The Keepers Story 01 - The Gatekeeper

following day. The casino cameras had lost her once she’d mingled with the throng of humanity on the street.
    “What do you have to do with Angie Sanderson?” he asked. “It’s not your job to find people. And if you really are innocent, then you need to get out of here—since it’s dead obvious one of your kind is up to something very bad.”
    Candy looked at him with her golden eyes gleaming with tears.
    “I don’t believe ‘my kind’ have anything to do with this. As for what I have to do with Angie...she’s my half sister. And I don’t care if you’re a cop, an Elven or an archangel come down to claim us all—I’m not leaving until I find her!”

Chapter 3
    S axon got up and moved away from Candy and that far-too-tempting bed.
    He needed some distance. First the woman had been the embodiment of exotic beauty and erotic movement. Now she seemed like a little girl lost. It didn’t matter which, really. When she looked at him, he felt as if he were being drawn deep into a netherworld where he could easily become lost forever—and he didn’t dare take that chance. Especially not now, with a murderous werewolf on the loose.
    “Your half sister?” he said, studying her. “Half...what?” He conjured the picture of the missing woman. Blonde, angelic.
    Elven?
    Candy shrugged, then sat up and ran her fingers through her hair. “Half sister. We share one parent.”
    “And?”
    She took a breath, then said, “I’m a bit of an unusual...being.”
    “Go on,” he said firmly.
    “Our mother was the sweetest, gentlest and most amazing woman you could ever meet. She met one of her own kind—an Elven—and they had Angela. Then Angie’s father died.”
    Saxon felt his muscles tighten. Elven normally led very long lives. “Because your mother met your father?” he asked.
    The look she gave him was so scathing that he felt as if he were melting in the pool of her contempt.
    “Angie’s dad died because he had it in his head that he should serve his country,” she said quietly. “He was in the air force, and his plane went down in the water and he...died. I’m sure you understand.”
    Saxon nodded. Of all the underworld beings, the Elven had been the last to come to the New World. They didn’t melt if they touched water, but they were creatures of the earth. Despite their strength and normally robust health, they couldn’t survive long in or even over water. Because of that, they hadn’t come to the New World en masse until flying became commonplace. A few adventurous and hardy souls had made it over via ocean liner, but the crossing had been difficult. Not everyone who attempted it had succeeded, and the weakened survivors had been easy prey on arrival.
    “And your mother married a...werewolf?” he asked.
    “You really are a condescending SOB, aren’t you?” she said sweetly.
    “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not a prejudiced man,” he denied quickly.
    She shrugged. “You are—but perhaps it’s not entirely your fault. You’re Elven.”
    She said the word as if no explanation was needed, and she was probably right, he thought.
    “So, yes,” she went on, “my mother married a werewolf, and I don’t know a soul who doesn’t like my father. He was the best father in the world to my sister. He doesn’t know yet that she’s disappeared. Neither does my mother.”
    “And they don’t know that you’re working here, either, do they?” Saxon demanded.
    She exhaled. She was obviously trying to come up with a good explanation, but then she simply said, “No.”
    He shook his head while looking at her. “So how are you going to explain to your father that you’ve been dancing in a strip club and pretending to be a prostitute?”
    “That’s the point, don’t you see? My mother is an actress. Angie and I grew up in the theater. I’ve done nothing but act—act like something I’m not—since I got here.”
    “You’ve acted out wild romps with men?” he said incredulously.
    “If you know so much—”
    “I know you’ve agreed to see only a few private clients. But you’re growing legendary—there’s talk about you around town.”
    “Really? That’s wonderful. I’m getting to where I need to be,” she said, smiling.
    He walked over to her and pulled her to her feet. “What’s the matter with you? You’re dealing with ruthless men—ruthless creatures who can rip you to shreds and scatter your bones across the desert. Have you actually slept with these