“They had no idea,” he said in her ear as he drew her down to the ground and into his lap.
“Did you think they did?” She could feel him connect with the earth as he held her and his amnis grew stronger by the moment.
“I didn’t know. And I wouldn’t have trusted one of them if I hadn’t seen the Dubliner’s face just now.”
“Jack was his.” She sniffed. “They never spoke of it—none of them—but Murphy is their sire.”
“Tom and Declan, too?” He paused. Nodded. “Yes, I see it now. No wonder they’re… Well, it’s no wonder.”
The three vampires moved with quiet efficiency and bleak expressions around the dock where they had come ashore. Brigid wanted to comfort her friends. Wanted to be there for them, but she had no idea what to say. “How could he betray them like that?”
“Not all families are like ours, Brigid.”
Our family.
Her family. Brigid realized in that moment how truly extraordinary her husband was. Over a thousand years, he had created a vast network of humans and immortals held together, not by fear, but by love. Grounded by faith and devotion, her clan chose to be guided by the immortal who held her, not because they were afraid to act without him, but because they simply didn’t want to.
Brigid stared at Carwyn over her shoulder as he watched the activity that spread through the harbor. “I love you so much.”
A smile crossed his uncharacteristically serious face. “I love you, too.”
“I’m very honored to be your wife, Carwyn ap Bryn. I hope I’m a good one.”
He looked down, and Brigid saw sudden tears touch his eyes. “I hope I’m a good husband. I’m a bit out of practice, so you’ll have to be patient.”
“I think we both will. Lucky for us we have an eternity to get it right.”
He chuckled and pulled her closer. “I imagine I’ll annoy the piss out of you at times.”
“I imagine you’re right. And I’ll probably try to run away once or twice if things get difficult.”
“That’s fine. As long as you understand that I’ll catch you.”
“Every time?”
“Every time.”
A bubble of joy rose in her chest and she bit her lip to hold in the laugh. “I’ll count on it, then.”
Carwyn looked down and kissed her forehead. Then he hung his head over her shoulder and pressed his cheek to hers, inhaling deeply. “That contraption they shocked me with drained me, woman. I’m hungry again.”
“You’re always hungry.”
“For you… Yes.”
“I’m starving, too, but you’ll have to be patient. Declan is coming this way.”
Her friend was approaching with a carefully blank expression. He shooed away the human who followed him and hooked his hands in the pockets of his trousers.
“Connor,” he said. “How are you?”
“I’m fine, Declan. Carwyn’s fine. They used a stun gun on him at the house, I think.”
Declan nodded. “That would explain it.”
A knot grew in the pit of her stomach. “Explain what, exactly?”
The tall water vampire rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. “Well… there was a bit of damage, Brigid.”
She stood up, forgetting her bare skin until she felt Carwyn throw the blanket over her and saw Declan avert his eyes. “What do you mean ‘damage?’”
“We’ve explained it to the city as a sink hole.”
Carwyn must have stripped off his shirt because a soggy rag smelling of earth and seawater was quickly pulled over her shoulders. She wrapped the blanket more securely around her waist. “A sink hole?”
“Remember when Jack—” He broke off suddenly at the mention of the brother who had betrayed them all. “Remember what the Taser does. It knocks us out, but it also releases massive elemental energy. So when they hit Carwyn—”
“Oooh,” she groaned. “The earth really does move. My house is rubble, isn’t it?”
“There was an unexpected class four earthquake in your neighborhood very early this morning that triggered a sink hole that… swallowed your house. But no one was hurt and we’ll be happily paying for all the damage to your neighbors.”
Carwyn muttered, “I suppose I’ll contribute.”
A sudden thought set Brigid’s heart racing. “Madoc!”
“Found him in the garden hiding behind some hydrangeas. He’s fine.”
She saw Carwyn wipe a relieved hand over his face. “Thank God for his cowardice. I let him out when we came inside to call Gio. Whoever came in the back must not have seen him.”
“Who was it that shot you?” Declan asked. “Did you recognize any of them?”
“No. I wasn’t paying attention, and they must have moved quickly. Someone was at the front…” Carwyn shook his head in disgust. “I was distracted. I’m sorry, Brigid.”
“Don’t apologize,” she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “We were all surprised. It was Jack at the door. None of us expected…” She glanced at Declan. “Well, none of us suspected him.”
Declan suddenly found something on the ground to be very interesting. Carwyn squeezed her fingers and Brigid caught sight of Murphy, standing on the edge of the dock, looking out to sea.