The Last Guardian Rises (The Last Keeper's Daughter)

by Rebecca Trogner

  Hunter understood the importance of having a chain of command. Whatever the hell was happening right now at Stoke, the timing couldn’t be worse for them. “I’ll talk to Lucien when he gets here.”

  On cue there was a knock at the door and Lucien and Lily stepped inside. Lucien looked like he could use a stiff drink and Lily, well; it was always hard for him to read her. They both seemed preoccupied and tense, but weren’t they all. And anyway, to him there’d always been a palpable tension between the two. He’d wondered if it was sexual, or jealousy, maybe both. Who knew with vampires?

  As his mother’s mother would have said, he was not partial to Lucien. Hunter did not doubt that the vampire was capable. The trouble was what he was capable of, that’s what set Hunter’s teeth on edge. And the answer to Hunter’s question was always the same. Lucien was capable of anything. Also, Meirta’s reaction to the vampire didn’t help matters. It was all Mr. Black this and Mr. Black that. Hunter mentally rolled his eyes every time she said Mister.

  “We got your message about Merlin. What’s happening at Stoke?” Hunter asked. Would he tell him the truth?

  The vampire walked over to stand next to him as Lily and Meirta went to look at the photos he’d taken of Dr. Toolley’s fragments. “The king is not sure. The Ancient has contacted him with disturbing news about Merlin.” Lucien looked towards Lily and Meirta. He leaned in, too close, Hunter thought. “He’s been acting strangely, ignoring his duties, and…” He dipped his head and whispered. “He choked Cherie.”

  “Why?” Who would want to hurt her? And then Hunter leaned back from Lucien. “Wait, did you say the Ancient called the king?” That was almost as much of a shocker as Merlin choking Cherie.

  “He’s perfectly capable. He just prefers a quiet life.”

  “Right,” he said. “So why would Merlin hurt Cherie?”

  “Liam said he cast a spell over one of the ouleds to make her enraptured with Mathers. Why he would do such a thing is…”

  He waited for Lucien to complete the sentence and noticed the vampire staring at his ring. It was glowing again and this time it pulsed with an ebb and flow almost like a heartbeat. He immediately shoved the hand in his pocket and set his shoulders back defiantly. I will not talk about this now.

  “Lily is distressed about the texts she heard when leaving the archives,” Lucien said. He interpreted Hunter’s questioning glare and continued. “Lily said the books spoke to her, or tried to, and that they weren’t in the archive. Have you learned anything?”

  “Oh, right, those books.” Hunter inwardly thanked Lucien for not inquiring about the ring, the bothersome damned ring which refused to come off. “I spoke to Mathers, he told me to mind my own business. Something about how he’d been watching after his babies for centuries and would not be questioned by a human monkey.”

  “Human monkey,” Lucien grunted with amusement.

  Whatever. “Before we left, I spoke to Merlin about it. He said he would get to the bottom of the matter.”

  “Ah, well,” Lucien said, now concentrating on Lily. “She’s adamant that Mathers is hiding something from her.”

  “I need to see more,” Lily proclaimed, intently studying each of the images Hunter had taken of the fragments. “Are these all the pictures you took?” She turned to face Hunter.

  He’d spent almost an hour photographing all the fragments from multiple angles. “Yes.”

  Meirta went to her suitcase and pulled out the jeans she’d been wearing. “Here.” She held up a business card. “He gave me his card in case I had more questions about the fragments. I could call him.”

  “Do it,” Lucien said.

  She slipped into the bathroom and wasn’t gone but a few minutes when she reappeared with a smile on her face. “He’d be happy to meet us again. Seems we interrupted a dinner with some relatives he isn’t keen on. Gives him an excuse to bug out early. I said we’d meet him by the side entrance of the museum at eight.”

  Hunter looked at his watch. They had thirty minutes.

  Lily grabbed her purse and moved to the door.

  “You,” Lucien ordered Lily, “will stay here.”

  Hunter could feel the temperature drop in the room as they competed for the iciest stare.

  Lily lifted her chin defiantly. “Why?”

  “Orders.”

  “Let me talk to him.” Lily’s eyes narrowed like she was summoning up the power to strike the slayer dead with a laser beam.

  Hunter knew she’d meant Krieger. Lucien didn’t move. It was like when a couple fought in public, airing intimate moments that made you cringe.

  “Fine.” Lily huffed. “How far away is the museum?”

  “A few blocks.” Hunter had picked the Savoy because of its proximity. “Ten minute walk at the most.”

  “I might be able to connect with the artifacts from here, since my jailer- Oh.” Lily curtsied. “My bodyguard has put me under house arrest.”

  The tension in the room was unbearable. He noticed Meirta was standing with her arms crossed, looking at the floor while her foot tapped. He cut his eyes over to see Lucien glaring at Lily.

  “It’s not exact.” Lily threw back the curtains and opened the french doors. “But it can’t hurt to try.” She walked out onto the balcony and turned her head back. “What direction?”

  “That way.” Meirta pointed north. “You can’t see it from here, but it’s just past that tall building with the white lights on top.”

  Was there even a remote possibility that Lily could do this? Hunter knew she was gifted and unique, but to communicate with objects from a distance was too unbelievable for him to comprehend. But who was he to question, and so he waited for what felt like five minutes, but was probably only half that.

  At first, he thought his eyes were blurry from lack of sleep. When he looked at Lucien and saw the expression of disbelief on his face he realized she truly was vibrating. It brought back the memory of the first time he’d met Lily inside Krieger’s castle, when she and the Elder had levitated inside the sky room. Like then, Lily’s hair blew about her face like she was caught in a vortex which affected no one but her. Maybe she’d been levitating the whole time – he wasn’t sure but he was worried she was rising too high; now two or three meters above the balcony floor. Would the king have him beheaded if Lily was killed trying to communicate with tablets? The slayer was conveniently located in the room. No muss, no fuss.

  He saw rather than felt the whoosh of air which blew past her, causing her clothes and hair to tear at her like angry lovers. The wind so violent he feared she couldn’t breathe. Then abruptly, stillness, and none too gently she crashed to the balcony floor, unmoving.

  “Lily!” Lucien rushed to her side and knelt beside her.

  “Are you hurt?” Meirta went to her other side and froze, then ever so slowly, like she was being stalked by a feral animal and didn’t want it to charge, she turned toward Hunter. “Get a towel,” she whispered. When he didn’t move, she urged him with her eyes, and mouthed, “Now.”

  “I’m fine, really.” Lily went to get up.

  “Don’t,” Lucien ordered, his words clipped and pained, “move.”

  Hunter almost ran into the wall as he tried to keep watch on the balcony scene and navigate his way to the bathroom. The towel snagged and he ripped a side of the rack from the wall, freeing it. That was going on their tab. When he made it back to the balcony, Meirta didn’t look at him, but held her hand out, fingers opening and closing greedily in her impatience. He couldn’t understand why no one was moving. Why Lucien was not helping and instead standing there like a man made out of stone. Then he saw it. The blood, Lily’s blood, on the balcony floor, and when he stepped around, he could see blood covering the front of her shirt.

  “Just a nose bleed, nothing to be worried about.” Meirta was still whispering. “Lily, stay still, please.”

  Lucien’s muscles twitched violently. Meirta had explained Lily’s blood was the property of the king, how it
was supposedly something a vampire dreamed about, but never thought to taste, and anyone other than the king who sampled her would die at the king’s hand. How ironic that the king’s slayer was the one so tempted by it at the moment.

  “Sweetie, I need you to pick Lily up and take her back inside.” Meirta said it slow and calm and her eyes never wavered from Lucien.

  There was no way for Hunter to lift Lily without stepping between her and Lucien. Right now he’d rather get between a mother bear and her cub, and everyone knew how well that scenario usually ended. He forced his wooden legs to move and knelt down to put his arms underneath her. It was a bad bleeder. Her face was now smeared with blood, the towel stained, and even he could smell the unmistakable coppery scent. Lily, who had taunted Lucien just moments before, now silently cried as she saw the effect her blood, her being, was having on him.

  Don’t look, don’t look, he kept repeating to himself, but finally couldn’t resist the urge a second longer and as he rose with Lily he allowed himself a glimpse of Lucien’s face. It was a horror, a mask of torture, his fangs fully extended and looking like ebony daggers. His eyes, gods help him, those black eyes burned with the fires of hell.

  “Go!” Meirta urged.

  “Are you all right?” He heard Meirta ask Lucien after Hunter was back inside the room, almost to the bathroom.

  “I need a moment,” Lucien said.

  Brother, you need a whole day. Shit, take the rest of the week off.

  He got Lily seated with her head tilted back and thankfully it didn’t take long for the bleeding to slow and then cease. He left her to clean herself up and when she reappeared her face was ghostly pale.

  “What happened?” Meirta asked Lily.

  Lily pulled the blood soaked blouse away from her chest. “Could I borrow one of your shirts?”

  “Sure.” Meirta moved towards the closet.

  “I felt something,” Lily said. “It might have been the tablets.” She touched underneath her nose with her fingers and rubbed them together. “I need to see them.”

  Meirta reappeared with two tops. “Red or white?”

  Lily pointed towards the red one. Smart choice.

  Hunter grabbed a fresh shirt and slipped into the bathroom to change. They’d need to take the towel and shirts to a dumpster, because if the cleaning crew found them they might think the worst and call the police. When he came back everyone was standing in different corners of the room.

  “I need to see them, the fragments, in person,” Lily said to Lucien.

  He slipped his phone from his back pocket and sent a text message. A moment later there was a ping of a reply. Lucien stared out the open balcony doors while he slipped his phone back into his pocket. “Meirta, would you mind taking care of this while we’re gone?”

  “No problem, Mr. Black,” she said.

  “Hunter, you go on foot. I’m taking Lily by air.”

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Hunter asked. When did Lucien decide that Lily was going? “Dr. Toolley is expecting Meirta to be there.”

  Lucien didn’t respond but held out his hand to Lily, who took it without reservation, and in a few blinks of an eye they were gone.

  “What the hell just happened?” Hunter gave Meirta a hug. “I’d rather stay with you than be alone with those two.”

  “You be safe.” She exhaled and kissed him. “I’ll wait up.”

  Lily and Lucien were standing by the entrance just outside the halo of the street light when he got there. Dr. Toolley was the last one to arrive. He had an easy grace about him and the light colored hair and eyes of a California surfer.

  “Dr. Toolley,” Hunter shook his hand and made introductions. “Thank you for meeting me again. This is Lily Ayres and Lucien Black.”

  “Thank you for accommodating us,” Lily said.

  “I meet your father a few times. I’m sorry for your loss.” The doctor peered around Hunter’s shoulders, clearly looking for Meirta.

  “She sent her regrets,” Hunter explained.

  “Oh,” he replied, disappointed.

  I don’t regret one bit you not seeing her again, Hunter thought.

  “The tablets,” Lucien urged.

  “Right.” Toolley fumbled for his keys and opened the side entrance to the British museum. They went down two flights of stairs and through a bleak corridor.

  “Here we are,” he said, unlocking the door and flicking on lights that took their time illuminating the space.

  Hunter glared up at them. He hated the new energy efficient bulbs and the light they produced which always seemed too muted, too dull, to read anything by.

  “I left them out on the table from our meeting this morning,” Len said. “I wish Father were here to see someone in the archeology community interested in these. His will dictated that all the items of Grandfather’s digs be placed on loan with the British museum. As far as I know, you’re the first to ask to see them.” The room was filled with utilitarian steel shelving units and smelled musty. Hunter tried not to think about the strange dark pattern that clung to the wall to his left. Mold, perhaps? “The rock stars are upstairs on display for the Treasures from the Royal Tombs of Ur exhibit.” Len pulled chairs out around the table.

  Lily walked inside a few steps and stopped. “They aren’t what touched me,” she said.

  “Excuse me?” Dr. Toolley said.

  “Be quiet,” Lucien ordered.

  “It wasn’t them.” She indicated the items on the table.

  Hunter could see Dr. Toolley’s trepidation. “Private joke,” he said with a smile.

  Lily ignored them all, even Lucien who was shadowing her movements, and walked over to the table, running her hands over the clay fragments. “Please, I’d rather if you didn’t touch them,” Dr. Toolley said. “They’re very fragile.”

  Lucien moved towards him but Lily placed her hand on his chest.

  “Don’t.” She paused, then started, “Dr. Toolley–”

  “Len, please, when you say Dr. Toolley I keep looking around for my father.”

  “Len, I think you have them in the wrong order.”

  “I didn’t have them in any particular order.” Len sounded defensive.

  She pointed to a jagged-edged piece. “That one should go with this one.” She pointed to another tile on the other side of the table. “And that there.”

  “I would have never guessed.” Len moved the pieces around as she pointed where each should go.

  “Fragments are missing.” Lily sighed. “But there are readable parts.”

  Really, Hunter didn’t see anything but cryptic symbols on fragments of dried clay. “That’s a language?”

  “The oldest language we know of, Sumerian,” Len explained. “These pieces date to around 3100 BCE.”

  “Shouldn’t they be upstairs with the rest of the exhibit?” Hunter asked.

  “That’s why I was surprised when I got your call” –Len nodded towards Hunter– “requesting to see these particular artifacts. They caused my grandfather a lot of grief within the archeology community.” He inhaled and rested his hands on the table. “The story goes that when my grandfather was excavating in Ur, he found a sealed stone room underneath Queen Pu-Abi’s tomb, and these were inside.”

  Hunter was about to ask what was so controversial about that when Lily spoke. “That.” She pointed to a small fragment. “And that, aren’t Sumerian.”

  “Precisely.” Len nodded. “He was accused, wrongly I might add, of contaminating the dig.”

  That was clear as mud, Hunter thought, and shook his head.

  “Most of this was dug up in the twenties and thirties. There weren’t all the rules and protocols that we have today. He could never prove that he found these at Ur, and because they didn’t quite fit, people said he’d found them elsewhere and tossed them in.”

  “Oh,” Hunter mouthed.

  “My grandfather was adamant that these tablets contained a language predating Sumerian, but the community ne
ver accepted this and for the sake of his career he stopped trying to convince them.”

  “Couldn’t they go back and look for more evidence?” Hunter asked.

  Len gave him a quizzical look. “I explained all this to Meirta, your assistant.”

  Yes he had, but Hunter had been occupied with taking photos from every angle possible, and had only half-listened. “My better half.” He smiled at Toolley. “Please explain for Miss Ayres.”

  “I see.” Toolley stared at the floor. “Impossible to search any further. The city of Ur is located in southern Iraq. It’s been inaccessible to us for decades. Tragic how much has been lost. The Iraqi museums housed an amazing collection of Sumerian writings and art, but they were completely sacked during the Gulf War.”

  Lily leaned down so close her nose was almost touching the rearranged tablet. “I can just make it out, I think, ‘the watchers protect us from he who knows heaven’.”

  Len leaned in, rubbing shoulders with her and causing Lucien to flinch and then resettle.

  “No, close, but those symbols represent the guardian.” Len pointed to what looked like wedge marks to Hunter. “The guardians protect us from he who knows heaven.’”

  “Why would guardians protect us from angels?” Hunter asked.

  “Not angels,” Len said. “Well not exactly how we think of them.” He twisted his hands together. “Sumerians believed that people from outside this world came here. Heaven to them meant the universe.”

  Not being a religious man, Hunter did not see the difference. “God is something from outside this world. Non-terrestrial.”

  “Gods,” Lucien said.

  “Or space-men. We don’t know.” Len rubbed his eyes. “Not precisely. From what we can tell they didn’t see heaven quite the way we do. It didn’t necessarily mean the pearly gates and all that. It was more of a place where other beings lived.”

  While they were bogged down in theological minutiae, Lily was intently studying the tablet. “Gates.” She pointed to a symbol and turned to Len.

  “Yes.” Len inhaled deeply. “The pieces surrounding it are gone, probably less than dust now.” He made a circling motion with his hand over the tablet fragments. “We have no idea what these writings were trying to convey.”