by Raven, T. R.
“No matter,” she continued briskly. “That was years ago. John had worked with Nikoli in Hungary in the middle part of the century so when we married Nikoli and I grew acquainted with each other. John was a bit of a history buff, both human and vampire. He understood the importance of the Keepers and their Guardians and devoted his life to helping them protect the Fang of Stavros. When John passed it felt only natural to have Nikoli move in to keep me company.” She smiled gently at her undead friend.
“So you have been nearby all this time?” Claire turned her attention back to Nikoli. “I don’t even know exactly where we are, since I fell asleep in the truck, but we can’t be that far away from home.”
Nikoli grinned at her. “Yes, I remember your ill-timed nap, you were tired out from your fight to get away from me.”
Claire punched him playfully on the arm. She could barely believe the emotional roller coaster she was on- just minutes ago she was fighting against an emotional breakdown, and now she was horsing around with the man she tried to knee in the groin only hours before. Joyce explained it as an instinctual pull to her Guardian, perhaps she was right.
“We are about 25 miles from your Grandfather’s home, and I had no idea the Keeper was so close. I wound up here after John was killed, I worried about Joyce being alone.”
“I can take care of myself, but it’s been good to have you here anyways,” Joyce replied. “The sun is up, let’s finish this so we can get some rest. Claire, think hard now for me- where is the Fang? Nikoli said he couldn’t persuade you, no human can resist persuasion unless they’ve got the Fang as it’s been enchanted by Circe herself.”
“I told you I-” Claire trailed off as her fingers reached for to her neckline. Slowly she pulled out her Grandma’s locket, the one her Grandfather had given her as a graduation gift. She hadn’t removed it since her Grandpa put it on her that day. It had been hidden under her t-shirt all this time. Joyce gasped, and Claire felt Nikoli tense up beside her. She removed the necklace from her neck and laid it out on the table, admiring the simple, elegant design of the mother of pearl accents imbedded in the gold locket.
“Could this be it?” she asked, gently fingering the accents.
Nikoli took it from under Claire’s fingers and examined it. “Yes” he replied, barely audible. “Tamas may have turned it into a pretty trinket, but that’s it, that’s the Fang of Stavros.”
“How can you be sure? I thought it was mother of pearl.”
“I am the Guardian of the Keeper,” Nikoli replied. “It is my duty, my instinct, to know it, right through every fiber of my being.”
“All right now.” Joyce pushed up briskly from the table. “We’ve all been up all night, time to turn in. We all need some sleep. We found the Keeper, we found the Fang of Stavros, and the Keeper isn’t trying to maim the Guardian anymore.” Joyce smiled at her own joke. “It’s time we turned in. You’re safe here Claire, no worries child. The only vampire in the world who can withstand sunlight is Nikoli. The Myrmidons don’t know that secret, not one in the bunch nearly as smart as my John was. I’ll show you to your room.”
Claire reluctantly released Nikoli’s hand and rose to follow Joyce. “Goodnight then, I guess,” she said softly to Nikoli.
“I’m coming up too.” He fell in line behind Claire, following Joyce up the staircase.
“I’m just down there if you need anything.” Joyce pointed to the door at the end of the hall. “This will be your room while you’re here, I hope it’ll do.” She opened the second door on the right and led Claire into a lovely bedroom. It was bright with the morning sun streaming in through the huge floor to ceiling windows, with faded old wallpaper and a lovely antique fireplace. A dark wood four poster bed touched against the far wall, and a comfy-looking overstuffed chair faced the fireplace.
Joyce patted a pile of neatly folded clothing on the bed. “I put these out for you before you arrived. I didn’t know your size, but I figured you’d be smaller than this old rounded out country gal,” she gestured to her thick middle, “so I dug up some old clothes of mine in the attic, from my younger years when I was lean. I hope they’ll do. There are sneakers in the closet, I had a few pairs I bought and never wore kicking around, maybe one’ll fit you. The bathroom’s through there.” Joyce pointed to the adjoining private bathroom. “I intend to sleep 4 hours. I’ll wake you when I get up, we’ve much more to discuss about what happens next.”
Claire nodded. “Thank you Joyce, it’s perfect.” She still had a thousand questions, still had no idea what these ‘next’ plans Joyce and Nikoli spoke of were. But after all she had been through in just the last night past, all Claire wanted was a hot shower and a long sleep.
Chapter 6
Under the blast of hot water in the shower Claire finally allowed herself to fall apart. She slumped to the bottom of the tub, sobbing uncontrollably. She wept for her lost parents and brother, slaughtered while they slept in their beds by cruel vampires under the control of Stavros. She wept for herself, removed from the safe world she once knew in which there were no real monsters in the night. She wept for her Gramps, who fled his homeland after the death of his brother on the battlefield. She wept for all she had lost in the last few days. When she could weep no more, she pulled herself upright and cleaned herself up. While scrubbing her hair under the shower stream, her tears spent, her thoughts wandered to Nikoli. With regret Claire realized she never bid him goodbye before they turned into their rooms, one moment he was on the stairs behind her, the next she and Joyce were in her room- without Nikoli. No matter- she’d see him when she woke up, she was sure of it. The thought of their next encounter made her smile to herself.
No sooner had she slipped into the sweats and tank top Joyce had left out for her than a knock sounded on her door. Toweling her wet hair dry, she opened the door.
“Thank you Joyce, these fit fine and…” Claire stopped mid-sentence. There stood Nikoli, holding a bouquet of wild flowers.
“Claire, I hope I’m not disturbing you,” he began, holding out the wildflowers to her. “I picked these for you from the yard. I just wanted to apologize for earlier last night. It’s not my usual character to forcibly take a lady,” he said nervously, his demeanor stiff.
Claire stood frozen in shock for a second. Here he was, Mr. Hot Vampire, outside her door with flowers for her. “Please, come in.” She gestured for him to enter the room.
“I’m not sure it’s proper for me to-”
Claire cut him off with a grin. “You carried me kicking and screaming out to your truck in the middle of the night, Nikoli. I’ve seen your fangs, seen you inject yourself with raccoon blood, seen you slice and dice your own arm. I think we’re past proper.” She gestured again for him to come in.
Nikoli nodded abruptly and entered her room still holding out her bouquet. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am I frightened you like that when I took you. I had to get you out of there before the Myrmidons found you,” he explained, his brow wrinkling in concern.
Claire took the flowers from him and admired them before placing them on the dresser. “Here,” she motioned, turning the overstuffed chair to face the bed. “Please sit.”
Nikoli obeyed, visibly relaxing once he was seated in the chair with Claire sitting across from him on the bed, legs crossed beneath her.
“It’s I that owe you the apology,” she explained. “Everything you told me in the truck sounded just plain crazy. I thought you were a garden variety psycho killer, not a vampire Guardian of the Keeper.” She smiled gently at him. “I hope I didn’t hurt you, fighting you like I did.” Her expression turned somber, her eyes searching his.
Nikoli grinned back at her. “No Claire, you could never physically hurt me like that. It takes more than one wild young lady to do a vampire in,” he teased.
Claire laughed out loud.
“Also,” Nikoli reached into his front jeans pocket. “You left this on the table.” He held out her locket in his palm. “You must never, eve
r again let this leave your person, do you understand? It is your duty to keep and protect it.” He gave her a disapproving look.
“Okay, I understand, it’ll take a little getting used to though,” Claire replied, standing. She turned around in front of Nikoli, sweeping her damp dark hair off her neck. “Would you please put it back on me? I won’t take it off again, I promise.”
Behind her Claire heard Nikoli’s breath catch in his throat. “I mean, you can do that without biting me, can’t you?” she asked playfully, hiding her concern she had just exposed her neck to a proven vampire without thinking it over first.
Nikoli stood and placed his cool hands on her shoulders, his voice low and steady in her ear. “I would never bite you Claire, it’s my duty to aid and protect you, and even if it weren’t, I could never see harm done to you.” It was all Claire could do to not push up against him. She had felt sparks when he wiped away her tear down in the kitchen, now her whole body was aflame with desire, his body just right behind her. She spun around to face him, eyes blazing, damp curls forgotten and falling down her back. Now it was her whose breath caught in her throat. She had to tilt her head up slightly to meet Nikoli’s gaze.
“You’re quite an enchanting creature,” he murmured softly, reaching to sweep her hair out of the way again. He reached both hands behind her to clasp the locket around her slender neck.
Kiss me, Claire begged silently. His arms were around her neck, her hands resting on his biceps as he put the locket back on her, their lips only inches apart. She no longer cared why she felt this way about him, no longer wanted to dissect how the young man that had before seemed like such a threat to her was now the object of her desire. Claire had had boyfriends in the past few years, but no one had ever affected her like Nikoli did. Despite all her loss recently, all she could think about in that moment was kissing Nikoli. She leaned forward, resting her body against his and tilted her head up slightly, lips parted. Her heart sang when she realized Nikoli was moving to meet her in the kiss. She closed her eyes, relishing the suspense of it all.
“No, Claire, we mustn’t.” Nikoli gently but firmly pushed her away, shaking his head.
“Don’t you want to kiss me?” Claire instantly hated the high pitched tone her voice had suddenly taken on but couldn’t help herself. She was crushed at the rejection.
Nikoli ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation. How Claire longed to run her fingers through it, and he was still mere inches from her.
“More than anything right now, okay? Yes, I want to kiss you-more than you understand.” Nikoli fell back into the chair again. “I have not been attracted to woman as I am you since before I was turned,” he admitted frankly. “I’ve wanted to kiss you since I saw you asleep at Ava’s. I wanted to kiss you when you woke up in the truck. It was all I could do not to kiss you when you ran out the front door into my arms, trying to escape again. I wanted to make Joyce disappear and kiss you like crazy when I held your hand in the kitchen and heard how your heart picked up its frantic pace at my touch.”
“So why won’t you? I want you to kiss me, why won’t you?” Claire demanded.
“Claire,” Nikoli sighed, deflated. “You heard Joyce- Keepers are inherently trusting and fond of their Guardians. What you’re feeling towards me is generations of Keeper’s blood pushing you to have a good relationship with me. As we’re both heterosexual and of the opposite sex, a ‘good’ relationship between us might be of a romantic type.”
“What’s wrong with that? If you want me so much, why won’t you kiss me?” Claire’s eyes were alight with an angry flame.
“Because, my Keeper, your desire for me is probably genetically based- because of your lineage and my history, I cannot trust you truly want me. It’s your genetics talking, and I won’t take advantage of that.” His eyes bore into hers. “No matter how much I’d like to,” he added softly.
“That’s bullcrap,” Claire seethed at him.
Nikoli chuckled. “There’s the part of you I adored instantly, Claire- you’re a fighter. You didn’t start screaming again in the truck when I told you I was a vampire, you all but rolled your eyes in disbelief at me. You didn’t pass out or jump up screaming when I cut myself at the table, you stayed put and watched me heal, never missing a beat. You’re strong willed, bull headed, and have thus far been up to every challenge I’ve thrown your way.”
Claire pouted prettily, knowing it was a look on her most boys couldn’t resist. She wanted him, this mysterious creature of the night she originally thought would kill her who in reality saved her life. “It seems right now it’s you who’s playing the part of the fighter, Nikoli.”
Nikoli chuckled again. “You do run me in circles, my Claire, and I think you enjoy doing it. Come, enough about kissing. I’ve resisted your charms all I can for now.” He stood up and stretched his arms up over his head sleepily, allowing Claire the briefest of glances at his rock hard abs as his shirt slid up. He grinned wickedly at her. “Two can play at that game, Claire. I may not have seduced a woman in over a century, but I have yet to forget the art of seduction.” With that Nikoli flashed her a sexy smile and left her alone in her room, closing the door softly behind him.
Claire threw a pillow at the closed door in frustration. Nikoli kidnapped her like something out of a nightmare, became Mr. Hot, Sweet and Concerned in the kitchen downstairs, brought her flowers, and then wouldn’t even kiss her despite the current of attraction they felt between them. Who cared if it was because she was a Keeper? She wanted him, and she knew he wanted her too.
Claire suddenly became ashamed- her family had all been killed, she had to protect the Fang Of Stavros to keep an uber-vampire from returning from the grave, and here she was sulking her new sexy vampire Guardian wouldn’t kiss her. She lay back on the bed, meaning to straighten out all of the competing thoughts swirling around in her head. She fell asleep almost instantly.
Chapter 7
Claire awoke to the smell of pancakes and coffee. As best she could judge from the light pouring into her room it was late afternoon or thereabouts. She took a deep breath, steadying herself against the rush of information that hit her all at once as she recalled the events of the night before. The bouquet on the dresser caught her eye and she smiled to herself until embarrassment flooded through her. She had all but thrown herself at Nikoli and was turned down, flat out rejected by him. She loathed the thought of getting out of bed but knew she needed to find out what happened next, now that she knew she was a Keeper, with a Guardian of her own.
She padded barefoot down to the kitchen. To her both her relief and disappointment Nikoli wasn’t there. Joyce stood at her huge stovetop, flipping pancakes. She heard Claire and looked up from her cooking.
“Well there you are dear, I decided to let you sleep more after all, figured you needed it. Help yourself, please.” Joyce gestured to the freshly brewed coffee. “Tell me, Claire, what did you do to that boy?”
Claire almost dropped the coffee pot. “I, uh, he….” Claire blushed redder than she thought possible.
Joyce winked at her. “Relax, Claire, I’m teasing you. Though Nikoli is grumpier than a rattlesnake today.” She paused, waiting for Claire to meet her gaze. When she did Joyce continued. “I have never seen him so smitten.”
“Smitten?” Claire responded shakily, sipping her coffee.
Joyce grinned. “Yes, smitten- with you. In all the time I’ve known him Nikoli’s had to beat the ladies off with a stick. He can’t go into town without one young lady or another mooning over him. He does his best to ignore them, but eventually they hear through folks that he lives out here with me. Then the phone starts ringing off the hook, and some of the bolder ones have even dropped by uninvited, trying to catch his eye. They generally make complete asses out of themselves until poor Nikoli’s got no choice but to persuade them to forget him. He hates doing it,” she chuckled. “But if he didn’t we’d have a front yard full of girls waiting to catch a glimpse of him.”
&nbs
p; “He’s a hit with the girls?” Claire asked, finding her voice again.
“Oh honey,” Joyce giggled. “Not just the girls. I’ve personally seen middle aged women batting their eyelashes at him when we go in to town. They should know better- he’s half their age! Well, as far as they know, anyways. Nikoli’s got a way with the ladies, whether he means to or not. But I have never seen him return the interest, til you.” Joyce put her spatula down placed a hand on each of Claire’s shoulders, becoming suddenly serious.
“John had told me, when he was alive, that he had never known Nikoli to have romantic relationships, he always gently turned away the ladies chasing after his affections, persuading them if he had to. He told John there was no point to it, getting attached to someone who would age and die right before his eyes while he stayed young forever. He was never the type to use them and leave them, though I’m sure the girls would have been happy to take whatever attention they could get from him. He has always been polite, but never encouraged their attentions or returned their affection- until you, Claire.” With that Joyce went back to cooking the pancakes.
“He thinks I only like him because he’s my Guardian!” Claire burst out, no longer feeling embarrassed but frustrated instead.
Joyce shook her head. “He’s a fool sometimes, that one. But I knew as soon as I saw him with you he had feelings for you. You thought we meant you harm and you acted accordingly, but he remained patient and calm with you.” She turned back to Claire once again. “I have never, ever seen Nikoli so much as glance at a girl before you showed up here. I almost fell out of my chair last night when he wiped your tears away. That one only shows his affections openly to those dearest to him.” Something out the window caught her eye. “Enough about Nikoli now, he’s coming back from the barn.”