Protected in Darkness (Misplaced Halos, 1)

by Nicole Edwards

  Of course, she knew the real world was taking place on the other side of the door. They would emerge eventually, join the others. Only this time, Penelope would be strong enough to ensure her amsouelot’s safety, protect him the same way he protected her. Loving him, cherishing him…

  A tear trickled down her cheek, dropped to Obsidian’s chest.

  His head lifted, silver eyes watching her. “What’s wrong, ayreme?”

  She felt it then, the wash of his emotions as they stole over her. Love, admiration, gratitude. He was as content in this moment as she was. Penelope smiled to herself, loving that she had that connection with him. While she’d always retreated from the empathy she felt for others, Penelope didn’t feel the need to do so with Obsidian. In fact, she wanted to explore it because it meant she would be able to protect him in all ways, offer him strength, love.

  “Nothing,” she assured him. “Absolutely nothing.”

  Truth was, she’d never been happier in her life. For the first time, she felt as though she truly belonged.

  When Obsidian moved her to his side, Penelope propped her head on his chest, ran her fingers over the taut muscles of his abdomen.

  It was then she noticed a glimmer of light coming from the stones where they rested on the bed.

  “They’re glowing,” she whispered.

  “They’re still working,” he said simply.

  When Obsidian moved, she went with him. He repositioned so that he was propped up, leaning against the headboard, and she was sitting in front of him, his warm arms embracing her.

  Before her eyes, the four stones rose from the silver comforter. They came together as though magnetized, glittering as they spun rapidly, suspended in the air in front of them.

  Obsidian brought his finger to her lips. “Score it.”

  Confused but intrigued, Penelope pierced his finger with the sharp tip of her fang. When blood pooled at the tip, Obsidian held out his hand, allowed two drops of blood to spill onto the stones as they swirled before them. Penelope had no idea what was happening, but she couldn’t look away. There was a brilliant flash of light an instant before the stones fell to the soft comforter. This time there were two.

  “Pick them up,” he instructed.

  Penelope reached for them, giggling when she realized they were no longer free stones but rather rings, the black metal shimmering in the light from the gems. Obsidian plucked one from the set, then took her left hand, holding it up.

  “Angels don’t have weddings,” he informed her. “However, there are a few human traditions we get behind.”

  She spread her fingers as he slid it onto her ring finger. In the center was the alexandrite gem, stunningly beautiful, surrounded by tiny chips of the moonstone.

  She retrieved the other ring, then did the same with Obsidian’s finger, sliding it on and positioning it so they could admire the thick band embedded with tiny chips of both stones.

  While she didn’t need a material item to remind her of her love for him, Penelope knew she would cherish the ring for eternity. And every time she looked at it, she would remember the sacrifices they’d made for one another and the love that brought them back together.

  Reclining against him, Penelope turned her head so she could look up at him. “I met the Fates.”

  He smiled. “Did you? And?”

  “They were kind to me. Provided a distraction from my worry. They allowed me to see you while I was in Heaven.”

  “I’m glad they took care of you,” he whispered.

  “There was a man, but he didn’t speak to me.”

  “Michael,” Obsidian said.

  “He nodded, as though giving the Fates his approval. Then Nevaeh took my hands and sent me back here to you.”

  Wanting to be closer to him, she shifted onto her knees, then turned in the circle of his arms, straddling his thighs.

  “I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” She pressed her lips to his neck, his collarbone, his shoulder.

  Penelope could hear his ragged breaths as she trailed her tongue over him, relished the salty taste of his skin. His entire body hardened, spurring her to continue her exploration.

  “How about a shower?” he proposed, his arms tightening around her, the muscles rippling as he moved.

  The sound of the water dropping to the tile in the bathroom had her lifting her head, smiling. “You’ll have to teach me all those nifty tricks of yours.”

  “I will, ayreme. All in due time.”

  A few minutes later, they were beneath the warm spray, wrapped in one another’s arms, a fumble of hands and mouths as they fought to get closer.

  And when Obsidian lifted her off her feet, Penelope wrapped her legs around him. Her back met the cool tiled wall seconds before he filled her so exquisitely. She held on to him, but it wasn’t only their bodies that were joined as one.

  Hearts, minds, and souls were connected.

  Two halves of a whole.

  Now and forever complete.

  ALTHOUGH HE COULD’VE SPENT AN ETERNITY IN their very own paradise, Obsidian knew they had to return to the real world. Still, as he lay in the bed, Penelope’s head resting on his chest, he couldn’t find the energy to get up.

  “I’ve been thinking,” Penelope said softly, her head shifting as though she was ensuring he was paying attention.

  “About…?”

  “What I want to do.”

  His body stiffened, a hint of unease settling over him.

  “Don’t worry,” she said with a chuckle. “I’m not talking going back to the casino and serving drinks. However, I do need something to do. I can’t sit around all night, twiddling my thumbs.”

  “What do you enjoy doing?”

  “Well, I was thinking maybe I could help with the search for the other amsouelots. I’m decent with a computer. Probably not as good as they are, but I’m a fast learner.”

  “I know my brothers will appreciate all the help they can get.”

  “Then I was thinking that perhaps I could start documenting things. One thing I noticed was there weren’t any books in the library noting your history. I even checked the Bible but found nothing.”

  No, the Bible didn’t have a section devoted to them. Michael had done his best to keep their existence a secret throughout history. According to the archangel, there were certain things even angels didn’t need to know.

  “Document our history?” Obsidian wasn’t sure he understood.

  “Well, I figure it’s safe to say there’ll be more warriors in the future. Probably wouldn’t hurt for them to understand their heritage, where they came from.”

  He twisted his head so he could look down at her face.

  Penelope turned and smiled up at him. “I’m talking about your children. Your brothers’ children. The next generation, Obsidian.”

  His heart did a hop, skip, and a jump in his chest at the thought of her carrying his son or daughter.

  “Like I told you, I’ve always been fascinated by mythology.” She chuckled softly. “Though I’m not sure that’s an accurate term based on definition. Considering what most consider myths are probably fact.”

  “And you want to use this for what?”

  “Education. Within your family, of course. Not with humans. I don’t think they can handle this sort of knowledge.”

  “They can’t,” he agreed. “Which is the reason we’re restricted from interacting with them if at all possible.”

  “And that leads me to another question,” she said, her fingernail sliding over his stomach. “Will I be able to visit my father?”

  Obsidian considered it for a moment. “Is that what you want?”

  “Eventually, yes. He’s still my father. Our relationship might be strained, but I do miss him.”

  “I’ll speak to Michael about it,” he assured her. “See what rules he wants in place.”

  “I can document those, too,” she said. “Since it seems most of that information is locked up tightly in your head.�
��

  Obsidian smiled.

  “Do you think Oliver will ever be able to leave?”

  Her question didn’t necessarily surprise him, but he wasn’t exactly fond of the subject. “That’s the plan.”

  “Do you think he’ll be safe?”

  “Eventually, yes. Lucifer can no longer get his hands on your soul,” he explained. “It’s now safely ensconced in Heaven, alongside mine.”

  “But the demons could still use him for leverage,” she noted.

  “They could. But it wouldn’t get them what they wanted.”

  “Maybe we could let him go now.”

  Obsidian tucked his finger beneath her chin, tipped her head back so he could meet her eyes. “Is that what you want?”

  “I want him to be happy. He thinks we’re doing this to punish him.”

  “Then we’ll talk to him. If he wants to leave and you’re comfortable with that, we’ll let him leave.”

  Penelope nodded, dropped her head back down, pressing her lips to his stomach. “I think it’s time we get out of here. Back to the real world. Are you ready for that?”

  Obsidian smiled. “More than ready.”

  Two hours later, Obsidian was rethinking that.

  After they’d emerged from the mating chamber, they’d been overwhelmed by congratulations. Not that he minded them, but even now, after they’d indulged in a feast created at Acadia’s insistence, he was being bombarded by questions, most of which he couldn’t answer. They were all aware of the secrecy behind the lintamair. What happened in that mating chamber was meant only for amsouelots, and he’d warned Penelope of that before they’d exited. She’d promised to keep the secret, though he wasn’t sure how that was possible with Winnie practically climbing the walls in an attempt to get information.

  “All right, love,” Reidar said to Winnie. “Why don’t we give her a break?”

  Obsidian smiled at Reidar, a silent thank you. When Winnie reluctantly marched off with Reidar, Obsidian scooted closer to Penelope, putting his arm over the back of the sofa and around her shoulders.

  “How’re you feeling?”

  “Strange, actually.”

  He stared down at her, attempting to read between the lines, to no avail.

  “It’s odd. I can feel your emotions now, when before I could not. So, I assumed that meant I’d feel everyone’s. But I can’t. Still no reading from the angels or Fae. Not even from Winnie.” She peered up at him. “It’s strange but nice. I’m hoping it lasts.”

  Obsidian figured it would because they were connected on a deeper level, so it was natural for her to feel him in every way. Even humans had those abilities, though most of them never had reason to feel it. However, he’d heard stories of humans who’d known when their significant other had been injured or when their own child had been in pain. He figured angels felt it more significantly because of their other abilities.

  “The real test will be with my brother,” Penelope noted. “Since he’s apparently locked himself away in his room, I’m guessing it won’t be today.”

  “Speaking of day,” he said softly, “it’s probably best we get some rest while we can.”

  Penelope’s golden eyes twinkled. “I’m not really tired, but I can think of something that might do the trick.”

  Obsidian laughed as he got to his feet. In one swift move, he lifted her into his arms. “You’re insatiable, you know that?”

  “It’s your fault.”

  “I don’t mind taking credit for it,” he admitted, as he took her up to their private quarters to see if he could quell that urge.

  Epilogue

  Two weeks later, Friday, August 30, 2019

  OBSIDIAN WALKED INTO THE WAR ROOM, EYES scanning the rows of tables and equipment, the fiestreigh occupying all available seats as they worked diligently on their mission.

  Prior to its conversion, the room had been nothing more than storage for the overflow of furniture. Because of its size, Penelope had decided it would work perfectly for a dedicated workspace. It had taken her only two days to have it converted into what looked a lot like mission control.

  “I was beginning to wonder whether you’d come down for an update or not,” Penelope said, moving toward him with purpose.

  He smiled. “Well, your text sounded important.”

  Thanks to Penelope’s drive and dedication, the fiestreigh had been hard at work, focused entirely on completing their priority mission so they could get back to what they’d initially been sent here to do: eliminate demons. As far as drill instructors, his female was quite the force to be reckoned with. Granted, she did it with grace, so no one seemed to mind that she’d taken charge. Not to mention, they were seeing progress, so she was obviously doing something right.

  She’d even enlisted Winnie’s help, putting the female to work on what they were calling the “woman cave”. Using most of the furniture and decor they’d relocated from Penelope’s apartment in Vegas and Winnie’s in LA, the females had designed a space that was off-limits to the males in the household. According to Penelope, it was only fair that they had a quiet place to spend time together. Thanks to his keen sense of hearing, it hadn’t taken long to realize it was more a place for them to giggle and gossip and introduce the Fae to something they called Supernatural.

  But she was happy and he damn sure wasn’t going to interfere.

  Obsidian briefly scanned all six enormous television screens mounted to the wall, noting the different information on each one. CNN, the local news, the rest reflecting the last known location of the amsouelots they were still searching for. Despite their best efforts, they’d yet to locate four of them, but based on what he could tell, they were getting closer.

  “If you’ll look here”—Penelope motioned toward one of the screens on the wall—“I’m happy to say, we’ve narrowed down the location for Darina Azelmar.”

  A.k.a. Stygian’s amsouelot. Two weeks ago, Obsidian’s brother had thought he was closing in on her, only to find out his female was actually in hiding, slipping through his fingers at every turn.

  “She was last seen in Salem,” Penelope explained. “That was three days ago. But she’s still there, and we believe she’s keeping a low profile for a reason.”

  “Any ideas as to why?”

  Penelope’s golden eyes locked with his. “Truth?”

  He chuckled. “Can you tell me otherwise?”

  She laughed. “Touché. Truth is, we’ve got reason to believe Darina’s a witch. Yes, a true-blue, queen-of-dark-and-light witch. As are her sisters and her mother.”

  Interesting. Not surprising, either.

  Obsidian nodded. “And the other amsouelots?”

  “We’ve successfully identified Orianna McKay’s apartment.” Penelope glanced across the room. “We have Oliver to thank for that.”

  Turning his attention to the human sitting alone in the far corner, he watched the male. They’d given Oliver the opportunity to leave the mansion and the human had initially been ecstatic. Right up until he’d overheard Reidar and Søren talking about following a lead. Obsidian wasn’t quite clear on what had happened past that, but the next thing he knew Oliver Calazans had become an integral part of the undertaking to locate the amsouelots. Turned out, his computer skills rivaled Gryffyth’s.

  “I’m sure Eclipse is thrilled about that,” he said, turning back to Penelope.

  She peered up at him, worry glittering in her eyes. “You’d think that would be the case.”

  More accurately, Obsidian had hoped. Eclipse seemed to be keeping his distance from the female. He only prayed that didn’t backfire on his brother. They were still under the gun, not sure when or if God would call an audible. It was the very reason Penelope had insisted they focus all efforts on locating the females while keeping an eye on the demons, but not engaging them if at all possible.

  “Right now, we’ve got three teams out,” Penelope explained. “Rinc, Valterri, and Mordecai are in the field. Malak’s, Shiloh’s, and
Magnar’s teams are in and resting. Reidar’s covering the techs.”

  Obsidian was grateful to know Penelope had found a way to keep his ladeare busy, while not forcing him to go out in the field. Eventually, he’d have no choice, but for now, keeping Reidar close to Winnie was in everyone’s best interest.

  “And Taayin?” Obsidian asked, curious as to how things were going for his lieterra.

  Penelope sighed. “He’s with Aphotic in Texas. Giving Decebal a few days off.”

  Obsidian knew Taayin was spending as much time away from the mansion as he could. Ever since the incident with Perfidious and Asmia, the male had been in a dark place. For whatever reason, he couldn’t seem to get past what had happened, though they’d all told him it wasn’t Asmia’s fault. As for the Fae, she was putting one foot in front of the other, pretending she wasn’t bothered by Taayin’s absence, but it was clear to them all that she was.

  He turned to face Penelope. “Well, it sounds to me like you’ve got it all covered.”

  “They do, actually.” She smiled. “I’m simply their cheerleader.”

  Obsidian laughed. She was far more than a cheerleader even if she didn’t realize it.

  “I was just thinking about going upstairs to grab lunch,” Penelope told him, linking her fingers with his.

  “I was thinking along those same lines,” he said, leading her out of the war room. “Although, I had a different type of feeding in mind.”

  “Did you now? And what? You were too good for my offer last night?”

  When they reached the elevator that would take them up to the third floor, Obsidian leaned in and nuzzled her neck. “I recall a feisty female latching onto my neck when we woke up.”

  Penelope giggled as he pulled her into the elevator. “You can’t blame a girl. It’s a very tasty neck.”

  It took effort, but Obsidian managed to keep his hands mostly to himself until they were in their private quarters, behind closed doors. Once inside, he bypassed the sofa in favor of the bed, though he honestly didn’t intend to do more than feed at the moment.