As for why she was so curious, Bijou didn’t know. She figured it was due to that hole she sensed inside Oliver, that piece of him that was being shielded from others. Had the angels picked up on that? Surely they had. From what she’d seen, they weren’t the type to simply allow anyone to invade their ranks. They were doing a background check on her, after all.
“If it’s not intrusive, might I ask how old you are?” she prompted as they started down the hallway on the second floor.
“Twenty-eight. You?”
“Twenty-seven.”
“Not to sound like an idiot but is that the same in human years?” he asked. “I mean, I assume you’re immortal and all that.”
She smiled over at him. “As far as physical maturity, we’re the same. We reach puberty at the same time as humans. But when it comes to how I’m viewed, I’m still considered a child in the eyes of my elders.”
“Interesting.”
“Annoying, really,” she admitted.
“At what age are you considered … an adult?”
Bijou laughed. “At least one hundred.”
His eyes widened as he stopped. “Wow. That’s…”
“Old?”
Oliver chuckled, the sound like the rough scrape of gravel. As though he didn’t do it often.
“How old is your father?”
“Five hundred and twenty,” she said easily.
“So no time limit on the ability to reproduce?”
“No, though females are only fertile once every few years.” She figured that was God’s way of keeping a handle on reproduction of the species.
“Here we are.” Oliver opened the door to reveal an enormous theater room.
Bijou preceded him inside, her eyes wandering the space. There were several rows of plush leather recliners, all with consoles between them, facing a white screen that was the full width and height of the wall, a good thirty feet across, maybe twenty feet tall. The walls on each side were covered in thick black drapes that hung from ceiling to floor, a few well-placed sconces providing light.
“Something specific you’d like to watch?” he asked, heading over to what appeared to be a laptop positioned on a table at the back, right next to what looked to be a fully stocked concession stand complete with a popcorn and soda machine. “Thanks to Apple, we’ve got anything and everything you could want.”
She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d watched a movie. “What sounds good to you?”
“I’m more of an action guy myself.”
Bijou found that sweet. Having experienced plenty of action in her lifetime thanks to the war between vampires and shadow beasts, she wasn’t sure their definition of action was the same.
“How about Hobbs and Shaw?” he suggested.
She’d never heard of it, but she found herself nodding, figuring it would be nice to hang out with someone her own age for a change. She liked the idea of making a friend here at the mansion, especially if she was going to be here for a while.
After he hit a few buttons on the laptop, Oliver joined her, then motioned her down a few steps. Bijou followed his lead, moving to the second row of seats before easing down into the luxurious recliner.
“There’s a blanket and pillow in the console.” He lifted the edge to prove it. “And if you want popcorn, simply push that button.” He pointed to a silver button on the top of the console. “A heurosp will deliver it.”
Bijou grinned, getting comfortable as he punched another button on the console, dimming the lights as the movie began playing on the screen.
As she relaxed, she focused on the movie, forcing everything else from her mind, but it wasn’t easy. Thoughts of Reve drifted in, reminding her of the male she missed with all her heart. The male who’d vowed to love her for eternity only to disappear as soon as he learned who her father was.
Oliver chuckled at something on the screen and Bijou peeked over at him. She studied him in profile for a moment before glancing back at the screen.
Perhaps Oliver would be a good distraction from the heartbreak she’d endured. It would be nice to have someone to confide in, someone who would share their own personal experiences. That was something she’d never had with Reve. As much as she’d wanted them to be together, he’d never really been the sort to open up.
And maybe, if Oliver was open to the idea, they could do a little digging into that dark spot she sensed within him. Perhaps they could reveal that part of himself he probably didn’t even know he was hiding.
Chapter Seventeen
Orianna had no idea what had happened, but when she came to, she was sitting on a buttery-soft leather sofa, half a dozen men and a few women standing around. Their expressions reflected the same thing: concern mixed with more than a little confusion.
“There you are,” Eclipse whispered, brushing her hair back from her face.
Feeling like a spectacle, Orianna dropped her feet to the floor and sat up quickly. The move had her head spinning, but she ignored it. Or tried to. For a second, the room went topsy-turvy, her stomach lurching with the sensation. She inhaled deeply through her nose, out through her mouth. A repeat of that a few times and the vertigo lessened.
“Are you all right?” Penelope asked from Orianna’s other side.
She managed a nod. “Yes. I’m sorry about that. I just…”
Orianna closed her eyes as the vision overtook her once more. She was standing over the body of a man. No, not a man. Obsidian. His eyes were closed, and Penelope was kneeling beside him, cradling his head as she rocked, tears flooding down her face.
“Oh, God.”
“Bring her some water,” Penelope insisted.
“Perhaps we should give her some air,” someone suggested before the bodies began to scatter.
“Talk to me,” Eclipse urged, one long finger curling under her chin to turn her head toward him.
His eyes moved over her face as though assessing to ensure she wasn’t going to topple over again.
“I…” She swallowed hard. “I saw something.”
His beautiful face contorted into a frown. “What?”
Orianna looked up, her gaze searching until she found the male in her vision. “I saw you,” she told Obsidian. “I don’t know what it means. I just…”
“What did you see?” Penelope’s voice was soft, her hand gentle as it settled on Orianna’s arm.
Dropping her gaze to her hands, she inhaled, then released it slowly. “I saw Obsidian lying on the ground. You were holding his head and crying.”
Penelope’s sharp gasp tore at Orianna’s heart. It was the one thing she’d always hated about revealing her visions. Most people thought she was crazy, and she couldn’t necessarily blame them. It was always worse when the visions weren’t necessarily pleasant.
“You were in a bright white room, no color whatsoever. I have no idea what it means, or if it’s past or present…”
Orianna breathed in through her nose, out through her mouth.
“Have they always come to fruition?” Obsidian asked. “Your visions?”
Without looking up at him, she nodded. It pained her to admit that, because most of the time she had no idea what the visions meant. “But they aren’t always cut-and-dry. It’s often open to interpretation.”
“What else did you see?” Eclipse asked, his voice calm and comforting.
“That’s all.” She cut her eyes to Penelope. “Except … I don’t mean to be intrusive, but … are you pregnant? Or were you?”
Penelope nodded. “I am, yes.”
“How far along?”
Penelope’s hand instantly went to her belly, as though protecting what was most precious to her. “Nine weeks.”
Orianna exhaled heavily. “Then I think it’s far in the future. In my vision, you’re quite pregnant.”
A rough growl had Orianna’s head snapping up to Obsidian.
“What?”
Eclipse was the one to speak. “Angel pregnancies aren’t the same as huma
ns’.”
“How so?”
“Where human female pregnancies last forty weeks, angels are on a much faster timeline. More like twenty weeks.”
“Seventeen,” Penelope said. “On average.”
“Oh.” Well, that certainly changed things.
“In your vision, could you see what was wrong with Obsidian?”
Orianna closed her eyes and let the images replay in her head. “I don’t see any blood, no visible wounds. But his eyes are closed and … I’m not sure he’s breathing.”
The couch cushion shifted, and when Orianna opened her eyes, Penelope was standing next to Obsidian, her arms around him. It was then Orianna noticed the extreme difference in their sizes. The man was enormous, like a mountain, and she was a much smaller … hill.
“How often do you have these visions?” Eclipse asked.
“I haven’t had many lately,” she admitted. “But I used to have them all the time. Mostly about my … family.”
Orianna tensed when she remembered the first time she’d had one. She’d been ten years old, and the image she’d seen had been of her mother lying cold and unmoving in an alley. At the time, she’d thought it was a nightmare and she’d kept it to herself. Nearly two years to the day later, it had come to fruition. Had she revealed it to her parents, perhaps her mother never would’ve been hurt.
Eclipse’s hand moved over hers and Orianna realized she was trembling.
“It’s all right, sezari,” he whispered. “Let me take you upstairs.”
Unable to find a reason to argue, Orianna nodded. She allowed him to tug her to her feet, then followed as he walked down the steps and through the kitchen.
By the time they reached Eclipse’s bedroom, Orianna’s legs were weak. No, her entire body was weak. As though her muscles were finally taking a vacation, giving in because someone else was strong enough to carry her burden for a while.
“Orianna!”
The next thing she knew, she was in Eclipse’s arms, her face tucked against his neck. She breathed him in and relaxed.
“What are you doing?” she mumbled when he set her on her feet in the bathroom.
“Bathing you,” he said softly before proceeding to undress them both.
She hadn’t even noticed he’d turned on the water in the tub, but she was grateful when he lifted her once more and carried her up the steps, then settled them both in the warm water. Orianna didn’t pull away from him, simply wrapped her arms around his neck and held on for dear life.
God, she was tired. Exhausted really. She hadn’t even realized how much until now. It was as though the past six years had taken their toll on her, draining all her energy reserves. Probably didn’t help that she hadn’t eaten in… She couldn’t recall the last real meal she’d had. Cheez-Its and Mountain Dew had become her only source of nourishment for so long.
“I’ve got you, sezari.” Eclipse pressed his lips to the top of her head.
“I believe you,” she whispered, pressing her lips to his neck. “I don’t know why, but I do.”
His big hand cupped the back of her head as she kissed her way up to his jaw. They remained like that for long minutes, making out in the tub, neither moving to explore further, simply settling on the tongue-to-tongue action. It was nice, but of course, the heat it inspired in her was far too powerful to ignore forever.
Without thinking, Orianna repositioned so she was straddling Eclipse’s thighs. He clearly knew what she needed, because he took over, redistributing her weight as though she was little more than a feather. His hand slid under her thigh, angling the hard ridge of his erection to her core. With a sigh, Orianna sank down on him slowly, allowing the blessed friction to send chills over her skin.
“You feel so good,” she whispered, resting her cheek against his as he maneuvered once again, his hips angling so he slid deeper inside her.
She moaned softly, then buried her face in his neck as he rocked his hips forward and back. The pleasure was intense as he moved, the friction making her skin tingle, her nipples pebble. It was utter perfection, and Orianna held on to the feeling for long minutes.
“Eclipse…” Orianna nuzzled his neck, her tongue licking over his skin.
Suddenly another vision appeared, this one robbing the air from her lungs. She saw herself lying in a room, her body unmoving as Eclipse leaned over her. She knew she was dead, but oddly that didn’t scare her. But there was pain, only she didn’t think it came from her body. It was an emotional turmoil. Seeing Eclipse hurting was something she couldn’t fathom, the thought of him being in pain…
“Come back to me,” Eclipse rumbled in her ear.
Orianna jolted out of the vision, her lips seeking his. And when he kissed her, a warmth filled her entire being. It was so much more than mere lust. In fact, it wasn’t a chemical reaction at all. No, this was more. Deeper.
She was falling in love with this … angel.
And she was falling fast.
Eclipse knew he was invading Orianna’s privacy as he slipped into her mind. He felt her acceptance even as an image of the mating chamber played in her head. He sensed her peace, her acceptance of him taking her life. He saw himself leaning over her, guarding her body until she returned to him. But what surprised him most was the fact there was no fear on her part. Not for herself, anyway. Her concern was only for him and the pain he endured because … yes, Eclipse felt her love for him.
It was a humbling moment, one he wanted to last forever. Not only because he was buried in her tight sheath, her arms wreathing his neck as their tongues mated the same as their bodies. This was the perfect moment, the one he’d waited a lifetime for. Having her here with him, even after such a short period of time, had changed his perspective on everything. Well, mostly everything. There was still no way in hell he could fathom taking her life in order to merge their souls. That was pure and utter bullshit as far as he was concerned, but—
Suddenly, Orianna pulled back, her pretty blue eyes meeting his seconds before her head fell back on her shoulders and she cried out his name. Eclipse stared at her, his cock pulsing. She was so beautiful like that, all soft, smooth skin, the lines of her body mesmerizing him. He watched as her nipples pebbled tightly, her body vibrating as he pushed in deeper. Gripping her hips firmly, he rocked her on him, savoring that moment when they were one, nothing separating them. Orianna’s breath hitched, her nails digging into his shoulders as he pulled her hips toward his, burying himself as deep as he could go.
“Eclipse…” Orianna’s eyes opened as she leaned forward, pressing her forehead to his. “I want to feel you come inside me.”
Her words, whispered in that sexy rasp, had his cock twitching, that familiar electricity tingling at the base of his spine.
“Now,” she urged, her inner muscles squeezing him.
He held on for as long as he could, relishing the feeling of her surrender. And when he came, it was with her name falling from his lips.
This time when Orianna relaxed against him, Eclipse eased deeper into the water, holding her tight as he shifted her so she was settled on his lap once more.
“I need to know everything about you,” she said, her voice weak with exhaustion.
He grinned. “What do you want to know?”
“I don’t know. Have you always been here? I mean, I don’t even know if Heaven’s real or not.”
“It’s real,” he assured her. “We’ve been here for fifteen hundred years now.”
“We?”
“My brothers and I.”
“Are your parents still alive?”
“They are,” he confirmed. “Both of them. They reside in Heaven.”
“Do you have a relationship with them?”
“No. Not since they sent me to Michael.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Eclipse felt nothing for the archsire and archdam who had created him. Perhaps he had back in the beginning, but it hadn’t taken long for him to realize they were merel
y the vessels that had given him life. Matthias and Teodara had created him, raised him, even, but they’d long since passed him off the same as they had every male offspring they’d birthed.
“Who’s Michael?”
“An archangel. He sent us to Earth to protect humans.”
“I should be surprised,” Orianna said, still relaxed against him. “And I’m sure I will be. Later.”
“Why later?” he asked.
“Because right now, I’m simply too … content.”
Of all the emotions she could’ve felt, he was surprised by that one. “May I ask why?”
He felt her cheeks pull up in a smile. “Because I’m here with you. Just like this.”
Eclipse pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“I’m so tired,” she said softly.
“Sleep, sezari.” He knew she needed it. He hadn’t even considered how taking her vein would drain her, but he suspected that was the reason for her exhaustion. Her body hadn’t yet recovered, and it didn’t help that she hadn’t eaten anything in a while.
“Not like that,” she whispered. “It’s more than physical.”
He remained silent, hoping she would continue.
“I’ve spent so long looking for Amber. I’ve traipsed across the country and back. I won’t give up. Not until I see her for myself. But this is the first time I’ve stopped to take a breath in a long time. It feels good.”
Since the only thing Eclipse wanted was to make his female happy, it helped to hear her admit that.
“I’ve got you,” he said softly. “And I always will.”
“That’s what scares me,” she said, her words slurring.
“It can’t be changed, sezari. You might as well accept it.”
She chuckled softly. “Easier said than done.”
Maybe.
Chapter Eighteen
“How’s she doing?” Reidar asked Eclipse when the male joined them in the war room shortly after the sun had gone down and the evening meal had been consumed.
“Better.”
The sigh of relief that followed spoke to the degree of concern Eclipse had been carrying around for the past four days, ever since Orianna had collapsed during the evening meal. The past few days had been chaotic to say the least, everyone moving about in hopes of helping in any way they could, wanting to ensure Eclipse’s amsouelot had everything she needed.
Salvation in Darkness (Misplaced Halos Book 2) Page 18
