She flipped through several of the other photos and found one of Connor lying on his back though only his side, arm and shoulder were visible. In fact, she wouldn’t have recognized the man as being Connor if she hadn’t known his tattoos as well as she did. The upper right shoulder bore a large spiked vine and she knew every point and angle of the intricate design, as well as where it rested on his body.
But his skin showed severe bruising, a lot of it.
Save Connor. Violet’s voice once more moved through her mind. Don’t you see? He tried to help us and they almost killed him for it. Save him, Iris.
She sat back in her chair, stunned. She thought back to seeing the horrified look on Connor’s face and feeling the depth of his despair. He believed he’d participated in the massacre as well and hated himself for it.
This was the darkness that lived in his soul, what she’d been sensing from the moment she’d stood beside him on Sentinel Bridge. He actually believed he’d done these terrible things, hurt and killed some of these women.
He’d tried to tell her. In fact, she was sure he meant to, then Evan and Seraphina showed up.
Now suddenly, everything had changed and the photos had enough information to prove not only had Connor been a victim of a crime, but he’d tried to help the women until he’d been beaten almost to death.
Even high on blood flame, he’d proven his character and his worth. He was innocent after all, but he was also completely in despair. What had been shown to him just now would confirm his long-held belief of his unworthiness. He couldn’t live with himself if he’d thought he’d killed her sister. And that part of him with a death wish would look for a way to end things.
She had to go to him. To show him the truth, to help him see he’d been lied to.
“You need to work on your spellcasting, Iris. Your protective shield was way too easy to penetrate. But then I am the most powerful witch in Elegance.”
Iris rose to her feet and whirled to face the witch. Seraphina had returned to the living room. Only this time, she’d brought four vampires with her. “Get out of my house.”
“Sorry. Can’t do that. Not in the plans. But I have to say I’m a little peeved with you, witch. You’ve been holding out on your kind. We’re always looking for new talent for our coven and you’ve got a boatload.”
“I’d die first before joining your sick-ass circle.”
Seraphina shrugged. “Your choice and as for dying, well, that’s a promise.” She lifted her hand and snapped her fingers.
Several large vampires flowed in from the garden. Iris backed away, then pivoted, racing to the front door.
But as she shifted to turn the knob, one of the men caught her from behind, pinning both her arms so she couldn’t move.
A prick on her neck followed, as well as the rush of a hot chemical into her skin. Seraphina intended to make good on her promise.
Held tight in the vampire’s grip, she felt the cool night air on her face, then she was airborne.
A moment later, blackness engulfed her.
***
Connor woke up on his side, dizzy as hell. He lay on concrete and felt bruised all over. Maybe he’d fought Evan’s men or maybe they’d beat him up for the hell of it. He didn’t know.
Opening his eyes, he squinted. The light, made up of torches, hurt his brain. His mouth was dry and his thirst was off the charts. He had no idea how long he’d been here, wherever the hell ‘here’ was since he couldn’t quite see. His vision was blurred.
To his surprise, his hands weren’t bound, so he slowly pushed himself to a sitting position. He squinted as he looked around. He found Iris a few feet away, lying immobile next to a cement wall, her back to him.
He rose unsteadily to his feet, crossing to kneel beside her.
He stroked her hair, then sent words through her mind. Iris, are you okay? Are you conscious?
No response. He checked her pulse. She was alive.
They must have drugged her as well.
He took in his surroundings once more, blinking several times. At last his vision cleared, but that’s when he realized where he was. His stomach turned over as the memories rushed at him, of the women and their screams.
It took him a moment to regain his calm.
Looking up, he checked the sky. There were no stars just the deep smoke of another spell, probably Seraphina’s.
So, Evan and his witch had brought them here, back to the scene of Violet’s death and his crime. He supposed it was fitting, but like hell he would let Iris die here tonight as well.
Though he remained beside her, he extended himself to his environs, feeling the space in a way he knew mirrored Iris’s witch abilities. What returned was purposeful and deadly. No more games tonight. The intention was death and of course as much emotional and physical pain as could be inflicted.
His own goal became very simple. He had to protect Iris. Despite that she would hate him now, he had to make sure she lived. He owed that to her as well as to her sister who lost her life at his violent vampire hands.
He drew Iris carefully into his arms. She was completely limp, but taking slow deep breaths.
His heart felt crushed all over again. How much he despised what he’d become. Learning he’d killed Iris’s sister had finished him off.
He’d experienced something so rare with Iris that he’d allowed himself a moment to breathe, to feel, to believe maybe he could capture what he’d once had with his wife in the human part of Phoenix.
But he’d been wrong. There was nothing good he could bring to his life in Five Bridges, only heartache and disgust.
He felt deeply resolved to do one thing, and one thing only. And he didn’t care if he died in the process. In fact, he welcomed it.
He held Iris close to his chest. “I love you,” he whispered. “I’ve been in love with you for at least seven months. I told you I saw you at the Trib and that was true, but I didn’t tell you what made me desire you as much as I did, as I do.
“You looked so serious as you spoke with that woman. I still don’t know who she was or what issue had brought her to your office. But she wept and you suddenly dropped down beside her chair and hugged her with both arms.
“That’s when I fell in love with you, Iris. You had so much compassion for a witch, for any of our kind in Five Bridges. Seeing you comfort that woman gave me hope.
“And whatever Evan thinks, you don’t deserve this. I know you tried to find his wife and I know how much it hurt you to give up the search. Of all the women I know, have ever known, you deserve to live.”
He felt movement in the dark spell above him. He shifted his gaze and watched a pair of heavy boots emerge, then a long leather coat, and finally the rest of Evan, who held a short-sword in his hand.
Seraphina followed, her red hair floating as she descended. Once they were both standing on the floor, Evan slipped his arm around her shoulders.
Evan was insane. Connor knew there would be no discussion, no trying to reason with him. It was also possible Seraphina had enthralled him with a spell and he was under her control. Although, Connor suspected a spell wasn’t necessary.
These two were like minds, a full representation of the darkest parts of his world. And he was sick of the whole damn thing. Except for Iris. She had a chance at a real life. She was a good woman and deserved to live.
“Lovely words you just spoke to Iris.” Evan swiped his sword through the air. “Weren’t they, my sweet?”
Seraphina turned into him and caught his cheeks with both hands. Shaping his lips, she kissed him. “Tender and beautiful. But how did you know they would fall in love?” She lowered her hand to his chest and kept it there.
“I didn’t. It came as the best surprise. I wanted each of them dead and wouldn’t have minded if the bridge had taken them out. But this is so much better, isn’t it? A real gift.”
Seraphina turned her gaze toward Connor, her eyes at half-mast. “Oh, yes, a thousand times better.” She close
d her eyes, her lids fluttering. “To feel their impending loss is absolutely exquisite.” She kissed him again, only this time, her lips lingered.
Connor had to look away from so much insanity.
And he had to think.
First things first. He slowly shifted a still unconscious Iris off his lap, lowering her back to the cement. He arranged her on her side, facing away from Evan and his witch. He rose to his feet and moved to stand in front of them.
The couple was still lip-locked.
“Evan,” he called out.
The vampire drew back from the impassioned kiss, brows lifted. “Does my prisoner want something?”
“I do. I want you to let Iris go. She’s the true innocent here.”
“No one is innocent, Connor. She gave up on my wife and shortly afterward, you killed Heather. And tonight, you’re both going to pay for what you did.”
“You’ve got me and you can do whatever the hell you want to me. I won’t even battle you. I’ll lay it all down right now. Just let Iris go.”
Evan held his gaze, but his face hardened. “And you think this will do what for me? My wife will still be dead. I can’t even get one of the dead-talkers to make contact with her and lord knows I’ve tried. I probably killed eight or nine of them in the process.”
Until this moment, Connor had thought he understood the level of Evan’s madness. But he hadn’t. “You killed dead-talkers, who are mostly passive and kind? What the fuck is wrong with you?”
Evan, his arm still hanging loose about his woman’s shoulders, smiled. “Did you hear that, my love? Connor thinks there’s something wrong with me.”
Seraphina started to laugh and Evan joined her.
Connor turned to glance down at Iris. She lay prone, but something had changed. He was pretty sure she was waking up.
The time had come. He had to figure out some way to get her to safety.
***
Iris faced a cement wall, torchlight hurting her eyes, probably because of the drug she’d been given. Tears rolled down the side of her face. She’d awakened in time to hear Connor confess how he’d fallen in love with her. And it was pretty much the same reason she’d lost her heart to him. She’d seen his grief over the two children who’d died while caught in the violence of the alter, and her heart had been leaning toward him since.
Now they were both held captive by two sadistic people who’d gained power through their coupling.
The cement walls suddenly vibrated with information. She let it come, but the reality hurt her deeply. Violet had died here, in this place along with a lot of other witches. And Connor had been beaten to the point of death. Evan and Seraphina had brought them both back to the scene of the crime.
She heard Seraphina say, “Looks like your girlfriend is waking up.”
Iris didn’t move, however, but remained on her side staring at the cement wall. She needed to think. She had to formulate some kind of plan.
Violet’s death had slanted her own mind, maybe in the same way Heather’s death had tipped the scales in Evan’s psyche.
Her initial impulse to press her fingers against Connor’s temple had been nearly impossible to resist, which was why she’d shouted for him to leave.
Even then, she’d almost flown after him, craving revenge for Violet’s death. Yet feeding that beast had cost her how many years of solitude? And how much money had she thrown away on supposed private investigators who’d come up with nothing?
She recalled Sadie on the bridge, the red half-heart now like a beacon within Iris’s mind.
Her throat grew tight and more tears tracked down her cheeks.
She loved Connor.
She loved him.
And he was innocent of this crime.
Violet, she whispered within her mind, All is well.
She felt fingertips on her cheeks again. Violet was here, she was with Iris. More tears followed. She held her mind open, hoping Violet could tell her something. She heard Connor calling to her, but she remained focused on Violet.
She waited. Heather … here …
A jolt went through her. She’d heard Evan say he’d killed many dead-talkers for failing to reach his wife. But was Heather really here? Or was Iris in some kind of drugged-out state, conjuring things where they didn’t really exist?
But she felt a trail of fingers along her arm that felt very different from her sister’s. Then she knew. She was feeling Heather’s touch.
It was Heather.
Sweet Christ, what the hell was she supposed to do now?
One thing for certain, it was time to get moving. Slowly, she gained her feet.
***
Connor shouted at Iris. “Stay back. Stay where you are. I won’t let Evan hurt you.”
Iris answered him in a surprisingly strong voice. “And what about Seraphina? How do you propose to keep a witch from attacking me?”
He glanced her direction. He saw that she was on her feet, but she held her hands out in front of her and looked like she was ready to fall.
He went to her, supporting her around the waist. She turned to look at him, gripping his hand hard. “Connor.” Tears filled her eyes.
“I’m so sorry, Iris. I never thought … I never meant ... ”
She put two fingers against his lips, then slipped into telepathy. You didn’t do it. You didn’t hurt Violet or any of the others. Violet told me and the photos support it. You were beaten almost to death, right?
He nodded.
Violet said you tried to save her and that’s why you were hurt. You never touched her.
Tears burned his eyes. “Is it true?”
“Is what true?” Evan asked. “What the hell is going on?”
Connor glanced at the killing pair and watched Seraphina take Evan’s hand in her own. She had a shocked, frightened look in her eye. “Don’t you see? They’re communicating the way you and I do.”
“You mean telepathically?”
Connor’s telepathy with Iris meant something to the dark witch.
He slid back into Iris’s mind. Do you see Seraphina? She’s scared.
I know. But why is telepathy significant?
I don’t know.
“We need to get rid of these two right now.” Seraphina’s voice had a hard edge.
But Iris called out, “Evan. I have good news for you. Heather is here. I’ve felt her presence.”
Evan stared unblinking at Iris. “What do you mean?”
“You’re wife. She’s here.”
“What’s going on?” Connor asked quietly.
She turned to him. “Violet’s here as well. They both are.” She gestured with a hand to the floor. “Violet died here.”
“I know.” His shoulders fell. “I woke up in my home with no recollection about what had happened. But my clothes. There was so much blood. I was sick for days. Besides having eight broken ribs and more bruises than I could count. And you’re sure I had nothing to do with Violet’s death?”
She touched his cheek, then leaned up and kissed him. Absolutely nothing.
Seraphina’s deep voice intruded. “How touching. But we’re off point. Evan, use your blade.”
Evan called out. “What do you mean, Heather is here?”
Seraphina gripped his arm. “Don’t listen to her. She’s a liar. And why would Heather be here, with Iris, but not with all those dead-talkers?”
Iris turned in his direction. “I felt her presence, Evan. And it was Violet who told me she was here.”
Evan’s eyes darkened and a heavy frown sat on his brow. “You’re a witch, not a dead-talker. Seraphina’s right. You’re lying.”
“I’m not. I felt her touch on my arm.”
Evan suddenly grabbed his own arm then looked around. He stepped away from Seraphina and sheathed his sword. “She touched me. I felt it. Heather? Heather?” His eyes went wild. “Heather!” he screamed. “I’m here. I’m here.” He turned in a circle, his duster flaring out as he moved. “Heather!”
Seraphina went to him and settled a hand on his shoulder. Connor thought he would slough it off. Instead, he grew quiet, his vision clouding over. “Calm down, dearest. The witch is lying. She doesn’t want Connor to die and she’ll say anything to you right now.”
Evan turned to her. “But I felt a touch on my am.”
She caressed his face. “You imagined it, my love.” She held his gaze. Even from fifteen feet away, Connor could feel Seraphina’s witch energy focused on Evan.
He nodded and drew a deep breath. “You’re right. I did.” He leaned close and kissed her. “Besides, she was my past and you’re my present and my future.”
“I am.
Connor took Iris’s hand. She’s spelled him.
That she has. She looked up at Connor. We have a chance right now to end this.
What do you have in mind?
Not sure, but when I figure it out, I’m taking the bitch down.
***
Iris focused all her thoughts on Seraphina. She’d seen the look of panic in the witch’s eyes when Seraphina had realized Iris and Connor were communicating telepathically. But why had she looked so distressed?
Telepathy had to be a power indicator, but what ramification was she missing? Right now, she could communicate with Connor, she could sense him in strong ways, and he could use her killing power. Which meant Iris could probably employ Connor’s vampire abilities, but which ones? And how would that work?
Mostly, vampires fed on the blood of others, requiring the substance to live. But what they also had was increased strength, significantly more than either wizards or witches. If she was right and if she combined these two vampire traits, she suspected she’d have what she needed to battle Seraphina.
Connor, I have an idea about how I can render Seraphina harmless and she won’t be expecting this kind of attack. Also, it may not work, but I want to try. What do you think?
He turned to her, holding her gaze fiercely. What is it you intend to do?
I’m going to bite her and put her in a vampire thrall.
What? His brows rose.
She knew he would start to argue, so she put a hand on his shoulder. I’m going with my instincts. But the moment I sink my teeth, take Evan down because he’ll try to disrupt my attack.
Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romance: Paranormal Romance Boxed Set Page 28
