The Vampire's Warden (10 page)

“
Not to worry, Sarah.” The doctor interjected a little too cheerfully, “There’s no need for Katie to know about this. Right, Gunter?”

“
As long as this one manages to stay alive and follows the rules.” The male replied dryly. He leaned back and scrutinized me, “There may be a way to keep the field in operation after the both of you die, but it would require a rather delicate agreement.”

This guy was sitting across from me talking about my death like it was no big deal, so it was with a great deal of effort that I managed to keep my voice calm as I asked what he meant by that.

“
It doesn’t matter, darling.” Luanna said carefully, “The Council has already determined that she doesn’t have the dedication required for that kind of agreement.”

“
Don’t talk about me like I’m not here.” I growled, feeling that anger beginning to rise up in me again, “And what kind of an agreement are we talking about, anyway?”

“
I’m curious about that myself, Sarah.” Dr. Fleming said. I glanced over at him and he looked as clueless as I was.

Gunter sighed and leaned forward, “I’m not authorized to divulge that information at this point. We are simply here to answer any questions regarding your current situation and handle any immediate problems.”

I looked blankly from one vampire’s face to the other. Questions? I probably had a hundred or more, certainly more than they could answer in one night.

“
Is Michael the only vampire in my custody right now?”

“
No. There are at least a half dozen underground that are here for the long sleep.” Luanna replied, “Michael is the only one here against his will.”

At least six more vampires were on my property.
Fantastic
.

“
Why was Michael sent here? What did he do?”

Luanna flicked her eyes over to her companion sharply. Gunter acknowledged her look with one delicately raised eyebrow and answered reluctantly, “He turned a human who was under the protection of the Council.”

“
Why would a human be protected by the Council?”

“
It happens occasionally. You, yourself are under Council protection. Any vampire who tried to turn you would suffer the same fate as Michael.”

There were a few moments of silence during which the vampires did not blink or move at all. I was not sure they were telling me the whole truth about what Michael was accused of doing. Deciding to change the subject, I took a shallow breath and directed my attention to the doctor, “And what is your part in all of this?”

He wilted a little under my scrutiny, “I am a liaison for the Council. I was an advisor to your father and will be yours, if that is your wish.”

“
I saw your name in my grandfather’s journal.”

“
My father’s name, I suspect. He was the Council’s liaison during that time.” He pursed his lips together and rubbed absently at one of his bushy white eyebrows, “My duties vary. Being an advisor to your father was only one of my duties. I’m also a healer. For humans
and
vampires.”

“
Why would a vampire need a healer? Don’t they heal themselves?”

Luanna gave me tiny patient smile, “We are often referred to as immortal, but that’s not exactly the case. We do have the ability to heal minor injuries by drinking the blood of a human. If the wound is very serious, a healer can administer a special mixture of blood that comes from very powerful vampires. It isn’t done often.”

“
So what happens if I decide I don’t want to be responsible for this?”

All three of them exchanged careful glances, but it was the doctor who answered my question.

“
Then the duty would fall to Katie.”

That was the moment that Nelly chose to step into the sitting room with a loaded shotgun aimed directly at Gunter’s head.

“
You bloodsuckers need to get the hell off this property.” She stated, “
Right
now
.”

Chapter Eight

You could have heard a Prozac drop.

“
Holy crap, Nelly,” I made some odd, high-pitched squealing sound and jumped up to grab the gun away from her. However, someone had beaten me to it. Instead of getting lost, as I had specifically asked him to do, Alex must have been listening from somewhere close by. He wrestled the huge firearm away from Nelly and dragged her into the kitchen.

The doctor’s eyes were open wide and he looked like he was about to need a change of underwear. Luanna had risen from her seat by the fire and was standing near Gunter, who, to his credit, had not seemed to move a muscle during the entire nasty scene. He still looked rather bored, actually. I apologized three times for the behavior of my housekeeper and made a beeline for the kitchen, where I found Alex leaning over Nelly threateningly. He still had a hold on both her arms. The shotgun had disappeared.

“
What in God’s name were you thinking?” I shrieked, “You’ve never touched a gun in your entire life! Someone could have been killed!”

“
Having one vampire sneaking around the house is more than enough, young lady.” She grumbled, glaring at Alex and me in turn.

I reached out and grabbed her shoulder, “What? What vampire?” I sneaked a peek at Alex’s face. It had gone an unhealthy shade that reminded me of the color of the cream I put in my coffee every morning. However, he remained completely silent. I refocused on Nelly. She had jerked her arms out of Alex’s grasp and sat down at the kitchen table.

“
That Michael’s a handsome devil. I will give him that much. But I don’t like anything about these other two.” She rolled her eyes to the sitting room, “Filthy, vile creatures.”

My mouth hung open. She knew about Michael? I do not recall any other time in my life when I had been so completely taken by surprise. Except for that shotgun thing. Oh, yeah, and finding out my Mom was still alive… or undead. Whatever. It was turning into one hell of a night. I turned back to Alex, “Lock that shotgun up somewhere.” Looking back at Nelly, I tried to gather my thoughts. Alex left the room hastily, heading out toward the back.

“
Listen to me, okay?” I made sure Nelly was paying attention by turning her face toward me as gently as I could, “I want you to pack a few things and go stay at your sister’s place. I can take care of things here.”

She shook her head, “Oh no, you can’t, young lady.”

“
Sheila will be happy to have you. You know that.” I tried to use my most persuasive, pleading, little-girl tone with her.

It was not working though. The new vampires had woken up the protective instinct in her, and I knew nothing short of physical force would change the outcome. What I saw in her eyes was righteous anger, some of which was directed at me. I began to wonder at that point how long she had known about all this.

“
Nelly, what exactly do you know about Michael?” I asked.

She looked away, “Nothing.”

She was lying. Nothing pissed me off faster than somebody telling me an outright lie to my face. If anybody in the world knew how I hated being lied to, it was Nelly. I growled and peered more closely at her. She had started pulling on the lobe of her right ear and rubbing at it, keeping her eyes fixed on the wall in front of her.

“
Look at me. And
don’t
lie.”

She finally turned to me, “All I know is that he’s a damn vampire and that he can make more vampires.”

“
Did my mother meet him first or did you?” As if I did not already know the answer to that question.

A weary little sigh came from her, “It was me. And yes, I was the one who told your mother about him. She wanted to escape from here. I’d had enough of her and wanted her out of all of our lives.”

So it was her? She pushed my mother into the idea of becoming a vampire? What the hell? However, could I honestly be angry with her if my Mom was already looking for a way out? What else was she not telling me?

All her work over the years may have stamped calluses on her feet and hands and constructed deep lines on her face, but I realized then that those few years she had been here at the Inn and working under the direction of my mother had caused some deeper kind of wound in her. It must have been a great deal of personal pain that had caused Nelly to do such a thing to a woman who wanted to escape from her family. There must have been some serious animosity between the two of them. However, I could not blame Nelly somehow. I had built up so much animosity against my mother that Nelly definitely seemed the lesser of two evils.

I put a hand on her shoulder and met her eyes directly when she looked up at me.

“
We’ll talk about that some other time.” I said evenly, “For now, I’d feel better knowing that you’re safe in Greenwood with your sister. I realize you don’t like vampires and I understand that, but I need their help right now. When they leave, I’ll call you at Sheila’s.”

“
This just isn’t right, Sarah. What if something happens to you?”

“
Alex is here. He can protect me if I need it. It’ll be fine.”

The look in Nelly’s eyes nearly broke my heart. Sending her away was necessary for her own safety, but by doing this, I also felt like I was telling her that her support and love were not enough anymore. The tears in her eyes cut into the heart of me and left a gaping wound somewhere inside that I feared might never heal completely. I took her hand, kissed it, and helped her rise from her seat.

She raised a hand and patted my cheek softly, managing a weak smile, “You’re a good girl, Sarah.”

I curled my lip, “Sure I am. Now get going. I’ve got vampire crap to deal with.”

An hour later, I watched the tail lights of her car disappear over the hill that led to the main road. It would take her at least another hour to get to her sister’s place. I stood on the front porch, leaning against one of the big posts. With Nelly gone, I suddenly felt very much alone. Alex had not shown back up at the house since the shotgun incident. The two vampires were settling into one of the guest rooms. They had brought a box full of black tarps and made it clear that they would be sealing up the windows with it. I was too tired to argue with them about the nail holes they would be leaving in the walls.

I smelled the rain before I heard the first drops. The scent of it always made me feel like everything that was wrong in the world was about to be washed away. The tapping of raindrops began shortly after that, slowly coating the steps that led down to the brick walkway. The moisture was invigorating and soothing. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

There was one tiny moment when I thought that maybe all my problems would just be rinsed away, down into the earth and easily forgotten. Then I opened my eyes and realized that I was not alone out there anymore. I was being watched. A tiny little shiver shot up my spine. However, when I realized who I was looking at, an oddly familiar warmth stole through my limbs.

Michael stood before me in the rain. Every inch of him seemed to glisten and shine. He was wearing a simple black men’s tank that emphasized the muscles in each arm and the width of his shoulders. He wore the same type of black jeans I had seen him in before. However, what startled me more than anything was the dangerous wash of emotions evident in the firm line of his mouth and the heat in his narrowed blue eyes.

“
You are unharmed?” His voice caught me completely off guard. The strain in his tone was palpable. He was standing about twenty feet away from me in the grass of the lawn.

The rain had picked up and was beating an unending symphony on the roof of the porch, but there was something that was drowning out everything in the background. A hammering that resounded through me faster and faster. My heartbeat. I glanced down at myself, expecting that particular organ about to burst through the fabric of my shirt.

“
I’m not hurt.” I said, trying not to look at him.

However, it was hopeless. Because even if I did not let my eyes feast on his body, that voice of his was bound to break through my reserve. I should have known. If I had pressed my hands over my ears and closed my eyes, I might have had a chance. But it was too late.

“
Come here, Sarah.” It was almost as if he was drawing me to him with a steel chain. There was no breaking this. Running away was not an option. The lack of warmth in his tone when he spoke that order did not deter me. I did not feel any hint of anger coursing through me at the way this undead creature was summoning me.