"I shifted here and will shift away again. I'll be all right. Davy's waiting for me in the village. " Mara let Jerry help her with her long cloak. The Kilpatrick plaid, of course. Once she married, she'd start wearing the McLeod colors. Everyone in this country wore their plaids like a badge. Jerry had on his kilt and looked a treat. Even the laird was lounging in his plaid in front of his big-screen TV which he'd just turned on. CSI was starting. The man loved blood any way he could find it.
"Be careful. " Jerry settled Mara's long cape over her shoulders and fastened it at her neck.
"Always. " Suddenly a knife appeared in her hand. "Too late for you. " She plunged it into his chest.
"Jerry, my God! Angus! Help!" I lunged toward her as Mara lifted the knife again. Jerry grabbed her arm but she'd obviously wounded him seriously with the first blow. He slumped, dragging her down to the floor with him where he seemed down for the count.
I jumped on Mara and wrestled the knife out of her hands, tossing it away with a clatter. Then I pulled her off of him and shoved her hard, knocking her head against the stone floor. She struggled like a madwoman, scratching and hitting at me.
"Stop it! What the hell are you doing?" I slapped her face and her eyes widened, like she was coming out of a daze.
"What? Get off of me!" She twisted her hands, trying to get free. Then she turned her head and saw Jerry lying in a pool of his own blood. "Jeremiah? Who did this to you? Gloriana! Did you hurt him?"
"No, you stupid bitch. You stabbed him. How can you deny it?" I climbed off of her and thrust her into Angus's arms then dropped to my knees next to Jerry. "Jerry, can you hear me?"
When he didn't answer, I got frantic, searching him for other injuries. There was only the one knife wound though, and, for a vampire, it was relatively minor. It had already stopped bleeding. I pressed my hand to his heart and felt the slow steady thump. Of course he was alive, but why wasn't he stirring? My own heart lodged in my throat as the hall filled with men and noise.
"What happened here?" Angus held on to Mara. "Lass, what's this about?"
She sobbed and leaned against him. "I don't know. I don't know. There was a knife. I only remember the knife. Someone gave me a knife. Outside the gates. "
"Witchcraft. You were spelled. " Angus gestured at the men who'd gathered when he'd sounded the alarm. Obviously the security cameras had caught the whole attack. A few shouted questions and hard looks at Mara confirmed my story. "Outside, search the grounds. Who gave you the knife? What did this person look like?"
"I don't know. " Mara shook her head. "A woman. Old, I think, not sure. Face covered. Stayed in the shadows. I, I couldn't help myself. " She collapsed on the floor next to Jerry. "What have I done?"
"Well, you haven't killed him. Lucky for you or I'd use that knife to rip your heart out of your skinny body. " I cradled Jerry's head in my lap. "Come on, Jerry, please wake up. " Why had he lost consciousness?
Yes, he'd bled a lot and would need to feed, but I'd be more than happy to take care of that. Jerry was strong and healthy. This kind of stab wound shouldn't even have dropped him. I heard Mara blubbering and wanted to slap her silent. Witchcraft? Not sure I was buying it, but something was off about this whole attack.
"Careful with that knife. It may have poison on it. " That was the only explanation I could come up with for Jerry's condition. The servant who'd been about to pick up the weapon jumped away from it.
"Poison. " Angus dragged Mara to her feet. "Are you sure you don't remember who gave it to you?" He shook her, not too gently either. "Speak up, girl. You just stabbed my son. No lies now. Why did you try to kill Jeremiah?"
"I don't know, Laird. I feel like. . . " She rubbed her forehead. "I need Davy. Can you call him for me? I only remember a woman, all in black. Outside the castle. She gave me the knife and told me what to do. I didn't want to do it. But I couldn't seem to help myself. Like you said. I was bewitched, under a spell. " She stared up at Angus with her bright green eyes, almost feverish now. "He's not going to die, is he?"
"He'd better not. " I couldn't look at her as I ran my hand over Jerry's strong jaw and the slight roughness of his beard, there no matter how often he shaved. To my relief he moaned and his eyes fluttered open. He stared up at me for a moment then glanced around the hallway before focusing on me again.
"Jerry, are you all right? How do you feel?" I leaned closer, willing him to say something.
"Like I took a knife in my gut. But if you're offering to feed me back to health, lass, then I reckon I'll be up and about in no time. " He grinned and slid a hand to the back of my head to draw my neck down to his mouth where his fangs descended.
"Here? On this cold stone floor? Let's get you cleaned up and moved to your bed. " I tried to pry his fingers off of me but he wasn't ready to let go. "Come on, Jer. This is ridiculous. I'll feed you. But not here. " I glanced at his father and Mara, who both watched us.
"Tell her, Da. The lass seems reluctant. But you paid her well, didn't you? I need to feed. Let's get on with it so I can go after the bastard who stuck me. Did you see who did it?" Jerry jerked me close again.
"Wait!" I put my hands on his chest and shoved. "Look at me. " I bit my lip, terribly afraid that I knew what was wrong. "Jeremiah Campbell, just who do you think I am?"
"Your name? No notion. But you're comely enough and your blood smells like fine wine, damned if it doesn't. " He sniffed the air but his smile faltered when he pressed a hand to his chest. "Bloody hell but that hurts. Let's get on with it. Quit playing coy and do your duty. " He struggled as he tried to sit up, then looked at his father. "Da, was it a MacDonald? Tell William to saddle Thunder and we'll ride out as soon as I've healed. We'll teach them to attack us inside our own home. "
"Easy, lad. We'll get whoever is responsible. Lass, let him drink. " Angus nodded at me.
I took a breath to keep from crying. God, please, please say I had it wrong. A comely lass bought and paid for? Jerry pulled me close until his fangs pierced my neck. He drew deep and I closed my eyes, slipping my hands up to cling to his silky hair. I sat on the cold stone floor in his father's castle, the man drinking my blood holding me as if we were strangers. Jerry, my sire, the love of my life, didn't know me. What was I going to do?