The Last Keeper (32 page)

“I’m curious.” It was time to ask some of my own questions, starting with Poppy. “You never told anyone.”

“My reasons are my own,” Poppy answered. “Nothing concerning you.”

“I hope you’ll understand if I’m wary. I’m not sure if you know exactly how much Ray means to me.” I made sure to keep my voice low and my words even. Leola didn’t need to understand exactly what he meant to me, either. She could cause a problem.

“Yes. I’m also aware of exactly what turning the two of you over to The Seats would get me. Having said that, it would reflect badly on me after all this time.” One thing hadn’t changed. Poppy always thought of the best outcome for her.
 

“I don’t suppose you’d be willing to tell me where the nearest one is at the moment?”
 

“Finland recently relocated to Sweden, and London is still dealing with those events in Spain.”
 

“Thank you,” I told her. “I didn’t expect you to be honest about it.”

“You already knew.”

“It’s my job to know where they are.”

That small piece of information put us on better terms. She’d been honest with me, a show of where her allegiances lay. Though I doubted I could ever truly trust her. There was still something she was hiding. I would have invaded her mind, but without her permission. I didn’t want to chance a bad reaction if she found out. She could’ve turned Ray over to The Seats the second he came out of his change, but she hadn’t. Even when she first saw me at the charity auction, she had the opportunity to say something. There must to be reasons behind her choices.
 

Unless I was just paranoid, which was a possibility.

“I was wondering . . . why here?” Ray said, breaking the silence of the room.

“I was looking for the Great Cats,” I told him. “I needed somewhere for the safe house to be built, somewhere it would be protected.”

“I thought the Great Cats were a myth,” Issac interrupted.
 

“They’re as much a myth as I am.” And almost harder to track down. “I believe they’re living inside the National Park. Hopefully I’ll be able to find them on Saturday.”

“Saturday?”

“Lizzy is going hiking with some other students, and ever so thoughtfully invited me along.” She didn’t realise she was about the only teenager I could stand. “Unfortunately, it will mean I’m going to be away for the entire day.”

“I could come with you,” Ray offered.

“As much as I’d love that, I’d rather not risk it.”
 

“May I ask why?”

That made me laugh. “You can ask me anything, Ray. I’d rather not take you because Weres in general can be hostile. The Great Cats are the most reclusive, and there’s every chance I’ll run into trouble.”

“Keep away from glass windows.” There was a hint of laughter in his voice, but mostly there was concern.
 

“You remember that?”
 

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget the sight of you covered in glass and blood,” he whispered. “It was a bit of a shock.”

“Come home with me tonight?” I asked at the same time he invited me to his own. “I haven’t seen your home yet.”
 

“Then come with me.”

His house was everything I imagined it to be, and nothing like how I imagined the home of any vampire. Where Issac and Poppy’s home was pristine, in order and perfectly clean, Ray’s was the opposite. Homey. Various books dotted about the tables, chairs, and even a few on the floor in a corner, as though he’d run out of shelves or had forgotten about them being there.
 

The furniture wasn’t the modern chic style we’d just been sitting on. It was mismatched, cottage style. Not all that different from my own. The room appeared as though he’d been collecting pieces over the years, adding them one by one so nothing was exactly the same. But at the same time it all fit perfectly.
 

“Alone again, at last,” he whispered, locking the door.

“Does the rest of your house look like this?”

“I never was one for tidying.”

“That hasn’t changed.”

“I’d like to show you some of the places I’ve seen,” he said, pulling me close to him. “Unless you would rather get some sleep.”

“Ray, we have all the time in the world. Sleep can wait. I want to know what I missed.” I wasn’t entirely sure if Ray slept at night. Most vampires didn’t, only during the day.

We spent the entire night looking over some of the books he’d collected from various places. He’d travelled the world while we were apart. It had helped him to survive as the years passed. I knew the feeling well. It was how I’d spent my time, watching each second as it dawdled by.
 

Both of us had suffered while apart. More so than I’d care to admit.
 

The weekend came far too quickly. Every night with Ray wasn’t enough, whether it was at his home or, as we were now, at mine. Being able to see him, away from the others, was wonderful. I’d only seen Leola on a couple of occasions, but on each one she glared at me and stormed off. Fine by me. The less time I spent with her, the better.
 

   
Al and I, however, were getting along wonderfully. For a military man from World War I, he was very laid back. When Leola stormed off, he shook his head and left her to it. She’d become more agreeable once she’d had a few weeks to adjust, or so I was told. That remained to be seen.
 

I got to know Poppy better. The more I saw her, the greater my understanding of why she’d changed. Her whole life revolved around Issac, as if he was the centre of her world and nothing could ever replace him.
 

“I don’t want to go.” Saturday morning had come all too quickly.

“Do you need to?”

“Yes. I can’t ask them to move with me anymore, Ray, and I can’t stay here, never aging, never changing.”
 

“Why didn’t you age?” he asked gently.

“I couldn’t. I couldn’t live a dream when the most important part of it was missing,” I whispered, hiding my face as I spoke.

We were lying in my bed, not that I’d slept. Neither of us had slept. There were too many things we wanted to know about each other. It was as if I was meeting him all over again. The more time I spent with him, the stronger the connection I felt.
 

Whatever misguided thoughts I’d had about him not being meant for me had disappeared completely. It was as if the last thirty years had been a dream.
 

“I still need to go.”

With great reluctance, I dragged myself from my bed. We’d spent most nights at his house, in his bed, but when Friday night came, we’d decided to stay at mine rather than be separated.
 

“You want some breakfast before we head out?” Lizzy called.
 

She and Jayne stood in the doorway. It had become a regular occurrence. They waited for me every morning and would offer me breakfast. I scared them half to death on the first occasion that I accepted, more when I actually engaged in the conversation they were having.
 

“Don’t we have to leave in ten minutes?”

“We have a little longer.”

“And if you don’t have time for breakfast, then you at least have time to say good morning.”
 

Ray froze at my side, gripping me tightly. The voice belonged to Helen, and until that moment Ray and I had either been at his house or he’d been working. I’d also been avoiding the confrontation Jayne was spoiling for.
 

Slowly, he turned. Helen brought her hand to her throat and gasped. Then she smiled, bright and wide, making her look much younger than she was.
 

“Ray,” I whispered, taking his hand and leading him forward, “I believe you know Helen.”

His mouth was slightly agape, eyes wide with recognition. He nodded once, working his jaw as though he wanted to say something but couldn’t quite find the words.
 

“Why don’t the three of us spend the morning together?” Jayne was the one to make the suggestion. I was too busy watching Ray.
 

Ray eventually found his voice. “We do have a lot to catch up on.”

I squeezed his hand gently. “I have to go.”
 

He leaned down, kissing me briefly. “I’ll see you tonight.”

Before I left, I took Jayne to one side for a second. “Be nice. It wasn’t his fault.”

She nodded once, but I wasn’t convinced. Still, the quicker I found the Cats, the faster I could get back to Ray. That couldn’t have come soon enough.

I left him leading Helen through to the living room, Jayne following quietly.
 

With a small amount of persuasion, Lizzy agreed to leave early. It was only by a few minutes, but those few minutes would be worth it at the end of the day.
 

“Aunt Sere, this is James, Andy, and Sophie,” she introduced us when we picked them up.
 

James was the one she thought was a witch. She had a good eye. He wasn’t much older than he appeared, but he certainly was a witch. The more years they had, the more power they radiated. We could see it in the same way we could tell who the vampires were. At best, James was in his thirties. Certainly no more than forty.
 

It was rare to see young witches. After being hunted to near extinction, most of them didn’t dare tell any human their secret, much less reproduce with one. An immortal’s genes were almost always dominant, especially witches’ and Weres’. There was a ninety percent chance of changing with a Were as a parent.
 

“Did I hear Lizzy say you were related to someone we’re seeing today?” I asked, shaking his outstretched hand.

“Yeah, Martin’s my cousin,” he answered. “Almost. We’re related through my grandmother.”

That sounded odd. Unless Lizzy was wrong and it wasn’t the Cats he was related to. The races didn’t mix. Weres didn’t breed with witches, only humans. Witches were the same.

I hadn’t heard of a new colony of witches popping up. That much energy in one place drew attention. Young witches could be reckless with their abilities. Many of them died because they tried something far beyond their powers.
 

Witches were also the only race who had a chance of recognising us when they saw us. They found each other the same way we found vampires. And though James didn’t show any signs he knew what I was, he could have hidden it.
 

“I guess you’re navigating,” I said, smiling.

It was frustrating, having to drive at normal speeds, but there was no rush—other than my need to see Ray. I could have made it in half that time, but Lizzy was in the car, and so were her friends. They were good kids, more interested in their studies than dancing and discos. Lizzy was a great judge of character.
 

“We’re meeting up with Martin outside the village, then we can hike from there,” James said as I took the final turn, “if the weather holds.”

That was a big
if.
The morning had been sunny and bright, but the further north we went, the darker the clouds had become. By the time we cleared the last few miles, it threatened to wash out the whole day.
 

Standing just off the road, sheltered by the trees, were three of the most obvious Weres I’d ever seen. While Ray towered a foot above me, they were nearly a foot taller. The physical appearance of each of the Weres differed depending on their animal. The Bears tended to be shorter, stout almost. The Wolves were almost as tall as the Cats, and similar in build, but with longer faces and more defined muscular structures in their human forms.
 

The long, sleek bodies standing beneath the tree clearly screaming animalistic power were the clearest indicator of what they were. The keen eyes that followed my every move gave them away even more.
 

As soon as I stepped out, they backed off, glaring.
 

“James, may I suggest you and Lizzy take the car into the village? I don’t think the weather’s going to hold for us.” I kept a careful eye on the three Cats.

“I’m staying, Aunt Sere,” Lizzy whispered, standing next to me.

“No.”

“I’m not sure you can make me leave.”
 

“I’ll damn well try.” Given the situation, I’d drag her away if needed.
 

“You hurt them, and you answer to me.” The menace in her voice confused me.
 

“Go, Lizzy.”
 

She didn’t take much more persuading. I couldn’t guarantee her safety. Though no Were could change when I was close enough, I didn’t know if that would work with Lizzy by my side. I wasn’t willing to test the theory using her life, and I didn’t have time to wonder what her warning had meant.

“What do you want?” the one in the middle inquired, almost hissing.
 

“Martin, I presume?”
 

“That would be me, not that it’s any of your concern,
vampire,
” the one on the left answered, the shortest of the three.

“Okay.
One,
I am not a vampire.
Two,
I am curious to know how a Great Cat is related to a witch.
Three,
that isn’t going to work.” The last of the three looked as if he was desperately trying to shift forms. He was stuck as a human until he moved far enough away from me.