Vampire Mine

Chapter Seventeen

Marielle stiffened when she heard footsteps on the pavement. She whirled around to face the end of the truck. A tall, dark form stepped into the moonlight. A long black coat. Black shirt and tie. Black leather pants. Black wings that folded with a snap and disappeared.

Darafer.

She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. Keep your wits about you. He can’t take you to hell unless you agree. But of course he would try all manner of trickery to make her agree.

He strolled toward her, his expensive leather boots tapping on the black asphalt. Moonlight gleamed off his raven-black hair and luminous pale skin. A corner of his wide mouth curled up in a humorless smile.

She glanced at Connor. He couldn’t help her. He was, in fact, in danger of being mowed over by the eighteen-wheeler whenever Darafer decided to release time.

The demon circled her, studying her intently with his emerald-green eyes. “Why have they dressed you so shabbily? Don’t they realize what a beauty you are?” He stepped forward and hooked a finger under her chin.

She eased back.

He smiled, a genuine smile that actually made him appear handsome. “I would treat you like a rare princess. You would wear the finest silks and jewels.”

She started to tell him, Begone, but snapped her mouth shut. If he left, time would unfreeze. The truck was so close to Connor. He would have only a few seconds to react. He could teleport or jump out of the way at vampire speed, but what if he was disoriented for a second? Would he have enough time to escape, or would he be crushed by a massive truck?

Darafer frowned when she glanced nervously toward Connor. “Still hanging out with the parasite, I see.” He walked toward Connor and studied him with a disdainful look.

“Not much of a protector, is he?” Darafer snapped his fingers in front of Connor’s face. “I don’t know what you see in him.” He flicked a finger against Connor’s nose.

“Don’t.” Marielle stepped forward, then halted when Darafer’s eyes gleamed. She winced inwardly. She’d revealed a weakness.

“You like him.” Darafer gave her a smug smile. “Has he slept with you yet? Has he nestled between your lily-white thighs and popped your angelic cherry?”

She lifted her chin, determined not to be pulled into any more traps. “He is an honorable man.”

Darafer laughed. “Right. Tell that to all his victims with bite marks on their necks.” He leaned against the front grille of the truck, crossing his legs at the ankles and his arms over his chest. “He’s at my mercy, you know.”

“Leave him be.”

“Say you’ll come with me, and I’ll save him.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Darafer smiled. “You’re right. He’s on my list for hell, so I might as well take him with me.” He arched an eyebrow at her. “Why don’t you come with him? Then the two of you could live happily ever after.”

She scoffed. “No one’s happy in hell.”

“You’d be surprised.” A look of disgust flitted over his face, then faded away.

She watched him carefully. At the slightest indication that he was going to unfreeze time, she would need to act quickly.

He glanced up at the stars and sighed. “They’re using you, you know.”

“The Vamps? I agreed to help them.”

“Not the Vamps.” Darafer pointed up toward heaven. “The Big Kahuna. Don’t you think it was odd that you saved Roman Draganesti as a baby, and now he’s a leader among the Vamps?”

She shrugged. “I disobeyed. You know that. That’s why we’re both here.”

He snorted. “Disobeyed? Do you really believe that?” He pushed away from the truck. “You’ve been played, Marielle. All along. From the very beginning.”

She stepped back. “That’s not true.”

“Doesn’t it piss you off? You’re just a damned pawn, and they don’t have the courage to let you know.”

She swallowed hard.

He walked toward her. “They ripped your wings off, made you suffer, just so you could play your role in their stupid game.”

“It’s not a game!”

“But you could fool them all.” Darafer extended a hand toward her. “Stop being their pawn and come with me.”

“Never.” It couldn’t be true. This was just another trick. “Glory to God in the Highest,” she whispered.

“And on earth, war, pestilence, and despair toward men.”

She flinched. “Stop it.”

“Why should I? It’s all part of the big game. Good and evil, yin and yang, you and me. We need each other.” He stepped closer. “You know what, Marielle? I’m sick of being a pawn, too.”

He stroked a finger down her cheek. “We could pluck a few people off this rock and start our own planet. No war, no pestilence. We could make it perfect.” He touched her lips. “Just say the word, and we could be gods.”

She turned her head. Don’t listen to him. It’s all lies.

He leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “Come away with me.”

Fear coiled in her belly over the consequences of her next word. “Begone.”

With a frown, he stepped back. “Are you sure? Your precious little parasite will be crushed. Not exactly the traditional stake through the heart, but still, I seriously doubt he can survive having his brains and guts splattered all over the—”

“In the name of Jesus Christ, begone!”

Anger flashed in Darafer’s green eyes, then they turned black. His massive black wings unfurled.

Quickly, Marielle directed a narrow blast of air at Connor. He flew backward just as Darafer vanished and time whooshed back into motion.

The horn blared as the truck zoomed past her. For a few endless seconds, all she could see was the silver side of the truck. She couldn’t see Connor, didn’t know if he had survived.

The truck passed, but he was nowhere in sight. She gasped at the crumpled guardrail. In her desperation to keep him from getting hit, she’d used too much force.

She’d blown him over the cliff.

“Connor!” She ran to the shoulder and peered down into the dark precipice.

Good heavens, had she killed him? How could he survive such a fall?

She stepped over the railing. “Connor!” She worked her way down the incline, hanging on to bushes to keep from falling.

She spotted some broken branches. He must have hit them on his way down. She used them as a trail, hoping it would lead her to him.

“Connor, can you hear me?” She paused to listen, but heard nothing.

Panic caused her heart to race and her hands to shake. It was so hard to see in the dark. Branches scratched at her arms and slapped at her face. A few times, her feet slipped out from underneath her and she fell back onto her rump, skidding a few feet before she managed to grab another limb.

“Connor!” Her feet slipped again, and she cried out as a sharp rock jabbed her in the back.

If only she had her wings! She could fly straight to him and take him somewhere for help.

She gritted her teeth and kept going. Her feet skidded to a stop on level ground.

She’d made it to the bottom.

“Connor?” She squinted, trying to see. The moon was close to full, but there were too many trees obstructing the light.

Was that him? She dashed toward a dark shape on the ground, but it was just a fallen log.

She pivoted, breathing heavily. “Where are you?”

She heard a moan and ran toward the sound.

Tears filled her eyes when she saw him. “Thank God I found you.”

He was lying in the dark shadow beneath a tree. Actually, she realized, he must have hit the tree after falling down the last of the incline.

She knelt beside him. “Connor, I’m here.” She reached for him, then remembered how dirty her hands were, so she wiped them on her thighs.

“Can you hear me?” She rolled him onto his back.

He moaned. “Are ye safe, lass? The truck dinna . . .”

“I’m fine.” A tear slipped down her cheek. How like Connor to worry more about her safety than his own.

“Good.” His eyes flickered shut.

“Connor?” Her heart lurched. Had he died? No, she would have sensed it. She was panicking, fearing the worst. Because she loved him so much.

More tears escaped. She had to help him somehow. He’d saved her life, pushing her out of the way of the truck. Now she had to save him.

If only she had her wings! Connor was unconscious, so he couldn’t teleport them. But other Vamps could teleport.

She opened his sporran and dug around till she found his cell phone. “It’ll be all right, Connor. I’ll call your friends, and they’ll take you to Romatech and patch you up.”

The phone lit up in her hand, and she frantically studied the odd pictures, trying to figure out how to call Roman.

“How quickly you’re becoming human,” a voice said behind her.

She spun around, dropping the phone and falling on her rump. A white light shimmered in the distance. White wings pulled in and vanished, leaving the form of a tall man. He wore a long white tunic over white pants, topped with a long, hooded white robe. He pushed the hood back, revealing a handsome face and blond wavy hair.

“Bunny!” She scrambled to her feet and ran toward him.

He grinned and enveloped her in his arms. Instantly, she felt all her scrapes and bruises disappear.

He moved her back, grasping her by the shoulders while he searched her eyes. “Why did you seek a human solution? Why didn’t you call me?”

She bowed her head with embarrassment. “I—I didn’t think of it. It seems like a long time that I’ve been cut off from you.”

“I have always been close by.” Frowning, he smoothed a thumb over her damp cheek. “It seems like every time I check on you, you’re crying.”

“It’s been hard.” She glanced over her shoulder at Connor. “Can you help him?”

“Let me see.” Buniel accompanied her back and regarded Connor curiously. “This is the man who rescued you that first night.”

“Yes.”

“And he has been watching over you and protecting you.”

“Yes.”

“And yet for all the good he has done for you, he makes you cry.”

She wiped her cheeks. “I’m in love with him.”

Buniel tilted his head, watching her. “Should love be so painful?”

“I have to leave him when I go back to heaven.” She winced. “If I can go back.”

Buniel nodded. “I have put in many requests for leniency on your behalf.” He squatted down beside Connor. “We love all humanity from a distance. Is it not enough to love this man in the same manner?”

“I—” She didn’t want to admit she wanted more. She knelt down. “Can you help him?”

“He’s badly injured.” Bunny laid a hand on Connor’s brow. “Skull fracture, concussion, internal bleeding, cracked ribs, multiple contusions. But nothing I can’t fix.” He closed his eyes and prayed. A white glow surrounded his hand.

“There, it’s done.” The glow disappeared, and he rose to his feet. “He will sleep for a short time.”

Marielle took a deep breath. “Glory to God in the Highest.”

Buniel smiled at her. “And on earth, peace, goodwill toward men.” He removed his thick white robe and laid it on top of Connor. “This will keep him warm till he awakens.”

She stood. “Thank you.”

“What’s going on?” a male voice asked sharply.

She turned to see Zackriel striding toward them.

“Marielle. I’m glad to see you’re surviving as a human.” He nodded at Buniel. “They could use you at the car accident.”

“I’ll be there shortly,” Buniel replied.

Zack regarded him suspiciously. “Two of my Deliverers were working the accident when they reported a time anomaly. Was it you?”

“No.” Buniel motioned toward Connor. “I was healing this man.”

Zack glanced down at Connor and scoffed. “That’s not a man. He’s a Cheater. Why would you heal a Cheater?”

“I asked him to,” Marielle said quietly.

Zack gave her a curious look. “You’re keeping company with Cheaters now?”

“He’s one of the good Vamps,” she explained. “I’m going to help him and his friends defeat Casimir and his evil gang of Malcontents.”

“Sounds dangerous,” Buniel murmured.

“It will be worth it if we can be rid of the evil vampires and make the world a safer place for humans,” she continued. “And maybe . . . I can be forgiven.”

“Ah.” Zack nodded. “The hidden agenda. You want back into heaven.”

“She needs to go back,” Buniel insisted. “The human world is too dangerous for her.”

“And the time anomaly?” Zack asked her. “What do you know about that?”

“It was caused by Darafer,” she said quietly.

Buniel stiffened. “The demon? What does he want with you?”

She sighed. “He considers me a fallen angel.”

“Maybe you are,” Zack whispered.

Buniel raised a hand toward Zackriel, his eyes a fierce glowing blue. “She is not.”

Zackriel stepped back, stunned. “Are you threatening me, Healer?”

“Bunny, please.” She touched him. “I’m all right. Darafer tries to trick me into going to hell with him, but I always send him away.” She turned to Zackriel. “I know you don’t believe in me, but I will prove myself worthy.”

Zack gave her a worried look, then frowned at Connor. “Watch your neck.” He vanished.

Buniel smiled at her and drew her into an embrace. “Be strong, Marielle. Be careful.”

“You be careful.” She hugged him back. “I don’t want you to get in trouble for helping me.”

With a chuckle, he stepped back. “I can take care of myself.” He glanced at Connor, then back at her. “You have a good heart. If you follow it, you will not regret it.” His wings unfurled, and he disappeared.

“Bye,” she whispered, missing him already. Missing her own wings.

She hurried back to Connor and knelt beside him. “How are you?” She rested a hand on his chest and felt it moving slowly and steadily as he breathed.

She tucked Bunny’s thick white robe around his shoulders. “Don’t want you getting cold.”

She smoothed his hair away from his brow. “Skull fracture and concussion. I guess your head’s not quite as thick as I thought.”

She touched his cheek. “I’ll just say this while you’re asleep, so it won’t complicate matters. I love you, Connor Buchanan.”

His mouth curled up.

She sat back with a gasp. “You’re awake.”

His eyes flickered open. “Now why would ye want to waste such words on a sleeping man?”