Bound in Darkness

by Nicole Edwards

  “Care to share that—”

  A flutter of sound came from behind Kaj, drawing Obsidian’s attention.

  “Well, speak of the devil,” Kaj muttered.

  Damn archangel always had the worst timing.

  “Long time no see.” Michael’s gaze scanned both males and he knew instantly that they weren’t happy to see him.

  What was new? He’d stopped expecting a warm welcome a dozen or so centuries back.

  “My ears were burning,” he told the males. “Figured I’d drop in, see what’s going on.”

  While they sized him up, probably trying to determine how quickly they could get him back to Heaven, Michael turned to admire the beginnings of the new facility. Impressive. They’d made it much farther than he’d expected considering neither male had gotten back with him after his last conversations with them—Obsidian regarding Michael’s permanent residence here with them, Kaj regarding resurrecting the original vampire.

  Based on the way they had their heads together now, he understood why.

  “I’m going to assume we’ve come to an agreement,” he told Obsidian.

  “To a degree, yes. I’m moving forward with the training facility as we discussed. Although I’ll only allow a minimal number of spots.”

  Michael had figured as much. He’d tossed out a number to get the male’s head working, not because he truly expected the hands-on experience for fifty-plus angels. However, it did leave the ball in Obsidian’s court, right where Michael had lobbed it.

  “And the vampires?” Michael cut his gaze to Kaj. “Are you on board?”

  “Mostly.”

  Michael’s nose curled. He was not a fan of that word. “Which part? Resurrecting the original vampire?”

  “Huh?” Obsidian pulled off the dark shades that shielded his eyes, his keen gaze bouncing from Kaj to Michael then back. “What the hell’s he talking about?”

  Chuckling, Michael cocked his head. “Didn’t catch him up all the way, huh?”

  The vampire’s black eyebrows dipped low. “I hadn’t gotten to it yet.”

  More like Kaj was putting off the inevitable.

  Michael waved a hand in their direction. “Feel free to get him up to speed now.”

  “Original vampire? Khari?”

  “One and the same,” Michael called out as he strolled toward the empty space, pretending to be admiring their efforts.

  A bit of grumbling sounded behind him, and Michael took that to mean Kaj hadn’t intended to share the details with Obsidian. At least not yet. Probably had to do with the fact the human vessel the ancient male vampire was currently hitching a ride in was Obsidian’s mate’s brother. Or at least they believed him to be related. Although he wasn’t. Semantics and all that.

  While Kaj explained to Obsidian, Michael strolled through the vast space they’d dedicated to training. He’d known putting Obsidian in charge would be the right move. He could practically see the angels and vampires going toe to toe here, getting the hands-on experience necessary to fight alongside the most powerful beings in the known universe. Misplaced Halos they were called. Honestly, he liked the term though he couldn’t say why. Perhaps that was what they could call this place.

  “Are you shitting me?” Obsidian snarled.

  Michael smiled to himself, ensuring the male did not see him. No sense poking the beast. Or was it bear?

  No matter.

  “My female’s brother? He’s the human host to the original vampire?”

  Yep. Obsidian was handling the news about as well as Kaj had. No surprise there.

  But unlike Kaj, Michael knew what was coming from Obsidian next.

  Wait for it.

  Three…

  Two…

  “You fucking knew she was my mate. And you put the vampire in her twin? What the fuck were you thinking?”

  Spinning around, Michael kept his grin in place. “Technically, he’s not her twin. They weren’t even conceived by the same male and female.”

  Obsidian’s brows slammed down. “What did you say?”

  “I did what was necessary to protect the vampires. I won’t apologize for it.”

  “So you manipulated humans?”

  “In my defense, they’re relatively easy to manipulate. Plus, the little boy had been abandoned by his birth mother. I merely gave him a loving home.”

  Although, now that he thought about it, Oliver Calazans had never seemed all that happy. Perhaps he’d overestimated the family cohesiveness.

  “Penelope’s parents agreed to raise them as twins. They knew nothing of Khari.” It still amazed him what humans were willing to do for money. No questions asked. And Penelope’s greedy parents had been no exception.

  “And what? You just want to pop him out of the human and … what, Michael? How the hell do you resurrect an ancient vampire who’s been riding shotgun in humans for centuries?”

  Try millennia, Michael thought, but kept that one to himself. No sense adding to the tension.

  “It gets better,” Kaj groused. “Khari is to mate my daughter.”

  Obsidian threw up his arms and began to pace, huffing as he did. “This is bullshit, Michael. You’ve outdone yourself. Just when I thought you couldn’t get any more underhanded than you already were.”

  He knew there was no reasoning with Obsidian. Telling the male that this was the only way he’d seen to keep the race alive would only be met with argument. And he didn’t necessarily blame him. Michael had utilized various human vessels over the millennia, keeping Khari safe. And yes, he’d long ago defied the rules and identified who Obsidian’s amsouelot was. He had bided his time, awaiting her birth, and the moment he’d learned of her existence, he’d done what he had to do to ensure Obsidian’s path would eventually cross with Khari’s.

  Would he ever tell Obsidian as much? Nope. Nuh-uh. He had enough to atone for as it was. Did he think his deceit had contributed to the leak of the amsouelots’ names? No. Of that much he was certain. However, he had yet to figure out who was behind it, but he wasn’t giving up. Not until he nailed that bastard to the wall.

  Ew. Bad turn of phrase. Humans and their strange idioms.

  “What happens to Oliver when you extract the vampire?” Kaj inquired. “Will he have any memories of the first twenty-eight years of his life?”

  “No.” That part Michael felt bad about but it couldn’t be helped.

  “So Khari will have those memories?” Obsidian asked.

  “Correct.”

  “Fucking fantastic.”

  “I thought so,” Michael said before he realized that had been sarcasm.

  More hands thrown in the air and finally Obsidian stormed out.

  “That went well,” Kaj grumbled.

  “You were waiting in an effort to avoid that,” Michael mused.

  “It definitely could’ve been handled better, yes.”

  Maybe.

  “Do you have an answer for me on the other?” he inquired, figuring since he had Kaj’s attention, he might as well find out where they stood on the other issues.

  “You’re not going to like what I have to tell you.”

  Probably not, but Michael was all too familiar with that, too. It was rare that he ever got his way.

  Not for lack of trying, mind you.

  Chapter Thirteen

  After filling Michael in on his decision to support Obsidian as an equal, rather than declare to march to the beat of their drum, Kaj had excused himself. Of course, the archangel had given him shit about his final decision on the original vampire, and Kaj had not so kindly told him to shove it for a little while longer. As much as he wanted to resolve the problems for all species in one day, he knew it wasn’t possible.

  However, there was one situation he was prepared to resolve and he knew he couldn’t wait any longer. He’d spent far too many days sleeping alone when all he wanted was to feel Acadia pressed up to him through the daylight hours. Because she hadn’t yet had the conversation with Obsidian that t
hey’d discussed previously, Kaj had to believe they weren’t on the same page.

  It was time they figured it out.

  “Phaal, I think we might have a problem.”

  Kaj spun around to face Huracān, who’d come jogging after him the moment he’d stepped into the Lair. “What?”

  “It’s … Mirakel.”

  Kaj narrowed his eyes, waiting for the male to continue. The concern on Huracān’s face had him forgetting his previous plans of confronting Acadia in lieu of what was more pressing.

  “Where is he?”

  “The workout room.”

  Not sure how that could possibly be a problem, he propped his fists on his hips and waited for Huracān to get on with it.

  “You should…” The male canted his head toward the back of the mansion. “Probably just need to see this for yourself.”

  Kaj followed Huracān through the Lair, which was surprisingly busy at the moment. There were three heurosp in the kitchen, preparing what looked to be the morning meal, another who was tending to the floors, as well as Blāz and Kidel, who were sitting at the dining room table, fingers flying over their laptops as though they were in a race to finish first. No one looked up or paid them any mind as they strolled through to the door leading to the stairs that would take them down to the underground rooms. No sooner had they stepped into the concrete tunnel than he heard the sound. Loud clanks mixed with heavy grunts lured them in the direction of the workout room. When they got to the door, Kaj stopped suddenly.

  Mirakel was standing in the center of the space, a bar weighed down with God knew how many pounds in his hands. Eight hundred? Nine, maybe? He hefted it high in the air, held it there, then let it fall to the ground. Mirakel looked like he was trying out for the strongest male contest. And he was aiming to be the winner by a mile. Kaj figured beneath that black mat, there was a sinkhole emerging.

  Huracān nodded him inside but remained in the hall.

  “Mirakel?”

  The male’s neon blue eyes shot toward him, chest heaving. He looked a little crazed, so Kaj kept a safe distance.

  “What’s going on?” he prompted.

  Mirakel shook his head.

  “Something’s bothering you.” Kaj motioned toward the weight on the floor. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be lifting the equivalent of an SUV.”

  As though cued, Mirakel’s shoulders slumped, defeat overriding determination as he began studying the floor as though it held all the answers he was seeking.

  Kaj had no idea what to say or do, but he figured time was the answer, so he remained where he was, taking in the familiar space he’d spent too much time in lately.

  They remained like that for a long moment before Mirakel went to his knees, dropping his head.

  Oh, boy.

  “I have failed you once more, phaal.”

  Not by a long shot, Kaj thought, but kept his mouth shut. No matter how often he told Mirakel as much, the male never seemed to take it to heart. As strong and powerful as Mirakel was, there was a vulnerability to him. It was due to his need to prove his worth to those he considered his superior. Which, to Mirakel, was everyone he encountered. His view of himself was not the same as those who cared for him, but they’d long ago learned that dealing with Mirakel required patience and extreme care.

  “Talk to me,” Kaj urged.

  It was obvious something was bothering him, and Kaj wanted to get to the bottom of it. For the past couple of weeks, he’d noticed the tension in Mirakel’s shoulders, as though he was bearing a weight he wasn’t strong enough to carry. Which was saying something considering the amount of weight he was capable of lifting.

  “I have failed you,” he repeated, his voice quivering with what was either anger or disappointment, Kaj wasn’t sure.

  “What makes you think that?”

  “I didn’t mean for it to happen, phaal. But I could’ve handled it better.”

  Okay, so now he was starting to worry.

  “I have imprinted upon the female,” Mirakel said softly. “Full-on mielix zan.”

  Only because he respected the seriousness in Mirakel’s tone did Kaj keep a straight face. What he wanted to do was congratulate the male, but he suspected that wasn’t what the moment warranted. Suspecting he already knew the answer, he asked anyway. “Which female?”

  “Briony. The Fae I’ve been feeding from.”

  Maybe congratulations weren’t in order. It was one thing for a vampire to find his equal within the race. Something else entirely for a cross-species mating. Not that there was anything wrong with it, aside from the fact the Fae were, for all intents and purposes, incapable of mating because of their duties to the fiestreigh.

  “And how do you wish to proceed?” Kaj knew bonding with a female wasn’t always simple. Especially not for vampires. Unlike angels, there were no destinies, no aligned souls. No, they were more animalistic in nature when it came to mating. And for them, it wasn’t always a guarantee that the female would choose them. And when they didn’t … put it this way, life was lackluster at best.

  “I wish not to scare her,” Mirakel said softly.

  “What makes you think you will?”

  “I want her too much.”

  Kaj smiled but kept it to himself. He understood that all too well. He’d been fighting his true nature for months now. He had yet to allow his inner beast free to bond with the female he desired.

  It made perfect sense that Mirakel was working himself to exhaustion, making it impossible for him to claim the female as he wanted. It wasn’t a foolproof plan, but it would buy him some time.

  “Does the female know?”

  Mirakel shook his head.

  She would soon enough. Mirakel would be physically unable to feed from another without getting hostile. Biology be damned, once a male vampire underwent mielix zan, he would refrain from taking blood until it killed him, unless the blood source was the female with whom he’d imprinted.

  Of course, it was possible. Kaj had managed for those few weeks after the attack. Not ideal by any means but doable. Especially when one was doing it to protect the one he loved.

  “What do you need from me?” Kaj asked, wanting to ensure the male understood he was here to help in any way he could.

  “Nothing, phaal. I will handle this, I assure you. But I must apologize for failing you.”

  Kaj wanted to roll his eyes but he refrained. Mirakel was one of those pure souls, grateful for everything he’d been given and unwilling to accept that no one expected him to be perfect. His apologies weren’t necessary and they never failed to humble Kaj, remind him of how far Mirakel had come from the boy he’d been when Kaj found him all those years ago.

  “You have not failed me, Mirakel. You could never. You are one of the strongest males I know. I trust that you’ll come to me if you need my help.”

  Mirakel nodded.

  “I’m going to Angel Central. To see Acadia. I’ll return shortly. Stay here for now.”

  “Of course, phaal.”

  With a resigned sigh, Kaj headed back toward the main floor of the Lair. He found Huracān pacing in what had once been a parlor and was now converted to an entertainment space complete with television mounted on the wall, dartboard, poker table. All the things the males requested for their downtime.

  “What’s going on?” Huracān asked, coming to an abrupt halt.

  “Mielix zan.”

  “Oh, shit.” Huracān’s eyes went wide. “Who?”

  “Fae. Briony.”

  “Shall I bring her here?” the male offered.

  Kaj grinned. “If only it were that easy.”

  He went on to explain the Fae’s role within the angel hierarchy.

  “I’ll talk to Obsidian,” he told Huracān. “See how he wishes to handle this.”

  With a sigh, Kaj resumed his original plan to go to Angel Central. He should’ve expected he would gain a travel companion, but Michael’s appearance gave his heart a jolt, nonetheless.

 
“What do you want, archangel?” Kaj snarled, continuing to march through the tunnels.

  “It’s my understanding you have a male who has imprinted upon a Fae.”

  “Miss nothing, do you?”

  “Not if I can help it, no.” Michael grinned, making time at Kaj’s side. “You have the ability to free them, Kaj.”

  Yes, he knew that. But at what cost? He knew Michael didn’t merely wish to bring the original vampire back for shits and giggles. There was an underlying reason, but for the life of him, Kaj couldn’t figure out what it could possibly be.

  “I’ve already told you,” Michael stated.

  Kaj shook his head. “Anyone ever tell you it’s impolite to read minds?”

  “Then why would I be given the ability?” He sounded sincerely perplexed.

  “I don’t have time for this conversation, Michael. I’ve got other things to tend to right now.”

  “I have it on good authority another of your males will imprint upon a Fae.”

  That was enough to get Kaj’s attention. He stopped, head hanging as he pressed his hands to his hips. He took several deep breaths, then turned to face the archangel.

  “Did you ever consider what will happen to the angels if the Fae are unable to feed them?”

  Michael’s brown-silver gaze shifted over his face. “I have those who are willing to support the war.”

  Kaj waited for him to elaborate, because surely there was more to it.

  “Angels,” Michael specified. “In Heaven. Females and males who are willing to be called upon. It was my backup plan in the event my father chose to eliminate the Fae.”

  Those words drew a dark rumble from his chest, and Kaj found himself stepping up to the archangel. The male wasn’t quite as big as Obsidian, but he still had an inch or two on Kaj. Of course, size didn’t matter all that much considering the male could simply smite him if he so chose.

  “Tempting,” Michael said with a smirk, but it dropped quickly. “You have the ability to save their race, Kaj.”

  “I already told you, I’ll align my alliance with the angels, but I won’t vow to follow them. You of all people should understand why I can’t.”