Vampire Mine - Kerrelyn Sparks [57]
She rallied her thoughts and focused on the location.
I have it, his voice said, then everything went black.
Connor scanned their surroundings quickly to see if anyone had witnessed their arrival. Marielle had stumbled a bit when they materialized, so he continued to hold her. They appeared to be in a dark alley.
“Good. No one saw us.” He glanced down at her pale face, and his heart squeezed like it always did when he looked at her. Only now, it was stronger. He’d been inside her mind, and it was a beautiful place filled with love and compassion, so much so that he wondered if she could ever forgive the monstrous things he’d done in the past.
Doona even think about it. He was a condemned man, already on the list for hell. An angel could never care for him, not one as beautiful as Marielle. At least he suspected his secrets were safe. She’d been too busy protecting her own thoughts to even attempt to breach the thick wall he’d taken five centuries to build.
He led her toward the street. “Are ye all right?”
“Yes.” She peered to the right. “The nursing home is that way.”
Apparently, they’d arrived at one of the main streets in this town for it was fairly busy. Cars drove by in a steady stream. Other cars were parked along the street. The sidewalk was wide, and street lamps illuminated a long line of shops with colorful signs and awnings.
Pedestrians walked by in small groups, chatting and laughing. Horns blared in the distance. The scent of grilled meat drifted from a nearby restaurant.
Across the street, a wrought-iron fence separated the sidewalk from a garden. A large arch spanned an opening in the fence with the words Hudson Park painted across it. A man in a security uniform was closing and locking the gate.
“Let’s find the nursing home,” Connor said. “I want to see how close you managed to get us.”
“There are too many humans here,” she whispered. “I’m afraid I’ll hurt someone.”
“Stay close to the storefronts. I’ll make sure no one touches you.” Except me. He hooked her hand around his elbow and led her down the street.
She clung to his arm, her shoulders hunched with tension as she watched mortals pass by.
He recalled the way her touch had activated the toilet and bathroom sink. It seemed like an odd gift for an angel of death to possess. “Does yer touch always kill?”
She frowned. “My touch used to heal, but now . . .” She shook her head. “It was hard for me to adjust to being a Deliverer. The job isn’t meant to be destructive, although humans tend to see it that way. We deliver souls, giving them comfort and companionship as they cross over.”
“But when ye touch someone, they die.”
She sighed. “The touch itself doesn’t destroy. It releases energy, enough energy to set the soul free. And when all the energy is gone, the body ceases to be.”
“I see.” So when it came to mechanical objects, her touch released energy, making things work until the energy ran out.
After a few blocks, she relaxed and looked curiously about. “This is amazing. I’ve never done this before.”
“Walk down a street?”
She smiled. “I like the way you say down.” Her smile widened when he rolled his eyes. “And no, I’ve never walked dune a street. We usually come to complete an assignment, and then leave. Oh, look.” She stopped to peer into the window of a gift shop.
Connor checked to see what was catching her eye. It was a sun catcher in the shape of an angel with crystal wings and a golden halo.
He smiled. “Och, will ye look at that. Ye’re famous.”
She laughed, and the sound warmed his heart.
Her head turned when a young woman walked past them eating an ice cream cone. “What is that?”
“Ice cream.” He slapped himself mentally. She was probably hungry. He’d made her work for several hours, and he hadn’t even thought about feeding her. “Ye should try some.”
He spotted the ice cream parlor two shops down and led her inside. Two human customers were at the counter, and she tugged at his arm.
“Doona fash,” he whispered. He positioned himself between her and the