The Keeper: Awakening

  Chapter 17

  Having my mother back is a dream come true for me. It‘s bittersweet, however. Although she is here physically, I can tell that my mother’s thoughts aren’t.

  And how can her thoughts be here? Her life was stripped from her. After Vincent recovers from the kick of drinking Cain’s blood, he’s more active than ever. Having fed on the first vampire’s blood gives Vincent newfound powers. Even he doesn’t know what he’s fully capable of. He is, however, more practical than ever. He’s quick to point out that my mother is a former keeper that was turned and that would be something we would have to explore further in detail. Apparently, not even with Cain’s memories was Vincent able to predict the true power of the keeper’s mating powers. But at the very least…it means one thing.

  It means I have a half brother or half sister out there, somewhere.

  But Vincent is also quick to stop any questions I want to ask my mother. It just isn’t the right time, he says, and offers no other explanation. It isn’t enough for me, but Vincent has changed after being imparted with some of Cain’s memories. He explains that what was happening to him can never be fully explained. He even suspects not even Cain could fully understand his transformation. This has just never been done before; the results can’t be fully predicted.

  Vincent comes to understand that this is why Cain needed him to come freely. Cain knew he was putting Vincent’s life at serious risk, yet he still moved on with his plans keeping me in the dark about the possible risks. Vincent isn’t mad, he understands everything. He describes it as an enhanced lucidity, completely incomparable to how he used to view the world before.

  Vincent might be quick to understand, but I’m not. I’m mad. While it may not be wise to have a bone to pick with the father of all vampire kind, I have a big one. Next time I see Cain, he would at the very least be asked why he would put Vincent at such risk. He might not answer me, because after all, I’m just a young keeper.

  But I’m fuming. I can’t see straight. There is so much on my plate it’s driving me mad. And my mother is here; I could actually talk to her about all these things swirling in my head, she’s within earshot. I’m sure if I asked, she would talk about anything.

  But Vincent convinces me now isn’t the time. His plan is to train my mother in her vampiric abilities in case she ever needs them. All of my questions would interrupt my mother’s concentration during Vincent’s lessons. I listen to his advice willingly. I know that deep down it’s the right move. It’s only on the surface that it makes sense to talk about it. But my mother herself is going through her own issues. I can tell she isn’t safe anywhere, anymore. Michael and Vincent make that obvious to me by the way they guard her. She’s never allowed to leave the house alone.

  The boys are once again protecting me and my family, while I only stand around waiting. I can’t do anything else. I am just the keeper, after all.

  As angry as I am with Cain, I can’t help but think about his words. He said I would make a choice eventually. He said that I would become a werewolf or a vampire in time. I hated to say it, but I think I can see what he meant now. It is exactly as Vincent said, too. That lucidity that can only come with having been around the world, seeing events unfold for thousands of years, that sort of thing has to have an influence on the way you perceive events.

  And I am sick and tired of feeling like the weak link. Even my mother is now contributing to the “war effort” while I stay home and play house. It’s more than a little disarming, and it makes me even want to join Vincent for one of his drinking sessions. I just know that I couldn’t keep up with him.

  Which I guess brings me to the funny part. For as much as Vincent has changed, I notice he begins drinking more and more, like he used to. For once, that’s a nice thing to see. But I’m still completely afraid that I will never see the Vincent I met again…that he will never return. Michael knows what I am feeling too. I can tell. Michael is hurting as well, and that’s probably visible to anyone with or without powers.

  “You all right?” Michael calls to me as he knocks on my door before entering my bedroom. Speak of the devil.

  “No, no I don’t—I don’t think I am,” I stammer horrifically through my response. “I’m not sure I will be, not for a long time. You? How are you holding up?”

  Michael slowly makes his way to my bed and sits down. He bites his lower lip and scratches his head. He cracks his neck, a surefire way of telling how nervous he is, and looks over at me.

  “I’m…more or less the same as you,” Michael answers slowly. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to pry. It’s just…I felt you, your emotions, from downstairs. I always try my best to keep them out. It would be like Vincenzo constantly reading people’s minds. But sometimes I can’t stop myself from sensing the emotions of others, if they’re strong enough. It’s almost like a protective sense, so that no one can get the drop on me. If I were to be attacked by an unseen attacker, I could sense their emotion, their fighting spirit you could say and avoid harm. But with you…”

  “Michael,” I say to interrupt him. “You’re rambling again. It’s all right, I understand. Yeah, I’m trying to cope with a lot. I guess you are too. Trust me, I get it. You sensed me from downstairs and came to check up on me. Thanks, I appreciate it. You’re always so thoughtful of me. I know this hasn’t been easy on you.”

  He tilts his head to the side before looking at me again.

  “No, it really hasn’t,” Michael states plainly. “I’m concerned for Vincenzo, now more than ever. I realize now that I was mistaken. I took his pragmatism for ruthlessness. But now I understand he was just being practical…and efficient. Looking back, I worked against that on a constant basis. And now, I might have lost my best friend, my brother, forever. Perhaps even worse, I never managed to apologize to him. Are you worried that Vincenzo drank from Cain?”

  “Yeah, I am, and it scares the hell out of me,” I say before I make my way over to the bed and sit down next to him. “Is that what you sensed?”

  “I’m very concerned as well,” Michael says softly. “I tried to sleep, just so that I could pass the time. I didn’t want to think about any of it. But I haven’t slept in so long, I think I’ve forgotten how to, if that’s even possible. What if Cain’s influence is never fully removed from Vincenzo? I can’t help but feel ill at ease. What if the Vincenzo we are living with is just a puppet of Cain? The blood certainly has changed his behavior.”

  “Paranoid?” I ask as I place my arms around his arm. “Michael…you try so much, all the time. You’re always carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, and you never put yourself first before others. No wonder you can’t sleep; how could anyone sleep with all of this on your mind? Sweetie, let me tell you something that they should have told you before. You’re not the only werewolf in the world; there are others. The responsibility to protect the balance isn’t yours only; it’s shared with you and the rest of the tribe.”

  “I’m tasked with a special responsibility,” Michael says hesitantly. “While I might not be the oldest werewolf alive, I am the most powerful. The others look to me for leadership, but all they can see is a traitor who allies himself with vampires. But it’s not just that. I usually plan out our attack plans, but I don’t know what to do right now. With your mother safely here with us, we need to lash back out against the Coronam, before they come in search of vengeance. And we don’t have the time. We also don’t have any idea of what Vincenzo is fully capable of any more. He seems stronger on the outside, but I have no way of knowing whether or not he is thinking straight. On top of that, what do we do? Can we really attack the Coronam?”

  “Is that what you and Vincent have been discussing?” I ask as I begin to play with Michael’s hair. “Is that what you think is the right move? Won’t that cause a civil war among the vampires? It would disrupt the very thing you’re always trying to protect.”

  “I know,” he replies. His frustration is easily detected in his tone. “But at thi
s point, something has to be done. Vincenzo believes that confronting the Coronam in full force is what is best at this moment. While I’m concerned about his personality being intact, I do see the wisdom in his plan of action. If we show up, all of us, they’ll be intimidated, to say the least. Your mother is inexperienced, but she’s learning rapidly. As a matter of fact, they’re both out now, training.”

  “So we’re all alone here huh?” I ask, whispering in Michael’s ear. “That might be dangerous for the both of us.”

  Michael turns to me and licks his lips, almost pensively. He exhales deeply. His tanned skin has goose bumps all over it. I guess he isn’t expecting this from me. He stares at my lips.

  “I suppose it is dangerous,” Michael says with a playful smile as he leans closer to me. “But…as much as I want to…I really can’t. Not until we’re sure of what you want. Not until I’m sure it’s real.”

  I nod in understanding. I’ve felt so lonely lately, and here is Michael. Finally he has some time to spare with me because all of his other duties are complete. And here I am, falling into temptation. What I should really be doing is taking this time to get to know Michael better and try to be there for him while he’s in pain. We could both be there for one another.

  “I feel happy when I’m around you, Liz,” Michael says, seemingly out of nowhere. “It’s like you say, I do feel the weight of the world on my shoulders. But my burden seems much lighter when I’m with you. You make it all worth it.”

  I lean in and wrap my arms around his stomach, as much as I can, anyway. His muscular frame is much wider than I can reach. I lay down, placing my head on his lap.

  “So this is really going to happen, huh?”

  “Unfortunately, yes,” he answers sadly. “I don’t see any other way. In the last week, I’ve had to deal with numerous supers. Three shapeshifters, a wendigo, and an incident involving sirens. They’re all on edge. They’re worried about the Coronam. They believe they’re making a play for dominance over the world, and they’re right. Now that we have you and your mother here, they’re going to come after you. Also, your mother mentioned something in passing. She said that Klein still believes that she could be used to procreate with other vampires, birthing more pureblood vampires. They won’t stop until they have you both in their facility. Vincenzo has a plan, though. He believes that with his newfound powers he can scare the Coronam away from their current motives, at least temporarily. It’s worth the risk if they’ll back down. Nevertheless, the plan has some huge, gaping holes. If we go, we all have to go. Your mother might be learning her vampiric abilities quickly, but she still isn’t experienced in combat. She can’t be left back here to protect you.”

  “Do you think it’ll work? Is it the best chance we’ve got?”

  “Honestly?” Michael replies as he closes his eyes and sighs. “It’s the only chance we have, so I suppose we don’t have a choice. But how do you feel about it? Are you comfortable going into the den of the very organization that’s hunting you?”

  “If it has to be done, it has to be done. I’m getting really sick of hiding. And I can’t take being the weak link anymore. I have to start pulling my own weight here.”

  “You’re very important to a lot of people,” Michael says as he begins to stroke my hair. “You do more than pull your own weight. You give many a reason to live. That in itself is probably more important than anything Vincenzo or I can do. You glue us all together and we’re much stronger unified. Truth be told, Vincenzo and I have never worked together more smoothly. It’s hard to believe, given that we both wish to court you…Vincenzo and I have grown closer than ever in this short period of time, and that’s thanks to you. And never forget, you have a mother you need to be strong for. I’d say that’s more than pulling your own weight.”

  “What about the Hela poison?”

  “From the pieces we kept to study, we were able to test it out on Vincenzo,” Michael answers. “I have to admit that it’s a huge problem. But I believe we’ve solved that problem, thanks to Cain. Vincenzo is now immune to the toxin, and from our early tests, I think we found a sort of…vaccination for it. We just need to find a way to deliver it to all the vampires. We also need to destroy any way Klein has of making it. In that, your mother was able to help our cause tremendously.”

  “Oh? So what did you learn?”

  “With Vincenzo being immune to the Hela poison, it was a matter of simple blood work,” Michael explains carefully. “We tested Vincenzo’s blood on a fragment of the Hela weapon crystals. It completely shattered and became inactive. The poison was no longer any good. The problem is we can’t just inject every vampire with Vincenzo’s blood or anything like that. That would essentially make everyone experience a transformation similar to the one Vincenzo went through from feeding on Cain’s blood. You can see why that would be a problem. But there is a silver lining. Your mother told us about how the Hela poison was created and Klein has no idea as to how it’s made, not the whole process, anyway. It was made at Klein’s request, but the Coronam didn’t trust him fully. Each member has a piece of the recipe. The way is so secret that all the vampire elders on the council know is what order the recipe is to be applied; as in which elder goes in which order. Then, they step into the chamber one at a time to finish their step of the recipe. And each elder has no idea of what the previous elder has done before him, or what the elder after him will do. This continues until the process is complete and the poison is made.”

  “How did they manage something like that?”

  “Your mother said that Klein had a group of human scientists, along with some witches and slayers, commissioned to work on this project,” Michael says with a shake of his head. “They all came up with the poison from something Klein had found and dug up. These witches were pretty old for their race. And the slayers, they come from one of the most respected and experienced clan…it’s shameful what they did. However, the process was forever lost when the poison was created and the recipe was divided up amongst all the elders. As soon as everything was explained to each vampire elder individually, they slaughtered the research team and destroyed Klein’s notes that led to the poison in the first place. Klein wasn’t prepared for any of this. I guess he thought he had the council more firmly held in fear. Klein doesn’t seem powerful enough at this moment to forcibly exert dominance over the council—while it’s united, anyway. He’s still bullying other council members whenever he can catch them alone, however.”

  “But that’s great for us, isn’t it? That means it’s not too late? The world isn’t flooded with this Hela poison? We can still save their species?”

  “Yes, there’s still a chance,” Michael replies as he kisses me on the side of my head. His warm breath feels incredible on my skin. “We can restore the balance. We just have to move as quickly as we can.”

  “Then what are we waiting for?”

  “Everything in due time, my queen,” Michael answers sweetly as he goes back to playing with my hair. “There’s going to be a lot of violence, a lot of carnage before we’re able to make it to the main council chambers. From there, Vincenzo will have to charm all of the elders. He believes he can do this now. He’ll have to remove all of their memories about the Hela poison recipe. And then…after that, we somehow have to destroy all of the Hela poison that’s in their complex. But before we do that, we have to destroy whatever poison made it out of the Coronam’s main facility. Luckily, your mother knows about that, too. She really did her homework and prepared herself well. There’s only two other places that have the Hela poison. We have to strike at one of these first, of course. Vincenzo will also be able to use this opportunity to test out his new skills and see whether or not he can use his powers of coercion on a large amount of vampires at once.”

  “So we have quite the adventure coming up don’t we, Michael?”

  “Unfortunately, yes,” he answers sadly. “It might be a long time before we know peace. And we’ll have to do some traveling. So we
’ll have to book us a couple of flights.”

  “You can’t just have Vincent fly me there?”

  “No, it’s way too dangerous,” Michael states as a cautionary tale. “When we move at the speeds we do, we can handle it. Our skin doesn’t tear, our bones don’t break, even as the wind slams into our body with great pressure. As you are now, you wouldn’t survive the air pressure. Your body would literally disintegrate.”

  “And I’m back to being the weak link”

  “No, not at all,” he says as he caresses my cheek. “It’s actually a nice turn of events for us. I doubt Klein would ever imagine us using an airplane. And it will also give us extra time to plan. We’ll book private flights; it’ll be fun.”

  “My goodness. The world really has been turned upside down. You’re talking about fun? This must be a dream!”

  Michael’s face is blushing but he makes no attempt to hide it from me. He just looks at my eyes, almost if he’s admiring them. He really is so sweet.

  “I’ve been really busy lately,” Michael admits softly as he leans closer to me. “I won’t be able to ever make it up to you; time that passes us by is lost forever. Vincenzo has tried to teach me to live in the moment, but I just can’t. It’s against my character and I’ve been lectured hundreds of times about being a workaholic. But I think it’s time I start listening to him, and my heart.”

  “This really must not be happening,” I say lightheartedly as I grab Michael by the back of his neck. “What did you have in mind?”

  “I think we should go out,” Michael suggests calmly. “Not tomorrow, not as soon as we can, tonight, right now. You up for it?”

  “But what about everything you two warned me about?”

  “I know,” Michael admits with a nod. “It’s completely reckless and goes against my better judgment. That’s why I think it’s a good idea now. You’ve been under house arrest for way too long. What would you like to do? A movie? Maybe dinner afterwards? Or we could go to Franco’s again? Whatever you’d like.”

  “Won’t Vincent be angry?”

  “I don’t think he gets angry anymore,” Michael says, rather despondently. “I’ve been pushing his buttons, hoping to get his personality to emerge once again…thus far, I’ve been unsuccessful. Besides, it’s not like you’re the only one who‘s had an abrupt change in their lives. You said the world’s been turned upside down? It truly has. I’m the one who has to deal with Vincenzo almost every hour of the day as we plan this thing out. He’s never made me feel like I was his equal in experience. Now however, it’s almost as if he sees me like a complete child. It’s like my five centuries mean nothing to him. For a werewolf to survive 500 years, that’s pretty rare. Even with all of our strengths, we have too many enemies. We also have so many responsibilities that we are constantly making new adversaries or placing ourselves in danger. But for a vampire? It’s even harder for a vampire to survive 500 years, what with the slayers and the corrupt bureaucracy that runs rampant through their government. Vincenzo doesn’t really see time the same anymore. He even referred to Klein as a child, can you believe that?”

  “It’s obviously the influence of Cain’s blood. I’ve been thinking about that a lot myself. We had such a great thing going here, three friends, together through thick and thin. But now, it’s like we’re at risk of losing one giant piece.”

  “Yes, indeed,” Michael agrees solemnly. “But for one night, let’s forget about all of that. Let it just be you and me. We seem to appear like a bunch of reckless kids now to Vincenzo, why not act that way? Let’s forget about the entire world, just for one night.”

  “I can’t believe I’m hearing all of this,” I say playfully. “But one thing first.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “Stop talking so properly, use modern English,” I say with a laugh. “You’re driving me nuts with the formality!”

  “Sorry,” he says. It’s easy to see his embarrassment. “English wasn’t my first language, and sometimes I forget that the times have changed. I forget that it’s constantly changing. You’re my first friend outside of Vincenzo. I guess it just never really bothered him.”

  “Okay, stop that too.”

  “Stop what?”

  “Stop mentioning Vincent,” I request softly as I dig my head into his stomach. “Tonight, if we’re going out, let’s only talk about you and me. Let’s really forget about the world. All of it. I’m not used to having a worry-free Michael. I’m used to workaholic Michael, but I think I’m going to like tonight’s version better. But he needs to shut up about everything super. How about tonight it’s just two people out on a simple date? A young girl who likes a young guy?”

  “Very well, then,” Michael says with a slight smile. “If I’m being too formal, make sure you kick me in the shin or something.”

  “Oh, I will,” I assure him. “I just hope not to break my foot on it.”

  “Aim for anything but the bone,” he suggests to me as he leans even closer. He’s now inches away from my face. “So where should I take you tonight, my queen?”

  At this point, I’m not even sure I want to go anywhere. This place looks great to me. But should I give in to temptation? Or should I take some time and weigh my options? It’s just a kiss after all, right?

  “I can sense your hesitation,” Michael says as he moves away from me. “But…in all honesty, I can’t take it anymore. I don’t want to resist you anymore.”

  Michael moves back to my face and gives me a slow gentle kiss on my lips. His kisses are tender and gentle. I grab the back of his head and refuse to let him go.

  I can say one thing, even though we’ve both never been with anyone our entire lives, I’m pretty sure he knew what he was doing. Just having felt his kiss almost drives me insane. Even though we share one another for a few minutes, it just doesn’t seem enough. And before I know it, Michael pulls away to smile at me. He kisses me one last time on the nose and gives me a hug.

  “How about that for formal?” he asks me jokingly.

  “Yeah,” I say with a sigh of satisfaction. “How about that.”

  “So, dinner?” he asks me, nibbling my ear. “And after dinner, I have a surprise for you.”

  “What kind of a surprise?”

  “One I hope you’ll like,” he says softly into my ear. “It’s been a work in progress, so I’m not sure how you’ll react. But let’s not talk about that now. Just grab your stuff and meet me in the car. I’ll take you to the most beautiful restaurant we can get to. What do you feel like eating?”

  “Honestly?” I say as I grab him by the collar and bite his neck gently. “I could use a bit more of what I just had.”

  Michael chuckles softly.

  So about an hour later, we are finally able to decide on where to go for dinner. I just want a nice soup and maybe pasta with shrimp. Michael, like always, just wants to have himself a big steak. So we pick our restaurant and head off to a little town called Aaron about forty miles away. Ironically enough, even though Aaron is an even smaller town than mine, it has this really classy restaurant that Michael had tried. He thinks it will be the best place for me to get my shrimp pasta, so there we go.

  It’s a fun car ride. Michael actually plays a game with me all the way there. He keeps popping in music tracks and asks me who sang it and the name of the song. It’s kind of silly, but it’s definitely fun. When we make it to the restaurant, Michael ensures us the best table in the house and we take our seats and order our meals.

  “Wow, this really is fancy,” I say in surprise. “I had no idea Aaron had this type of place. Since when did they get so sophisticated and upper-class?”

  “I guess it happened because of the school campus being so close,” Michael says before taking a bite out of his breadstick. “The housing around the campus is really expensive, so students try to find a place to stay wherever they can if they can’t afford living on campus. Besides your town, it’s really only Aaron and Mercerville that’s close to the school
. And after that incident at Mercerville, no one is really interested in moving there.”

  “I had heard about that,” I say as I reach for a piece of bread too. “That was a terrible thing that happened over there…how many were killed in that fire? Did they ever find out how it got started?”

  “Unfortunately, fourteen humans died that night,” Michael says quietly in response. “I arrived a little late to that one; I didn’t notice the jinn’s activities until it was too late. The fire was never explained, not really. So they just blamed it on the faulty gas pipes that ran throughout the bottom of the town. It backfired on the city to bring those pipes to light. People immediately moved out and no one would come back in. Although it was a standup move for the city to admit that the gas pipes were old and obsolete, it only served to kill the town. The really terrible part was that it wasn’t even the true source of the fire.”

  “Jinn huh?” I ask after swallowing a piece of bread. “Another species of super?”

  “Yeah, they have power over fire,” Michael replies. “Scary control, actually. But that’s business, so let’s not talk shop. That’s what we’re escaping, right?”

  “Yeah, definitely,” I say, agreeing. “It’s just amazing that simple things like fires that should have normal, scientific explanations actually have paranormal roots. It’s really crazy.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Michael says with a nod. “Hey, would you like to try your first glass of wine tonight? You’ve been really good lately, a glass won’t hurt.”

  “I guess I might as well,” I say with a smile before losing myself in Michael’s eyes. “It’s hard for me to say no to you, after all.”

  “I have a feeling I know what that’s like,” he answers almost shyly as he looks back at me, focusing on my lips. “So, just one glass. All right?”

  I nod and he orders me the wine. After a sip, I find it hard to believe that anyone can drink this for pleasure. And even worse, how can those professional wine tasters make a living? This tastes pretty bad. I guess it must be an acquired taste, like escargot or something.

  “That bad, huh?” Michael chuckles softly. “It’s just something you get used to. I didn’t like it at first either, and it was a huge part of my culture. They would give it to all the children, even while they were just teething. But if you don’t like it, it’s perfectly fine too. Everyone needs a hobby.”

  “You always going to read my mind like that?”

  “I don’t read your mind, you know that,” Michael affirms. “I just can’t do it. And I wouldn’t if I could. Your private thoughts are your own.”

  “I know; it just feels like you’re inside my head all the time…” I said before trailing off. “It‘s like you know what I’m thinking almost all the time. You finish my sentences, you…you’re just hard to stay away from. And even though I feel like you’re inside my head all the time, I never really know what you’re thinking. Not truly. But I get the feeling you do know what I’m thinking, even if you can’t just read my mind. I wish that for just one day I could see the world through your eyes. You see everything so… clearly. It’s always cut and dried with you. You really see everything with an impossible clarity.”

  Michael looks down and bites his lower lip before looking up. His eyes are narrowed and his voice is low and filled with sadness.

  “It’s a huge responsibility,” Michael confesses hesitantly. “I know I’m like a naïve kid or something like that, at least in the eyes of others. But it’s just that I know that every action has an equal and powerful reaction. Sometimes the reaction, the consequence, is ten times worse than the initial action. These are the things that are always on my mind. I’m constantly thinking about the consequences, of how bad it could get if I do something, or if I fail to do something. I just really wish I could be like Vincenzo sometimes, at least in that regard.”

  “I thought we agreed it would be just about you and me tonight?” I say as I try to pull Michael away from his sadness. “And to be honest, I think Vincent envies you in some regards. So, anyway, let’s say you find yourself a wife: do you expect for her to cook for you? With the way you eat, I’d say that’s pretty unfair. You can bet I’d never spend my day cooking like that.”

  “That would be pretty funny,” Michael says with an unrestrained laugh. “That’d be crazy all right. But if you were to be my wife, you know how much of an appetite the two of us would gather up?”

  “Yeah, that’s right,” I reply. Everything seems so normal, I just forgot the reality of my life. I can’t do normal, it just isn’t meant for me. If I do become his wife, I’ll be eating fifteen or more pounds of meat a day…jeez.

  “How do you feel about all this? We haven’t had a moment to talk about it, not a single second. I came here originally for a variety of reasons, but I’m always cautious about keepers. I always had this idea in the back of my mind of how I would combat the keeper’s powers, to resist the allure. But I have the feeling you knew that already…and there’s more.”

  “There is?” I ask in surprise.

  “I sense that in the presence of Vincenzo and I, your powers of seduction don’t really know what to do,” Michael hypothesizes as he shakes his head slowly. “I don’t know if that’s even possible. But the aggression that used to be there, the jealousy I felt, it’s gone. But you know what’s not gone? The way I feel about you. So, I suppose in that regard, I’m thrilled. I know now absolutely that my feelings for you are genuine.”

  I breathe in deeply and scratch the back of my neck. I understand what he’s describing. Somehow, I got used to having them both around. The temptation that was almost unearthly is still there, but it feels natural somehow. And I don’t need to avoid either of them anymore. This entire time I’ve been admiring both of them for completely different reasons. It’s like I’m trying to make the better choice out of both of them…but now, with Michael’s statement, it makes me realize that I am free from that overwhelming power that being a keeper brings. I‘m free to make my own choice.

  But the thing is, I think I’m in love with both of them. How does the girl who had never gone out with a single guy fall in love with two men who were so very different? Is this love? Do I even know what that truly means? Am I just wrong?

  Maybe my status as a keeper is still holding me back from making a choice. I just don’t know.

  After several awkward moments Michael simply nods, as if he understands what I’m feeling. He makes no more mention of it. We continue in idle chit chat until I finally start feeling the wine’s bubbles reach my head. I feel unusually happy. Maybe this is why Vincent always drinks. Michael pays the check and carries me outside to his car, not my proudest moment. In his strong, massive arms, I must look like a child to anyone looking. He sets me down gently in his car, fastens my seat belt and turns the car on. He pushes all the vents in the car towards my direction before finally making his way around to the driver’s seat. He truly is a gentleman.

  “Perhaps I shouldn’t have let you drink?” Michael says with a shamed smile. “How’re you feeling?”

  “I’ve seen people get woozy off of booze before, but I never thought I would be such a lightweight. One glass? That’s awful,” I say as I adjust myself in the seat. “I’m sorry, I ruined the evening, huh?”

  “Hey, at least you didn’t throw up,” he reassures me with a teasing jab to my side. “Besides, who said the evening was ruined? It’s a story to tell, a pretty good one, too. And also, the night isn’t over yet. I want to show you something. Something I don’t think anyone was expecting.”

  “Oh yeah? What?”

  “Can’t say. If I said what it was, it wouldn’t be a surprise.”

  I smile back at Michael and take in the car’s nice breeze. Ah, AC. What a beautiful invention.

  We drive back towards my house but keep going past it.

  “Hey, Michael?” I ask in confusion. “Why did we just pass the house?”

  “The surprise isn’t at the house,” he replies with a grin. ??
?We are almost there. Just a few more minutes. I really shouldn’t be showing you this, but I’m terrible with surprises. I can never hold them in for long; I always end up giving them away.”

  I laugh at Michael’s gentle demeanor. Despite his giant proportions, he is truly a tender soul. It isn’t long before I notice a mailbox to the left side of the road. That’s new; I’ve never seen that there. To the side of the mailbox is a long winding driveway that looks brand new, yet it’s meant to resemble old cobblestone roads. Michael makes a left into the driveway and stops before turning to me.

  “I’ve been busy,” he says finally. “I figured we could use this. Having everyone know where we are isn’t exactly ideal…and…well, you’ll see.”

  He continues on until the long winding driveway opens up to a beautiful courtyard. There’s an incredible, chiseled statue in the middle of an angel that sits in the middle of a fountain. The fountain’s jets spray water in an erratic pattern, yet they never hit the angel. Truly a work of art. As if that isn’t beautiful enough, a huge mansion stands before us. Michael pokes me until I get out of the car. With my jaw dropped, I open the car door slowly and step out. The house has to be at least three stories tall. It has four towers, one for each corner of this perfectly erected mansion. In the middle of the mansion’s roof sits a single lone tower that hovers above all the rest. I’m speechless.

  “I had some guys start working on it since the moment you told me about your mother,” Michael admits as I feel him walk next to me and sit on the hood of his car. “You don’t have to live here if you don’t want to. But it was just finished; I thought I should at least show it to you.”

  “Michael, this is…absolutely beautiful.”

  “The four corners all are positioned perfectly in one direction,” Michael continues. “Vincenzo was always the explorer, and because of that, he wasn’t afraid to head to the new world at all. I had a tower built in each of the corners. That’s Vincenzo’s corner facing the west, in search of the new world. I placed my quarters in the east because of my love of my homeland and of the orient. I had high hopes that we would one day find your mother, and thankfully, your father is safe and still here in town. I thought they both could live in the south part of the home. And because you’re the guiding light to all of us, I was hoping you would take the north corner of the manor. As a sailor, I always had to gauge myself by the northern star. You’ve helped guide me…I thought it fitting. In the middle are guest accommodations, pantries, kitchens, everything I could think of. That really tall tower in the middle was symbolic to me. It stands proud, even against all the odds we face. We stand united and strong. There’s a nice lodge underneath it, or you could even climb it and enjoy the view if you like.”

  “How could you build such a thing? This is truly incredible,” I ask, completely befuddled. “Won’t they notice us here? This is bound to stick out like a sore thumb.”

  “I used some very old magic,” Michael explains calmly. “Combined with everything I’ve ever learned from Vincenzo and Robert, I’m sure nothing supernatural will see this unless we want them to see it. Humans simply won’t know it’s here unless they take the two mile hike it takes to get here from the road, and even then, all they’ll see is the statue. I just wanted to give us a place to stay. This can be our sanctuary and our fortress.”

  “I love it,” I say as I throw my arms around Michael. “When can we move in?”

  “Whenever you’d like,” he says as he brushes some of my hair gently away from my face and looks at me. “I wouldn’t have shown it to you unless it was completely ready.”

  “I hope you stocked my corner with plenty of liquor,” I hear Vincent’s voice say as he lands down next to me. He’s holding my mother in his hands and lowers her feet to the ground. “So facing west, huh? You do know me well. And I bet you knew I would be against you two leaving tonight. And you got Izzy here drunk! What were you thinking?”

  My mother looks to me and smiles as she shakes her head.

  “Lizzy, you finally took a drink? It took you this long?!” my mother asks before beginning to laugh. “Wow, you really are as much of a goody-two-shoes as Vincent says you are.”

  “Mom…” I protest at their abrupt interruption. “I’m an adult now.”

  “Not legally when it comes to drinking,” she answers me, still laughing. “Besides, call me Mary. I really don’t feel comfortable having you call me Mom anymore. And it definitely won’t make sense if anyone hears us.”

  I’m shocked by the suggestion and I turn to Vincent. Was this his doing?

  “She’s right,” Vincent adds calmly as he tilts his head and faces Michael. “This was a really stupid move, Mikey. I expected more out of you. You’re supposed to be the responsible one.”

  “I wanted to show her some fun,” Michael answers as his tone turns suspicious. “How did you know all of those details, Vincenzo?”

  “Easy,” he answers. “I’ve been reading your minds the entire night. And no, I’m not mad at the quasi-date you guys had. I just haven’t been able to get Cain’s mojo under control. It’s still me. I’m just wrestling to find myself, as it were. Just have to give me time.”

  Even after Vincent’s short but to-the-point explanation, I’m still not satisfied. I feel like what Vincent did was a jerk move. But whatever, it’s hard to stay angry while looking at this house.

  “So, are we all going to move in?” Mary asks me. Yuck, it feels awkward just thinking of calling my mother that..

  “I’m up for it if Goldilocks is,” Vincent says as he gives me a casual glance.

  I feel Michael turn to face me. He seems almost aching for my approval. I smile brightly and nod my head.

  “Here’s to another adventure!” I declare with optimism. “Moving out!”

  “Don’t be too chipper there, Goldilocks,” Vincent says. “We’re going to have to buy a ton of furniture to fill this place up. If we don’t it’ll look like we really shouldn’t be living in a place like this. Should we go back home and get you your couch?”

  “It’s a sofa,” I say as I grit my teeth.

  “Yeah, that’s what I said,” Vincent replies as he claps his hands and begins walking. “Off to it then. Come on guys, off to get Izzy’s couch!”

  “It’s a sofa…”