Chapter 13
Faced with only two possibilities makes the decision easier, I suppose. Michael and Vincent promise to pay for all my living expenses and then some. They even offer to teach me privately. They say it would be better than going to that “fancy, overpriced school.” Vincent promises to teach me about history, his favorite subject, and Michael swears he’ll instruct me in philosophy, astronomy and geology.
They each have a particular set of lesson plans they‘d set up already in hopes of keeping my spirits high. I suppose they feel that keeping my mind occupied with academics will help distract me. It’s sweet of them. Unfortunately, it doesn’t help as much as I think they’d hoped.
I’m quietly thinking over my options as I pace back and forth. I’ve never had any real friends, just Roy and Jack. But they’re more like family. My father is the only family I have left, and the thought of losing him destroys me inside. But this is a very real decision with some serious consequences. Michael and Vincent have the courtesy to leave me alone to my thoughts. They leave under the pretense of searching around the land looking for Valerie, but their faces tell a different story. They’re concerned with my decision and how it will affect me. In this case, my decision could once again change the lives of everyone in town.
I keep thinking over what Vincent said. I hate to admit it, but he’s right. Running from your problems never solves anything. And if the rest of the Coronam agents are anything like Valerie, they would definitely resort to kidnapping or blackmail. I can tell by the certainty of Vincent’s plan that he’s sure his memory alterations will stick. He really doesn’t seem to think there‘s any chance of failure in his plan.
That only makes my decision darker, though. I am basically now stuck here, no matter what. I’ve never been a party animal or anything, but I did like having the option, at least. Now it seems that I would spend most of my days at home, watching the guys argue and poke barbs at one another. That thought brings a smile to my face, but it’s still house arrest. Then again, I suppose it’s much better than getting caught by the Coronam.
A knock snatches me away from my thoughts. I go to my front door and open it immediately, expecting Vincent or Michael. To my dread, it’s Robert, the slayer from earlier. I have no idea what to say or do, but I know I had to play it calmly…or else.
“Hi there, little lady,” Robert says with a smile. “I just wanted to make sure ya were fine. Mind if I come in and talk with ya a while? Maybe ya could give me a drink of water? My throat is awful parched.”
I hesitate. “Sure, Robert was it?” I ask hoping to mask my uncertainty. “Come on in, make yourself at home. Everyone seems to prefer that sofa there lately.”
Robert sets himself on my sofa, and I head to the kitchen. I return shortly with the glass of water and give it to Robert. He takes a long gulp and smiles in relief.
“Nothing like a nice tall glass of water after a hard day’s work,” he says as he looks me up and down. “Why don’t ya join me; there’s something we should discuss.”
It’s precisely at this moment that I notice I’m terrified to death. Not particularly of this man, even though I’ve been told what he’s capable of, but more so the representation of what he means. He is representing yet another group that is against what Michael and Vincent are doing. Yet another thorn in our collective sides. The gravity of the situation almost overwhelms me. I sit down and await what he has to say.
“So I see Vincent hasn’t charmed your memories of me out of your mind yet,” Robert says calmly as he places his glass of water on the coffee table. He studies my reaction carefully. I think I do a great job, considering I just jumped out of my skin. “Hmmm…well then, seems I was right.”
“Right about what?” I ask nervously as I struggle to come up with an answer. I never was a good liar. “Who’s Vincent? Memories out of my mind? I’m sorry sir, but I think the heat has affected your brain a tad.”
“Is that right? Well then, you just let any old stranger come into your home?”
“I wouldn’t consider you a friend,” I reply as my mind grasps onto an idea. “But a man who saves me from a bear attack is definitely welcome in my home.”
He runs his hand through his beard before smiling at me. He reaches into his jacket and pulls out an envelope.
“That’s good,” he says reassuringly. “But I know who and what ya are. This isn’t my first rodeo. Ya could say I’ve been around the block a few times. I need ya to give this note to Michael. And tell him that the barriers he’s set up around your home are perfect. I wouldn’t even have found your house without the trail he left behind.”
At this moment, I really do have only two choices. I can continue to deny any knowledge of what he’s saying and let him speak his piece. Or, I could trust him, as Michael seemed to do. Besides, with Michael’s hearing, he knows that this conversation is taking place. He’ll come straight here if he even gets a hint of trouble.
“What do you think I am, sir?” I ask as innocently as possible.
“I know what ya are,” Robert replies, still willing to play along. “But if ya need me to say it out loud, that’s fine too. You’re custos sanguinis; you’re a keeper. Don’t worry, my slayer kin out there can’t hear that well. Even if they could, Michael made good on the barriers around your house, like I said. No slayer could possibly see or hear a thing in here. I’m sure you’ve been seeing all sorts of things in the last few days…Michael and I have been working together for a while now. He saved my life and I settle all my debts. We talk in code in front of others.”
“You do? How’s that?”
“He asked me about my wife,” Robert says. His face has been swallowed by despair. “That means the situation is totally screwed. My wife isn’t with us anymore. But I reckon that’s a story best saved for another time. I just came on by to let ya know that my kin and I are moving on. I managed to convince them it was safe here. Besides, it didn’t take much convincing. Most of the boys and gals are soft on Mike. He’s a good kind. Vincent too.”
“You…” I begin hesitantly. “You don’t hate Vincent?”
Perhaps I shouldn’t have asked, but I need to know. Robert’s face frowns as he shakes his head, a solid no.
“Not in the least,” Robert affirms convincingly. “I know Vincent ain’t too keen on slayers. Truth be told, most in my kin ain’t too keen on Vincent either. But he’s done right by hisself. He’s helped Michael save my people and me more times than I can count. I also think it’s wrong to hate someone just ‘cause of the way they were born. I’m much too old for that. It’s useless. And it’s a cycle that’ll never finish. Slayers were born to protect humans from supers that did wrong to us. We were born destined to protect our more frail fully human neighbors. Some of us don’t even consider ourselves human anymore, with what the things we can do and such. But I still remember why we do what we do. If I don’t kill a person for eating a cheeseburger, why would I go and kill Vincent for drinking someone’s blood? He’s got a right to live, I reckon, anyway. I’m not that corn-headed that I don’t know Vincent could kill all of us if he done chose to. But for now, we have to talk in secret like this. Maybe one day, though, slayers and werewolves can work together to protect both supers and humans from themselves.”
I believe him. Maybe it’s his eyes, his slow way of speaking or some other sort of body language…whatever it was, I believe in his words fully.
“So why are you leaving, then?” I ask, perhaps even out of place. “Why don’t you help Michael and Vincent now? We have a lot of trouble coming our way; we could use your help.”
Robert looks at me with sadness on his face again. He wears his worn trucker cap heavy on his brow. He takes it off before he begins speaking.
“Miss, with all the trouble ya got coming your way,” he begins, “not even all the slayers on this rock could help ya all. I really do owe Michael and Vincent, I do. But I know a losing fight when I see one. I ain’t going to get my entire kin killed for no reason
or cause. That don’t mean I won’t be around. I’ll be dropping in from time to time, help with what I can. But the word’s out on the wind already. The Coronam itself wants the three of ya on a platter. They’ll be employing everything they got to get y’all, and that means they’ll even be hiring regular humans to do it. We slayers can’t kill humans; it’s just not the way we were built.”
“But all I heard from Vincent and Michael was how powerful you all were,” I insist. “I can’t believe all of you, with your weapons and strength, would just leave. Especially now that the Coronam is coming. This is what slayers are for, isn’t it? To protect humanity?”
“That’s right,” he says softly as he places his hat back on his head. “And maybe I’ll even fight for your side when that time comes. But I can’t make the young slayers do that. I gotta think like a leader here; this is my household. I even have two nephews hunting with us. Lord knows there’s gonna be a huge twister coming your way. That nasty thing is gonna have every little thing from your deepest, darkest nightmares. I have no problem killing those things, if we even can. It’s the humans that will be with ‘em that I can’t touch. There’s a lot of information on that note I gave ya. I’m sure Michael will do just fine with it. I don’t know how much they told ya about my kind, but we’re barely superhuman. We can tumble with the supers with the best of ‘em, but at the end of the day, it’s our numbers, weapons and training that gets us through. With all that’s coming here, I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if the entire town doesn’t just go and keel over.”
“But what about the news? How can something like this happen and no one know about an entire town getting slammed with a tornado of monsters?”
“Honey, they control the media,” Robert says as if surprised I didn’t know. “This will never make it anywhere near a news station or a printing press. Maybe I said this the wrong way, too. They ain’t gonna march on ya here like an army or nothing like that. They’re just gonna do what they do best, sneak their ways in here. That’s why I need my people outta here. Before ya know it, only the locals will know who actually lives here and who just happened to show up. Besides, the Coronam won’t make too much of a mess of things. They don’t wanna make things so bad that the slayers and the werewolves come in numbers. The Coronam don’t know how many of us there really are, same with the wolves.”
He stands up, takes off his hat, and bows his head.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me,” he says politely. “I have somewhere to go; gotta go arrange a few knickknacks and such.”
“Of course.” I stand and lead him to the door.
“Ya just make sure Michael gets that note, now,” he says, as he adjusts his hat one more time. “It could mean all the difference in the world.”
“I will,” I assure him as I wave goodbye.
This brief but important meeting has made my decision clear. I never really had two options. I only ever had the one. I wonder if Vincent knew this all along and was just hoping I would come to that realization on my own…
After what seems like an eternity, the guys finally come back. They return with several pieces of luggage each. I’m not quite sure what to make of it.
“We’re moving in,” Vincent says as he notices my expression. “It seems Michael didn’t like wearing belly shirts. Who knew?”
“Don’t I get a say in this?” I ask. An act in futility, I know.
“Normally, yes,” Michael replies seriously. “But because of the implications that this could have for the entire town, much less the world, no. Sorry Liz, but until this boils over and we can somehow shut the Coronam down, we’re here. One of us will always be by your side. This way we can be sure that no one will take you off and hide you somewhere.”
“Ahuh,” I say, mocking frustration. As if I would really be upset that I had to look at two gorgeous men all day long… right. “While you two were gone, Robert came by. We spoke a little; he’s a really nice guy. He gave me this to give to you, Michael. And he even thinks highly of you Vincent.”
“That just made my Christmas, you can forget about that puppy I wanted,” Vincent answers sarcastically as he begins unpacking his stuff. “Hey, who gets what here? I’m not used to living in such… modesty. I mean, I know I don’t have to sleep, but if I want to sleep, I’d like to know I can do so in style. Is your bedroom upstairs?”
“We’ll talk about that later,” Michael says as he brushes off Vincent’s silliness for a moment. “Let me see that, please?”
I hand Michael the envelope and watch as he opens it frantically. His eyes dart back and forth quickly as he reads it. His expression begins to sour as he reads more and more until he finally finishes.
“These are all rumors, killings the slayers have committed, the movements of large groups of supers,” Michael says as he shakes his head. “There’s a ton of information here and I’m sure it was meant for slayer eyes only. This even tracks down other slayer groups so we can avoid them if we need to. But this is way bigger than we thought, Vincenzo. There seems to be a traitor in the ranks of the Coronam. According to this, the information about there possibly being a keeper here got out even before the witches arrived. Someone wanted anarchy in this town.”
“Why on earth would they want anything from this podunk town?” Vincent asks in disbelief. “They have one bar. One! There’s nothing going on here.”
“There’s a lot going on here. Read it for yourself,” Michael prompts. “This land has a lot of reported slayer activity here. Where there are slayers, there are supers. And with this many slayers coming in and out of here every so often…this territory has to have some significance. Something maybe I overlooked.”
“You? Overlooking something?” Vincent says as he stands up and grabs the letter from Michael. “I’m surprised that you would overlook anything in your research. Besides, I’ve never even heard of this place; that has to count for something.”
“What are you two girls babbling about?” I ask lightly. I just want them to fill me in, but as usual they are going two hundred miles per hour and keeping me out of the loop.
“Alright, let me see if I can explain,” Michael says as he sits down next to me. “The land itself can become charged with energy. You’ve heard of haunted houses, right? Well, sometimes they’re actually real. Sometimes something so bad happens that it leaves a residual effect on the place. But what this is suggesting is that something so pivotal happened here, it’s actually leading supers here. And Vincenzo and I have never heard of it. That’s huge news, especially since fangs over here is a walking history lesson.”
“Bite me,” Vincenzo suggests with a cool tone. “But he’s right. As it is, the super community pretty much hates us…I wouldn’t be surprised if they kept information from us. But how could they keep a secret from my network? You know how many geeks and dweebs I have under my employ? And we all know they know stuff. And with the internet now? Forget about it.”
“Vincent, you should know better than anyone else that they didn’t always have the internet,” I say in kind of a bitchy tone. The constant world-changing news is starting to affect my demeanor. “What if it was something secretive they kept from you during an age when you didn’t have your network of spies or any way of knowing otherwise? Like television or newspapers? When did you first come to America?”
“That’s genius,” Michael says with a smile on his face. It was nice to see him proud of me, but this new problem added to the already huge string of tragedies had me exhausted. “Vincenzo, think about it. We first came to America in the 1800s if I remember right.”
“Yeah, so? We spent most of the early 1800s in western Europe,” Vincent answers as he tries to piece together the timeline. “Then we came in a private vessel because I had too many possessions I wanted to bring with me…and of course, our combined wealth…then we landed in Boston and stayed there for a while. We’d have to see if there are any records of something huge happening before 1850 or so in this area. But how can we find that out?
It most likely had to do with the Coronam, and they aren’t going to tell us or be foolish enough to send someone who knows that secret over here.”
“Maybe the animals or the trees know,” Michael suggests.
“Leave me out of that hippie crap,” Vincent states as he furrows his brow. “You know I really loathe all that. Besides, you’re going to be seeing it from their perspective. In their eyes, humans are monsters too. They might not be able to tell one atrocity from another.”
“Excuse me, yet again boys,” I chirp in, more than a little irritated. “I shouldn’t be surprised by anything at this point. But I will just ask anyway. Michael, can you speak to animals and trees?”
“Yes, all of the tribe can; it’s a basic gift.”
“All right, just wanted to make sure,” I say in exasperation. I can’t handle it anymore. I know that this is part of my world now too, but it’s just too much to take in at once.
I thought I could handle it. I really did. I figured with them by my side, I could do anything. But it just seems like it‘s one thing after another. Who cares about what happened over 200 years ago here? Why does it hold any significance to our current problem? I have to lay down, my head is spinning. I excuse myself and go upstairs to my bedroom, just barely making it to my bed. I slowly make myself more comfortable until I’m fully under the sheets.
I don’t know how long I sleep, but a knock at my door wakes me. It’s Michael.
“Come in,” I say shamefully. “Look, I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier. I was really out of line to both of you.”
“It’s fine, we both understand,” Michael admits. “You’re just feeling this way because you’re a keeper. It’s only a onetime thing; at least, that’s what Vincenzo says. He explained that if you never had prior contact with a male super, this was bound to happen to you sooner or later. It’s apparently just a transition where you go from being unable to mate with a super to being able to mate with one now. Nothing to be concerned about.”
“You realize you’re describing a supernatural puberty?”
“I suppose, at its base, that’s what it is,” Michael says as he slowly walks into the room. “I just wanted to let you know that Robert also enclosed a letter about everything he would tell you. We’ve made our plans on how to deal with what is coming. Have you? Do you know what you’re going to tell Vincenzo?”
“Yeah, yeah I do,” I affirm as I try to rub the grogginess out of my eyes. “I just hope it works out as well in the real world as it did in my head.”
“You know, this may come as a huge surprise to you,” Michael says as he leans in closer and begins to whisper in my ear. “But no one is perfect. Can you believe that? Who would have thought that?” He laughs softly before standing up straight again. I turn to face him and smile.
“Yeah well,” I begin to reply as I hide my face under the sheets. “It’s hard to feel empowered when you two are around. And it just seems like every single time there’s a decision to be made, it’s my decision. With each decision, it’s another crisis. A world-ending crisis. I just…I guess I miss my old life. Having you and Vincent in my life is great, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s just before you two, I had no excitement. I thought I was responsible, but now I know what real responsibility feels like. I thought paying tuition and rent was hard enough…but all this? All that’s been happening? How could you live in this world?”
“The world behind the curtain?” Michael asks with a low chuckle, as if reliving a memory. “This is reality. Besides, there are many things worth living for. You have so much to see that you haven’t even dreamed of yet. And as far as being able to live in this world…I meant what I said about no one being perfect. No one is, no matter how many centuries you live.”
I allow myself a smile before sitting up in bed and stretching. I don’t know what day it is, but I do see sunlight, so I at least slept through the entire night.
“How long was I asleep?” I ask curiously as I notice my clock radio. “Is that thing right? Was I asleep for—”
“Yes, you slept for two days,” Michael answers, trying to calm my nerves. “But you’re fine now. What’s more important is that you’re safe. We haven’t heard anything at all. That’s a good sign. Vincenzo and I probably scared the Coronam pretty badly. I doubt they’ll come over here so recklessly again. That gives us time to better prepare.”
I close and open my eyes several times and reach for the glass of water someone left on my nightstand. I take a few small sips and put it back.
“Were you able to do your talk to the animals thing?”
“Yes, I was,” he answers me with a smile. “There’s still the matter of discussing what to do with the people in town. Jack has been asking for you. Your father also came by, but luckily, Vincenzo was the one who opened the door. When you’re settled, come downstairs and we’ll talk about it. Whenever you’re ready.”
I nod and swing my legs to the side of the bed. Michael lowers his head and leaves my bedroom. Never noticed how short the doorway to my bedroom is. After a nice relaxing shower, I get myself changed and come downstairs. Michael has prepared breakfast and Vincent is on the sofa reading something on Michael’s laptop. They both greet me as I come in.
“Well, look at you,” Vincent says with a bit of a flirtation in his voice. “Looking all sexy. How ya been gorgeous? Ready to get down and dirty?”
“Nice to see you too,” I answer him dryly. Although the thought of slapping him did cross my mind.
“You see that Michael? She didn’t even slap me this time,” Vincent says confidently, as if victory was his. “She’s going to be mine if you don’t guard her more.”
“Yeah, Vincenzo,” Michael answers in a patronizing tone. “You have won absolutely. After all, no violence immediately after being awoken in the morning is one of the signs. I think I read that somewhere.”
“Have your fun for now, pup,” Vincent continues his fun. “But you won’t be smiling with those big teeth of yours for long.”
“Look at him talking about having big teeth,” Michael replies as he turns to look at me. “Coming from a vampire? Perhaps I should be a little offended after all. Can I offer you some breakfast?”
I sit down at the table near Michael and shake my head.
“Just coffee please,” I answer, still a little tired. “I need the pick-me-up. Especially if I’m going to be briefed further by you two. I feel like I joined the paranormal military or something.”
“Yep, that’s us,” Vincent says as he holds up his own cup of coffee. “We’re the paranormal military squad. PMS.”
“His jokes get better the later it becomes, I think,” Michael suggests with a soft chuckle as he pours me a cup of hot java. It smells great, just a slight hint of vanilla added to it. “But you’re probably right. The caffeine will help your body out in case you feel like fainting on us again.”
I smile as I look at his jade eyes. We exchange a tiny moment together before he turns to grab some milk and sugar for my coffee.
After preparing my coffee and drinking it, the three of us exchange polite pleasantries with tiny jokes sprinkled in here and there. It all feels awkward and fake. I can’t believe it, but I’m actually in a hurry to get back into the dark reality. I’m dying to know what had happened in the “world behind the curtain” while I was out.
“So I hate to interrupt one of our few happy moments here,” I finally say plainly. “But I’ve come to a decision…Robert helped. I don’t even think he knew he was helping me at the time.”
“For everything I say about slayers, Bobby isn’t included in my blanket insults,” Vincent points out. “He is a good man. If more slayers were like him, perhaps the Coronam wouldn’t have us by our collective tails, as it were.”
Michael merely nods in polite agreement. I notice him eyeing me anxiously, he is obviously concerned with what I’m going to do or say.
“Vincent, I have a feeling I know the answer,” I begin my most
likely longwinded request. “But I’ll ask anyway. I get the feeling you really doubt your charm can be broken. But even if there’s a slight chance of that not being the case, I really need to know. Is there any chance that could happen? Or is it possible that a human can’t be charmed, or that your charm just doesn’t take?”
Vincent’s sapphire-like eyes pierce through me as he tilts his head to the left. He immediately adjusts his head to the other side and exhales almost sternly.
“I am the most powerful vampire in the world,” he says confidently, in a deadly serious tone. “There is a small chance that only one vampire can exist that is stronger than I. But I only mention him because you wish me to point out such frivolities. There exists the urban legend of Cain, the first vampire. He is said to still be alive. I look at people that mention his name with seriousness the same way I’d look at an adult mentioning the Easter Bunny being real.”
Vincent stops talking respectfully as Michael clears his throat behind me. He smiles reluctantly before looking up at Michael.
“Of course, as with almost everything, Michael has a differing view…” Vincent continues, unabated by Michael’s cue. “The conspiracy is all over the internet, Cain has gone fully viral. Michael believes Cain to be real, and I can respect him for believing that. He might even end up being real. But if he is real, he is at the very least almost twice my own age, and that is by the most ridiculous low-balling estimate. As you can see, at almost sixteen hundred, very little bothers me anymore. I imagine if I were thirty-two hundred years old, I wouldn’t care about a thing. Furthermore, as I said, that’s a really ridiculous estimate…it’s assuming the world is anywhere near as old as Genesis would have us believe. And the world is much older than that, so let’s say the Bible was off by several thousands of years. Cain would be just a little younger than the dinosaurs. It’s really unlikely.”
“Cain? The biblical Cain? Aren’t you afraid that he’s real?” I ask in earnest. “That would make you number two…with a huge gap in between your age and his. That’s insane. You’d seem like a child to him, wouldn’t you?”
“And what’s being afraid going to solve?” he asks me openly. “I stick by my guns that he’s not real. I also stick to my guns that if he is real, then he doesn’t care at all about me, much less the world.”
“How did you make it to be the oldest vampire?”
“I killed everyone who was older than me as soon as I could,” Vincent explains as he narrows his eyes and takes a deep sip from his coffee. His gorgeous blue eyes held no remorse for those older vampires he had slain. “If you thought Valerie was a monster, the true monsters were the ancient ones, my creator being the most likely candidate for worst of all…although at the time I did it for my benefit, I was actually doing the world a favor.”
For an unusually long time, I stare at Vincent. I imagine what it must be like to be that old, that wise…the things he must have witnessed. I hate fads coming and going, but Vincent must have seen how many? How many important, life-changing events that were never recorded or seen by anyone other than first-hand witnesses? He would make a great history professor, I think to myself.
“So, what did you decide?” Michael asks, eager to hear my answer.
“If that’s the case,” I say, clearing my throat, “then please erase the entire town’s memory of me…and could you please do something special for my father? I know I’m asking a lot. But he’s been through so much…I was hoping you could do something to help him, if you could.”
“What would you have me do?” Vincent asks without hesitation. His right eyebrow is raised in anticipation. It only serves to make his eye shine even bluer.
“His life has been nothing but sadness,” I explain clumsily, leaping through words. “My mother left him, then he turned to alcohol…even now, he worries only about me. Could you give him some extra money? Charm him into thinking he has had an enormously successful life? Make him think he never wanted kids and a wife, make him blissful. Please, if you could, search into his deepest dream, and make him that, or at least think he was that. The money in his account would make it all the more believable.”
“Do you realize what that suggestion you’re asking for is really going to create?” Vincent asks me. “He might just gather up his things and move away. You’ll never see him again. Ever.”
“I’ve thought about it for a long time,” I answer weakly. I feel the tears welling up in my eyes. “I don’t ever want to be misunderstood. I love my parents and nothing on earth could ever replace them. But if he has the chance to be happy, I want him to be happy. If he’d rather get remarried, I’d want him to remarry. If my not existing would make him happier…that’s what I want.”
I hide my face and turn away as I feel the tears stream steadily down my face. I feel both Michael and Vincent’s hands on my shoulders.
“That’s not something to be ashamed of,” I hear Michael say softly. “It’s a very noble gesture. It would be easier to just keep him around and in pain, but you’re choosing the higher path. The path that is right is usually the harder one.”
“Ms. Goody-Two-Shoes, as always,” Vincent says with a chuckle. “I’ll get on it right away. Right after our talk. You might want to sit on the sofa for now though; this is another one of those news updates you dread so much.”
I thank both of them by touching their hands and gather myself before moving to the sofa. I breathe in deeply, centering myself. When Vincent announces something like that, it isn’t to be taken lightly. Vincent examines me then nods at Michael to continue.
“You had asked before if I had spoken to the animals,” Michael says as he begins to crack his neck. “I did. I spoke with many. I also spoke with the trees here, with nature itself, about what it has seen here, heard about. The animals speak of a legend of a brutal man-beast collective doing horrible things to young human girls. The trees, being much older and having much less communication with one another, spoke of their forefathers being cut down and burned while man-beasts danced.”
I shake my head in confusion. None of this makes any sense.
“Hey chief lame horse, would you please get off the fire water and speak English?” Vincent says as he notes my frustration.
“From experience, I know the way animals talk. They speak of vampires and some other supers as man-beasts,” Michael continues, a little fazed by the interruption. “They deem humans to be cruel and unkind, but have seen far worse at the hands of vampires and other supers. So I had to seek out the origin of the legend. I found the ritual site. It was the same place they took you to, Liz. The ritual site has a history. I linked with the grassy hills there and saw his face. Klein was there. And he was trying the same thing, but a long time ago, at the very least; judging by the clothing, it was the 1700’s. He was there with a ring of thirteen witches, led by a brujo, and they were trying to incite purity in what I can only assume was a keeper. The rituals were almost identical, and with Robert’s information, I could tell that the slayers had been traveling these forests around the same time that the land had held these rituals. You’re just the last in the line of keepers for him.”
“Well, that doesn’t sound so bad,” I suppose aloud. It could have been much worse.
“There’s more to it,” Michael says softly, careful with each word. “He’s been committing terrible acts of cruelty and witchcraft in this area, on both human and supers alike. He’s been saturating the land with the blood of keepers and other tortured supers. The humans he uses for their raw emotion, to set the energy to the land. Then the supers are there to ‘seal the deal’ so to speak. When the balance is manipulated in such a way, a lot of things happen. More of the tribe awaken to combat the threat.”
“And then there are the keepers,” Vincent says as he senses Michael’s hesitation. “With supers dying left and right, Michael’s lovely balance he touts so proudly kicks in. More keepers sprout up than normal. Our buddy Klein has been chumming the waters with humans and their agony, and the
n killing supers as a way to force a boom in the super population…and how do supers increase in numbers naturally? Ding, ding, ding!!! With a keeper!”
“Wait, wait a second,” I say as I find myself speechless. I calm myself down before I start to hyperventilate. “What exactly are you saying? That he’s artificially forcing more keepers to be born?”
“Bingo!” Vincent says as he points his finger at me. Michael lowers his head in disgust at Vincent’s levity. “In other words, he’s been making other young girls like you pop up all over this entire land. If we went a couple towns over, we might find another keeper. It’s rare, but it could happen. Another possible outcome is that he uses you as he sees fit and then kills you; that could theoretically awaken another keeper in the area. He’s playing at being a sport fisherman; it’s catch and release all day with him, baby.”
“Vincenzo, for the love,” Michael exclaims in anger and frustration. “Show a little restraint. This is her life—her species here.”
“Hey, I was just speeding things up,” Vincent argues. “We would have been here all day waiting for you to explain it. I just gave her the short version, that’s all she needs.”
I know these last few weeks have been emotional and mercurial. I know I’ve said I couldn’t take it plenty of times lately. But this is seriously enough. I break down and completely lose any nerve I had built up.
“Do you see what you’ve done?!” Michael growls at Vincent as he places his arm over me. “She’s going through enough right now, don’t you think?!”
“Maybe instead of coddling her, you should prepare her,” Vincent refutes calmly. “We can’t protect her against herself. She’s a keeper, it’s in her nature. If Klein can somehow get rid of us, she might fall under his spell and then it’s all over for her. I’m willing to give her the tough love she will need and not sugarcoat things. You’d rather take the blow and cover her eyes so that she’d remain ignorant of the truth that’s all around her.”
As angry as Vincent makes me, he’s right. I softly push Michael away and wipe away the tears from my eyes. My hands tremble in anxiety, but I refuse to give in. I look Vincent square in his eyes.
And I slap him as hard as I can.
“That’s more like it,” Vincent says with a smile. “That’s the girl who stole my heart.”
“You will answer my questions,” I demand forcefully. “I need to know something, and I imagine only you have seen this before.”
“Yes, my mistress,” Vincent says with a slight smile on his face. “I will do as you command, provided I feel like it.”
“Keepers, are they normally maintained in a family’s bloodline?” I ask, my mind wrenching at the thought. “I know that they’re always women, but do genetics have anything to do with it, like Michael’s father was a werewolf before him?”
“You could say that,” Vincent says thoughtfully. “But like I told you earlier, keepers are very rare. It’s not like there’s one born every generation. If they are, it’s because things are going haywire and a species is on the verge of extinction. That would seem to be what Klein is trying to do. But I did know of two different keepers from two different families that shared a single bloodline, a common progenitor.”
“I’m going to lower my defenses,” I report desperately. “I need you to search out a memory, from when I was very small. It was of my mother. She was taken from me, by something; I don’t know what it was. That’s what started my interest in the supernatural…I need you to try and see my memory and tell me what took my mother.”
Vincent’s eyes widen as he realizes what I’m asking. I hear Michael sigh behind me as his heavy feet walk away. Vincent places his hand on my forehead and I feel him searching through my mind. He’s moving rapidly but gently, searching for the memory I described. I feel him find that haunting memory as I myself relive it as if it were happening all over again. I recoil as I feel Vincent disconnect with me.
“Why was I never told?!” Vincent asks angrily as he stands up and walks away from the sofa. “Why would you keep this from me? I thought I was a part of the team here?”
“I honestly meant to tell you,” Michael says calmly. “But so many things came up, the time just wasn’t right.”
“And you? What’s your excuse?” Vincent asks me accusingly. “Didn’t you trust me enough to tell me about this? What if this was information we could’ve used earlier? Which, by the way, it was! Had I known about this we could have avoided all that jungle rubbish and just gone to the source directly. Remember that traitor you were referring to, Michael? In the Coronam?! We just found him! But you…you had to withhold this piece of information. This was our salvation.”
“What? What’re you talking about?!” I plead with him. I’m truly sorry to have hurt him, but I need to know what he’s getting at.
“That was Klein,” Vincent says, anger still heavy on his voice. “Had you told me about this earlier, we could have requested an audience with the Coronam. I’m sure they have no idea what Klein’s real intentions were; that he’s been secretly plotting this for centuries. In front of the council the politics of vampire aristocracy would have mandated him to present a case against us, which he couldn’t have done. But now, we’ve killed several dozen members of the Coronam, and are responsible for the deaths of thirteen witches who were themselves agents of the council. We’re now officially fugitives! We could have ousted Klein without any combat whatsoever!”
“And what about my mother?” I plead with him, not caring to hear about what could have been. “Could she still be alive? Does Klein still have her?”
My words manage to slow Vincent’s pacing down considerably, and eventually he stops before speaking.
“You two stay here,” Vincent instructs firmly but without the anger his voice held earlier. “This time, I trust we’ll work as a team. I can’t answer that question just yet without it being a total guess. Besides, I have to charm an entire town. Again.”
“Where will you go?” I ask once again, practically throwing myself at his feet, begging him. “Are you asking your information network?”
“No,” he says calmly as he looks down at my eyes and wipes away a tear. He glances at Michael and nods solemnly. “I’m going directly to the source. I’m heading to the Coronam main council chamber, where Klein sits as chairman.”
“But no, wait,” I plead yet again. “What if they capture you? Or worse?”
“Then…” he replies slowly, one hand on the front door handle, “Michael will inform you immediately. He’ll notice the giant shift in the balance in the earth. Truly brother, this is a mess that could have been avoided.”
He takes one last look at the both of us, before heading out the door without hesitation.