The Vampire Keeper (15 page)

She was trying to re-read page two when Larkin decided enough time had passed to inform her of his pre-developed plan to get rid of the reporter. Jezalyn wanted to be reluctant to his idea, but for some reason she felt obliged to say yes since it seemed to be the most logical defense against her grandfather. After agreeing on a plan, she gazed down and pretended to read. Occasionally they glanced at each other inconspicuously, each trying to study one another. She caught him glancing at her once, but any suspicion of interest was deflected when he immediately announced it was time to get going so that they could put their plan into action.

Jezalyn reached for her half-eaten lunch, “Do you see a trash can?”

“Here let me,” said Larkin as he pointed to a trashcan down by the edge of the road.

“Thanks, I’ll meet you at the car,” she said while slipping her shoes back on.

He was already half way back from the trashcan when she lost her balance and stumbled down the gazebo steps. She tried to catch herself on the railing; it broke her fall, but did not save her from stumbling into the corner of a thorny hedge. When he reached her, she was sitting on the bottom step trying to untangle a brier from around her ankle.

“Wait! It will rip your clothes if you keep pulling at it like that.”

Her cheeks flushed with red embarrassment at the thought of him seeing her fall. He moved close and pulled at her clothes lightly until the brier released her. A quick once over of her leg revealed several small scratches but nothing severe.

“I guess I forgot to mention that I am a klutz,” said Jezalyn trying to sooth her embarrassed ego.

“Rose bushes transform into thorn thickets in the winter making them a deadly opponent, but I think you got the better of it,” he said with a playful grin. “Here let me help you up.”

She placed one hand on the step to push herself up as he took the other, and once she was up a pain shot down her left hand. Jezalyn raised her hand and exposed a large thorn about half an inch wide sticking out of her hand. The blood had already pooled around the thorn by the time she had picked it out.

“It’s like a battlefield out here,” Larkin joked as he pulled her to the car and gave her a napkin.

After remembering Wyler’s book policy, Jezalyn fidgeted with concern over the whereabouts of the novel she was reading and exclaimed, “The book! It’s still in the gazebo.”

“I’ll get it. You stay here and apply pressure.” A few seconds later, he returned with the book in hand, “You still bleeding?” She pulled the tissue away to reveal a small red puncture. He impulsively grabbed her hand gave it a small kiss and said, “Feel better.”

She lightly slid her hand out of his with a smile and nodded. He returned her smile as they backed up to head out of town.

However, the events under the gazebo did not go unnoticed. While Jezalyn and Larkin were discreetly checking each other out, a tall dark-haired man was doing the same to them. Once they left, he approached the gazebo, retrieved the bloodstained thorn and stuck it in his mouth. He released a sinister snarl accompanied by a hideous laugh as he forcefully spit out the now unstained thorn.

Jezalyn and Larkin arrived at the bookstore, and to their surprise all that remained were Mary and her camera crew. Larkin left Jezalyn in the car, and she watched as he darted over and spoke to the reporter. After a short while, he returned to the vehicle, and Mary followed. They set up the camera and angled it to capture the bookstore as well as the general store in the background. Mary conducted the interview, and Jezalyn barely said anything; she mostly smiled and nodded a few times in agreement with Larkin’s responses. He kept things straight forward with little to no details. After the interview, they excused themselves and walked into the bookstore. Jezalyn stopped and turned toward Larkin with a concerned look on her face.

“Do you think that worked?” Jezalyn asked Larkin.

Larkin left her standing in the middle of the store as he returned to the window and peered out. “I think it did; they are packing up to leave. We will know for sure tonight when Mary does her evening report.”

Unexpectedly, an unfamiliar voice rang in Larkin’s ears, “Thank God!” followed by a startling gasp that expelled from Jezalyn’s throat; it sounded like a shortness of breath that one gets from being unexpectedly detained. Coinciding with the gasp, Larkin felt the fear that filled Jezalyn’s body. He swiftly turned in a protective manner, but found her sense of fear had quickly faded to an overwhelming sense of security that stopped Larkin in his tracks. Larkin watched as a man, about five-eleven, with blonde hair, and in athletic clothing, spun Jezalyn around. The unknown man stopped swirling her about and planted a rather fiery kiss upon her lips as she wrapped her arms around his athletically built body. Larkin, in a daze of what he was witnessing, tried not to take note of the expression on her face, but he was unable to stop himself from studying them. He had never seen two people so relaxed in the presence of one another; nevertheless, he recalled the comfortable, pleasant drive that he had experienced with Jezalyn.

He thought,
How can she be as comfortable with me as she is with him? Perhaps, he is family and she is happy to see him… But no, if he was family the kiss would not have been so, so…

Larkin, still frozen in the moment, soon realized Jezalyn did not just look happy; she was radiant. Her smile was big and bright. Her eyes more than sparkled; the tiny yellow flecks in them glimmered, and her face was almost unrecognizable. Before the presence of this mystery man, her face had a sort of pasty hue as a result of being out in the cold January weather; even so, Larkin had always considered her to be pretty from the moment his eyes had set on her. However, her once fair skin now flushed with color revealing a beauty that he presumed was unmistakable to everyone in the room. He collected his thoughts, mustered all his might, and stepped toward them.

Jezalyn caught a glimpse of Larkin’s approach out of the corner of her eye. “Oh, hi, Larkin,” Jezalyn said as her cozy posture turned awkward and her already flushed face blushed brighter. With her hand still against Blaise’s chest, Jezalyn did not meet Larkin’s eye as she said, “This is Blaise,” and with a slight point in Larkin’s direction, she continued the introduction, “Blaise, this is Larkin.”

From her thoughts Larkin had determined that Blaise was her boyfriend; however, he was not quite sure how she actually felt. He sensed a flutter in her stomach, yet it was unclear if the reaction was her love for Blaise or her nervousness over Larkin’s presence. His evaluation was useless, for he only had a few seconds to take in his surroundings. Larkin did not even remove his glove as Blaise extended his hand. As they shook hands in a welcoming manner, they were both too busy sizing up each other to notice Ana had walked in.

Ana lifted the keys; they jingled a little, as she said, “Hey, Jezalyn! I filled her up for you.”

Her voice interrupted the uncomfortable silence that progressed between the men as they tried to assess one another. Both wished the interruption could have been delayed another minute or so as they searched for any sign of immediate threat or future danger. Jezalyn, however, found Ana’s entrance most welcoming. She sensed the tension between the men and wondered if they were reacting to her anxiousness. She did not know why she felt so edgy. It was not as if she did anything wrong by spending the day with a friend, but still she remembered the kiss Larkin planted on her palm, and her stomach wrenched. The jingling keys, now dangling in front of her face, interrupted Jezalyn’s thoughts.

Jezalyn clenched the keys with a tight fist and said, “Thanks, Ana, but you didn’t have to.”

“I know, but I figured you might need some gas for school in the morning.”

“School,” she said and the word trailed off at Wyler’s approach. He silently crept up behind Ana grabbing her around the waist, she let out the same gasp Jezalyn had before, and she tensed her body in a defensive manner. Wyler twisted her around to face him and all the tension faded away as she fell relaxed into his arms. The hugging and kissing felt a little like déjà vu to Larkin, so he didn’t wait for them to release before he quickly excused himself from the group.

“It was nice to meet you,” said Larkin as he slightly tipped his head forward. In an earlier period, it would have conveyed to the other to have a good day, but Larkin did not bow a good day to Blaise. The slight tip of his head was directed at Jezalyn.

“Nice to have met you, too,” responded Blaise as he wrapped his arm around Jezalyn’s waist when he saw Larkin’s eyes fixed on her.

“Thanks again for today. I think I would have gone crazy,” said Jezalyn, in response to Larkin’s nod.

Without another nod or word, Larkin walked away. Jezalyn and Ana found his abrupt removal significant in altering the atmosphere. Blaise was no longer assessing anyone, and with Larkin’s presence removed from the group, Blaise’s hardened features softened to allow his charm and fluidity to prevail. Jezalyn’s posture was visibly at ease as she introduced Blaise to Ana and Wyler.

“So, how did you meet Jezalyn?” asked Ana.

Blaise laughed, “Well, I saved her from a faulty heel.”

Ana’s face showed slight confusion at his response, and Jezalyn lightly swatted at his arm and said, “He saved me from complete embarrassment. I wasn’t paying attention when I stepped off the elevator, and I tripped.” Jezalyn caressed Blaise’s arm with affection as she continued, “And that’s when he saved me from a clumsy stumble.”

“Oh, how romantic,” was Ana’s reaction to the story. Ana always found introductions dreamy, especially if it led to any romantic connection.

Wyler pulled Ana close, “Let’s give them some privacy. She only got here a few minutes ago.”

“It was nice to meet you,” said Ana, who gently took Wyler’s hand into hers. They dashed off toward their loft all the while glancing flirtatiously back and forth. Once Wyler and Ana were out of Jezalyn’s sight, she hugged Blaise and lifted up her head in wait of a tender kiss.

After kissing her affectionately, Blaise wrapped his arms around her and asked, “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I am fine.”

“Are you sure? I saw the news and when I didn’t get you on the phone I got worried, so I called your grandpa. He told me you got shot!”

“I was not shot,” Jezalyn replied somewhat agitated.

Pointing to the bandage on her neck, Blaise responded, “Oh really, that’s not what it looks like.”

“My neck was more like grazed. Larkin’s jacket zipper scraped my neck when he tried to save me from the sounds of gunshots. Wait, you talked to my grandpa?” said Jezalyn as she backed out of Blaise’s arms.

“I did. He’s extremely concerned about—”

Cutting him off, she said, “I know… he thinks it’s dangerous,” as she rolled her eyes.

“I told him I would check on things since I was coming down for a visit.”

“You what? Do you agree with him?”

“I think… if you’re in danger… then yes, I do think you should leave.”

“There isn’t any danger. Besides, I am not leaving anyway. I’m staying!”

“I think getting shot says that you are.”

“I wasn’t shot! I just told you Larkin’s zipper got caught on my neck and it took a chunk of skin with it once it dislodged.”

“Okay, Babe,” said Blaise placing both of his hands on her shoulders, “please, don’t get mad. I was worried about you, and I am sure your grandpa is also.”

“I know. I am sorry I got so upset, but it’s just that grandpa is so relentless and won’t listen to reason. I don’t want to go home; it’s time for me to be independent.”

Blaise, not finding any clear danger around, tried to win himself some brownie points, by aligning himself on her side. “Don’t worry, Babe. I will tell him that you are perfectly safe here.”

“Like that will matter,” she said under her breath.

“I’ll call him later and tell him I checked out the place, and I feel like you are perfectly safe staying here.”

Jezalyn moved closer and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Thanks, so how long are you able to stay?”

Blaise frowned and said, “Not too long. I have to get back, so I can get in bed early for soccer practice. Before I go, I have time for a short walk.”

As Blaise and Jezalyn took a stroll through town, Larkin was downstairs confiding in his friend Julius.

“I don’t see how I could have missed the fact that she has a boyfriend,” said Larkin.

“Perhaps, he is a she and that is why you did not sense anything,” teased Julius.

“If you’re not going to be serious, then don’t bother,” snapped Larkin. “I almost drowned her at the lake today. If campers hadn’t been so close, we would have a serious problem right now.”

Throwing his hands up Julius responded, “Alright, no need to get testy. Did you think, perhaps, the reason you did not observe anything between them is because she does not have true feelings for him?”

“No. Maybe, but I definitely sensed something today while they were hugging and kissing. I don’t know maybe I am losing my edge,” Larkin finally confessed.

Julius shook his head. “I think you overlooked her lover because you are more interested in her than you let on, and that’s why you can’t tell. Maybe your judgment is clouded,” said Julius trying to be blatantly honest.

“No, I don’t think so. My judgment is intact. I think you were correct about her feelings not being strong enough toward him for me to pick up on.”

“Alright,” said Julius, “but if I am correct, then what did you feel today?”

“The feelings were unclear, but I did feel a spark of something,” said Larkin, as he stared mindlessly at the wall.

Julius was always the type to poke the sleeping bear, so he could not hold back his last response, “Or, it could be your own feelings that are making things unclear.”

Larkin snapped his gaze toward Julius and said, “Don’t start a quarrel with me. I’ll rip your head off and then hers to prove a point.”

With the sun still awake, Julius backed down from what could have been an entertaining squabble or clash; it was all the same to him. Besides, Ana just glided in all sprightly as if she was walking on air, so he told Larkin, “No need to get violent. I only wanted you to consider all the variables. Plus, I like when you agree that I am right.”

Larkin, still somewhat ruffled, did not respond so Julius redirected his attentions toward an easier target. “Hello, Ana. How was your day?”

The mere sight of Julius made Ana want to cringe, but she held back her loathing out of respect for Wyler and Larkin. “Amazing,” she said sharply.

“How about making me a drink? Something young if you got it.”

“Don’t be silly. You’ve made our home yours for the last few nights, so feel free to help yourself.”

“Why thank you, but I wouldn’t want to be rude and decline your lovely hospitality or hosting duties,” said Julius choking back his amusement.

Ana turned and marched back in the kitchen. In less than a couple of minutes Julius had unnerved her, and now she looked as if she had just stumbled over hot coals. Her face was flushed with anger, and her feet tread lightly so that she did not spark anymore bickering with Julius.

Ana handed him the cup, and as she trekked away she said, “We only had aged,” with a self-gratifying grin.

***

The sun was going down, so Blaise walked Jezalyn back to the bookstore entrance. Jezalyn pointed out the rays of pink and purple that flowed through the night, and as she tilted her head up to observe the sky, Blaise placed his hands firmly on her cheeks, leaned in, and kissed her lips. Jezalyn kissed him back and after a moment they parted ways.

Jezalyn locked the door behind her, and Blaise retreated to his truck where he took out his phone and dialed. As the phone rang, he nervously glanced around. He was checking to make sure he was alone so that his conversation could not be overheard.

“Hello,” said a strong voiced man on the other end.

“It’s me; I am checking in,” said Blaise as he shivered from a gust of wind. It had been warmer in the day, but now as dusk approached the temperature dropped. He thought with his shiver,
the cold always approaches with darkness
.

A deep voice questioned, “Where are you?”

“Still in Transylvania.”

“Did you check on the girl?”

“Yes. She is fine.”

“Is there any cause for an abrupt removal?”

“No, it is my recommendation that she will not leave willingly or quietly, and we should monitor the situation from afar. In addition, someone needs to speak with her guardian.”

“Don’t worry about the guardian; just keep a watchful eye on her.”

“Understood,” said Blaise before the line went dead.

Blaise closed his phone, looked up at Jezalyn’s window, observed the surroundings, and drove out of town.

***

Upstairs Jezalyn was getting ready to watch the six o’clock news when she heard a knock at the door. She cheerfully swung opened the door. A surprised expression cross her face. “Oh! Hey, Larkin. What’s up?”

“Just came to see if you wanted to come down and watch Mary’s news report tonight.”

“Um, thanks, but I am all set up here. Do you want to come in and watch it with me?” she asked.