Obsidian Mask

by Scarlett Dawn

  Ember pounced, nodding quickly. “Yeah. We’d like that,” she glanced at Grigori, looking hopeful, “Right?”

  Grigori nodded slowly, staring at her. “Yeah. We’d like that.”

  Ember smiled great big, her shoulders actually lowered as if a weight had been lifted, and I was pretty sure her chin trembled for the barest heartbeat…and no one missed it before she looked back at Zane even though she played it off well. “Thank you. It’ll be fun.” She shrugged, playing it cool now. “Even if it is mundane.”

  Zane nodded, playing it just as cool, but watching her just as closely as Grigori. “Maybe we’ll even go bowling.” His eyes went wide. “Or maybe to an arcade. I haven’t been to one of those in years.”

  “Dude, I’d so kick your ass in Golden Tee,” Mary stated factually, popping her hand on the other and pushing forward with her palm like she was teeing off.

  “What’s Golden Tee?” Grigori, Ember, and Zane all said together.

  I laughed outright, nudging Mary when her eyes went wide. “The beauty of hanging out with the older crowd.”

  She blinked and shrugged. “It’ll make it easier to kick their asses.”

  I leaned over into Daniil and watched everyone enjoying their time together, and after a bit, I said to Daniil softly, “This is nice.”

  “What is, my sweet?” Daniil asked just as softly, sipping on vodka.

  “This. My family. Your family. Just…it’s peaceful. I never would have imagined that.”

  Daniil kissed my head and wrapped his arm around me.

  It was peaceful, just like I had said.

  Watching and listening to Mary sing was like a whole new insight into her. It was always a shock to the system when I saw her sing. It was beautiful…but eerily twisted. She sang songs you would normally pick during a break-up with a boyfriend. She sat in the middle of the stage in a chair with her band members behind her, a pianist, a guitarist, and a cello. The light shone down on just her with the other shaded in blue spotlights. And she wore black. All black—which was nothing like her normal crazy attire.

  I sipped on my water and glanced around at our surroundings, wondering what Daniil thought of it. It wasn’t exactly his four-star restaurant or even Crimson City or Obsidian City worthy. It was just a small dive, in a not so great part of town, catering to your normal average Joe New Yorker, which really wasn’t saying much since half of them had purple or pink hair, and the other half wore flannel shirt and baseball caps. It really was a mix of the middle class.

  The place had four walls and a roof, halfway clean tables that were only slightly sticky, and a decent sized dance floor that looked good and scuffed—well used and well loved by the way it still managed to shine through the couples slow dancing to Mary’s music.

  “Bored?” I asked Daniil softly. This was the type of place I would hang out with my family. Busy, but not too rowdy…and the drinks were inexpensive if I weren’t pregnant.

  He shook his head, staring at Mary. “No. Not at all.” He glanced at me, his eyebrows puckering. “Do you want to leave? Are you getting tired?” He glanced at his watch.

  I placed my hand over it and shook my head. “No. I don’t want to leave. That was just my polite way of making sure you were all right with these surroundings.”

  Daniil glanced at me, and around at everyone in the club, and slowly, he turned his head back to me, a slow smile lifting his lips. “Be careful or I’ll think you’re calling me a snob.”

  I snorted. “You are.” I pointed at his perfect feet. “You have your feet manicured, for God’s sake.”

  Daniil’s grin increased. “I’ll have you know that this is the exact type of place I loved to go to in Moscow.”

  I blinked. “Seriously?” He looked like he was telling the truth.

  He nodded, moving his head in closer to mine. “Yes. Seriously. I may know that an establishment like this doesn’t make that much of a profit, so I would never open one myself, but do you want to know why I came to places like this when no one was around?”

  I shook my head, mystified.

  He kissed my lips softly. “Because it was easier to do this without anyone grumbling.”

  “To do what?”

  He reached over, placing a hand on Roman’s shoulder. “You’ll see.” He leaned over saying something against Roman’s ear…who groaned but nodded. And they both stood up and started making their way across the dance floor, and stood at the edge of the tiny platform, waiting…Jesus, what?...they walked onto the stage when Mary stopped singing, and she glanced at them smiling.

  Daniil bent down and asked her something, and her eyes widened, but she nodded. And then Daniil went and tapped the guy on the shoulder at the piano, the same as Roman was doing to the guy on the cello. And my jaw dropped when Daniil and Roman took their places.

  “Oh, my God.”

  Grigori chuckled next to me. “Papa made all of us study an instrument growing up, but only Roman took after him and is able to play damn near any instrument.”

  I shook my head as I watched Daniil and Roman get comfortable. “Is there anything he doesn’t know?”

  Grigori was silent and then stated, “Wine. He doesn’t understand the complexities of it.”

  I choked and nodded. Great. I had thought Daniil was halfway joking. Apparently not.

  And then Daniil started playing the piano, and I realized it was My Immortal by Evanescence. Seriously one of the most beautiful songs ever written. I didn’t even realize I had stood when Mary started to sing. I was now moving across the dance floor as Roman started playing the cello, letting my feet take me where I wanted to go—up the stairs to the stage.

  I stood behind Daniil with my arms wrapped around his shoulders with my cheek pressed to his, watching his fingers fly over the keyboard to this heart-wrenching song. His cheek moved against mine as he smiled, and he turned and kissed my forehead even as he continued to play. I held him, but lightly, moving with his body wherever he needed to move on the board, slightly swaying with him. And my God, was he talented.

  I had seen the music room in their house, full of all kinds of instruments, but never saw anyone using it, with the workout room and gym getting much more attention. But now I knew why he had it. He may be good at many things…but playing music…he seriously had a God-given talent. Roman did too. To go right along with Mary’s soul-tearing voice.

  As the song ended, and as his fingers played the last chord, I reached down, pulling them back slowly and kissed them gently. “That was beautiful.”

  He turned on the bench, peering up at me with honest, content eyes. “Thank you.”

  I licked my lips. “Can I see you play something else?”

  He nodded slowly, a special twinkle in his eye. “I think I know the perfect song.” Daniil took my hand quickly, pulling me over to Mary. Daniil asked her something quietly.

  She laughed, nodding. “Last one. Otherwise, my guys will get jealous.”

  Daniil nodded and politely thanked her, snapping his finger at Roman and pointing to the piano. Roman even wore that look in his eye. The happy contented look. He nodded without argument moving from the cello to the piano, saying something to Mary as he passed her. She nodded, her grin huge, laughing.

  Musicians just seem to have this bond.

  Odd to me, but no less fact.

  Daniil politely borrowed the guitar from the slightly disgruntled gentleman while Mary pushed her chair back, standing, and stating, “This is dedicated to…” She paused, walking over and putting the mic at Daniil’s mouth as he sat down, tugging me on his lap. Daniil cleared his throat, his cheeks—sweet Jesus, how seriously adorable—pinking, but he stated clearly, “To Beth.”

  I bit my lip, not glancing out at the crowd, who cheered politely, this crowd not really knowing who we were. Daniil kissed my cheek quickly, situating me so he could play the guitar around me. It really wasn’t a problem since his arms were so long and I was so small. I pushed his hair behind one ear so I could see hi
s face without it hanging in the way, and then placed my arm over his shoulder and the other on my lap so they wouldn’t get in the way.

  Mary chuckled into the mic and she grinned out at the audience. “This isn’t my normal slow stuff, so get ready to dance!”

  She glanced at Daniil and Roman, and threw her hands in the air and started clapping them, saying loudly, “One, Two, Three, Four!”

  Daniil started playing, and I stilled, realizing he had picked a completely cute and corny, but appropriate song. I smiled, and God, it actually hurt my cheeks I knew it was so big. They began playing I’m A Believer by Smash Mouth. Mary sang and Roman actually made up his own damn part, sounding perfect with the song, since I wasn’t sure if there was an actual piano in the piece, and Daniil’s eyes darted to mine, his cheeks turning pink again.

  I kissed his burning cheek. “It’s perfect.”

  He kept playing, but turned his head and flat out kissed me right there in front of everyone. I managed to not bump him as the dancing crowd cheered with good-natured jeers, and I laughed against his mouth. God, he was something else. He leaned back, his eyes on mine as he sang right along with Mary, who I was thrilled to say was better than he was…but, sadly, not by much since he was actually pretty damn good at that, too.

  I couldn’t decide between watching his hands or his eyes and mouth while he played and sang. I improvised, glancing back and forth between the two. Mary stuck the mic in front of his mouth, and he grinned at me, singing into it as his cheeks went even pinker.

  Mary smirked at me, and pulled the mic back and started bopping to the music again as she sang…yeah…and I couldn’t look away from Daniil after that. He was seriously laying it all out there. No holds barred, push back all of my defenses, take no prisoners, full frontal assault. And my God, it was working like a charm. Because, at that moment, as the great head of the Russian Mafia sang to me in front of everyone…well, fuck…I didn’t know anyone who wouldn’t have fallen in love with him…

  I fell over the edge I had been so carefully holding myself back from—and it must have shown because Daniil’s eyes crinkled as he grinned so damn happily. I placed my palms on his cheeks as he stopped playing, the song ending. I leaned down, whispering, “Yeah. I’m in love with you. Now stop grinning and kiss me.”

  He chuckled, but placed the guitar on the ground and engulfed me in his arms, and stroked my lips with adoration. Deeply. Happily. With tongue right in front of everyone. The fireworks went off right along with the cheering crowd.

  Mary was the one to interrupt us, nudging my shoulder, stating calmly at my ear, “Your parents are in the crowd, you know.”

  I leaned back, placing a finger on Daniil’s lips when he followed almost drunkenly…which I got completely, except for Mary had said the magic words—my parents. That brings anyone down. “Thanks, Mary.”

  “No prob.” She patted Daniil arm. “Welcome to the family, by the way. You and Roman are welcome to play anytime while I’m singing…just not now since my guys are seriously getting pissed.”

  Daniil blinked, his eyes slowly moving away from my mouth to Mary’s face. “Huh?”

  Mary’s shoulders shook, and she glanced at me. “He’s not so scary right now.”

  I chuckled, slapping his shoulder. “Come on. We need to move.”

  He cleared his throat and stood…with me still in his arms. “I want to dance.” He glanced at Mary, his eyebrows snapping together, ordering sternly, “Sing something slow if you can handle that.”

  Mary snorted. “Funny man.”

  His lips twitched, but his gaze was back on mine as he moved, carrying me off the stage and down the stairs to the dance floor. His gaze was heated and possessive, and no one got in his way. As soon as my feet hit the floor, his lips were on mine, and I barely noticed when the music began and we started moving. It was one hell of a kiss.

  The night wasn’t even ruined when some jackass from the audience, apparently the one person knowing who we were, videoed the entire stage performance and even some of our dancing, and then plastered it all over YouTube before we even got home. And honestly, other than the fact that there were actually reporters waiting outside Daniil’s home for a week straight didn’t even bother me. I took the opportunity given, and asked Artur to help me take some still shots of the performance online, and print them out. He was even kind enough to buy a frame for me since I stayed around the house instead of going out into the mess.

  I handed over my gift to Daniil late one night when he was up working late. He stared at the photo of me wrapped around him from behind on the piano. The one of us smiling at each other as I sat on his lap while he played the guitar. And, the final one in the triangle of us kissing on the dance floor.

  He got up wordlessly and moved into the bedroom, placing the frame smack on the top of his bare dresser. And then he wordlessly threw me on the bed and followed down right on top of me, murmuring how much he loved me. Yeah, in darkness, there’s always a light somewhere. You just have to find it. And we did. Very much so.

  Nothing could beat that night when I realized I was in love with Daniil. The very same day he had professed his love for me. Every day thereafter had been damn near perfect as my mom and I worked throughout the day trying to decide what to do with the babies’ room and fixing that picture for Daniil…but there was a day that beat it.

  Daniil held my hand but leaned over me again as I lay on the doctor’s table while Dr. Wisser moved that weird contraption around on my stomach again and we all stared avidly at the screen. I was officially seven weeks pregnant, and Dr. Wisser said we might hear the babies’ heartbeats today. At least, he said it was a possibility.

  “Anything?” Daniil asked gruffly, clearing his throat hard.

  “Just a second. I’m measuring first.” He moved the contraption around, thumping on the keyboard. “You’ll be pleased to know you can keep having intercourse until I say otherwise. The babies are positioned fine for it. But, keep it gentle like I said before.”

  Daniil’s hand was actually a little clammy, and he had mine in a death grip, but I didn’t mind. I was probably cutting off his circulation, too. Daniil nodded at the doctor’s comment, sparing me a glance to grin with a come-to-papa expression. I snorted and went back to watching the screen.

  The doctor flipped a switch of some sort, and suddenly, there were red and blue colors on the top of the screen, and he studied them, and hit another button, stating, “Here’s Baby One.”

  Whooshoo-whooshoo-whooshoo.

  I closed my eyes, hearing the most beautiful sound in the world.

  Daniil asked suddenly, “That’s the heartbeat?” I glanced up at him, smiling, but he looked worried when the doctor nodded. “It’s too fast, isn’t it?”

  “No. That’s normal.” He paused hitting another button on the screen. “It’s actually a very nice strong heartbeat for only seven weeks.”

  Daniil breath rushed past his lips, and he abruptly leaned down, kissing my neck. “Hear that?”

  “Mmm-hmm,” I murmured, closing my eyes again.

  “It’s beautiful,” he whispered, breathing heavily. I was afraid he was going to pass out again, so I didn’t tell him his chin was killing my collarbone. The man was seriously tough as shit but put him in a doctor’s room, talking about his babies, and he was a nervous wreck. I’d never told anyone he passed out before, and I didn’t want a repeat performance and have to call one of his kids to tell them we were going to the hospital. It had freaked me out too badly the last time.

  “Okay, let’s see if we can find baby—” the doctor stopped moving the little contraption and chuckled. “Well, that was easy. Here’s Baby Two.”

  And we heard another little fast-paced whooshoo-whooshoo-whooshoo.

  Still against my neck, Daniil breathed in heavily and out slowly.

  I just lay there and started petting his hair, silently listening to my baby’s heart and feeling the sweetest glow and warmth start in my chest. And I recognized th
e feeling like it was inert—just a simple part of me.

  Love. Unconditional love for the little ones inside me. But, also a possessive feeling, which I thought odd until Daniil murmured quietly, “Those are our babies. Yours and mine, my sweet.” His gaze was so forcefully, I understood he was feeling it, too. It wasn’t just a connection of two people joining together…but…a parental connection. It was new and surprising, but I welcomed it nonetheless and let it in without a fight. We were going to be parents for these babies together. Two people working and loving as one unit for these babies.

  “Okay, on to Baby Three,” Dr. Wisser murmured, moving the contraption up and slightly tilted. He moved it around for forever. Daniil and I both knew the odds. Having three was more than risky.

  Daniil’s frame stiffened as one minute passed.

  Two minutes.

  Dr. Wisser said, “Here’s Baby Three.”

  The sweet whoohshoo-whooshoo-whooshoo filled the air.

  I choked, tears streaming down my cheeks. Happy, so damn deliriously happy, tears ran freely.

  Daniil, on the other hand, took the news and sound of our third child’s heartbeat differently. He jumped away from me, straight into the air, shouting, “Fuck yes! Those are my damn babies!”

  I jumped. The doctor jumped. Hell, I even heard a thump outside in the hallway at his victorious holler.

  He pumped his fists in the air, grinning like a fool, whooping pretty damn loudly. Again.

  The doctor paused with his hands over me, just staring, but I laughed after my initial startle and stated, “Hush, Daniil, or the bodyguards are going to come in.”

  He blinked and his chest rose. And all that went through my mind was, oh, shit. And suddenly, he was yanking the door open, shouting at the guards to get in the room and hear his “fucking babies’ heartbeats!” Christ. I seriously had to open my mouth.