The Last Keeper (8 page)

We spent most of the day sitting among the trees. I told him so much, but they were only a few of the things I’d seen in my life, what I remembered at least. Names and specifics faded over the years, but I still remembered the magnificence of the places I’d visited. However, my friends and family were always engraved into my mind, a constant reminder of what we protected. I fought to hold onto those memories, refusing to let them go.
 

   
Our conversation skirted around the aspects of how to avoid and identify the vampires.
 

“May I ask you a question?”
 

I laughed. He insisted on starting each question like that, asking if he was allowed to ask. “Of course you may.”

“How are only some vampires able to walk in the sun?”
 

“It all depends on the lives they take,” I explained. “Draining the life from someone gives them power. The more lives they drain, the more powerful they are. And the stronger they are, the more potent their weakness is. For those who insist on taking the life of their meal every time, it means they’ll never see the sun. Even a cloudy day is too much for those vampires to risk. Although, if they stop taking lives then their power will wane.”

“That makes sense. As the saying goes: the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Or similar at least.”
 

Ray sat there, smiling, taking everything I told him at face value, with barely any questions. He leaned forward eagerly whenever I told him about my past, as if he couldn’t get enough of who I was and what I’d done over the years. He was either burying his feelings so deep that I had no chance of finding them, or he really was taking things as well as he appeared to be.

“You mentioned something about Seats of Power earlier. What do they do?” he asked, lying flat on his back, staring up into the trees.

“They police the race. There are eight of them spread out over the various continents and hot spots. If we don’t influence a vampire who’s causing trouble first, then they’ll inevitably be called for an audience with the nearest Seat.”
 

It was a simple system they used, one created by Poppy Baruti herself. A vampire was called to the nearest Seat, given an opportunity to state their defence, and then effectively made to submit to their own execution.
 

“Few vampires survive an audience. For those who fail to attend, their fate is much worse.”

“How so?”

“How about we save that discussion for another time? There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.” Detailing The Seats’ preference for dealing with those who didn’t comply was not something I wanted to discuss. It was gruesome at best. At worst . . .
 

“Ask away.”
 

“Why history? You could teach anything you wanted. Why choose the one subject that you cannot ever truly know the answer to?”
 

“Exactly,” he said, his eyes going wide and lighting up. “I can never know the answer. Over time things will change and new information will arise, but we’ll never know for certain. There are so many glorious cities and cultures which have been lost to the sands of time. How can I not want to keep them alive in some way?” He spoke with such passion, such purpose. It was easy now to see why he’d chosen history as his subject. “Then of course, you would know more about that than I do. Would it be too much for me to ask hundreds of questions about the places you have seen?”
 

I had to laugh. The historian in him would want to know that. I could have sat with him for hours just talking about my life. It would have been an absolute pleasure to tell him of the party I had once attended in Rome. Or the mixture of sadness and relief as the people of Egypt buried their last Pharaoh. But there was the distinct smell of rain in the air, and I didn’t want to keep him out in it.

“It must have been fascinating to have lived for so long.”

“More like a curse.” Eternal life wasn’t something I would recommend. “For years I’ve watched my family grow and pass. It has been a joy, seeing each of them through their lives . . .”

“But you want that for yourself?”
 

“Yes. In my life there has never been time for relationships or families of my own. And I would never have wanted them. The way we find our wea—our partners is designed so that we cannot possibly miss them. We allow our instincts to guide us when we choose where to live, and then, when we meet them, we know. I cannot really describe it, except to say it’s the feeling of wanting to stare into someone’s eyes for the rest of time.”
 

Even that wasn’t accurate enough. Sometimes people met each other and they just knew they would get along, something in them called out to the other. It was like that with us, but deeper and more profound. And then that connection was made, that dreaded connection which was the end of us.
 

“You were going to say something else, instead of
our partners,
” he prompted gently.
 

“I was,” I admitted, looking away.
 

“Tell me? Please?” He sat up, reaching for me.

“Weakness. I was going to say weakness,” I said quickly, glancing down to avoid his gaze. I wasn’t able to lie to him.
 

He was gentle as he ran his fingers down my jaw, guiding my face back to his. “Is that because the vampires will try to use me against you?”
 

“No. Ray, what I have to tell you isn’t easy, and I need you to know that I will protect you for as long as I live. No matter what happens.” My words were slow and measured in an effort to make myself clear. I searched his eyes as I spoke, staring into them as though I could see his very being.
 

“Serenity,” his tone was almost chastising, “nothing you can say will make me leave.”

“Even so, you’ll always have that choice.” I paused, wondering if there was any point in choosing my words carefully now. “Our weakness
is
our partner. The only way we can be killed is through their death. There’s an unbreakable link between your life and mine. When your life is over, by whatever means, so is mine.” Taking his hand, I placed it over my heart so he could feel my heart beating, as I could hear his. “We used to have a saying: As your heart beats, so does mine. When your heart sleeps, so will mine.”
 

“That sounds fair enough,” he answered, leaving his hand where it was when I moved mine.

“I just told you that the only way to kill me, a three thousand year old immortal being, is to kill you and you say
that sounds fair enough?
” He was smiling, running his fingers over my collarbone. I frowned, wondering if he was sane.
 

“Yes. It makes sense. I assume you only feel this contact once. I also assume that each race has a weakness. Therefore, it’s understandable that this connection is yours. From what you’ve said, and what I’ve seen, there’s little that can harm you. I’m a firm believer that everyone has his or her time.”
 

“I’m dumbfounded. I never thought it would be this easy.” I was still in shock over what had been said.

“Of course, those beliefs were before I realised there were immortal beings walking the earth,” he said, smiling.
 

He was fascinated when I explained our defences to him. How we couldn’t be turned into a vampire because we were immune to their blood. How the witches’ spells couldn’t harm us. How each variation of Were was unable to shift forms when they were near us. And our biggest asset: the fact that even though vampires could read the minds of any race, they couldn’t read ours—not unless we wanted them to. It was the same with their powers, those who had them weren’t able to use them against us.
 

There was a kind of switch in our minds, something only we could see and use. One flip and a vampire could read our thoughts. Another and they couldn’t. So simple, and so effective. It was there in our un-matured descendants, too, but the switch was permanently at work.
 

There was nothing but understanding, and occasionally confusion on his face as I spoke.
 

“Ray, I don’t think you quite understand the gravity of how life with me will affect you.”
 

“Then tell me. Serenity, I understand life won’t be easy, but I want to be with you.” His eyes were alive with the conviction of his words.
 

“There are only two of us left, as you know. But, I never told you why there are so few. The vampires know of our weakness, Ray. They have hunted us until there were no more to hunt. The only reason I’m still alive is because I hadn’t met you. My last brother William is only alive because he moves so often and tells no one except me where he’ll be. If they find you they . . .” As much as I wanted to tell him, I didn’t want to scare him off.
 

“They’ll stop at nothing to kill me.”
 

“Yes. For some reason, when the attacks started, our descendants stopped maturing. Generations came and went, and nothing. Not a single one. William was the last to reach maturity. After him there have been no more, and we don’t know why. The vampires show
no
mercy. They’re cruel and have no regard for life.” I searched his face as I spoke, looking for any sign of fear.
 

I found none.
 

“What do they want?”
 

“Dominance. Over everyone.” My mind started to dwell on the problem that was our ever-dwindling numbers, and the consequences of the day we were no longer here.
 

“We should head back. There’s a storm coming, and I don’t think you would enjoy being ill,” I told him, looking at the dark clouds which were closing in.
 

It took me only seconds to pack everything we’d taken for the day. It was amazing how comfortable I was around him now that he knew everything. I had no issues darting after a napkin that had been caught by a sudden wind or using my strength to load up my horse without help. It was only when it came to mounting the horses that we hit a small issue.

“Oh my! I never thought,” I whispered as Ray stood staring at Falcon. “Would you be offended if I offered to help you?”

“Normally I’d decline your offer, but I don’t think I have much of a choice.”
 

“I promise not to tell anyone if you accept my help. How’s that?”

He laughed. “I didn’t figure you for the gossiping type.”
 

It was a simple enough task to offer my hands as a step for him. He reluctantly put all of his weight on me, steadying himself on my shoulders.
 

“You won’t hurt me,” I reassured him when he paused.

“Are you sure?”
 

“Completely. If you knew some of the situations I’ve been in over the years, you would know I’m very hard to kill.”
 

With only a moment more of hesitation, he clambered atop Falcon. Once I was settled in Tara’s saddle, I dug my heels in and we surged into a pleasant trot.

“I want to ask you so much,” Ray said quietly.

“Ask, though I may not always be able to answer.”
 

“When you say Weres, do you mean
werewolves?
”
 

“In a way. The Weres are spread throughout the world, living in groups made up of the shifters, their mates, and any children they have. They don’t all shift into wolves at the full moon, though. The ones in this country change into black leopards. The ones in Russia, on the other hand, they do turn into wolves.”
 

There were other types of Weres: the Congo Lions of Africa, the Great Bears of Canada, and the Panthers of Brazil. Most of them migrated occasionally, but they stayed within their respective countries, rarely coming into contact with each other. Their numbers had stayed roughly the same over the years. They weren’t a thriving species like the vampires, but they survived and were happy enough.
 

“They sound like fascinating creatures.”
 

“Standing at almost twice the size of their animals, they are truly beautiful, and deadly. And they can be very hostile to others, preferring the solitude of their own, opposed to the social aspects of regular society, and they’re fiercely protective.” Stunning creatures or not, I avoided them unless I had to.

“Do they mature, like you? Or is it different for everyone?”

“All vampires were once human, but were created by the exchange of blood. Witches are born and inherit their powers, and Weres are also born, not made. The same can be said of us. Then when our bodies and minds are ready, we mature.” It was the only way to accurately describe what we went through, a kind of growing up process. “Our bodies get stronger, faster. Our senses heighten, and our gifts make themselves known. It takes a couple of weeks, a gradual change so we can grow accustomed to what we are.”

“So there’s no set age? It just . . . happens?”

“Whenever we’re ready, whenever that might be. My sister matured when she was only fourteen years old, whereas I was twenty.”

“That was my next question.” He was smiling eagerly, so excited that I was sharing this with him. “You mentioned earlier that the vampires often have gifts when they’re turned. Do you have them, as well?”

“Yes, although ours are more defensive than aggressive. Where the vampires are telepathic, we aren’t. We can see a person’s thoughts when we enter their mind, but prefer to respect their privacy when possible, changing only what we need to. And we have our defences.”

“They can do nothing to you?”

“Not that we’re aware of.” It was yet another thing they absolutely despised about us. “It will be a grave day if they ever gain the ability to touch us with their powers.”

“And what of your gifts? Do they work on everyone?”
 

“They do. It’s one of the reasons we believe we are here to keep the peace. If no one could touch us, but we could affect all, then surely we were meant to do as we do.”

“Some would say you were here to rule all.”