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

has been relegated to serve the warriors and the fiestreigh. There are nineteen of us in total.” Her warm fingers urged him back. “Now, please rest.”

“Serve?” Kaj relaxed into the pillow, realizing he would stay there all night just to hear her voice. “What does that mean?”

“Their blood and sexual needs.”

Kaj refused to acknowledge the dark, possessive rumble that sounded in his chest.

“Would you like me to leave, my lord?”

“What’s your name?”

“Acadia.”

Ah, he remembered now. The most beautiful name he’d ever heard. “And I assume you know mine?” he prompted.

“Of course, my lord.”

He canted his head and smiled. “Then please, Acadia, do refrain from calling me my lord.”

Her answering smile was the first of many that would slowly bring him peace.

Chapter One

Present day, Thursday, February 27, 2020

The sound of heavy footfalls had Kaj looking up from his morning meal, a grin tugging at his mouth when he saw who it was and the dramatic way the male was making an entrance.

“Thank the good Heavenly Almighty we don’t have to deal with that damn mating heat anymore,” Blāz declared as his enormous body buckled and he flopped into the leather chair that had been tucked up beneath the table.

Kaj peered down at the large vampire at the opposite end. Though he’d had some time to get used to the fact his males were back with him, he still found himself sending up a silent thank-you to the deity upstairs. To have gotten them back after he’d been certain they had met their demise was likely far more than Kaj deserved, but he wasn’t about to question the Almighty’s reasons. They were here. That was all that mattered.

“You do realize there are five more warriors who’ve yet to mate,” Kidel noted as he strolled into the room, pulled out a chair, fell into it.

“Yeah, but for now, they’re not emitting that fucking energy.” Blāz chuckled. “See what I did there?”

Considering the immense stress Kaj was under, he welcomed the levity. As it was, he’d been going over and over and over the conversation he’d had with Michael a week ago. Only seven days he’d been pondering the archangel’s request for him to resurrect the original vampire. Who, the male had so kindly told him, was currently riding shotgun in Oliver Calazans’s body.

Oliver freaking Calazans. Obsidian’s mate’s brother.

For fuck’s sake.

A ten-thousand-year-old all-powerful vampire soul smashed into a five-foot-seven-inch human. Kaj couldn’t fathom how that was even possible, yet he didn’t doubt for one second Michael had pulled a stunt like that.

And while they’d both known Kaj couldn’t really say no to the request, the archangel had still granted him time to consider it. Being familiar with Michael’s thin patience, Kaj figured that clock was quickly running out.

Kaj pushed to his feet. “I need to talk to Mirakel.”

“He’s still back at Angel Central,” Blāz stated. “Said he had something to take care of.”

Blood needs, more than likely. For whatever reason, Mirakel had stopped allowing the Fae to come to his private quarters, though from what Kaj knew, the male was continuing to feed from the same female … whatever her name was.

“Thanks,” Blāz said to the heurosp who delivered his morning meal.

“You’re most welcome, sire.”

Blāz rolled his eyes and pointed his fork at the male walking away, mouthing sire, and shaking his head. As a member of the Zenith, Blāz was used to being considered the upper echelon, but the vestrahn who regularly waited on them had never referred to them using any sort of honorific.

“He’s spending quite a bit of time there,” Kidel noted, as though he just realized Mirakel had been gone a lot.

“I think he’s got a thing for Briony.” Blāz grinned before shoveling eggs into his pie hole.

Yes, Briony. That was her name.

“She’s a pretty one,” Kidel said. “But the rumor is, she’s never been with a male.”

Kaj cocked an eyebrow.

Blāz gasped as though that was a preposterous thought.

“What?” Kidel offered a sheepish shrug. “Males talk, too, you know.”

Oh, Kaj knew. They were a gossipy bunch, this one.

“I was about to head over,” Huracān’s deep voice boomed from the next room, where he reclined casually in a dinky leather armchair, ankle resting on the opposite knee, his iPad propped on his thigh. “Want me to track him down?”

“Whoa, dude. Didn’t see you there,” Blāz said. “Snazzy outfit. You got a hot date?”

Huracān rolled his eyes, focused on Kaj. “Want me to send him this way?”

Kaj took a moment to decide if making the trip over was worth it. From