The Vampire Keeper

by Sabrina Street

  As they entered the full front porch, she said, “Maybe, we could have some tea out here later.”

  He barely cracked a smile as he guided her into the house.

  “I wonder where everyone’s at,” Jezalyn pondered aloud.

  “They are gone. I rented out the place for the night. Do you like it?”

  “Yes,” she said with a beaming face that faded once she found herself unintentionally deliberating on the sleeping arrangements. I wonder if we are going to be in the same room. Should I be spending the night with him on technically our second date? Maybe I should ask if we will be staying in separate rooms, but I also don’t want to come off uninterested. Perhaps, I should wait and see how I feel later tonight, was her last thought as she heard him ask her if she would take pleasure in a tour of the inn.

  “Yes,” she said as she slipped her arm around his. She noticed the old wood frame gray couch as they passed through to the kitchen, where she rubbed her hand down the island bar, before being guided back and around to the hall that led to the bedrooms.

  He said, as he opened the door, “This is your room.” She was happy to hear the words ‘your room’ and not ‘ours’. Now she wouldn’t have to feel awkward for the rest of the evening wondering about the sleeping arrangements. Besides, she thought, I could always ask him to spoon with me later, if I change my mind.

  Jezalyn charged into the room, beaming full of relief, and immediately noticed a hutch in the far corner of one wall and on the other was an old fashion washbasin elegantly placed under an antique mirror. Jezalyn found the inn charming, which made her feel relaxed and comfortable. She checked her watch. It was close to five-thirty, so she suggested they go outside and watch the sun go down.

  “Go ahead up front to the porch swing; I’ll meet you out there,” he said.

  Jezalyn grabbed the throw off the end of her bed, and bundled up on the swing.

  “I got us some tea,” he said as he handed her a glass. She lifted the covers, and he slid in next to her. They watched the sky streak long rays of pink that faded into a dark purple, which inevitably turned midnight blue before becoming a shade of dreary obsidian.

  Their tea dwindled with the sun. “Beautiful,” she whispered hugging up next to his arm.

  “Here take some covers. Your arm feels frosty.”

  He snickered at her and pulled the covers higher as she rested her head on his arm and he whispered something into her ear, Before long, she was sound asleep.

  ***

  Earlier that day, while Jezalyn was meeting with Blaise, Larkin had arrived at Julius’s house before any emergency personal came on the scene. He had run carefully into the house avoiding the flames. After Larkin discovering several bodies, he ripped open the metal trap door and hurled several corpses down the shaft before dragging Wyler out to safety. Out on the lawn, Larkin had discreetly fed Wyler some blood so that his body could recover faster. After his medical release, Wyler drove Larkin back to the shop.

  “I am sorry, I didn’t wait as you ordered. When I arrived, I spotted Theron leaving and I saw smoke. I don’t know what happened. All I can conclude is that my war response took over and before I knew it, I was inside battling smoke and slitting wrists,” said Wyler never taking his eyes off the road.

  “It’s okay. I understand,” replied Larkin.

  “I don’t,” said Wyler shaking his head. “I just put my life in jeopardy for someone who was already dead. We can’t tell Ana; this has to be our secret.”

  “Your defiance might have saved Julius.”

  “Not likely! When I arrived, he was motionless gripping the heart that was torn from his own chest.”

  “There is a possibility Julius can make it, since you stuffed his heart back in his chest and drained your blood over it.”

  “I don’t understand. I thought once the heart was removed that was it for vampires.”

  “Not exactly. The only way to truly kill a vampire is to destroy the heart.”

  “So Julius is still alive?”

  “Yes, but he is vulnerable. We need to get him some fresh blood and close up that hole in his chest.” With that last response from Larkin, Wyler forgot about the speed limit and drove directly to the bookstore.

  It was almost five when they arrived. They needed to pick up some supplies and return to Epps before anyone could discover Julius.

  As they entered the underground apartment, Ana rushed hysterically toward them. “Word is your brother is in town, and we need to find him before he finds us. We need to retreat to another safe house!”

  “Too late,” replied Wyler as he snatched his medical bag off the refrigerator.

  “What do you mean?” asked Ana nervously rubbing at her hands.

  “He torched Julius’s house earlier today.”

  Ana gasped as she cupped her hands over her mouth, and shook her head in disbelief. “How touching,” said Larkin, “I didn’t think you cared for him much.”

  Wyler cut his eyes at Larkin and thought, now’s not the time for this shit, but in all actuality, Larkin was not wrong. She gasped not out of sympathy, but because she knew if Theron got Julius, he could just as easily get them also.

  “Let’s go,” said Larkin as he grabbed several pouches of blood from the refrigerator.

  “Where are we going?” cried Ana.

  “We have to go back and check on Julius.”

  “Where is Jezalyn? I don’t think we should leave her behind with Theron on the loose.”

  Wyler and Larkin stared at each other. “Is she still silent?”

  “Yes,” responded Larkin as he dashed up the stairs into the shop.

  “What does that mean? I thought the connection couldn’t be broken.”

  “It can’t,” replied Wyler.

  “Then, why can’t he hear her?” asked Ana with intensity bordering on anger. She did not know how attached she had actually gotten to Jezalyn until that moment.

  “Perhaps she is asleep, Bunny. Don’t worry I’m sure he’ll get a read on her soon.” With that response Wyler ran upstairs to meet Larkin.

  After gathering some supplies and Ana, they rushed back to Julius’s house. Ana stood silent as she realized a charred shell was all that remained of Julius’s house. The cindered walls smoked as Larkin and Wyler tossed the debris off the steel flap that led to Julius’s body. After clearing the debris, Larkin looked at Wyler and said, “Take Ana and go to the old Epps Memorial Graveyard. Walk toward the back and down to the left. There will be several burial vaults. Search for the one titled Grimshaw; I will be waiting inside with Julius.”

  Wyler and Ana ran back to the car, and Larkin flipped open the lid and jumped into the hole. He cradled Julius in his arms like an infant and ran down the narrow shaft. When he reached the end, he pressed with his right shoulder against a rectangular stone that arched at the top. Once the secret passageway opened, he gently laid Julius down and unbolted the crypt for Wyler, but his speed afforded him enough time to retrieve the other two bodies and seal the secret passage before they arrived.

  Larkin stood in a defensive posture as the door swung open to the burial tomb. “Where’s he at?” asked Wyler going through the motions as he rushed to Julius’s body.

  Ana’s eyes grew big. “Who is that?” questioned Ana as she pointed to the two lifeless female bodies resting next to Larkin’s foot.

  “Casualties,” replied Larkin. “Inspect those crypts over here and see if there is any room.”

  Ana did as Larkin requested and turned her flashlight toward the wall. “No, not the wall crypts, those over there.” Larkin pointed to several stone coffins positioned against the far left corner where darkness embraced them.

  Ana edged forward, until she reached the first tomb. She pushed on the lid, but it would not budge. “I can’t get it open,” replied Ana as she threw her hands up in frustration.

  Grabbing one of the corpses, Larkin said, “I got it.” He pushed it back releasing an overwhelming stench, and Ana instantly broug
ht both her hands to her face dropping her light into the crypt.

  Ana held her nose as she tried to retrieve her light, but with every attempt she gagged. It was not until her third unsuccessful retrieval that Larkin said, “I got it,” before demanding that she go get the other body. Consequently as he brought the light up, he saw a shimmer. He tilted the light forward and discovered that the glint was a large diamond engagement ring on the finger of a somewhat decomposed body. Upon seeing the ring Larkin mumbled dryly, “Figures, Julius always had fine taste.” After retrieving Ana’s flashlight, he resealed the concrete tomb since there was not enough room to store another body. Larkin moved on to the next, all the while insisting that Ana drag the other body over while he lifted the lid and threw the body in. Larkin had resealed the stone coffin, and waited with the fourth open for Ana to bring him the body.

  After dumping the remains, Larkin returned to Wyler. “How is he doing?”

  Wyler, almost done closing Julius’s chest, said, “I need more blood.”

  Larkin’s animalistic nature took over, as he snatched up a bag of blood and tore it open, but before he could hand it to Wyler. Julius’s piercing-blue eyes popped open.

  “Look! He’s awake,” cried Ana.

  At the sight of Larkin, Julius used all his might to push his body backward. Once out of Larkin’s grip, he used what energy he had left and jumped to his feet. Blood gushed out of the two-inch hole that remained open in his chest. Julius stood in a defensive posture, even as Larkin identified himself as he moved closer, but it was not until he saw Larkin’s scar-free hand that he relaxed and collapsed in his arms.

  “Hand me another bag of blood, Ana,” demanded Larkin.

  Ana twisted off the cap, making sure not to spill the fluid, before handing the bag over to him. Larkin snatched it and said, “Don’t move. Wyler is working on you. I need you to drink this; you already lost some of the blood he pumped into you.” Julius, too weak to hold the bag, let Larkin hold it to his mouth the way a mother would hold a bottle for her baby.

  With Julius conscious and all stitched up, they had to wait until dusk before they could move Julius into the car.

  “What happened?”

  “Your brother happened. How could you not tell me about your brother?”

  “I thought he was dead, but once Wyler told me that he had seen me at your house, I knew that fact to be untrue. Did he say anything?”

  “He asked for a drink, so I provided one. You know that should have tipped me off, since you haven’t drank from a human, since me. However, I thought you were being pretentious for once, so I retrieved a red and a white aged about twenty-two years.” Julius grabbed his chest as he chuckled at referencing the girls as wine.

  “Then what happened?” urged Larkin.

  “He ripped her throat out, so I asked you, I mean him, to stop because blood was spraying all over my vintage rug. That’s when he informed me of whom he was and his plan to destroy everything that you hold dear.”

  “Jezalyn,” blurted out Ana.

  “Probably, her too,” said Julius. “Odds are if he knew about me, he knows about her, too.”

  Ana jumped to her feet. “Larkin, concentrate, try to see if you can find Jezalyn.”

  “Don’t you think I’ve been trying since I found out Theron was here? What time is it?”

  Wyler checked his watch, “It’s five fifty-seven.”

  “Ana, go see if it is dusk yet,” ordered Larkin.

  She cracked open the gate and peered out into the abandoned cemetery. “Yeah, and we’re clear to move him. The plots are empty.”

  “Wyler, grab his legs! Ana, you go open the back door.” Everyone moved on Larkin’s command, and they packed Julius to the car undetected. They had barely backed out of the cemetery parking lot and onto the road, when Larkin said, “Pull over! And don’t speak.”

  They quietly watched Larkin, and surveyed the area until Ana broke the silence, “Babe, I don’t see anything.”

  Larkin cut his eyes at her. “Let me see your hand.”

  Ana timidly extended her hand toward Larkin. Disregarding the inconvenience of having another person’s thoughts in his head, Larkin tightly clutched Ana’s wrist and sank his teeth into her tanned skin. She jumped as his fangs pierced her skin, but soon found herself overwhelmed with a euphoric sensation and she did not want him to stop. Larkin released his grip, licked his fangs clean, and closed his eyes.

  Wyler, who was looking on extremely concerned, grabbed his wife’s wrist, applied pressure, and reached for his medical bag. He pulled out the clotting powder, sprinkled it over the piercings, and continued the pressure until the powder dried. When he released her, the clot remained and the blood flowed normally through her veins. It took several minutes before the lilac tint of her fingers returned to normal.

  Larkin’s eyes remained closed for about ten minutes, before he opened them.

  “I found Jezalyn. Theron has her.”

  “Where at?” asked Wyler.

  “He is holed up with her at a little bed and breakfast in Winnsboro.”

  “Is she safe?” asked Ana cradling her wrist in her other hand.

  “For now.” Somehow, Theron had reestablished their brotherly telepathic bond; it had been a long time since Larkin had heard his brother’s voice ringing in his head. “He took Jezalyn to ensure that I would stand and fight.”

  “We can set a trap and get her back,” replied an optimistic Ana.

  “Watch your words around me; Theron can still read my thoughts. Your blood should help muddle them, but it may take a while.” Larkin pointed to Julius. “Ana, Take our supplies and secure them safely in the bookstore stockroom.”

  Ana acknowledged his command with the tilt of her head, and looked to her husband for protection. “Honey, are you staying with us?”

  Larkin answered for him, “Yes! It’s too much of a risk. The plan is to remain in the shop, until I return and give you the signal.”

  “What’s the signal?” asked Ana.

  “The usual,” replied Wyler, and Larkin nodded at his response.

  “Do not under any circumstances go downstairs,” warned Larkin.

  When they arrived at the shop, Larkin punched into the computer the address Theron had provided him. “I’ll go on foot; it will be just as fast.”

  Larkin cut through the woods and fields, as he rushed to Jezalyn’s aid. He opted to leave off the threat of her imminent death to the others if he did not show up alone. The location was almost over an hour away, but by taking a detour through the woods, he would shave about a quarter of the time off. Consequently, the more ground he gained the stronger his link to his brother became. Larkin was about to jump a creek, when he heard Theron in his head, I am getting bored, brother. I wonder if Jezalyn could help keep me entertained, but for how long will be up to you.

  Chapter 23: A Brotherly Squabble

  Theron, immobilized by Jezalyn who was slumbering onto of him, decided to make good on his threat and use her as his entertainment. He leaned over and whispered something in her ear.

  Jezalyn stirred at his words, and before she knew it, she found herself in the bedroom with Larkin. She pulled off her pants, reached for his hand, and silently guided him to the bed, but when she did, she felt something rough. Jezalyn flipped his hand over and examined it, “what happened?”

  “Oh, I burnt myself a long time ago.”

  “A long time ago? It wasn’t there last night,” said Jezalyn.

  He gave her a sinister smile and said, “Perhaps on Larkin it wasn’t.”

  She jumped back against the headboard out of his arms as she realized that it might not be Larkin sitting in front of her, but to ease her fear she exclaimed, “Larkin, this isn’t funny!”

  He produced a snarling laugh, and she cried out, “Stop, Larkin! You’re scaring me.”

  “Well, I suppose I could, if I was Larkin,” replied Theron.

  Without hesitation, she jumped out of bed and twisted the door
knob, but before she could get it open, Theron grabbed her by the waist and flung her onto the bed. She watched as his fangs extended, and she tried to squirm away; it was in that instant she knew Blaise had not lied to her— vampires were real. She cringed as she felt his tongue moisten her right thigh before he let his teeth penetrate her.

  Theron heard Larkin approach, so he whispered into Jezalyn’s ear once more, stood up, and waited for him.

  When Larkin finally arrived, he spotted a truck parked across the way. He snuck into the yard, but found Theron waiting for him on the front porch.

  “Nice of you to show up, brother,” said Theron in a taunting tone. “We were just getting to the exciting part.”

  “Well, I like to oblige,” replied Larkin, ignoring Theron’s last comment. “Where’s the girl?”

  “You request her as if you have no interest in her,” he responded with a sinister smirk that Larkin could not see.

  “Please, you need something more concrete to lure me in,” replied Larkin.

  “Then perhaps, if I drug her out into the yard by the head of her hair and snapped her pretty little neck. Would that get your attention?”

  “Certainly not, you would be doing me a favor.”

  He let out a robust laugh, “What do I owe the pleasure of your company?”

  “Curiosity, I suppose.”

  “What could you be curious about?”

  “For starters, where have you been?”

  “Well, let’s see, I think we parted back in 1906, and I last read your mind in 1907; I thought your mind had betrayed you when I heard you request everything to be shipped to Transylvania. I even laughed to myself as I thought how cliché it was for a vampire to retreat to Transylvania.”

  Larkin quietly chuckled. “Let me guess: not quite the betrayal you had hoped.”

  “I went to the dock to ambush you, but instead I found an unwelcoming surprise.”

  “I suppose that surprise wouldn’t be the Hunter, now would it?”

  “He thought he had the best of me, but I showed him. Then I hopped the next available ship to Romania thinking I would beat you across, but I waited for a week and nothing. Neither you nor your belongings had arrived. I quickly realized my error in presuming I had made it over before you. I ventured into the city, checking every castle and cave, but it had been several years since I received a connection from you, so I gave up my pursuit on the thought that you might have perished in the icy waters as you made your voyage to…,” he paused and finished with a mocking tone, “Transylvania.” With a loathing air, he said, “I retreated to the Carpathian Mountains, where I made an old kingdom my home. Unsure of your demise, I sat on my throne listening for the day I would find you again.”