Keepers of the Flame (Trilogy Bundle)

by Melissa F. Hart

  His eyes narrowed. “I'm really quite fond of you, Katy. But don't think I won't kill you if I have to. I want that stone and nothing's going to stand in my way.”

  “If you want it so badly, I can hand it over to you.”

  We all turned when we heard Luanne's voice. She had moved a few steps closer to where her grandparents were standing.

  “Hmm, I can see your grandmother has been training you well. I want you as well as the stone. After all, don't you think it's time I got to know my granddaughter?”

  Luanne snorted and I pushed down a chuckle. “As if! You never bothered, so I'm pretty much sure it's not a relationship with me you're after. I'm just curious though, what happened this evening? What sent you scurrying away with your tail between your legs?”

  I held my breath and it seemed almost everyone else in the room did the same. I was also curious, but Luanne was treading on thin ground. Morrison was a very dangerous man. I saw the fury light up his eyes, but being the consummate warrior that he was, he controlled his reaction.

  “That is no concern of yours,” he said shortly.

  “You were scared off, weren't you?” she taunted, moving closer. “So even if I go with you, what makes you believe you can get me to do what you want?”

  “Ah, I did underestimate you didn't I?” Morrison's eyes glittered with pure evil. “I don't have the need to make you do anything. All I need is your essence, girl.”

  There was shocked silence. “What do you want to do with her essence?” Katrina cried in horror.

  Lord Morrision looked really pleased with himself. “I'm sure you've heard of artificial intelligence? I've developed a robot that has everything needed to be a keeper. Once we transfer her essence to the robot, we'll have no further use for her.”

  “If you take her essence you'll kill her, you bastard!” I yelled struggling against the bonds in vain.

  He turned speculative eyes to me. “Hmm, it appears the Protector has feelings for the Keeper. Didn't I teach you better than that, Farley?” He studied me for a moment. “How is your father, boy? Heard from him lately? No? Shame.”

  I grit my teeth and forced myself to remain silent. Morrison had discovered me and he had been my trainer and mentor when I'd joined the protectors. He knew me maybe better than anyone else did and there was no one I hated more on earth.

  He turned away from me, bored. “All right! Enough of the chit chat. We need to be on our way. Come, girl!”

  He stretched his hand out and drew Luanne to him. One minute she was standing several steps from him in the middle of the living room, and the next she was standing right beside him. He grabbed her hand and began to move.

  “No! You can't take her, you coward!” Katrina launched at him.

  He lifted his free hand and blasted a ball of fire at her. She flung both hands out and a produced a shield of ice. Katrina was immediately attacked from all angles and as she battled her assailants, I struggled against my bonds, feeling totally helpless as Morrison dragged Luanne with him.

  “Dylan, help me!”

  I could hear her screaming and tears of rage filled my eyes. Where was the backup I'd requested? Why were they taking so long. The battle between Katrina and the other vampires raged on and while she was definitely a match for them, I could tell she was tiring.

  I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate. I wasn't sure if this was going to work, first of all my powers had been greatly reduced, but secondly, she was so tightly closed up. Still I knew I had to try. I focused my thoughts on Luanne and reached out.

  Fight, Luanne. You're strong enough and you can do this! Fight!

  I got nothing and began to panic. I could see Morrison heading toward the living room door and Luanne was struggling with him.

  Fight! Dammit Luanne, I said bloody fight him!

  Suddenly she stopped fighting and went limp. With my heart in my mouth, I saw Morrison stumble, then he bent to try and pick her up. I have no idea what happened then. One minute he was bending down to pick Luanne up, and then suddenly a huge ball of flame engulfed her. He shouted and jumped back, but she was like a spinning ball of fury. She went after him and wrapped her fiery arms around him then shot up through the roof, into the air.

  It all happened so fast that I was still wondering whether I'd hallucinated what had just happened. Before I could get my breath the room filled with protector agents and the other vampires were quickly overpowered. The platinum bonds holding me were broken and I shot up, after Luanne and Morrison.

  As I hovered in the night air, I was instinctively drawn to a solitary figure. Hovering a good distance away, dressed in black, with a river of golden hair flowing almost to the waist, the solitary figure stayed motionless, alone in the night. Even without checking, I knew it was Luanne. I moved beside her and though she must have known I was standing there, she didn't turn to look at me.

  “What happened to Morrison?”

  “He's gone.”

  “That's good, but we need to get you out of here before he returns.”

  She made no move. I tried to get into her mind, but as usual, it was air tight. “Luanne?” I understood that she must have been suffering from shock but every moment we wasted was crucial.

  “He's gone, Dylan. Gone as in dead. Turned-into-ashes dead.”

  She turned to look at me then and I could see she'd been crying. There were still tears in her eyes. I wanted to know what had happened, who had finished off Lord Morrison. I had a thousand and one questions, but I drew her close to me instead and enfolded her in a hug. We stayed there in silence and it felt so right. Even though I was the one offering comfort, I felt like the loneliness which had been my companion for as long as I could remember was being slowly drained out of me.

  “I killed my grandfather, Dylan,” she said in a small voice.

  “Shh...don't talk like that.” I ran a hand over her hair, trying to soothe her. “Lord Morrison would have killed you, you know that don't you? You didn't have a choice.”

  “But he was my grandfather. That's the only other family I have, except for Katrina.”

  I knew how she felt. Mortal or vampire, your first intentional killing is always traumatic and for this young woman, it was probably more heartbreaking. Still, I needed to make her understand.

  “He would have killed Katrina, Lu,” I said as gently as I could. “You did what you had to.”

  She didn't say anything for some time then she nodded, her head bobbing against my jacket. Finally she drew back and just like that, I felt the emptiness and loneliness flood back inside me.

  I looked at her searchingly and she finally met my gaze, hers was like the sky on a rainy day. She smiled tremulously and I felt something give way in the region where my heart was supposed to be.

  “Thanks, Dylan. You've been great,” she said shyly.

  I stared at her and then closed my eyes briefly, before opening them again. I knew I shouldn't do what I was about to do, but for the life of me, I could not help myself. Very slowly, giving her the opportunity to escape and hoping fervently that she would take it, I cupped her cheek with one hand and leaned down to do what I'd wanted to do from the first moment I'd seen her in her grandmother's kitchen. As my lips touched hers, she sighed softly and closed her eyes. I couldn't have stopped then even if I'd wanted to stop. And I didn't. I suddenly felt like kissing her was as essential to me as my essence and even though I didn't understand it, I was far too preoccupied to question it.

  ***

  My heart was beating rapidly as his mouth came closer. I knew he was going to kiss me and I wanted him to with everything in me. I sighed softly and closed my eyes just as his lips touched mine. The kiss was sweet and gentle, but I felt his passion simmering beneath the surface. Passion for me, Luanne Kylor. It was a heady feeling and I allowed myself get lost in it.

  He pulled away gently and I finally opened my eyes. I gazed into his eyes and the expression in them made me catch my breath.

  “We need to get bac
k to the house,” he said softly.

  I nodded and the warm feeling returned when he took my hand. This time there was no teleporting and we took our time moving through the night skies toward my grandmother's home. Reliving my first kiss, I knew that as horrible as my life had been, it was finally going to get better.

  TO BE CONTINUED IN BOOK TWO: The Stone Keeper - Book 2

  The Stone Keeper

  Chapter One

  Hi, my name is Luanne Kylor and I'm a freshman at one of the colleges in California. I live with my grandmother, Katrina. And I'm a vampire. I know you probably weren't expecting to hear that. Well, not many people know, not even my best friend, Claire.

  You see, I'm not like any vampires you know. Nothing like what you watch on TV, either. I belong to a race of vampires known as the Pereneans, or the Born vampires. We were not made or created. No one bit me on the neck or anything like that. I was born a vampire. We've come a long way as vampires and have gone through what you might call evolution. Sunlight still bothers us but not enough to do any serious harm, unless you count sunburn. And that thing about killing us with the stake? That is so eighteenth century. Even the silver bullet thing doesn't work anymore. Like I said, we've evolved.

  Last year was a hard year for me. A lot of stuff went down in my life. First, I got attacked and almost lost my life, but that's a different story altogether. Second, I met Dylan. Now that is a story worth telling, or it would be, if there were any story to tell.

  Dylan is a Vampire Protector and he belongs to the order of protectors. He was assigned as my bodyguard...ehm, yeah, you heard right. That is not unconnected to the almost-lost-my-life story. Anyway, we got close and when things finally calmed down, we shared this wonderful kiss. I still have dreams about that kiss. Sigh. But that was what? Eight months ago, and is Dylan my boyfriend? Heck no. After that night when I finally had my first kiss with the only guy I'd ever wanted to share a kiss with, I haven't seen him again. No, you heard me right. He went off into the night and I've seen neither hide nor hair of him.

  I'd love to say that I never heard of him again but that won't be true. He does keep in touch. I get the odd message from him now and then and each month he calls once, without fail. But I wanted more than that from him. Oh well, after waiting so long I've finally decided that I'm done with waiting. I'll be turning eighteen in five months and I've never had a boyfriend. Just think about it for a second. Yeah, I know, it's pathetic. I'm not boy crazy or anything and I'm not even into fashion and all that stuff. But I've never had a boyfriend before. I had to repeat it so that it can sink in.

  Which is why I'm in my room right now, in front of my full length mirror, trying on several outfits. Yeah, I finally decided to go out on a date. No more waiting for Dylan. He doesn't want me? Fine. Do you know how many guys on campus are dying to go out with me? Hundreds! Literally thousands! Okay, so maybe I've exaggerated a little bit. Still, I gaze at my reflection in the mirror and yes, I have no problem with that, even though I'm a vampire.

  I don't look bad. I'm not too tall, that's true, but I'll blame that on my grandmother. I took her petite frame. I have really long blonde hair, it's almost to my waist and I've been seriously considering cutting it. My face is pretty enough. My eyes are almond shaped and they're gray. Admittedly, it's not as nice as having baby blues, or exotic green eyes, and I would probably kill for Claire's lovely brown Bambi eyes. Still, they’re mine and not bad. My nose is normal and my lips are just fine, maybe a little too full and too wide. But I don't deceive myself. I know the real reason I get asked out at least five times every week is because of my bust. Have I mentioned I have a small frame? Can you imagine what a D cup looks like on that frame? Yeah, you got it. Cutting my hair is not the only thing I'm considering.

  “Lu!”

  That's Katrina calling. Even though she can just appear in my room, she's good about knocking before she enters, or calling in this case. I waited a beat and sure enough, she appeared in my room.

  “What do you think?” I turned to her.

  She eyed my outfit without saying a word. I was dressed in a pair of skinny jeans, with a black French-cut t-shirt. She shook her head at me.

  “Haven't I taught you anything, child?”

  I knew what she meant. I looked at her then, clad in her latest designer ensemble. Katrina was hands down, the most stylish person I knew. No celebrity, mortal or vampire, holds a candle to her. Of course it helped that her face was completely free of wrinkles. There was no strand of grey in her lovely auburn curls and she had the body and face of a thirty year old model. The truth was that she's a little over a hundred and fifty years old, but she would kill anyone who mentioned her age.

  “I don't have anything else to wear,” I moaned.

  She tut-tutted at me then snapped her fingers. Instantly a very little dress in red leather appeared in her hands. She held it out to me and I reluctantly put it on. I stared at my reflection in fascinated horror. Did I forget to mention that the dress was very little? It barely covered my backside, and clung to my body like a second skin and to make matters worse, it had no straps.

  “Is it your goal to get me ravished this evening?”

  “None of your lip, young lady.” She ordered and snapped her fingers again.

  Another dress appeared, this time a floral affair in pale yellow. It had straps too, or at least a single strap as I discovered when I put it on. It hugged my bust then flared gently, ending just above my knees.

  “Perfect,” she stated in satisfaction.

  Even I had to admit that it was perfect. I looked lovely and not too formal. It was a first date and we were going to a fancy restaurant, still I did not want to look too dressed up.

  “I like it,” I said with a pleased smile. My smile faded slightly as I looked at my hair, caught in its usual ponytail. Hmmm, what to do with the hair?

  “You need to do something about your hair, you can't go in a ponytail,” Katrina pointed out.

  “Actually, I can. Ponytails are very hip right now,” I said just to be contrary.

  She delicately rolled her eyes at me. “Does anyone even use the word hip these days? You're the teenager, Lu. Try to keep up with the times. Now sit down,” she ordered.

  I sighed as I obediently sat on the stool at the dressing table. I knew it was pointless to argue. Katrina in her take-charge mode was impossible to resist. Besides, I knew next to nothing about hair and makeup and stuff and I figured there was no harm trusting a woman who had decades of experience in that stuff. I should have known better.

  She stood beside me and tilted her head from side to side, making small hmmm sounds. She placed both hands on her hips and walked from my right hand side to my left hand side. After a few moments of that, I began to fidget. How hard could it be anyway?

  “Stay still, girl. I'm trying to create a masterpiece here.”

  I rolled my eyes but didn't say anything. When she was satisfied, she stood behind me and waved her index finger in an air circle. My long tresses of hair suddenly rearranged themselves into a topknot at the back of my head. There were tendrils escaping from each side and it all looked very sophisticated. I looked at my reflection and thought that if I ever wanted a career as a poster girl, I probably could do well there. Or a porn star. I shook my head to loosen the topknot and it came undone.

  “It's too much,” I said.

  “You're right. It's for an older woman.” She pursed her lips and studied my reflection again, and then a smile lit her face. “I've got it!”

  I sat still as she moved her finger again and the hair arranged itself into a simple French braid. It was fantastic! The beauty of the hair was the simplicity. The braid began from the left side of my head and ended at my nape. It was then curled into a bun just at the nape. It was a classy take on my usual ponytail.

  “Oh Katrina, I love it!” I jumped up and gave her a tight hug.

  She hugged me back and I could see the soft sheen of tears in her eyes. “You're so beautiful. You
remind me of your Mom when she married your Dad. She was so beautiful and I think I fell in love with her afresh. I miss them so much.”

  I hugged her again but didn't say anything. I lost my Mom and Dad and my little sister when I was thirteen, and it's not something I liked talking about. Actually, I didn't talk about it, period.

  “Thank you, Grandma,” I said softly.

  She stood up straight and directed a mock frown at me. “Do I look like a grandma to you?”

  I laughed as I shook my head. It was a long-standing joke between us. “You don't even look like anybody's mother,” I teased.

  “Oh just get ready! I have things to do.”

  I heard her laughter as she disappeared from my room. I stood in front of the mirror once again, this time with a huge smile on my face. I was going to have fun that night and I was not going to allow thoughts of Dylan to get in the way.