“I believe she’s in the pool, sire,” Emily said kindly.
The vampire’s eyes shot over to him, and Oliver fought the urge to duck his head. It wasn’t that he was scared of him… Okay, maybe a little. More so that he had a hard time looking him in the eyes after what had transpired between him and Bijou. That one moment in time was forever imprinted in his mind, and Oliver knew he could live to be a hundred and he would never forget it. It even superseded the fact Bijou had fed from him and that incredible experience had resulted in an orgasm. Along with another seizure, but hey, it was worth it.
Kaj offered a curt nod, then headed toward the entrance to the pool, which was off the hallway that led to the garage.
“May I warm your meal for you?”
Emily’s kind voice had him jerking his attention away from the vampire and back to the task at hand.
“That would be great. Thanks.” He glanced in the direction Kaj had gone. “I’ll be back in a minute, Em.”
“Sure.”
Why he was compelled to follow, Oliver didn’t know. Probably had a lot to do with all the secrecy he’d sensed going on. Something big was underway, but it seemed no one at Angel Central was aware of the details. Which meant it was a vampire issue, and he couldn’t deny he was curious. He tried to blame it on his feelings for Bijou. He simply wanted to make sure she was okay. That was all it was. Really.
Oliver peeked around the corner to see the thick glass door to the pool area closing. He glanced over his shoulder, ensuring no one was keeping tabs on him, then made a beeline for the door. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do when he got there, but again, he couldn’t stop himself.
It took effort, but he kept his feet light as he moved down the hallway. The last thing he wanted was for Kaj to catch on to the fact he was attempting to eavesdrop. As he approached the door, he stopped far enough back so that he could see inside, but not too close Bijou or Kaj would see him standing there. Oliver watched as Bijou emerged from the pool, her beautiful body clad in a black one-piece that showcased every glorious curve. She accepted a towel her father held out for her, swiped it over her face, then wrapped it around herself as he spoke, her full attention on him.
If only he had supersonic hearing like the rest of the people in this place. Then perhaps Oliver could listen to what was causing her to frown up at her father. When her hand went to her throat, Oliver sensed her shock. Some strange instinct had him wanting to burst through that door and run to her rescue. For some reason, he’d grown unusually protective of her lately. Ever since they attempted to rekindle their friendship, they’d grown closer. He had been leaning on her, and she seemed content to take care of him as the healers attempted to identify what was causing his seizures.
Unaware he was doing it, Oliver rubbed his chest directly over his heart. Whenever he thought about Bijou, about where this seemed to be going between them, there was a strange ache that took up residence there. He found he wanted to go to her, to take her in his arms, hold her until whatever problem she was facing could be resolved. Then he wanted to keep her safe for the rest of … well, his life since it would be significantly shorter than hers.
Which brought him full circle once more. It didn’t matter how much he cared for her or how he hoped things could progress with them. It wasn’t like it would matter in the long run. They weren’t meant to be together, clearly. Humans and vampires weren’t meant to co-exist, and biology had dictated that.
Suddenly Bijou was wrapped in Kaj’s arms as father consoled daughter.
Feeling like he was intruding on their private moment, Oliver spun on his heel and headed back to the kitchen. He schooled his expression as he joined Emily, who was currently piling mounds of whipped cream on top of the Belgian waffle. She must’ve noticed him there because she smiled again.
“Almost ready.”
“Perfect. I’m starving.”
As for whether he could choke it down, that was yet to be seen.
Didn’t matter how good it looked, Oliver got the feeling it was going to taste like cardboard.
Everything did these days.
“But … how?”
Bijou knew she’d heard her father’s words, knew her brain had processed them, yet she couldn’t seem to make sense of it.
Oliver Calazans was the original vampire?
Or rather, the original vampire was stuck inside Oliver’s body.
In what universe was that even possible?
“I sensed it,” she whispered. “I sensed a darkness inside him.”
Kaj pulled back, peered down at her.
“Is that Khari?” Or was it the human that had been pushed down so Khari could take over?
“I don’t know,” he said softly. “I wish I had the answers.”
She wished someone did. According to her father, no one seemed to know the logistics and it sounded like that was the question of the hour. Everyone wanted to know what would happen once they were separated. Would Khari emerge knowing what was going on? Would Oliver retain his memories?
More importantly, why was she the last one to find this out? The way he’d laid it all out made her think he’d been chewing on it for a while. And yet, despite all that Kaj had waylaid her with, Bijou knew her father was holding something back. She probably should’ve questioned him, but it was obvious he was having a hard time dealing with this as well. Probably not fair for her to pelt him with more questions.
“Wait.” She met his eyes. “Does Oliver know?”
Kaj shook his head. “Because of the seizures, we’ve decided to hold off telling him as long as we can.”
“You can’t do that,” she countered hotly. “He deserves to know.”
“Even if it kills him?”
Bijou stepped back, the words coming at her like a slap.
Her father exhaled as though he was exhausted. “Look, I don’t like it any more than you do. I agree he deserves to know. But in his current state, it’s a risk we’re not willing to take.”
“We?”
“Me, Obsidian, Penelope.”
Bijou sadly wished she’d been included in that list.
“For the time being,” he said, his eyes locked with hers. “I’d prefer you to remain here. Once we have a better understanding of where we stand with Khari, it’s likely I’ll have you move into the Lair.”
She nodded, not because she understood his reasoning but because it no longer mattered to her. She was content where she was now that she had made up with Oliver. They were growing closer and the thought of leaving him didn’t sit well. Especially not now. Bijou intended to remain by him through … whatever was going to happen.
A resurrection. Wow. It still sounded strange even as she tossed the word around in her brain, and that was saying something considering she had seen plenty of strange in her life. But this…
Kaj gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before he headed toward the door to the house.
“Oh, and Bijou?”
“Hmm?” She pivoted to face him.
“Thank you.”
She frowned. “For?”
“For accepting Acadia.”
That pulled a genuine smile from her. “I’m happy for you both.”
He stopped, stared at her. “Really?”
Bijou nodded. “I think you’re good for each other.”
His eyes brightened and she could tell that meant a lot to him.
When he left, she remained where she was, staring at the spot he’d vacated. She hadn’t been surprised when she’d scented the bonding that morning. In fact, she’d been anticipating it. Despite the fact they’d been dealing with whatever issues plagued them, Bijou knew Acadia and Kaj were meant for one another. How that worked, she had no idea. She’d never even heard of the Fae before she arrived here, much less heard of a vampire mating one. However, she figured as long as they were happy, she was, too.
Not quite ready to go back into the house, Bijou made her way over to the hot tub. She tapped a few buttons on
the screen mounted to the wall to get the jets blowing, dropped her towel, and slipped down into the warm water.
As she got comfortable, she realized she was staring at the door to the sauna, memories of that night with Oliver flooding her.
Had that been Oliver? she wondered. Or was that Khari who had offered her relief from the overwhelming heat that had been plaguing the mansion at the time? She still recalled the way he’d worked her with his mouth…
Okay, enough of that.
No way was she going to sit here and relive that erotic encounter. Didn’t matter if that had been Oliver or Khari. It had been a mistake, one she was moving beyond now that she was back to being friends with Oliver.
Or was it Khari?
She groaned softly. So freaking confusing.
The thoughts spurred others, though. Such as, was that the reason she’d been attracted to Oliver? Because he had the soul of a vampire? She’d never been attracted to a human before, so it was a reasonable conclusion.
What if she was attracted to Khari when he emerged?
Was that even possible?
Closing her eyes, she dropped her head back and decided now was not the time to worry about stupid stuff like that. A male’s life was about to be altered in unimaginable ways.
She seriously doubted his love life—Khari or Oliver—was going to matter once it was all said and done.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Friday the thirteenth was a human superstition, not one claimed by vampires, but it seemed fitting for what was taking place today.
The past couple of days had gone by in a blur. Kaj had shared the details of what was going on regarding Khari with the vampires. As much as he knew about it, anyway. Obsidian had tackled filling in the angels who needed to know at the moment, and Acadia had wrangled in the Fae to give them the good news associated with them. If he’d heard correctly, there was a party scheduled for the near future—postponed until Asmia’s return—to celebrate their freedom. He hoped like hell they could come through for them in that regard, too, but things still weren’t looking good on that front.
Unfortunately, the same could be said for this. There would be no party taking place today, but he hoped like hell there wasn’t going to be a wake instead.
As he walked through the tunnels to the infirmary beneath Angel Central, Kaj and his entourage remained quiet. Mirakel, Blāz, Huracān, and Kidel were pulling up the rear, not a single one of them making any remarks. No jokes, no questions, just breathing as they walked to what would ultimately outline their destiny.
Acadia had gone ahead to be with Ari’el, having offered to stay with the baby in the event something were to happen. She was more than capable of ensuring the baby’s safety, and Penelope trusted her probably more than anyone else.
When they reached the doors leading to the medical facility that separated the two residences, Kaj took a deep breath as he placed his palm on the scanner, his eyeball in front of the laser, then said the magic words to allow voice recognition to release the locks.
The doors swung wide and—
“Is that a … coffin?” Blāz asked, his cough clearly covering up a laugh.
“Seriously, Michael,” Kaj grumbled. “A fucking coffin.”
“Seemed suitable,” the archangel said as he stood guard over what Kaj assumed was the body of the original vampire beneath the wooden lid.
“Fuck you,” Kaj retorted. Coffins were part of the myths humans had made up long ago about the undead, fanged creatures who drained the blood of their human victims.
Kaj was not a fan of human storytelling.
“Are you fucking serious?”
The shout came from one of the rooms dedicated to the treatment of patients, the voice familiar and respectfully upset.
For fuck’s sake. “You haven’t told him yet?” Kaj shook his head. “I don’t see this going well.”
“You can’t sedate him!” Michael called out from behind them. “He has to be awake.”
Kaj briefly wondered if this would be painful for the human. He hoped not. Considering all the male would have to deal with going forward, he had enough on his plate. The least they could do was make sure he didn’t suffer.
The doors on the other side of the clinic opened, and three big males came through. Magnar, Valterri, and Reidar strolled forward, shoulders squared as though they were prepped for battle. Eclipse appeared behind them, his eyes wary as his ears perked to the shouting coming from the room.
“No one thought to tell him before now?” Eclipse asked. “Poor fucking human.”
Oh, they’d thought about it. They simply hadn’t done it.
It honestly was a shitty move, but Kaj wasn’t going to pretend to know how to deal with a situation such as this one. Had they told Oliver, there was the risk of the human bolting when no one was looking. Or doing something equally stupid. And on the flip side, it could’ve triggered Khari, causing the vampire to incinerate the vessel.
“So, what’s the plan?” Eclipse prompted, his attention on the archangel. “You chant or something to draw him out?”
Kaj glanced from Eclipse over to Michael. “Good question.”
The archangel smiled. “It’s pretty simple, really. Kaj will channel my energy along with his own to draw Khari out of the vessel and into his body.”
Ah, yeah. Simple. He remembered clearly what had happened when Obsidian had channeled the archangel.
Fucking hell.
The door to the room opened, and Apollo stepped out, Amethyst at his side. The healers walked over, nodded at the newcomers.
“He okay?” Eclipse asked.
Apollo shook his head. “Can’t blame him, though. He wants to talk to Penelope alone, but Obsidian won’t leave the room.”
Kaj didn’t blame the angel. A mated male did not put his female at risk if he could help it.
Apollo peered around Kaj. “Is that a coffin?”
“Little party joke,” Blāz answered. “You know Michael.”
Eclipse chuckled, clearly amused.
“We do need to prep the body,” Amethyst noted. “And I’m not comfortable keeping him … in there.”
Kaj had to assume she was referring to the coffin. He had to agree with her. No telling what Khari might do if he came awake in that damn thing. Kaj knew what he would do and it wasn’t pretty.
The doors at the end of the hall opened once more and Bijou appeared.
Son of a bitch.
“Get him ready,” Kaj instructed the others as he headed toward his daughter. “What are you doing down here?”
“I want to be here,” she said, her tone already insistent, as though she expected him to argue.
She knew him too well.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Well, I do,” she countered. “Oliver’s my friend.”
More shouting came from the room behind them, drawing Bijou’s attention.
“Is that him?”
“They just told him the good news,” Eclipse offered, his voice ringing with what sounded like both concern and amusement.
Bijou’s hand went to her mouth, her eyes filling.
“Maybe you could go talk to him,” Kaj suggested, though he wasn’t sure what the fuck he was doing. Honestly, he would’ve preferred she stay somewhere else while this was going down. Since no one knew what to expect, he would’ve felt better knowing she was safe. Preferably in another hemisphere. At the very least, surrounded by the fiestreigh, who would go to battle if something were to come at them. Namely an ancient fucking vampire.
His daughter’s watery gaze met his and she nodded.
Because he could not risk Oliver going apeshit on Bijou, Kaj followed her. He rapped his knuckles on the door, then opened it, stuck his head in.
Oliver’s face was a brilliant shade of red, his hair sticking up as though he’d been pulling on it.
“Bijou would like to see you.”
Almost instantly, the human’s eyes calmed. “She
would?”
Kaj stepped into the room and allowed Bijou in behind him.
“Could I have a few minutes alone with him?” she requested.
“No,” Kaj stated firmly.
“But we’ll step out,” Penelope said softly, her arms hugging her middle as though she was attempting to hold herself together. “I love you, Oliver. I hope you know that.”
The human grunted.
“Pretend I’m not here,” Kaj told them when it was just the three of them.
He stepped back against the door, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Dad. Give us a minute,” Bijou demanded.
“I’m sorry, I—”
“He won’t hurt me,” she insisted aloud, then projected He can’t hurt me into Kaj’s head.
Being a vampire, she was far stronger than the human, but that didn’t mean—
“Leave us, Dad.”
Kaj met the human’s gaze. “Don’t you dare hurt her.”
“I would never,” he said, his voice nothing more than a gravelly whisper.
Because he wasn’t going to win this one, Kaj decided to give in.
But he would be outside the door.
Just in case.
Once her father stepped out, Bijou tried to come up with something to say, anything that might make this easier.
Considering she still hadn’t come to terms with it herself, she wasn’t sure if that was even possible. It pained her to see Oliver like this, so distraught, so anxious. Not that she blamed him for what he was feeling. She had no idea what they’d told him, but she suspected Penelope had laid it all on the line.
Wringing her hands, she took a step forward, closing the gap between her and Oliver. When she moved closer to the bed he was sitting on, his legs dangling over the side, she reached for his hands, taking them both in hers.
He stared down at them for the longest time, his body trembling.
“Look at me,” she said firmly, though she wasn’t sure who she was talking to, Khari or Oliver.
For the past two days, ever since her father waylaid her with the news, she’d been thinking about her interactions with Oliver. No matter which way she sliced it, she found it hard to believe that Khari wasn’t the one she’d been talking to all this time, the one making the decisions. She recalled taking his vein, remembered thinking he tasted familiar. Not human but vampire. Of course, she’d never tasted human blood, so there was every chance humans simply tasted like vampires, though she doubted it.
Bound in Darkness Page 36
