Highland Vampire

by Deborah Raleigh

  "Such as what?"

  "We both ken who spreads these tales;—Lady Eleanor, Lachlan, and Thomas. Why anyone should heed what they say, I dinnae ken, but mayhap people need to be reminded of that." Noticing the startled look upon Barbara's face, Efrica asked, "What is it?"

  "What ye just said—that people need to be reminded of exactly who is spreading the rumors. I should have thought of that. I have dealt with these people far more and far longer than ye have. All I can think of to excuse my stupidity is that I was too aware of the fact that a lot of what they were saying is true. Nay the foolish puzzling o'er if he is a demon, a devil, or some undead thing, but all the rest of it. He is different. He does shun the light. He does have eyes like a wolf. All of that."

  She shook her head. "I certainly have some skill at scorning such talk. We Callans arenae so obviously different, but we do have a few odd things about us, and I have always managed to ridicule away any whispers about us. I am pleased no one has mentioned his teeth, though. They would be difficult to explain away, although we did have an uncle who filed all of his into points."

  "Aye, I remember him. 'Tis also good no one has thought too long on when or if they have e'er seen him eat."

  "Doesnae he eat anything?"

  "Some. He loves sweet things. But I dinnae think the food we eat provides sustenance for him. Nay enough, leastwise. 'Tis blood a MacNachton needs, but it has been a verra long time since they looked to people to provide it. Innocent people, anyway. Men like the ones who tried to murder Jankyn deserve whate'er they get," she added in a hard voice.

  "Ye really do love him, dinnae ye."

  Efrica smiled. "Aye, and I think I have since I first met him. All those reasons I had for why he could ne'er be my choice were born of a fear that, weel, the choice had already been made. I realized that I would rather live in Jankyn's shadowed world, than live in the bright sun without him. S'truth, without him, e'en the sun would probably ne'er ease the chill in my heart." She shrugged. "I just hope he feels the same for me, or nearly so."

  "Oh, I truly think he does." Barbara stood up and walked to the door. "Mayhap he kens all those doubts ye had and but needs to be shown that they are gone. Ye set to work on that and I will start to mute these dangerous whispers."

  Still planning various conversations that might work to nudge a few love words out of Jankyn, Efrica knocked on his door in the distinct pattern they had devised. Not only did Jankyn want to be sure he did not open the door to Lady Eleanor, who still hunted him down now and then, but he liked to be prepared for guests who did not know his secrets. If nothing else, he had to put away his personal supply of wine so that no one inadvertently discovered what enriched it.

  When Jankyn opened the door, every thought in Efrica's head blew away. He stood there wearing nothing but a wide, slightly lecherous grin. He grabbed her by the hand, pulled her into the room, and shut and barred the door. Before Efrica could gather the wit to speak, he was kissing her, his clever fingers rapidly divesting her of her clothes. When he tumbled them down onto his bed, she decided they could have that serious talk later.

  There was an intensity to his lovemaking that soon infected her. She quickly began to return his every kiss and caress with the same fervor with which he gave them. Then, suddenly, shock broke through the passionate daze he had put her in as he placed a kiss against the soft curls between her thighs. The protest she began to make swiftly died, banished by the pleasure of his intimate kiss. Again and again, he pushed her to the very edge with his tongue and his fingers, only to retreat until she was shaking with need, demanding he cease his tormenting. He did, but not in the way she had expected him to, using his mouth to give her the release she needed. Efrica was still gasping from the strength of it when Jankyn almost roughly joined their bodies and took her to the heights a second time.

  It took several minutes after Jankyn had collapsed on top of her, before Efrica had the strength to turn her head and look at him. As always, he had his face buried in the pillow. "Weel, greetings to ye, too." She smiled faintly when he laughed. Then he turned his head to meet her gaze and she blushed. "Ah, weel, um, was that a sin?"

  He brushed a kiss over her mouth. "Nay. Oh, I suspicion some priest would say so, but that priest would also decry me as Satan's own and gleefully light the kindling piled about my feet." He kissed her again and then rose from the bed to get a cloth to clean them off with.

  "I thought the MacNachtons believed in the church and all. Father James is a MacNachton." She was so caught up in the thought that some of the MacNachtons might be non-believers, she barely twitched when Jankyn gently cleaned her off and then crawled back into bed.

  Jankyn pulled her into his arms, enjoying the way she sprawled on top of him, and he settled his back against the pillows. "Oh, we believe in God, love. 'Tis the church and the men who rule it we have some doubt in. We both ken that some of them are more steeped in sin than ye and I e'er could be. Aye, some have a true calling, a deep belief, as James does. Howbeit, too many are simply younger sons sent to a life in the church because there was little choice or they hope to gain the power and riches denied them by birth. Until that changes, I take leave to question them. Nay God. Just them."

  Efrica nodded, for she and a great many of her kin held similar views. When one belonged to a group the church would quickly condemn, no matter how deep one's belief was, it was inevitable that cynicism would result. The fact that Callan women had suffered because of their tendency to bear twins, something that stirred a few dark suspicions, had certainly made her doubt the men of the church.

  Feeling a need to escape such dark, serious thoughts, she kissed Jankyn's chest. "So, if it isnae a sin for ye to do that to me, then it cannae be a sin for me to do whate'er I may wish with ye."

  Jankyn tensed with anticipation as she began to kiss and caress her way down his body. He had planned to spend the day making love to her, and he felt both pleased and guilty that she was falling in with his plan so easily. Then he shuddered with pleasure as she brushed a kiss against his erection, and he decided he could wallow in guilt later.

  Staring down at a sleeping Efrica, Jankyn fought the urge to crawl back into that bed, take her into his arms, and never let her go. He had struggled over the past few days to think of some way to tell her he was leaving, but had turned craven each time he had looked into her eyes. He could not lie to her, or push her away with cruelty, so he was just going to slip away like some thief. It was for the best, he told himself yet again. The whispers about him had not faded but grown louder, and more people were heeding them. If he stayed, there could be trouble and Efirica could easily be at risk as well. It was time to return to Cambrun and leave her to find a man who could walk in the sun at her side. Resisting the urge to steal one last kiss, he walked away, slipping into the shadows.

  "Efrica!"

  Opening one eye, Efrica wondered what David and Fiona were doing in her bedchamber. Then she remembered that she was in Jankyn's bed and blushed. Hastily wrapping the bedcovers around herself, she sat up.

  "Has something happened to Jankyn?" she asked, suddenly finding David's presence ominous.

  "Aye. He has left," replied David.

  "Left? To go where?"

  "Back to Cambrun."

  Efrica knew that once shock released its tight grip upon her, there was going to be a lot of pain flooding in. "Why?"

  "Because of the talk swirling about amongst the courtiers and their ladies. I thought I had convinced him that we could fight it, but I should have understood how concerned he was about my safety and yours." When David saw Efrica glance at Fiona, he took his betrothed's hand in his. "She kens all about the MacNachtons, Effie, so ye dinnae need to guard your words."

  "Except for the ones I feel inclined to direct at your father," she muttered. "He didnae e'en say farewell."

  "Mayhap because he didnae want to say that word to ye. He left because he felt he was a danger to ye, Effie, nay because he wanted to leave ye. I ken I will have
trouble making ye believe me, but ye are his mate."

  "And so he leaves me?"

  "Aye, to keep ye safe and because he feels he isnae right for ye, would only make ye unhappy."

  Fighting to think clearly, Efrica recalled the intensity of Jankyn's lovemaking over the last few days. There had been a hint of desperate greed at times. Barbara felt sure Jankyn cared for her, and now David said so. Her own instincts told her he did. She just prayed she was not fooling herself, believing he cared simply because she could not endure the pain if he did not.

  "So, he left because he felt those rumors about him had grown to be a real threat?"

  "Aye. I swear to ye, he would ne'er have walked away from ye if he didnae think it was for your own good."

  "Weel, then, first we must silence the talk." She explained what her plan was, the one Barbara was already acting upon, and David smiled.

  "Clever, lass. Then what?"

  "Then I go to Cambrun, sniff out whatever cave your father has crawled into, and beat some sense into him."

  "Another good plan," David said and then laughed.

  Chapter Ten

  "Where is he?"

  Efrica marched up to her sister and her husband, ignoring their startled looks and in no mood to apologize for her abrupt entrance into their great hall. It had taken her a fortnight to get to Cambrun. She did not care to think too much on what Jankyn may have been up to during that time. As one complication after another had slowed her down, delaying her arrival at Cambrun, David's assurances about how Jankyn felt about her had lost some of their power to calm her. She wanted to trust Jankyn, to believe he would not go from her arms straight into the embrace of another woman, but she had no vows from him to cling to.

  "Where is who?" asked Bridget.

  Despite the look of sweet confusion and innocence upon Bridget's face, Efrica knew her sister was fully aware of who. Efrica suspected Barbara had written a letter. There was also the chance that David had written to his mother. She doubted Jankyn had said anything.

  "Jankyn," she snapped.

  "I hope ye didnae travel here alone, lass," said Cathal.

  "Nay. I left the men who brought me here in the village," she replied. "Jankyn has gone to ground, hasnae he."

  "He must have angered ye more than usual for ye to chase him all the way here," said Bridget.

  "Sister, I truly hate to deprive ye of your sport, but I have had one wretched week of dealing with idiots at court. That was followed by a wretched week of rain, washed-out roads, broken wheels, limping horses, and men muttering about wee lasses who dinnae have the sense God gave a flea. Since I didnae start that journey in the most cheerful of moods, I am now teetering on the edge of a glorious tantrum."

  "Ah, thank ye for the warning."

  "My pleasure. Jankyn?"

  "In the caves. He has been hiding in his room, buried in work, since he returned."

  "Weel, he is about to discover that ye can run from a determined Callan lass, but ye cannae hide."

  She ignored Cathal's hearty laughter and headed out to corner Jankyn in his lair. Fury carried her down into the depths of Cambrun. She faltered only briefly when she stepped into the large cavern that served as the great hall of the Purebloods, drawing every eye her way. The eldest of them, a handsome white-haired woman named Agnes, grinned and pointed to a thick iron-studded door set in the wall near the far end of the cavern.

  When Efirica reached the door, she lifted her hand to knock, then changed her mind. She would not give Jankyn the chance to turn her away or lock her out. Efrica pushed aside the traitorous, weakening thought that he had left her because he did not want her, did not care for her at all, and that he was in there with another woman. As she reached for the door latch, she heard several encouraging whispers coming from the shadows behind her. They gave her the strength to open the door, step into the room, and slam the door shut behind her. The way Jankyn jumped in surprise, nearly tumbling from his perch upon the back of a stone bench, gave her a brief moment of satisfaction.

  Jankyn stared at Efrica and felt his pulse leap with delight, even as shock had him gaping at her. He had not expected her to follow him, if only because of her pride. The fact that she had pleased him beyond words, until he all too clearly recalled his reasons for leaving her. Those remained unchanged. Even the truth he had uncovered about his heritage did not really change much.

  "So, this is where ye came to cower and hide," she said as she walked closer to face him.

  "Cower? I am nay cowering!" He scowled when she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Ye heard the whispers, lass, the talk of the devil, sorcery, and demons. That brings the sort of danger that can reach out to all who stand too close to me. Aye, and sharpens the eyes of all who look at my companions. Ye cannae risk that."

  "Words spit out by a jealous whore and two penniless swine who think rape is a sort of wooing."

  "Nay matter who says the words, they stir fear and superstition. When such feelings are stirred up, wisdom doesnae often rear its head until they are sweeping up the ashes from the foot of your stake."

  A chilling image, but not one that needed to become fact, she told herself firmly. "Ye didnae e'en try to fight the lies."

  "How? By standing beneath the noonday sun?"

  She ignored that. "First, one starts with the ones who dinnae like the people doing the whispering. Few of the women at court have any fondness for Lady Eleanor. Lachlan and Thomas have few friends as weel. Then, of course, one reminds certain women of just how alive and warm ye are." She was pleased by the look of horrified embarrassment that crossed his beautiful face. "The fact that said demon's son was often seen strolling about in the full light of day with his adoring betrothed, his verra red hair clear to see, was also helpful. And, of course, the crowd which saw Lachlan laid out flat by a wee lass was easily convinced that he and Thomas were naught but spineless weaklings who undoubtedly tried to hide their cowardice and ignominious defeat at your hands behind lies."

  "Ye laid Lachlan out flat?"

  She nodded. "His sneer annoyed me."

  Jankyn stared at her in amazement. Slowly, he climbed down from his perch and walked toward her, stopping about a foot away. Any closer and he knew he would reach for her. There did not seem to be a part of him that did not ache to feel her in his arms again. That would, however, put an end to what he suspected would be an intriguing and revealing conversation.

  "So, ye came here to tell me I dinnae need fear returning to court?" he asked.

  "Mayhap," she replied. "Although why anyone would wish to return to that wretched place, I dinnae ken."

  "Efrica, why have ye come?"

  "Why did ye leave?"

  "To protect you."

  "Oh, aye? What if I tell ye I had the passing thought that ye nay only fled the whispers, ye fled from me, from us, and what was happening between us?"

  "There may be some truth in that." He stepped close enough to reach out and briefly place a finger against her lips when she started to speak, silencing her. "I am wrong for ye, love." He waved a hand to draw her gaze to the dark, windowless cave they stood in. "This is where I live. E'en when I go aboveground, 'tis only to places as dark as these. Ye are a creature of the light, the sun. I can ne'er join ye there."

  "That is sad, but it doesnae mean I cannae walk about in the sun whene'er the mood strikes me."

  An all-too-familiar glint entered his eyes, and as he stepped forward, she stepped back. Despite how badly she ached to be held in his arms again, she felt talking was more important now. It did appear that what David, her cousin, and her own instincts had told her was true, that Jankyn loved her, but she needed to hear the words. She also felt it was important that Jankyn hear and believe that all of her earlier doubts and fears were gone.

  "I am a great many years older than ye," he said, almost smiling when, each time he stepped forward, she stepped back, for she was backing up toward his bed.

  "True, and I do worry o'er how y
e will feel if ye wake up one morn and see that I have aged and ye havenae."

  "It willnae matter."

  No words of love and no sweet flatteries, yet she believed him. "Weel, we Callans tend to be long-lived, for Outsiders."

  "Good, for the day your life ends, so will mine in all the ways that matter."

  Efrica felt the edge of something hit the back of her legs, but was so stunned by his words, she did not even attempt to stop herself from falling. Relieved to find a soft bed beneath her to break her fall, she propped herself up on her forearms, only to find Jankyn leaning over her, one hand on the bed on either side of her hips. She felt the heat only he could stir within her begin to flow through her veins and rushed into speech.

  "And, I do want bairns, but if God decides we will have none, I can accept that. I have nieces and nephews to love and help care for." They were words he needed to hear, and she was determined to lay that ghost to rest before she told him the truth.

  "Are ye asking me to marry ye, love?" He held her gaze with his. "Are ye truly ready to be my mate?"

  "Aye, Jankyn. I love ye. I love ye more than the sun, more than anything," she replied softly.

  A soft gasp of surprise escaped her as he pulled her up into his arms and kissed her as if he was starved for the taste of her. Soon she was working as feverishly to rid him of his clothes as he was to rid her of hers. He settled her on the bed with a tenderness that only enflamed her more, and she purred with welcome and pleasure when he entered her embrace. The feel of his flesh against hers, the warmth of his lips upon her skin, and the touch of his hands soon had her trembling with need. He kept her balanced on the precipice of delight until she was nearly begging him for relief. Then, suddenly, he was there, deep inside her. Efrica felt herself shatter. As she began the tumble into the sweet abyss of desire, she felt a sharp pain on her neck, and then her release intensified tenfold.

  "Efrica," Jankyn whispered when he finally regained the strength to speak. He kissed the tip of her nose and grinned over how dazed she looked. "Efrica, my heart, my mate." He kissed the hollow at the base of her throat.