The Keeper's Vow (13 page)

Without a word, Tristan stood up. “You
should take that off,” he said, pointing at the necklace Brian had
given her for Christmas. It was a little jade-green turtle. She
looked over at Brian throwing knives at a flimsy tree, each knife
bouncing off into the surrounding bushes. When he gave her the
necklace, she promised she’d never take it off. She wasn’t going to
break that promise now or ever.

Tristan studied her hard. “You know, the
harder you hold on to things the more likely they are to
break?”

She scoffed and put the turtle under her
shirt.

He showed her how to hold a knife and use
it. At first she refused to touch it until he showed her it was
fake. “Never stab, not unless you’re going for the kill and your
opponent is unable to stop you.” She nodded. Though, thinking about
killing someone, even if they were technically
not
human,
didn’t sit right with her.

“You still need to know this,” Tristan said,
openly probing her.

“How am I supposed to do anything if
vampires can read my mind?” she mumbled.

“Vampires can’t read your mind. They aren’t
psychic. I can understand you because you let me. I can feel you
because you’re careless with your feelings. That’s it.” His eyes
were stern and he nodded for her to get into the defensive stance
he’d shown her.

“Now stab at me.”

“You just told me not to.”

“Just do it,” he said. She hesitated then
half-heartedly jabbed in his direction. He knocked her hand out of
the way roughly. “Be serious.”

She lunged at him. He grabbed her arm,
smacked at the bottom of her elbow, and she dropped the knife.

“That’s why you don’t stab. Now swipe.”

“What was the point of that?” she said,
rubbing her elbow. A dull throbbing pain settled into the bone.

“So you’ll remember not to stab. Swipe,” he
said.

Katie looked around at Lucinda expecting her
to step in a scold Tristan.

Lucinda waved for them to continue.

“Are you serious?” Katie breathed. No one
acknowledged her so she sighed and moved back into position.

She swiped at him and expected him to grab
her again. Instead, he backed up each time. “See the
difference?”

Tristan went on showing her different ways
to block which she found relatively easy. After twenty-minutes of
repeated steps, he showed her offensive moves that she had never
seen before, but once she got the footwork and understood the
motion, they were just as easy.

Never once did he compliment her. He
wouldn’t say
one
nice thing. And her kicks were pretty
awesome. How was he supposed to be a teacher if he couldn’t give
positive reinforcement. Lucinda had dumped her off with another
Sensei Steve
.

In one move, Tristan kicked Katie’s legs out
from under her and she hit the ground.

“
Shut up
already. Be more focused on
what
you’re
doing, not me. Do you think the werewolf who’s
trying to kill you will compliment you on how you stabbed him in an
artery? Do you think the vampire who is trying to rip your head off
will say you have a nice kick? Get over yourself. I’m sick of
listening to your crap. You
never
shut up.”

“Tristan,” Lucinda scolded.

Covered in dust and dirt she yelled, “Then
get out of my head.” How dare he complain about invading
her
privacy.

“You think I enjoy this? Do you realize I
spend my entire day trying to shut you out!” Tristan yelled back.
Lucinda, Allison, and Brian were staring at them, but Katie didn’t
care if all of Boise was staring at them. She was tired of him.
Tired of not knowing whether to hate him or not.

“I can’t stand you,” Katie yelled.

“Funny, I didn’t hear you saying that
yesterday.”

“I never asked you to do anything. I didn’t
show up at
your
school. I didn’t mess up your life!” she
screamed. Maybe it wasn’t fair that she was taking out
all
of her anger on him, but he asked for it.

“Katie,” Lucinda warned.

“I didn’t ask for
you
. I didn’t ask
for
this
.
I
didn’t have a choice.” Tristan glared,
balled up his fist, and walked off.

The look in his eyes before he walked away,
was the same look he had yesterday. The one where it seemed like
she
was the one who’d torn apart his world. It was worse
than a punch in the gut.

In an instant, like a distant murmur, she
could feel him in her mind.

He was screaming.

CHAPTER SEVEN

The ride into
town was awkward. Katie didn’t dare look at Tristan.
I heard
him…or you…I actually
heard
you….

Her body—it was full of him. It was a small
second, but it was real. He was angry, sad, and he was hurt.
How
is this possible? Tristan—capable of feeling anything? What am I
saying, I’m sitting next to a vampire. I wouldn’t be surprised if I
could sprout wings and fart pixie dust.
She wondered if he
heard her now…

She inched her eyes to the far side of her
head. He was staring dead at her. His furrowed brow and stiff black
hair stabbing into his face said, “
unamused.”

That death stare isn’t
attractive
.

He turned away.

She hated he knew everything she was
thinking, but now she knew it worked both ways—
Why can’t I hear
your thoughts? Are you shutting me out?
She didn’t need a
response to know it was true. She
wished
she could shut him
out.

She imagined building a wall between them;
none of her thoughts getting past it. She picked up each of her
thoughts, one by one, putting them in a jar and closing the lid.
Him looking at the jar, pressing his nosey ear on it in vain. A
wall, building higher and higher until he couldn’t even
see
her jar.

Tristan snapped his head in her direction,
confused.

Me: one. You: none.

Katie, relieved to be out of the truck, was
sure everyone felt the same way—everyone except Lucinda. “Let’s
celebrate,” she said. Unlocking the front door. “Katie’s first
training was a success,” she paused at their blank, wide-eyed
stares. “—At least most of it anyway.” As soon as the door was open
Tristan went directly to his room.

“I have plans,” Brian mumbled, taking
Tristan’s lead.

“Plans for what?” Lucinda said, sharply.

“I wanted to study at Michael’s house. He’s
going to help me with the History exam we have.” Brian said,
defensively. Katie seethed. It was a flat out lie. A lie she wasn’t
even invited to.

“Fine. You need the help.” Lucinda’s eyes
bore into Brian as he climbed the stairs to his room.

“Okay then. Just the three of us girls. We
can have a ladies night instead,” Lucinda said, leading them to the
kitchen. “I know, we can have a sleep over like we used to. I can
give you girls facials and you can catch me up on everything. Go
home, pack a bag, and make sure it’s okay with your parents.
Today’s been exciting enough without a call from—when
do
you
plan on telling your dad?” she asked Katie.

“I—” Katie started. How did she know?

Eyebrows arched, Lucinda nodded,
“preferably, sooner than never, Katie.”

Katie decided to
tell
her dad she was
staying at the Anderson’s rather than ask. He started his usual
flow of subtle objections, but stopped when she added that it was a
girls night with Lucinda and Allison.

“Oh. Have fun then,” he said, sitting on the
couch. He looked tired and lonely. Between his work schedule and
her deliberately not waiting up and watching TV with him, he really
didn’t have anyone else to spend time with. “I know you think of
Lucy like a mom, but try not to forget about Dear Old Dad. I
haven’t seen you much.”

“Sure, would you like pink polish or red? I
personally think a black would go nice with your attitude,” she
said. He was predictable.

“Lucy can’t recite
Star Wars
episodes: four through six with you like I can. That’s a hard act
to follow,” he grinned.

“Maybe, but Lucy’s the only mom I’ve
got.”

“That’s not true.”

“It is.” Especially since he’d neglected to
tell her anything about her real mother, besides the fact that she
liked gardening and arts and crafts.

“How about Saturday we go to the zoo or
something.”

“I’ve been to the zoo a thousand times, and
the sloth bear is still as boring as ever.” She stopped when she
saw his face. “But I do want to see the lions again.”

“Me too,” he said, smiling. His eyes were
soft, but they panicked a little—as if they wished they could reach
her, but with each try the distance became farther and farther.
“I’m not sure you should stay at Lucinda’s on a school night.”

“See you later, Dad” she said, ignoring
him.

“Yeah, yeah. One of these days I’m going to
expect you to do what I say. Be careful, Katie Bug.”

The click of closing the front door startled
her. The sound echoed throughout her mind. That smile—the soft,
lonely eyes. For a split second she wanted to go back in and sit
with him like she used to. But she had already closed the door.
There was no point in going back now.

She returned to Brian’s house, pulled in by
the smell of steak, fresh steamed vegetables, and potatoes. Her
mouth watered. She didn’t know how tired and hungry she really was
until Lucinda put the food on the table.

“So what happened out there with you and
Tristan?” Allison said, stuffing her mouth with broccoli. It was a
marvel how she could fit so many pieces in, all, at the same
time.

“Um. Nothing.”

“Kay, don’t be dumb.”

“Allison,” Lucinda said.

“I’m just saying. There is
a lot
going on with them. You two act so weird when you’re in the same
room.” Allison’s eyes lingered on Katie as a large cut of potato
disappeared in her mouth. Katie’s face burned under her gaze. She
wanted to say,
Really, Allison? You pick now of all times to
bring this up?
But instead she settled with, “Can you eat your
food like a normal person?”

“He just came from nowhere,” Allison said,
ignoring her.

“Everyone comes from somewhere, Allison,”
Lucinda said.

“I’m serious, Lucy. He shows up on your door
step. Stalks Katie, and then says he didn’t “
choose”
her.
That he spends all day trying to get her out of his head. It’s a
little mental.”

“It’s complicated,” Lucinda said, centering
the vase of orchards in the middle of the table. She moved it an
inch to the left, half an inch to the right….

“Fine, Lucy. Forget the crazy story, he’s
half-vampire isn’t he? You know what will happen if the Board finds
out.”

“Allison! I’m not an idiot.” Lucinda’s
brushed her hands together as if the vase had stained them.

Katie exhaled feeling like her head was
going to explode. Why was it no one wanted to be honest. Then again
she just left her dad in the dark about recent events. Katie was no
better. A secret keeper like the rest of them.

Lucinda smoothed out the table, which was
strange considering it was wood—
what is there to straighten?
She shouldn’t have been surprised, it was Lucinda’s way of letting
out anxiety. The same way she’d go over a recipe ten times before
she collected the ingredients, or wipe the counters until her hands
were raw and red.

After dinner, they watched a one-hundred
percent, predictable comedy romance—cliché montage and all—movie.
Katie loved laughing at every second of it up until the screen went
black and her faced slammed into the popcorn bowl.

“And you call me a pig,” Allison
laughed.

“Ha ha,” she yawned, picking kernels out of
her hair. She fell asleep before the girl realized she was a
completely selfish person and chased after the man of her dreams.
Actually, she’d fallen asleep before they broke up.

Katie’s eyes started to close again. Her
arms and legs weighed a ton and a half. Her eyelids longed to fall
to the floor, dragging her into a deep dark abyss.

“Go to bed, Katie. You’ve had a long day,”
Lucinda said.

Katie grumbled and left.

As soon as she made it up the on-going
staircase, down the long hallway, and to the guest bedroom, she
collapsed onto the soft, cool sheets.

She saw herself taking down bricks from a
wall, and waving at Tristan on the other side. He walked over to
her with his arms spread out ready for her to fall into them. The
smell of him made her smile. His long fingers and broad shoulders.
He kissed her forehead. It felt like home—his lips moved down. His
tongue slipped into her mouth. She didn’t want to let him go, but a
blackness was coming, the world began to shake and he was
disappearing. She rocked back and forth until the blackness took
her whole.