Keepers of the Flame (Trilogy Bundle) (17 page)

Lu, what are you doing?

I'm reading.

Will you read to me?

I sigh.
All right, hop onto my bed.

We're both snuggled against the headboard together and I'm about to begin reading.

I love you, Lu.

I open my eyes and the picture faded. I lifted a hand to my face and felt moisture. I missed my family so much it was a physical ache.

“I love you, Claudia.” I whispered. I had not said it that day, but I knew I hadn't needed to. She'd known that I'd loved her. I felt the stone emit warmth, but it was a different quality from the heat of a few minutes back.

I let love for my family course through me. I thought of Dylan and how much I loved him and how he made me smile. As those warm feelings went through me, I felt my fear recede and peace take over. I moved back from the wall and directed the feelings of security I'd felt as a child towards it. There as a faint click, and then is slid open.

I turned to look at Katrina then and she had tears in her eyes. She looked at me with approval and such joy, that I couldn't help the smile that came.

“What are you so happy about. You're about to meet your end.”

For one brief second, I'd forgotten Keenan was there, but his snappish tone certainly reminded me. I gave him a knowing look and turning away, walked into the vault, closely followed by Katrina.

If the living room had been unrecognizable, the vault had been exactly as I'd last seen it. There was a tiny living area which contained a huge sofa bed, a rug and two bean bags. A coffee table was pushed to one side of the wall and it had an assortment of games and magazines scattered on it. Where there should have been a TV set was a bookshelf with several of my favorite titles. To the far end of the room was a small kitchenette. I glanced at one of the bean bags and was startled to see the book I'd been reading that day. I moved toward it and picked it up. For the first time since my family was murdered, I was able to think back to that day without the despair and desolation that normally accompanied such thought. Instead I felt sad and nostalgic. But I also felt the love and presence of my family.

“What the hell do you think you're doing? Drop that book!”

I dropped the book at Keenan's command. This guy had some serious control issues, I thought.

“Well, we're here, now what?” I queried.

“I'm going to secure you, then I'll go get the rest of my team.” He replied with glee and brought out the platinum bonds. They were made like a big roll of tape, but I knew how deadly they could be.

You can't let that happen.

I turned to Katrina and she was looking at me with desperate eyes.
What do I do, grandma?

Activate the security lock. We've got to keep the automatons away.

As grave a situation as we found ourselves, I couldn't help a secret smile at her choice of words. I closed my eyes as Keenan started toward me with the platinum bonds and remembered my dad showing Claudia and I how to activate the security lock. Keenan had already grabbed my arm and was rolling the bonds around my wrists. I immediately felt weak and knew I had very little time to act.

I went still then let all the panic and fear I'd been feeling rise up within me. It completely obliterated the feelings of love and security as I thought about never seeing Dylan again. Suddenly, the door slammed shut and there was a blast. The force threw us all off our feet and I watched as Keenan went flying to the kitchenette area.

“What the hell just happened?” He yelled.

I shook the bonds free from my wrist, thankful that he hadn't yet secured them. “You have just been checkmated.” I told him calmly.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” He asked just as a platinum net was released from above and fell around him. “Get me out of here, you stupid bitch! I'm going to kill you for this!”

I ignored him and went to release Katrina's bonds. When she was free she wrapped her arms around me. “Oh child, I've missed you so much.”

“I'm so glad you're okay. Are you okay?” I asked anxiously.

She laughed in delight and pointed to where Keenan was still issuing threats, “I'm glad now that this creep is finally disabled. If only he would keep quiet.”

She drew a full circle in the air and we were instantly surrounded by an air bubble, or at least it looked that way to me. It totally cut off the kitchenette and though I could see Keenan's mouth moving and the rage in his face, we couldn't hear a thing.

“Ah, much better.” She sighed. “Come let's sit. This could take a while.”

“What are we waiting for?” I asked following her to the sofa.

“An alarm would have gone off at the protector HQ. This place should be swarming with protectors in no time.” She said with satisfaction.

“How did you know this about the vault?”

She cast me a sly glance and said, “I designed it, child.”

I gaped at her in surprise. There was certainly more to my grandma than I knew.

“Okay, tell me what else you're responsible for that I don't know about.”

She laughed in delight, “That will take a while, girl.”

“You said we could be here a while.” I reminded her.

She looked like she was thinking about it, and then she relaxed against the sofa with a smile. “All right then, where do I begin?”

As I watched her, I felt gratitude well up inside of me. I was glad to have my grandmother back.

I took a deep breath and deliberately pushed out the fear that had been threatening to overwhelm me since I'd seen Luanne's note. I couldn't believe she'd gone out to meet the kidnapper alone. I knew she was walking into a trap, but she must have known that too. Yet she'd still gone ahead. I felt bleak at the thought of something happening to her. I pushed the fears out again and took a deep calming breath. I was not going to be any use to her if I continued this way.

We were at the address she'd left for me in her little note. We'd just entered the house before we were attacked on every side. I felt a blow to my solar plexus and went down. This was what I got for that split second lack of focus. I jumped to my feet, with my fists swinging. This was close combat and there was not call for a sword. As one of the vampires came at me, I swung my legs in an arc and kicked him just below the knee, taking him down. I aimed a brutal kick for his head and saw with shock that instead of becoming dust, like a vampire would, he just stopped moving.

“What the hell is this?” I heard one of the other protectors yell as the same thing happened to him.

All around the vampires were going down the same way and I could see the collective reaction from the group of protectors. I leaned down and touched the body of the vampire I'd felled.

“I believe these are robots.” I said. standing up again.

“What?”

“Lord Morrison was working with some genetic scientists to create robots that were as close to real vampires as possible.” Elona said, walking to where I was standing.

Just then three other protectors came into the living room from the inner part of the house. “Any sign of them?” She asked and they shook their head.

I felt weak as the fear came back with a vengeance. This was ten times worse than losing my fiancée to Lord Morrison when I was eighteen. The evil Lord had been my mentor and had betrayed me in the worst possible way. After I'd lost Ceecee, I thought that with her had gone my ability to love anyone else. But I was wrong. Luanne had shown me that I had never reached my full capacity with Ceecee.

I rubbed the region where my heart was supposed to be, wondering at the searing pain I was feeling there. If anything happened to her, I knew the fault would be mine. I had made it impossible for her to come to me. If I hadn't been such an ass hole, she might have come to me instead of going off on her own. When she'd gone underwater at the Serpentine and I hadn't been able to find her, I'd felt such fear and panic that as soon as we were safe, I'd withdrawn. The strength of my feelings had sent me running. What a coward I was, I thought bitterly.

Oh Luanne, what have I done to you?

I could feel the tears welling up and it was only Elona's hand on my back that kept them at bay.

Suddenly, I felt Luanne reaching out to me.

Dylan? My love, are you there?

Luanne? Luanne! Where are you honey? Are you okay? Please tell me you're fine?

Hey calm down, lover boy!

I could hear her laughter and it made my heart sing.

Okay, I'm calm. But please tell me where you are.

Inside the vault.

How do we get there?

She was silent a moment and I began to panic afresh.
Luanne?

Katrina says you should get Elona.

Okay. Okay, I'll get Elona. But are you okay, my love?

I'm fine, Dylan. I love you and can't wait to see you. So hurry!

I felt lighter than I'd felt in a very long time. I looked around for Elona and found her in conversation with another Protector I recognized from one of my field assignments. I walked over to her.

“Sorry to interrupt. Elona they're in the vault and Katrina is asking for you.”

Elona's eyes lit up and she clapped her hands together. “All right, everyone. We've located the subjects. Now get your asses in gear and follow me.”

She turned and marched towards a door. I was right behind her. When she stopped in front of a wall, I frowned until I remembered studying in protector school about a special vault designed by Katrina Kylor. I'd never seen one in action as there was only a handful ever made in the world. I stood next to Elona in anticipation. She stood absolutely still and so did everyone else, then she closed her eyes and stretched out her hands toward the wall. There was a faint click and the wall slid back.

As the hidden panel opened, the most beautiful view met my eyes. Sitting on a sofa, arms around each other, were Katrina and Luanne. I had eyes only for the beautiful blond who was the other part of me. As soon as she saw me, she jumped off the sofa and ran to me. I barely had any warning before she threw herself into my arms. I wrapped my arms around her petite frame and buried my face in her hair. I didn't care that an entire group of protectors was watching us, I was just grateful to have her back in my arms.

I noticed then that a group of protectors were leading someone away. I drew back in surprise.

“Keenan the creep? He's the one behind all this?” The disbelief was clear in my voice.

“He's Lord Morrison's son.” Luanne told me.

I felt fury rise up in me and I wanted to personally wring his neck. I knew I should have beaten him to pulp when I got the chance. He'd had a date with Luanne a few days back and had been rude to her the next day when he'd discovered we were dating. I wanted to beat him down and stomp him into the ground. I made a move toward him and saw him flinch in fear, the coward. Then Luanne's hand on mine made me pause.

“He's not worth it.” She said gently.

I stared at her hand on my arm and acknowledged she was right. So I gave him one final look and turned away.

“How's Katrina?” I asked her.

“As irascible as ever.” She said with a smile.

I looked over her shoulder and saw Katrina talking with Elona. The other woman laughed at something Luanne's grandmother had said and I felt a smile tug at my lips. She noticed me looking at her and winked at me. I winked back at her before turning to Luanne.