Salvation in Darkness

by Nicole Edwards

  She had no idea what spurred these strange urges, because Orianna had never had a strong sex drive. No, she wasn’t some sappy virgin who was waiting for Mr. Right to come along and sweep her off her feet, but she definitely wouldn’t mind a guy who knew how to work the tools he’d been given. Unfortunately, she’d yet to find him. But hope bloomed eternal, right?

  Tilting her head back, she reached over and pulled open the end table/nightstand drawer, retrieved her trusty vibrator before flipping off the lamp.

  Unlike any of her ex-boyfriends, her battery-operated boyfriend had fantastic stamina and damn good aim, and he’d come in handy these past few weeks.

  Relaxing into the cushions, she closed her eyes once more, hoping to find that connection that linked her to the man in the alley. It wasn’t that she really thought he was somehow reaching out to her telepathically, because that shit didn’t happen. However, she did enjoy the fantasy of it all, her imagination having been hijacked by sinful thoughts of the handsome savior.

  Orianna allowed one hand to slide over her chest as she lay in the dark, tugging the T-shirt up to reveal her belly. Her skin prickled with awareness, nipples hardening into points. Her touch wasn’t going to ignite the flames, but it was a start.

  “Are you there?” she whispered, knowing she sounded like an idiot but too far gone to care.

  When no one responded, she conjured images of the handsome man, remembering him exactly as he had been in that alley. Tall, dark, and deliciously dangerous. Though she tried to hang on to the image of his chiseled face, the most she saw these days was a blurred jaw, dark shades, and the sexy mohawk. She remembered the way that bullet had slammed into him, those strong fingers as they’d searched for the cut on the back of her head. God, she would give anything to feel his touch again.

  “I wish you were here,” she said softly, flipping on the vibrator and trailing it over her hip bone toward her center.

  I wish I was there, too.

  Her eyes flew open as they did every time his voice echoed in her mind, just to ensure no one was in the room, because those words sounded as though they’d been spoken directly into her ear. The dark cadence of his voice was so real, as though she could reach out and touch him.

  Content she was still alone, she closed her eyes once again.

  “I wish I could feel your hands on me,” she said softly. “It’s the only thing I can think about anymore.”

  Let me hear you pleasure yourself, Orianna.

  Of course she did his imaginary bidding, sliding the vibrator between her legs, grazing her clit. It was how it always started, her aware of the toy between her legs, her hand guiding it until at some point she would drift. Reality was replaced by fantasy, and in her head she saw vivid images of the man. He was always kneeling between her legs, his tongue working magic against her sex, making her moan and sigh.

  And like usual, she wasn’t sure how much time passed as he worked her over, taking her to the peak again and again before finally allowing her to barrel over the edge into the blissful abyss.

  Unfortunately, the aftermath was the same as well. Orianna opened her eyes, instantly missing the warmth she’d felt during those few brief moments when she’d been sure his hands, lips, and wicked tongue had been on her body.

  Orianna?

  The voice only sounded in her head, but it was so clear, Orianna shot up off the couch, snapped on the light, and stared around the tiny apartment. Aside from the bathroom, there was only one room, so she didn’t have to look far to know she was alone.

  I need you, Orianna. I don’t want to go this alone anymore.

  She scanned the empty room, wishing like hell he was there.

  “I need you, too,” she whispered softly, wondering if she’d finally drifted down that slippery slope into insanity.

  Chapter Five

  Eclipse’s heart was racing, his breaths sawing in and out of his lungs as he lay in the dark, a fragile connection still lingering between him and Orianna.

  I need you here with me, he relayed, relishing the way she responded as though she knew who he was. As though it was possible she didn’t think of him as a murderer, a male she should be scared of.

  Like usual, the connection faded all too quickly, and Eclipse was left alone in his private quarters, wishing Orianna was there with him. Despite the fact he’d come during those brief moments of shared passion, his cock was still hard, still aching. It had been that way since the night he’d encountered her in that alley. Little had he known at the time, but he’d been face-to-face with his amsouelot. The human male had called her Amber, but that had been a case of mistaken identity. The female had been none other than Orianna McKay, the elusive Amber’s younger sister and Eclipse’s life mate.

  No doubt, he hadn’t made the best impression as far as first meetings went, what with killing the human and all. Most males probably opted for dinner and a movie as a means of making a first impression. Not him. Nope. He vividly remembered the shock on her face when he’d snapped that fucker’s neck, sending him into Lucifer’s waiting arms without an ounce of regret.

  Well, that wasn’t true. There was some regret. If he’d had it all to do over again, he would’ve ensured she was far, far away before he’d offed the bastard who’d threatened her life. But he would do it again, of that he had no doubt.

  Sliding down into the bed, Eclipse closed his eyes, willing his body to relax long enough to catch a few z’s.

  Later that evening, Eclipse was sitting in the third-floor living room, staring at the television screen, and flipping the remote in his hand when Aphotic appeared out of thin air. The sight of his brother made Eclipse grin and not only because he was happy to see him.

  Oh, no. It was the dusty Wranglers and the snazzy black felt hat on his head that gave him the most amusement.

  “What the fuck are you wearing?”

  Aphotic smirked and tugged on the brim of the hat. “You like?”

  “I’m not sure I’d go that far.” He motioned toward the hat. “Perhaps we should start calling you Tex.”

  “You could try,” Aphotic countered, strolling over to peer at the television. “What’re you watching?”

  He glanced back at the screen and offered a one-shoulder shrug. “Avengers.”

  “The new one?”

  “No idea.”

  Honestly, he really didn’t know because he’d spent more time staring into space than paying attention to what was happening on screen. His thoughts were stuck on the interaction he’d had with Orianna early this morning, right before he’d fallen asleep for the day.

  “You should check it out,” Aphotic stated, always ready and armed to recommend the next best television show or movie. It was a wonder Aphotic got anything done for all the time he spent in front of the TV.

  “Yeah. Maybe.” He clicked the remote to shut off the television. “What brings you by?”

  “Obsidian summoned us.”

  Ah. Right. Family meeting to discuss the status of Kaj and his daughter.

  “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask…” Eclipse got to his feet. “How’s Taayin doing?”

  Aphotic frowned. “No idea. He’s not working with me right now.”

  Eclipse stared blankly at his brother. “What? According to the schedule he is.”

  “He was. Took off a couple of days ago. Said he was coming back here. He didn’t?”

  No, he hadn’t. But that didn’t surprise Eclipse. Ever since the shit that went down with Perfidious, the lieterra had made himself scarce. Since Asmia was here at the mansion, having moved officially into the role of Penelope’s ritarro, Taayin was avoiding the place like the plague. Almost as though he blamed the Fae for what had gone down.

  “They’ll figure it out,” Aphotic said, clearly reading Eclipse’s mind.

  “I damn sure hope so.”

  “Anyone else here yet?” Aphotic inquired.

  “Not that I’ve seen.”

  “Up for a beer?”

  Eclipse
grinned as he got to his feet. “Always.”

  They both vanished, reforming in the underground bar.

  “Shit!” Malak shouted. “Warn a guy, would ya? Scared the hell outta me.”

  Eclipse studied the male for a moment before glancing around. Considering they were all popping in and out at random times, it was rare to find someone who was surprised by the move. Generally that meant they were trying to hide something.

  “What’re you doing down here?” he asked, not bothering to hide his curiosity.

  Malak’s eyes lowered. “Trying to find some peace and quiet.”

  “And your private quarters won’t do the trick why?” Aphotic asked, making his way behind the bar.

  When Malak didn’t answer, Eclipse realized the male wasn’t seeking solitude. “Who’re you hiding from?”

  Uncertain blue eyes shot toward the stairs. “Raksa.”

  “You’re in luck. He’s on patrol,” Eclipse told him. “Won’t be back till morning.”

  “Something going on with you and him?” Aphotic set a beer on the bar, then rested his forearms on the polished wood, giving Malak his undivided attention.

  “Nothing like what’s going on with your hat,” Malak countered, grinning.

  Eclipse chuckled while Aphotic preened. The male seemed quite fond of the cowboy duds. Made Eclipse curious as to what his brother would’ve morphed into if he’d been in, say, California rather than Texas.

  Before they could launch into more digs on his clothes, voices sounded from the stairwell. A second later, Obsidian, Stygian, and Cimmerian appeared. Three sets of eyes instantly surveyed the scene as they approached.

  “Glad you’re here,” Obsidian told Malak. “I need the lieterras.”

  Shadow’s ladeare nodded, then pulled out his phone as he started toward the far end of the room.

  Obsidian marched over to Aphotic, offered the male a back-slapping hug.

  “You ever notice how much of a hugger he is?” Eclipse teased.

  “Hey, I’m glad they’re home,” Obsidian said defensively, grinning ear to ear.

  That was Obsidian for you. Always wanting the family together. Sometimes Eclipse figured he was more of a father figure than a brother, but since Eclipse hadn’t seen his own father since the male turned him out to the warrior camp, perhaps that wasn’t a bad thing.

  “Where’s—”

  “I’m here,” Shadow announced when he appeared.

  “And—”

  “Quit nagging,” Piceous grumbled, taking form near the bar.

  A round of laughter ensued.

  “That only leaves the lieterras,” Obsidian said, taking the beer Aphotic offered.

  Once everyone had a drink in hand, they relocated to the seating area. Eclipse plopped down on the leather sofa, Cimmerian taking the spot beside him. Stygian planted himself at one of the high-tops, Obsidian pulling out a chair beside him. Shadow and Piceous opted to stand, and Aphotic perched on the arm of the other sofa.

  “So, what’s this about?” Stygian prompted, clearly speaking to Obsidian while his attention was on Aphotic. “What the hell are you wearing?”

  Aphotic merely laughed this time, tipping his hat in greeting. “Don’t be jealous, brother.”

  “Jealous?” Stygian’s smirk grew. “I was just wondering if we needed to man the door for the trick-or-treaters, ’cause that, my brother, is one helluva Halloween costume.”

  “Remember when he went through that John Travolta phase?” Piceous asked.

  “Which one?” Cimmerian glanced at all the faces. “Saturday Night Fever or Grease? Because he did both.”

  The laughter ensued.

  “What about his Vlad the Impaler era?” Shadow shook his head, grinning wide. “That mustache.”

  Aphotic was laughing as much as the others, clearly not at all bothered that they teased him. It was true, though, their youngest brother did go through phases.

  Unfortunately, the laughter died off when footsteps sounded on the stairs. Taayin, Søren, Miklós, Decebal, Zadok, Theron, and Stian sauntered out of the stairwell, the lieterras scanning the room before joining them.

  Eclipse watched Taayin, noticing the male’s eyes traversed the entire space before he took a relieved breath. Probably worried he’d run into Asmia. Eclipse had no idea why those two remained on the outs. One would think Taayin would’ve been content to know the female was safe and not in the clutches of that demon. Instead, he seemed to be all hung up on the fact the female he loved was not his amsouelot.

  “As you’re all aware,” Obsidian began, “Kaj showed up last night, looking for refuge for his daughter.”

  Obsidian went on to explain the high-level details of the vampire war taking place and the loss of their Alpha. No matter how many times he heard it, Eclipse couldn’t help but think it sucked ass. The mere thought of any race being targeted for elimination was disheartening. Perhaps once they located all the amsouelots and ensured God wasn’t going to smite them down at any moment, they could help Kaj and his people.

  “While I gave them permission to stay temporarily, I need everyone’s approval to make it long term.”

  That was Obsidian for you. They all looked to him as their leader, but he’d never been the kind to make major decisions without their input. Perhaps that was what made him best for the role. He didn’t attempt to run things in a vacuum, knowing the best way to tackle the difficult issues was to be a united front.

  “Is he planning to stay?” Stygian asked. “Or just his daughter?”

  “I haven’t had the chance to talk to him at length yet, but unless anyone objects, I’d like to offer refuge to both, regardless of whether he intends to stay.”

  “I don’t see a problem with it,” Eclipse told them. “He’s always been there when we needed him.”

  Then, of course, there was the fact the male had bonded with one of the Fae. Granted, Eclipse wasn’t going to give that thought voice because he respected the vampire. When Kaj was ready for them to know, Eclipse figured he’d share.

  “Agreed,” Stygian said.

  “Do we know anything about the daughter?” Shadow questioned.

  “Only the basics. She’s young. Showed up on Kaj’s doorstep a year ago when her mother died,” Obsidian explained. “Killed by a group of shadow beasts.”

  “While I sympathize with her situation, I’d like to know more about her,” Piceous noted. “We’ve got two humans in residence right now, plus Penelope’s here. If we’re lucky, all of our amsouelots will be here very soon. Seems we should know what we’re getting ourselves into before we invite two vampires to live with us.”

  Eclipse glanced from face to face, listening as the others weighed in. The vote hung precariously at the fifty-fifty mark, those who knew Kaj not batting an eye while the others were a bit more cautious.

  “Søren, can you do some digging?” Stygian asked his lieterra.

  “Of course.”

  “Keep it on the DL,” Obsidian instructed. “I have no idea what you might uncover, if anything, but it’s for our eyes only.”

  Søren nodded. “Understood.”

  “In the meantime,” Stygian continued, “I see no reason they can’t stay here.” He peered at Obsidian. “I do think we should get Reidar’s input since his amsouelot is currently residing with us.”

  Being that Winnie was human, Reidar would likely be doubly cautious considering she was mortal.

  Obsidian nodded. “I’ll meet with him when we’re done here. Now that we’ve got that figured out, how about an update.”

  All eyes shifted to him first, and Eclipse exhaled heavily. “I’ve yet to make contact with the female again,” he admitted. “However, we do know where she’s currently living and working. I’ve got Magnar keeping an eye on her as we speak.”

  “Do you have intentions of engaging?”

  Eclipse glanced at each of his brothers. “It’s a bit more complicated than a simple hi, how are ya.”

  “Because she witnessed
you killing a human?” Stygian said.

  He nodded, then cut his gaze to the floor.

  And while his brothers went through their updates regarding their endless searches for the females they were destined to be with, Eclipse had to wonder if his amsouelot wouldn’t be better off destined to someone else.

  “Is there anything I can get you?” Asmia offered, doing her best to keep from making eye contact with Penelope as she performed her duties as the female’s ritarro.

  “You could sit.”

  She could, yes. Or she could simply work off the restless energy that coursed through her veins.

  Ever since Taayin took off to help in the search for the amsouelots, Asmia had been on edge, wondering if he would ever return to her. And she wasn’t referring to the mission, either. From what she gathered from the updates provided to the fiestreigh, the males weren’t in much danger aside from the expected encounters with demons. According to the meeting minutes, they spent a majority of their time searching amongst the humans, not trading bullets or blades with evil.

  No, it wasn’t his life she worried about. Asmia feared his heart would be what never returned to her.

  Oh, how she missed him. Every now and then, Asmia would swear there was a cold ache in her bones brought on by his absence. But then she would shake it off, because Taayin was not her amsouelot, so there were no physical aches from the distance between them. It was merely wishful thinking on her part.

  However, the sorrow and grief were real, no doubt about it. Her heart had been through the blender, and the only thing she wanted was the chance to talk to him, to figure out what she needed to do to fix things between them.

  “Please, Asmia, sit. Catch me up on the gossip,” Penelope prompted.

  Asmia had feared she would say that. However, as Penelope’s ritarro, she could deny Obsidian’s ereswa nothing. It was her honor and her duty to tend to Penelope’s every need. Not that the female asked for much, which was both a blessing and a curse. Without something to do, Asmia was left with far too much time to think. And since there was only one thing on her mind these days, the less solitary time she had, the better.