The Last Guardian Rises (The Last Keeper's Daughter) (25 page)

“Mad?” She reached out and ran her hand down his front, touching his erection. “How could that make me mad? I know you love me, but you’re still a man. Twin milkmaids would make any man randy.” She twirled around and walked backwards. “And toss Cherie into the mix.” She rolled her eyes and effortlessly turned back around to walk beside him.

“Milkmaids?”

“You’re such a rube sometimes,” she said, tugging on his arm. “King Carlos liked the way it made their blood taste.”

“Oh.” He was aroused, intrigued, disgusted, and a number of other emotions he couldn’t identify all at once.

“What’s in the folder?”

“Some research the king asked me to do.” If you have to lie always weave a bit of the truth inside it. “Funny thing happened.” He reached into his pocket and cupped the ring in his palm. “He got this damn ring off.”

“Really.” She plucked it from his hand and inspected it. “How?” She dropped it back into his palm.

“He found a latch.”

Meirta didn’t say anything, seemingly distracted by her thoughts. First the king treating him with far more familiarity than he ever had before and now Meirta acting suddenly aloof. He’d been trying to segue into a question that had been bugging him. Might as well just jump in. “When Nina first appeared you peeked inside her mind. Have you tried it recently?”

She stopped and turned to face him, her expression dour. “Why do you ask?”

He’d struck a nerve he hadn’t known was there. “I just thought that maybe she’s recovered some of her memories.”

“Did the king ask you to talk with me?”

“No.” She resumed walking, and he added tentatively, “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“Sorry, with Merlin and everything and the way some of the Others feel about me…I’m just getting a little paranoid.”

More than a few Others didn’t trust a Minder in their presence. With good reason.

“I tried a few times, but I never got anything from her.”

“Did she seem normal?” Whatever that meant to a Minder.

“No.”

Just the one word with no further elaboration raised the hairs on his arms. “How not normal is she?”

Meirta twirled a strand of her hair around her finger. “Like there was a void where there should be random thoughts. Everyone is always thinking even if they’re trying not to. We’re like sharks that are constantly swimming.”

He marinated on that analogy.

“It felt like there was a wall keeping me from access.”

“Have you felt that before?”

“Not exactly the same, but yes,” she said and looked up at him from the corner of her eye. “Vampires and Merlin.”

He didn’t want to believe that Nina was involved in any wrongdoing. She was just a kid, probably not even twenty-one yet. He hated that his detective instincts were telling him that she was something more. He needed to change the subject to rid himself of the feeling that tiny spiders were crawling up his spine. “The twins.”

“Yes,” Meirta elongated the word.

“They crossed themselves. Are they religious?”

“I’m sure they’re Catholic. All Carlos’ subjects were required to practice.” He took her hand and stopped. Perplexed, she gave him a look. “What?”

“Everyone here seems nonreligious. I just thought that’s the way it was with the Others and vampires.”

“It varies between countries; some are more religious than others. Many came here to escape religion. The king remains neutral on the subject probably because of all the strife it causes elsewhere.”

He resumed their walk, realizing he’d never asked her about religion. “Do you practice?”

“I was raised Catholic.” She let go of his hand to pull her hair back, wrapping it up into a bun. “The whole organized religion thing doesn’t appeal to me, but I have faith and believe in something greater than us.”

He didn’t know what to say, so he said nothing. He’d just assumed she wasn’t religious. Did it matter?

“I’ve been thinking about what you asked, you know, about buying a home together.”

Religion, Nina, the milkmaids, and everything else immediately faded from his thoughts. “And?”

“And I’d like to do that if you still want to.”

Lily

“You should have told me.” Lily glared at Jo.

“Told you what?”

“About Liam.”

“Oh, that.” Jo picked up her wine glass. “I didn’t want to jinx it, you know? I’m always the one in messed up relationships.” She gulped down half her wine.

“Does Martha know?”

“We had dinner with her two nights ago,” Jo replied sheepishly.

Lily looked at her watch. “Where is she? It’s not like her to be late.” She’d slipped out of Stoke this afternoon without any guards. If she were lucky, she’d make it back before anyone noticed.

The waitress popped back to their table to see if they needed anything. Jo tapped her glass. “Another.” She pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head. “You’re the one who’s fallen down the rabbit hole. You never come in Delune’s anymore.” Jo pouted. “I miss our visits.”

Lily missed them too, but fear kept her away. She’d told herself it was because of love for Jo and Martha and that she didn’t want to endanger them with knowledge of the Other world. But weren’t Jo and Martha already involved? Jo was dating Liam, and Martha was friends – she couldn’t imagine they’d be more than that – with the Ancient. ‘Fear is the great motivator.’ That’s what Krieger had said to her. She’d refuted his statement and expressed how she thought love was the greatest motivator. But after reflection she knew Krieger was right. Fear of hell drove people to church. Fear of rejection kept pronouncements of love left unsaid. Fear of what Jo and Martha would think of her kept her from telling them the truth.

Martha bustled up to the table. “Sorry. Reverend Shay had me organizing a shipment of clothes to the orphanage.” She sat and immediately placed the linen napkin in her lap. “I’ve had a hankering for their crab cakes all day.”

Jo took the full wine glass from the waitress. “We ordered some appetizers.”

“Martha, the bartender is making a mean margarita this afternoon.” The waitress beamed at her, knowing she was one of the better tippers in town.

“Go ahead,” Jo urged. “It’s way past cocktail hour somewhere.”

“I’ll have one,” Lily said. The waitress blinked at her like she was a talking rabbit. Before meeting Krieger she rarely spoke. Most people thought she was mute, some mentally disabled. It was Krieger’s blood which had healed her – that was the best word she could think to describe the phenomenal affect it had on her wellbeing – and allowed her to sort through the mental jumble that had plagued her since birth.

“She speaks,” Jo began, giving the waitress a sardonic look. “I know, amazing. Now.” She turned to Lily. “How would you like it, frozen or on the rocks?” Jo was protecting Lily from ridicule just like she’d done at boarding school so many years ago when classmates had taunted her.

“Frozen, please.” She flashed the waitress a bright smile. “No salt.”

“Me too,” Martha piped in.

“It’s kind of funny,” Jo said as the waitress left. “Her expression was priceless.”

“I guess it would be a shocker, me never speaking and suddenly I do and I’m ordering a margarita.”

“Give the locals something to talk about.” Martha smiled. “It’s so good to see you both, and at our favorite restaurant on a sunny day.”

It was nice to be out in the sunshine. Lily could almost forget about the Other world and the darkness that threatened them.

“How was the island?” Martha asked and pointed to the ring on Lily’s finger. “Did you get that there?”

Dammit, she’d meant to take it off to avoid any questions. “No.” She blushed. “He gave it to me when we got back home.”

“Krieger.” Jo was already reaching for her hand and turning her finger back and forth to see the ring sparkle. “Wow, I’ve never seen an emerald so large.”

“Then you came to a decision?” Martha asked.

Jo gave them each a look. “What did I miss?”

The waitress was back with their drinks. Lily sipped on the straw while everyone ordered and when it was her turn she pointed to the chicken salad sandwich.

“Spill,” Jo pressed. “What decision?”

Martha gave Lily an ‘I’m sorry’ face.

“I was confused about things with me and Krieger.”

“I’ve been your friend for how many years and now that you’re finally having boy talk you don’t include me?” There was a note of hurt in Jo’s voice though she tried to pass it off as a joke.

“He’s intense.”

“But you like that,” Jo said with a grin.

“I do,” she replied. “We’re engaged.”

There was a long uncomfortable silence while they digested that.

“Are you pregnant?” Jo asked.

“No.” Lily shunned the drink straw and tipped back the frozen cocktail. “Why would you say that?” Had Krieger used protection? Did he need to? Did she want him to? He was so vague about the possibility of siring children. He’d as much as said that Catherine’s children weren’t his, but when she asked him point-blank if they could have children, he’d diverted the conversation.

“Sorry, just…you haven’t known each other that long. And you’ve seemed a little on the fence about him.” Jo sighed and raised her glass in a toast. “I’m really happy for you.”

Martha did the same and they all touched glasses together. “I think it’s wonderful.”

“So when’s the day?” Jo had recovered her composure.

“I don’t know.” Lily rubbed her temples trying to relieve the brain freeze. “Not for a while, I think.”

“Winter weddings are the most intimate,” Martha said, taking a spoonful of her frozen margarita instead of using her straw.

“Or you could have an island wedding,” Jo suggested. “Fly everyone in and get married on the beach. I’d be down for wearing a bikini instead of one of those hideous bridesmaid gowns.”

Lily didn’t think Krieger would find that locale as appealing. “I like the sound of a winter wedding. There’s this amazing hall at Stoke. We could decorate it with white flowers and sprinkle rose petals down the aisle, with all the men in tuxedos.”

“The hall with all the art work,” Jo said.

Lily stared at her. “You’ve been there?”

“Yea, Liam took me while you were off at that island retreat thing.”

Krieger had told her that Martha and her friends could visit whenever she wished. She just hadn’t thought that Liam would have Jo there without telling her. Maybe Liam had told her and then she wouldn’t have to. “Yes, I was thinking of that exact spot.”

“Finally.” Martha pushed her drink aside as their lunch arrived. “I’m starving.”

The brain freeze had turned into headache and Lily only picked at the contents of her plate. “What about you and Liam?”

“Mmm.” Jo swallowed her bite of burger. “He’s amazing. Can you believe I finally found a good one?”

“Has he told you all about himself?”

“I guess.” Jo swirled her french fry in ketchup and gave her a sideways glance. “Why?”

The expression on Jo’s face made her wish she could take back the words, but now she knew Liam had not told Jo. “He works with Krieger, but I don’t know much about him,” she lied.

“Oh, well, we don’t do a lot of talking.” Jo bumped her eyebrows up and down suggestively.

“You girls.” Martha had finished off her crab cakes and drink. “Maybe you two should have a double wedding.”

Jo scrunched up her face. “Ah, no, if I do get married I’m eloping.”

“Party pooper.” Martha was clearly feeling the tequila.

“He’s kind of old fashioned.” Jo frowned. “Says he wants to have a long talk with me before we have sex. Can you believe it? I’ve had sex on the first date.”

Lily was worried that Jo would feel betrayed when she found out he was a vantor. Or worse, that she’d be afraid.

“He’s a good man.” Martha patted Jo’s hand. “He obviously cares for you deeply. There’s nothing wrong with waiting to get to know each other.”

“It makes me wonder what he’s going to tell me.” Jo gave Lily a questioning look.

“What about you and Mr. Varek?” Lily asked Martha, feeling cowardly for changing the subject.

“Who?” Jo leaned forward.

“I told you about him.” Martha neatened her placemat. “He’s renting the old farm manager’s cottage.”

“Oh, the man with the skin condition.” Jo cut her eyes Lily’s way. “The garden guy.”

“It’s called Gunther disease, dear. He’s an amazing man to persevere under such a condition. He can’t take any sunlight, at all.” Martha shifted in her seat. “That’s why he was over at night.”

Lily’s stomach rolled. With each passing day the two separate worlds she resided in were perilously close to crashing together. She had to tell them soon, otherwise they might not forgive her for all the lies. Acting like she’d never met the Ancient, and pretending that Liam wasn’t her friend and just a business acquaintance to Jo. She’d railed against Krieger because he wasn’t telling her ‘the truth of things’, and yet here she was doing just that.

“Well, look who it is,” Martha exclaimed. “Were your ears burning?”

No, no, no. Lily whipped around expecting to see Krieger – which was crazy since it was light outside. Instead it was Liam, dressed in dark slacks and a gray dress shirt with his hair pulled back.

“Baby,” he said to Jo. “Ladies.”

“Join us.” Martha was already pushing out a chair for him.

“I happened to see your car outside,” he explained to Jo.

She’d been found out which meant that Krieger was looking for her.
I’m not a child. I’m an adult. I can do as I please. I don’t have to ask for his permission.
 

“I’m glad.” Jo reached her arm around his back and leaned in to kiss him. “We’ve been talking about Lily’s engagement.”

She imagined the hurt expression on Martha’s face as she explained the Other world. The questions she would have. The moment Martha would ask her why she hadn’t told her before. What could she say? The others carried on in conversation and she smiled and nodded when appropriate but wasn’t truly listening and receded into her own thoughts.

Would Liam and the vantors be in trouble for letting her slip out? Rohm had been talking to Glenda when Jo had called to ask if she’d meet them at the Ashby Inn. She hadn’t meant to deceive him, just wanted to go and see her friends when she’d indicated to him that she’d be doing research in the archives. Having guards around, even as unobtrusive as they tried to be, wasn’t something she wanted. When she’d hung up with Jo, she’d wished, just for a short time, to be the Lily who hadn’t known of the Other world. Who didn’t worry about the gates, or Anson, or about who her father was, or communicating with texts. She just wanted to be normal and visit her friends like everyone else. Stupid, stupid, stupid.