Salvation in Darkness

by Nicole Edwards

  Her lips clamped shut instantly.

  “Now that is a fascinating pose.” He moved closer, trailed his nail along the smooth curve of her jaw. “Makes you easily accessible. Perhaps this is what you’ve been waiting for? For me to take control? Hmm?”

  Her eyes narrowed, as though she could singe him with a scathing look.

  “I see it’s going to take a bit more persuasion.”

  He snapped his fingers, her clothes disintegrating, leaving her naked to his hungry gaze.

  “I hate you.”

  “I know.” He took pride in that.

  Perfidious took a step back and openly ogled her luscious body. Those beautiful full breasts tipped with rosy pink nipples, the flat belly, and the succulent spot between her trim thighs. She was tall and lean, her sinful body perfectly proportioned. He ached to feel her against him, to have those mile-long legs wrapped securely around his hips, but he refrained. As much as he wanted to claim her now, he sensed her hunger, knew she desperately needed to feed. How she’d lasted this long without siphoning his energy, Perfidious didn’t know.

  And while he didn’t mind punishing her, he damn sure wouldn’t allow her to starve herself to death. If he had to guess, that was her plan.

  “I will kill you,” she ground out.

  “Doubtful, but I’d love to see you try.” Turning, he paced away from her. “I figure it’s best we get a few things straight.” Perfidious smiled as he pivoted, moving toward her once more. “I’m sure it’ll take some time for me to break you, but gorgeous, I’ve been looking forward to it. The more you fight me, the hotter I get.”

  He cupped her chin, dug his fingers into her jaw. Asmia attempted to jerk her head away, but he held it still, immobilizing her completely.

  “The first step is for you to accept your new place. Here. With me.” He motioned around the concrete prison. “Don’t worry. I’ve got much finer accommodations underway. In Hell. You’ll like it there. So much to do, souls to torment. Always keeps me busy.”

  He raked his gaze over her lovely curves, ensuring she saw his intentions.

  “What was that? You’d rather stay here?” He shrugged. “Perhaps we shall. For a while. Now that Eevuhl’s off on his mission, there’s plenty to do to keep us entertained. Since Eevuhl felt compelled to take Seraphina on a road trip, it’s just you and me. Of course, Sirius has to go. I’m not big on sharing. Certainly not you.”

  Stepping up so that they were nose to nose, Perfidious tightened his grip on her jaw. “But you are going to have to feed from me.”

  “Never,” she snarled. “I’ll starve before I touch you.”

  “You’re so loyal, aren’t you? Ready to forsake yourself for your family. I admire that.” He trailed his fingers down her neck, her chest, paused between her breasts. “In fact, I’m eager to have that all to myself.”

  “I’ll never be loyal to you.”

  Grinning, he tilted his head to the side. “See, gorgeous, that’s where you’re wrong. I figure if the angels can mate, so can I. After all, they’re about as deserving as I am, are they not? At least I don’t pretend to have a decent side.”

  “They are decent.”

  Perfidious snarled. “Bullshit. God has no mercy. No decency. He cast his own son out of Heaven. How is that decent?” He took a deep breath, calmed himself. “But we do have one thing in common. None of us are above using our own powers to get what we want. And you, gorgeous … I want.”

  “Never.”

  This time, when he gripped her chin, Perfidious forced her to hold his gaze as he locked onto her mind.

  “I’ve given you more than enough time to get used to this. From this moment forward, you’re mine, Asmia. Your love, devotion, that pitiful loyalty, it belongs to me. All of it.”

  Her eyes widened, some of the anger burning away as the mind control settled in.

  “You are my queen, Asmia. My lover, my mate. From this moment forward, you are dedicated only to me. You’ll remain by my side, bowing at my feet, begging to do anything I desire. It’s no longer a request, it’s a command, one you will follow without complaint. I am forevermore the only male you need, the one who will sustain you. My energy force will keep you breathing for as long as I choose.”

  Testing the strength of his command, Perfidious leaned in, pressed his lips to hers. The female didn’t try to move away, her mouth softening beneath his.

  Pulling back, he met her eyes. The amethyst orbs were no longer glowing, the purple morphing to an inky black, her very soul being shadowed by his own. As long as he kept it shielded with his powers, the angels would believe she was dead and gone, lost to them forever.

  “You’ll forget all about them, Asmia. They mean nothing to you. And should any of them ever approach you, you’ll rip their pathetic heart out without thought or care. You’re devoted only to me. Now say it.”

  “I’m devoted to you, Perfidious. Only you,” she whispered softly.

  “Good girl.”

  He released the hold on her body, allowing her to relax while still maintaining eye contact.

  “You’re my mate, Asmia. My one and only. From now until eternity.”

  “I’m your mate,” she repeated, her sweet agreement making his dick hard.

  “The first thing on our agenda is to feed you.” He reached for her wrists, lifting her limp arms and settling her hands firmly on his chest.

  Asmia didn’t flinch, didn’t pull away.

  “Feed from me, Asmia. Take what you need to build your strength.”

  She stepped closer, his body tensing on instinct, preparing to fight her off should she turn feral.

  But she didn’t.

  Her hands slowly lowered. She began tugging his shirt from his slacks while he watched, waited. When she’d freed the tails, she lifted the designer silk, her palms resting flat on his stomach then inching higher.

  Asmia’s eyes closed on a gasp. Perfidious’s muscles locked up tight as he held himself still. He could feel it. Through her touch, she was siphoning his energy, taking it into herself, using it to fill her reserves.

  “Fuck,” he rumbled.

  The sensation was mind-numbing, all-consuming. Though he could sense his energy waning, he was still powerful. Perhaps more so than ever before. If she could draw off him like this, he couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like during sex.

  Asmia moaned softly as though she’d read his mind.

  Before he did something stupid like lose his focus, Perfidious gripped her wrists and jerked her hands from him. He’d never had a Fae feed from him, and he had no idea what the side effects might be. For all he knew, she could be trying to kill him, draining the life right out of him.

  When her eyes opened, Asmia’s irises glittered black, her cheeks once again rosy, the gray tinge gone as her strength returned.

  “Who am I, Asmia?”

  “My king, my mate.” The soft smile that tilted her lips sent a bolt of lust ripping through him. “The male I will serve forevermore.”

  Oh, how he loved mind control.

  Taayin lay in the darkened cell, his arms too heavy to lift, legs too weak to move.

  That had been the case since they brought him back here, forced him into this godforsaken hellhole.

  But the good news was, his mind continued to float, drifting in and out of consciousness. He was never awake long enough for the pain to break through, which was both a blessing and a curse. His mind was clear enough—at times—to know what they were doing to him, to realize they were keeping him sedated so that the cold, painful longing didn’t make him do something stupid, like venture out into the sunlight.

  Oh, he’d considered it. More times than not, in fact. With Asmia gone, Taayin had absolutely nothing to live for. She was his amsouelot, he knew that now. Which made him a stupid asshole for turning his back on her when she’d needed him most. But he’d been hurt by her betrayal. The fact that Perfidious had slipped into her mind, manipulated her into wanting him… Taayin recoiled
at the thought, though his body didn’t move with his brain’s direction.

  The sane part of him knew it wasn’t her fault, but the irrational part of him, the portion that housed his heart, had blamed her somehow. And look where that had gotten him.

  Now that his female was gone, he had nothing left. Nothing mattered anymore. She was out there somewhere, he could sense it. That connection they had … sometimes it was powerful enough to break through the drug fog, though not often. She was alive; that was all he was entirely sure of. Alive and with Perfidious.

  The thought of her with that evil demon made his chest ache. Not even knowing she was still alive was enough to take the edge off the pain. She wouldn’t choose to live like that. The female was so full of life, of joy. To live out eternity with that demon…

  “I need to get out of here,” he muttered, knowing Obsidian was there with him, leaning against the wall. The male visited him nightly, returning again and again to watch over him.

  “You know I can’t do that,” Obsidian replied. “We can’t lose you, too.”

  “It’s too late for that.” He was useless without Asmia. They both knew it. The least they could do was give him a chance to find her.

  “We will find her,” Obsidian declared.

  Had he said that out loud? Maybe his brain was more fried than he thought.

  “We’ll find her and bring her home to you, Taayin.”

  Promises, promises. Taayin no longer believed anything. He was completely defeated, ruined. Here he lay, void of feeling, mourning the love of his life and knowing there was no reason to forge ahead, because what was left? Though Perfidious wasn’t invincible, he was a demon. One with power at his disposal. It would be the work of a moment to turn Asmia against them, to have her offering her love and loyalty only to him. She wouldn’t be able to stop it, nor would anyone else.

  The notion had bile inching up his throat, but he swallowed it down, the thought of retching worse than the idea of dying on the cold, hard floor of the cell he now called home.

  “I need you, Taayin,” Obsidian growled. “Penelope needs you. This family needs you.”

  Obsidian’s pain hit Taayin square in the chest. Up to this point, Taayin had never wavered in his loyalty, and he’d never questioned how much Obsidian cared for him. It was true, they were family. But that wasn’t enough to ease the ache of Asmia’s absence.

  “We’ll get through this,” Obsidian said softly. “Together. It’s not over, Taayin. She’s not lost forever. We will get her back.”

  Though Taayin wanted to rip Obsidian a new one, to insist he couldn’t even fathom the loss he felt with Asmia gone, it wouldn’t be true. Obsidian had mated Penelope. If anyone knew what he was going through, it was him. After all, Obsidian had endured it, living through the twenty-four hours after Penelope had died at Obsidian’s hand.

  Taayin tried to move his lips, but nothing was coming out. He was drifting again, the floaty feeling renewed thanks to the needle they’d put into his arm, keeping him under. According to Obsidian, it was for his protection, to keep him sane. Taayin had to wonder if sanity was fleeting. Without Asmia, did he care whether or not his brain was mush?

  The answer was no. Nothing mattered. No one mattered.

  “We will find her,” Obsidian promised, his face appearing above him.

  Taayin let his eyes move over the male’s face, but his tongue wouldn’t work to respond. He tried to nod, but even that failed. He was so tired.

  Maybe this time his eyes wouldn’t open. He could go to sleep once and for all, spend eternity in peace.

  “I’ve got you,” Obsidian whispered. “I’ve always got you.”

  Taayin heard only truth in his words, even as he wished his own life to end, for the pain to fade.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  “Have you ever considered we might need our own places?”

  Eclipse shot a quick look at Reidar. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  “Man, it’s fucking brutal.”

  “What is?” Eclipse turned north down an alley in the section they’d been searching for the past half hour.

  “That damn gathenya. Fucking hell. I’m starting to think you’re trying to kill us. I mean, seriously, how many times can you—”

  “Don’t go there,” Eclipse warned.

  “Trust me, man. I’m trying my damnedest not to. But shit. It’s been nonstop these past few days. It’s a fucking wonder the walls aren’t crumbling around the two of you.”

  Eclipse hid his grin. He’d heard something similar from Miklós yesterday, the male bitching about the fact he couldn’t focus on work when that sexual energy kept slamming through the mansion like a tidal wave. Evidently, those who’d been through the same with Obsidian and Penelope were starting to hold a grudge.

  Not that Eclipse could do anything about it. The amnigh had kicked into high gear, yes. Aside from easing his amsouelot, there wasn’t much he could do about it. And he damn sure wasn’t going to apologize because the fiestreigh were having a hard time.

  He chuckled at the double entendre.

  “You’re laughing,” Reidar grumbled. “Try being on our side of this shit, bro.”

  “Last I checked, you had a female to take care of business.”

  “Winnie and I haven’t… Fuck, never mind.”

  “How’re things with her, anyway?”

  “She’s leaving.”

  Eclipse shot a sympathetic glance Reidar’s way. “Sorry to hear that.”

  “Yeah, well. I’ve asked her to stay until I can get Cimmerian back to the mansion.”

  “Why Cimmerian?” Eclipse paused to listen, trying to pick up the trail of the impietans they’d detected wandering the streets of Telluride.

  “Because he won’t scare the shit out of her when he wipes her memory.”

  Eclipse frowned. “You’re saying I’d scare the shit out of her?”

  “No. But I’m not about to ask you to put your hands on her. Could you imagine the shit Orianna would go through when you scrubbed Winnie’s mind?”

  True. Eclipse hadn’t thought about that. In order for them to wipe the mind of a human, they were required to be hands on about it. Though the pain it caused was bearable, he damn sure wouldn’t want Orianna to experience it.

  “Same reason I can’t ask Obsidian.”

  “I’m sure Cimmerian’ll drop in if you ask him. Or you putting it off for another reason?”

  “Nah. She’s done with me and I’ve run out of excuses to have her stay.”

  “So I take it she’s not your amsouelot.”

  Reidar shook his head, then peered over his shoulder. “It’s about fucking time.”

  The cheer in Reidar’s tone spoke to the male’s desperate need to get out some of his frustrations. Eclipse couldn’t say the same. While he’d always longed for a good fight, he wasn’t so much in the mood for one right now. In fact, he would’ve preferred to be back at the mansion with Orianna, preferably naked, curled up in his warm bed with his female draped over him.

  Not out here in this nut-shriveling cold looking for the mindless, soulless bastards who’d started appearing more and more often around these streets in recent days. The only positive was that their presence meant Perfidious was still close. The demon had a penchant for transforming humans, and considering the impietans only lived for three days, it meant he was hard at work with his turnabout army.

  “How many we got?” Magnar asked when he appeared at Reidar’s side.

  “From the scent, I’d say three and they’re def impietans.”

  “How about I leave you boys to this,” Eclipse offered.

  Reidar clapped his hands together with glee. “More for me. Perfect.”

  “Holler if you need backup.”

  “Will do, boss man,” Magnar noted as he fell into a quick jog beside Reidar.

  Eclipse didn’t bother to stick around, returning to the mansion to check in. He’d been out since the sun went down, skipping over the e
vening meal to ensure he had a couple of hours of recon under his belt. As it was, the amnigh had kicked into high gear, leaving roughly four hours tops between the time it subsided and returned. Obsidian had already warned him that he’d had to drug Penelope before they’d undergone the lintamair, just to give her a brief reprieve. Eclipse hoped like hell it didn’t come to that. Considering they had roughly a month before the next full moon, it was going to suck if he had to keep his female doped up.

  After materializing on the back porch, he slid open the doors to the sunroom, stepped in, and closed them quickly to keep out the chill. Eclipse heard voices coming from the main-floor office, so he strolled that way, hoping to check in with Obsidian before he made a trip upstairs to see Orianna.

  The voices on the other side of the door were clipped and quiet. Too quiet for Eclipse to make out, so he rapped his knuckles on the door and waited to be granted entry.

  The door opened on its own, Obsidian and Michael squared off in the center of the room, neither looking happy.

  “What’s up?” Eclipse stepped inside, wondering briefly if he needed to weapon up.

  “Nothing,” Obsidian growled. “He was just leaving.”

  Michael never looked away from Obsidian. Instead, he offered a quick nod before vanishing.

  Obsidian’s shoulders lowered from his ears when the male disappeared, but he didn’t make a move to leave.

  “This about Taayin?”

  Eclipse knew Obsidian was keeping something from him where the male was concerned. The fact that he’d talked Michael into aligning Taayin’s and Asmia’s destinies meant Obsidian now owed Michael a huge favor. As for what that might be, no one seemed to know, and Obsidian wasn’t talking.

  When he realized Obsidian wasn’t going to answer, he huffed. “Fine. Just thought I’d let you know I’m back. If you need me, shout.”

  Eclipse paused his exit when Obsidian said, “You know anyone with experience delivering babies?”

  “Uh…” He turned around to face his brother, smiled. “Yeah, that would be a big fat no. Why? You think she’ll need someone?”