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Authors: Kerrelyn Sparks
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stubbornness.”
Her mouth tilted with a smile. “Then I shall be stubborn, too.” She shivered, then shifted her gaze to the stars. “I will find my way back. And I will count my blessings, for the Lord is good.”
Connor stifled his snort, but she still glanced at him as if she could sense his doubt.
“The Lord is good,” she insisted, “for I have been sent a fierce protector.”
He almost looked over his shoulder to see who she was referring to. It was laughable to consider him a “fierce protector.” He‟d failed his wife and bairn. He‟d failed Shanna.
“And the Lord let Bunny heal me,” she continued with a smile.
He blinked. “Ye were healed by a rabbit?”
She laughed, the sound like the tinkling of wind chimes. “Bunny is a nickname for Buniel. We‟ve been best friends for ages. He‟s an excellent healer.”
“He?” Her best friend was male? And a perfect angel, too. Bugger.
Her smile faded. “Bunny wanted to take me with him, but . . . he couldn‟t.”
Connor‟s jaw shifted. “I wouldna have let you go.”
Her eyes widened with surprise. She stared at him, speechless, while he fought to keep his desire from showing. Time stretched out, and the air felt thick between them. He balled his fists to keep from touching her, from drawing her into his arms.
Her gaze drifted down his body, then back up. His heartbeat quickened. He looked at her mouth, wondering if she could possibly react like a real woman. Could she be aware he was studying the pink plumpness of her mouth?
She licked her lips.
Yes. He smiled slowly.
Her cheeks blushed a pretty pink, and she turned away. “A mouse just died,” she said in a breathless voice.
“Excuse me?”
“A mouse has died. Carried off by an owl.”
He strained his eyes, but couldn‟t see an owl in the night sky. “Where?”
“About thirty miles away.” She gazed at the forest with a pensive look. “Not all my powers are gone. I can still sense death.”
“Ye know when something‟s dying? How far can ye sense it?”
She shrugged. “Anywhere in the world. It‟s how the Deliverers know where to go when people are dying.”
She can sense death . Connor paced toward the cabin, then back. This was a valuable skill. If she could sense people dying while Casimir and his minions were attacking them, then she might be able to help the Vamps find him.
He glanced up at the stars. Had God sent him a secret weapon that would help them defeat Casimir once and for all? Then Father Andrew might be right. He was meant to find Marielle.
He looked at her.
She was gazing at the distant mountains. “I have always thought the Earth was full of beautiful places. Now I can experience them as a human. It should be very interesting, don‟t you think?” She turned to him with a hopeful expression. “ „Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.‟ ”
He winced. Morning always brought him death. He was going to have to explain what he was. He could only hope she wouldn‟t be disappointed. Or disgusted.
She shivered and hugged herself. “I never realized how much humans feel the cold.”
“Ye should come inside.” He motioned toward the cabin, then froze when he heard a noise in the forest.
She heard it, too, whirling around to face the line of trees. Leaves shuddered as something pushed through the bushes.
Connor whisked the dagger from the sheath beneath his knee sock. A black snout poked out from the bushes. A wolf? No, it was wolflike, but bigger. The black, furry beast emerged from the forest.
Marielle stiffened with a gasp.
Connor widened his stance, his dagger ready.
She touched his arm. “You cannot fight it. It‟s here for me.”
The beast moved to the side, keeping its dark eyes focused on her. Then the eyes turned red and began to glow.
Connor inhaled sharply. “What is it?”
Her voice was whisper soft. “A demon.”
Chapter Six
M arielle squared her shoulders
Her mouth tilted with a smile. “Then I shall be stubborn, too.” She shivered, then shifted her gaze to the stars. “I will find my way back. And I will count my blessings, for the Lord is good.”
Connor stifled his snort, but she still glanced at him as if she could sense his doubt.
“The Lord is good,” she insisted, “for I have been sent a fierce protector.”
He almost looked over his shoulder to see who she was referring to. It was laughable to consider him a “fierce protector.” He‟d failed his wife and bairn. He‟d failed Shanna.
“And the Lord let Bunny heal me,” she continued with a smile.
He blinked. “Ye were healed by a rabbit?”
She laughed, the sound like the tinkling of wind chimes. “Bunny is a nickname for Buniel. We‟ve been best friends for ages. He‟s an excellent healer.”
“He?” Her best friend was male? And a perfect angel, too. Bugger.
Her smile faded. “Bunny wanted to take me with him, but . . . he couldn‟t.”
Connor‟s jaw shifted. “I wouldna have let you go.”
Her eyes widened with surprise. She stared at him, speechless, while he fought to keep his desire from showing. Time stretched out, and the air felt thick between them. He balled his fists to keep from touching her, from drawing her into his arms.
Her gaze drifted down his body, then back up. His heartbeat quickened. He looked at her mouth, wondering if she could possibly react like a real woman. Could she be aware he was studying the pink plumpness of her mouth?
She licked her lips.
Yes. He smiled slowly.
Her cheeks blushed a pretty pink, and she turned away. “A mouse just died,” she said in a breathless voice.
“Excuse me?”
“A mouse has died. Carried off by an owl.”
He strained his eyes, but couldn‟t see an owl in the night sky. “Where?”
“About thirty miles away.” She gazed at the forest with a pensive look. “Not all my powers are gone. I can still sense death.”
“Ye know when something‟s dying? How far can ye sense it?”
She shrugged. “Anywhere in the world. It‟s how the Deliverers know where to go when people are dying.”
She can sense death . Connor paced toward the cabin, then back. This was a valuable skill. If she could sense people dying while Casimir and his minions were attacking them, then she might be able to help the Vamps find him.
He glanced up at the stars. Had God sent him a secret weapon that would help them defeat Casimir once and for all? Then Father Andrew might be right. He was meant to find Marielle.
He looked at her.
She was gazing at the distant mountains. “I have always thought the Earth was full of beautiful places. Now I can experience them as a human. It should be very interesting, don‟t you think?” She turned to him with a hopeful expression. “ „Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.‟ ”
He winced. Morning always brought him death. He was going to have to explain what he was. He could only hope she wouldn‟t be disappointed. Or disgusted.
She shivered and hugged herself. “I never realized how much humans feel the cold.”
“Ye should come inside.” He motioned toward the cabin, then froze when he heard a noise in the forest.
She heard it, too, whirling around to face the line of trees. Leaves shuddered as something pushed through the bushes.
Connor whisked the dagger from the sheath beneath his knee sock. A black snout poked out from the bushes. A wolf? No, it was wolflike, but bigger. The black, furry beast emerged from the forest.
Marielle stiffened with a gasp.
Connor widened his stance, his dagger ready.
She touched his arm. “You cannot fight it. It‟s here for me.”
The beast moved to the side, keeping its dark eyes focused on her. Then the eyes turned red and began to glow.
Connor inhaled sharply. “What is it?”
Her voice was whisper soft. “A demon.”
Chapter Six
M arielle squared her shoulders
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