Building From Ashes

“So, your friend—the human dating an immortal—had been there. Did you ever ask her about it?”

Brigid shook her head. “I lost touch with Emily after Ioan died, to be honest. All I was thinking of after the disappearance was finding him. Then after he died… well, I didn’t do much besides work. Emily tried to contact me a few times, but I wasn’t receptive.”

“Completely understandable.” His eyes were kind and concerned. She looked away and took another bite of a pâté that Max had made. He was a surprisingly good cook. Most vampires weren’t. “Brigid, who was the vampire Emily was dating?”

She sipped her tea before she answered. “His name was Axel.” An image of the smiling blond vampire came to her. His model-handsome face and lazy blue eyes. “To be honest, Murphy, I don’t think you should worry about Axel. He isn’t…” Was it a vampire faux pas to insult the intelligence of another immortal? Why didn’t anyone go over this stuff with her?

Oh yes. They spent most of their time trying to keep her from combusting.

Murphy asked, “He isn’t what?”

Well, honesty had always worked before…

“He’s dumb,” Brigid said. “For the life of me, I don’t understand why anyone would have turned him. He’s slow as a box of rocks. He’s very handsome, so I supposed someone could have just turned him to keep him around. Do vampires do that? Have you ever done anything like that? Changed someone just because they were pretty?”

His eyebrow arched, and she had the distinct impression that she’d insulted him. “Certainly not. Accidents do happen, but it’s very irresponsible to turn someone for superficial reasons. To tie yourself to someone for eternity who you will always have a responsibility toward? It must be someone you have confidence in. A child should always be someone with an independent nature, in my opinion. You have to be able to care for yourself.”

She nodded, thinking back to an argument she’d had with Cathy and Anne the week before when she’d refused their offer to help with something. At least Murphy seemed to understand why it was so important to do things yourself.

“Of course, the longer I live, the more I am convinced that we also need to know when to ask for help. It’s part of maturity, I think, knowing your own limitations.”

Well, damn.

She turned the subject back to Axel. “So, you can look into him, or have Jack do it, but I don’t think there’s anything there. He’s not malicious, or smart enough, to be the ringleader. But I could be wrong.” She hoped not. Emily—if they were still seeing each other—would be crushed.

“I’ll pass the information along. Thank you. Is there anything else you remember?”

She tried to think, chewed on her lip as she ran over and over the memories of that night. Why, oh why, had she not seen the two vampires for what they were? “No, there’s nothing else I remember. If there’s anything…”

“You’ll call.” He smiled, flashing his dimple again. Murphy really did have the most disarming smile. It set Brigid at ease and set her heart pounding all at the same time. “I appreciate it. Most of us take some personal time after we turn to be cared for by our sires, and here you are, working as always.”

“I like to work. I’d have gone back to Dublin right after if it had been safe.”

“Why does that not surprise me?” He laughed. “If anything else comes up while you’re here, I’ll let you know. I don’t want you to feel uninformed.”

“Thanks.”

He took another sip of tea and glanced at the clock over the old wooden mantle. “I should be going. I have to get back to the city before dawn, which is coming earlier and earlier this time of year.”

“It is, yes.”

They both finished their tea and stood. Murphy, like Carwyn, towered over her, but he had a leaner build and moved with a quick elegance. He walked to the door with her. “Thank you for the tea, Brigid. It was lovely to see you.”

“Thank Max.” She shrugged. “I’m not exactly the best hostess.”

“But you’re excellent company.” He leaned down, ever so slightly. Brigid could smell the clean scent that rose from his neck. “Now that our schedules are more in sync, I’ll see you at the office when you come back. I’m looking forward to it.”

Good Lord, was Murphy… flirting with her? Oh no. She’d always been spectacularly bad at flirting, and she doubted turning into a vampire had helped.

“Um… thanks. I am, too.”

She turned her face up so she could see his reaction when he looked into her inhuman gaze.

His voice was rough. “Your eyes did change.”

“A bit freaky, I know.”

“No.” He shook his head. “They’re beautiful.”

What was this reaction? The tightness in her chest. The rush of blood in her veins. “Murphy… I don’t know—”

“I need to go,” he said abruptly and stepped back. “I’m sorry. Can we continue this conversation when you get back to Ireland?” His tone may have been formal, but his eyes burned hot as they stared into hers. That damn dimple almost taunted her. “We don’t have as much time here as I’d like.”

“Of course, Murphy. Good—”

She sucked in a breath when he leaned down and brushed a kiss across her cheek. He murmured, “Please, Brigid. Call me Patrick.”