He gripped her arm in response. Are you sure?
Of the outcome? No. That I must try, yes.
He held her gaze for a long moment. Then do it.
I want you to protest what I’m about to say. After that, follow my lead. Okay?
I love you.
Same here.
Iris turned in Seraphina’s direction. “I’ll bargain my life and my witch power for Connor’s, right now. You let him go, and I’ll enter your coven and labor as your servant.”
Seraphina released Evan. “Do you hear that, my love? She offers herself in exchange for a vampire.”
“Do you believe her?”
“I don’t know.”
Connor grabbed Iris’s arm, pulling her toward him. “Don’t do this.”
Iris forced tears to eyes. “It’s already done.” To his mind, she sent, Get ready to fall and make it look good. As she pulled away from him, she swept her arms up and created a wind similar to Seraphina’s.
Connor stumbled backward and made a show of falling on his ass, then his side. He slid a good eight feet as well.
Iris ignored him and instead moved toward Seraphina. Each step caused her to feel more and more lethargic. The dark witch wasn’t taking any chances. She’d created her own spell, one meant to control Iris.
But it gave Iris the exact tool she would need: An appearance of weakness.
She didn’t fight Seraphina’s spell. Instead, she held out her arms and the moment she drew near, she let out a soft moan and fell toward the woman.
Seraphina caught her and that’s when Iris opened her mouth wide and took as much of her throat as she could. She bit down hard.
Seraphina’s spell evaporated because Iris’s hold on her shifted her focus. She tried to push Iris away, but Iris gripped Seraphina’s shoulders as well then bit down even harder until she tasted blood.
And it was that moment, when the metallic flavor hit her tongue, that she felt Connor’s vampire ability slam through her adding his physical strength to the bite.
At the same time, Seraphina became as docile as a lamb. She felt Evan pulling on her shoulders, trying to get Iris away from his woman, but she was part vampire now and she held steady.
His hold didn’t last long, either, because Connor had already engaged.
***
At the moment Evan attempted to pry Iris’s arms away from Seraphina, Connor levitated swiftly, caught Evan around his waist then twisted him away from the two women. The force he used sent Evan tumbling on the cement.
But Evan rose swiftly in response. He drew his half-sword from his sheath and charged, a wild light in his green eyes.
Connor was unarmed. But he had fifteen years of battling experience, having taken on all kinds of drugged out, hopped up vampires, wizards and shifters.
Game on.
Connor held his focus steady, waiting for Evan to make his move. Evan took his time, then finally lunged with a controlled swipe of his sword. At the same moment, Connor levitated backward a foot. Evan came after him with a series of quick cross-swipes that forced Connor to move closer and closer to one of the cement walls.
He knew Evan was trying to back him up against the wall so that Connor couldn’t escape the blade. But Connor had been around the block. When he was within a foot-and-a-half from the wall, he used his boot and pushed up and off, levitating swiftly at the same time. He rolled over Evan’s head and caught Evan’s neck in a chokehold then threw him to the concrete floor.
Evan landed hard and his half-sword went flying. Evan rolled toward it, but Connor was faster, caught the sword in his hand, then shifted course to land on Evan’s back. He pressed a knee into his spine.
At the same time, he caught Evan beneath the chin, lifting his head, then brought the sword close to his throat. “You’re not much without your witch’s help, are you?”
“Fuck you.” The words came out slurred because Connor had hold of his chin.
Connor had control of Evan and the vampire wasn’t going anywhere. “You’ve killed an awful lot of people all in Heather’s name. I wonder what she’d think about that?”
“She’s dead.”
“That’s true. But you know what else? She’s here. You may not be connected to your witch, but I’m in tune with mine and I’m telling you, Heather is here right now. And I think she might have something to say to you. Are you ready to listen?”
Evan grew very still.
“Well?”
“I am.”
“Good.” He switched to telepathy. Engage both of us, Heather, right now.
A female voice pressed into his mind. Evan, I’m here.
Heather?
Connor was relieved he could hear them both. Aloud, he said, “I’m going to take the sword away and just so you know, I can hear Heather as well.”
“I understand.”
Connor slowly moved the sword away from Evan’s neck. Go ahead, Heather. We’re both listening.
Evan, you’ve broken my heart. What have you been doing all in my name and our son’s name? We’ve been waiting for you, but why have you killed so many people? The pain you’ve caused! That’s not who you were. Who we were together.
Evan’s voice sounded strained. Heather, I hunted for you. I missed you so much. I’d already made the decision to take a vampire serum so I could look for you. Then I learned that Connor killed you. Why did you have to die? Why couldn’t you have waited for me?
I wouldn’t have survived much longer and I couldn’t feel the baby move anymore.
Evan didn’t say anything for a long moment. Those were your last words, weren’t they? The ones you spoke to Officer Connor?
Yes.
Oh, God, what have I done?
You’ve hurt so many people and now you have to atone. If you want to be with us, you have to atone.
How?
You’ll think of something but now I must go. Connor felt Heather shift her focus, though he didn’t understand why until she addressed him. Connor, a thousand apologies for using you as I did to take my own life. I didn’t realize how much I’d hurt you until Violet told me. Will you forgive me?
Connor hadn’t expected Heather to address anything with him. And Violet was right, Heather’s death had ruined something inside his heart. Still, in this moment, he couldn’t hold it against her. This is a hellish world. I only wish I could have saved you that night.
I didn’t know I could trust a vampire. I thought you’d send me back to my abductors.
You had no reason to think differently.
Good-bye, Connor. And Evan, remember, you must atone and do it now. Or I will be lost to you forever. Our son, too.
Connor felt there was something significant in these last words about atoning, maybe something having to do with the location. Something.
The next moment, a soft breeze blew through the terrible space. Heather departed and the fight left Evan completely.
“Let me up,” he said quietly. “I’ve made a mistake.”
Connor’s cop training made him intensely leery. But his instincts, shaped by his time with Iris, caused him to levitate off Evan. However, he retained control of Evan’s sword.
He flew back slowly several paces, holding his hands wide, the blade secure in his grip, knees bent. He was ready, if Evan attacked again.
But Evan looked wrecked as he stared at Connor. He even looked around the space as though wondering how he’d gotten here. Iris still held Seraphina in a vampire thrall, a very strange thing to see, when she was just a witch. The dark cloud of Seraphina’s spell had disappeared as well.
Evan called to the vampires waiting outside the building. When they flew in, he quickly took one of their swords.
Connor moved swiftly in Iris’s direction, wondering if he’d just made the worst mistake of his vampire life.
But Evan dismissed the vampires, ordering them to return to their homes. He then drew close to Connor. “When I give the word, I want you to take Iris out of here as fast as you ca
n. We had the place wired.”
Connor let loose with a few obscenities. He understood then what Evan meant to do. He nodded to Evan. “Let me contact Iris first.”
Evan dipped his chin.
He reached for Iris telepathically. Did you hear Evan?
Yes.
I’m going to grab your shoulders and pull you out of here at exactly the same time, a single smooth flow of motion. Do you understand and do you trust me?
Yes and yes. Absolutely.
Then we’re good to go.
Connor nodded to Evan.
“On three,” Evan said, sounding unusually calm. “One … two … three … ” Connor watched Evan’s sword slide into Seraphina’s stomach.
At the same moment, Connor wrenched Iris away, pulled her tight against him, then flew her swiftly through the doorway and into the air, higher and higher, but arcing southeast toward Elegance.
The explosion followed within three seconds of their departure and was bigger and louder than at Sentinel. This time they weren’t directly beneath the blast. However, the ensuing shockwave catapulted them even farther into the night sky.
He didn’t try to battle the wave, but flew with it until it dissipated. When they were a full mile distant, Connor slowed his flight, turning them in the air to face No Man’s Land. The debris cloud obscured the night and car alarms sounded all over Five Bridges.
Iris held onto him loosely. She watched the cloud and at the same time wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She had Seraphina’s blood on her lips.
“Did you get any of Heather’s telepathy?” he asked.
“Yes. All of it.”
“Good.” He released a sigh, but not in despair. It was a strange thing to talk to the dead, but both Heather and Violet had given him back his life tonight. What he felt was gratitude, deep eternal gratitude.
“Take me home, Connor.”
“No place I’d rather be.”
And that was the truth.
***
Once back in the garden, Iris stared into the face of the man she loved. He’d kissed her about a dozen times, his eyes brimming with tears. He’d professed his love over and over and reaffirmed they were engaged and would soon be married.
She saw how changed he was. The darkness that had held him in its hard grip was now gone. It had been blown away as surely as the blast in No Man’s Land had ended Evan and Seraphina’s tyranny over their lives.
As she caressed his face, she sought about in her mind for the best way to thank him for coming into her life. Finally, she said, “You’ve taken all my pain away. Did you know that? I’d grieved for so long. Now all is made new.”
He shook his head, searching her eyes. “I’m not sure you could have told me anything better than this. When you enthralled me, and I was able to see all that you were, I felt your pain. You’d lost so much. I also had a wish that one day I could ease your suffering. And if that’s what I’ve done, then I’m happier than I can say.”
Iris thought it fitting to take him back into the shower and to clean the debris off their bodies from their final encounter with Evan and his witch. He took her to bed afterward and kept her there for a long time that night and several nights after.
He kept telling her how much he loved her and she returned the favor. She wasn’t sure, given all that they’d been through in each of their alter lives, that the words could be spoken enough. Iris had never thought to find love in the harsh reality of their drug-riddled world.
But here was Connor, a huge surprise in her life, a blessing sent to her by her sister and to some degree by Heather. If she had one struggle, it was finding exactly the right way to tell Connor how much he meant to her.
Then one day, as Connor began moving his things to her home permanently, she figured it out. And she smiled, because he would love it.
***
“Iris?” Connor called out to his soon-to-be wife. She’d been in the garage for most of the evening with the Harley mechanic repairing her police cruiser. It needed a new muffler and gas tank and had other assorted dents one of his workers was repairing. Other than that, it had survived the Sentinel explosion really well.
He’d tried several times to head out to the garage to see what was going on. But each time he did, he got sidetracked with another household project. Iris had one helluva list for him, which included putting his Ducati poster up in the living room. But he needed her to eyeball the height for him.
He smiled.
He’d moved in.
A whole week had passed since his announcement that sent about every territory in Five Bridges on its heels. First, he’d made very public his resignation from the Crescent Border Patrol. Then shortly afterward held a press conference with that prick, Donaldson, announcing that he would be the first vampire to join the Tribunal Public Safety force. Donaldson didn’t know it yet, but Connor was making it his mission to see the man kicked out of the Tribunal, the sooner the better.
Connor had shaken up Five Bridges but good and at the same time had never felt more alive or more determined to make a difference in his world.
He couldn’t believe how much his life had changed.
Not even two weeks ago, he’d been alone, really alone and barely aware how skeletal his life had become. He would be a husband again and once more bound to the obligations of household chores. He couldn’t help but smile. Give him chores any day of the week. It seemed an incredibly small price to pay for being with the woman he loved.
And speaking of her, shouldn’t her cruiser be repaired by now?
“Iris?” he called out again.
When there wasn’t an answer, he got concerned.
He glanced out at the garden, but her latest spell held. Her home was safe. Iris now had a serious witch mentor who tutored her in the ways of fifth level witch-dom. Apparently, her basic power grid was exceptional anyway, but their bond had rocketed her potential into outer space. No dark witch could get through her spell now.
There was also talk she’d one day serve on the Tribunal Council. His chest swelled with a combination of pride and love. Iris had always wanted to make a significant contribution to their world and now she would.
He was about to call her name again, when he decided he’d have to tear her away from her bike himself.
The garage was on the kitchen side of the house. He went through the dining area, but as soon as he got near the door he felt compelled to go back and get the list of projects she’d made up for him.
And that’s when it hit him.
Damn. The woman had spelled the garage. He drew closer to the door, fighting the need to reverse direction, and there it was, a line of dragon’s blood and something else, probably ‘Connor specific’, all along the threshold.
“Iris, get your ass in here.” He was pissed. She’d promised never to spell him, but she couldn’t deny this evidence.
The door opened. She looked like a regular grease-monkey, wearing a kerchief on her head, her ponytail pinned into a bun, and blue overalls. She had the obligatory grease stains smeared here and there. “You spelled this door and you promised me you’d never do that.”
She looked sheepish yet pleased at the same time. She was even smiling.
Maybe he wasn’t being stern enough. The woman should be contrite.
She glanced over her shoulder. “Duke, I’m in trouble, but do you think he’ll forgive me?”
“Hell, yeah, he will.”
Connor frowned. “Okay, what’s going on?” A row of cabinets prevented him from seeing into the garage.
She reached over the threshold and kicked a break in the line of red powder and the spell dissipated. “Come here,” she said. “I have something for you. It’s a surprise.”
“You’re still in trouble.”
“I know. I broke a covenant between us, but it was meant for good. You can decide my punishment later. For now, come with me.”
When she took his hand, he followed, because he couldn’t help himself.
She might have spelled him to keep him out of the garage, but her love had become a magnet he didn’t think he could ever refuse and that had nothing to do with witchery.
Once he passed the cabinets, he saw all three mechanics, also greasy, but grinning like school kids.
That’s when he saw the bike. A Ducati 1974 750 GT. “Iris?”
“She’s yours, Connor. The least you deserve for the man you are.”
He didn’t know what to say. He turned to her and not caring she was covered in grease, he pulled her into his arms. He kissed her first, then held her so tight he wasn’t sure she could breathe.
He wanted to let go, but couldn’t. “You’ve given me so much.”
“Same here, my love.” She pulled back, her hands on his arms. “But is this okay? Or did I overstep?”
“You mean the Ducati?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “And the spell.”
“The bike is perfect as well as the intent behind it. Thank you.” His heart swelled. He held her gaze once more, not understanding where she’d come from. Iris had only known him a couple of weeks, but seemed to understand him to the depths of his soul. “Thank you.”
He then turned to the mechanics who were still grinning. “Well? Does she run?”
They all laughed. Duke said, “You bet she does, but you’ll have to sit down and try her out.”
Connor went over to the bike and that’s when he realized he hadn’t heard the engine once. Turning to Iris, he said, “You spelled the sound as well?”
She shrugged. “Kind of had to. You would have known at once this wasn’t my TPS bike.”
He chuckled. “You’re right about that.”
He sat down on the seat and kicked-started her up. He loved the rumble, the feel, the beauty of it. The vibrations were heaven.
A part of his life had been returned to him.
He thought about taking it out but dawn was coming and the mechanics needed to be on their way. He shut the engine down then took his time thanking each of the vampires for the work they’d done.
Iris’s cruiser sat in the corner, covered and completely undisturbed.
Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romance: Paranormal Romance Boxed Set Page 29
