Eternity Page 12

  "I believe he will come … now."

  Horror and confusion filled Emily. "What did you do?"

  He chuckled. "I? Nothing but summon your memories--those you share with Nigel."

  "It was a memory? Not a dream?"

  "A memory you share with Nigel," he emphasized.

  "You made him see that!" she said accusingly. "You made me call him!"

  He shrugged. "That was the point. Don’t get me wrong, I find you vastly appealing, but I’m more interested at the moment in my revenge. Later, perhaps…."

  "Never!" Emily snapped. "I can’t image how you could be so conceited as to think I would even consider leaving Nigel for you, but you’re wrong!"

  He shrugged. "His last concubine did."

  "Well, she was a damned fool!"

  Anger flickered over his features for the first time. "If Evangeline were still here, perhaps she could explain the appeal, but since Nigel took eternity from her, she can not speak for herself. She died. Long years ago."

  "I did not take it," Nigel growled, appearing abruptly just inside the door of the room.

  With a snarled hiss, Simon whirled, changing even as he turned into a wisp of smoke. He reappeared directly in front of Nigel, grasping him by the throat and tossing him across the room as if he were no more than a child. Emily screamed as she saw his body fly through the air and collide with the far wall so hard it shook the house.

  Without even glancing in her direction, he leapt to his feet and launched himself toward Simon. They collided mid air, struggled, and broke apart.

  Emily squeezed her eyes closed, unable to move, unable to watch. She couldn’t close her ears to the sounds of their battle, however, and she finally realized it was more frightening only to hear and not see the battle raging around her.

  Within moments, the two had trashed the room and broken almost every stick of furniture. The bed where she was held in thrall was like the eye of a hurricane, the only area of calm in a sea of struggle.

  They were surprisingly evenly matched, considering that Nigel was a bigger man physically. Unfortunately, Simon seemed to have an edge in magic.

  Slowly, as the battle waged on, Simon’s grip upon her began to dissolve and she realized that he was weakening, though he showed little sign of it. With a tremendous effort, she threw off the last of his hold and sat up, grabbing the coverlet up and covering herself.

  "Stop!" she shouted. "Please stop! She’s dead. Evangeline is dead! You can’t get her back, no matter what you do to each other!"

  Her shout distracted both men. It was all the distraction Nigel needed to gain the upper hand. He captured Simon by the throat, pinning him to wall. Gasping for breath, he grasped Simon’s hand and placed it upon his forehead. "See, damn you! I tried to spare you!" he growled.

  A distant look came into Simon’s cold blue eyes as his hand settled on Nigel. After a moment, however, his expression became one of confusion and finally pain. Abruptly, he vanished in a puff of smoke.

  Shuddering, Nigel turned, leaning against the wall while he fought to catch his breath.

  Emily was almost afraid of the look on his face. "What happened?"

  "I gave him the truth," Nigel said harshly.

  Chapter Twenty

  Nigel didn’t look as if he was in the mood to talk and Emily discovered she had a great reluctance to question him.

  She might not like the answers any better than Simon had.

  She dressed in silence, hardly even daring to look at Nigel. Daylight was breaking as they left Simon’s house and headed back to the hotel to collect her belongings. It confused Emily. She hadn’t been aware of any time passing. How could she have missed the entire night?

  Simon had enthralled her.

  She wondered what else he’d done.

  He’d said he had shown Nigel memories Had the part where Simon had been making love to her been a memory, too? How could it be when she didn’t remember any of that happening--except in the dream?

  The silence became unbearable after a while and Emily searched her mind for something that might be safe to talk about.

  "Did you take care of your business in town?" she asked after glancing at him several times.

  "Did you?"

  Blood flooded her cheeks. Anger warred with remorse inside of her, however. Nigel knew very well that Simon was capable of mesmerizing her and that it didn’t necessarily follow that she’d gone to him willingly.

  She supposed she had, but not in the sense that Nigel apparently believed.

  "Why did ye go ta him?"

  Emily searched her mind for an explanation. "I didn’t--exactly."

  He gave her a look that made her blood run cold. "He dinna take ye from Castle MacKissack."

  Emily pursed her lips angrily. "Have it your way," she said tightly.

  She could hear him grinding his teeth. "Can this thing go no faster?" he demanded.

  The urge to burst into tears washed through Emily. He couldn’t wait to get away from her! She sniffed the tears back with an effort. "If it’s not fast enough to suit you, damn it, then do one of your damned disappearing acts!"

  To her consternation, he did.

  She was glad.

  She didn’t want to talk to him anyway!

  She was the one that should be mad if anybody was!

  Both of them had used her. And they’d been fighting over another woman, right in front her!

  How dare that bastard act like she’d been cheating on him when he’d come to Simon’s house to fight with him over that damned Evangeline!

  By the time she’d reached the castle, Emily had managed to work herself into a royal rage. It wasn’t easy to stalk inside lugging the suitcase full of coins, but she did her best.

  Nigel was pacing the great hall when she entered.

  She pitched the suitcase at him. Unfortunately, it was far too heavy to really throw it. The suitcase hit the floor at her feet and burst open, spilling gold coins in every direction. After glaring at him, Emily stalked across the great hall and up the stairs.

  Nigel appeared in her room while she was stomping back and forth, furiously packing her bags.

  Folding his arms over his chest, he leaned back against the door. "Where’re ye off ta this time?" he growled.

  "Home!" she snarled at him.

  "Ye are home!"

  Despite her best efforts, Emily’s chin wobbled. "No, I’m not! Georgia’s home and that’s where I’m going!"

  "Why?" Nigel asked quietly.

  "Because!" Emily wailed, giving up the effort to keep a reign on her emotions.

  Pushing away from the door, Nigel crossed the room and caught her shoulders. "That’s no reason atall, lass."

  "Because … I hate you!" Emily flung at him furiously, trying to push him away.

  "Do ye?"

  "No!" she wailed.

  He chuckled, to her surprise, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her tightly against him. "I’m glad ta hear it, Emily Hendrick, because I love ye so much sometimes I feel like I can’t breathe."

  The words washed over her, sucking the air from her lungs. "You do?" she gasped in surprise.

  "Aye, luv, I do."

  Emily burst into tears, burying her face against his chest. "I thought you loved Evangeline."

  "There was a time, long ago, when I thought I did, too. When she left me fer Simon, I was furious. It took me awhile ta realize tha’ was all there was ta it. I was angry because she’d left me. If I’d really loved her, I’d have been hurt. When she left Simon and asked me ta take her back, I knew then tha’ she’d wounded nothin’ but my pride, na’ my heart."

  Sniffing back her tears, Emily pulled away to look up at him. "Really?"

  "Aye, ‘tis the truth."

  She frowned. "Why were you fighting Simon, then?"

  He gave her a look. "He had ye, lass. Ye dinna think I’d’ve gone fer anythin’ else?"

  She wasn’t completely convinced, but he was saying all the right things and she
desperately wanted it to be true. Sighing, she leaned against him. "I’ve missed you so much. I’m so sorry for … everything. I just wanted … I don’t know what I wanted."

  Nigel gave her an affectionate squeeze. "I’m na’ like the men today. I can learn the things I’ve missed, but I’ll never be like the men ye’ve become used ta, Emily. I was born long ago, an’ lived in times unlike these, an’ I’m a vampire besides. I ken ye felt tha’ I gave ye no say in the matter … Well, an’ ye were right. I dinna. I’m tha’ used ta takin’ what I want, an’ I told ye tha’. I dinna think I’ve got it in me ta change my ways, luv."

  Emily shook her head. "I love you, Nigel. I fell in love with you just as you are. I don’t want you to change."

  "No?" he asked, pulling away slightly to look at her.

  "Well … maybe a couple of little, tiny adjustments," Emily said, smiling up at him as she looped her arms around his neck and lifted her head to nuzzle his neck.

  He uttered a sound that was half growl, half chuckle. His arms tightened around her. In the next moment, he leaned down and scooped her up, carrying her to the bed and falling upon it with her.

  Emily gasped as they landed, expecting to hear splintering wood, but Nigel’s lips drove all other thoughts from her mind as he explored every inch of flesh that was exposed to his touch. When he’d thoroughly explored open territory, he tugged her clothes off and reacquainted himself with everything beneath.

  Emily felt her libido shoot skyward from the first touch of his lips. Her playful amusement vanished, replaced by desperate need. Her need fueled his and they began to struggle to rid themselves of the remainder of their clothing until both lay completely bare, every inch of their flesh touching, melding with one another as they kissed and stroked each other until their passions reached fever pitch.

  And when at last their bodies joined, Emily realized why it was that his touch had turned her blood to liquid fire from the very first time they’d made love and every time since. They were made for one another.

  Afterwards, as their bliss slowly mellowed to a pleasant warmth, she lay her cheek along his chest, caressing him as she listened to his heart slow its pounding rhythm.

  "Why did you give me the gold?" she asked after a time.

  "It was yers."

  Emily frowned, lifting her head to look at him. "But it wasn’t. This castle and everything in is yours and you knew that."

  "Aye, everythin’, includin’ ye. Yer my woman. All that I have is yers."

  A sense of peace settled over Emily. She relaxed against him, relieved.

  She was almost asleep when she thought of something else. "What did you mean when you said I couldn’t get pregnant?"

  Nigel stiffened. "It’s the price of a long life, luv. It’s a rare thing fer a vampire ta breed a child an’ na’ somethin’ I can give ye."

  "Oh," Emily said.

  "Yer na’ angry?"

  "No."

  His arms tightened around her. "I’d feared ye would be when ye found I could na’ give ye a child."

  "To tell you the truth, I really never thought about wanting one. I guess that’s because I never loved anyone before. It’s different now."

  His hand stilled. "Is it?"

  "Mmm."

  "Yer sayin’ yer all right with it then?"

  "Mmmhmm. Because I am."

  "Am?"

  "Pregnant."

  Nigel sat up abruptly. "Yer what?"

  Emily started laughing.

  Nigel glared at her. "Ye’ve a warped sense of humor, Emily Hendrick!"

  "I wasn’t laughing because it was a joke. I was laughing at the expression on your face."

  He stared at her a long moment and finally frowned. "Are ye with child, lass, or na’?"

  "With."

  "Yer certain of tha’?"

  "Positive."

  "It canna be mine," he said in a strangled voice.

  Emily sat up and smacked him across the ribcage. "Who else would it belong to!" she demanded indignantly. "I haven’t been screwing anybody else, damn it!"

  "Makin’ luv," he corrected her. "Yer sure, then?"

  "I said I was, didn’t I?" she snapped.

  A smile curled his lips. "An’ it’s mine."

  She glared at him.

  "Dinna look at me like that, lass. It’s just tha’ I’m havin’ a hard time acceptin’. I was na’ accusin’ ye of anythin’."

  Slightly mollified, Emily settled back once more.

  "Do ye think it’s a boy or a girl?" he asked after a time.

  "One or the other."

  "I’m serious."

  "So am I."

  He fell silent and after a while Emily began to drift away again. "Did you take care of that business you had in town?"

  "Uhn," he grunted absently.

  "Is that a yes?"

  "Aye."

  "Satisfactorily?"

  "Aye. I had ta mesmerize the bleedin’ nodcock in charge of my account at the bank, but it’s come along nicely over the years."

  "Bank account? How nicely?" Emily asked curiously.

  "I can’t recall the word the man used. I half suspected he’d made it up, fer I’ve never heard the number before, but it looks ta be in order."

  Emily sat up again. "If you’ve had a bank account this long, it must be up in the millions!" she gasped.

  "Nay. That wasn’t the word."

  "Billions?" Emily gasped disbelievingly.

  "Aye. That was it. I’m thinkin’ that’ll tide us over nicely fer a few years."

  Epilogue

  Emily jumped as she felt Nigel’s touch, then smiled as he slipped his arms around her waist, caressing the slight mound of her belly. "I still have trouble believin’ we’re ta have child," he said quietly.

  "You’ve felt him kick," she reminded him. "He’s definitely there … and growing."

  "Is it a male child, then?"

  "Do you really want to know? I got the results of the sonogram."

  "Nay. I want it ta be a surprise."

  She lifted a hand to his cheek. "I’m so glad you gave me a child."

  "It’s ye who’ve given ta me, Emily … somethin’ I never even thought ta hope for. I love you."

  "I love you, too."

  "I’ve somethin’ I want to give ye."

  "What?"

  "Eternity."

  Emily felt her heart skip several beats. It wasn’t something she’d ever considered before, but she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she wanted to spend forever with Nigel. Dragging in a shuddering breath, she tilted her head, offering her neck.

  She felt the heated brush of his breath as he dropped his lips to her throat, placing a kiss on the pulse of her jugular. Expecting to feel the sting of a bite, surprise filled her as he lifted his head once more and placed something cold and metallic around her throat.

  Looking down, she saw the glitter of blue fire. "What is it?" she gasped.

  "A blue diamond."

  Emily felt a flicker of uneasiness. "Aren’t they supposed to be unlucky?"

  He smiled faintly, leaning down to kiss her neck once more. "Na’ for those of the vampire clan, luv."

  Emily swallowed. "But, I’m not."

  "Sure an’ you are, lass, else you’d na’ so easily resist mesmer."

  Emily digested that in silence. "It’s a symbol then? Of having vampire blood?"

  "In a sense. But more than that. So long as you wear it, time will hold no sway over you."

  Emily wasn’t certain whether she believed that or not. She studied the beautiful stone for several moments and finally lifted it in the palm of her hand. "Does it have a name?"

  "Aye. Eternity."

  The End

 

 

 
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