Vellum's tone had been free of mockery, but Clay's mouth still twisted downwards at the compliment.
He moved his fingers, allowing Mariel to glimpse what he held. When she realized what the dark stain on it was, her heart settled heavily in her chest.
"He seemed to be a good man," she murmured, "from what I knew of him."
"He was a very good man," Clay agreed quietly as he stroked his thumb over the face of the silver star badge. Bits of dried blood flaked off the metal and were carried off into the night. "He took me under his wing when I first joined the Marshals. I trusted him with my life."
"Was he married? Did he have a family?"
Clay shook his head. "Not many Marshals have family. It's not encouraged because of the danger. Darrell had a sister, though." He pocketed the star. "I'll give this to her, assuming the nightwalker keeps his word."
"I'm better at keeping my word than you apparently are, Marshal. And if you call me 'nightwalker' once more, I will tie you to your saddle."
"The horses need a rest," Clay snapped as he glared angrily at the back of the vampire's head.
For long minutes, Vellum didn't reply. Then he nodded decisively and brought his horse to a halt. "I agree."
The thought of kicking her horse into a gallop and racing off flashed through Mariel's mind when Vellum dismounted, but the fantasy didn't linger in her head for long. She and Clay would gain a small head start, but eventually Vellum would catch up to them, either on horseback or by foot. Maybe he could fly. She had no idea what vampires were fully capable of. So with a small groan of discomfort, she slid out of the saddle, as did Clay.
Stretching her legs reinvigorated her some, though she remained beside her horse, watching as Vellum checked on the condition of the crate.
"It's a coffin," she guessed. "Isn't it?"
He nodded as he brushed his fingertips over the lid. "Modified for my use." His dark gaze found her. "I'm not the undead, if that's your fear."
She flushed. "You're not dead. I—" She caught herself from saying, I felt how warm you are when you were inside me. "You're not like us but you're something else. Something in between."
He cocked his head as though he liked that. "Something in between is an accurate assessment. Better than a man, but not immortal. I am nearly so, however," he added with a sly grin at Clay. "Immortal, that is."
The Marshal stretched his back, arms raised over his head. "There's a way to kill you and if all goes well I'll find it eventually."
"No," Mariel said sternly, "You won't." Clay would get them both killed with his stubbornness.
"He doesn't trust me as you do, Mariel," Vellum said softly, watching Clay. "Then again, he doesn't know me as well as you do."
Vellum moved away from the crate, his steps measured, like those of a prowling wolf. A warning cry rose to her lips as she waited for the vampire to attack Clay. Instead, Vellum veered left to approach her. Clay tried to block his way but the dark-haired male merely pushed Clay aside as though he were a weightless boy and not a tall, muscled man.
Clay cursed but Mariel held up her hand to stop him from coming to her rescue. She didn't need rescuing. The look in Vellum's eye didn't promise pain or danger. Maybe those things would have been better, actually. As she looked up into his strong face, she couldn't deny that she was intimidated. Vellum was beyond the realm of her understanding, not only because of his physical ability and need to drink blood, but because he made her hyperaware of herself as a woman in a way she'd never experienced before, except perhaps in a few choice instances with Clay. Not even her deceased husband had made her this aware of the sensuality inherent in her body, in her breath. Was this the work of Vellum's power? His thrall? Or did she feel these things naturally?
"Thank you for trusting me," he said softly as he stood before her, trapping her against her horse like a mountain of night. "It seems you'll be the one who keeps the two of you alive."
"Pretty words until it comes time for you to drain the blood from our bodies," Clay said cuttingly from a few paces away. "Mariel trusts you because she's good-hearted. I don't trust you because I've seen what your kind can do. I'll be watching you, vampire, and make sure you treat her right."
"Believe it or not," Vellum said after surprising Mariel with a wink, "I admire that about you, Marshal. Mariel deserves a man of your ilk."
He stepped away from her then, and it was as though the sun broke through the clouds. A feeling of suspension, like thunderclouds about to dump their payload of rain, lifted, allowing Mariel to breathe easy once again.
Clay immediately stepped in to fill the void, his whiskey-colored eyes soft with concern. His large hands were warm and comforting as he pulled her into his arms and held her. "It'll be alright," he murmured against the top of her head. He rubbed her back gently. "I won't let him hurt you. It'll be alright."