Building From Ashes (48 page)

Nothing. He could feel her energy, but it was coming in short bursts. He wondered whether his blood might help. He bit into his wrist and held it to her lips, tilting her head back as he kicked away from the wreck. He held her on his chest as he swam, cradling her body and humming a happy tune. Still nothing.

“Brigid?”

He could feel her begin to stir. She suddenly latched on to his wrist with a fury, sharp fangs digging into his arm as she sucked down his ancient blood.

He let out a low moan. “Oh… that probably should
not
feel as good as it does considering we just escaped a life-threatening situation.”

She growled low in her throat and bit harder.

“You’re mad at me, aren’t you?” He halted, treading water as he pulled her closer. “I’m still wounded. Do I get any sympathy for that?”

After one final deep pull, she lifted her head, her eyes glittering in the light of the moon over them. Then Brigid launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and cutting his lip as she pulled him into a passionate kiss.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and held him tightly as he groaned into her mouth and drank her in. She cut her tongue on his fangs and her blood trickled into his mouth as he struggled to remain above water.

“Mmm, Brigid…” he mumbled against her mouth. “I love—”

Just as suddenly, she pulled back, narrowed her eyes, and punched him square in the jaw. “You bastard!”

He only shook his head, laughing as he tried to pull her closer. “I love you.”

“You fecking ass! You shocked me!
Shocked me.
”

“Well, I needed to sink the ship and it seemed like the thing to do.”

Her eyes widened and went to the nape of her neck. “Did I burn my hair?”

He bit his lip, trying not to laugh again. “Maybe… just a little behind your ear, but—ooh!” He ducked away from another punch, swimming toward the shore as she chased him.

“I cannot believe you shocked me, Carwyn! You are going to pay for—”

He turned suddenly and caught her, stopping her furious words with another kiss. She gave a little sigh then sank into him for a moment before she pulled back. “You don’t fight fair.”

“Absolutely not.” His lips touched her collarbone as he held her, running his hands up and down her sides to reassure himself. “Besides, I can’t help myself. You’re naked again.”

“Please tell me that wasn’t your ulterior motive for turning me into a human firecracker.”

He reached down and cupped her delicious backside, pulling her against his hips. “It wasn’t, but it is a nice bonus.”

They stopped talking for a few moments, lost in relief. He kissed her mouth tenderly and she offered her vein for him to drink. His fangs slid in and he held her close as he felt his chest knit together. Finally, Brigid pulled him away with a stern look on her face.

“If you ever use me as a weapon in a fight again—”

“I’d say I won’t, but I probably will. That was fantastic, my very talented wife.”

“Oh, I forgot I
married
you!” She curled her lip in irritation as he hooted in laughter, ignoring the ache as his muscle and bone continued to heal.

“You didn’t forget.”

“I did. Is there any getting out of it at this point?”

“None at all.” He grinned and pulled on her hand, leading them toward the shore. “Married before God. We’re stuck with each other, Brigid.”

She tried to look irritated, but he could see the smile teasing her mouth. He poked and prodded, teasing her until she started to laugh.

And that, Carwyn decided, was exactly as it should be.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Howth, Ireland

January 2013

When she remembered that night, Brigid Connor remembered Carwyn’s hand as he held hers and swam toward the lights of the fishing harbor north of Dublin. She remembered the cries of the crew they didn’t try to save. She also remembered the Coast Rescue boats sent from shore that they passed as they swam toward the glittering lights that dotted North Dublin Bay. Most of all, she remembered Murphy’s stone-set face as he reached a hand out to lift her from the water.

“It was Jack,” she panted.

“I know.”

That was all he said as immortals and humans clustered around him. Tom gave grim orders to the humans while Declan spoke into a speakerphone with a quietly devastated face. In the hubbub surrounding them, Carwyn grabbed a woolen blanket from someone and covered Brigid with it. Her skin still prickled with hot energy, but her husband wrapped his arms around her and held tight, drawing her away from the crowd.

“They had no idea,” he said in her ear as he drew her down to the ground and into his lap.

“Did you think they did?” She could feel him connect with the earth as he held her and his amnis grew stronger by the moment.

“I didn’t know. And I wouldn’t have trusted one of them if I hadn’t seen the Dubliner’s face just now.”

“Jack was his.” She sniffed. “They never spoke of it—none of them—but Murphy is their sire.”

“Tom and Declan, too?” He paused. Nodded. “Yes, I see it now. No wonder they’re… Well, it’s no wonder.”

The three vampires moved with quiet efficiency and bleak expressions around the dock where they had come ashore. Brigid wanted to comfort her friends. Wanted to be there for them, but she had no idea what to say. “How could he betray them like that?”

“Not all families are like ours, Brigid.”

Our family.

Her family. Brigid realized in that moment how truly extraordinary her husband was. Over a thousand years, he had created a vast network of humans and immortals held together, not by fear, but by love. Grounded by faith and devotion, her clan chose to be guided by the immortal who held her, not because they were afraid to act without him, but because they simply didn’t want to.

Brigid stared at Carwyn over her shoulder as he watched the activity that spread through the harbor. “I love you so much.”

A smile crossed his uncharacteristically serious face. “I love you, too.”

“I’m very honored to be your wife, Carwyn ap Bryn. I hope I’m a good one.”

He looked down, and Brigid saw sudden tears touch his eyes. “I hope I’m a good husband. I’m a bit out of practice, so you’ll have to be patient.”

“I think we both will. Lucky for us we have an eternity to get it right.”

He chuckled and pulled her closer. “I imagine I’ll annoy the piss out of you at times.”

“I imagine you’re right. And I’ll probably try to run away once or twice if things get difficult.”

“That’s fine. As long as you understand that I’ll catch you.”

“Every time?”

“Every time.”

A bubble of joy rose in her chest and she bit her lip to hold in the laugh. “I’ll count on it, then.”

Carwyn looked down and kissed her forehead. Then he hung his head over her shoulder and pressed his cheek to hers, inhaling deeply. “That contraption they shocked me with drained me, woman. I’m hungry again.”

“You’re always hungry.”

“For you… Yes.”

“I’m starving, too, but you’ll have to be patient. Declan is coming this way.”

Her friend was approaching with a carefully blank expression. He shooed away the human who followed him and hooked his hands in the pockets of his trousers.

“Connor,” he said. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, Declan. Carwyn’s fine. They used a stun gun on him at the house, I think.”

Declan nodded. “That would explain it.”

A knot grew in the pit of her stomach. “Explain what, exactly?”

The tall water vampire rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. “Well… there was a bit of damage, Brigid.”

She stood up, forgetting her bare skin until she felt Carwyn throw the blanket over her and saw Declan avert his eyes. “What do you mean ‘damage?’”

“We’ve explained it to the city as a sink hole.”

Carwyn must have stripped off his shirt because a soggy rag smelling of earth and seawater was quickly pulled over her shoulders. She wrapped the blanket more securely around her waist. “A sink hole?”

“Remember when Jack—” He broke off suddenly at the mention of the brother who had betrayed them all. “Remember what the Taser does. It knocks us out, but it also releases massive elemental energy. So when they hit Carwyn—”

“Oooh,” she groaned. “The earth really does move. My house is rubble, isn’t it?”

“There was an unexpected class four earthquake in your neighborhood very early this morning that triggered a sink hole that… swallowed your house. But no one was hurt and we’ll be happily paying for all the damage to your neighbors.”

Carwyn muttered, “I suppose I’ll contribute.”

A sudden thought set Brigid’s heart racing. “Madoc!”

“Found him in the garden hiding behind some hydrangeas. He’s fine.”

She saw Carwyn wipe a relieved hand over his face. “Thank God for his cowardice. I let him out when we came inside to call Gio. Whoever came in the back must not have seen him.”

“Who was it that shot you?” Declan asked. “Did you recognize any of them?”

“No. I wasn’t paying attention, and they must have moved quickly. Someone was at the front…” Carwyn shook his head in disgust. “I was distracted. I’m sorry, Brigid.”

“Don’t apologize,” she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “We were all surprised. It was Jack at the door. None of us expected…” She glanced at Declan. “Well, none of us suspected him.”

Declan suddenly found something on the ground to be very interesting. Carwyn squeezed her fingers and Brigid caught sight of Murphy, standing on the edge of the dock, looking out to sea.

She stood on her toes to whisper in Carwyn’s ear before she walked over to her boss. She stood next to Murphy, watching the Coast Rescue boats in the distance.

There was a moment of silence before he finally spoke. “You’re well?”

“I am.”

“And Carwyn?”

“Fine.”

Another long pause. “I didn’t know he was back in town,” Murphy said.

“Just back. He came to see me. I mean… he came back. For me. You know, we’re… he’s… we’re married now!” she blurted. “I mean… yes. We’re married. It was sudden.”

“A bit.” Murphy snorted. “But not entirely unexpected, considering last March. So you’re content being a
priest’s
wife, are you? Not the most conventional of matches, but—”

“He’s not in the church anymore.”

Murphy spun toward her with a sharp look in his eye. His fangs had fallen. “He’s not?” He stepped toward her.

Brigid stepped back, blinking in surprise, until she realized why he felt threatened. “I can’t imagine he has any interest in ruling Dublin, Murphy. If Deirdre has stayed out of your way all these years, what makes you think he has any ambition for it?”

He cocked his head. “Do you?”

“Do I what?”

“Have ambition for it.” Murphy crossed his arms and eyed her cautiously. “I don’t see your man wanting the rule of my city for his own. But if you wanted it, Brigid Conner, he’d hand it to you on a silver platter, along with my head. You’re too young to be a very good liar, so I’ll just ask you. Do you have ambition or are you still my ally?”

She frowned. “Murphy—”

“Answer the question, love.” Carwyn’s voice came from behind her. “Do you want Dublin?”

She spun around, staring at Carwyn, whose eyes were locked with Murphy’s. Brigid finally threw her hands up in exasperation. “Look at you two! Why on earth would I want Dublin? I can hardly stand sitting through trade meetings with you when I have to go, Murphy. And Carwyn, you’d be miserable being a politician’s husband. Why are we even having this conversation?”

The tension in the still night air dissipated, and Murphy cautiously relaxed. After a few more minutes, she saw him nod respectfully to Carwyn, then to Brigid before he backed away. When he was a few meters down the dock, Brigid said, “I’ll be in the office tomorrow night for a debriefing, boss.”

Murphy stopped and turned. His face wore the bleak look she remembered when she first came ashore. “I’m very sorry. About Jack.”

She shrugged. “You couldn’t have known.”

“Oh yes, I could have.” She saw the raw combination of fury and pain in his eyes. “And I should have. Carwyn”— he tipped his head toward the older immortal—“would you join us tomorrow evening? Dublin would be grateful for your assistance.”

Carwyn’s voice was still tense and formal. “Depend on it.”

They both watched as Murphy melted into the black night. Finally, Carwyn tugged on her hand. “Let’s go.”

“Would you really have killed him and given me the city?”

He paused. “If you really wanted it. Murphy has become lax. This will either teach him a lesson, or Deirdre and I will put someone more dependable in his place. We’ll have to see how it goes.”

“So we’re settling in Dublin?”

He frowned. “Of course, love. This is where you work. And I’m currently… unemployed.” She laughed at the grin that broke across his face. “I’m unemployed!”

“So, you’re just going to lay about and watch wrestling now, aren’t you? Drink beer. Make a mess in the kitchen.”

“That sounds splendid! And I may even cook dinner for you now and then like a good house-husband.”

She pulled his neck down and bared her fangs to scrape along his neck as he shivered. “Or just
be
the dinner. That’s fine, too.”

“I knew you were a smart girl. Can we leave now?”

“Yes, please.”

He pulled her to his side, and they walked past the boats and trailers. Past the car park and through the streets of the deserted suburb north of the city. They finally crossed a road that led to an empty field where Carwyn stopped.

“Where are we going?” Brigid asked. “It’s getting close to dawn, Carwyn, and we’re miles from—”

“Remember I told you I was rather rich?” He pulled the blanket from her and tossed it into a hedge. “I have a somewhat large house on the outskirts of town where we can go. Nowhere
near
water.”

“How are we…?” She looked around at the empty field, then down at her feet. “Oh, no.”