Vampire Mine (17 page)

Connor felt a slight frisson of energy zip across the room. A small flame ignited on the log in the fireplace, then died away.

He blinked. “Ye—ye were just warming up?”

Her face reddened as she lowered her hand. “That was it.”

He glanced back at the fireplace where only a tendril of smoke was curling over the log.

“I‟ve seen more fire on top of a birthday cake.”

She sighed. “I never developed the skill. I didn‟t want to. It seemed destructive, and all I‟ve ever wanted to do was help people. I loved being a Healer.”

She looked so dejected, he tried to think of something comforting to say. “I . . . like you the way ye are.”

Her mouth curled up and her eyes softened again with that tender look that made his heart squeeze in his chest. He guzzled down the rest of the blood and set the bottle on the table.

“Which elements are left? Earth?”

“I could cause the earth to tremble. It might stop someone from attacking me.”

He winced. “It would affect everyone. Just like the thing ye do with air. It would knock everyone down. Hard to win a battle that way . . . unless . . . Do ye think ye could learn to narrow yer focus?”

“I suppose I could. I‟ve seen God Warriors do it.”

“Then that is how ye will defend yerself.” Connor stood and extended a hand. She accepted it, and he pulled her to her feet. He started to release her, but her fingers curled around his hand.

“Thank you for helping me, Connor Buchanan.”

He swallowed hard. Holy Christ Almighty, how he wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her. Would she object? Or would she melt against him? Would she use some of those instructions the ladies had given her?

He blinked and looked away. He couldn‟t afford for his vision to turn red. She would know what it meant. And if he kissed her, she might see into his black soul. Right now, she labored under the false impression that he was good and noble, and God help him, he liked it. He couldn‟t bear to lose her trust and respect.

Besides, there was no point in getting too close to her. She wanted to go back to heaven.

The last thing he needed in his life was more heartache.

He released her and stepped back. “Do ye have any shoes?”

“Yes.”

“Put them on and meet me outside.” He headed for the front door. “We have work to do.”

W
hen Marielle stepped outside, the cool mountain air instantly lifted her spirits. A bird sang in the forest, and the scent of pine wafted toward her on a breeze.
Glory to God in the
Highest!

There was no answer, but she refused to let that get her down. She had a plan now for getting back to heaven, and even though she was stuck on Earth for a short time, she had to admit she was enjoying it. Especially her time with Connor.

The porch light was on, making it easier to see the clearing in front of the cabin. Connor was moving quickly back and forth from a woodpile to the clearing. The moon, over three-quarters full, gleamed off his red hair. His kilt swished about his knees as he stood cut logs on end in a large circle.

While digging through the clothes from Emma, she‟d found socks and shoes and a hooded jacket. She was glad now that she‟d put them all on. The night air was chilly, and apparently, she was going to be outside for a while.

“Come.” Connor motioned for her to join him.

She descended the steps, mindful of the odd strings dangling off her shoes. She glanced at his shoes. “Oh, I need to tie myself up like you.”

“Excuse me?”

She pointed at her shoes.

“Och, yer laces are untied. Sit and I‟ll show you.”

She sat on the porch step. When he knelt in front of her, her heart rate quickened. His head was bowed so close to hers, she could see how fine and shiny his hair was. His gaze was focused downward at her shoes, and the thick fringe of his eyelashes cast shadows across his cheekbones. There was something about the shape of his face, his cheekbones and jawline that made her feel strange inside, as if her innards were quivering. It was hard to breathe, too, and she wondered if he could feel her shaky breaths against his face.

“Watch carefully so ye‟ll learn how.” He glanced up and his smoky blue eyes widened.

Her heart lurched. She‟d been caught admiring his face. Heat crept up to her cheeks.

His jaw shifted. “I‟ll start again. Watch.”

She focused on her shoe as he tied the lace and described the act, but her heart kept pounding. What was wrong with her? She shouldn‟t exacerbate her situation by developing strong feelings toward Connor. She was hoping to return to heaven as soon as possible. She couldn‟t fall prey to human desire and longing.

“There.” He finished. “Ye want to try?”

“Yes.” She leaned over to mimic his movements. Her hair fell forward obscuring her view. She pushed it back and was halfway through tying the second shoelace when her hair fell forward again. She made a small sound of frustration. She couldn‟t see, and if she let go to shove her hair back, she‟d have to start over.

He gently gathered her hair and held it back. Her heart leaped up her throat. With trembling fingers, she completed the bow.

He released her hair. “Ye did it. Ye learn quickly.”

“You gave good instructions.”

He jerked to a standing position. “Och, well, that was the sort of instruction ye were supposed to receive.” He walked stiffly away.

She wondered what was bothering him as she joined him in the middle of the clearing.

Maybe Brynley was right about men and the Three-Step Rule.

“I‟ve set twelve logs around us like the numbers on a clock,” he began.

“It reminds me of a stone henge.” She pivoted in a circle. “I‟ve always loved those.”

“ ‟Tis no‟ like a henge.”

“I think it is.”

He gave her an impatient look. “Nay. I know what a henge looks like. I have one at home.”

“You do? Can I see it?”

A pained look flitted over his face before he turned cold as stone. “I never go there.

Forget I said it.”

Her mouth fell open. Why would a man refuse to go home? It must have something to do with the black pit of pain in his soul. Now that she was alone with him, maybe she should ask him about the blond woman Darcy. Or she could discover more about him by embracing him.

That strategy made her heart race.

“Stand here in the center.” He clasped her shoulders from behind and moved her into position. He pointed over her shoulder at the large log straight in front of her. “That one represents twelve o‟clock, yer target. Our goal is for ye to learn to knock down yer target and only yer target. Agreed?”

“Yes.” She nodded, frowning. She would have to be careful to conserve her energy if she was going to do this over and over.

“All right,” Connor said, standing behind her. “For yer first attempt, try to narrow yer blast to half the circle, nine o‟clock to three o‟clock. Can ye do that?”

“I‟ll try.” She looked from side to side, concentrating on the logs. Could she actually control the scope of the blast? And the intensity? “Maybe you shouldn‟t stand right behind me.”

“Why? Are ye planning to fail?”

She glared at him over her shoulder. “I‟ve never tried this before.” And if she didn‟t manage to turn down the volume, she‟d run out of energy in just a few attempts.

“Verra well.” He moved back till he was standing between two logs. “Have a go then.”

With a groan, she extended her hands. She wasn‟t sure how to do this other than using her thoughts.
Less power. Half the circle.
She squeezed her eyes shut, and let loose what she hoped was a small spurt of energy.

She heard some thudding noises and a muffled curse behind her. She opened her eyes.

The logs in front of her had moved about twenty feet, crashing into the forest, but she usually averaged forty to fifty feet, so she had managed to decrease her energy output. Not bad, she thought with a grin. She turned and winced.

The logs behind her had flown twenty feet, too. And so had Connor.

She ran to where he had landed on a snowy patch beneath a tree. He was flat on his back with a stunned look on his face and his kilt blown up.

She looked away, but the image was still seared into her mind. Somehow, he looked even larger tonight than he had last night. Brynley‟s description of oral sex came rushing back, and her cheeks blazed with heat.

“What the hell was that?” He sat up, glaring at her as he pushed his kilt down. “Ye were supposed to knock down only half the circle.”

“I . . . missed.”

His eyes narrowed and his mouth thinned. “If ye want to see my privates, lass, just say so. There‟s no need to keep knocking me down.”

“I didn‟t do that just to look at your—” She grabbed one of the fallen logs and returned it to the clearing. “These logs only moved about twenty feet, and that‟s half the distance I usually move things, so I actually did have some success.”

He hefted himself to his feet. “Verra well. I believe you.” He went along the forest edge, locating the logs and returning them to the clock formation, his actions speeding up until she could see only a blur.

She returned to the center of the circle. “You move so quickly. Is that one of your skills as a vampire?”

“Aye, we have super strength and speed. Heightened senses.” He walked toward her. “I can hear it when yer heartbeat quickens.”

She stiffened.

He gave her a knowing look. “Like it is now.”

Her heart lurched. “I‟m excited about helping you locate and defeat the Malcontents. It will make the world a safer place.”

His mouth twitched. “We‟d better not achieve world peace. Ye could have a heart attack.” He stopped beside her. “So do ye plan on knocking me down again?”

“I‟ll try to do better, but I can‟t guarantee it. You might be safer on the porch.”

One end of his mouth curled up in a half smile. “Doona fash. ‟Tis my choice to stay close to you. I know it comes with a risk.”

Once again, he positioned himself next to the logs behind her. She concentrated on the half circle in front of her and released a small burst.

This time the logs moved only about five feet before toppling over. She glanced over her shoulder, and four logs were still standing, along with Connor.

“Ye‟re doing it!” He strode toward her. “Excellent, lass.”

Her heart swelled with his praise. She turned to face him, and he grinned. Her breath caught. He looked so young and handsome when he smiled like that, as if a few centuries of despair had rolled off him. His smile faded and his eyes narrowed.

Good heavens!
She faced front. He must be able to hear her heart racing. She pressed a hand to her chest. How could she stop it? She didn‟t seem to have any control over it.

He dashed around the circle to stand up the fallen logs. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves.

Again and again she practiced. After about a dozen attempts she was knocking down only three logs—the target and a log on each side of it.

She swayed. “I—I‟m sorry. I‟m out of energy.”

“Come and rest.” He led her onto the porch and settled her into a rocking chair.

She rested her head back and closed her eyes. A few minutes later, she heard his footsteps approach.

“Here.” He pressed a bottle of water into her hand.

“Thank you.” She took a sip. “Are we done for the night?”

“Nay.” He leaned against a wooden post and crossed his arms. “When ye sense death, will ye be able to tell which ones are caused by Casimir and his minions?”

She drank some water. “Not directly. I can tell how many are dying, and if there is a lot of fear and terror involved, I can sense that.”

He nodded slowly. “They‟ll feed right after they awaken at sunset, so the timing will give us a clue, too. How well can ye pinpoint the location? Can ye give us coordinates like GPS?”

She frowned. “It doesn‟t work like that. Normally, I just feel where to go and my wings take me there.” She sighed. “I may not be of any use to you without my wings.”

“Ye can feel it in yer mind?” When she nodded, he pushed away from the post and stepped toward her. “Then I will be your wings.”

“How? Can you fly?”

“I‟ll teleport you. I have a tracking device embedded in my arm, so the other Vamps can follow me.”

“How will you know where to go? I don‟t know how to tell you.”

“Vampires have some psychic ability, so I should be able to slip inside yer mind.”

Her eyes widened as she gazed at him, stunned. She‟d felt so empty and lonesome without the constant voices of the Heavenly Host filling her mind with song and praise. She missed them sorely, yet somehow the thought of Connor being in her mind was . . . troubling.

His thoughts would not be angelic. And having only one other person in her mind made it seem too . . . intimate.

She swallowed hard. “That works both ways. If we make a connection, I‟ll see into your mind, too.”

His jaw shifted. “ ‟Tis a risk I‟ll have to take.” He glowered at her. “I‟ll expect you to cooperate. When I enter yer mind, focus all yer concentration on the location ye wish to go to.

As soon as we‟ve teleported, I‟ll break the connection. The whole procedure should only take a few seconds.”

“I see.” He was hoping it would happen so fast she wouldn‟t have time to peek into his black pit of pain and remorse.

“We need to practice,” he continued. “Every night that Casimir and his Malcontents are allowed to roam free, they will feed and kill.”

She set the bottle down and stood. “All right. Let‟s do it.”

He nodded. “We should start off with something easy.”

She gave him a wry look. “An easy death? Tell that to the person who‟s dying.”

“I meant a nonviolent death. And one close enough that there‟ll be no risk of me teleporting into daylight and getting fried.”

“I understand.” She closed her eyes to slowly access her sense of death. She‟d learned years ago not to fling the door open, otherwise she could be overwhelmed by the amount of death that occurred worldwide at any given moment. She reached out gently to the nearest town where a death was occurring.

“I found one.” She opened her eyes and for half a second caught Connor watching her intently before he shifted his gaze. “There‟s a town nearby where an elderly man is dying in a nursing home.”