Bound in Darkness (Misplaced Halos Book 3) - Nicole Edwards Page 0,1

current life. No, he was content with how things were. Not necessarily happy, no. But he had no complaints. It had been a good life and he’d accomplished much in his five hundred plus years on Earth. Kaj was ready for the—

Mother.

Fucker.

The pain that lanced him took hold of his internal organs and … twisted, yanked, pulled—Holy. Fuck.—then jerked for good measure.

Good news was, his breath was sawing in and out of his lungs. Probably meant he was still kicking. Maybe.

Then there was another wrenching tug and the breathing thing…? Not all that important.

Ohfuckohfuckohfuckoh … fucking … hell!

He was aware of a piercing sound splitting the air around him. It coincided with the way his body splintered. Fire blazed through him as he was pulled in all directions, his insides churning, blistering as that inferno consumed him from head to toe. It went on for an eternity, then another until Kaj was convinced he had died, but rather than go up, he’d been shot down to Hell, left to rot in the bowels of that fiery shithole.

“Breathe, Kaj.”

The shrill noise halted, and he realized—sadly, mind you—he’d been screaming like a little bitch.

Lovely.

A soft hand swept over his forehead, once, twice.

The agony still ripped through him, but it was somehow bearable with her touch.

“He needs to feed,” a male voice noted.

Obsidian. Still there. True friend he was. Minus the whole ripping-his-insides-to-shreds thing.

“I’ll take care of him,” the female replied, that lyrical voice Kaj’s lifeline.

“When you need to feed,” Obsidian stated, his voice directed elsewhere, “I want you to come find me.” A strong hand pressed gently against Kaj’s shoulder. “And you, my friend, will be good as new in no time. The bullets are removed, all four of them. Now you need to recuperate.”

Kaj gave a whole-hearted effort at opening his eyes. Not because he cared to see Obsidian leaning over him. No, he was interested in the female. The sweet, angelic female…

Before he could catch a glimpse of her, the darkness pulled him under.

Damn good thing vampires healed quickly.

That was Kaj’s first thought when he came to in a dimly lit bedroom that was decorated in crimson and overlaid with swirly, silver doodads, an odd combination to the eye. Kinda made him nauseous.

At least the bed he lay on was soft, the comforter warm. The air smelled of cherry blossoms and the lightest hint of sandalwood, the combination going right to his head. A fire crackled in the hearth, warming the room and adding a weird ambience.

His attention was drawn to the door. It opened on a whisper, closed the same. His ears registered bare feet padding over hardwood, then drifting as they moved onto what he assumed was a rug.

“Perhaps you’ll wake for morning meal this night,” that sweet cadence relayed, filling the otherwise silent room.

It was in that moment Kaj finally laid eyes on the female whose voice had lived in his dreams ever since he passed out earlier. She’d remained a fixation in his mind through the hours it took for the torment within his body to subside. Good news was, the pain was gone—mostly—and she was not. So either he was in Heaven or she wasn’t some angel who’d been sent to carry him home.

Honestly, he hoped for the latter. Lots still to do on this big hunk of rock.

Kaj kept his lids low so he could watch as she set a tray down on the bedside table. She was startlingly beautiful. Dark brown hair piled high on her head and held there with some sort of colorful stick. The wisps that fluttered down around her face were a delectable contrast to her fair skin.

As though she sensed him, her head tilted his way and he saw her eyes for the first time. They were a translucent purple, and he was instantly reminded of amethyst stones, only her eyes were far more beautiful than any jewel. Radiantly incandescent. Was that a real thing? Yes, he decided. It was now.

“Oh, you are awake.” The acknowledgment was communicated softly and without concern.

Kaj continued to watch her. “Tired of me already?”

The soft smile that pulled at her exquisite mouth had a strange feeling erupting inside him.

Her gaze shifted from him to the meal she had produced. “I brought food in the hopes you would wake.” She smiled softly. “In case you were hungry.”

He gave the tray a half-hearted glance. He couldn’t care less about food at the moment, although, now that she mentioned it, his stomach rumbled in direct