Vampire Mine - Kerrelyn Sparks [90]
But he’d also said the human world was too dangerous for her. She had to agree as she watched the Vamps passing out swords and knives, guns and ammunition. Where was the peace and joy she craved? How could she give up singing with the Heavenly Host? How could she give up her wings and soaring through space?
Her gaze returned to Connor. Together, they had managed to simulate flight. And together, he had made her soar to a peak of pleasure she had never imagined. He made love so real, so raw and physical. It was so different from the soft, soothing comfort she felt in heaven. It was like comparing manna to chocolate. One was bland but perfectly sustaining; the other, a burst of delicious pleasure. But one was also constant and eternal, and the other, frightening and unpredictable.
“Damn, what’s he doing here?” Phineas muttered, motioning to one of the monitors on the far wall.
From the way the Vamps scowled and cursed, Marielle could tell the man approaching the front door at Romatech was not well liked.
“Who is he?” she asked Connor.
“Shanna’s father, Sean Whelan,” he whispered, then raised his voice. “Why is he here?”
Angus sighed. “I asked him to come.” When the Vamps started to object, he raised his hands to stop him. “He’s been very helpful locating where the Malcontents have been feeding and killing. And he’s been using his connections with the government to cover it up. In exchange for his cooperation, he wants to take part in the battle.”
“That’s whack,” Phineas mumbled.
“I’ve told him how dangerous it is.” Angus hesitated. “Tonight, he might change his mind about cooperating with us. Shanna’s going to tell him her news.”
The room went silent. Everyone watched the monitor as Roman and Shanna greeted her father at the front door, then led him to a room not far from the security office.
Marielle sent up a silent prayer that Shanna’s father would be compassionate and understanding, that he would be grateful his daughter was still alive, even as a vampire.
“Everyone understands the plan?” Angus asked. When they all nodded, he continued. “Then we have one last thing to show you. It’s a clip from tonight’s showing of Live with the Undead. Emma?”
She walked up to the wall of monitors and slid a silver disk into a slot. “We checked this out with the manager at DVN, and he says Corky has been feeding these images every night from unknown locations.”
“She’s traveling with Casimir and recording his journey,” Angus added.
Emma punched some buttons. “I think she’s having an affair with him.”
An image came up on the monitor. A blond, buxom woman was holding a microphone and standing in front of a dark warehouse on a deserted street.
“This is Corky Courrant, reporting live on the road with Casimir. It’s been an exciting journey! Thanks to my darling Casimir, I have rediscovered my heritage. No more bottled blood for me! Tonight, I sank my fangs into a handsome young human and drank my fill. You cannot imagine the rush as a mortal’s life slips away in your arms. This is our true nature, dear friends, and we should embrace it. Stop drinking that sludge from Romatech! We should take our rightful place as superior beings. We are meant to be conquerors!”
Corky motioned for the cameraman to follow her as she opened a door to the warehouse. “Tonight, I have something very exciting to show you. While it is true that Casimir and his followers, including me, are killing a few people every night, I can assure you that Casimir has plans that go far beyond the slaughter of a few unimportant mortals.”
She led the cameraman down a dark hallway, then into a large room. Stacks of wood and pipes could be seen in the dim light. The camera then focused on the floor where dozens of bodies rested.
“These are criminals who have pledged allegiance to Casimir,” Corky explained. “Tonight, they’re all in vampire comas, but tomorrow, when these new vampires awaken, they