The Guardian's Keeper (The Guardian Trilogy, Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

breakdown.
    “ I believe what you say is true, I know Nikoli is really, truly a vampire….but I have no place in this. I need to help the police catch my family’s killers.” Claire fought back the wail of anguish building in her chest. “I wish you luck with your Guardians and Keepers and all, but I can’t help you here.” She dropped her head down, staring at her clenched fist in her lap, fighting the waves of emotion threatening to overtake her. She dug her nails into her palm with such force they broke skin. Claire closed her eyes. She had been able to push her dead family out of her head long enough to see the injections in the barn and hear Joyce’s story, but now the reality of it all was hitting her and she didn’t think she could stand it.
    A cool touch gently peeled her clenched fist apart and held it, softly. C laire stared at her hand in disbelief- it was Nikoli’s hand unclenching hers. This time she did not pull away, but allowed him to hold it. It somehow comforted her just enough to force down the yawning chasm of grief promising to overtake her. She slowly lifted her head up to meet Nikoli’s kind gaze. He made eye contact with her as he slid his fingers gently over her knuckles under the table, out of Joyce’s sight. Claire felt a tension building up inside of her, and this time it was not her grief.
    “You’re wrong Claire.” Joyce’s voice pulled her away from Nikoli’s attentive gaze. “The Fang of Stavros, and its Keeper, were lost to us for years and years. It was not until your Grandfather’s obituary in the paper that we were able to know for sure that your family was of the Keeper’s lineage, the ones who held the Fang.”
    “ Nikoli said my Grandfather was a Keeper,” Claire replied, “But how would you know that from his obituary?”
    “I recogniz ed his photograph,” Nikoli told her. “Not the recent one, of him as he was within the last few years, but the photograph of his time in service.” He squeezed Claire’s hand gently under the table.
    “ In the Hungarian revolt against Russia? I don’t understand.” Claire squeezed Nikoli’s hand gently in return, and to her delight, his face flushed as he held her gaze.
    “ Yes, in 1956. I was Guardian to the Keeper of the time, Andras Szabo. I followed him into battle, but we were separated when we fell under enemy fire. Andras was always so stubborn, I couldn’t keep him away from the war. He insisted on fighting for his country’s freedom.”
    “ What does that have to do with my Gramps?” Claire didn’t understand.
    “ Andras had a twin brother, Tamas. Tamas knew little about the Fang and thought I was just his brother’s best friend. When the battle finally subsided and I was able to recover Andras’ body I found someone had removed all personal items from his person. All his personal effects were gone, including the Fang of Stavros he kept zippered in an inner pocket of his pants. I assumed it had been his brother, but did not know for sure. Tamas was never to be seen or heard from again- he deserted the rebellion and fled out of the country. I heard from others in our company that the death of his brother had shattered him, and he could not bear to stay in his homeland, the land his brother died for, under the Communist oppression. I suspected he had fled to the United States as it had always been a dream of both brothers to leave Russian occupied Hungary to go to the Land of Opportunity.” Nikoli sighed and Claire squeezed his hand to encourage him to continue. “I came to the US in search of Tamas, convinced he had the Fang of Stavros in his possession. He of course would have no idea of its value, its importance, as the information is only passed on from Keeper to Keeper in most instances. He knew it was of great importance to his brother but little else.” Nikoli took a deep breath, continuing on.
    “ I have never found Tamas. I have been relentlessly searching for the Fang, and its new Keeper, all