Salvation in Darkness

by Nicole Edwards

  Eclipse attempted to do just that but failed. He was fucking trapped in this godforsaken basement for the foreseeable future, and he had no fucking clue where Orianna was. He had no way of getting in touch with her, despite the fact all three of them had cell phones. No one had had the sense to give her the damn numbers.

  “Hey, man, I’m calling to let you know of a situation.”

  He was barely aware of Miklós rambling on, getting whoever was on the other end of that call up to speed. Not that it would matter. No one at the mansion could go out in the sunlight, either. Not unless they wanted to coerce one of the heurosp into helping out. And the last thing they needed was another human in the mix.

  Eclipse paced over to the far side of the basement, planted his hands on the washing machine, and braced himself there. It wasn’t until Magnar shouted from behind him that he realized he was denting the damn thing with the strength of his hands.

  This wasn’t happening. Orianna was not gone. She was just … out there somewhere. With her mother. Taking care of the situation.

  He breathed in through his nose, out through his mouth.

  What if the demons had planned this? Without his soul tethered to hers, they could claim her as theirs, essentially taking him with her. Not that he gave a shit about the last part. Without Orianna, his world would cease to exist anyway, exactly what Taayin was going through now.

  “Thanks, Reidar. Let me know what you find out.”

  Eclipse turned to look at his lieterra, waiting for some fabulous news that would get them all out of this fucked-up situation.

  “It’s not the best plan in the world, but…” Miklós moved closer. “Kaj knows a couple of humans who’ve helped him out in the past. They can be here in an hour, which is a hell of a lot sooner than we can get out of here.”

  “Kaj?” Eclipse frowned.

  Miklós nodded. “When he didn’t come back this morning, Obsidian called him to check in. The male asked for a favor. Wants to take up residence in the old mansion. Obsidian gave him the go-ahead but told him to be expecting him to call in a favor. This is him calling it in.”

  Lovely. Eclipse could only imagine what sort of humans dallied with the fucking vampires.

  “It’s the only option we’ve got,” Miklós stated.

  He hated that the male was right.

  “Plus, I took the liberty of putting a tracker in Orianna’s cell phone.”

  Eclipse’s head snapped up. “You can call her?”

  “Not exactly. However, Kandarie is doing some work to get the number. In the meantime…” Miklós turned his laptop around.

  “What the fuck am I looking at?” Eclipse grumbled.

  “At least we know where she is. That’s a city-run hospital. My guess is, Orianna’s father convinced them to hold her for seventy-two hours. It’s not surprising that Orianna would go with her.”

  Yeah, but she could’ve at least told him first.

  Then again, it would’ve drawn attention to them, the police would’ve had questions, and since Elizabeth had no knowledge of them being down there … yeah, it could’ve been ugly. No wonder Orianna had caved to their request.

  Eclipse managed to breathe in deeply, exhale slowly. Some of the fire in his blood simmered down, the risk of an inferno being snuffed out. At least temporarily.

  The sound of a door opening overhead drew all their attention upward.

  Miklós closed the computer lid at the same time Eclipse killed the lights with his mind.

  “My name’s still on the deed.”

  Orianna’s father. He was back.

  “Yep. Free and clear.”

  Eclipse had no idea who the human was talking to, but based on the muffled response, he was alone. Which meant he was on the phone.

  “The house is paid for. It’s got to be a quick sell. Cash only. As-is.”

  Son of a bitch. The bastard was a real tool. Selling the house right out from under his crippled wife.

  “Between that and the life insurance policy I’ve got on Amber … yeah, I’ll be able to cover my debt.”

  The bastard. He knew Amber was dead?

  More muffled chatter ensued.

  “Then we’ll be square, right? And since Amber’s no longer a problem, you’ll call off your dogs?” There was a lengthy pause, followed by, “No. Orianna’s not gonna be an issue. If she tries to interfere, I know who to call to get her out of the way.” More air. “Yeah. I know. You won’t see or hear from me again.”

  No one would, Eclipse thought. He would make damn sure of it.

  Eclipse glanced over at Magnar. Without saying a word or implanting any thoughts, he expressed exactly what he felt on the subject. Magnar nodded, the only response needed to confirm he’d understood what Eclipse expected once they got out of this fucking basement.

  By the time the sun lowered enough Eclipse wouldn’t be turned to ash, he was hanging by a very fragile thread. Without giving a shit as to who might be waiting upstairs, he slammed his way through the door and into the kitchen.

  “I want everything packed up. Fast. Get it back to the mansion,” Eclipse ordered Miklós. “And Magnar…?”

  “Got it, boss.”

  With a nod, Eclipse vanished, taking form at the coordinates his lieterra had given him. It was all he could do to cloak himself when he walked into the hospital, ensuring the humans weren’t aware of his presence. He stormed through the main waiting room, then went one by one in the various sections of the hospital until he found Orianna. She was sitting in the cafeteria, staring down at her phone as though she could will it to ring in her hands.

  Eclipse backtracked to a vacated hallway and dropped the cloak before making his way back to her.

  He wasn’t quite ten feet away when two human males stood from their spots and headed right for him. Beneath those leather dusters, he could see the outline of their weapons. And based on the way they moved, they knew how to use them.

  It was then Orianna lifted her head and glanced over, tears pooling in her eyes as she shot to her feet and raced into his arms.

  The two males backed off instantly but didn’t leave.

  “I didn’t need bodyguards,” she said, her face pressed against his chest. “But thank you, anyway.”

  Eclipse met the gaze of the taller one, nodding his head. There were no words, but their expressions said it all. They’d fulfilled their favor to Kaj.

  “They refuse to let her go, Eclipse,” she said when they were alone. “Forcing her to do all these tests. Like an animal. I can’t believe he would do this to her. After all the shit he’s put her through.”

  “We’ll get her out of here.”

  “They said they can hold her for seventy-two hours.”

  When she pulled back and met his eyes, Eclipse offered the hint of a smile. “I’ve got ways around that, sezari. Don’t you worry about it.”

  The way her eyes lit up settled something in his chest. It erased the anxious worry that had plagued him for hours. But at the same time, it solidified a few things for him, and he knew once they got back to the mansion, there were things he had to address with her. Things that would ultimately change Orianna’s life forever.

  “I’ve got Miklós packing up your mother’s house.” He went on to explain the conversation her father’d had, leaving out the bits about Amber.

  As expected, Orianna’s response was arctic. Her anger was so potent he could feel it coming off her, washing over him.

  Tilting her head up with his finger on her chin, Eclipse met her gaze and held it. “Trust me to take care of it, sezari.”

  “I do,” she whispered. “I do trust you, I just…”

  He could see a million questions brewing but he shook his head. “It’s best you don’t know the details. But we do need to get your mother out of here. I’ve got Echo on the way to escort her back to Darkness.”

  “I should go with her.”

  Eclipse shook his head. “It’s safer for both of you if you don’t.”

>   “I can take care of myself,” she countered hotly, clearly not amused by his desire to handle the situation.

  “And I’m not arguing that point. But we’ve got some issues going down with vampires right now that directly affect the amsouelots. The less time we’re away from the mansion, the better off everyone is.”

  “What issues?”

  Eclipse didn’t have all the details on the vampire traitors, but he told Orianna what he’d learned from Obsidian regarding Darko and his attempt to overthrow the Alpha. Thankfully, it seemed to be enough to appease her, if only temporarily.

  “Your mother’s safe with Echo and Cayden. They’ll get her back with as little interaction as possible. If they leave now, they’ll make it to Darkness before sunrise.”

  “And us?” Orianna asked.

  “We’re not driving this time, sezari.”

  “Then—”

  Taking her hand, he cut her off with a request for her to take him to her mother. He figured it was probably best not to let her know that he intended to evanesce her physical form and return her to the mansion that way. Not only was it not a traditional form of travel, it was also going to be slightly painful. For her.

  But it sure as hell beat the alternative.

  Acadia was surprised there wasn’t a cloud of arctic air in her wake as she marched through the mansion, down the stairs, and along the wide hallway that bisected the subterranean chambers. She’d spent the past half hour talking herself into this confrontation, and the moment she set her mind to it, she’d felt the shift within her.

  “Where is he?” Acadia demanded when she stopped directly in front of the war room entrance.

  The enormous male currently commanding those within slowly glanced back over his shoulder.

  “You’re up early,” Obsidian said, his tone casual, as though the demand hadn’t actually snapped from her mouth.

  “Where is he?” she repeated.

  There was enough icy chill that time to have all eyes shifting to her. Expressions ranged from surprise to disbelief.

  Good. Her goal had been to get their attention. It wasn’t like her to make demands on the males she serviced, but she’d spent the entire day attempting to sleep while knowing Kaj was somewhere else. The male hadn’t returned to the mansion last night though he’d promised her he would be back before he ventured out on whatever clandestine mission he’d set in motion.

  “Acadia?” Obsidian sounded like he was attempting to soothe a wild animal.

  “Don’t placate me, Obsidian. Where is Kaj?”

  After rumbling something to the others, the male raised a hand, motioning her toward the hall. Lifting her skirts, a move that was second nature, seemed strangely stifling at the moment. Why did she wear these dresses again?

  Once Obsidian made his way over, Acadia pivoted, then stormed out of the war room. Probably would’ve had more impact if she had shoes on, but … well, Acadia didn’t like shoes. Never had.

  “What’s wrong?” Obsidian’s voice was low and edged with concern.

  “Kaj. He’s gone. Where is he?”

  “I talked to him early this morning,” he explained, his tone soothing, relaxed. “I called to check on him. He wasn’t able to make it back before the sun came up. But he’s fine. He’ll probably stroll in any minute now.”

  She hated that she was worried about the male. It angered her that he’d brought out these feelings, made her actually care about him. Acadia didn’t want to have feelings for him. Of any kind. Least of all … love.

  “I expect you to keep me appraised,” she insisted.

  Obsidian’s eyebrows rose above the dark shades that covered his eyes.

  “I apologize,” she added quickly, lowering her gaze respectfully. “I don’t mean to be … like this.”

  “Is there something between you and Kaj?”

  She’d known the question would come sooner or later. “Of course not.”

  It was a lie, something Acadia had sworn never to do to Obsidian, but she had no desire for him to know what was going on—not that there was anything. But still, she had a strange desire to keep her … whatever it was Kaj invoked in her … from unraveling. The more people who knew, the more chaotic things would get.

  “You know I can read you, right?”

  Acadia huffed. It was a truly un-Fae-like thing to do, but she couldn’t bring herself to care.

  “Fine,” she blurted. “I’ve been feeding him. And I … well, I got the sense he was in trouble. So I wanted to be sure.”

  Obsidian stared at her, clearly not believing a word coming out of her mouth, but oh, well. Acadia was in a mood and he would just have to deal. He knew her better than anyone else because she had been with Obsidian since the beginning of their mission, some fifteen hundred years ago. They’d been through everything together, all the ups and downs. Granted, most of her ups and downs were more like gently rolling hills, not this mountain-versus-valley thing she had going on now.

  “I’ve known Kaj a long time, Acadia. And I’ve been immersed in the vampire world, so I know what happens when—”

  Acadia lifted her hand. “Do not say it.” She shook her head. “Do not tell me he’s bonded with me. It’s just not true and I’m—”

  “He’s asked to move into the old place.”

  Her eyes widened, her jaw falling open. “What?”

  “Kaj wants to reside outside of these walls.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he’s the vampire Alpha, Acadia. Being under this roof with males who will not, under any circumstance, submit to his will… For a vampire, that’s not easy. Especially him. He needs space from us, but he wants to remain close.”

  “And Bijou?”

  “He’d prefer she stay here. At least until he can get back to some semblance of normalcy.”

  “Who’ll live there with him?” Not that she cared. Really. She didn’t.

  “From what I gather, he’s located some of the Zenith.”

  But she thought they’d all been killed in the raids. At least that was what they’d learned on the Misplaced Halos message boards. Not exactly CNN, but it gave them insight into what was going on for those species the humans didn’t know existed.

  “Hey, Obsidian? You got a minute?”

  Acadia waved him off. “Go. Take care of that. I … uh … I just need some time to myself.”

  “You sure? I’m here, Acadia. Anytime you want to talk.”

  “I know.”

  She turned away from him, needing a minute for all this to sink in. Although she wasn’t convinced any amount of time would allow for that to happen, it was imperative she get her thoughts in order.

  Otherwise, she had no chance of confronting Kaj. About anything, least of all whatever this was between them.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  “She cool?” Reidar asked Obsidian when the big boss man strolled back into the war room.

  Obsidian waved him off, as usual. “She’s fine. A little antsy but she’s worried about Kaj.”

  “That male can take care of himself,” Reidar assured him.

  “I know that, and you know that, but Acadia … she’s not seeing him the same way we are.”

  Because she was looking through the rosy veil of her feelings for the male. Reidar got it. More so than he wanted to admit. The way things stood between him and Winnie had Reidar feeling like he was free-falling without wings to slow his descent. And though he’d managed to hold Winnie off for the time being, he knew he was merely biding his time. Or wasting hers, as Winnie had told him that evening when he woke.

  Not that she was wrong. However, wiping out entire sections of her memory wasn’t something he was looking forward to. He blamed himself for jumping the gun, for getting her into this mess in the first place. If he’d simply done his damn job and kept an eye on her from afar, Winnie never would’ve known he existed, and she damn sure wouldn’t have been immersed in a world that technically wasn’t supposed to be real according to human lore
.

  “Can you get me a location on Kaj?”

  Obsidian’s voice registered, pulling Reidar out of his scrambled thoughts and back on the task at hand.

  “Last we picked up on him, he was hunkered down in an abandoned warehouse nearby,” Reidar informed him.

  “Good. That means he’s close. And Michael?”

  Reidar peered over at the male. “What about him?”

  “Is he here?”

  Reidar frowned. “Why would he be?”

  Obsidian exhaled heavily. “I need some face time with my brothers. By the end of the week.”

  “Can I tell them what it’s about?”

  “I’ll let it be a surprise.”

  Great. Reidar knew how much the warriors enjoyed surprises.

  It was the work of a moment to get the schedules aligned so that the brothers would all be under one roof and the missions to find the amsouelots would not be interrupted more than they already had been. As it was, the search for Asmia had taken precedence, but the urgency for finding those females belonging to the warriors was equally important. Considering the repercussions if Lucifer were to get his hands on one of them…

  Why was it everything seemed to be out of control right now? It was as though chaos had settled over the mansion and was doing its best to stir shit up. Not quite a year ago, they’d been spending their nights fighting demons, seeking them out rather than being on the defensive. These days, demons were the least of their worries, save for those who’d been slated to find the amsouelots, Perfidious having been at the top of that most-wanted list. Now they were looking for him for an entirely different reason.

  Reidar thought back to Winnie’s demand that he leave the mansion, otherwise she was going without him. He had to wonder whether he would’ve been able to agree even if she had been his amsouelot. The thought of leaving his family behind…

  With a heavy exhale, Reidar turned his attention to the others in the room. Now was not the time for his personal bullshit to get in the way. He’d deal with that later.

  Much later if he was lucky.

  “You look lovely this evening,” Perfidious told Asmia when the female stood to greet him.