It Happened One Bite (16 page)

Sarah’s dark eyes narrowed, and Blaire thought perhaps she’d pushed the vampyre too far. She took in the wooded area and knew that if she ran, Sarah would be on her before she could take a step.

The vampyre smiled broadly. Blaire nearly dropped the fireballs she tossed when she saw Sarah’s incisors descend. The sight was chilling, not at all the way she’d felt when James had done the same thing.

“Tell me something,” Sarah demanded. “Did Jamie lie and tell you that the only way to save you is for him to have you first?”

Lie? Was it a lie? No. It wasn’t. It couldn’t be.

The vampyre continued, “He probably told you that the only way to save you from me was for him to claim you as his very own. Then he stripped off all your clothes and put his mouth on your most private places before he pierced the skin of your thigh and drank your life force.” She shook her head softly as though she was dealing with an ignorant child. “I’ve been watching him use that trick for years.”

He’d done just that. Blaire’s heart clenched. Was it a lie? Truly? Had she been foolish to trust him? Her mother
had
captured the man, after all. Maybe there was a reason she’d imprisoned him in the cellar. Did he pose more of a risk than Blaire had assumed?

Blaire turned to walk deeper into the woods. If she only had herself to depend on, then she alone held Aiden and Brannock’s future in her hands, and keeping them safe was her highest priority. And if there was one thing she could do, it was to lead the woman farther from the castle, farther from those she loved. She might not be able to kill her, but she’d do what she could to protect her family. And would die trying.

“What can you do with your flames?” Sarah asked quietly. “Aside from tossing them in the air like billiard balls?”

“Let’s see,” Blaire started. “I can light the path in front of us.”

“And you are doing that quite well.”

“I can start a fire if we should get cold.”

“That’s good to know.”

“I can kill ye,” she said in the same amiable tone.

“I don’t think so.” The vampyre shook her head slowly.

“It would be a mistake ta underestimate me.”

“No doubt it would.” Sarah stopped walking and turned to face her. “But no matter how far you try to lure me from your home, I can return there within seconds and kill them all.”

“Thank ye for keepin’ me informed,” Blaire replied in the same sickly sweet tone she’d used before. “Tell me, have ye ever seen fire from within a whirlwind?”

She shook her head. “Can’t say I have.”

“That is a shame.” Blaire lifted one hand to her mouth, allowed the flame to sink to that of a candle, closed her eyes, and gently blew. Almost instantly, Sarah’s grunt met her ears. Then a cry of pain.

Blaire’s eyes flickered open to find just what she’d suspected. Sarah stood within a swirling circle of flames that flew around and around her like wind caught trapped within a cave. If she moved one inch to the left or right, she would be burned. Unfortunately, the fire would die down in a couple of hours; but that would give Blaire enough time to get back to round up her brothers and start for Edinburgh.

“All good vampyres should have an opportunity ta see such a sight.” Blaire dusted her hands together, extinguishing the last of her flames. She was quite proud of this little trick. Her weather-controlling coven sister Rhiannon had worked with her on it for months, teaching her exactly the right speed at which to blow the flame and exactly which way to twist her hand to start the swirling effect.

“You neglected one thing, Miss Lindsay,” Sarah called from within the whirling inferno.

“And what might that be?” she called back.
Had
she missed something? She didn’t think so. Sarah could not possibly escape until her fire burned itself out. And she had no intention of letting the flames die down anytime soon.

“You forgot vampyres can heal,” Sarah answered as she stepped through the sizzling blaze. Her skirts burned with a white flame while the fiery tongues lapped at the sleeves of her gown. Though she moved with purpose, her grimace told Blaire she felt pain from the flames, and that was somewhat satisfying. It would have been better, however, if the fire had kept the woman prisoner. There was nothing to do now but escape and hope Sarah’s injuries kept her from the pursuit.

Blaire turned to run, but Sarah, still covered in flames, was on her immediately. Blaire’s fire wouldn’t hurt her; it was an extension of her, after all. The flames extinguished as soon as Sarah touched her, as soon as her arms wrapped around Blaire and pinned her hands behind her back. As soon as Sarah’s teeth hovered over Blaine’s neck.

Foolish! She’d been trapped by her own arrogance. Her coven sisters had always said that might happen one day.

“I may not have the desire to pleasure you, but I find the idea of killing you to be irresistible.” The smell of Sarah’s singed flesh burned Blaire’s nose.

Blaire kicked. And tried to bite. And flung her head toward the vampyre’s nose in hope of crushing it. But Sarah dodged all of her blows. Blast her, she was strong. There was not one bit of softness in her grasp. Why hadn’t James mentioned how strong those of his kind could truly be?

Sarah twisted Blaire’s arm behind her back, pushing it painfully up until Blaire thought it would break in two. Finally, she let out a whimper. Damn her human sense of feeling.

Sarah pushed her hair from her shoulder and gazed at her neck and lowered her head.

Suddenly, Blaire felt a blow to her side, a hard hit that bowled both her and Sarah over. She tumbled, head over heels as the vampyre rolled away from her. Blaire jumped to her feet and started a fireball glowing within her hand.

James!

His black hair shone in the light of her fire, his eyes searching her body. He held out one hand to her. “Come here, Blaire.”

Without even thinking, she placed her free hand in his. His cold grip closed around her fingers as he drew her to his side. But was that where she belonged? Could he truly be trusted? Her emotions were too jumbled to know for sure.

“You’ve just made a grave mistake, Sarah.” The steely tone of James’ voice made Blaire’s hair stand on end. She’d never heard anyone so angry.

Sarah shrugged unrepentantly, a ghost of a grin on her lips. “I like her fire.”

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. James leapt toward Sarah so quickly that his movement was a blur, and then they were gone into the darkest recesses of the forest. All the air in Blaire’s lungs rushed out. One moment she was between two vampyres and the next she was all alone in the silent woods. She couldn’t even hear them anywhere.

“James!” she called, but there was no answer, nothing other than the icy breeze that rattled the bare branches of the nearby trees. “James!”

She stood still, trying to regain her bearings. She wasn’t even certain which way they had gone. How could she even help him if she didn’t know which direction to go? Then the answer hit her.

Blodswell!

James said the two of them were connected. That they could sense each other.

Blaire clutched a handful of her skirts and bolted for the castle. The icy, early morning air stung her lungs as she pushed herself through the woods faster than she’d ever gone. But there was no time to waste.

Just as she entered the clearing, Blaire spotted the Earl of Blodswell, and she nearly sagged from relief. Less than a second later, the vampyre was before her, keeping her from falling to the ground.

“James,” she gasped, trying to catch her breath. “A-and Miss Reese.”

The knight nodded as though he understood. “It’s all right, Miss Lindsay.” He gently directed her toward the castle entrance. “I know where to find him. Go back inside.” And in a flash he was gone.

Blaire blinked into the darkness after him. It was as though Blodswell had never been there. The speed with which these creatures moved was incredible. How could one ever keep up with them?

She took a steadying breath and told herself that everything would be all right. Blodswell hadn’t looked concerned. Instead, he’d appeared confident. That realization made her relax just a bit. Though she wanted to finish her protection spell, she needed to make certain James was all right first. Following others’ commands was never something she’d readily done, but in this instance, Blodswell was probably right. She should go back inside the castle until her vampyre returned.

As she hastened toward Briarcraig, Blaire noticed a glimmer of light on the horizon. Sunrise.

Her breath stuck in her throat and she clutched her mother’s ring through her heavy wool gown. She should have given it to James last night when she had the chance. It might not be his ring, but it also
could
be. And if it was, he would need it now more than ever. If he didn’t survive the morning, she’d never forgive herself.

A warm, golden glow glistened off the loch, and Blaire’s heart sank at the sight.

James held Sarah’s coat in his grasp and glared at his one-time lover. He’d never been as afraid as when he’d seen her nearly pierce Blaire’s neck with her teeth, nearly destroy the woman who had somehow come to mean so much to him. All sense of reason and decency had drained from his soul in that moment. He still didn’t feel like himself, and the longer he stared at Sarah Reese, the angrier he became. “You will leave Miss Lindsay out of this,” he sneered. “This has nothing to do with her.”

And it didn’t. His feud with Sarah had been waged long before Blaire was born, long before her mother or grandmother had been born either, for that matter.

“Oh, I beg to differ, Jamie,” she taunted him, a wicked glint twinkled in her eyes. “You forget how long I’ve known you. I saw the way you looked at her.”

Which was neither here nor there. Blaire had nothing to do with Sarah. “How I
look
at her is none of your concern.”

She leaned closer to him until her lips brushed the side of his jaw. “Oh, it’s very much my concern. You made promises to me.”

James snorted. “I did no such thing.” It wasn’t the first time they’d had this argument.

“You most certainly did.” Her voice rose with indignation. “You promised me the life I’d always wanted, a family.”

“We
were
a family. You, Matthew, and me. It just wasn’t enough for you.”

She snorted and then wriggled from his hold. “That wasn’t a family. It was an
arrangement
.” She spit the word as though it was a curse. “You never said vows to me. Never promised to forsake all others.” She kicked at a clump of dirt, but beneath it all, James knew she was seething inside. “That much is obvious,” she finally confessed. “Yet you’d do it so easily with that
human
? That Lindsay woman?”

In a way he’d never expected to care for anyone. In a way he hadn’t known he was capable of. But revealing any of that to Sarah would be the gravest mistake. “As usual, you don’t know what you’re talking about. I owe Miss Lindsay a debt. That is all.”

“A debt?”

That was true enough. He’d still be trapped in that dank cellar if Blaire hadn’t freed him. “I was in a spot of trouble, and she helped me. So, she and her family are under my protection.”

Sarah scoffed. “You must think me a fool to believe such nonsense.”

James shrugged. “Believe what you will. You’ve always made up your own mind.”

Just then a searing pain hit James’ arm. He glanced down and realized morning light had filtered through the trees to land on him. Quickly, he moved to a darker area in the woods, but he couldn’t stay here long.

A look of confusion lit Sarah’s eyes, and then they grew wide with glee. “Have you misplaced your ring, Jamie?”

He said nothing but gritted his teeth, searching the area for the darkest place he could find. How long could he remain in the open? How bright would the sun grow? And was there any safe place to hide?

“What a foolish thing to have lost.” Sarah’s laugh taunted him. “You should have a wife to remember such things for you. It’s such a shame you never offered the position to me.” She sighed wistfully. “Well, we live and learn.”

The sun grew steadily brighter, and James was forced to close his eyes to block out the light. On his hands and knees, he scrambled close to a line of heavy bushes, hoping it would help shield him from the rising sun.

Sarah knelt beside him and whispered, “Do enjoy the sunrise. It looks to be a glorious day.” Then she was gone, leaving him to suffer alone.

Scorching pain washed over his body, and James hunched himself into a ball. A loud ringing echoed in his ears until he could hear nothing at all.

Finally, after what seemed a lifetime, a cool shadow of darkness encompassed him. He was able to make out a sigh and then Matthew’s soothing voice, “Oh, James, whatever
would
you do without me?”

“Please tell me you didn’t leave the Lindsays unprotected,” James snapped as he pulled his arm in closer to his body to fully take advantage of Matthew’s shadow.

“Sarah has not returned to the castle. I would know it if she had. Besides, I believe you have more pressing matters to worry about at the moment,” Matthew reminded him. “Such as how to survive the sunrise.”

There was that. “If I move quickly, I could possibly make it back to Briarcraig. Perhaps,” James said, mulling it over in his mind. He’d be burned to a cinder and in more pain than anyone should ever have to experience, but he’d do it if that meant getting back to Blaire. He didn’t like leaving her unprotected, no matter where Matthew thought Sarah had gone.

“Perhaps if you had a heavy cloak and a parasol,” Matthew added as he scratched his chin. “Somehow I don’t see Miss Lindsay as someone who owns a parasol, however.”

“I know, isn’t it grand?” James said, a smile finally crossing his lips.

“Oh, young love,” Matthew muttered. “Nearly sickening in its intensity.”

“Jealous.” James couldn’t help but grin.

Matthew laughed. “Oh, jealous indeed.” He stripped off his long greatcoat and draped it over a nearby tree, blocking out the sun. Then he tossed his jacket to James. “Keep yourself covered until I return.”

“I told you I’m not suicidal,” James grumbled.

The comment earned him a grin from his maker. “Indeed? You went after Sarah right before sunrise. You could have fooled me.”

And given the same situation, he would have done so again. Blaire would be lifeless otherwise. “Can you castigate me later? It’s too bloody bright for comfort, if you don’t mind.”

After a quick nod of his head, Matthew vanished. And though it felt like forever, it had to be less than five minutes later when the earl returned with a large, wool counterpane. “This should do.”

After Matthew had made certain the material covered James completely, the two of them made their way back through the woods to Briarcraig. Careful to keep his eyes closed, James allowed his maker to guide him along the path and kept to the shadows as much as possible.

James ached to see Blaire. He couldn’t wait to rush to her. To hold her. To ensure himself in a very basic way that she was well.

“Almost there,” Matthew said as their boots moved from the soft earth to rocky gravel.

But James didn’t need to be told that. He could feel her presence nearby. In the next moment, he was nearly bowled over, tackled to the ground by Blaire as her lavender scent washed over him.

She rained kisses all over his face. “Oh, I’m so glad ye’re safe. I was so worried. And then the sun came up.”

“Which I’m just managing to keep from scorching poor James alive,” Matthew said somewhere above them. “Can we move this reunion into the castle, Miss Lindsay?”

“Oh!” Blaire leapt to her feet. “I’m so sorry, I dinna think…”

James immediately missed the glorious weight of her, pressing him into the ground.

“I’m sure,” Matthew’s voice held more than a hint of amusement, “that Kettering didn’t mind your exuberance, my dear.”

James managed to keep from growling at his maker when the earl helped him back to his feet. Not that he really had reason to be angry with the man. In fact, he owed him his life. But at the moment, he’d rather Matthew not save him from Blaire. Anytime she wanted to throw herself into his arms, he was more than willing to have her there.

“You can grumble at me later,” Matthew whispered. Damn the man for being able to read him so well.

Blaire tugged James’ hand into her own and dragged him the short way into the castle through the garden entrance. Once inside Briarcraig, James threw off the wool counterpane and drew Blaire into his arms. He wanted to run his hands all over her and make certain she was completely unharmed after her encounter with Sarah. Which reminded him…

“Have you lost your bloody mind?”

She reared back to get a good look at him.

“I wasna thinkin’ about the sun. I am sorry.”

He shook his head and was glad Blodswell had managed to disappear somewhere. “I’m not talking about the sun, Blaire. You knew Sarah and Trevelyan were lurking about. Why the devil did you go off alone this morning? Don’t you know what could have happened to you?”

She rose herself up to her full height. “I’m no’ some helpless waif, James.”

No, she was worse. A helpless waif at least knew she was helpless. “And yet Sarah still had you by the neck. One second later, Blaire, just one more second, and you’d have been lost to me. Lost to your family. Your coven.”

She had the good sense to gulp, and for a moment, James felt a bit like a cad for laying into her. But it was for her own good. She might be part of a powerful coven; but right here, right now, she was a lone witch—one who couldn’t handle vampyres like Sarah or Trevelyan on her own. The quicker she understood that, the better it would be for everyone.

“I was just castin’ a protection spell.” Her pretty brow furrowed. “Ye said after ye had me that I would be safe. And…”

“
Safer
,” he stressed the last syllable. “You can’t go about taking chances, Blaire. Not with the two of them around.”

“Well, clearly I dinna think I was takin’ a chance, James.” She folded her arms across her middle. “I was just tryin’ ta protect my family.”

James shook his head. Had he been a living, breathing creature, she’d have taken ten years off his life. “I told you that Blodswell and I would protect you all. Do you have so little faith in me?”

***

Blaire stared at the vampyre. After the things Sarah Reese had told her, did she still have faith in James? It was possible the woman was lying. But how did she know word for word what James had said to Blaire, unless he’d used the same ruse time and time again? “I’m no’ used ta puttin’ my faith in anyone other than the members of my coven or my brothers.”

He looked as though she’d struck him. After a moment he seemed to find his voice. “I apologize. I thought we were closer than that. I thought we had a connection.”

“And how many women have ye had a
connection
with?” she blurted out before she could stop herself.

James’ eyes darkened to the color of a moonless night. “I beg your pardon?”

Perfect. What was she to say now? She’d been so happy he was safe. Overjoyed with relief. Why did he have to ruin it by berating her as soon as he laid eyes on her? She shrugged her answer and tried to maneuver her way around the hulking Englishman, but he easily caught her arm.

“Answer me, Blaire.”

She met his eyes and straightened her spine. She wasn’t certain if she could trust him. But she was not a coward. “Miss Reese told me, James.”

“Told you what, exactly?”

Was he going to make her say the dratted words? She sighed. Very well. “She told me how ye’ve been usin’ the ‘the only way ta keep ye safe is for me ta claim ye as my own’ ruse for decades or longer.”

A muscle in his jaw ticked.

Well, that wasn’t a good sign of innocence, was it? Blaire swallowed a bit of nerves and continued. “And she knew exactly where ye took from me. She described it in detail.” Heat crept up her cheeks.

“So that’s it, is it?” He released her hand. “Sarah Reese nearly killed you this morning, and yet you’d take her word over mine?”

Blaire’s belly twisted at his words. Why did he have to say it like that?

“I risked my very life to save you from her, and you believe
her
over
me
?”

“Then how did she know?” Blaire pressed.

“Have you considered that what I told you was the truth? That the best way to keep you safe
was
for me to claim you as my own? And if that’s true, if I’m
not
the liar you seem to think I am, that Sarah would know the truth of that, too? That Sarah would know that was the best way for me to protect you? She is a vampyre after all. She knows the same things I do.”

Blaire’s eyes dropped to the floor. She hadn’t considered that at all. She’d been so shocked when the woman had repeated nearly word for word what James had said that she hadn’t considered another explanation.

“I’m nearly two hundred and fifty years old, Blaire.”

Her eyes slowly rose to meet his. Until now she didn’t really know the first thing about him. Two hundred and fifty years old? Good heavens, the things he must have seen.

“You can’t expect innocence from a man who has lived that long. Have I bedded other women? Yes. Have I taken blood from them? Yes. That’s what I am. It’s how I’ve survived. Unlike others of my kind, I don’t want a woman to wear my mark on her neck or some other exposed bit of skin for all to see. If given the choice, I prefer a woman’s leg to preserve her reputation, and Sarah knows that about me as well. I won’t mark a woman for the world to see unless she’s mine.” He caught her gaze. “And I have never done so. Nor have I felt an overwhelming desire to do so. Until you.”

She felt like the biggest fool. “Oh.” Her voice came out very small, and it was all Blaire could do not to look away.

“Oh, indeed.” He turned and stalked away from her down the small corridor, disappearing around a corner.

Blaire watched after him, unable to speak. Even if she had the ability, she wasn’t certain what she could possibly say. She’d nearly gotten him killed and then questioned his honor. If he never spoke to her again, she couldn’t blame him.

***

A knock sounded at James’ door. He didn’t even lift his head from the pillow. He glared at the handle, looking for the tiniest movement, yet he said nothing. He wasn’t in the mood for friendly conversation.

“How long are you going to sulk?” Matthew’s voice came through the door.

“You can go straight to the fiery depths of hell.”

A laugh was his friend’s response. “I see your charm is still intact.” Then the man had the gall to open James’ door anyway. “The role of brooding nobleman doesn’t suit you.”

“Then you’ll have to come back when I’m feeling more jovial.”

Of course, Matthew paid him no heed and stepped over the threshold. “Poor Miss Lindsay has been just as out of sorts as you are.” He closed the door softly.

James growled low in his throat. If his maker didn’t turn on his heel and march right back outside…