The Last Guardian Rises (The Last Keeper's Daughter) (15 page)

As soon as Eva was gone everyone returned to their conversations like nothing had happened.

“Your natural reserve will serve you well,” Malach interrupted her thoughts. “I’ve found it’s best to hold one’s tongue to keep one’s head.”

Before she could think of something to say Queen Merneith, Grigori, and Krieger came to join them.

“My Malach.” Queen Merneith ran her fingers down his arm. “What mischief are you stirring here?”

“You wound me.” Malach placed his hand over his heart. “Just being hospitable.”

“My Sanguis Ancilla,” Krieger said.

Queen Merneith looked Lily over like a gambler appraising a thoroughbred in a paddock. “Pretty little Other.”

Lily held her tongue and met the woman’s stare.

“Lucien, nice to see you again.” Queen Merneith’s eyes remained fixed on her.

“And you as well,” he replied.

Had Krieger explained things to Grigori? He must have since they seemed relatively relaxed in each other’s company.

Pleasantries over, they all except for Lucien drifted towards King Beline.

“Grigori,” she whispered.

He stopped, but did not turn around to acknowledge her.

“Please, I’m not the enemy,” she said, keeping her voice low. “We should talk.”

This time he turned to face her. “We should not.” His tone was bitter. His expression filled with loathing. His eyes black.

For months she’d thought about him and hadn’t been surprised when Krieger announced Grigori wasn’t her father. She’d known that, or rather sensed it, but without any reason for this knowledge, other than the certainty that the man of her visions could never be evil, she’d remained quiet. How many hours had she spent hoping that perhaps they could work together to understand what they were? And now, finally the moment had come, but everything had gone wrong. She hated the way Grigori was discounting her in front of everyone and despaired that she’d never have another opportunity to speak with him. Resentment at being perceived and treated like a valued pet made her stomach sour. Emotions kept under pressure welled up inside her. She felt Lucien move closer and angrily stepped away from him. Her hands shook with fury and she rolled them into fists, wishing she had the strength to hold Grigori down and force him listen to her. She felt, but didn’t ask herself how it was possible, her hair lash around her face.
I will make you listen. I will bring you to heel.

The look of astonishment and fear on Grigori’s face was heady.

Who are you to look down upon me? I am the daughter of—

“Lily.” Krieger’s hands grabbed her by the shoulders,
pulling
her down to his eye level.

I was
… She looked down.
I am floating
.

Merlin

“You need to fix this now.” Liam loomed over Merlin. “Sorcerer man.”

“I don’t know what you’re referring to.” Merlin moved aside and continued walking along the corridor, ignoring the subjects he passed.

He caught Cherie’s subtle touch of the vantor’s arm out of the corner of his eye. Merlin didn’t need an ouled – even if she was the king’s lover – and a creature created by a crazed vampire queen telling him what he could and could not do.

“Merlin,” Cherie pleaded, struggling to keep up with his pace. “Something is wrong. I know Glenda and her actions are contrary to her nature.”

“Bah!” Merlin stopped suddenly and enjoyed watching the always graceful Cherie almost stumble. “She just arrived, and isn’t she still a teenager? I don’t think I have to tell you how someone as young as Glenda can change their mind on a whim.”

Liam growled and bared his teeth. Merlin held a grudging respect for the vantor, but with the king away and the power rising within him it was easier to hate the werewolf vampire.

“Liam.” Cherie placed her hand on his chest and looked around at the small group of Others which had formed. “Not in public, not here. Let me take care of this.”

“Yes, Liam, why don’t you run off and sneak around with Jo Anna Beekman.” Merlin smiled. “You didn’t think I knew about that, did you? Does she know what you are? What secrets have you whispered?” Merlin’s voice took on a taunting note. “Does Lily know you’re sniffing after her friend like the little bitch in heat she is?”

Liam launched and would have pounded Merlin under his considerable body if Merlin hadn’t evaporated into a smoky fog and reappeared behind them. He could see the unease in Liam’s wolf-like eyes and the fear in Cherie’s. She masked it well, but there was a slight tremor in her arm as she reached out again to the vantor.

“This isn’t helping Glenda or Rohm. Go, I will take care of this,” she told Liam.

Liam eyed Merlin one last time before turning to leave.

“Rohm was seeing Glenda,” Cherie said, lowering her head, “before she changed her mind about Mathers.”

He didn’t care about Glenda or Rohm. He’d done what was needed to get the information for the king. Did it really matter what bed an ouled warmed? He thought not. Though throughout the years he’d wondered about Cherie, about her skills as an ouled. She was a beautiful woman, one who had turned his head on many an occasion. He ran his eyes down her body, appreciating her curves and the way the cream colored dress gave the illusion of sheerness. She must have sensed his mind drifting and spoke louder to get his full attention.

“Glenda was afraid of Mathers. She’d heard the rumors about him being the doorman at the Legacy Foundation. He terrified her. I know Glenda is young and she hasn’t been here long, but long enough for me to know she isn’t acting herself.”

Bleheris’ voice spoke to Merlin.
You need to undo what you’ve done. You need to stop now while you still can.

“What would you have me do?” Merlin asked.

“You are the royal advisor, the greatest sorcerer—”

Merlin cut her off impatiently. “Yes, yes, yes; I don’t need you to tell me what I am.”

Rarely did Cherie drop her façade of being nothing more than a beautiful and amenable woman. Merlin actually took a step back when she tossed her hair back and glared at him.

“The royal court is not as blind and dumb as you seem to think we are. We see what is happening to you. We may not understand but we see.” Cherie stepped close enough that her perfume, heady and smelling of exotic spices, filled his nostrils. “You have spelled Glenda into loving Mathers. Rohm asked her to marry him and she said yes. They were going to speak with the king when he returned. Why would she suddenly take another man to her bed? A man she was fiercely afraid of?” Cherie pointed her finger at him. “You shouldn’t have done this.”

I warned you against this
, Bleheris’ voice echoed in Merlin’s mind.
I cannot help you now.

“I don’t need your help,” Merlin yelled. To calm himself he rolled his left shirtsleeve up and then the right. He could see Cherie watching his marks move along his forearms. Her fear excited him.

“I have business to attend to.” He looked down his nose at her. “Don’t you have men to satisfy?”

“Business,” she yelled back at him and then took a deep breath, moderating her tone. “You’ve done nothing but cause strife within our community. How many Others are waiting to enter our borders since the king left? Have you answered any of their requests? All you do is cast despicable spells and hide in your tower with Nina.”

Her anger intensified her beauty. Merlin found it intoxicating. He reached out to touch her face, but she stepped back from him.

“Don’t touch me. I see you now for what you are. All this time you had me fooled,” she sneered at him. “We can all be made fools of. Even you, the great Merlin, advisor to the king, can be fooled.”

He didn’t feel intoxicated by her now. He felt rage at what she was insinuating. “Tell me how I can be fooled.”

He should have been more heedful of the argument he was having with Cherie. Perhaps she had planned this all along, to incite him in public.

“Your little dark princess has you fawning after her like a puppy at its master’s heels. Have you had her followed as you do Liam? Maybe you should see where she goes when you are locked up in your tower. Haven’t you wondered about all her newfound talents?” Cherie’s smile was pure ice.

The darkness inside him churned and rolled, expanding beyond its boundaries until it boiled up and out of his pores. He wanted to kill Cherie, to make her suffer and beg for his forgiveness. “She is innocent.”

Is she?
Bleheris asked.

“No.” Cherie turned her back on him to walk away. “She has many lovers, many younger lovers, whom she prefers over you. Everyone knows this but you.”

The world went black for Merlin. He felt the power rise and take hold of him. He felt the tentacles of his magic reach out and encircle Cherie’s neck. Her hands clawed at the phantom fingers he conjured. He squeezed harder, enjoying the feel of life ebbing from her. 

“Put her down.” A deep and commanding voice caused Merlin to turn. It was the Ancient. “Put her down,” he said again.

Do as he says, Merlin. You must fight it. You must fight the darkness,
Bleheris pleaded with him.

It was a struggle, but Merlin contained the magic and Cherie fell to the floor, gasping. “She shouldn’t have said that,” he said to the Ancient and the Others who had backed away in fear. “She shouldn’t have said what she did. Tell them it was a lie.”

Cherie was incapable of telling anyone anything. The Ancient picked her up in his arms and gave Merlin a long look before turning and leaving.

“Go!” Merlin yelled at his back, and turned and raged at the Others, “Go. I’m sick of you all sneaking around.” He went directly to his suite in search of Nina. She wasn’t there. He stormed up the stairs of his tower. The door was ajar. He remembered locking and chaining the door. Silent as the dead he crept up and peered inside the room. She was sitting on a stool with some of his spell books opened up and spread out before her on the table.

“Nina.” He pushed the door open and walked through. “What are you doing here?”

She looked up from the book and smiled, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. “I came looking for you.”

“How did you get in here?” 

Sweet as candy she slipped off the stool and walked around the desk towards him. “I don’t know. The door just opened for me.”

“Doors that are chained and locked don’t just open.” Could there be truth in Cherie’s words? Hadn’t he harbored doubts of his own?

Nina moved deliberately towards him. “I thought you were in here ignoring me.” She pushed her lower lip out in a pout. “It made me upset and the chains just fell away. I thought you did it.” She rubbed her chest against his and ran her hands down the sides of his legs. “Don’t you miss me?” His hand found her breast. “Oh,” she purred.

“What were you reading?” Merlin asked.

“It’s a spell to change the color of my hair. You could teach me how to cast it. Wouldn’t that be fun? Then I could be a redhead one night, a platinum blond the next. We could roleplay.” She smiled up at him. “You could teach me all sorts of things, if you would.”

Don’t listen to her. Toss her out of here and never let her return. Are you such a fool that you can’t see what she’s doing?
There was desperation in Bleheris’ voice.

“I’m not a fool,” Merlin barked.

“No you aren’t, baby.” She placed her hands on either side of his face. “Everyone is so jealous of you. They know where the power lies in this realm. I love that.” She kissed him. “How powerful you are.”

Books and all were flung aside as he took her on the table.

Anson

The vast expanse of time that was his entombment had washed away all knowledge of why he’d been imprisoned. He was a time traveler in this place with nothing to guide him towards his purpose. When he dreamed it was of a world covered in bloodshed and fear and fire, and then he would awake and lie for hours trying to recall the details of his life before the cage. Tiny fragments revealed themselves, sometimes disturbing, sometimes pleasant, and as he grew stronger, the dream memories became more frequent and the images more tangible.

Since the waifish woman named Audrey in Australia, he’d only selected strong males to drink from. His thirst had been sated enough that he needed only a few sips a night. He would drink and then trance the memory from them, leaving them unharmed. Tonight he’d walked into a luxury hotel in Jakarta using a British accent and tranced a reservation for the penthouse suite. He’d learned from the little American woman that using a British accent was better than an American one. It wasn’t that the people liked the British more – they didn’t – but they thought Americans were less shrewd than the British.

His true name remained a mystery and so he’d checked in under the name Lord Anson with very little trancing required. Amazing what a title and a good suit would do. As there were hours left before dawn, he decided to stroll through the sumptuous hotel lobby and out into the streets teeming with activity. Anson lifted his eyes to the sky and breathed in the air. Before leaving his room, he’d looked at a map, but didn’t need it to know straight ahead was the Java Sea. It was not, to his way of thinking, a sea at all, just a shallow bit of water, no more than a glorified pond. Yet he loved the water in all its forms and his pace quickened in anticipation.

“American,” a street vendor called to him.

He ignored him and carried on through the busy streets of Jakarta, walking by clubs and bars and women standing on the street selling their bodies. It made him sad to see this. Women were sacred to him. The further he walked the angrier he became at the men exploiting them and who casually lounged by their bikes controlling who the girls spoke with.

A feeling of ennui settled over him. He liked the word, ennui, and mouthed it. A boy barely past puberty was signaling to a girl to approach him. Anson had encountered this before, he could trance him, he could kill him, but what good did changing one human life do when there were millions more?

Needing to get away from them, he turned right onto a quiet street. Two nights before he’d encountered his first vampire. It had depressed him how little she knew. These vampires were not his kind, but a later link in the lineage of what he was. They were as easy to trance as the humans.
Am I to roam the world alone?
An old man sitting back from the street in front of a storefront caught his eye. Anson reached into his pocket to pull out some money for him.