. It was tempting to give her a little attitude adjustment, but I wouldn’t. She’d done nothing wrong, not really, and until getting on my last nerve counted, I’d leave her alone. As much as was possible.

“No one has called her a child since she was one,” Al said, not bothering to hide the smile on his face.
 

“I’m sorry. Some people just rub me the wrong way, and when I get angry, I have a habit of showing my age.”
 

“No need to apologise, Serenity. I have not seen someone stand up to her like that since Ray did the first time. She is, however, my wife. I should perhaps check on her,” he said, his voice still holding a thick German accent. He held his hand out. “You are welcome in my home. Despite what my wife will tell you.”

I smiled, taking his hand. I’d become so comfortable with them in such a short amount of time. It was rather unnerving.