Falling Into Place (9 page)

The vampire snorted. “You wanted proof. This
was the only way to give you peace of mind that I’m not the monster
the Council claims,” he said sadly. “Please, if you want to see,
come this way.” He swept his arm toward the huge iron door.

With a groan, she lifted her skirts and
stepped through the door that he pulled open. “Lead the way, but
know that if you so much as touch me, you’ll lose that hand.”

He chuckled. “Oh, you’ve made that
impression. I don’t think you’re completely in control of your
magic, and will have no problem roasting me if I do anything out of
hand.”

“Got that right,” she muttered.

He took a torch from the wall and led her
through the stone entryway and down a corridor. This building
didn’t have modern amenities. It was built much like the European
castles she studied in history.

“I do apologize. Your friends found us. They
didn’t seem too happy.”

“You have no idea,” she admitted.

For several minutes they walked through a
labyrinth of halls, until they came to a trap door. He pulled it
open and handed her the torch.

Bowing low, Edmond said, “After you, my
lady.”

“An explanation would be wonderful right
now,” Liz muttered as she climbed down the stairs. The smell of rot
and infection filled her nose.

They didn’t have to go any further. She
could already imagine a child dying of some horrendous disease, or
illness, rotting them from the inside out.

She closed her eyes, and tried to ignore her
rolling stomach. The sound of his feet hitting the floor behind her
echoed down the hall.

“You’re changing children that are dying,”
she said in a flat voice.

“Come, see Rosemary. Tell me if you
understand why I’m doing this.”

Liz already did. Even without seeing she
knew why he was doing it, but she didn’t argue. Maybe she’d see
something that would help her convince Tremaine that this vampire
wasn’t evil.

He led her to a door that he opened. The
odor was so strong it nearly brought her to her knees, but she
pushed herself to step into the room.

The child was frail, her skin eaten away by
open sores filled with oozing puss. The cloth appeared to stick her
body. She wanted to turn away, but she wouldn’t. Not until this was
over.

Edmond moved to the bed and sat beside
Rosemary. “Do you want the pain to end?”

“Yes,” she croaked.

“Do you want to live?” he asked softly.

“Yes.”

He took Rosemary’s tiny wrist, his fangs
piercing her flesh, but the girl never made a sound besides her
labored breathing which slowed to a crawl by the time he dropped
her hand.

Edmond tore his wrist open and placed the
wound over her cracked lips. The drops of blood healed the skin
underneath, but she didn’t drink at first. The blood dripped into
her mouth, until she finally swallowed.

Then Rosemary sucked in a breath, her hands
clasping onto his wrist as she lifted her head to latch onto his
flesh. She drank. Her skin smoothed out, her hair filling, and her
body plumping up.

As the blood mended her body, Edmond looked
back. “I’ve tried giving her my blood to heal her wounds, but that
wasn’t enough. Sometimes, I’m able to find a way to cure them.
Mostly, I run out of time. She would have died.”

“I understand. You gave her a chance the
only way you could.”

“I did, just like the rest,” he said
softly.

“And if she had said no, you would have let
her go.”

“I would have. She would not have been the
first to prefer death.” He closed his eyes. “I do my best to make
them understand what they will become. I don’t force this choice.
It is my last resort.”

“I’ll make sure my friends understand.
Though I suggest bringing me back to them before they find this
place.”

The girl finally let go as she collapsed
onto the bed. Edmond turned to her. “This next part, Rosemary, it
will be painful. Please forgive me for that.”

“I have survived worse,” she whispered.

Edmond nodded, but before Liz could turn to
leave, he was standing before her. “You’re right, we should
hurry.”

“You should feed,” she said, looking into
his eyes.

“Not from you.” He smiled back. “I do not
drink from anyone not quite human. It can be quite intoxicating,
and at this stage of the hunger, I will not risk it.”

She took a deep breath. “Very well, but can
I suggest that you find a new home. The Silver Council won’t like
my conclusion, but I know I can convince Tremaine this is the right
decision.”

Edmond nodded. “I never stay after I bring a
child back from the brink of death. They need to start fresh in a
different part of the world, without the ties to their past.”

“If you want the council to leave you alone,
burn this place down.” She took a deep breath. “Disappear for a
while, let them think you are really dead.”

“That was my plan, but if it will make it
easier for you, I will make sure the ruin of the castle looks
believable.” He placed his hand over his heart. “You have my
word.

She smiled. “I can honestly say that I’m
pleased to have met you.”

Bowing, he took her hand, placing a kiss.
“The pleasure is mine.” With that he swept her into his arms and
carried her into the night.

* * * *

Tremaine stood at the edge of the beach. He
feared he was wrong and something had gone horribly wrong. The
trail had disappeared. He spun back to find Preston on his hands
and knees heaving his guts. Robert was pacing through the sand.

There were no words of encouragement. He had
failed, and he wanted to wail to the heavens. He made a stupid
mistake and Liz was gone.

“Robert,” Preston groaned. “Stop walking
past me, you’re making the nausea worse.”

Robert halted, but he threw his head back
and screamed. At least they were far from anyone or anything. No
one would notice three men losing their heads.

An unnatural breeze brought Tremaine’s head
up. Liz stood before him, her hair wild and tangled as it whipped
around her.

Preston started chanting.

“Don’t,” Liz said. “Just hear me out.”

“He took you,” Robert yelled as he stormed
in front of her, and took her arms in a firm grasp. “He took you,
Liz. You could be dead now.”

Her hands landed on her hips as she glared
back at Robert. “I’m not. I’m a little windblown, but that’s it.
I’m fine.”

Tremaine shoved Robert out of the way and
pulled Liz into a hug. She leaned into him, laying her head on his
shoulder. “You scared the hell out of me, Liz. I was beginning to
think I had made a huge mistake in letting you play the bait.”

Her laugh was nervous. “I’m fine, Trem. I
promise I’m fine. I even have a good explanation.”

“That doesn’t sound promising,” Robert
snapped.

Her gaze whipped to him. “You had better
stop. Edmond has a perfectly good reason to change these children.
They would be dead otherwise. You didn’t see the shape Rosemary was
in.” She shook her head, anguish twisting her expression into
something sad and heartbreaking. “She was nearly gone, her skin
eaten away by some illness. When he asked if she wanted to live,
she said yes, and he changed her. Can you fault him for breaking
the rules to give these children a chance at life?”

Preston threw his hands up, his eyes wide.
“They’re children forever. They’ll never become an adult. How will
they ever accomplish anything?”

“Yeah, well, she wouldn’t have been a child
for more than a few more hours. It was that or death. You tell me
which is worse? A child who wants to live and will choose, and she
did make that choice, to stay a child, or one who withers away and
dies when she wants to live?

Tremaine had already started to suspect that
was Edmond’s motivation. He let out the breath he’d been holding.
“Then we’ll ask him to leave.”

“I’ve already made that suggestion,” Liz
answered icily, her gaze flicking to Robert. “He gave me his word
he would make it look as if he died in the fire.”

Tremaine nodded, a grin spreading on his
face. “That should work well. In the morning we can write the
report and then we’ll find something to do for the rest of the
summer, unless you all want to go home.”

“No,” Liz answered much too quickly. Her
expression softened as she turned to Robert. “If we go home, then
we have to go back to how it was before we even figure this
out.”

Robert closed the distance, his hands
tangling in her hair as he tipped her head back and peered into her
eyes. “There’s nothing to figure out. You scared me, but you’re
safe. You did what I don’t think I could have done.”

“What’s that?” she asked softly.

“You waited to find out the circumstances
before passing judgment.”

Tremaine was right. This was the perfect
mission for them. Preston proved he could work with people and that
his talents would be of great use. Robert learned to trust Liz,
even at the hardest times. Liz proved that she had what it takes to
dig until she found what was right and what wasn’t.

Sixty-five years ago.

Robert sat in their new home. They were
working together, and for now, it made sense for them to live
together.

Wilhelm paid for the house, gifting it to
Robert, with the intention of it going to both Robert and Liz as
soon as Robert asked Liz to marry him.

Wilhelm and Tremaine both gave him
permission to propose to Liz. Now he needed the guts to ask
her.

She burst through the door, her eyes locking
on his. “Can you believe they made us a team?” Liz asked with a
bright smile. She plopped down on the couch next to him. “A real
team, and we have a place to call home”

Robert smiled back, but he wasn’t happy. The
assignment was perfect. The why, not at all. He still couldn’t
believe that Maynard Fanning told him he needed to keep an eye on
Liz to make sure she didn’t go rogue. After all their hard work,
they still thought so poorly of her. He didn’t understand.

Preston stopped at the bar and grabbed a
bottle of scotch. “I propose a toast.” He lined up three glasses
and poured a couple fingers in each. “To a long career as
enforcers.” He raised his glass.

Liz leaned forward and took hers. “To our
careers.”

Robert chimed in with, “To us.”

Liz turned back to him, her eyes lit up. She
tipped back the drink and gulped it down.

His brow arched as he took a sip. He set the
glass down, and Liz leaned in to kiss him long and deep. Her lips
were soft and warm. He’d managed all this time to hold back and
only taste her mouth from time to time, but he was a dying man and
she was his water.

Preston choked out, “I have a date. I’ll be
back in the morning.”

Robert broke the kiss. “Good luck.”

“I don’t need luck.” Preston waggled his
brows before leaving them alone.

Liz stood and started for her room. “I
suggest,” she said over her shoulder, “that you follow.” She slid
her jacket off her shoulders and tossed it onto the chair as she
stepped into her room.

When she turned around, she found him barely
an inch away. Her hands went to the first button of her dress.

Robert caught her wrists as he looked into
her eyes. His voice shook, “What are you doing, Liz.”

“We’ve waited forever, and now that we’re
here, I want to make love to you.” Her words were breathless,
almost timid and Liz was rarely timid.

His fingers threaded into her hair as he
closed the distance. “Is that what you want?”

“Yes,” she whispered, her hands landing on
his chest. “Please.”

He dipped his head, bringing his lips
against hers as his tongue swept into her mouth. He’d never get
enough of her taste. She pulled back enough to start undoing his
buttons.

Robert pulled away, taking her hands. “Slow
down, Liz. I want this to be perfect.”

She caught her lip between her teeth, her
eyes wide and darkened. He shut off the light and whispered a spell
that lit up the candles scattered throughout her room.

He heard her gasp. She sucked in a breath as
he opened the first button of her dress.

“Are you sure this is what you want, Liz?”
Robert asked, his voice was husky and he was barely holding onto
his control.

“More than anything,” she answered.

“Then let me show you how much I love you,”
he whispered against her ear as he made quick work of the rest of
the buttons. He slid the dress from her shoulders and down her
arms. It fluttered to the floor in a heap. He took a step back, his
eyes raking over the silk slip that covered her long lean body, her
perky breasts, her softly flared hips.

Moving closer, he brought his hands down her
ribs, her waist, hips and thighs to the bottom of the silk. He took
the hem and slowly lifted it from her body.

She stood there, staring back at him, a
smirk forming on her lips. “Now, this is hardly fair. I want to see
you as badly as you want to see me, Robert.”

“I’m not so sure of that,” he practically
groaned as he took a step back and opened his shirt. She was
stunning, her soft skin a feast for his eyes. He wanted to taste
every inch of her body.

His hands trembled as he removed his shirt,
then his belt, before pushing his pants down his legs where he
kicked off the rest of the barriers. She stood there in a pair of
underwear he was itching to pull from her body while she watched
him with desire filled eyes.

He took a deep breath before removing his
boxers.

“Mmm,” she murmured, her gaze locked on his
hardened flesh. Her fingers dipped under the waistband of her
panties, sliding them down her legs.

Robert was almost disappointed. He had
wanted to do that, but he was barely holding back. She kicked them
off and took a step back to the bed.