Salvation in Darkness

by Nicole Edwards

  Orianna wasn’t sure what to say to that. Her eyes simply bounced over Amber’s face, absorbing her image. She looked the same as the last time Orianna had seen her, so long ago. Her features still soft and round, youth clinging despite the years that had passed.

  “That guy thought I was you,” Orianna told her, thinking back to that night. “The one with the gun.”

  “Yeah, well.” Amber’s grin widened. “I might’ve nudged that encounter a bit.”

  “So he didn’t know you?”

  A soft chuckle escaped her sister. “I’d never seen him before, and I seriously doubted he knew Dad. But he’d been out to do harm, so he wasn’t an innocent bystander, I assure you.”

  Well, that certainly explained the weirdness of the situation.

  Amber’s face sobered. “And I’ve been watching you these past couple of months.”

  “So you saw Mom?”

  There was a sadness in Amber’s blue eyes. “I check in on her all the time.”

  “She’s with me. At the mansion,” Orianna said, though she realized it wasn’t necessary.

  “I know. And she’s happy there. Don’t let her fool you. She’s taken to that young vampire, too. I think she needs someone to take care of in that manner, since she’s unable to physically. She and Bijou are connecting.”

  Orianna had noticed that, too.

  “And you?” she asked her sister. “Are you happy here?”

  “I’m not running anymore.” She said it as though that was a relief.

  “That doesn’t answer my question.”

  Amber’s gaze shifted over Orianna’s face. “I’m finally at peace, Orianna.”

  “What about your … remains? I’ve never found your body.”

  “My ashes are being held at a funeral home in Harper, Kansas, of all places.” Amber grinned. “It’s right across from a Casey’s General Store. So, when you go get them, which I know you will, could you do me a favor?”

  “Anything.”

  “Spread them out over Darkness, where you live. That way I can be with you and Mom forever.”

  Tears came and Orianna couldn’t stop them. They dripped down her cheeks, unbidden.

  Amber gently squeezed her hand. “I’m happy now, Orianna.” She leaned in closer. “But I don’t want you to think I wasn’t happy when we were younger. Before…”

  Orianna smiled. “I know we were. Then life got in the way.”

  “It tends to do that from time to time.” Amber took her other hand, holding them both. “But it’s time for you to return to that life.”

  “What?” Orianna glanced around. “I thought I had twenty-four hours.”

  Amber smiled. “Time moves much faster here.”

  “But…”

  “Your angel’s waiting for you, Orianna. He needs you right now. He’s hurting and he needs you to ease that pain.”

  Thinking of Eclipse was the only thing that could possibly pull her away from this moment. She wondered if Amber knew that.

  “I do,” Amber said with a giggle.

  Unable to help herself, she threw her arms around her sister, hugging her tightly. “I miss you, sis. I love you so much.”

  “Ditto,” Amber replied. “Now, go back to your male and spend the rest of eternity happy.”

  Orianna stepped back, smiled. She was about to say something when everything washed away, like someone had poured paint over the current picture, erasing it. She had the sense of falling, similar to taking that first hill down on a roller coaster. Her stomach fluttered and she briefly prayed there was something below to catch her. There was no hard landing, though, just a gentle thud, as though she’d been returned to her corporeal form. And there was a familiarity with her new location, but she felt trapped, held captive by her own body.

  His voice was the first thing she was aware of, his soft sobs surprisingly loud.

  Eclipse. Words wouldn’t form, but she knew he was there.

  “Sezari? Oh, God.” Eclipse sobbed.

  She was trapped in her own body, but something told her she was all right. There was no need to panic because Eclipse was with her. She was safe because he would make it so.

  Orianna wasn’t sure how much time passed, but each of her senses slowly came back online, and she found they were no longer in that stone room, but instead…

  “Where are we?”

  “We haven’t gone far,” he said softly.

  Taking his word for it, Orianna scanned the room once more.

  “It’s exactly as I imagined it,” she whispered, curious as to whether her voice would work.

  It did and so did her muscles as she lifted her head and glanced around the room. It was what she’d call modern farmhouse. The traditional white-washed bed’s large headboard was against one wall. The pile of cream and navy pillows were a bit rumpled, as was the navy-blue throw blanket across the bottom. It was exactly the bedroom she’d always envisioned she would one day have if and when she finally settled down.

  “It suits you,” Eclipse said, his hands curling around her cheeks, his eyes holding hers as though she was a lifeline he refused to let go of. “Perhaps we’ll have to remodel.”

  She smiled. “Perhaps.”

  But that would have to wait, she knew. Right now— Her eyes shifted to his neck, followed by a strange tingling in her upper jaw. She tested the sensation with the tip of her tongue, felt the sharp canines that were growing longer. A smile pulled at her mouth as it became clear that she now sported fangs. And that meant…

  “You need to feed, sezari.”

  Yes. Yes, she most definitely did. “But I want to feel you over me when I do. Naked.”

  Without preamble, Eclipse got to his feet, discarding the jeans he was wearing even as she worked the thin gown up and over her head, tossing it somewhere on the far side of the room. When he returned to her, his warmth covering her, Orianna ran her hands over his forearms, his biceps, up to his shoulders. Her sense of touch was heightened, but he still felt the same, only better. And though it had supposedly only been twenty-four hours, it felt like years since she’d last touched him. The only thing she wanted to do was hold him for the next … eternity. His warmth alone soothed her.

  “Feed from me,” Eclipse demanded.

  Those words triggered the tingling in her upper jaw, but it was the curiosity that spurred her forward. She remembered wondering what his blood would taste like, and now she was going to find out firsthand.

  Orianna dragged his head toward her, but rather than go right for the jugular, she melded her mouth to his. She felt him relax more, his hips settling into the cradle of her thighs. It wasn’t long before that gnawing pain in her gut grew insistent, forcing her to release his mouth. She needed no instructions as Eclipse settled his weight on his forearms, turning his head so she had access to his vein.

  Her fangs had elongated more, the perfect length to pierce his flesh, spearing into him with minimal effort. Instinct took over from there, her lips sealing around the wounds as she sucked. His blood flooded her mouth, the taste so rich, not at all like what she’d expected. There was no copper tang as was the case with human blood. This was more of a rich wine that she found herself addicted to within seconds.

  Orianna was vaguely aware of Eclipse’s body tensing, his muscles locking up, the heat of his heavy flesh pressed against her belly.

  “Sezari … oh, fuck … oh, fuck.” He pressed his neck toward her mouth as his hips jerked.

  He was coming, she realized, his release spraying over her stomach. There was a tremendous power in knowing she had that sort of control over him. She’d succumbed to it from that very first night they were together, when she’d insisted he take from her. At the time, she hadn’t even known what he was or why she was compelled to offer her vein, but it had felt right. And now … it was her turn to return the favor.

  When she felt his hips jerking once more, she sucked harder on his vein, wanting to feel his release once more before she let him go. It came a minu
te later on a strangled growl that triggered a mini explosion within her. As he settled, Orianna retracted her fangs and sealed the punctures before finding his mouth with hers once more.

  She wasn’t sure what she’d done to deserve him, but Orianna knew without a doubt she would never let him go. She would spend the rest of her immortal existence ensuring he never endured the sort of pain she could feel echoing inside him.

  From now until eternity, they would take care of one another.

  Exactly as it was meant to be.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Turned out, it was true, vampires could go an extended amount of time without feeding.

  Mirakel learned this the hard way. By refraining.

  Now, he was as good as fucking useless, unable to move, more than likely on the verge of death. He figured his body was attempting a shutdown, his organs seizing up, and it was his own fucking fault. Kaj had been insistent, yet Mirakel had defied the order because he couldn’t fathom taking the vein of that Fae again, and the thought of feeding from anyone else…

  He groaned, attempting to turn to his side, but it didn’t work. There wasn’t an ounce of strength to be summoned.

  The knock on his door went unanswered because he couldn’t get his tongue to form the words or his vocal cords to relay the message. So he remained where he was, peering around the last place he would ever see. The sleeping chambers he’d been given had been simple at one time. A week ago, he figured. Back before those two heurosp had taken it upon themselves to spruce it up. Now he had a room full of furniture, ridiculously soft sheets, a thick, heavy comforter to keep him warm, and matching drapes covering the steel shutters on the windows.

  It was actually quite lovely, though that word wasn’t usually in his vocabulary. However, it suited the inviting space he had to lay his head.

  Too bad he wasn’t going to get to enjoy it for long. Hell, he hadn’t even had a chance to check out the huge Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom.

  Oh, well.

  Didn’t matter now. He was letting down everyone he knew because he’d been an idiot, refusing to feed. As he thought about it now, he almost couldn’t remember why he’d thought this was a good idea. That night when he’d held that female in his arms and come like a fucking teenager as he took her vein … it seemed a lifetime ago, a distant, vague memory.

  Another knock sounded on his door, and again Mirakel couldn’t summon the strength to answer. He listened, his hearing beginning to dim as a buzzing formed in his head. He waited to hear the sound of footsteps as they left him there to die, alone on this too comfortable bed, in this too big room.

  The rattle of the doorknob had hope flaring in his chest, but he was too weak to do anything about it. His head wouldn’t even turn to see who it was.

  He grunted softly, attempting to catch their attention in case it was a heurosp coming to tidy up if it was night, or to pull down the blankets if it was day. He had no idea which it was, and he honestly didn’t care.

  “Sire?”

  Mirakel’s eyes widened as that lovely face came into view beside his bed. She was just as lovely—there was that word again—as she’d been the first time he saw her. Purple eyes, that silky, shiny strawberry-blond hair. Perfectly set eyes, delicate nose, fucking perfect mouth.

  Turned out he had some energy left because his fangs shot down from his jaw.

  “Oh, sire,” she said softly. “You’ve waited too long.”

  He tried to shake his head to tell her to leave him be, but his lack of strength rebelled against the instruction from his brain.

  His eyes were about the only thing that still worked, so he settled on memorizing Briony’s delicate features. Maybe he could take that image with him into the afterlife, once he was in the vast beyond, wherever he was being sent.

  When her wrist came in contact with his mouth, he moaned softly, but he lacked the strength to pierce her flesh.

  “Here, let me do it.”

  Mirakel watched as she lifted her wrist to her mouth and punctured her own vein before returning it to his lips. The first drop was an awakening, his cells seeming to realize he was not going to be relocating to whatever afterlife he’d been allocated to.

  His body greedily took what she offered, and when his arms were strong enough, his hands found her flesh, circling her forearm and holding her wrist against his lips. Mirakel closed his eyes, attempting to keep the rest of his body under control, but it wasn’t working. She was just so soft, her blood the sweetest ambrosia, her scent… He could feel his sex thickening beneath the blankets. He was naked, a status he was not all that happy with considering what was going on down south.

  Thankfully, the blanket remained in place as he fortified himself with the life that flowed from her vein. It wasn’t until he heard her soft gasp that he opened his eyes and looked at her face. There was a gray tinge to her skin, a sickly pallor that sent panic racing through him. He immediately released her though he wasn’t nearly close to getting his fill.

  “I shall leave you now, sire.” Her head lowered as she sealed the wounds on her wrist.

  “What ails you?” he asked, the words a gruff whisper, as though his diaphragm hadn’t quite gotten with the program.

  “Nothing for you to concern yourself with, sire.”

  To hell with that. Mirakel sat up. “Wait.”

  Her hand was on the doorknob, but she stopped moving.

  “Come here,” he insisted.

  She followed his command, but he could sense it was second nature.

  “What ails you?” he repeated. “When’s the last time you fed?”

  “I am not sure, sire.”

  Because he was naked, Mirakel couldn’t get to his feet, so instead, he patted the mattress beside him. “Come here. Take my vein.”

  Her amethyst gaze, clouded by her need to feed, lifted to meet his eyes. “Sire, that is not how Fae feed.”

  “Then how do you do it?”

  “We siphon energy.”

  “And how does that work?” Perhaps he sounded like an idiot, but so be it. “Can you take from me?”

  “You have little to spare.”

  “That’s not a no,” he stated, motioning her toward him. “Tell me what you need me to do.”

  Her hesitation was dangerously close to pissing him off.

  “Tell me,” he demanded.

  “It would be best if you turn toward me,” she relayed. “I must put my hands on your chest.”

  Fucking hell. She was going to touch him? Great. Lovely. Fan-fucking-tastic.

  Why was this a good idea again?

  Clearly she must’ve detected something that bothered her, because she pivoted to go.

  “Briony, get over here,” he said gruffly, resigning himself to having her hands on him.

  He could do this. He could. He would simply pretend she was … someone else. Yes. Someone less … lovely.

  Dropping his legs over the side of the bed, Mirakel pulled the comforter across his lap, ensuring his erection was covered.

  She came to stand before him, so he spread his thighs, allowing her room to get closer, tucking that damn blanket beneath his thigh to ensure it stayed put.

  “Is this going to hurt?” he asked, not that he cared. Pain was irrelevant at the moment. However, if it did hurt, perhaps he’d have something else to focus on.

  “No, sire.”

  Mirakel took a deep breath, then squared his shoulders, broadening his chest.

  Her purple eyes lowered, and he saw the approval there, which did little to help the situation.

  Then again, it was nothing compared to the instant her palms pressed to his chest. His back bowed into the touch, his chest heaving as he felt the strangest sensation tear through him.

  Briony inhaled deeply, her fingertips curling inward, clutching him as she took what she needed.

  Of course, his cock swelled in response. He had to grind his hand down on the damn thing to keep it from lurching out from beneath the blankets. But even the
pain he inflicted did nothing to halt the orgasm that tore up his shaft, the electricity slamming along every nerve ending in rapid succession. Mirakel growled low in his throat as he came. It just so happened his eyes were open, and he was watching her when it happened. Briony’s eyes met his, and he saw the erotic response as it exploded within her. She moaned, slamming her eyes shut as her body shuddered.

  Seeing her succumb to her orgasm triggered another within him.

  Even as the exquisite sensation splintered him, Mirakel knew they had to stop this. If not…

  Well, fuck, they’d be right back where he’d been before her arrival.

  Bijou had noticed a change in the mansion for the past week. Ever since everyone had disappeared for two days. And by everyone, she meant every single soul in the place except for the humans. She wasn’t sure where they’d gone, but even with their return, there was a difference in the place.

  For one, that strange sexual energy had ceased. Thank Heaven for that. Right before their disappearance, it had gotten brutally intense within the walls of the angels’ residence, more so because Bijou had absolutely no outlet for her sexual frustration.

  Not since their encounter in the sauna had Oliver spoken more than two words to her. No more playing pool, no swimming, no movies. Their interactions had halted altogether, and she knew it was her fault. She’d all but insisted he take care of her, and oh, boy, had he. When Oliver’s mouth had gone … where it had gone, she’d thought she was having an out-of-body experience. Never had an orgasm consumed her entire being until then. Probably for the best since the only ones she’d experienced had been self-inflicted, and it looked as though any in the future would be the same.

  Which was the reason she was ignoring her own sexual needs. Nothing she could do for herself was going to come close to achieving that cataclysmic event, so why bother trying, right?

  Thankfully, she had the company of Orianna’s mother to keep her distracted. Since she’d stumbled upon the female in the bedroom near the back stairs, Bijou had found herself drawn to her. And as it turned out, Elizabeth McKay seemed to be fond of Bijou. Good thing the human didn’t realize she was a vampire. She could only imagine the reception she’d receive if she had.