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Robby had their basket of food ready. He grinned, but wisely kept his mouth shut.
Jean-Luc liked to live more dangerously. "Enjoy your date," he called after them as they headed for the front door.
Angus shot him a glare that promised retaliation in the near future. Jean-Luc merely laughed.
They emerged from Jean-Luc's studio onto the Champs-Elys. The street was lit up and noisy, even at four in the morning. The Arc de Triomphe gleamed in the distance.
Emma grinned. "This is great! Sure beats sitting on a plane for eight hours."
"Aye." Angus pointed at lights in the distance. "That looks like a good spot."
"The Eiffel Tower?"
"Aye." He wrapped an arm around her. "Hold on."
Blackness swirled around them for a few seconds, then melted away. They were standing on the top level of the Eiffel Tower, looking down at the City of Lights.
Emma peered over the railing. "This is cool." She hugged herself. "But a bit chilly."
"Here." Angus offered her his coat. While she put it on, he flipped open the tartan blanket Robby had placed on top of the basket.
Emma sat and rummaged through the basket. "Wow, real food." She removed bread, cheese, and grapes. A bottle of wine. "I hope there's something in here for you."
He found a bottle. "This is for me." He popped the cork. Foam bubbled out, so he held the bottle to the side.
"It looks like champagne." Emma handed him a glass.
"'Tis called Bubbly Blood, a mixture of champagne and synthetic blood." He filled the glass. "Would ye like some?"
"No way." She watched him curiously as he drank. "I've seen the commercials for Fusion Cuisine on DVN, but I thought it was a joke 'cause I've seen vampires feeding off humans."
"Those are the Malcontents who refuse to drink from bottles. They enjoy torturing mortals." Angus opened her bottle of wine. "They're our sworn enemies. We've been fighting them for centuries."
"Then Shanna Whelan's claim is correct? There are two factions of vampires?"
"Aye." He filled her glass with wine. "Ye see, Emma, we share a common enemy, the Malcontents. And our goal is the same, too - protecting the innocent." He handed her the glass. "We should be... good friends."
She accepted the glass. "I'll have to think about it."
"I understand." He leaned back against the grill-work. "Ye were just trying to kill me an hour ago."
She nibbled on some cheese. "I'm struggling with this idea of good vampires. I suppose Jean-Luc and Robby are like you?"
"Aye. Robby is a descendant of mine. I found him dying on the field at Culloden." Angus closed his eyes briefly. "I lost so many of my family that day."
"I can't imagine witnessing something so horrific." Emma shuddered.
"Ye witnessed yer parents' murder, did ye no'?"
She flinched. "I don't want to talk about it." She sipped some wine. "Tell me about yourself. When were you born?"
"In 1480."
"And you have descendants? So you... were married?"
"Aye. Three children." Angus quickly changed the subject. "I was mortally wounded at Flodden Field in 1513. Roman found me that night. I was barely alive. I thought I was dreaming when I heard this voice asking me if I was willing to continue the fight against evil. I thought it was an angel. I said yes." He smiled. "And not just because I wanted into heaven. I was pissed about dying so young. I really wanted to do more."
"Were you upset when you realized you were a vampire?"
He shrugged. "I was a bit surprised. I dinna know such creatures existed. But I never felt bad about it like Roman. I realized early on that death hadna changed me. I was still the same, only much better."
She threw a grape at him. "Vampire arrogance."
He smiled. "'Tis only the truth. We can do things a mortal could never do."
"You can't go out in the sun."
"But we can live for centuries."
She pulled off a hunk of bread. "Tell me about the past - places you went, people you met."
Angus launched into some of his favorite stories about meeting Mary, Queen of Scots, and hiding Bonnie Prince Charlie. Emma was full of questions, and he enjoyed seeing how comfortable she now was in his presence. She was able to laugh with him and tease him.
After an hour, he corked his half-empty bottle of Bubbly Blood and set it in the basket. "I'm afraid dawn will come soon, and we need to go."
"All right." She gathered up the remnants of her meal and returned them to the basket. "I... hate to admit it, but I really enjoyed this."
"You mean our date?"
She shot him an irritated look. "This is not a date."
He chuckled. "I'm satisfied as long as ye know I'm no' yer enemy. Ye can trust me." He'd enjoyed it, too. More than any evening he could remember.
She stood and brushed bread crumbs off his coat.
He jumped up and folded the blanket.
"I made a mistake." She folded her arms, frowning. "I got carried away, listening to all your stories about the past."
He placed the blanket in the basket. "There was nothing wrong with that."
She shook her head. "I should have gathered more information about the Malcontents. I should have found out where you're holding Shanna Whelan."
"Holding her? She's a happily married woman."
"My boss thinks she's been brainwashed. His first priority is to rescue her."
Angus snorted. "She's perfectly happy where she is. Is it that hard to believe a mortal woman can love a vampire?"
Emma's eyes widened.
Angus swallowed hard. Deep inside, a need was growing. An impossible desire. He wanted what Roman had. The love of a mortal woman.
Emma picked up the basket. "How do we get down from here?"
"Ye let me hold you." He stepped closer. "And ye hold on to me."
She smiled nervously. "Or we could always take the stairs."
He wrapped his arms around her. "It will only take a moment."
She looked sad as she looped an arm around his neck.
Blackness enveloped them for a mere second, then they were standing on the ground in front of the Eiffel Tower.
Emma released him. "Thank you, Angus."
He stepped back. "Ye're welcome."
They strolled silently down the gravel path in the small park. Angus frowned. The atmosphere of friendship they'd shared during the picnic had melted away. The air between them seemed strained and sad. As if something was missing. As if friendship wasn't enough. He glanced at her, wondering if she felt it, too.
A noise came from behind some bushes. Angus halted. Emma stopped beside him with a questioning look. She'd probably not heard it yet. He raised a finger to his lips and eased forward. She stayed beside him.
More noises emanated from the bush. A grunting noise. A female gasp. A French Malcontent, possibly, attacking an innocent woman. Angus leaned over to retrieve a knife from under his sock. He motioned to Emma to stay behind him.
With an annoyed look, she shook her head.
Stubborn woman. But he admired her bravery. She set down the picnic basket and retrieved the wine bottle. Holding it upside down in her fist, she went to the left. He headed around the right side of the bushes.
He jumped out. "Release her and back away!"
Emma leaped into position.
Angus winced. They'd interrupted a couple making love. Emma was standing at their feet, rather his feet, since the woman's feet were wrapped around the man's bare rump. Angus was by their heads, his dagger pointed at the man.
With a gasp, the man scrambled off the woman. He grabbed his discarded pants to cover up his crotch. He yelled something in French about a voleur, then yanked his wallet from his pants and tossed it at Angus's feet.
Angus ignored the wallet, for he'd noticed something awful. The woman had pantyhose wrapped around her reddened neck. "I should gullet you! Ye're strangling this puir woman."
The man motioned to the woman on the ground, who was busily covering herself up with the man's shirt. They both babbled in French so fast, Angus had trouble understanding.
But the evidence was clear. "Ye're strangling her!" Angus stepped toward the man, his knife aimed at the man's face.
"Good heavens," Emma whispered.
"Don't hurt us, please," the woman gasped in accented English as she unwound the hose from her neck.
