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. Im excited about helping you locate and defeat the Malcontents. It will make the world a safer place.
His mouth twitched. Wed better not achieve world peace. Ye could have a heart attack. He stopped beside her. So do ye plan on knocking me down again?
Ill try to do better, but I cant 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.
Yere 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 didnt 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 logsthe target and a log on each side of it.
She swayed. IIm sorry. Im 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. Theyll 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 doesnt 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?
Ill 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 dont 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. Shed 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, Ill see into your mind, too.
His jaw shifted. Tis a risk Ill have to take. He glowered at her. Ill expect you to cooperate. When I enter yer mind, focus all yer concentration on the location ye wish to go to. As soon as weve teleported, Ill break the connection. The whole procedure should only take a few seconds.
I see. He was hoping it would happen so fast she wouldnt 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. Lets 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 whos dying.
I meant a nonviolent death. And one close enough that therell be no risk of me teleporting into daylight and getting fried.
I understand. She closed her eyes to slowly access her sense of death. Shed 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. Theres a town nearby where an elderly man is dying in a nursing home.
Can ye focus on a place close by? If we teleport straight into the nursing home, well cause a fright. Or ye might end up accidentally brushing against someone and causing more death. Some place outdoors and isolated would be best.
She nodded, frowning. Shed never purposely missed the mark before. Ill try.
He checked the dagger in his sock. We shouldna run into any trouble, but I like to be prepared. He looked her over and grabbed the hem of her hooded jacket. Tis a wee bit chilly out here. He connected the zipper and zipped it up to her chin.
Oh, I was wondering how that worked. She smiled sheepishly. I knew it looked like the fastener on my pants, but I didnt how to get it started. She moved the zipper up and down. I love this. Humans are so clever.
Lass. He covered her hand with his own to stop her. Are ye ready?
To let him inside her mind? She swallowed hard. Shed always been an open book before, sharing everything with the Heavenly Host. But shed never had these quivery feelings of desire before. She didnt want Connor to know that he was causing them, that even now she wanted him to pull her into his arms and kiss her.
She took a deep breath. She would focus all her thoughts on a place in the vicinity of the nursing home. That would be all he would sense. Im ready.
He grabbed her by the upper arms and pulled her close.
She gasped. Good heavens!
Ye need to hold on to me, he said softly. So I can teleport with you.
Oh, right. She slipped her arms around his neck. Her heart thundered in her chest. Concentrate. Think about the location. Not about being in his arms.
His arms enveloped her and his cheek pressed against her temple. Open yer mind, he whispered. Let me in.
She shuddered when she felt a cold stab at her brow.
Marielle. His voice echoed in her mind.
He was with her, his presence strong and determined. So masculine. And bold, as if he were staking a claim on her soul. Marielle, he repeated, and she wanted to melt around his voice.
She rallied her thoughts and focused on the location.
I have it, his voice said, then everything went black.
Connor scanned their surroundings quickly to see if anyone had witnessed their arrival. Marielle had stumbled a bit when they materialized, so he continued to hold her. They appeared to be in a dark alley.
Good. No one saw us. He glanced down at her pale face, and his heart squeezed like it always did when he looked at her. Only now, it was stronger. Hed been inside her mind, and it was a beautiful place filled with love and compassion, so much so that he wondered if she could ever forgive the monstrous things hed done in the past.
Doona even think about it. He was a condemned man, already on the list for hell. An angel could never care for him, not one as beautiful as Marielle. At least he suspected his secrets were safe. Shed been too busy protecting her own thoughts to even attempt to breach the thick wall hed taken five centuries to build.
He led her toward the street. Are ye all right?
Yes. She peered to the right. The nursing home is that way.
Apparently, theyd arrived at one of the main streets in this town for it was fairly busy. Cars drove by in a steady stream. Other cars were parked along the street. The sidewalk was wide, and street lamps illuminated a long line of shops with colorful signs and awnings.
Pedestrians walked by in small groups, chatting and laughing. Horns blared in the distance. The scent of grilled meat drifted from a nearby restaurant.
Across the street, a wrought-iron fence separated the sidewalk from a garden. A large arch spanned an opening in the fence with the words Hudson Park painted across it. A man in a security uniform was closing and locking the gate.