Protected in Darkness (Misplaced Halos, 1)

by Nicole Edwards

  Obsidian’s hand fisted in her hair, tipping her head back. His lips fused to hers as he drove into her, deeper than ever before. She moaned, clearing her mind and allowing her body to take over. That did the trick. With Obsidian moving inside her, the torment was replaced with a beautiful, blinding sense of completion. She was whole when she was with him. Cold replaced by heat, darkness filled with light.

  Jerking her mouth from his, Penelope kicked her head back and screamed his name as the orgasm tore through her, leaving her shredded in its wake. Shredded and so completely fulfilled.

  Obsidian pushed up onto his arms and she stared at him. The way his thick shoulder muscles flexed and bunched so sinuously, his entire body tense as he pumped his hips, chasing his own release … it had another tremor detonating. That silver glow had become familiar, and she welcomed it, especially when she realized it was a reflection of his emotions. The more powerful they became, the brighter his eyes were.

  He was close, she could feel it. Penelope focused on the friction of his body inside her, and as another tremor began, his thumb brushed over her cheek.

  “I love you, ayreme,” he said gruffly.

  Her heart somersaulted in her chest, filled to overflowing with emotion. “I love you, too,” she whispered.

  This time, when he came, it was with a devastating growl that was so loud it echoed off the walls. The sound triggered another orgasm and Penelope cried out, holding him when he fell atop her. His weight was tremendous, but she didn’t panic, wanting to feel him over her if only for a second.

  That was all she got before he rolled off, dropping to his back. His lungs worked as hard as hers, panting and seeking the sweet relief of oxygen.

  Obsidian chuckled, causing her to glance his way.

  “Why are you laughing?”

  “Because it happened again.”

  “What did?”

  He peered over, his eyes once again molten silver, a sexy smirk curling his lip.

  Then she heard it. Noises coming from somewhere else. Grunts, moans, cries of pleasure. It sounded in her head, not her ears, so she knew Obsidian was projecting it.

  “What is that?”

  The sound disappeared, effectively cut off from her mind.

  “Whatever happens between us … that powerful emotion… evidently, it’s expelled in a wave of sexual energy the entire mansion feels.”

  Propping up on her elbow, Penelope stared at him, trying to understand what he was saying.

  He must’ve realized her confusion because he continued, “You know that need you felt before I came in the room?”

  “Yes.”

  “They all feel it.”

  Her eyes widened.

  “Somehow it seems to be directed out of me.” His gaze shot up to the ceiling. “That sound I let you hear, it’s what’s taking place throughout the mansion.”

  “Who?”

  “All of them.”

  “Oh, shit.” A laugh bubbled up, although she wasn’t sure it was funny.

  He grinned. “Serves them right.” Obsidian’s head swiveled her way once more. “Needless to say, we should tread carefully whenever we do that. You never know what we’ll see if we venture into the mansion.”

  “They’re doing it in the open?”

  Obsidian reached for her. She went willingly, resting her head on his chest while his arm circled her shoulder, his fingers playing in her hair.

  “What would you have done if you’d been in the kitchen when that hit? Would you expect me to wait until we were up here?”

  She shook her head. “I couldn’t wait.”

  “Exactly.” He grinned. “Add to that the fact that angels have an overdeveloped sex drive.”

  “By overdeveloped, you mean what? They have sex every day?”

  He chuckled, the rough sound echoing in her ear. “Multiple times a day. We need sexual release more than we need blood, in fact. It’s the only way to maintain our sanity.”

  His hand slid down to her hip, fingertips lightly tickling her skin.

  “It’s not quite as powerful as what we’re experiencing now. Amnigh is all-consuming, only between amsouelots. It affects both males and females who’ve seen or met their predestined mate.”

  “Seen? So, what? It intensifies before they actually meet?”

  He nodded.

  Penelope thought back to those first days when she’d been with him. The overwhelming need, the desire. She’d been embarrassed by her actions, but it had been a byproduct of them meeting. Not her fault, after all. Interesting.

  Sliding her hand over Obsidian’s taut stomach, Penelope pressed her lips to his chest. “How did you know to come up here?”

  “I can feel you. Your pain, your need. It’s growing stronger.”

  “Why can’t I feel yours?”

  “You will. Eventually.”

  For some reason, that bothered her. It didn’t seem fair that he could know when she needed him, but she couldn’t return the favor. What if he was in trouble? What if he needed her? How would she know?

  “You will,” he repeated.

  Realizing he’d answered the question she’d only thought, Penelope lifted her head. “You’re reading my thoughts?”

  “Not intentionally. Usually, I have to mean to do it. With you, it’s becoming a constant, something I can’t avoid.”

  “Can you read everyone’s thoughts?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can all angels?”

  “Warriors, yes. My brothers have the same abilities I do. The others, they have to touch their subject, but then they can.”

  “Will I be able to? You know, when you turn me?”

  Yes, she realized she’d said when, not if. It was no longer a question in her mind. What she felt for him was so powerful, Penelope couldn’t imagine a life without him in it.

  “Yes,” he answered. “My powers become yours, making us equals in every way. It allows amsouelots to protect one another.”

  Obsidian sat up, dropped his feet over the side of the bed, his back to her. Unable to help herself, Penelope reached over, touched his skin, outlined the wings with her fingertips.

  “Why is one of the wings black?”

  “It identifies me as Michael’s warrior.”

  “Does everyone have the tattoo?”

  “Technically, it’s not a tattoo. There’s no ink in my skin.”

  She grazed the intricate lines, found it fascinating that what looked like ink wasn’t.

  “Can I see them?”

  Obsidian peered back at her. “See what?”

  “Your wings.”

  He seemed to consider it for a moment, then got to his feet. She thought he was going to leave, but he merely took a few steps forward. Then right before her eyes, two enormous wings emerged from his shoulder blades, dissolving the lines on his back. There was a rush of air, a rustle of sound as they spanned open. They arched over his head, extended from one wall to the other, each one likely a good twelve feet from shoulder to tip.

  They were absolutely beautiful, one black, one white, the feathers fluttering as he moved.

  For possibly the first time since she met him, Penelope was speechless, completely and totally enamored.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Thursday, August 1, 2019

  They managed to pass a few days settling into a routine. When he wasn’t spending time with Penelope, getting to know her, exploring the mansion, taking advantage of the numerous amenities it provided, Obsidian was working with the fiestreigh, trying to locate the remaining amsouelots. Which was where he found himself, making circles around the occupied sofas, glancing at computer screens and feeling somewhat useless.

  Suddenly, his phone buzzed in his pocket. A second later, everyone else’s were doing the same.

  “We’ve got incoming,” Mordecai announced, drawing Obsidian’s attention to his computer screen.

  “Who?”

  “Well, I … uh…” Mordecai squinted at the screen in front of him as
though he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing. “I’m pretty sure that’s Reidar.”

  Reidar? Obsidian wasn’t expecting Reidar back yet. The male had informed him he was staying with Penelope’s friend to keep an eye on her. Granted, they’d gotten word that Sirius had joined up with Perfidious and Seraphina, but no one had confirmed that as of yet. So why was Reidar back here already?

  “He’s pulling into the garage now.” Mordecai looked up. “And boss, it looks like his charge is riding shotgun.”

  He brought the human with him?

  Son of a bitch.

  With half a dozen eyes on him, Obsidian snatched his sunglasses off the table, strolled out of the sunroom, and made a beeline for the garage. He made it as far as the main hallway when he heard footsteps coming toward him and the soft cadence of a female voice.

  He turned the corner, coming face-to-face with his ladeare, who was clearly surprised by the welcoming committee.

  “Hey,” Reidar said softly, taking an odd position in front of the female, as though protecting her from Obsidian. “This is Winnie. Winnie, meet Obsidian.”

  Obsidian peered at the female and offered a nod of acknowledgment.

  “Would you excuse us for a moment?” Obsidian prompted, then motioned Reidar into the front hall.

  “I’ll be right back. Don’t move,” he instructed the female.

  The instant they were out of the human’s view, Obsidian spun around and faced the male.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” Obsidian ground out, attempting to keep his voice low.

  “I know I should’ve reached out,” Reidar said quickly, voice just as low, “but it was a spur-of-the-moment decision.”

  “To bring a human here. A human, Reidar. You understand what the rules are, right? We’re not to have contact with them unless absolutely necessary.”

  Reidar’s back straightened and his blue eyes seemed to shimmer from an unexplained light. Unlike him and his brothers, the fiestreigh’s eyes didn’t glow, although they could when a male was highly emotional.

  “And don’t tell me you were concerned for her safety,” Obsidian continued when Reidar didn’t speak. “I know Sirius is with Perfidious. The female’s no longer in danger.”

  “You’re right.” Reidar gave a clipped nod. “However, bringing her here seemed more appropriate.”

  “As opposed to…?”

  “Me leaving the fiestreigh.”

  Obsidian stared at the male, attempted to figure out the punch line.

  Reidar’s voice was barely a whisper when he said, “She’s my amsouelot, Obsidian.”

  To use Eclipse’s favorite saying … fuck me running.

  “And you know this for a fact?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Son of a bitch.” Obsidian thrust his hand through his hair, then turned and paced away from Reidar. “How much does she know about us?”

  “Nothing yet.”

  Turning to face his ladeare, Obsidian narrowed his eyes and slipped into the male’s mind. He skimmed through Reidar’s memories from the past few days, hurrying past a couple of intimate moments he’d shared with the female.

  Sure enough, Reidar’s amsouelot just happened to be Penelope’s best friend—what were the odds of that shit?—and was now in the midst of angels, a rule Michael took very seriously.

  “The Fates have an interesting sense of humor, huh?” Reidar quipped, his tone lacking the humor he’d evidently been going for.

  “You know I have to talk to Michael. Find out how he wants to handle this.”

  Reidar nodded, eyes lowering. “I understand.”

  The one and only time a member of the fiestreigh had mated with a human, Michael had insisted the male take his leave from the mission. He’d been labeled as fallen at that point, and relieved of his powers, assuming a life as a human.

  Of course, that male hadn’t been Reidar.

  “If it’s at all possible, I’d like to make my case to him,” Reidar stated. “I believe it’s in the fiestreigh’s best interest if I remain.”

  Obsidian couldn’t argue with that. As far as he was concerned, Reidar was pivotal to their success. Obsidian trusted him. Perhaps more so than anyone, aside from his brothers.

  “You’ll have to be ready at a moment’s notice,” Obsidian warned, taking a step closer. “He won’t wait around.”

  “I’ll be ready. Just say the word.”

  Obsidian nodded, then couldn’t help but smile as he reached out and gripped Reidar’s shoulder. “Funny how things work out, huh?”

  The somber expression on the male’s face said he wasn’t sure he was going to like the decision Michael came to.

  “We’ll figure it out,” Obsidian told him. “For now, perhaps you could take her upstairs. I’ll get Penelope, let her know she’s here.”

  Reidar nodded. “Of course.”

  Ensuring he was out of the human’s field of vision, Obsidian dematerialized to the third floor. He found Penelope sitting in the living room, Zeus on one side of her, Aphrodite on the other. She was watching a movie while the dogs snoozed.

  She must’ve heard him because she quickly paused the television and sat up straight.

  He removed his sunglasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose, exhaling heavily.

  “I’m pretty sure I’ve figured out how to read your expressions, and this one tells me something’s wrong.”

  “Not wrong,” he assured her, meeting her gaze. “Perhaps even good.”

  Obsidian commanded Zeus to vacate his seat before he planted his ass on the sofa beside his amsouelot.

  Penelope shifted so she was facing him. “You’re scaring me, Obsidian.”

  He took a deep breath, exhaled slowly. “You know how I sent Reidar to find Winnie?”

  Penelope’s eyes widened and true fear glittered in the golden orbs.

  “She’s fine,” he said quickly, realizing she was expecting the worst. “In fact, she’s here.”

  “She’s here!” Penelope shot to her feet.

  Before she could step away, Obsidian reached for her, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back down.

  “I need to see her,” she said, attempting to pull away.

  “First, we need to discuss a couple of things.”

  “Like what?”

  “Well, for starters, your friend doesn’t have any idea who we are. Or what we are.”

  Penelope frowned.

  “And until I discuss the situation with Michael, you can’t say anything. I’ve asked Reidar to keep her separated from the others for the time being. And you’re more than welcome to hang out with her, but under no circumstance can you tell her about us.”

  “Why not?”

  “We took a vow to keep our existence a secret from the humans. And until Michael gives us the go-ahead, we have to protect our identity.”

  “So why did Reidar bring her here?”

  Figuring it wouldn’t hurt to tell her, he smiled. “Looks like your best friend is Reidar’s amsouelot.”

  A smile slowly formed on her beautiful face, then Penelope laughed. “Seriously?”

  “Yes.”

  “So she’s what? Moving in with him?”

  Obsidian shook his head. “The last member of the fiestreigh who found his amsouelot was cast out by Michael.”

  “Cast out?”

  “Of Heaven. For the time being, of course. He was allowed to live out the remainder of his days with his beloved here on Earth.”

  “Where is he now?”

  “Oh, they’re both in Heaven. This was nearly three hundred years ago.” He squeezed her hand. “I have to discuss the situation with Michael. He’s the only one who can decide whether Reidar and his amsouelot remain with us.”

  “And if they don’t?”

  This was the difficult part. “Michael will wipe their memories and implant new ones.” He kept his eyes locked with hers. “Winnie won’t know you if that happens. It’s for your safety, as well as hers.”

  �
�Would he do that?”

  “He’ll do what he feels appropriate to ensure the safety of the humans we’ve vowed to protect.” Giving her hand another squeeze, he forced a smile. “Why don’t you go see her. They’re in the game room on the second floor. I’ve got to meet with Michael before he gets wind of this.”

  “How come Michael didn’t cast you out?” she asked as she got to her feet.

  “Because I’m a warrior. My mission must be carried out regardless.”

  Penelope seemed to study him for a moment before she leaned down and kissed him. “If it’ll help, tell Michael I said please.”

  Obsidian chuckled. “Go on now. I’ll come find you once I’m done.”

  As soon as the door closed behind her, Obsidian sealed off the entire third floor before calling for Michael.

  “Well, well, well. Looks like you’ve found yourself in a bit of a pickle,” Michael said when he appeared a minute later. The archangel chuckled. “I always did like that human saying. Though I haven’t a clue what it means.”

  Not sure what to say to that, Obsidian remained silent.

  “I’m starting to think you’re running a daycare for humans. There’re what? Three of them in residence?”

  Obsidian stood tall, facing Michael directly. “You were made aware of two of them.”

  Michael smiled as he paced across the room, stopped to give the dogs a quick rub. “Warrior, I’m aware of everything that goes on with my soldiers.” He turned to face Obsidian. “Is that why you summoned me? To discuss this new development?”

  “In Reidar’s defense, he—”

  Michael held up a hand. “I’d prefer to hear it from your ladeare.”

  Without hesitation, Obsidian shot a telepathic command to Reidar, then released the seal on the room temporarily so the male could materialize within.

  His appearance was instant, as though he’d been waiting for the call. Which he probably had, knowing Reidar.

  As they’d been instructed, the ladeare bowed respectfully before the archangel, keeping his head down, eyes on the floor.

  “Stand, Reidar.”

  The male stood tall, clasping his hands behind his back, eyes meeting Michael’s.

  “Care to explain to me why you took it upon yourself to bring a human here? Without discussing this with Obsidian beforehand?”