Cailin nodded. “Thank you, Maggie.” She stared at the flames in the hearth through her tears, grateful for Margeret’s consoling efforts, which allowed her to grow indifferent. Aye, indifference…a good place to be. It quieted her soul enough to find rest, to crawl into the cave of her spirit and recover to rise another day.
Chapter Three
A grunt rushed from James’s throat as his back slammed to the mat, Broderick standing over him with a smile and outstretched hand. “Do you understand now?” He helped James to his feet. “Since I can hear your thoughts, I can anticipate your moves, so regardless of how skilled you are at the sword or knife, your approach has nothing to do with speed or ability.”
Rotating his shoulder to work through the pain, James frowned. Broderick had taken him into an armor and weapons room of sorts, similar to his training grounds at Fechtschulen, complete with padded mats and sawdust-filled figures tied to wooden posts. He had applied everything he learned becoming a Grandmaster at swordplay and, at Broderick’s encouragement, came at him with all he had. Broderick had bested him no matter what he did. “Then how can I possibly win any advantage over Campbell if he knows my every move?”
“That is the trick, lad.” Broderick picked up the steel blades James had dropped on the ground. “Part of your defense is to have your strategy well planned and so rehearsed as to be second nature, therefore there is no thinking—only instinct and reflex.” Stepping forward, Broderick sheathed James’s daggers in his belt and adjusted them. “Arrange thus for easy reach.” He began circling James. “The second part of your defense is to take a non-aggressive approach. Do not attack.”
James scrunched his brows and planted his fists upon his hips.
“Since you know his immortal speed will always best you, do not advance. Maintain a passive demeanor and reason with him.”
“Is Campbell a reasonable enemy?”
“When he chooses to be, but certainly not with me.” Broderick stopped before James with his arms crossed—a most commanding figure. “The point is if you remain passive, it is very likely he will have no reason to approach you with aggression or speed. He will be the cat to your mouse.” He stalked around James again. “Circling you and—” James started at the sudden presence of MacDougal’s voice close to his ear. “Stepping in to keep you off guard.”
Heart pounding, James inhaled deep to soothe his nerves. “I understand your meaning.”
Broderick faced him again. “Allow him to do so. It will be to your advantage. If he comes in close, you will have your opportunity to strike.”
“But again, if he knows my thoughts—”
“That is the next part of your defense.” MacDougal rubbed his chin as if in thought. “Teaching your mind to create a mental barrier is the best skill, but unfortunately this I cannot teach you tonight. With the limited time I have with you now, I had to do what I could to prepare you for what may happen while I am gone, and these small measures of defense are better than having none at all. The way you came at me before will surely get you killed. I have bought you some time. Though…not much.” He frowned and turned away from James.
“Broderick…what are you not telling me?”
Peering askance over his shoulder, MacDougal whispered almost distractedly, “I can never prepare you for the attack of a Vamsyrian, son.” He faced James. “The full onslaught of one such as I is truly staggering to a mortal. If you witness such an assault, pray you are not the target. It is why I must leave on the morrow.”
“Where are you going, sir?”
James blanched to see tears well in Broderick’s eyes. “To chase after a hope that I have finally found a way to protect those I love.” He cleared his throat and slapped James on the back. “Come, lad.”
Nodding his head toward the door, Broderick led James to return to the parlor and poured him another cup of wine. Leaning against the table, James drank and pondered what had transpired over the last two hours.
Broderick’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. “I want you to work with Cailin during my absence.”
“Cailin?”
“Aye, she has learned how to guard her thoughts to some degree. Mayhap she can give you at least a foundation on which to start. Of course, you cannot know if you are successful until I return so I may judge, but there is a measure of practice you can still begin. We have prepared a chamber for you, so I would like to you stay here where my family will need you.” Broderick inclined forward. “The chamber is on the far side of the castle…away from Cailin’s chamber. I trust you will behave until after the wedding?”
MacDougal raised a warning brow and James chuckled. “Aye, my lord, I will do my best to keep my hands…and thoughts…to myself.”
“Very good.”
“How long will you be gone, my lord?”
A muscle ticked along Broderick’s jaw line before he responded. “Too long for my taste, lad, but I hope not more than a week’s time. Angus has not shown any sign of activity or made any attempts on the family in almost five years, so it is our hope all will remain quiet until after I return.”
“As is my hope.”
Nodding and crossing his arms, Broderick settled his rump against the edge of the table beside James and regarded him with sorrow in his eyes. “I know this is not news you will cherish, and I do not wish to be the one to deliver it, but…Alistair has returned to Leith.”
James clenched his jaw and turned about to pour another cup of wine, occupying his hands with the benign task. He did not relish a judgmental encounter with his father. “How long has he been thus?” He gulped a mouthful of the soothing vintage.
“Three months.” Broderick paused, his words floating upon the air. “Though he comes and goes for a few days at a time. You may have noticed some signs of his presence at the cottage in Leith, even though Cailin has taken it upon herself to keep the house in order during your absence.”
James nodded and gripped the cup. “What does he want?”
“I know not, lad. He has not spoken to me at length—”
“Can you not divine his thoughts?” James snapped unexpectedly, shocking even himself.
Broderick sighed. “’Tis a strange pattern to his thoughts, James, unlike anything I’ve encountered. Your father knows what I am, so I’ve wondered if he has also learned some skill at blocking his thoughts while he disappeared to…only God knows where he went. Though in my opportunities to probe his mind, I have not discerned any sign of Angus. Still, I am suspicious that Angus may have made some contact with him, knowing he was connected to this family. I urge you to be cautious. He is your father and I cannot keep you from him, but I request you do not see him until I return.”
James released a derisive snort. “I’ve no wish to visit with the vile worm. Have no fear there. I will only go back to the cottage on the morrow to collect my belongings.”
Broderick nodded and James was glad he didn’t push the topic. Back when Fiona was murdered, Broderick tried to ease James’s pain by convincing him Alistair’s heart couldn’t bear the loss of his wife and his father needed time to heal. Even now, James could not understand how a father could leave his only son behind without a backward glance, without any effort to inquire after his welfare. Though the MacDougals were far from strangers and were close to his family as friends and business partners, Alistair had not even made arrangements with them to watch over James. The MacDougals did that of their own accord. Mayhap they were close enough for Alistair to assume they would be there for James. Close enough to know what Broderick was.
“Forgive me for not sharing what I am with you sooner,” Broderick replied.
James cast a sideways glare and pushed away from the table. “That is damned annoying, MacDougal.”
Broderick threw his head back and that rumbling laughter filled the room once more. “Aye, lad, so I have been told.”
“Well, I agree with Lady Davina, if that is who enforced such a…vow of silence, as you called it.”
B
roderick nodded, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
“Then I trust you will stay out of my thoughts?”
Broderick dipped his head in agreement.
James could no longer suppress his grin. “And I understand why you did not share such a secret with me until now. I was young, impulsive and reckless. I’m glad you ushered me off to learn my way and release my anger through fencing.”
MacDougal stepped forward and clasped James by the forearm in mutual accord, drawing him into another fatherly embrace. “Stay the night, lad.” He ushered James out of the parlor and up the stairs to the first level. “I shall have Will and Ranald accompany you to the cottage on the morrow to help you collect your things.”
“Will I see you before you set out?” James asked as they turned down the corridor toward the bedchambers.
“’Tis another thing that goes along with immortality.” They stopped in front of a chamber door. “I cannot come out during the day.”
James inclined his head. In all the time he’d known Broderick, he had never put much thought to the fact that he had indeed only seen him after sundown. “Pray tell me to what purpose?”
“Press upon me another time to go into greater detail. However, the answer to your previous question is aye, I’ll leave shortly after sundown and won’t depart before saying my farewells.”
James knew Broderick said the last for James’s comfort and the corner of his mouth tugged up in appreciation. “Aye, my lord. Rest well.”
* * * * *
Davina looked up from brushing a woolen vest as Broderick stepped into the room, a thoughtful gleam in his eyes and an easy smile upon his lips.
“How did he fare?” She set the brush on the settee at the foot of their bed and crossed the room to greet him.
“The lad did well. Better than I expected.” Gifting her with a lingering kiss, Broderick patted her bottom before slipping into the wardrobe and emerging with his satchel. “A few strong cups of wine did well to stiffen his courage.”
Davina laughed and her eyes followed his large form as he glided with purpose around the room, packing for his journey. Returning to the settee, she settled in, content to drink in his presence while she had the chance. They would soon be apart.
As he turned to put the last few belongings in his satchel, a furrow formed on his brow.
“What troubles you, my love?”
“James still holds much anger in his heart for Alistair and I cannot blame him.”
She nodded. “He is young. He may only need time at home in peace before he can settle his heart.”
“Mayhap you are correct.” Broderick closed his satchel and knelt before Davina. “What concerns me more is what Alistair’s intentions might be. As I’ve mentioned, I couldn’t hear his thoughts on the two occasions I encountered him. They faded in and out and I could only catch a word or two. I wonder if he may have been taught to block them, but is not yet skilled at it. And yet…”
“And yet?”
“Even when you and Cailin were learning to do the same, the patterns were not like this. This is something…I know not, Davina. And I like it even less.”
She framed his face with her hands, pressing a kiss to his full lips. “Don’t let this stop you from going. We need this. Since James became a Grandmaster and you have given him the silver weapons, I do feel better about you making this trip.”
Broderick frowned. “Aye, I agree, but only by a margin. The sooner I get back, the better I will feel.” His eyes wandered to the window. “I can’t help but suspect there’s more to this. That I’m being lured away.”
Though Broderick made an agreement of privacy regarding her thoughts, emotions were like scents carried on the wind to him. Inside, Davina agreed with his suspicions, but she did her best to mask those misgivings. “This is a profound opportunity to finally find an effective way to protect us.”
His gaze met hers and her heart ached at their intensity. “What good will this protection be if he strikes while I’m gone?” His voice was but a whisper.
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “We cannot run forever, my love.”
Broderick nodded. He trailed a fingertip down her cheek. “’Tis many years since I have been away from your side.”
Tears pierced her eyes and she blinked the pain away. “You will be preoccupied with the swiftness of your journey, and I know you’ll make haste to be away no more than necessary.”
“That I vow.” Broderick sealed his words with a possessive kiss.
Davina melted into the arms of her husband, marveling at the fire he still stoked in her spirit after almost two decades together. Sliding his hands down her back to cup her bottom, he lifted her from the settee. Her skirts bunched around her waist as she wrapped her legs around him and he carried her to the bed. With eager hands, they stripped each other of their garments and nestled into the warmth of the covers and their arms. Davina sighed at the familiarity of Broderick’s naked skin against her body, at the thrill of his erection against her belly, the hard planes of his chest and rippled stomach under her fingertips. She opened her thighs and grasped his cock to guide him into her, his tip wet and slick against her trembling quim. With slow, methodic pulses, Broderick eased into her and she savored each inch of him as he entered, delighted in the protection she experienced from his weight atop her.
“These miles will keep you from my dreams,” he whispered against her ear. “And these days will be a black void. I want the taste of you on my soul.”
Though Broderick meant he intended to make love to her for as long as possible this last night, she wanted to leave a more profound memory upon her beloved husband’s being. Placing her hands upon his cheeks, she met his gaze. “I want you to taste my soul, Broderick.” She held her breath for a moment before whispering, “Feed from me.” He would be able to see and know everything she had experienced in her life since the day of her birth. All Vamsyrians gleaned this of everyone they fed from. Her soul would be laid bare to him in a way they had yet to experience.
Broderick’s lips parted and his eyes widened. His body stopped moving and Davina swore his breath ceased.
“I know in seventeen years I’ve never asked that of you, but…”
“Blossom,” he breathed. The corner of his mouth turned up in a half-smile and he kissed her with such tenderness, she almost wept. “You have me at a loss for words.”
“If this is not something you want—”
“Oh, Davina.” Broderick captured her mouth, devouring her and stealing her breath, leaving her dizzy. Finally breaking their kiss, he brushed a stray curl from her brow. “I have ached to taste the sweet nectar of you since I first saw you in my dreams. And to do so while we make love is a joining, I am told, like no other.”
“In all the years since you crossed over, you have never done such a thing with anyone else?”
“Nay, Blossom. Before you, I never thought to find someone as precious to share such a special act of joining. Considering the harsh way you were introduced into my world, I never thought me feeding from you was something you wanted to experience.”
Guilt darkened her heart. Until this moment, a small part of her still had not accepted Broderick for everything he was.
“Now, my love,” he soothed, kissing her brow. “Do not have any regrets. Believe me when I say you are worth the wait.” His comforting lips caressed her temple. His warm tongue darted out to taste her tear. Breathing across her cheek, his mouth hovered over hers, his eyes gazing at her with a love that melted any remaining shame she had regarding time lost at sharing this moment. Davina opened her mouth to her husband, inviting him in, and his tongue penetrated her lips at the same rhythm his cock penetrated her quim. Deep, slow, agonizingly sensuous and pushing her to the edge of madness.
Wrapping her legs around his hips, she dug her heels into his backside, pulling him into her. She groaned as his hands cupped her bottom, angling her entrance up to bury himself to the hilt. Every stroke pushed her higher
and she shivered as his long, iron shaft pumped into the depth of her being. His mouth licked, suckled and kissed from her lips, across her jaw line and down to her throat. Her eyes flicked open and she clutched Broderick to her as she gazed with unseeing eyes over his shoulder. A dancing fire of fear and excitement flickered in her belly. She opened her heart, letting the love and arousal coursing through her body swirl around her so Broderick could absorb her soul.
Her orgasm came as swiftly as the piercing of his fangs, but lingered with the sweet euphoria of his feeding, driving her climax to a height of unknown territory. Her head dropping back, she closed her eyes and fell into an ecstasy that rippled throughout her limbs and focused on two throbbing points of her body—her throat and the hot, wet center between her legs where Broderick pumped his own orgasm.
After what seemed like hours, the shuddering waves of both their bodies subsided. Davina opened her eyes to find herself straddling Broderick’s powerful thighs as he knelt in the center of their bed. Disoriented and delirious—even drunk from the experience—she heaved thirsty breaths as Broderick licked her blood from his lips. The silver, glowing core faded from his eyes hooded with passion. A tear slipped down his cheek and he buried his face in her hair, hiding from her…and she knew why. Through the impressions on Davina’s blood, Broderick saw—for the first time—the true extent of the abuse she had suffered at the hands of her dead husband Ian, and she winced from the old wound. So much time had passed since she allowed herself to recall the memories, she did not think about them resurfacing in the act of Broderick’s feeding.
“I tried to keep you from seeing and experiencing what transferred through your blood,” he rasped, grief abrading his voice.
“You did, my love.” She stroked his hair and hugged him tight for reassurance. “I just now allowed myself to remember the past, but that was my doing.” She pulled back to gaze into his eyes. “You have given me so much joy over the years, I am happy to say I had forgotten the past.” She smiled. “Thank you for such a gift.”
MIDNIGHT CAPTIVE: Book 2 of the Bonded By Blood Vampire Chronicles Page 6
