The Last Keeper (7 page)

It was Ray. He was the reason I was suddenly so relaxed.
 

So this is what it feels like,
I pondered.
 

There was no nervous shifting as I waited for someone to answer the door. Even when I saw it was Ray’s impeccably dressed mother who’d opened it, I simply smiled, calm and collected.

“Miss Cardea, it is a pleasure to see you again,” she greeted me, smiling brightly as she took my shawl.

“You, as well, Mrs. Synclair. If you would, please, call me Serenity.”
 

“Of course, but I must insist that you call me Liz, dear. Mrs. Synclair makes me feel so old, and Liza was my mother’s name.”

Mrs. Synclair, dressed in a simple skirt suit with the same hairstyle she’d worn to the auction, stepped to the side, allowing me in. She and her home were a matching pair, both elegant.
 

Their house wasn’t as grand as some of the ones I’d lived in, but it was just right.
 

There were a couple of family portraits adorning the walls—large, heavy-framed things. Yet everything else was relatively simple. Matching carpets ran up the hall and stairs, thick and fluffy under my feet, and were more modern than the house led me to believe. It was exactly how I’d imagined Ray’s home.
 

Ray was in the dining room, setting the table with one hand, a wistful look on his face. I smiled as he shuffled around, grabbing a fork or knife from the sideboard then setting it carefully down in place. He was dressed as his mother was, impeccably. Dark trousers and a light shirt, neatly tucked in at the waist. The colours highlighted his hair, and no doubt the pale shirt would bring out those eyes of his.
 

“Ray, dear?” his mother prompted.
 

For the first time in my life, I felt embarrassed as he caught me staring. My head dipped when he looked up, straight at me, but I lifted it again, unable to keep my gaze from him for long.
 

Dinner went well after that. The slightly awkward silence that had developed as we stood staring at each other was soon cleared in the form of Liz. She truly was a wonderful woman, and she did everything possible to make me feel at home. She was more than happy to exchange a couple of interesting stories from Ray’s childhood, much to his displeasure and my amusement. Though when he insisted I should share some of mine, I refused. Those would come in time.
 

“Dinner was delicious, Liz,” I complimented her as we cleared the table.
 

“Thank you. I must apologise about the vegetable mash once again.”
 

I laughed. It had been the worst part of the meal, and the only part Ray was responsible for.
 

“It was fine, really. You should have seen some of the concoctions I created when I first started cooking. I swear, you couldn’t feed them to the animals.” Of course, practice made perfect, and I’d had almost three thousand years of practice.

“I’m sure it wasn’t as bad as that.” Ray’s voice startled me. I hadn’t heard him enter the kitchen.

“They were far worse, I assure you. However, that’s a story for another time. For now, I’m afraid I must be heading home. I promised Jayne I’d read her a story before bed this evening.”
 

“Well, it has been wonderful having you, Serenity. You must come for a visit again, soon,” Liz insisted, grasping my hand tightly in hers.
 

“I have a feeling she’ll be spending more time here, Mother,” Ray interrupted, stealing me away. He led me to the door and just . . . stopped. He seemed worried.

“Is everything all right, Ray?”
 

“Yes. I wanted to ask you something,” he mumbled, looking at his shoes.

“You can ask me anything, Ray.”

“I . . . I wanted to ask if we could make this, us, official,” he said, finally glancing back up. “I’m enjoying your company so much and find that you are almost constantly on my mind. My birthday is coming up and Mother is insisting on throwing a party. I would like you there with me, by my side.”
 

“Ray, I’d love to, but . . .” I wondered how to explain it to him.

“
But?
”

“There are some things I need to tell you before you accept me. Things you may not understand. Come to my house tomorrow morning. We can take a ride out, and I’ll tell you everything. Then after that, if you still want me, I am yours.”
 

There was concern on his face, thoughts, perhaps, that I didn’t want him. That was utterly ludicrous but I needed him to know what I was. I had to give him the chance to run if he chose.
 

“Does this have something to do with your parents?” he asked, his eyes searching mine.

“In a way. It’s more to do with me and why my life is so complicated. Please, try not to worry. It’s nothing bad, I promise.” Hesitantly, I brought my hand up to his cheek, running my fingers down to his chin. “Please?”

“Tomorrow morning?”

“First thing,” I said with a smile.

“Then I shall see you first thing.”
 

“Thank you,” I told him before I turned towards the car.
 

I felt his gaze on me as I greeted Sam and climbed into the back. Turning back to the house, I saw that Ray was indeed standing there, watching my every move. Smiling, I raised my hand and waved one last time before Sam shut the door and we were off. I toyed with the idea of roaming the streets again after I’d read to Jayne, but I would only be tempted to guard his home as he slept. It would be best if I avoided him for the night.
 

Most of my time was spent ghosting around the house.
 

By the time dawn was raiding the sky, I was ready for the day to be over with. I wanted to tell him everything, to get it out in the open and face whatever reaction he had. It wasn’t until Helen reminded me that I realised I hadn’t changed after dinner. It wouldn’t do for Ray to turn up and find me looking the same as when I’d left him.
 

Once I was in proper clothes, I went to prepare Tara. Ray didn’t have a horse of his own, or at least he didn’t keep one at his house, so I readied my other horse, Falcon. We mainly used him to pull the carriage, but he was well-tempered enough to be ridden when the occasion called for it.
 

Not long after breakfast, Helen called down. It was barely loud enough for me to claim to have heard it down at the stables, but I answered anyway. Ray would soon find out exactly how much I could hear.
 

“Send him down, Helen,” I called back to her.

It was a beautiful day with few clouds and little chance of rain according to the news. A perfect day for taking a ride through the surrounding countryside.
 

“Good morning, Serenity,” Ray greeted me a few moments later.
 

“Good morning. Have you ridden . . . ?” I stopped speaking as I turned towards him.
 

How could I have forgotten?
 

“I’m not very good, but I have ridden before,” he answered, saving me from embarrassment.

“I’m sorry, we can take the carriage or one of the cars if you prefer,” I offered, not entirely sure how I managed to be so oblivious.

He smiled, giving me the impression I was forgiven. “So long as you have a step I can use, it will be fine. Which one will you be riding?”

“Tara. I prepared Falcon for you. He’s getting on a bit now, but you shouldn’t have any problems with him,” I explained, pointing out the grey gelding.

Ray had little trouble mounting Falcon once he was provided with a step. It was fascinating to watch how he adapted to challenges so easily.
 

“Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.” He smiled, looking uncomfortable.

“We’ll take it slow.”
 

There was somewhere I wanted to take him. It was a good hour’s ride out of the city, but it was a safe place. Once there, I’d answer all of his questions and demonstrate anything he needed to see. I should have been terrified, but I was strangely calm yet again. It really was him. How had I ever seen him as my weakness? Even though I hadn’t managed to sleep, I felt more alive and alert than ever before. That was all because of Ray.
 

Neither of us said much during our ride out of the city. He glanced at me every few minutes, but the silence we shared was comfortable.
 

Well, that’s a new feeling.
 

It was just over an hour later when I steered Tara off the path and into the uncharted woods at the edge of London. Fortunately, I knew where I was going. Falcon was used to letting Tara lead and followed her into the trees. It wasn’t long before we got to where I wanted to be. It was secluded and far enough from the city that we weren’t likely to be disturbed by anyone, especially any travelling vampires.

“Where did you learn to ride like that?” Ray asked as I set up the blanket and food that I’d brought.

“I learned to ride when I was very young, many years ago,” I answered truthfully. “I like the speed Tara is capable of, but I prefer my own.”

“Your own?” he questioned as we sat down.

“Yes. Ray, what would you say if I told you there were things in this world far beyond anything you know and believe?” It was as good a place as any to start.

“I’d ask to which
things
you are referring,” he said, speaking slowly.

“Creatures. The things nightmares and fairy tales are made of. Beings who walk the night preying on those weaker than they.” I couldn’t look him in the eye as I spoke.

“Are you trying to tell me that you’re some mythical creature here to do some unspeakable deed?” he whispered, worry in his voice. At least he wasn’t laughing.
 

“No. I’m not here to do unspeakable deeds, and I’m not a mythical creature. Myths and legends do not cover what I am.” I glanced up to observe his reaction.

“You aren’t human.”
 

“No. Not in the sense that
you
are. I don’t need to eat or sleep. I’m faster than anything you know of and I’m stronger than you could imagine.”
 

“What are you?” he asked gently. There was no scepticism in his voice. It simply sounded as though he didn’t want to offend me by asking.

“No one really knows. It’s not clear exactly how we came to be. We’ve existed for as long as the other races, and at some point someone decided we were here to protect those needing it, to keep the balance. Our name came about long ago, but it’s the title of what we do, not what we are. Keepers. Immortal Keepers of Peace.” I paused for a moment to let him absorb the information before continuing. “Ray, I was born in the year 1067 BC.” I looked away as I finished my speech. This was where he would surely run or laugh or accuse me of creating some farce.
 

“You say you keep the balance between our race and the others. Who are the others?” he asked, shocking me. I’d expected him to question some part of my statement, but not that part.

“There are five races: humans, vampires, witches, Weres, and us,” I began. “The witches and Weres are relatively reclusive. After the witch trials they kept to themselves, mostly out of fear. The Weres stick together, living in colonies in remote places. It’s the vampires we have the most trouble with.”
 

“Vampires? As in Dracula?”

“In a way. They have few traits in common with that fictional portrayal. Although they are somewhat more complex. The myth about them burning in the sunlight is only partly true. It depends on how powerful they are. The more powerful, the more potent their weakness is. Generally, they’re as strong as I am and nearly as fast.” The excitement of sharing this with him was almost enough to leave me breathless. “They aren’t entirely never-changing. Their hair and nails grow, though at an exceptionally slower rate. They have the strength, the numbers, and the organisation to take over the human race without a second thought—”

“And you’re the reason they haven’t?”
 

“Yes.” I paused for a moment, staring intently at him. “You’re taking this very well, Ray.”

“I guess it isn’t much of a surprise, really. I always thought there was something else beyond what I was seeing—especially when it came to you.” He shrugged. “Even before I met you, when I heard you would be attending the auction, I knew I had to be there. There were so many rumours about you, about what you did and the causes you gave to so willingly. Something in those stories intrigued me and made me want to meet you all the more. Then, when I did, you were like no one I’d met before. So it stands to reason that there’s more to you than meets the eye.”

“Still, I tell you I’m three thousand years old, and that vampires, witches and Weres are real, and . . .
This,
” I gestured to him, all the while shaking my head, “is not a normal reaction.”

“Would you prefer me to run screaming? Or fetch the men from the asylum?” There was a light, teasing edge to his voice.
 

“No, but you may do that yet.” I sighed, not quite able to believe how well things were going.

“There’s more to your story?”

“Much more. Life with me is never easy. It is full of danger, more so now than ever before. Every few years I’m forced to move. There are occasions when I’ll be gone for days or weeks at a time, and I cannot always tell you where I’ll be.” This was the breaking point. Would he be able to accept me, faults and all, and without explanation when needed?

“Serenity, the feelings I hold for you are growing. Each day I spend with you finds me wanting more time. I understand things aren’t as they seem, and I’m willing to accept that. More than willing. As much as I’d like to aid you in what you do, I know I can’t. However, I’d like to be with you,” he told me, taking my hand.

“There’s still a lot for you to learn, but if you’re willing, and you’ll still have me, then I am yours. Completely.”
 

“I’d like that. I’d like that very much.”