The Last Keeper's Daughter

by Rebecca Trogner

  “When I was little,” she said, “Walter would leave clues for me to follow. Sometimes a riddle, or a puzzle, or some sort of cryptogram.”

  Three pairs of male eyes followed her walk over to the floor to ceiling windows.

  “What does it mean?” Hunter made a valiant attempt at sounding calm.

  “I don’t know, but I think I know where he is pointing us. I can show you.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  “If she were mine, I’d chain her to my side,” Henry said, while watching Lily swim laps in the Neptune pool.

  “Did I ask for your counsel?” Krieger clenched his jaw. “I’ve witnessed how you treat humans. Do not test me.”

  “Humans, like you worry for their wellbeing. Do you know how many there are now?” Henry didn’t wait for Krieger’s answer. “Six to seven billion. They’re like locusts. Tasty, though.” He laughed.

  Krieger chose to ignore his comments. “Why are you here?” It had been three nights since Henry’s arrival. He’d used the excuse of being too consumed with matters of state to meet with his wayward brother. A part of him wanted Henry to leave, while another part hoped for them to reconcile, hoped for Henry to change.

  “Can’t I visit my brother?” Henry turned away from the pool with its Ionic columns and palm trees to look him in the eye. “I have regretted our parting.”

  “As have I.” Krieger went back to watching Lily swim back and forth along the length of the pool. The colored tiles glistened as her movements splashed water across their surface. The doctor had explained she needed to release the excess energy in her system caused by his blood. Unfortunately, her private pool wasn’t adequate for exercise.

  “You had me watched with Cherie. Do you trust me so little?”

  “Why did you kill the queen’s boys?”

  “Their purpose was served. They were no longer needed to carry the litter.” Henry smiled. “I killed them for you. I told you, the queen sent us to spy.”

  “Really, you drained them dry and tossed their bodies in my garden, for my benefit. Your thoughtfulness warms my heart.”

  “And what would you have done? Let them stay. I did what was needed.”

  “You did what you always do, whatever suits you. Now I have to negotiate with the bitch.” Krieger took a moment to control his anger.

  “Have you spoken to the queen?” Henry asked.

  “Worried?” Krieger gave him a long stare. “No, she must be otherwise occupied.”

  “I’ve no doubt.” Henry went to the long table. He raised the pitcher towards Krieger, who shook his head. “Suit yourself.”

  “I’ve heard rumors about your queen’s court. The stories are…disturbing.”

  “Then do something about it.”

  “You say that so easily. She is a sovereign. Do you have proof? If yes, then it is something for the Elder to adjudicate.”

  “Proof,” Henry scoffed. “You think he doesn’t know of the queen’s predilections?”

  He wondered what Henry had endured while in the frozen court of the queen. “Which is why I had you watched with Cherie. I will not have any of my subjects mistreated. She is a valued member here, and as such, receives my protection. Your years with the queen have changed you.”

  It perplexed Krieger when Henry sat down heavily, his hand rubbing the side of his leg like he’d recently suffered an injury. His demeanor and mannerisms caused him to look older, more mature. Henry’s vitality and youthfulness had always been his most lethal assets.

  “I have learned the error of my ways. The queen has been an excellent teacher.” Henry’s lip rose up in a sneer. “She has taught me well what it is to be someone’s pet. To be totally powerless, to lose my dignity, and fall prey to her enticements.”

  “Why did you leave my court for hers, then? I warned you.”

  “Yes, brother, you warned me, and now you have every right to tell me so.”

  “I did not mean it in that way.”

  “You did.” Henry tilted the glass and gulped the contents like a greedy, hungry child. “Have you any understanding of what it’s like to watch while you rise to such heights? To always be the little brother of the great man who is Krieger?” Henry shook his head. “No, you would not know of these things. I wanted to strike out on my own. She promised me greatness.” Henry stood up slowly, again rubbing the offending leg, and walked towards the windows with a slight limp. “And here I am, back at your feet, groveling for your protection.”

  He’d heard this speech before. “Tell me why you are really here. What do you fear?”

  “Do I have sanctuary, then?” Henry asked.

  Krieger extended his arms out in the fashion of the Romans, and they clasped forearms. “We are brothers. Your place is by my side.” He held onto Henry’s arms, tightening his grip until he knew it was uncomfortable for Henry. “If you’re lying to me, if you’ve brought danger into my kingdom...” He yanked Henry closer. “If you ever cause Lily to feel uncomfortable again, I will have you begging for the queen’s attentions.”

  Henry stumbled back when he was released, rubbing his forearm.

  “Now tell me why you are here.”

  There were blood tears in Henry’s eyes when he spoke. “I don’t know if she believes I will spy for her or not. I don’t know exactly why she let me go.”

  Krieger gave his brother a moment to compose himself. His eyes drifted to the pool. Lily had tired of swimming and was floating on her back, her white hair fanned out around her face like Ophelia. “Tell me what you know.”

  Henry poured more blood. “There is always intrigue at court, even in yours.” He saluted with his glass. “Favorites are chosen, fall out of favor, and another takes their place. It is the ebb and flow of court life. The queen’s nature is mercurial, she has always been easily seduced by her cruel desires, but there was another side to her. We understood each other, shared, in a way most of our kind cannot.” His eyes lost focus, drifting off into the past while he spoke. “She would never tell me who, but someone told her about a coven of witches. The queen changed after they arrived, became more secretive. She withdrew, even from me.” Henry downed the contents of his glass. “The last night we were together she was euphoric, hinting at things to come.”

  “Witches,” Krieger said with disgust. “They know she is mad and fill her mind with their lies.”

  “Merlin is a witch, is he not?” Henry ran his finger along the glass edge.

  Krieger sighed. Merlin was, and he supposed would always be, a controversial figure in the vampire world. “He is comparable to none.”

  Henry let that argument go. “She is perfectly insane, but not without reasoning. Her mind has always been sharp, steps ahead of her opponents. Now that brilliant mind has been poisoned. She believes herself to be an architect of a new vampire age. I think she has been manipulated, controlled, into doing another’s bidding. Something terrible is going to happen. I know it, deep down, I know it.”

  “Do you think she was involved in the slaughter of Walter and Gibson?”

  “I don’t know.” Henry pressed his hand to the glass which protected them from the sun. “Wars have been fought for the likes of her.”

  Lily was spread out on the chaise, soaking up the sun’s rays, oblivious to their presence behind the window. The filters in between the glass prevented her from seeing inside.

  Krieger growled when she rolled over, her breasts almost escaping the small scraps of fabric. He’d vowed that she would not be a prisoner, locked away from the things she loved, until she became a mere shadow of her present being. To be vampire was to be possessive and territorial. Feeling her through the bond, knowing in this moment she was content, helped to alleviate his tension. He was confident in her security detail and she would never know the number of personnel that guarded her small body. Even with all these measures, he could not help but want to crush her against his side and never let her out of his sight. To know that she was something so precious that the Elder himself tra
veled to see her ignited a fierce protective instinct inside him. Yes, Henry was right; he would go to war for her.

  Liam strode up to stand behind her. She talked to him, something Krieger hadn’t expected. He’d overheard Lily telling the Vantor that he should pull his hair back. Now Liam’s hair was washed, combed, and off his face, which was also clean shaven. Clearly vampires weren’t the only ones who felt her otherworldly allure. Liam said something to her, and she turned and smiled. Krieger saw him inhale of her scent.

  “You can’t trust him with her. Fuck, you can’t trust anyone with her,” Henry said.

  There were reasons he trusted Liam to be Lily’s personal guard when he could not be with her. “She is mine.” Krieger’s voice conveyed danger.

  “Then why is she outside, while you are trapped in here? Why do you let her flaunt her scent?”

  “I will see to her as I deem fit.”

  Henry inhaled. “I’ve had everything. Hell, we’ve both had everything. Remember that time in Rome when we gorged on the pope’s menagerie?”

  “That was a long time ago,” Krieger answered.

  “Yes, before satellites and cell phones. Everything was so much easier then.” Henry tapped the glass. “I can detect no imperfection in her scent. How is that possible? Tell me, do you know what she is?” Henry looked at him and then back at Lily. “You care for her, don’t you? Oh that’s rich.” He laughed. “Do you love her, dear brother? That’s why you allow her such freedoms. You want your little pet to be happy,” he mocked.

  “Step lightly, little brother,” Krieger warned.

  Lily stood and swung her hair forward, combing her fingers through the thick curls until they fell in neat coils. When satisfied she swung up and arched her back to let her hair swing to and fro on her back. Lily did not affect these poses to seduce; if she knew the effect they had she would have been embarrassed. Her sexuality was a rose bud opening in front of his eyes.

  “She is my Sanguis Ancilla,” he said, more to himself than in answer to Henry’s question.

  “She’s far more than that.”

  “You were sent to spy. Whom do you report to?”

  “I don’t know. I was told that someone would contact me once I got here, but so far, no one has.”

  “You said the queen was interested in my Others. Anyone in particular? Were you to lure them away?” He looked hard at Henry. “Or try to take them from me?”

  Henry looked down. Krieger wasn’t sure if he was ashamed or acting the part. “Only to report anything uniquely suited to the queen’s taste.”

  “Cherie?”

  Henry shook his head. “She is talented and beautiful, but the queen has equally delectable delicacies. I was told to look for something rare.” He nodded towards Lily, who was now walking towards them. “What is rarer than your pet? I cannot look upon her too long without feeling that she is beckoning me. She touches the very essence of my vampire nature.”

  His brother had just articulated perfectly what he’d been feeling since the night he’d met her. Krieger calculated what to tell his brother. “These witches. Tell me more.”

  “They killed Marguerite.”

  “You have proof?” Krieger asked. Marguerite had been the one great love of Merlin’s long life. He’d almost destroyed himself when she’d left him for someone else. Why had she been in the queen’s territory?

  “No, but it is so. She was used for something. I tried to get her to confide in me, but she would not.”

  “How was she killed?”

  “You know Marguerite, always chasing after a new conquest. The official story was silver poisoning. I don’t believe that. She was almost as old as you. No mere human could have harmed her. The witches said her blood must be taken and purified in order to heal her.” Henry was completely lost in his memories. “They bled her out and left her to whither like dried leaves.

  “I begged the queen to intervene, but she only patted my head, and said that it would all be taken care of. One night when she thought I was too exhausted from her attentions to hear, the witches came to her. They said that it had been done.”

  “The Elder must be told.”

  Henry snapped out of his trance, his eyes wide and filled with hate. “Brother, do you trust him? Have vampires ever trusted him? Something is wrong. Even you, with your blind obedience to the law, must recognize the shift.”

  Henry was right. There was a time when the Elder knew and saw everything, but now his presence waned.

  “You should know there have been more deaths, more than just your keeper.” Henry went back to the decanter.

  Krieger raised his eyebrow, but said nothing. He felt Lily draw close to them. She was tired, excited, and content; it was an odd combination of emotions. Perhaps because Krieger was occupied with his thoughts of Lily, Henry felt ignored. His next words recaptured Krieger’s attention.

  “They’re drinking vampire blood.” Henry looked at him, and without a doubt Krieger knew what his brother’s next words would be. “The witches have had mine, dear brother.”

  Impulsive, reckless Henry, how could he have let this happen? Krieger raked his hair back. “You know that is forbidden.”

  “Of course I know. It wasn’t by choice. I hadn’t seen the queen in weeks, she wanted me to be festive and entertain her, said it would be like it used to be between us. I knew the blood was laced with something strong, but it didn’t matter, I just wanted to believe her words. When I awoke the witches were on me, drinking directly from my veins. They’re casting spells, doing things that should never be done, unspeakable things.”

  “Is she enslaving?” Krieger didn’t want to utter the word, but he knew he must. “Revenants?”

  “What would make you ask that?” Henry looked around, leaned in, and spoke very low. “Is there proof?”

  Interesting. His brother was not surprised by the question. If another vampire from the queen’s court had arrived they would have been staked and burned, their remains tossed out to the four winds. The queen knew this, which was why she’d sent Henry. He marveled for the millionth time how his creator could have chosen two such completely different men to be vampires. Placing his hand on Henry’s shoulder, he said, “All will be well,” but meant not a word of it.

  “No it won’t.” Henry regained his composure. “What are you going to do?”

  “Protect what is mine.” Krieger pulled out his mobile and texted Merlin that he was needed.

  In unison, the doors opened. Liam stepped through and bowed to Krieger. Behind him walked Lily with the towel completely covering her body. She looked out the windows, realized they had been watching her, and blushed.

  It was true what Henry had said. Lily possessed a magical pull. Krieger felt it deep in his gut, the need to be near her.

  Merlin hastily walked towards them. After so long together, Krieger was still intrigued by Merlin’s ability to be exactly where he was needed at precisely the right time. “Henry has information about his queen’s activities.”

  Merlin bowed and held his tongue. If Henry’s fate were in Merlin’s hands, Henry’s head would be decorating a pike right now.

  “I want you to stay inside the compound,” Krieger ordered Henry.

  Henry quickly moved to his side. “You might need me.”

  Krieger could only shake his head. “For now, you need to stay well guarded. Now that I know they’ve had your blood.”

  Henry gave Lily a glance and then walked away with Merlin.

  Lily was clearly wary of Henry. When she walked in and saw his brother talking with him, she’d tensed. If Henry had not been between them, Krieger knew she would have sought shelter against his side, but instead she stood behind Liam. It felt like an eternity since that night when he’d tasted her blood. Gently he tugged at the bond, encouraging her to move closer to him. He was pleased to see her move around Liam and walk to him. Curious as to how strong the blood bond was, he let a tiny fraction of his sexual need for her slip through. He would not m
ake her do anything she had an aversion to, but he could influence her mood and actions.

  Her beautiful eyes sparkled with a questioning look, the towel slowly slipping through her fingers to reveal a soft shoulder. Her tongue demurely skirted her bottom lip.

  “Lily.” He reached out his hand to her.

  Instead of dipping her eyes away from his, she held his gaze and walked the last few steps. Her hand, warm and soft, slipped into his.

  “How was your swim?”

  Lily blinked, her pupils dilated. “It was tiring, but nice.”

  Delicately he laid his hand on her upper chest, and slid it ever so slowly up and around her neck until her face was nestled in his large hand. She sighed and closed her eyes, leaning into his touch. His fangs extended with a snap. Her eyes opened, taking in their sharpness and length.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked. He closed the bond, not wanting to overwhelm or frighten her.

  “Yes.” She pulled her hand from his and tentatively reached out towards his fangs.

  “The tips are the sharpest.” Head tilted slightly back, he waited.

  “Does this mean you’re hungry?”

  Hungry for everything your body has to give, he wanted to say, but didn’t. Instead he waited while her finger traced over his fangs. “It was impolite for me to drop fang in public with you.” He looked up to see that Liam and guards had formed a tight circle around them.

  “Drop fang, that’s what you call it?”

  “We do. At the moment, it shows my attraction for you.”

  “Oh,” she responded. “For my blood?”

  “For your blood.” He leaned in, kissing along her jugular vein up to her ear. She shivered. Her body relaxed and melted into his. “For your body.”

  The intensity of his desire shook his control. He disengaged and stepped back. “Are you ready for the service tonight?”

  She swayed once, regained her footing and nodded. “Cherie and I went shopping. I didn’t have anything black to wear.”