Vampire Mine

Chapter Twenty

Connor flinched, his eyes popping open. “What?”

“You have a wi—”

“Nay!” He sat up. Holy Christ Almighty, she might as well have punched him in the gut. “I’m no’ married.”

“And you have a daughter.”

His heart raced. He couldn’t deny having a daughter. She had lived only a few hours, but for all eternity, she would be his beautiful daughter. He gulped. Would Marielle see his deceased wife the same way?

“I . . . have no wife.” He grabbed his flannel pants and cursed silently as he struggled to stuff his feet into the right holes. His damned hands were shaking.

“You did have one.”

He glanced at Marielle. She didn’t look upset. How could she be so damned calm when he was stunned? More than stunned. Floored with a sucker punch. And now that he thought about it, damned angry. “While I was making love to you, ye were spying on me?”

“No.” Frowning, she hugged her knees. “If you must know, the lovemaking is so intense, I can hardly think at all. Just a few fleeting thoughts about how lovely it feels and how wonderful you are. And how much I love you.”

His heart filled with longing. It was going to kill him when she left. “I feel the same way.”

Her eyes softened with a tender look. “I know you were greatly affected. It made the fortress around your heart tumble down. So when I was hugging you just now, I saw them. Your wife and child.”

He finished pulling his pants on. “I doona want to talk about it.”

“I thought they were beautiful. And I could feel how much you loved them.”

“They died centuries ago. There’s no point in—”

“I think there is. Because for some reason, they’re at the center of all your pain and remorse. What happened—”

“Nay, I willna discuss it.” Damn, he regretted the hurt look on her face. “I’m sorry, Marielle. But I confess nothing.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Do you think the Heavenly Father doesn’t know?”

“Of course He knows. That’s why I’m on the list for hell.”

She made a face. “Stubborn man. That list is not written in stone. It can be changed.”

“I’m a lost cause. But doona fash. I will still help you get back to heaven.”

She snorted. “You think I’m only concerned about myself? What kind of angel would that make me?”

And what kind of man committed the terrible crimes he had? He couldn’t tell her. He couldn’t bear to lose her love. It was the only light in the darkness where he dwelled.

“We should be going back.” He grabbed his T-shirt, then noticed the mess he’d made on Marielle.

“Och, lass.” He used his T-shirt to wipe off her belly and thighs. “Doona let this worry you. All my sperm is dead.”

She stiffened. “I could have a child?”

“Nay. No’ with my—”

“But I have the right body parts for it.” She placed a hand on her belly, and her eyes widened with awe. “I could bring forth a living human being.”

He gulped. “I thought ye were going back to heaven.”

She blinked. “Oh. Yes, I am.” She reached for her T-shirt. “I was just . . . surprised for a moment. I hadn’t realized . . .” She pulled her T-shirt on.

“We’ll have to shower again when we return.” He located her underwear and pajama bottoms and handed them to her. “The ladies have keen senses of smell. I know the Vamp women do. I assume the shifter does, too.”

She slipped on the clothes. “So they’ll know what we did?”

“Aye. After they arrive, I need to go to Romatech and see Angus. I think we’re ready to face the Malcontents.”

“I want to go with you.” When he started to object, she touched his shoulder. “I’ll be there at the battle. I have a right to know what the plans are.”

“All right.” He stood and pulled her to her feet.

She placed her hands on his cheeks. “Thank you, Connor. I will always treasure this memory. How you made love to me under the stars.”

He wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. “I’ll remember it, too.”

“I wish you would trust me with all the pain you’ve been hiding.”

He sighed. He should have known she wasn’t going to give up on that. She was a healer at heart. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do to wash away his sins.

Nothing he could do, either.

An hour later, Marielle sat in a corner of the MacKay security office at Romatech, listening to a roomful of Vamps discuss strategy. She tried to pay attention, but every time she looked at Connor, who was standing nearby, she was reminded of their lovemaking. How truly blessed humans were that they could share an act of love that was so intensely powerful and pleasurable. She’d known for several days that she had a complete set of female private parts, but she’d focused more on denying them and retaining her angelic innocence than on considering the benefits of using them.

She was capable of giving birth. Capable of having children, like Shanna. It was an intriguing thought, and when she glanced at Connor, her chest tightened.

No, she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t stay here. She’d known Connor for only five nights. How could five nights make her contemplate giving up an eternity in heaven? She would have to be insane to do that. Or very much in love.

Vanda’s words came back to her. How much was she willing to sacrifice for her love? Then Bunny’s words flitted through her mind. She had a good heart. If she followed it, she would not regret it.

But he’d also said the human world was too dangerous for her. She had to agree as she watched the Vamps passing out swords and knives, guns and ammunition. Where was the peace and joy she craved? How could she give up singing with the Heavenly Host? How could she give up her wings and soaring through space?

Her gaze returned to Connor. Together, they had managed to simulate flight. And together, he had made her soar to a peak of pleasure she had never imagined. He made love so real, so raw and physical. It was so different from the soft, soothing comfort she felt in heaven. It was like comparing manna to chocolate. One was bland but perfectly sustaining; the other, a burst of delicious pleasure. But one was also constant and eternal, and the other, frightening and unpredictable.

“Damn, what’s he doing here?” Phineas muttered, motioning to one of the monitors on the far wall.

From the way the Vamps scowled and cursed, Marielle could tell the man approaching the front door at Romatech was not well liked.

“Who is he?” she asked Connor.

“Shanna’s father, Sean Whelan,” he whispered, then raised his voice. “Why is he here?”

Angus sighed. “I asked him to come.” When the Vamps started to object, he raised his hands to stop him. “He’s been very helpful locating where the Malcontents have been feeding and killing. And he’s been using his connections with the government to cover it up. In exchange for his cooperation, he wants to take part in the battle.”

“That’s whack,” Phineas mumbled.

“I’ve told him how dangerous it is.” Angus hesitated. “Tonight, he might change his mind about cooperating with us. Shanna’s going to tell him her news.”

The room went silent. Everyone watched the monitor as Roman and Shanna greeted her father at the front door, then led him to a room not far from the security office.

Marielle sent up a silent prayer that Shanna’s father would be compassionate and understanding, that he would be grateful his daughter was still alive, even as a vampire.

“Everyone understands the plan?” Angus asked. When they all nodded, he continued. “Then we have one last thing to show you. It’s a clip from tonight’s showing of Live with the Undead. Emma?”

She walked up to the wall of monitors and slid a silver disk into a slot. “We checked this out with the manager at DVN, and he says Corky has been feeding these images every night from unknown locations.”

“She’s traveling with Casimir and recording his journey,” Angus added.

Emma punched some buttons. “I think she’s having an affair with him.”

An image came up on the monitor. A blond, buxom woman was holding a microphone and standing in front of a dark warehouse on a deserted street.

“This is Corky Courrant, reporting live on the road with Casimir. It’s been an exciting journey! Thanks to my darling Casimir, I have rediscovered my heritage. No more bottled blood for me! Tonight, I sank my fangs into a handsome young human and drank my fill. You cannot imagine the rush as a mortal’s life slips away in your arms. This is our true nature, dear friends, and we should embrace it. Stop drinking that sludge from Romatech! We should take our rightful place as superior beings. We are meant to be conquerors!”

Corky motioned for the cameraman to follow her as she opened a door to the warehouse. “Tonight, I have something very exciting to show you. While it is true that Casimir and his followers, including me, are killing a few people every night, I can assure you that Casimir has plans that go far beyond the slaughter of a few unimportant mortals.”

She led the cameraman down a dark hallway, then into a large room. Stacks of wood and pipes could be seen in the dim light. The camera then focused on the floor where dozens of bodies rested.

“These are criminals who have pledged allegiance to Casimir,” Corky explained. “Tonight, they’re all in vampire comas, but tomorrow, when these new vampires awaken, they will be ravenous! In the room next door, we have thirty mortals under our control. Tomorrow night, just after sunset, there will be a wild feeding frenzy! I’ll be here, of course, to record it all.”

Corky grinned. “You will see death and carnage tomorrow, my dear friends! The mortal world will soon bow to Casimir. He will rule the world. And I will be his queen!”

Emma punched a button, and the recording ended. “We’ve studied this recording, trying to figure out the location, but there were no street signs, no signs of any kind. The land appears to be flat, but other than that, it could be a warehouse in any town.”

Angus turned to Marielle. “We’ll be counting on you to sense the deaths as quickly as possible so we can teleport in and stop their killing spree.”

Marielle nodded. “Just knowing that it’s a warehouse will help me find the right place.”

“Connor will teleport you there,” Angus continued, “and as soon as he confirms ye’re in the right place, the rest of us will follow using his tracking device.”

“I can understand why I didn’t sense their location tonight,” Marielle said. “I was searching for death and horror, and it didn’t happen there. Those people volunteered and were put into comas—” She was interrupted by loud shouting in the hallway.

On a monitor, Sean Whelan could be seen in the hallway, slamming his fists into walls.

“No’ taking the news verra well,” Angus muttered.

Emma opened the door, and the Vamps filed out into the hallway. Connor took Marielle by the hand and led her out.

“Damn you! Damn you all!” Sean bellowed at them, his face red with rage.

Marielle winced. Her prayer had gone unheeded.

“It’s not their fault,” Shanna said quietly.

“Of course it’s their damned fault!” Sean pointed a finger at Roman. “I’ll kill you for this.”

Roman’s eyes narrowed, and his fists clenched.

“No!” Shanna cried. “Roman saved me! I would have died if he hadn’t transformed me.”

“You wouldn’t have been at risk if you’d never married him!” Sean spun around, and his gaze landed on Connor. His eyes blazed with hatred. “You’re the one. You bloody bastard. You’re the one who brought the angel of death here. I’ll kill you, too.”

Marielle stepped forward to take responsibility, but Connor held her back. “Go ahead, old man. Try to kill me. I’ll be doing Shanna a favor, getting rid of you.”

“Connor, no,” Shanna whispered.

Sean pointed a finger at Connor. “I would be doing the whole world a favor by getting rid of you.”

Connor’s jaw shifted.

“It was my fault.” Marielle lifted her chin. “I’m the angel of death.”

Sean’s face grew pale.

Connor moved Marielle out in front. “Why do ye no’ greet her properly, old man? Shake hands with her.”

Sean stepped back.

Marielle pulled away from Connor’s grasp and frowned at him. “That’s not funny.” She turned to Sean. “I am deeply sorry for what happened to your daughter. I would never knowingly harm any living being.”

“That’s true,” Shanna said. “Marielle was unconscious at the time. I was the one who touched her.”

Sean glared at them all, then turned to Angus. “I hear there will be a battle tomorrow night. You will take me.”

Angus sighed. “It’s too dangerous—”

“I don’t give a damn!” Sean shouted. His hands fisted. “I have to kill some vampires. I have to avenge my daughter. If you don’t take me with you, I’ll start killing you all instead.”

Connor scoffed. “Just try it.”

Angus lifted a hand. “Enough. We will take you tomorrow night, Whelan. But be warned, the fighting will be fierce and to the death.”

Sean nodded. “I’m counting on it.”

“Come with me,” Connor whispered to Marielle, then dragged her down the hallway to a side exit.

“What’s wrong?”

“Everything,” he grumbled. He pushed open the door and led her toward a garden area. He released her and paced toward a gazebo.

He turned abruptly. “I doona want you at the battle tomorrow night.”

She stiffened. “I have to go. I’m the one who can sense death.”

“Aye, but as soon as the others arrive and the battle begins, I want you to leave. I’ll ask Emma to teleport you back here to safety.”

“But I’ve been practicing self-defense.”

“It may no’ be enough!” He walked toward her, his eyes full of pain. “I canna put you in danger like that. I love you too much.”

She swallowed hard. “Defeating the Malcontents and Casimir will prove I deserve to be reinstated in heaven. If I run away before the battle even begins, how can I be deemed worthy? If I risk nothing, how can I gain anything?”

His jaw shifted. “I’ll get ye back to heaven, one way or another.”

“No! I was the one who disobeyed. I have to be the one to earn my way back.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “I canna bear the thought of you being hurt.”

“I understand. I feel the same way about you. If anything happens to you—”

“I’ll be fine, lass. I’ve fought many a battle.”

She groaned. “I know. But you died in one, remember?”

“I dinna die. I was . . . mortally wounded.” His jaw shifted. “That was over four hundred years ago. I’ve improved a lot since then.”

Her heart expanded. She loved this man so much. She walked up to him and placed her hands on his face. “I’m going with you tomorrow. And I’m not leaving you alone to face the enemy.”

He took her hands and kissed them. “Then I want you to keep this with you.” He slid the dagger out of his knee sock and placed it in her hands.

She eyed the dagger with dismay. “Connor, I’d rather not—”

“I know, but I want you to have it. And I want you to use it if ye have to. Otherwise, I canna let ye go with me.”

The dagger felt cold and foreign in her hands. She wanted to refuse it, but she needed to be at the battle so she could help protect Connor and prove herself worthy of heaven.

“All right.” She accepted the leather sheath Connor handed her, and slid the dagger home.