The Guardian's Keeper (The Guardian Trilogy, Book 1) Read Free Page A

releasing Claire’s hand, and led her out of the kitchen, down the hall, into the living room. She sat on the overstuffed couch and Claire sat meekly beside her. Nikoli held his new position in the living room doorway, watching them, his expression giving away nothing.
    “ Just watch, Claire,” Joyce spoke softly as she turned on the old television set facing the couch.
    Claire didn’t understand at first- it was roughly 4 a.m. and all that was on was an infomercial. Suddenly th e infomercial was cut short as a news anchor came onto the set.
    “ Good morning everyone, we have interrupted your scheduled programming to bring you this breaking news. We’ll go now to Jackson Murphy, live on scene.” The scene cut away to a young anchorman standing in a circle of artificial lighting on a suburban road. Behind him were flashing lights from fire trucks and police cars, officials moving around in the pre-dawn gloom.
    “This can’t be, ” Claire whispered, recognizing the remains of her home.
    “ Thanks, Henry, this is Jackson Murphy live on the scene of a brutal multiple murder. It appears 3 adults have been murdered, their bodies set ablaze to hide these heinous crimes. The first 911 call came from neighbors around 2 a.m.-” Claire jumped up so quickly Nikoli moved to block the door, thinking she was making a run for it again. Instead she strode over to the television and snapped it off.
    “ Will someone tell me what’s going on, right now?” she implored Joyce, then Nikoli, tears streaming down her face. “This can’t be happening. None of it.” With that she broke into heaving sobs.
    Joyce jumped up off the couch and cradled Clai re in her arms while she wept. “I’m so sorry Claire, we feared this, it really was your family there, wasn’t it?” Claire nodded weakly. “We didn’t expect them to move so soon, we were hoping it would take them more time to piece it together. Thank goodness you were gone though, and Nikoli had found you before the Myrmidons did.”
    “ Those minions Nikoli was talking about?” Claire whispered through her streaming tears. “Who are they? Why would they kill my family?”
    “ Stavros’ followers. They’re after the Fang to bring him back. They’re vampires too.”
    “You’re a vampire?” Claire asked, pulling away from Joyce. She didn’t believe in vampires, they were just fiction, but she needed to assess just how crazy Joyce and Nikoli were. Her family was dead and she was stuck in a farm house who-knows-where with no current way out. She was at the mercy of these crazy people who thought they were vampires. Maybe if she acted like she believed them they would relax a bit and she could get an opportunity to get away. Concentrating on escaping let her push aside the news of her family.
    Joyce chuckled. “ Of course not, only Nikoli here.” She gestured towards the young man in the doorway with a sad smile. “Though my husband was a vampire as well. Let’s go back to our tea and I’ll explain everything.” Claire nodded numbly and allowed herself to be led back to the kitchen as Nikoli trailed along behind them again.

Chapter 3
     
    “ So, as you know, Nikoli is a vampire, not just any vampire, but the Guardian of the Keeper,” Joyce began. “Your Grandfather was a Keeper, but Nikoli didn’t know it until his passing. So we….”
    “ Hold on, Joyce, she doesn’t believe you.” Nikoli offered the large woman an apologetic smile, moving from his position in the doorway to sit next to Claire. “You asked me, in the truck, if I had fangs, and I assured you I do,” he reminded her. “Watch this.” He opened his mouth very wide, wider than looked comfortable. Claire watched him with a skeptical look on her face, until she realized his mouth was changing right before her eyes. No, not his mouth- his teeth. Long incisors and canines pushed up from his lower and upper jaws, forcing his other teeth behind them. They grew and elongated, stretching their sharp