Vampire Mine - Kerrelyn Sparks [92]
“It may no’ be enough!” He walked toward her, his eyes full of pain. “I canna put you in danger like that. I love you too much.”
She swallowed hard. “Defeating the Malcontents and Casimir will prove I deserve to be reinstated in heaven. If I run away before the battle even begins, how can I be deemed worthy? If I risk nothing, how can I gain anything?”
His jaw shifted. “I’ll get ye back to heaven, one way or another.”
“No! I was the one who disobeyed. I have to be the one to earn my way back.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “I canna bear the thought of you being hurt.”
“I understand. I feel the same way about you. If anything happens to you—”
“I’ll be fine, lass. I’ve fought many a battle.”
She groaned. “I know. But you died in one, remember?”
“I dinna die. I was . . . mortally wounded.” His jaw shifted. “That was over four hundred years ago. I’ve improved a lot since then.”
Her heart expanded. She loved this man so much. She walked up to him and placed her hands on his face. “I’m going with you tomorrow. And I’m not leaving you alone to face the enemy.”
He took her hands and kissed them. “Then I want you to keep this with you.” He slid the dagger out of his knee sock and placed it in her hands.
She eyed the dagger with dismay. “Connor, I’d rather not—”
“I know, but I want you to have it. And I want you to use it if ye have to. Otherwise, I canna let ye go with me.”
The dagger felt cold and foreign in her hands. She wanted to refuse it, but she needed to be at the battle so she could help protect Connor and prove herself worthy of heaven.
“All right.” She accepted the leather sheath Connor handed her, and slid the dagger home.
Chapter Twenty-one
Kick ’em in the balls!” Brynley called from the front porch.
Marielle didn’t know how to respond to that, but after seeing Connor close up and naked, she had a good idea what Brynley was referring to. It was her sixth night on Earth, about thirty minutes after sunset, and she was practicing her self-defense maneuvers in the clearing in front of the cabin.
“It is an effective strategy,” Connor said quietly beside her. “If one of the Malcontents gets his hands on you, knee him in the groin. Then plunge the dagger through his heart.”
She winced. She didn’t want to tell Connor she had no intention of killing anyone. Could she make it through the night by simply defending herself with blasts of air? Somehow, she had to. How could she be welcomed back to heaven if she ended a life?
“Can ye sense them yet?” Connor asked.
She closed her eyes and reached out. Deaths in hospitals, deaths in traffic accidents, a few murders. No horrendous mass murder in a warehouse. “No, not yet.”
Connor patted her shoulder. “Doona worry. Most likely, they are west of us and still in their death-sleep.”
She nodded. Upon awakening, Connor had immediately downed a bottle of blood. Then he’d started strapping on his weapons. A claymore on his back, a dagger in each sock, more knives and wooden stakes in his sporran along with an automatic pistol loaded with silver bullets.
He’d given her a belt to wear that had a leather sheath connected to it. The sheathed dagger was hidden underneath her hooded sweatshirt jacket.
Meanwhile, Vamps and shifters were gathering at Romatech. Angus had called and reported they were ready to move out. Sean Whelan had arrived, armed to the teeth.
While they waited for the sun to set over the Malcontents, Connor insisted Marielle practice. She was happy to stay busy. Otherwise, she would worry too much.
“Take me with you!” Brynley shouted for the third time.
Connor groaned. “I told you, no. Ye’re no’ trained for battle.”
“There’s a full moon tonight,” Brynley continued. “I have to shift anyway. Phil’s going. And three of his boys from school. Carlos is even letting the tiger shifter go. Why can’t I go, too?”
Connor glared at her. “They’ve been trained for battle. Ye havena.”
“I can take down an elk in sixty seconds!”
“I can only teleport one, and it has to be Marielle.”
“Then tell another Vamp to get his dead ass over here, so