“I’m tracking his car,” Miklós said, eyes never shifting from the screen. “Not sure where he’s going but it looks like he might be making his way here.”
Good to know.
“Will you be joining the others for the morning meal, sire?” Jeffrey asked from where he stood prepping at the granite counter.
Kaj nodded, figuring that was the answer the male was hoping for. The smile he received in return confirmed his suspicion. Although Kaj had had a loyal staff in the past, as had his family, he’d never seen anything quite like the heurosp who worked for the angels. Those males and females took tremendous pride in their work, and they took great satisfaction in pleasing their masters, as they referred to the angels.
“Have you seen my daughter?” he asked, the question not directed at anyone in particular.
“I believe she’s in her private quarters, sire.”
Nodding his thanks to Jeffrey, Kaj strolled toward the back stairs. He passed the small office, the main-floor laundry suite, another closed and locked door. The narrow stairway led both up and down. He opted to go up to the second floor, wanting to check in with Bijou before he ventured down to the war room and attempted to find a way to help the angels in whatever mission they deemed priority.
As he strolled onto the second floor, Kaj had to admit this was the first time he’d relaxed in months. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d walked down a hallway and not anticipated a threat of some kind. Ever since the raids that took down Kardobahn, he’d been looking over his shoulder, expecting someone to appear with the intention of taking him out, too. And every time he looked back, he was reminded that he was on his own, no one to watch his back or fend off an attack. A wash of sorrow covered him as he remembered all he’d lost in those attacks. Not only his father but the Zenith, the males he’d fought alongside for as long as he could remember. They were all gone, eliminated by those fucking beasts.
He exhaled heavily. Sometimes he wasn’t sure what was worse, the shadow beasts whose goal was to eliminate them in their entirety or the fucking traitors who wanted nothing more than to step over Kaj’s body in their efforts to rise to power.
Both were part of the reason he’d sought out Obsidian. Not only because he needed to ensure his daughter’s safety but also because Kaj needed a place to regroup. A safe place. Where he could breathe without worrying about a knife lodging into his lung from behind. Until he figured out what his next steps were, which included gaining solid ground on his reign, he feared he was doomed to his fate, constantly expecting his own demise.
Kaj paused outside the door of the room they’d offered Bijou. He was about to rap his knuckles on the wood and request entry when a sharp pain hit him square in the chest. It was so powerful he actually stumbled, gripping the doorjamb to keep himself upright. The pain was strong enough to have him thinking he might need medical attention or a defibrillator at the very least, but he knew it wasn’t some internal failure of his body. No, this was something far worse than a heart attack.
Forcing himself to stand tall, he strolled farther down the hall, pausing outside the library doors. They were partially open, giving him an unobstructed view of the interior. His gaze swept over one entire wall of literature, past a cold fireplace, beyond the empty furniture that sat stoically in the center of the space, past the windows and drapes.
Then he saw her.
His female.
Only Acadia wasn’t alone.
He watched, that ache in his chest intensifying, as one of the males in the house drank from her vein. Probably a good thing the fucker was taking from her wrist rather than her neck, otherwise, Kaj wasn’t sure he would’ve been able to refrain from slaughtering him.
As it was, that pain radiating through him was a direct result of his female feeding another. With her blood in his veins, Kaj had a direct link to her. And for the past eighteen months, he’d gotten familiar with the discomfort. But it hadn’t been until his return to the angels’ residence that it had grown to epic proportions, the potency threatening to take him out at the knees.
Kaj focused on Acadia, the way her eyes were cast downward, her back ramrod straight. She didn’t seem engaged with the feeding whatsoever, but there was no reluctance on her part, either. She was performing her duties as they were outlined. As he’d learned during his time with her, the Fae were there to feed the fiestreigh as well as the warriors slated to protect humans. The mystical fairies were little more than servants in this vast world, even if no one within this residence treated them as such.
While he knew he had no right to intervene, Kaj wasn’t sure how long he would be able to sit back and watch this, literally or figuratively. At least distance had provided some relief. But seeing her, witnessing it with his own two eyes … that was more than he’d bargained for.
It took effort, but he managed to force his feet to move, his legs carrying him back to Bijou’s room. He shoved that image of Acadia to the back of his mind as he lifted his hand and knocked.
Bijou’s soft voice called out a hasty, “Come in.”
He opened the door, and the smile he had forced morphed into the real thing when he saw her sitting primly in one of the upholstered chairs nestled near the fireplace. As had been the case every single day since Bijou had appeared in his life, Kaj felt a sense of peace. For whatever reason, seeing his daughter was a comfort he’d never even realized he’d been missing. How could he have known, though? Until a year ago, he hadn’t even known he had a child. He’d missed out on so much and he didn’t even know who was to blame. Him? Bijou’s mother? Fate? Karma? Someone had caused the rift that made him unaware of his own blood walking upon this Earth, but he didn’t know who.
“Just thought I’d check in,” he said softly, closing the door behind him.
Bijou’s bright green eyes lifted to his face. For a second, she seemed pleased to see him, but that drifted off quickly. “Are you all right?”
Figuring he probably looked as bad as he felt, Kaj fought back the discomfort that churned in his chest. He’d gotten so used to it he hadn’t considered what it looked like from the outside.
“Just tired,” he said because it was partially true. He was exhausted. “And you?”
Bijou glanced around the room before meeting his gaze once more. “Not sure I’ve ever been anywhere as lavish as this. Fresh flowers, sheets … it’s a bit surreal.”
“I know it’s not what you want, but for the time being, this is the safest place for you.”
Bijou nodded, always acquiescent. Sometimes more than was appropriate.
“Will you be remaining here?” she asked.
“For the time being, yes.” At least until she was settled in. Once that happened, he wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but he figured he had a few days to figure that out.
They stared at one another for long moments before Bijou finally spoke.
“I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do about … feeding.”
This wasn’t the first time they’d come up against this issue. The two of them had been battling that biological demon for quite some time.
Though it was rare, a mother or father could and did feed their children once the child reached the age at which he or she required blood. Once a vampire reached puberty, their world changed intimately, including their need for blood to survive, which for some families became an issue. Most families outsourced their blood needs to someone not related since their blood proved to be stronger. As for Kaj and Bijou, it probably wouldn’t have been an issue if they’d known one another better, but in the beginning, neither had thought it appropriate considering the level of intimacy feeding entailed.
And now, as the Alpha, Kaj was unable to feed another unless it was his own mate.
“Angels feed from Fae,” he explained. “And there are many within the mansion. That’s their ultimate duty. I’ll talk to Penelope, see if she can get one lined up for you.”
Bijou nodded. “Thanks.”
“Any
thing else?”
“I met Acadia,” she said, surprising him.
Considering she’d met quite a few angels and Fae within the mansion, Kaj knew Bijou had brought this up for a reason. He waited patiently to hear what that was.
“I can smell you on her.” There was a hint of sadness in her eyes.
Not sure what to say to that, he nodded.
“Does she know you’ve bonded with her?”
As though on cue, the tightness in his chest released, the pain drifting away, which he knew meant Acadia had finished providing blood to the male.
“She knows,” he admitted.
Not that it mattered. Yet.
Chapter Eleven
After leaving the Dungeon, Eclipse drove through the streets of Telluride, ensuring they didn’t have a tail, while Orianna sat quietly in the passenger seat.
He could tell she was still trying to wrap her head around all that had happened, and she wasn’t getting anywhere in her attempts. There was a distinct smell to her confusion, one that had a sweetness to it. But it was her lack of fear that kept him calm, had him trying to come up with a plan to get her to safety.
His first thought had been to get her to the mansion, to hide her away from the evils out to get her. However appealing the idea of kidnapping her was, Eclipse knew he had to handle this better. What he did now would lay the groundwork for their future. He didn’t think making her his prisoner was going to win him any awards. So, he’d nixed the idea.
For now.
Once he was convinced no one was following them, Eclipse took a left, aiming the car back to the main drag. Although it gave away far more than he wanted to this early in their relationship, Eclipse didn’t bother to ask Orianna for her address as he steered the car in that direction. Considering all she’d witnessed tonight, appearing as a stalker was likely the least of his worries.
“What really happened back there?” she asked, glaring at him from the passenger seat.
“You’ll need to be a bit more specific.”
“That whole mind-meld thing you did to that woman? Or the freeze-frame your buddy pulled?”
“She’s a vampire, not a woman. And I merely gave her a warning, so she’d understand I was serious,” he explained. “And Kaj … well, he’s a vampire. I can’t speak to his talents.”
“You’re still on that, huh?”
Eclipse glanced her way. “On what?”
“That whole vampires-are-real thing.”
“They’re real.”
Orianna snorted, then turned her attention to the front window. “Where are you— How do you know where I live?”
“I know a lot of things about you,” he admitted.
“Like?”
“Where would you like me to begin?”
“Do you do that on purpose?”
He stopped the car in front of her building, then glanced over. Eclipse raised his eyebrows, waited for her to elaborate.
“Deflecting. You do it so easily.”
He could’ve made light of the situation, come up with a dozen redirects, but he knew it would only delay the inevitable.
“There’re some things you need to know about me,” he told her.
“Oh, good. Since you seem to know everything about me.” She smacked her hands against her legs. “But what’s to know? I’ve already learned you’re an angel who likes to hang out in vampire bars. What else is there?”
Before he could launch into the basics, the hair on the back of his neck stood up. Reaching out with all his senses, he scanned the surrounding area, locking on the vampires approaching from the east. So much for being in the clear. There were three of them, two males and the female from the bar, and they were teleporting rapidly and closing in fast.
“Hold on.”
Orianna let out a muted squeal when Eclipse put his foot to the floor. The tires skidded on loose gravel but got purchase as he steered out of the lot and back onto the street. Rather than go away from the threat, Eclipse headed toward the vampires, the Bugatti taking off at warp speed.
“What are you doing?”
“Outrunning a vampire,” he told her, hands on the wheel, eyes on the road.
“Are you serious?” Her head turned as though she was attempting to peer behind them.
“She’s on foot,” he told her.
As though he’d summoned her with his thoughts, the female appeared directly in front of them.
Orianna shrieked at the same time Eclipse muttered, “Shit.”
A quick change of plans had them barreling into a corner. Thankfully the car was made for speed, which he figured was the biggest advantage he had over the vampire. Only her ability to dematerialize could allow for her to stay close on their tail and even then, she wouldn’t be able to keep up.
“Is that the woman from the club?”
Despite the fear he detected in Orianna’s voice, Eclipse kept his eyes on the road. “Like I said, she’s no woman.”
Another hairpin curve appeared up ahead, and Eclipse turned into it with ease. When they hit the straightaway, he put the pedal to the floor, sending Orianna back into her seat from the G-force.
“What does she … it … whatever.” Orianna huffed her frustration. “What does she want?”
“You.”
Another quick turn had them heading northwest, in the direction of the mansion. He hated the idea of luring the vampire there, but once they hit the dhira, she’d get turned around. At this point, he was out of options, and keeping Orianna safe was his only objective.
“I don’t understand. Why did she say she knew my sister?”
“She probably read your thoughts. Figured it was an easy lure.”
“For what? So she could get me to the club and feed on me? Seems a bit over the top, don’t you think?”
Yes, in fact, he did. Eclipse made a mental note to talk to Kaj, to see if they could get a bead on the rogue vampires. From what Eclipse could tell, they were much closer to home than he would’ve liked.
“What the hell?” Orianna leaned forward, tried to see in front of them. “What’s going on? Why can’t I see anything?”
“It’s called dhira.” Eclipse reached over, pressed two fingers to her temple. “It’s a darkness cloak that we erected to shield ourselves.”
Orianna’s eyes widened, likely surprised that she could see through the darkness with no problem. When he removed his fingers, she sat back, expression one of disbelief.
“Who could you possibly need to hide from?”
“Lucifer.”
Her head snapped his way once more. “You’re not joking, are you?”
“Not even a little.”
Orianna sighed. “Where are you taking me?”
“To my house. You’ll be safe there.”
“Safe from the vampires?”
“Safe from everything,” he muttered.
Except me.
Ten minutes later, Eclipse pulled the Bugatti into the garage, the big door closing silently behind him.
By the time he was out of the car, Orianna was slack-jawed once again, eyes wide as saucers as she gave the cars a good once-over.
“Is that a Lambo?”
He smiled. “It is.”
She turned and surveyed the rest of the vehicles in the garage. Aside from the fact they parked their vehicles there and kept a vast array of tools in monstrous metal boxes, it wasn’t much of a garage. The heurosp maintained the space as though it was the main living area. There were no grease stains, no dirt, only shiny surfaces and sparkling clean cars, trucks, and SUVs.
“That’s a … a Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita?” Her mouth fell open. “I heard they’d planned to make three of these but only ended up making two.”
Eclipse nodded at the car. “I won’t tell if you won’t. You definitely know your cars.”
Orianna smiled. “You could say I’ve got a fascination with them.” Her hand went to her chest. “And that’s a LaFerrari. Holy shit.”
For whatever
reason, it pleased him she was impressed, more so that she was so well versed in high-performance vehicles. He found it interesting she had noted all the sports cars, not paying much attention to the Range Rover or the GMC truck. Seemed she had a preference.
Taking her hand, Eclipse led the way into the house, down the wide corridor.
“You live here?”
“Along with my brothers,” he confirmed. “As well as the fiestreigh.”
“Fiestreigh?”
“Soldiers.”
She stopped suddenly, peered up at him. “Soldiers?”
Seemed they were getting nowhere with the explanations.
“I really need you to talk to me,” she implored him, eyes cautious.
“I will, sezari. I promise.”
He saw the way her throat worked when she swallowed, felt the slight tremble in her fingers. The adrenaline was waning, and fear was taking over.
Unable to help himself, Eclipse cupped her face. “You can trust me, Orianna. You’re safe with me.”
“Why is it so easy for me to believe you?” she whispered. “Everything inside me tells me to run, but I can’t seem to.”
Because she was meant for him, but he kept that tidbit to himself for now.
“Come on. Let’s find somewhere quiet to talk.”
She swallowed hard but finally nodded.
In an effort to assure her she was safe, Eclipse led her through the main part of the house, introduced her to Phillip and Jeffrey, the heurosp currently preparing the morning meal. Both males seemed overly pleased that they had another amsouelot in residence, their shoulders firming as they watched her, gearing up to fulfill her every wish.
After they’d completed their pleasantries, Eclipse led Orianna up the steps into the sunroom, then out onto the back patio before he realized the dhira made it impossible for her to see anything.
“So can you see through this … what did you call it?”
“Dhira. And yes.” But she couldn’t because she was making a beeline for the pool.
Salvation in Darkness (Misplaced Halos Book 2) Page 12