Last Chance

Last Chance

Michelle Birbeck

Praise for Last Chance

Like the first book in the Keepers’ Chronicles, Serenity’s life has much excitement and danger. As the oldest of all the Keepers, she has finally settled down when events spin out of control. There are places in the story where she justifiably feels sorry for herself, tired, and wants to give up, but she constantly uses the love for her family and desire to keep the world from a bloodbath to keep her going.

The unique look at a paranormal world is quite enjoyable, and I liked all of serenity’s family and friends that surrounded her in this book. Themes of family, love, betrayal, and loyalty were clear throughout the book. The twists and turns of discovering who or what was behind the events was fascinating. I found this to be another great read.

Amanda – The To Be Read Pile

~***~

Last Chance

The Keepers’ Chronicles, Book 2

Michelle Birbeck

~***~

Copyright ©  Michelle Birbeck.

Published by Michelle Birbeck at Smashwords

Copyright 2012 Michelle Birbeck

Discover other titles by Michelle Birbeck by visiting her website www.michellebirbeck.co.uk

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.

Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author

Cover design © Michelle Birbeck

Cover photography © Paul Greathead

Model: Rachel Chapman

~***~

Dedication

To Alice, when we first met, this was still a dream, and sometimes they do come true.

~***~

Acknowledgements

Huge thanks to Nicole for all the editing, Alice for listening to me rant, Phill for reading this again and again, and Rachel for agreeing to be Elena for the day.

~***~

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Epilogue

Chapter One

London 2025

Landing in London brought up none of the sorrow I had once felt about the place, not with Ray’s hand firmly grasped in mine, fingers toying with my wedding ring. My nerves, however, still made my heart pound, so when Ray pulled a black blindfold from his pocket, I almost lost it. Having him keep our new home a secret was one thing, but my sight was precious.

I backed away from him, hands up in front of me. "I’m more than willing to close my eyes, Ray, but you’re not getting that thing anywhere near me."

He had sense enough to pause. How do I know you won’t peek?

Don’t you trust me, darling? I asked sweetly, knowing exactly which buttons to push.

Not so far as I could throw you. He pounced on me.

I let him pin me against our new car. Well, you can throw me quite far.

Promise you won’t peek?

Will it make you happy?

Very.

I sighed, knowing I’d keep the promise, no matter how much I wanted to do otherwise. Then I promise I won’t peek.

Ray tossed the blindfold in the car.

I’d have agreed to almost anything if it got me out of having to wear that thing. The idea of someone taking away my sight made my heart race in fear. If I could simply open my eyes, then I was in control. Take away that control, and it set off something deep inside me — something I didn’t have a name for.

I fought the temptation to open my eyes to see where he was taking me. The traffic sped by for me to hear with perfect clarity, and every bump in the road translated through the suspension of the car. The windows were rolled up, so the only smells I got were filtered through the air conditioning, and that was very little. What traces of sound, feeling, and smell that did reach me didn’t give me enough to determine more than an inner city location.

We’re almost there, Serenity, stop bouncing.

I can’t help it. This is about as exciting as my life gets at the moment, I answered; the words making me feel stupid.

You miss it that much?

Being out there, doing what I do… It’s been my life for so long. Being retired doesn’t feel right, I admitted in a quiet voice.

Retirement had been normal once upon a time; a withdrawal from our duties of protecting the balance between the races that enabled us to raise the next generation of Keepers. But when the massacre began, leaving me the last Keeper, it hadn’t been an option. Now, there were many of us; I had no need to work.

I don’t mind, you know. If you want to get involved with everything again, I’m happy for you to do so.

It wasn’t what I was expecting to hear. We hadn’t talked about the possibility, and that he would be so willing to let me do it came as a shock. Opening my eyes wide, I turned to look at him, a million questions ready to be asked. How would he cope if I went out for a week or more? What would happen when he needed to feed? He fed twice a week from me, but few vampires could go much longer. And what if I was injured or bitten?

None of my questions left my lips, for there was only one I could even think about asking as I stared past Ray to the house that I realised was ours. How?

He grinned wide. The owners took some persuading, but when I told them a close enough version of the truth, they negotiated a price.

So much for the process of elimination I’d used to pass the flight from our last home in Canada. Not once had it occurred to me that he could have done this.

What did you do? No, wait, you’re kidding, right?

"No, my love. I finally get to have you in my home as my wife." Ray was beaming. Smiling from ear to ear, grey eyes shining.

He’d really done it.

I jumped from the car; then I stalled out, standing on the pavement, staring up at the house.

Same door with dark wood and big locks. Same windows. Same three little steps up to the front door, the stone slightly rounded from years of use. Everything was exactly as it had been the last time I’d seen it.

Ray slipped a set of keys into my hand. Go on. Take a look.

Shouldn’t you carry me over the threshold? I asked, teasing him a little.

Well, if you insist.

Ray took my suggestion to heart. Before I had chance to get to the door — or even take a single step forward — he swept me up into his arms.

I believe this is the appropriate position.

"I didn’t mean you had to!"

Tough. I don’t believe I did this the first time around, either.

We both chuckled as he carried me up the short path to the door. He somehow managed to unlock it without putting me down, and I gasped in shock at the sight before me. It was almost exactly the same as the first time I’d set foot in the house. The walls were the same rich colour, and even the floors had been freshly varnished before being covered with almost identical period rugs.

A tear slid down my cheek. Ray…this is too much.

We didn’t get to do this before, and it’s never too much.

Everything seemed to have been unpacked; there were no boxes stacked in corners, no dustsheets waiting to be removed. It was as though we’d only been away for a day, not nearly a century.

I hopped down out of Ray’s arms and poked my head into the sitting room. Period furniture. Every piece in the sitting room was so similar to the originals that I could almost believe no time at all had passed. The resemblance was so perfect.

I couldn’t believe it. I absolutely could not believe he’d gone so far and done so much. I felt almost as though we’d gone back in time the moment Ray walked through the door with me in his arms.

How? It was fast becoming my favourite question.

You’d be amazed at the connections Poppy has in this city. She managed to get the whole place unpacked and furnished without breaking a sweat.

Part of me didn’t want to know what contacts the great and powerful former Seat member still had in London. The rest of me was curious anyway.

Vampires don’t sweat, Ray.

She did it in record time, then.

Remind me to thank her.

A smile lit up my face as I raced around the house, checking each of the rooms. His mother’s room had been turned into a study complete with sofa bed. Ray’s old room had hardly changed since last time I’d seen it. His small bed had been replaced with a larger one, perfect for the two of us, but everything else had remained the same. The bed stood in the same place by the window, as were the wardrobe and the dresser. Even the boxes on top of the wardrobe were the same. If I pulled them down, I would no doubt find his favourite childhood stuffed toy, Herbie, tucked away in a fresh shoebox bed in the bottom of the pile. I remembered him pulling the box down as if it had only happened yesterday. How nervous he’d been about showing me his childhood friend.

From the window, I could see the place where I’d stood when I first entered his garden. The same place where I’d scaled the wall when we spent our first night together. The bush that had once concealed my entry had grown into a tree.

What are you looking at?

How much that tree has grown.

Now you don’t have to scale my wall to get into my room. He followed my gaze, chin resting on my shoulder.

I can also stay in your bed without the risk of getting caught.

He chuckled lightly. I have a week before I start work. Could you be persuaded to spend the entire week in bed with me?

Tempting, so very tempting.

Can’t I change your mind?

How do you know I was going to say no?

We’d be in bed already if that were a yes.

We would have continued to argue — and I would have lost, as the idea of spending a week in bed together was far too tempting— but a pounding on the front door interrupted us. The noise was closely followed by the sound of the door opening and Leo announcing her arrival.

I frowned. I thought they’d be on a plane to Germany already.

They’re stopping for the night before flying on, Ray explained.

"Here?"

No, thank God. They’re stopping in a hotel.

Though Poppy and Issac were staying in the city near us, Al and Leo were flying to Germany. When we decided it was time to live apart for a decade or two, nothing less than an ocean was far enough for each couple. Personally, I would have preferred a whole continent between us.

Having Issac and Poppy in the same city on a regular basis wasn’t so much of a bother — and when it came to Al, I would happily have him next door — Leo, on the other hand… The dark haired empath and I got along a lot better than we used to, but she still riled me up more often than not. Especially on the occasions when I didn’t agree with her choice of meals. Though these were few and far between, sometimes when she became the vigilante she couldn’t resist being, her judgement of the worst of humanity slipped. At times, her feelings on the matter were too clouded. At others, I wished there was a way vampires could kill their meals over and over.

Still, the time away from them made me appreciate their company more when we were together. I kept telling myself that, but really, I just liked my space.

We’re up here! I called down. Then I whispered in a low voice to Ray, Hopefully, we can get this visit over with and see about that week in bed.

Leo, show yourself around, Ray shouted, moving to lock the bedroom door.

Ray! Don’t be so rude. I swatted at his arm, laughing gently. We have all the time in the world once they’re in Germany. Besides, if Poppy’s here, I want to thank her.

Are you sure? he purred, nuzzling my neck, a favourite past time of his. And that purr, it was one of the vampire quirks I happened to be completely in love with. From what Lizzy told me, only the Cats could rival that gentle sound no human could reproduce.

The brush of his fangs along my skin was almost enough to make me forget everything else.

Ray, behave.

~***~

Poppy and Issac arrived with Leo and Al, so I got my chance to thank all of them. They’d done such a wonderful job of sorting the house out that I couldn’t express my gratitude enough.

Apparently, Ray had the final say in everything that went into the house, but Poppy had arranged everything else. It amazed me how much they’d managed to get done without my knowledge.

Though they’d put all the pieces together and mapped out the entire house, they were seeing it for the first time. Both Poppy and Leo were impressed with the end result.

You did an amazing job, thank you. I would have to think of something for them.

It’s something Ray wanted, and it was the least we could do for the two of you, Poppy answered, her gentle smile reflected in her brown eyes.

I didn’t quite know what I’d done to deserve such a treat, but I was thankful they thought I did deserve it.

~***~

You must visit us in Germany, Al insisted before they left.

I’d like that. Maybe we should all come over for Christmas. Without the food. Vampires and any food other than blood wasn’t a happy combination.

No food means more presents. Trust Poppy to make up that rule.

Al and Leo were moving to the small town of Schierke, the place where Al had lived before going to war; his hometown. Ray’s insistence on what he wanted to do with our home had inspired a rare sentimental streak in the rest of the family. Their memories may not have been as vivid as they once were, but even vampires liked to return to their roots on occasion.

There were few goodbyes when they eventually left. It wouldn’t be long before we saw each other, or at least spoke with each other again. We had grown reasonably close over the past fifty years, and no distance could ever stop us from missing each other, although we’d never actually admit to it. Even under duress. However, I drew a firm line at inviting them to stay for a while.

It would have taken Ray and me at least an overnight to unpack everything; with it all having been done, there was nothing to do except enjoy each other’s company — something I very much looked forward to.

Ray’s first words the second the door was shut put a dampener on my plans. I don’t want you to do it.

They were not what I’d been expecting.

However, he continued, you’re somewhat more immortal than I am. I can’t say I won’t worry about you if you do go back to work. I will, immensely.

Ray—

He cut me off with a wave of his hand. "Serenity, you need to do this. I will worry about you, but this was part of your life the day I asked you to marry me, and I wouldn’t change a thing about you."

Thank you. I was overcome by his words.

Promise me you’ll always come home to me.

"Always, I vowed, taking his face in my hands. There will never come a time when something or someone could stop me from getting home to you, my love."

How is it possible that I still fear losing you, even after all these years?

We lost each other once, Ray. It’s only natural to fear history repeating itself. I kissed him lightly. Sometimes I do, too.

Sometimes I had to check that Ray was still there when I woke up. Losing him was my greatest fear; I wasn’t sure if I could survive that kind of loss again. He was my entire world, my reason for living, and the only reason there was a smile on my face every day.

He heaved a sigh. You better call Lizzy. It was harder for him than he was letting on.

I could always change my mind about working with you. The last thing I wanted to do was stay at home, but I would do anything to see the worry leave his eyes. Needless worry, but the thought I was hurting him by doing this…

You’d be up on murder charges before the week was out.

Are they that bad?

Worse, normally. I’m so glad telepathy isn’t on my list of abilities. Make the call, love.

Thank you, Ray. Thank you, so much.

~***~

The call to my wonderful niece was a short one. Lizzy had already known it was coming. Hard to surprise the best psychic our race had ever seen. There was very little that got past her, even when I tried hard enough. She’d known I was going to call and had planned something simple for me. Apparently, if I started with an easy enough issue, it would reassure Ray.

Perfect.

Except, my Saturday night plans had been rearranged in under a minute. We had planned to spend the evening at the cinema, doing normal, human-couple things. Now I’d be dealing with a simple overfeeding vampire in downtown London. Ray wasn’t too keen over the change of plans, but the promise of an entire day in bed placated him.

~***~

Saturday came around too soon. Ray and I had spent the entire of the afternoon lounging around the house, watching movies and talking. The little couch, so similar to the one Lizzy’s mother, Jayne, had fallen asleep on as a child, was the perfect size for the two of us. But when it came time for me to get ready, shortly after the sun set, I could sense Ray’s reluctance.

You will be careful?

His question only further confirmed my thoughts. I love you, Ray. I’ll be careful, and I will come home to you.

I love you, too.

I’ll be home before dawn. Midnight, if I can manage it. I left him in the living room, staring out the window, watching for the shadow I became.

~***~

It felt good to be stepping out of the house and into the darkness, disappearing into the shadows as though I was one and the same. Almost as though I was stepping out of one home and into another.

Lizzy had arranged for me to meet up with one of the Keepers who lived nearby, Josh. Since the resurrection of our race, we’d gained active Keepers in almost every country, and quite a few cities, including London. And as much as I wanted to go alone, it had been argued that years had passed since the last time I’d been out.

Influencing vampires wasn’t something we forgot how to do. Blending into the shadows and tracking the move of everything was second nature to me. But it had been years since I’d done any of those, and Ray needed to see me home safe. I could detail each rustle of paper on the breeze, every step of every human, and which were the steps of those not quite so human. Nothing escaped my attention as I slipped through the night to the supposed location of the vampire.

My mind filled with the memories of years spent being a Keeper. We were like an anchor to the races, keeping them in place, pulling back against their desire to rule. But our own survival was right up there with keeping the peace when it came to our basic needs.

Without us, there would be no peace. There would be no balance. There would be nothing stopping any of the races from making the biggest mistake of their lives. Without us, it would be total chaos resulting in total destruction.

And now the days of relying on second-hand information to protect the balance were long gone. With Lizzy at the helm, she could tell us the exact place we needed to be. We had the perfect system.

Except when someone was running late. Not even Lizzy could see everything.

I arrived at the place I was supposed to be, and though a few minutes early, I didn’t expect to be alone. Hanging around in the shadows of desolate alleys was not how I’d imagined the evening’s events.

Just as I was about to consider giving up for the night, an awful feeling of dread settled in my stomach. Something was very wrong and every part of me knew it. I knew the feeling well. I’d felt the same one as I raced towards William, the last of my brothers at the time, in a vain attempt to save his life.

Ray.

The thought that something could have happened to Ray sent me plummeting to my knees, panting for breath.

So distracted by the thought of what could have happened, I failed to notice my surroundings.

The shout of my name was barely heard by my conscious mind. The sound of rapid footsteps were faint as I tried to force myself to move. My ears rang with the effort to comprehend the feeling that wormed its way from my gut into every fibre of my being.

My survival instincts kicked in just as the vampire bore down on me. Rolling over to my side, my movements were clumsy, out of time. I caught sight of Josh racing down the alley, but it was already too late.

Neither of us could have stopped the blows that were struck to the side of my head. I tried to block them, but I missed. The first was a fist, slamming into my temple hard enough to make me see stars. The second came with a sharp pain and the crack of bone.

Since when did vampires resort to weapons? I pondered, my head spinning.

Whatever he’d used became lodged in the side of my head, making everything spin. Somewhere in the distance, someone screamed in pain. I had a feeling I was the one making the sound, but I couldn’t think why. There was nothing but fading blackness, an echoing scream, and the need to sleep.

Hold on, Aunt Sere, someone whispered frantically. Oh, God, please hold on!

Chapter Two

When I came around, it was with a scream on my lips and a terrible feeling of dread tearing at my insides. The feeing didn’t cause the scream. It was the agony causing me to cry out.

The burst of pain crashing through my head didn’t last long. The echoes of my scream died down, but the throbbing remained. Being attacked by a vampire was the last thing I remembered. There was a reason he’d attacked me… I’d been distracted…

Ray! I sat up almost fast enough to make me pass out again.

I needed to see Ray. Something had been terribly wrong, so terribly, terribly wrong.

I’m here, he whispered, catching me as I tried to shoot out of the bed.

Bed? How did I end up in bed?

Glancing around, I realised I was in my own bed, in my own house. Four worried faces were staring down at me, including Ray. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with him, but I checked him over, regardless. My hands fluttered over his clothing, making sure there were no injuries I couldn’t see. There were none. The worry on his face was my own doing.

What happened? Are you all right?

Why are you whispering?

Something had gone horribly wrong. His face dropped, and his eyes filled with a worry so deep I thought it might overflow.

He wasn’t whispering, that was what the change in his expression meant. He wasn’t whispering at all.

Whatever was wrong, it was wrong with me.

Let me take a look. Though I could hear the voice, that strange whispery sound, I couldn’t tell to whom it belonged. Aunt Sere? I need you to stay very still.

Ah, it was Josh. That was right. He’d been running towards me when… Weapon. The vampire had attacked me with some kind of weapon, slamming it into the side of my head.

The revelation froze me to the spot, my memories flooding back. The horrific feeling something was wrong. My clumsy movements. The first strike to my head. The second one. And the sound of breaking bone…

She’ll be fine in a couple of hours. The bones in her ear are still repairing, if I had to guess, Josh said after poking around in my ear for a few minutes. But I’m not an expert, so I’m gonna hang around, just to make sure.

"It’s going to, not gonna," I corrected him.

"Yep, you’re going to be fine, Aunt Sere. He laughed, but to my ears it sounded strained. I’ll be downstairs."

Josh may have been laughing, but he was concerned; I could see it in his eyes, the way his smile didn’t quite reach them. Poppy and Issac were the same. They stayed for only a minute more before giving Ray and me some privacy.

So much for a simple job.

No chance Ray would let me out of his sight after this little incident. I could only begin to guess the state I’d been in when Josh had carried me home. At least, I assumed it had been Josh who carried me home. I had a faint recollection of someone asking me to hold on. Must have been him.

Serenity, Ray whispered, wrapping his arms around me. Please never scare me like that again.

Are you all right? The feeling of dread hadn’t dissipated. It was still with me, hanging around like a cold shadow on a warm day. The sun was shining down, but all I felt was the cold of the pressing darkness.

I’m fine.

Did something happen whilst I was out? I was careful to keep my voice low. If I couldn’t hear very well, then I would end up shouting.

I don’t want you to worry about anything, he answered, holding me close.

Something had happened. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, I started to worry. If Ray was fine — and clearly Issac and Poppy were all right — then something must have happened to someone else I knew. Al and Leo were in Germany, and I doubted both Poppy and Issac would stay behind if anything had happened to them.

That left my family.

That left…

Lizzy.

Chapter Three

I pulled away from Ray and looked at him. It’s Lizzy, isn’t it?

Lizzy’s fine.

It was her. Damn it, Ray. Tell me what happened!

Demanding more information wasn’t a good idea. Raising my voice and getting stressed at everyone’s refusal to say anything sent an aftershock of pain coursing through my head. At least my hearing was returning some.

Not long after you left, he started, actually whispering this time. Lizzy called—

He would have continued if it hadn’t been for the shrill ringing of the phone. On instinct, I grabbed it, bringing it up to my