Kerrelyn Sparks: Be Still My Vampire Heart

"But—wait!" Angus experienced a moment of sheer panic. What was she thinking, handing him a wee baby? He hadn't held one in five hundred years. His heart raced, pounding in his ears. What if he dropped the wee thing?

He squeezed it against his chest and felt the wee legs kicking him. Bugger, he was probably crushing the poor babe. He relaxed his grip and swiveled, looking frantically for a safe place to put the wee beastie down. The changing table? Nay, he might roll off there.

Angus spotted the crib and walked toward it. He passed by walls painted like a pastoral scene—blue sky, green fields, fat cows, and fluffy sheep. "Are they expecting ye to be a farmer?"

The baby thumped him in the chest with a closed fist.

"Och, a warrior then?" Angus glanced down at the baby and halted mid-stride.

Constantine was studying Angus with the brightest blue eyes Angus had ever seen. More than that, there was an intensity to the baby's eyes that seemed to hold Angus captive.

Instantly Angus's heart calmed to a steady beat. The pain that had muddled his brain for the past eight days slowly melted away. He took a deep breath as a sensation of peace flowed through him.

The baby gurgled.

"Did ye do that?" Angus whispered.

The baby stared back, and Angus sensed an intelligence that was far from infantile.

"Angus!" Roman called as he entered the nursery.

"Roman, yer bairn—" Angus looked up and forgot all about the baby. "What happened to you?"

Roman shrugged. "I didn't even know about it till Shanna noticed it." He ran a hand through his dark hair, now shaded silver at the temples. "Fortunately, she likes it."

"Yes, I do." Shanna followed him into the nursery with Connor. She smiled at Roman.

"He looks very distinguished."

He smiled back and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"How did it happen?" Angus asked.

"Remember the drug I invented that enables us to stay awake during the day? Well, after a few days of trying to take care of Constantine 24/7, Shanna looked really exhausted."

"And being the noble guy that he is," Shanna added, "Roman took the drug every day for five days to help me out."

"And it turned yer hair gray?" Angus asked.

"Silver," Shanna corrected him. "And only at the temples. I think it's gorgeous."

Roman snorted. "But you forbid me to take the drug again."

"Because it's aging you." Shanna turned to Angus. "Laszlo did some blood work on him and discovered that he aged a year for every day he stayed awake."

"Bugger," Angus grumbled.

"It is bad," Connor added. "I had hoped we could use the drug in the war against Casimir, but we're no' likely to get Vamps to volunteer for it if they know it's going to make them older for the rest of eternity."

That was bad news. Angus looked at Roman. "So ye're five years older now?"

"Six, actually. I used it once before to rescue Laszlo. But I doubt we'll ever get anyone else to use the drug."

An idea sprung to Angus's mind. He glanced down at the baby in his arms. His mind seemed to be working clearly again. "I think I know someone who wouldna mind aging about ten years."

"Not the baby," Shanna muttered.

"Nay." Angus looked up. "Ian MacPhie."

"Oh, aye," Connor whispered. "Ian would take it."

"Good." Roman nodded. "You're looking a little better, Angus."

Only because of the bairn. "Yer baby is… special."

"Of course he is." Shanna took Constantine from him. "How did you two get along?"

"Verra well." Angus followed her to the crib. "He has… bonny eyes."

"Yes." Shanna smiled as she placed Constantine in the crib.

"What is this?" Angus touched the unusual mobile hanging over the baby's head.

"Bats?"

Roman chuckled. "A gift from Gregori. His idea of a joke."

"Aye." Connor wound up the contraption. "It plays the theme song from the X-Files."

The tinkling music started, and the blue plastic bats flew around in a circle. Constantine 's eyes widened, and he flailed his arms and legs.

"I heard you gave the baby a sporran," Roman said. "Thank you."

Connor chuckled. "Just doona give him any Scotch whisky till he's—oh, about eight."

"Eight?" Shanna gaped in horror.

Connor grinned. "He'll need a claymore by the age of ten."

Shanna shook her head. "Men. Always planning ahead for a violent world."

Roman frowned. "As long as evil abounds, we have no choice." He put a hand on Angus's shoulder. "How are you, old friend? Are you ready to talk?"

Angus wandered back to the crib and stared at the mobile. The bats were circling now at a slower pace. "There's nothing to say."

Shanna huffed. "Emma obviously disagrees. She's been trying to contact you for a week."

Angus closed his eyes briefly. He knew he was being a coward.

"I e-mailed her," Roman said. "I told her to come and be changed back whenever she was up to it."

"Did she say when she was coming?" Angus asked. The bats were slowing to a stop.

"She didn't answer," Roman said. He joined Angus at the crib. "She may want to discuss the matter with you first."

Angus gripped the crib railing. "She wants to rant at me for killing her. I know she hates me."

"Are you sure about that?" Shanna asked softly.

"Of course she hates me!" Angus paced across the nursery. "I turned her into the verra creature she hates the most."

"Then why hasn't she come here to get changed back?" Shanna asked.

"I think you should see her," Roman said. "What if she wants to forgive you?"

Angus snorted. "How could she?" He couldn't forgive himself.

"All things are possible through love," Roman whispered.

Angus closed his eyes as he felt tears gathering. He swayed and placed a palm on the wall to steady himself. He couldn't go on like this, overwhelmed with such guilt and failure. He'd sworn to protect her, but he had killed her.

A knock sounded on the door. "I'm looking for Angus MacKay," a strange voice announced.

Angus turned to see a young man in a suit, hovering by the door. "I am the MacKay."

The young man entered the nursery, smiling. "You're a hard man to find, Mr. MacKay."

He handed Angus an envelope. "You've been served." He strolled from the room. Angus ripped open the envelope and scanned the papers. "The devil take it." The papers slipped from his hands and fluttered to the floor.

"What is it?" Roman asked.

Angus leaned against the wall, stunned.

"I have to return to London. Emma is suing me for pain and damages."

"I have good news and bad news," Richard Beckworth announced when Angus strode into the solicitor's London office.

"Is she here?" Angus's heart thundered in his chest. A part of him dreaded seeing Emma again. He recalled her beautiful face that had once gazed upon him with so much love.

Now he imagined it full of hatred and recrimination. How much more pain could his heart endure?

But another part of him longed to see her. She had every right to be angry. He'd transformed her against her will. If she needed money so she could take time off to recover from the trauma he'd caused, he could understand that. In fact, he'd give her enough to make sure she never wanted for anything. He just wanted her to return to a normal, happy, mortal life.

"Miss Wallace and her solicitor are in the conference room." Beckworth relaxed in the chair behind his desk. "First, I wanted to catch you up to speed, old chap. The good news is they want to settle out of court."

"Of course they do." Angus sat in a wingback chair facing Beckworth. Richard had been his solicitor for the past hundred and seventy-five years. "She can hardly walk into a mortal courtroom and claim that I killed her. Even though I did."

Beckworth winced. "Don't admit to any wrongdoing in their presence. It was also a brilliant move on your part to get rid of your harem last week."