Vampire Mine

Chapter Twenty-five

An hour later, they were all back in the cafeteria at Romatech. Marielle sat quietly in a corner, watching the friends she had made in the seven nights that she’d been on Earth. They had succeeded in defeating the Malcontents, but there was no celebrating.

The Vamps sipped from bottles of Blissky and Bleer. The shifters indulged in real whisky and beer.

After Connor had teleported her back, he’d hugged her fiercely. “I thought ye were leaving.”

“Not tonight.”

He slumped into a cafeteria chair. For the last hour, he hadn’t moved or spoken a word.

At the end of the battle, the Vamps and shifters had quietly cleared away all signs of the struggle. Piles of dead vampire dust were swept into the woods. Weapons were gathered and returned to Romatech. Bloodstains were washed away. A group of Vamps swept through the area, looking for mortals and wiping their memories of the night’s events.

Roman had teleported Father Andrew’s body back to his church. Now he returned to the cafeteria, his eyes red and swollen.

Shanna ran up to embrace him. Her eyes were red and swollen, too. “What did you tell the other priests?”

Roman sighed. “That he was attacked by a criminal.”

Shanna nodded. “I suppose that’s true.”

Phineas slammed his Blissky bottle down. “At least we got rid of Casimir once and for all.”

Heads turned to look at Connor.

He remained silent, gazing blindly into space.

“Do ye think Corky will really do it?” Ian asked.

“Do what?” Radinka asked.

Ian shifted in his chair. “Corky had a camera. She threatened to expose our existence on the Internet if Casimir was killed.”

“Damn,” Gregori muttered. “I’ll get a laptop and see if anything has come up.” He dashed from the room.

Connor’s jaw shifted, and he rubbed his brow.

Marielle was relieved just to see him move. He’d been motionless for nearly an hour.

“Well, I think Connor did the right thing,” Phineas mumbled.

The room grew silent.

“I agree,” Brynley said. “Connor had a chance, and he took it. Who knows when another chance would have come up?”

Another silence stretched out.

Gregori returned with a laptop and began scouring the Internet.

The shifters wandered into the kitchen to look for some food.

Roman drank some Blissky. “Father Andrew’s funeral will most likely happen during the day. We won’t even get to see it.”

Shanna patted his arm. “We’ll have a memorial for him here.”

Roman stood and lifted his glass. “To Father Andrew. May we remember him always, and may he rest in peace.”

Everyone stood and lifted his glass to Father Andrew. Then silence pervaded the room once more.

“Oh shit,” Gregori muttered, drawing everyone’s attention. “Corky posted a video on YouTube.” He clicked on it, and Corky’s strident voice filled the room.

“Here it is! Proof positive that vampires are real! See the blue glowing eyes on the vampire with the sword? And see what happens when he kills the other vampire? Dust!”

Brynley snorted. “No one’s going to believe that. No one will even see it.”

Gregori winced. “It’s been up three minutes, and it already has a thousand views. If it goes viral, we could be screwed.”

Connor stood abruptly and exited the glass door into the garden.

Marielle followed him. “Connor!”

He headed toward the woods.

“Connor, please. Talk to me.”

He slowed to a stop.

He kept his back to her, but she could see the tension in his stiff spine and clenched fists. “I know you’re upset.”

“Do ye have any idea what I have done?” He spun around to face her. His eyes were filled with pain. “I have sentenced all my friends to death.”

She flinched. “It can’t be that bad.”

“It is. For as long as vampires have existed, our first priority has been to keep our existence a secret.” He snorted. “God, how many times have I preached that to my friends? I would have never believed that I would be the one . . .”

She stepped toward him. “We’ll figure something out.”

“The world will want to destroy us.” Connor’s mouth twisted with pain. “I have failed my friends. I have failed everyone I have ever known.”

Her vision blurred with tears. “Connor, please. Don’t do this to yourself.”

He squared his shoulders. “But I willna fail you. I will get you back to heaven.” He vanished.

“No!” She ran forward, but he was gone. “Connor! Connor!” She collapsed on the ground, crying.

What if she had lost everything? Connor. Her wings. Her heavenly home.

Eventually, she heaved herself to her feet and walked back to the cafeteria.

“I am so sick of crying.” She wiped her face. She felt old. And tired. And human.

She let herself back into the cafeteria.

Everyone was talking about the new problem. Someone had turned on the television, and a news station was reporting on the video. A ticker ran across the bottom of the screen. Vampires are proven real!

Sean Whelan strode into the cafeteria. “Quiet! This is no time to panic.”

The room grew silent.

Sean glared at the television. “What a stupid mess. I’ll get ahold of my contacts in the government and get them to declare this whole thing a hoax.”

“Will they do that?” Roman asked.

Sean snorted. “They’ll do anything for a price. I may have to let a few key people know that vampires are real, but I’ll make it to their advantage to keep the secret.”

Angus’s eyes narrowed. “Why would ye help us, Whelan?”

He glowered at Angus, then at Roman. “Because I’m one of you now.” He turned and marched toward the exit. “I’ll start negotiations immediately.”

“We’re coming with you.” Angus and Emma dashed after him.

Everyone started talking again, but this time there was a hint of hope in the air.

Marielle sighed. If only Connor had stayed.

The next night, Marielle wandered through the garden at Romatech. Her eyes felt dry as sand from too much crying. Her heart thudded with a constant throb of pain.

For the first time in her existence, she understood the pain of mourning. Before, she took souls to heaven, and it was a time of joy and reunion.

Now she felt the separation. Sharp and severe. Father Andrew was truly gone from this world.

And where was Connor? Was he alone and suffering? Had he retreated into his black pit of despair and remorse?

She walked through the rose garden, plucking a rose here and there. The other Vamps and shifters had gone on to their homes. She had spent the night at Romatech. Shanna had given her a room in the basement, for she had nowhere else to go.

She found a cement bench beneath a tree and sat. Her heart ached for all her new friends who were grieving. Her heart ached for Connor. Why didn’t he contact her? Didn’t he know she loved him, and he didn’t need to suffer alone?

“How are you?” Shanna asked as she approached.

Marielle sighed. “Tired of crying.”

“I know how you feel.” Shanna collapsed beside her on the bench. “It’s Saturday night, and there’s no Mass. What will we do without Father Andrew?”

“I picked these flowers for him.” Marielle lifted the bouquet.

“They’re lovely. We’ll put them in a vase in the chapel.”

She lowered the bouquet, and her shoulders slumped. “They’re still alive. They didn’t turn brown and die.”

Shanna regarded her curiously. “Were you expecting them to?”

Marielle nodded. “That’s what used to happen when I was a Deliverer.”

“You’re no longer an angel of death?”

Tears stung her eyes. Not again. “I don’t think I’m an angel at all.”

Shanna drew in a sharp breath, then rested a hand on Marielle’s back. “I’m so sorry.”

Marielle wiped a tear away.

“Is it so terrible to be human?” Shanna asked.

“It’s . . . hard.”

“I know, sweetie.” Shanna rubbed her back. “You don’t think you can go back to heaven?”

Marielle sighed. “Zackriel said it was possible.”

“Well, there, you see!” Shanna smiled. “You mustn’t give up hope.”

“I had thought that helping to defeat Casimir would get me back to heaven, but I was wrong. Zackriel said I could go back if I really wanted to, but I don’t know how.”

Shanna’s eyes narrowed. “If you really want to. Maybe that’s the problem.” She gave Marielle a pointed look. “Do you really want to?”

A chill skittered down her spine, and her skin pebbled with gooseflesh. Good heavens. Was it doubt that was keeping her earthbound? No, not doubt.

Love. Love for Connor.

Sunday night, shortly after sunset, Marielle woke to a banging on her bedroom door at Romatech. She peered outside and found Angus and Emma.

“Connor just called,” Angus told her. “He wants me to take you to him.”

“Oh.” Her heart lurched.

“Dress quickly,” Emma said. “You need to leave right away.”

“Yes! Yes, of course.” She shut the door and ran to the bathroom. Connor wanted to see her! She washed her face, brushed her teeth and hair, and tossed on some clean clothes that Shanna had given her. She stuffed her feet into shoes, grabbed her jacket, and ran into the hallway.

“Good.” Angus grabbed her around the waist. “I have to teleport you there.”

“Good luck,” Emma said with a worried look.

“Is something wrong?” Marielle asked.

Angus sighed. “He dinna sound good on the phone. Hold on to me, lass.”

She grabbed his shoulders. “Where are we going?”

“Connor’s home in Scotland,” Angus replied, then everything went black.