The Last Guardian Rises (The Last Keeper's Daughter) (16 page)

“Iblis akan pergi!” The man shouted angrily at him.

Anson was quick with languages, but wasn’t exactly sure what the man was saying. He opened his hand filled with euros to reassure the old man that he meant no harm.

“Tidak ada pergi setan gelap,” the old man said quickly and waved his hands trying to shoo him away.

He’d called him a devil, he was sure of that word. “No devil,
bukan setan
,” Anson responded.

The old man spit out at him. “Ini bukan tempat Anda.”

He’s telling me I don’t belong here. Where do I belong? Could this be a wise man?
“
Dimana
?”

Gently, as human minds were fragile, he reached inside to read his thoughts. The old man was terrified. If he could run from Anson he would, but his failing body would only allow him to shrink back in hopes that the “devil” would leave. His heart was beating too fast; if Anson stayed he’d kill him.  

A girl grabbed his arm. “Ignore, ignore, he know nothing. Come.”

Anson wasn’t paying attention to where the girl was taking him. The old man had said this wasn’t his place and that he was a devil. Finally to find someone who recognized him and then be told he was evil… He wasn’t evil, he couldn’t be.

Absently he let the girl lead him to a shabby looking club with strobe lights and more girls dancing. Instantly he had a multitude of small hands tugging and pulling at his clothes, leading him into the club. He inhaled, hoping to detect the scent of the one he was desperate to find. He remembered women whose blood smelled of the divine, but none of them were here. His eyes scanned the dark corners of the room where well fed men watched the girls. Anger rooted deep inside him churned.

He’d promised himself that he’d recompense the lives he’d taken since awakening by saving others. He smiled at the girls. Would not their lives be better if they were free of the leeches that controlled their bodies?

“Menari untuk saya.” Dance for me, he urged the girls and pointed towards the far side of the room.

Lucien

“Did he have a message for me?” Lily asked.

“Who?” Lucien knew exactly who she meant, but enjoyed teasing her.

“He’s mad at me, isn’t he?”

“No, as I’ve told you a thousand times before, the king is not mad at you. He understands that you had no control over what happened.”

“I embarrassed him.”

“You made the royals more curious about you. Curiosity is rarely a good thing when vampires are involved.”

“So he’s going to be even more crazy about my protection.”

Bingo. “I think thorough would be a better word.”

Immediately after the incident, Krieger had ordered him to take Lily away. She’d resembled the Elder rising up above them, her eyes radiant with anger and indignation. The light emanating from her body, making her glow like a vengeful angel. Of all the places to show this newfound ability, Thaddon Hall was the worst. The royals had watched, said nothing, and retained every detail of the experience. If the royals perceived her as a threat to them… He stopped that line of thinking.

Not knowing how precarious her situation was, Lily pulled out her phone. “At least we have cell coverage now.”

“Don’t, not until we land,” he groused. If Krieger would have allowed it, he would have flown with Lily tucked in his arms.

“You’re scared.”

Lucien rolled his eyes at her and clutched the armrests as the plane touched down on the runway and taxied to the private hangar. He looked over to see Lily already listening to her messages. Krieger’s orders were clear and direct. Lucien would be entering Beline’s territory and would need to keep his true purpose secret. He followed Lily down the plane’s steps and directly into the vehicle. She’d been a magpie the whole flight over but was now silent. “What is it?”

“Jo left me a strange message.” Lily stared out the car window.

“Who?”

“I told you about her. She’s my best friend.” Lily turned towards him. “She’s funny, like you. I think you’d like her.”

She thought he was funny. Lucien knew of no one that would use that word to describe him. He merged onto East M4 toward London. Traffic was reasonable for an evening arrival into Heathrow Airport. He hoped to make good time and be at The Savoy to meet with Hunter and Meirta within the hour. Something about the phone message had upset Lily. She was trying to hide it from him, but not doing a very good job of it.

“Is she hurt?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Why can’t I hear you anymore?”

“You seem to hear me just fine.”

“You know what I mean.”

He was thankful that he had to focus on the road.

“We’re all alone so there’s no reason not to tell me the truth.”

“You know why.” Lucien twisted his hands around the steering wheel.

“If I knew why I wouldn’t be asking,” Lily said in an agitated tone. “You started it. I didn’t ask you to pop into my head and start talking, and I didn’t ask you to stop. So what’s the deal?”

“It’s difficult to explain.”

Lily leaned back hard against the car seat and propped her feet up on the dash. She’d taken her shoes off and he noticed her brightly striped socks. She’d physically wedged herself into the space and was determined to have this conversation. “I’m sure you’ll manage.”

He passed an irritatingly slow car whose driver could not maintain a constant speed. “It wasn’t appropriate for me to speak with you like that.” Lucien glanced at her; she was not wearing a happy face. “Look, I’m not saying this right.”

“Is that why you’ve been avoiding me?”

“With everything going on right now, is this really important?”

“God.” Lily kicked her foot into the dash. “Are all men such cowards?”

Lucien laughed. She was no longer the shy young woman he’d helped navigate court life. “You’re just learning that. I’d rather go into battle than argue with a woman.”

“We aren’t arguing,” she said a tad too loudly, took a deep breath and started again. “Was it something I did?”

Fuck. “No.” A glance told him she felt it was her fault. His hand naturally went to rest on her thigh. “No, I mean it. You know all vampires can trance, right?” He caught her nod out of the corner of his eye. “What we did was sort of like the trance, but not.” He moved his hand from her leg to turn off the radio. “It shouldn’t be possible for us to communicate that way. It’s dangerous.”

“No one else would know.”

“Do you truly believe that?”

She looked out the window for a long time and he thought she might be willing to let this go. “There’s no one around now. What could it hurt?”

“Lily,” Lucien sighed. “You are Sanguis Ancilla to the king.”

“Oh, I see, right, because I’m the king’s woman. Is that what you’re saying? It’s not true. I’m my own person.”

Lily was usually quiet and controlled, but now her emotions were volatile and he couldn’t help but be infected by her anger. He slammed the steering wheel with his hand. “Woman! Do you mean to torment me?” Traffic be damned, he turned to see her face, but she was looking out the car window.

“What did your friend say, Jo, right?” He hated to see her sulk.

“She has something to tell me, probably about this new guy she’s seeing.”

Nothing strange about that.

“Jo said in her message, ‘hope the meeting’s going well’.”

“Did you tell her?”

“No, maybe she misunderstood or something.” She grabbed her toes, stretching. “I’m getting as paranoid as the rest of you.”

There were a lot of things he could say to her flippant remark, but he bit his tongue.

“What Malach said about aging, is that true?”

“Does it bother you?”

“No.” She reached out to the console and turned the heat down. “Do you ever miss things the way they were?”

“When I was turned?” He didn’t wait for her to answer. “Rarely.”

“You’ve never told me how it happened.”

And I won’t, not tonight at least
.

“So.” She didn’t press the question further. “Where are we going?”

“The Savoy. I was there for its grand opening.” He and his sire had toured the hotel, marveling at the electric lights, lifts, and hot and cold running water in every bathroom. Back in the late 1880s having a private bathroom was a true luxury. “Hell, I can remember when the property was given to the Earl of Richmond by King Henry III.” How many, if any, knew the history behind the buildings and objects they saw daily? How many would care?

“It must have been something.” She watched out the window as they drove into the garage underneath the hotel. She waited as he parked and turned to face him. “I’d love to have seen it then.”

Why did Lily bring out feelings he’d thought lost to him? He’d thought his heart was as cold and lifeless as a stone after centuries of fighting and killing and caring only for duty and honor. But with Lily he felt like Eros’ arrow had found its mark in his side. He ached to hold her, to share his blood with her, and pass eternity together.

“We need to speak of what happened. Was it being near Grigori that caused it?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“We must. You realize that, don’t you?” She tucked her head down towards her chest and let her long hair shield her from his direct gaze.

“I do, and I will, just not now,” she whispered.

A woman with two children walked to her van park directly in front of them. They waited until she had them both strapped in their seats and the doors closed before continuing with their conversation.

“Why must I choose between the two of you?” she asked.

“What?” Lucien knew more than most that women were rarely predictable. Had she read his thoughts? Was she being sincere? Yes, he’d forgotten how guileless and open she was. “You do have both of us. But I doubt in the way you’re meaning. Krieger is the right man for you.”

“Cherie doesn’t have to choose.” Lily tried to slip her feet into her shoes. “She has you both.”

Lily comparing herself to Cherie showed just what a child she still was. “She is an ouled.”

Her hair had fallen like sheets of white silk as she leaned over to put on her shoes. He brushed it back from her face.

“So?” she said, sounding like a petulant child.

“So she is an artist and sex is her medium.” He smiled, liking the phrase. “And the king rarely visits her, and would not if …” Lucien quieted.

“Does everyone know that we’re not…?”

“No.” Was it his fault she didn’t share the king’s bed? It had been a lapse in judgment to silently communicate with her. He knew it confused her, created a sense of intimacy that should not be between them. He was the slayer, the wielder of the Dragon Sword, the harbinger of death. The king should have left him in his self-induced purgatory instead of ordering him back to court to help guard Lily. 

“Kiss me.”

Again she surprised him. How many times had he lain in another’s arms wishing for Lily? How many moments of her company did he relive when alone? You cannot do this, he told himself, it is forbidden to feel this way.

Lucien felt the intangible pull she exuded and even as his mind raged at him for doing so, he ran his fingers along her cheek and cupped her face. As he leaned in, she closed her eyes and lifted her face up to his. The gesture was so pure, so innocent that it made him feel jaded, but it did not keep him from pressing his lips against hers and feeling their velvety softness. How easy it would be to tear her from the car and disappear into the night sky with her.

“No!” He drew back and grabbed her wrists in one hand.

Eyes wide, Lily looked up at him and then down at her wrists. He released them and she immediately reached out to touch his face.

“Don’t,” he said.

Her hands floated down until they settled in her lap. “What if he weren’t king?”

“I don’t waste time on what ifs. Krieger is king and my brother in all but blood.” He opened the door and the overhead light hurt his eyes. “We’ll not speak of this again.” He slipped out of the car.

Lily walked around to his side. “Now you’re mad at me,” she said too loudly, before whirling to stomp away from him.

It had been centuries since someone had willfully bickered with him. Lily wasn’t intimidated by him, his sword, or his curse. Not that she knew much of the last. This lack of fear she felt for him, her womanly determination to whittle down his defenses, was a potent aphrodisiac. A quick head swivel revealed no persons close, and instantaneously he moved to impede her way.

“Dammit,” she uttered, bouncing off him.

He steadied her, remained close enough to feel the rise and fall of her chest. “I’m mad at myself.” He loomed over her like a skyscraper. “I’m mad at this untenable situation. What are you thinking? That you’ll have me on Mondays and Wednesdays and Krieger on Tuesdays and Thursdays?  Krieger loves you. Do you understand that? He loves you.”

“And do you love me?”

Yes, which is why I will never have you
. “Who do you love, Lily?” He took her by the arm and marched her into the elevator. “Figure out your own heart first.” The doors closed and he punched the button for the top floor.

He focused on the elevator floor lights illuminating their way skyward. Without constant vigilance, the overpowering needs of the dragon would break free. He only allowed this in battle or in his duties as a slayer or when he secluded himself far away from humanity. How could Lily know what lurked below the surface? All he’d ever shown her was the good-humored Lucien. Inside, deep inside, he was a tightly controlled and emotionally compartmentalized individual who always accomplished the king’s business. It was part of the reason he’d been given the Dragon Sword and also why he was one of the most feared vampires in the world. He hadn’t allowed himself to care for a woman, not until Lily, who waltzed through every barricade he’d erected. He desperately wanted her. He wanted to be the man she saw with her jeweled eyes while he made love to her. And yet, he needed her to see the killer deep inside.

With his sword, he broke the security camera lens in the elevator and pinned her harshly against the railing. “This is who I am.” For the first time he dropped his fangs for her and held his face inches from hers. “I’m not some puppet for you to play with. I’m a killer of man and vampire and beast.” He could feel the tingling of the dragon wake inside him. Let me out, it said. Let me feast on her.