Yeah. Best to dump the doom and gloom.
In an effort to hold on to his sanity, Eclipse listened to Orianna and Elizabeth talking upstairs in the kitchen. He smelled burnt coffee and the lingering aroma of lemon cleaner.
He was so in tune with Orianna he could feel the sadness that cloaked her. Her mother’s condition pained her, though he wasn’t sure if it was that she was confined to the wheelchair or that she was ensnared by the pain meds, a prisoner to addiction. He couldn’t imagine either was fun. Not for Elizabeth or those who cared for her.
“Did you map the house?” Miklós asked Magnar.
“Just like Orianna said. Three bedrooms, two baths,” the male responded. “Small entry inside the living room. Couch, television, old coffee table. I doubt anyone’s been in that room in at least a year, maybe two. Kitchen just beyond that, separate hall leading to the bedrooms. First on the left looks like it’s been converted to an office. Next, on the right, appears to be their other daughter’s room. Probably set up as a shrine when she skipped town. Next is a small bath, also on the right. Tub, sink, toilet. Nothing fancy and clearly not used. Last, straight ahead is the master bedroom. Queen bed, television on top of the dresser, one nightstand, one lamp. Both closet and bathroom doors are on the left side of the room. That bath’s been modified for her wheelchair, appears used often and meticulously clean.”
Eclipse continued to stare at the door, mentally walking through the house using Magnar’s description.
“And the cameras?” Miklós asked. “I see three. How many’d you get up?”
“Five.” Magnar leaned over, peering at Miklós’s computer. “Yep, living room and hallway. That’s the view from above this door”—he pointed to the entry to the basement—“and I got one pointing at the front door, another on the front porch.”
“There they are,” Miklós said, relief in his tone.
“She must have help around here,” Magnar noted. “House is clean, but I’m not sure how she does laundry since it’s down here.”
Eclipse made a mental note to ensure Elizabeth had all the comforts when she moved to Darkness. If. If she moved to Darkness. He couldn’t very well ship her off without Orianna’s go-ahead, and he got the impression it wouldn’t be an easy sell for Elizabeth. Then again, if Elizabeth believed it was Orianna wanting her mother close, perhaps she would jump on board. Eclipse had been serious when he’d told Orianna they couldn’t interact with the human. Not if it was at all avoidable. Well and truly sucked, if you asked him. Eclipse wouldn’t mind having a mother-in-law, spending time with Orianna’s family.
“Backyard’s got a chain-link fence surrounding it,” Miklós said, “a small shed that’s padlocked. Looks like someone’s been in and out of there frequently. Front door and back door are the only exits, and from a quick inspection, someone’s painted the windows shut. Considering the age of the house and Elizabeth’s inability to do the work herself, someone’s doing right by it and her.”
Eclipse didn’t add anything to their conversation, and he tuned out when they shifted to discussions of who would sleep where.
He was far too twitchy for sleep. Probably had a lot to do with the fact that he was trapped now that the sun was rising higher in the sky, with no way of helping Orianna should she need it. He didn’t like the helpless feeling at all. Not being able to protect his amsouelot was his worst fear. A month ago, he’d been content to believe she was safe in that shitty little apartment with the fiestreigh keeping tabs on her. Now that he’d held her while she slept in his bed, woke with her next to him, Eclipse couldn’t bear the thought of not being right there to ensure no harm would come to her.
The only positive was that the vampires and demons were trapped, as well. Except for the shadow beasts, but he’d yet to encounter any who had Orianna on their radar.
However, humans were just as capable of raining hell as any of the supernatural. Namely, Orianna’s father, who seemed to be intent on hurting Elizabeth, even if it was only financially.
Turning, he peered back at Miklós. “What do you know about Erik McKay?”
The lieterra snatched up his laptop once again. “Last known residence was Phoenix, Arizona. That was three months ago. Looks like he’s been drifting for quite some time. No employment records for the past eight years, but that doesn’t mean he’s not working for cash. He’s managed to stay low, keeping off the government’s radar. Oh, and he’s got no bank accounts that I can find. None after he left several in the red back when he left Elizabeth high and dry, after he’d shipped Orianna and Amber off to boarding school, paid for by Elizabeth’s parents.”
“What about that place we went to in Telluride? Not recent?”
“Kandarie did some digging on that and found he’d first been in the area about three years ago. Same time as Orianna’s sister. We figure that’s how she tracked him down, followed him back. It looks like they tried to establish a relationship, but dear old Dad left Amber high and dry in that shitty apartment after a month and a half. He rented it again but bailed shortly after the eviction was processed. We were able to track Amber’s movements until seven months ago. Came to the same conclusion her GA did.”
That she was dead, Eclipse knew. Amber’s guardian angel had documented it after having lost his connection to her.
Footsteps sounded above them, causing Eclipse to turn toward the noise. The basement door creaked as it opened, and then Orianna appeared at the top of the rickety staircase.
Eclipse moved toward her. “Everything all right?”
Orianna nodded, carefully moving down the wooden treads. “I’m hoping she’ll sleep now that she’s taken her meds. Once she does, I’ll check in, but I need to stay up there to greet Erik if he does show up.”
A soft growl escaped him, but he couldn’t help it. The thought of Orianna going up against her father without him at her side … it bothered him immensely.
“I’ll be fine,” she said softly. “He won’t hurt me.”
She didn’t know that. Depending on what Erik McKay was after, it was quite possible he was a loose cannon. If the guy owed money, chances were he was being hassled for it. If he didn’t pay, that put anyone in his life in harm’s way.
Orianna took his hand and tugged. Confused, Eclipse moved with her.
She stepped into a small alcove beneath the stairs, giving them a modicum of privacy though Magnar and Miklós could still hear everything they said.
“I’m not sure I’ll make it through the day…” Her eyes completed that sentence, filling in the blank spaces and sending warmth through Eclipse’s bloodstream.
He knew she was referring to the amnigh. There was no denying it was intensifying. The fact that he’d been feeding from her had robbed them of the slight reprieve they would’ve had once it became too much to bear. There was no timetable that outlined how long they had before it overtook her the way it had Penelope right before Obsidian had mated with her.
Personally, Eclipse was hoping for time. A lot of it. He wasn’t eager to undergo the lintamair. Didn’t matter that it would forever tether Orianna’s soul to his, the mere thought of taking her life wasn’t something he could contemplate. He remembered seeing Obsidian in the moments leading up to the mating ceremony. His brother had been a mess, complete and total wreck. No doubt in Eclipse’s mind, it was his reaction to doing the most difficult thing he would ever have to do.
Orianna’s soft blond hair felt like silk as he brushed it back from her face, his fingertips moving to the warmth of her cheek. “If you need me, I’ll be right here.”
He didn’t bother to mention that he would need to feed before sundown. His strength was already waning, but he would hold out for as long as he could.
As though programed to respond to the thought of her blood, his fangs descended, throbbing with the urge to sink into her vein.
“You need to feed,” she said softly, her arms sliding around his waist.
He shook his head. “I’m fine for now.”
Eclipse
knew the impact it had on her. Orianna’s entire body responded to him feeding from her, and right now they lacked the privacy he required. No way would he allow Miklós or Magnar to listen in on their private moments. Not if he could help it.
His ears perked up at the sound of Elizabeth’s voice coming from upstairs. “Your mother’s calling you.”
“Shit.” Orianna sighed. “Okay. Let me sit with her. Once she’s asleep, I’ll come back down.”
Because he had no other options, Eclipse released her, then watched as she made her way up the stairs. When she opened the door, he saw the glint of light coming into the house.
Which reminded him he was trapped and the female he loved was out of reach.
Kaj paced the storage room beneath the empty warehouse, his gaze continuing to swing over to Mirakel, Huracān, Blāz, and Kidel. They were what was known as the Zenith, the group of warriors whose sole responsibility was to protect the Alpha of the race. Or rather, they were what was left of the group, anyway. At one time, Kaj had been one of them, amongst an army of invincible vampires. Now there were only four remaining.
He still couldn’t believe the males were there, alive and well from what he could tell. The last time he’d seen them had been right after the raids on Kardobahn’s camp. Despite all their efforts, they’d been too late to save Kaj’s father, his baby brothers, but just in time to encounter a second wave of shadow beasts that had come to set fire to the camp, ensuring no lives were spared. At the time, Kaj had thought the warriors had died in their attempt to save him, their recently appointed Alpha.
It had been a solid week since he’d stumbled upon Mirakel in that dungeon, and since then Kaj had been trying to understand how he’d lost touch with them for so long, how he hadn’t known they were still alive. More importantly, why they hadn’t made every attempt to meet up with him.
“Why’d you stay gone?” he asked, still trying to come to terms with it all. While he was grateful they were alive and kicking, Kaj still had his reservations about who he could trust.
“We got separated that day,” Mirakel explained. “When the fires were burning, I didn’t know whether they”—he motioned toward the others—“were alive or not, but my mission is to protect my Alpha, so I went in search of you.”
“Did you go back for them?” Kaj inquired.
Mirakel shook his head, misery glittering in his neon blue eyes. “I wanted to, but my objective was to find and protect you, phaal.”
Yes, Kaj understood all too well their mission. The Zenith were trained to lay down their lives for the ruler of the race. When Kardobahn had been killed, they’d been leveled. Hard not to be when their only objective was to ensure the Alpha’s safety and that of his family. In that regard, they’d all failed Kaj’s father even though they’d nearly lost their own lives in the process.
That day… Fuck, he could still see the aftermath in his mind as though the image had been superimposed on the backs of his eyelids. The devastation—
“I did the same,” Huracān said, pulling Kaj’s mind back to the present. “Went in search of you. But I found Kidel, instead. Injured, nearly dead.” The male lowered his eyes. “I couldn’t leave him, phaal.”
Kaj stopped, turning to face Huracān. “No, you couldn’t,” he agreed. “And I’m glad you didn’t.”
It had been hell thinking he’d lost them. Because of their roles as warriors protecting their Alpha, Kaj had always considered them family. He’d fought alongside them and would’ve given his life for theirs. To think that they would put his life above their own was a humbling prospect, one that would take time to get used to now that he was their Alpha.
“I got word that Huracān had made it out,” Blāz stated. “By then, I’d already caught your scent, but figured we’d do better together, so I went looking for him.”
Blāz’s words rang with disgrace, as though he despised the fact he’d diverted from his mission, choosing to save his family when he thought all was lost. Kaj had never believed in that particular objective of the Zenith. While he understood the need to protect the Alpha, he’d always thought it made more sense to protect all vampires, to ensure the race’s survival above all else.
“That’s ultimately how we found you,” Mirakel said. “Misplaced Halos came back online and there was word you’d been sighted. I followed the message boards and found one Huracān left for you.”
Kaj should’ve looked there, but he hadn’t.
“That was where we learned of your daughter,” Blāz stated. “So we tracked her to you.”
A ghost of a smile formed on his mouth. “I thought someone was following us, so I shook the tail. That was you?”
Mirakel shook his head. “It was Darko’s males. Ultimately, we found you when we stumbled on their scent.”
Kaj exhaled heavily. Mirakel had explained what he’d overheard regarding Darko’s intention of taking the reins as Alpha. Evidently, there were quite a few factions who were not happy with the thought of Kaj ruling the race, and they’d decided to side with the enemy. Not that it surprised him. There’d always been those who didn’t want Kardobahn at the helm, but his father had ruled for seven hundred years, surviving multiple attempts on his life. As for whether or not he’d been a good ruler, that wasn’t for Kaj to decide. He and his father had had many differences of opinion, and no doubt, those would be noted by his enemies, as well.
“We failed you, phaal,” Huracān said solemnly.
For fuck’s sake. He should’ve known that was coming. The Zenith held themselves to a higher standard than all other vampires, and because of that, they were harder on themselves, seeing failure when there was none.
“You did not,” Kaj snapped, waving his hand dismissively. “I’m alive, aren’t I? You’re alive. That’s all that matters.” He peered over at Mirakel. “Well, aside from taking down Darko before he gets his hands on me.”
Or those he cared about. Kaj knew Darko well, and he was aware the male would stop at nothing to continue to climb the ladder toward power. He’d felt it when he’d visited the Dungeon, knew something was brewing, but he’d shrugged it off.
“May I ask where you’ve been staying?” Mirakel questioned.
Kaj studied him momentarily. At his core, he knew he could trust these males. In fact, they were the only ones he could do so implicitly. They would have his back and he theirs.
“I took refuge with the angels,” he admitted. “I needed a place for Bijou.”
“That explains why you fell off the grid,” Huracān stated with a smirk. “Obsidian’s good at blending.”
He was that.
Resuming his pacing, Kaj considered their options. “When the sun goes down, I’ll pay Obsidian a visit. The angels have another residence in Darkness. It’s been abandoned for a few years, since they built their new fortress. I’ll see if they’ll allow us to stay temporarily.” Or perhaps indefinitely. Kaj got the feeling Darkness was exactly where he belonged, close to Bijou and Acadia.
“As long as you’re aware we go where you go,” Mirakel stated. “It’s our duty to protect the Alpha.”
Kaj nodded. “Understood. And for as long as I’m in that role, I’d trust no one else to have my back.”
The question was, how long would it be before Darko or another traitor overthrew him?
As Mirakel stood facing the Alpha he was sworn to protect, there was no way of denying his job had gotten immensely more difficult with the changing of guard.
He’d spent three hundred and fifty of his three hundred eighty-two years fighting alongside Kaj. The male had trained him from the time Mirakel was old enough to wield a sword, trusted him to keep Kardobahn safe, and proved it by inducting him into the Zenith despite his lineage and lack of blueblood running through his veins.
Of course, if you measured his life with successes and failures, the scales of justice would no doubt weigh heavier on the latter. After all, Kardobahn, their Alpha for the past seven centuries, was dead. Mirakel had failed Kaj in tha
t regard. Hell, he’d failed them all because he’d been unable to stop the shadow beasts from wiping out the entire camp.
Here, as he stood before the race’s new Alpha, it was impossible not to notice the transformation that had taken place in the male who stood before him now, the most powerful vampire in existence, the ruler of their race, the one who decided the fate of all who looked to him as their safety and security. The past year and a half had taken its toll on Kaj, worn him down. Those brilliant green eyes held shadows of his loss, the pain he’d endured. Mirakel felt responsible for some of those shadows, for some of that pain.
“We should move belowground,” Kaj said. “The space isn’t much, but we’ll be safe down there until nightfall.”
Mirakel glanced at Blāz, nodded his head.
The male was on his feet, marching over to the door in the floor that led down to the space below. A few minutes later, Blāz returned, nodding his approval. They would be safe there for the time being. A vacant metal structure in the center of a town populated by humans wasn’t the best of accommodations as far as protecting Kaj went, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. For now, this was their only option. In a way, it was better than the last building Kaj had taken him to before they’d separated for Mirakel to bring the others in. A bit easier to defend, in Mirakel’s opinion.
“Can I speak to you for a moment, phaal?” Mirakel requested once the other three males had gone below to get settled.
Kaj turned to face him, smiled. The breath he released was one of relief, not frustration, but it drew Mirakel up all the same.
“It’s so fucking good to have you here.”
Those few words did it, spoken in that grateful tone… Mirakel was overwhelmed by emotions, the ones he’d been shoving down deep for so long now. Concern, uncertainty, sorrow, even fear. He’d never given up on his search for Kaj, never would have, so this was a relief beyond anything he could’ve expected, and it was almost too much for his brain to process.
Dropping to his knee before the leader of the race, Mirakel ducked his head. “I’m not worthy of you, my Alpha,” he said in their native tongue. “I have failed you, but should you find it in your heart to forgive me, I pledge to you my loyalty, my strength, my very soul, from now until my dying breath.”
Salvation in Darkness Page 34
