Vacation with a Vampire & Other Immortals (16 page)

It seemed to Bain that it took forever to make the magic happen. The urge for speed crouched in his chest and howled at him to hurry up. The sane corner of his mind warned that one misspoken word could turn living flame on the world and create as much destruction as a demon’s incursion. He could afford no mistakes—not only for what it might cost the human world, but for the reason that he would not have the time to cast this spell again. If he didn’t get it right the first time, he would lose the woman who was everything to him.

The spell for eternal fire was a difficult one and his worry for Emma made it that much harder to concentrate. Still, he focused his energies, drawing on centuries of life and power to do what he must. This was the only chance she had. The only chance
they
had.

Emma felt a magical wind tousle her hair, then she opened her eyes to watch her Highlander. He looked too good to be true, she thought, a weary smile lifting one corner of her mouth. She wanted another hour with him. Another night. An eternity.

She couldn’t bear to lose him just when she’d found him. But she was so tired. So empty. Her bones were mush. Her strength was nearly gone. She listened to the steady, hard beat of Bain’s heart beneath her ear and told herself that it wasn’t such a bad way to die. In the arms of the only man she would ever love.

Hold tight to me, Emma!
His thoughts crashed into her mind, allowing her no chance to slip away. He simply refused to accept her surrender to death.
There will be no leaving me, do you understand? Turn from the abyss tempting you. Return to me, Emma, and stand beside me as you were meant.

Then light erupted into the darkness.

Emma forced her eyes open as magic electrically charged the air in the room. Shadows danced on the walls and heat licked at them as an inferno roared into life. Dazed, she stared at the wall of living fire in front of her. The flames danced and twisted and writhed against one another. Colors burst from the heart of the blaze—orange, blue, red, green, yellow. It really
was
alive, she thought, and the heat was its heartbeat.

All around them, the shadows slipped away, unable to stand against the vivid brightness of a light so otherworldly. The Campbell Cup, so long coveted by the demon races, skittered noisily across the floor, as if drawn by the very heat of its destroyer. It was swept into the flames and was obliterated in an instant.

Oh, my God.

He must have heard the fear in her voice. He looked into her eyes and whispered, “The fire vanquishes evil, Emma. There’s nothing evil about you. You
will
be saved. I will allow nothing less, do you understand? I love you. Through all time, I will love you.”

Emma smiled despite the weakness dragging at her and said softly, “Just don’t let go of me, okay?”

Never.
His promise echoed in her mind as he walked her into the heart of the firestorm.

Heat ripped through her and Emma gasped, throwing her head back, expecting to feel the excruciating pain of being burned alive. She stared into Bain’s eyes and felt him with her. His heart, his soul, were so entwined with hers, it was impossible to feel the fear that should have been racking her.

Their hands met, palm to palm, and fingers locked. They stood, two halves of one whole, in the center of a fire that blew hot with the breath of eternity.

Heat, incredible heat, flashed through her veins and Emma felt the poison bleed from her cells, her muscles, her bones. As the flames danced around them, snapping, hissing, twisting around their limbs, tangling in their hair, all traces of the demon’s venomous bite were consumed, leaving Emma alive in a way she never had been before. Her body awakened. Her soul swelled, blossoming with the promise of eternity, and as she stared into Bain’s eyes and watched him smile, she knew.

It had worked.

Their desperate gamble had given them forever.

He pulled her close, murmured words both ancient and beautiful, and in the space of a single heartbeat the flames disappeared, winked out of existence. As if they had never been.

“It’s over,” she whispered, tipping her head back to grin at him in the sudden stillness. “I feel…different.”

“As you should,” he told her. “You’re an immortal now, Emma. Just like me.”

Immortal.
The word sang through Emma’s system, and for just a moment, she enjoyed the thrill of having eternity stretching out in front of her. She imagined watching the world change around her and always being able to reach out and touch the hand of the man who had saved her life—and that made that life worth living.

As you did for me, Emma,
his mind whispered into hers.
For centuries, I was a man alone, and now, there is you. A priceless gift to one such as me.

She smiled up at him, cupping his face between her palms. “I’ll remind you of that the next time you’re furious with me.”

“I know you will, lass,” he said, turning his face to kiss her palm. “What a fine time we’ll have.”

They would, Emma thought, since she now had an eternity to be with the man she loved more than anything. Then, she realized there were one or two things that had to be said. She poked him in the chest with her index finger.

“No more secrets, okay?”

“Agreed.” He kissed her, nearly shattering her train of thought.

“And I’m going to finish school. Get my degree.”

“If you wish.”

“That means staying in the city during the school year, Mr. I-Can’t-Wait-to-Get-Back-to-the-Highlands.”

He frowned, but nodded, stroking her hair back from her face with gentle fingers. “I will find a Guardian to keep watch at my home until we return from this blasted city.”

Emma wrapped her arms around his neck and went up on her toes. “
And
you have to come home with me to meet my family.”

His scowl deepened and she laughed.

“I see nothing funny about this,” he told her as his arms came around her, holding her close.

“I know.” Emma gave him a quick, hard kiss, then grinned again. “Oh, I think my mom’s going to love you. But I warn you, my dad can be pretty protective.”

“As a man should over his children.”

“My brother will probably want to come back to Scotland for a visit with us.”

“Aye,” he muttered, rolling his eyes. “They’re all welcome in our home, Emma. For as long as any of you like.”

“I knew you’d say that,” she said, still smiling. “You’re a softy, Bain Sinclair.”

He pulled her in tightly to him as if to dissuade her of that notion entirely.

Her eyebrows lifted as she pressed closer, rubbing her hips against his. “Okay, not a softy.”

He bent his head to kiss her but she stopped him with one finger over his lips. “There’s one more thing. You do realize, that for the rest of our eternal lives together, I’m never going to let you forget that I walked through fire for you.” “Leave it to a Campbell to find a way to torment me.” He smiled at her and Emma’s body went into overdrive.

She ran one hand across his bare, muscled chest until he shivered with the desire claiming them both. “Let’s go home, Highlander, and I’ll let
you
torment
me
for a while.”

“I willna ever let you go, Emma. I doona think I could bear eternity wi’ out ye.”

A delighted laugh shot from Emma’s throat as Bain gave her the Highland dialect she’d expected when she first met him—that seemed like a lifetime ago. And when he swept her into his arms and kissed her, she knew that an eternity spent with this man wouldn’t be nearly long enough.

ISBN: 978-1-4592-0823-0

VACATION WITH A VAMPIRE… AND OTHER IMMORTALS

Copyright © 2011 by Harlequin Books S.A.

The publisher acknowledges the copyright holders of the individual works as follows:

VAMPIRES IN PARADISE
Copyright © 2011 by Margaret Benson

IMMORTAL
Copyright © 2011 by Maureen Child

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