by Claudy Conn
Perhaps it was only because Mrs. Tunny had me spooked? I put my foot down on the gas and moved out a bit faster and there he was, in the middle of the road, smiling!
Right in my path…a vampire with his fangs dripping with blood and a woman limp against him.
He held her tightly and I knew when she opened her eyes and looked towards me she was still alive. Damn, damn, double damn! How the hell do I save her?
What do I do? What do I do? I can’t leave her for him to kill, but that was just what he wanted, for me to challenge him. I couldn’t run him down, which wouldn’t kill him but only knock him out for a time, not with him holding onto her.
Shama! I went into my head and searched the archives for something, anything I could find to use to help rescue the poor woman and still get away clean. Shama allowed me in and pointed me in the right direction.
I found it. First, I hurriedly shielded myself, stopped the car completely and got out. Bravado is something I learned when I was a twerp of a kid.
“Hey, vamp…were you waiting on me?”
“Nothing personal, but I have my orders,” the creep in black leathers and spiked brown hair said. He made the mistake of bending towards the woman as he told me, “First, I’ll finish my meal…”
I put out my hand and shouted, “Téarmaí cosúla!”
The vamp dropped the woman and put his hands to his head as agony filled every nerve ending. He screamed as he knelt beneath the weight of the pain.
I have always been good transporting myself short distances. I call it my poof thing. Would I be able to transport both the woman and myself back into my car?
I poofed in a cloud of violet smoke, took the young woman’s limp hand, and poofed us back into my car.
Whew! Done. Wow. I would have patted myself on the back, but I had no idea how long I could keep the vamp in pain.
I had never shut off the car, so I simply put it back in drive and sped past the vamp as quickly as the car would take us.
I knew as soon as I was out of range, the pain I had inflicted on the vamp would stop, and he could, with super-speed, follow us.
I had to be ready because we still had to make it into the castle from the courtyard. What I planned to do with the poor woman then, I hadn’t yet figured out. One thing at a time!
Sure enough, I saw him or rather a flash of him in my rearview mirror. He was taking a shortcut through the woods. Apparently he knew MacLeod woods very well. I knew he meant to intercept me at the castle courtyard.
I was going to have to kill this thing…this murdering, inhuman thing. Was I ready to do that? I have never been good at killing things. Even when I kill a spider in the house, I have nightmares about its family mourning it. Crazy shit.
I looked at the poor young woman limply lying beside me. Oh yeah, this was a do or die, or rather, kill or be killed moment in my life. This vamp was going down. No regrets afterwards.
I reached the courtyard and parked as I speed dialed Jeremy. He answered at once.
“Bobbie…where the devil are you?”
“Outside in the courtyard. Attacked by a vamp. Have a woman he nearly killed with me. Can you help me distract the vamp while we get her inside?”
“Damn! I’ll be right there!” Jeremy snapped and a moment later, the vamp that had arrived at my window was now backing up as he stared at the warlock coming at him, stake in one hand, fireball in the other.
The vamp tried to use super-speed to escape, but Jeremy already held him in place with a spell.
I stopped dead and watched, thoroughly impressed.
Jeremy charged him and took him down flat on his back with very little effort, it was as though he was controlling the vampire with his mind.
He screamed with ferocious anger as he drove the stake into the vamp and then lit him on fire with the fireball of magic.
Only ash was left behind.
In the blink of that proverbial eye, only ash where once a monster had been.
The next thing I knew, Jeremy was at my side, picking up the unconscious woman I was still holding up with some effort. I have some extra strength that is derived from my magic, but have never really had to draw on that strength before today.
I followed Jeremy into the house and then into the library where he laid the woman on one of the sofas.
He fetched a cloth and some whisky, drank a shot and then put another to the woman’s lips.
She spluttered over the strong brew.
Jeremy put his palm over the woman’s wound and whispered something I couldn’t quite hear. However, my eyes opened wide as I watched the vampire bites heal right before my eyes. Jeremy Ascot was a healer!
The woman’s eyelids fluttered and she whispered, “What…what happened?”
“You tell us, dear child,” Jeremy said, patting her hand.
“I…I am not sure,” the woman said.
Our eyes met and I returned my attention to the woman. “Can you sit up?” I asked.
She answered by doing just that and said, “Who are you? Where am I?”
“I found you unconscious out on the main road not far from MacLeod,” I answered. “Do you remember how you got there?”
“I…I was in my car…” she offered, frowning as she put a hand to her forehead.
“Yes, I noticed it on the side of the road,” I told her. “You got out of your car. Why?”
“Someone was lying in the middle of the road and I remember now…it frightened me…I was sure I should stay in my car and call for help, but something…something made me get out.”
I looked at Jeremy. “Are they capable of compulsion at a distance?”
“No,” Jeremy said firmly. “They must look one in the eye, but they are capable of influencing those who are susceptible to suggestion.”
“What?” she asked us. “What are you saying?”
“You were telling us you stopped to help someone, my dear,” Jeremy hurriedly stuck in. “That you got out of the car…”
“Yes, yes…I was afraid, but I couldn’t allow the man…I remember now, it was a man…to die, could I? I am a nurse, you see,” she said.
“And then?” I prompted.
“And then…I must have fainted…I don’t remember anything after that,” she said.
I was relieved. She didn’t need to remember this and suffer nightmares all her life. “Well…you are okay now,” I told her.
“What about the man in the road?” she asked. “Did he get help?”
“Oh, yes. It turned out that he had a bit too much to drink and his family was called and off he went.”
“Oh good,” she said, and tried to stand.
Jeremy detained her. “Take a moment…tell me, what is your name?”
“Betsy Scarbough,” she said with a half-smile and then added, “I must get home. I am late and my husband has to get to work and won’t leave until I get there. We have a son…and work shifts so we can look after him ourselves.”
“I will take you home. Do you have your cell? You can call him while I drive you home,” Jeremy said.
“Yes…yes…but my car?”
“If you need help retrieving it, you can call us in the morning and one of us will get you to your car, deal?” I said, and smiled encouragingly at her.
She took both my hands in hers and said, “Thank you. I can’t say why…but I feel as though you saved my life tonight.”
“That is silly. You probably were so busy working today you forgot to eat. Why, look at you, thin as a rail,” I offered as Jeremy supported her and walked her towards the hall.
I was thankful both Davis and Mrs. Tunny had already gone home, or I would have had to do a whole lot of explaining and I wasn’t ready for that.
Jeremy and I exchanged glances as he said, “I will return as soon as I may.”
I turned then as I heard Devin, who had arrived in time to witness the last of our adventure. He released a string of curses while I waited for Jeremy and Betsy to be out the door. With their dep
arture, I wagged a finger and said, “Stop! Calm down, Devin.”
“Calm down? Evidently she was a ruse to get to ye!” Devin snapped. “That means Allora knows ye are here.”
“She doesn’t know that I am Lisa’s granddaughter, does she? If she knows, if this was because of her, I’ll bet she simply doesn’t want a woman installed at MacLeod. That is my guess,” I told him, because all this had already occurred to me.
I threw off my denim blazer and moved to pour myself some wine.
He said nothing while I threw down a glass.
“Ye broke yer promise to me, lass,” he said quietly.
“Time ran away from me…” I offered.
“Nae good enough. This cannae happen again. If her vamp doesn’t report in to her…soon, she will become suspicious.”
“And send another? I’m ready.”
“Or she may coom herself,” he grumbled. “Ye aren’t taking this seriously.”
“Oh,” I managed to restrain the snort, “I am taking it very seriously.”
“What kept ye so late this afternoon?” he asked. “Did ye meet someone who made ye lose track of time and promises…?”
“Are we getting personal?” I returned, my chin up.
“Am I?” he answered.
“I could ask you where you were when I first arrived here with Betsy, but I didn’t,” I shot back.
“I was helping Gregor over at the dam. He is an engineer working on a problem. Why would it matter?” he answered.
“It doesn’t. I am just saying, I give you space and privacy.”
“Nae, lass, why were ye so late?”
“I got hungry after shopping and there was this charming little place on the river. I took tea there and lingered longer than I should have. That’s all. Then there he was in the road with Betsy looking half-dead. I got out and slammed him with pain. Got her, got in the car and raced here. He was fast and met me here. Jeremy staked him and set him on fire…with some relish I might add.”
He heard me out and suddenly laughed. “Look at ye two—a team.”
“All three of us are a team. You are a part of this, Devin,” I said. “How old do you think this vamp was? He was able to influence Betsy while she was in her car. Not compel…but influence her to get out.”
“Aye, he had to be at least a hundred or more years…nae more than that or he wouldna have coom here so willy-nilly.”
The library door opened wide and Jeremy stomped into the room, finger in the air and blabbering one sentence after another, finishing with, “So we start tomorrow!”
“Er…uh…what?” I asked.
“Wards. Druid wards. We install them first thing around the immediate perimeter. It will stop everything…maybe even Allora, from getting past them.”
“It won’t stop Allora,” Devin said. “She has been invited, which bypasses any ward that could be installed at MacLeod…at least, that is what I have always understood.”
“Well, at least it will keep all other supernaturals out!” Jeremy said on a growl.
“Aye,” Devin said and turned to me. “Ye look tired, lass.”
“Yes, I think I’ll just go up and have a shower and turn in.” I turned to Jeremy. “I’m sure Mrs. Tunny left you something delicious to heat up in the fridge.”
He rubbed his hands together. “Right. I’ll catch a bite and then I have some paperwork to get through. Good-night, Bobbie.”
* * * * *
I waved myself off and headed for my room, noting out of the corner of my eye that Devin remained at the wall as I climbed the stairs.
“Go away,” I told him as I reached my bedroom door, opened it, and went inside.
“Now, why would ye be wanting me to go away? I’m on watch, and so I shall be after yer experience this evening,” he said in a voice that clearly indicated he would brook no argument.
I had my back to him. “You said you would honor my privacy. Now is that time.”
“I did say that, and so I shall. Go on, ye can change in the bathroom suite, so off ye go, take a nice hot one, and I shan’t worry ye while ye are in there.”
I looked over my shoulder in his direction. “Well, then, thank you, yes, I’m going to take a long hot bath…”
“With bubbles?” he asked.
“Yes,” I laughed then, “with bubbles.”
“Then go on, and let me know when ye are covered in the bubbles and I’ll stay with ye and we can talk about this new development.”
“I don’t think so,” I answered, and went into the bathroom.
“Are ye prudish then? I can remain with m’back to ye while ye bathe,” he said.
I released a heavy sigh. “Oh, damn it then, just wait ‘til I get in.” I hurried into the bathroom. Got the tub started, brushed my hair and clipped it at the top of my head.
I looked to make sure he wasn’t about and dropped out of my clothes and into the tub. Oh, it was good to sink into its oily hotness.
I moaned with pleasure and heard him whisper, “Och aye, but ye sound pleasured and that pleasures me.”
I ignored this and said, “I discovered something when I was at the little café this afternoon.”
“Did ye? And what was that?”
“Brently Manor scares people off…even in the daylight. I wonder why,” I said, hoping he would know.
“Now, lass, dinnae be thinking of going there…nae even during the day!” he snapped.
“What makes you think I am thinking of going there?” I snapped back.
“’Tis edged in yer voice, written in yer eyes. Ye can barely contain yerself about it.”
I laughed. “Well, that’s true. I do think I might be able to uncover something we can use against her.”
“Ye can’t. I lived at Brently for a time and never found one thing that I could use against her.”
“Hmm, I guess you are right. I worked on a protection spell and tested it out on Mrs. Tunny…who, by the way, believes in vampires. She is convinced her husband was killed by one.”
“I know,” he said gravely.
“Was it your vampire? Was it Allora that killed him?”
“Nae, it had to be a vampire passing through, nae even one of her disciples. They do from time to time. I’ve always thought MacLeod draws them because of Brently Manor,” his voice trailed off.
“Well, she and Davis believe in the existence of vampires. Apparently there was a servant’s child who saw Allora that awful night when she…well, that night. He saw her again in Paris when he was there on business just a few days ago. So at least we know she is in Paris.”
I sank lower into the bubbles, which were beginning to disappear.
“A few days ago? Bobbie…lass, she could be on her way here at any moment!”
“But why would she? She hasn’t been here in twenty plus years. Why would she come now?”
“To Allora, time means nothing. If she is enjoying herself, she will remain where she is…until she gets bored or has reason to return.”
“I have an idea, Devin,” I said, and realized he was staring at the swells of my breasts, which some of the dissipating bubbles had exposed.
“Aye, do ye? As do I,” he said huskily.
I could have told him to turn around. I could have. I didn’t. My thighs clenched in the water and I felt a sudden urgent need as I looked into his eyes.
I did, however, dip lower again and gather more bubbles around my exposed breasts.
He laughed. “Why in the world, lass, would ye wish to cover up such beauty? Och aye, but ye are perfection.”
“Stop!” I told him.
I knew I was safe at that moment from falling under his charms because he was in another realm. However, it took all the willpower I had to keep from getting out of the tub while he was watching. I wanted to. It was brazen and wanton and every inch of me was moved to do it. But that cautious girl inside of me stopped me.
So, with supreme resolve, I pushed away all thoughts of teasing him, of wanting him, and rem
inded myself the hunk was a vampire.
“Stop? Nae, lass. I cannae do as ye ask for I find m’self drawn to yer beauty, to yer smile, to the light in yer violet eyes—such eyes. If I were on yer side of this damned wall, I’d be crushing ye in m’arms, I would.”
“Don’t talk like that. We are from two different worlds. You are a vampire…and, well...never mind all that. What I wanted to tell you was my idea about Brently.”
“Nae, ye cannae go there. Get it out of yer head. Ye would be at her mercy there. It is where all her powers are always renewed. Forget it.” His face had turned stony, his eyes, those blue eyes clouded over with a dark storm and in their depths, those eyes of his glowed red with fury. “I forbid it, Bobbie Skye. Ye would be putting yerself in danger. Do ye hear me?”
“What danger? I’ll go during the daylight…a bright sunny day…”
“Don’t ye think Jeremy has already tried that? It nearly cost him his life. The windows are all covered so nae light gets inside the manor, and when he went inside, he was met with a pair of vampires resting during the daylight. Allora buys allegiance with favors. The two vamps heard him and attacked. It took all his magic and the tearing down of a few drapes for him to get out. And it was all for nothing. Allora wouldna leave anything there for someone to find and use against her.”
“A man has a different way of looking at things. As a woman, I might see what Jeremy couldn’t. First chance I get…going there,” I told him. I was convinced she had a very special secret, something that, if known, could help defeat her once and for all.
“Nae,” he shouted. “I cannae in good conscience allow it. ‘Tis m’fault ye are here. ‘Tis m’fault ye have been drawn into this ugly deed. I cannae let ye go to Brently. Promise me, lass, ye won’t go there, because if ye dinnae promise this, I shall have Jeremy send ye packing and ye will nae be allowed at MacLeod again.”
I raised a brow. I don’t take orders and I don’t like threats. However, he was my boss…in a way. I also was not about to distress him if I didn’t have to. A long sigh slipped out before I made up my mind and said, “We’ll see. I’ll drop the idea for now.” I turned on the jets and pushed into two at my back. The pleasure of the water pressure drew a groan as I closed my eyes.
