In … out … in.
Her gaze strayed to the television, and she picked up the clicker, tapped the button to change it to something more upbeat. Sleep was elusive at the moment, but she’d been catching up often. The problem was the stories her mind was telling while she was asleep. Jane wasn’t sure if they were real or a figment of her imagination thanks to all the television. The only thing she remembered when she woke was the stench of death and the unbelievable heat that seemed to consume her. Nothing ever appeared in her dreams, not that she could remember. It was as though she was locked somewhere, kept in isolation.
She sighed when Ray Romano said something to his wife, Deborah, on the television. Jane smiled in an attempt to force the fear to the back of her mind.
According to those who were currently responsible for her care, there was no sense dwelling on it now.
The question Jane had was, how long before she did have to worry about it? What then?
Chapter Twenty-Three
Thursday, March 1, 2018
Acadia awoke in Kaj’s bed only tofind the male was nowhere in sight. Evidently, he’d slipped out of the room while she’d been resting.
Not that she was surprised. It had been four and a half months ago that he’d been injured. During that time, he hadn’t spent a single minute outside of the room. Now that he was healed, it seemed he didn’t want to spend any more time than necessary in there.
Of course, he could’ve had the decency to wake her.
Fine. She had probably needed the rest. After all, he was taking a lot out of her these days.
The thought made her smile. More like she was giving him a lot more of her these days. Every time she turned around, they were falling into one another, the majority of their time spent horizontal unless they were in the shower. Then it was vertical sex and that … well, there was something to be said about sex in the shower.
Forcing her weary body out of the bed, she considered the gown she’d discarded this morning when she’d joined him in the bed.
Probably be best if she went to her own room to shower and change before she went in search of him. If she had to guess, Kaj was spending time with Obsidian. The two males were catching up now that Kaj was back to the land of the living, as he liked to describe his forward motion.
She hurried to pull her gown on, then slipped out of the room and down the hall. She could hear others moving around the mansion, getting up for the night. Doors were open as she headed down the hall, the rooms being cleaned by theheurospnow that they were vacated.
Acadia couldn’t wait for the new residence to be completed. As it was, it was still merely in the planning stages. But from what she’d seen, it was going to be a palace to rival all. No more sharing spaces for them. No, they would each have their own private spaces, and she looked forward to that. It was a pain to share a bathroom with two other females. It had been almost nice to be sharing a space with Kaj.
Hurrying into her room, she was glad to see Aasfa and Dahlia were already moving about. It meant she would have the bathroom to herself.
After a quick shower, she dried her hair, doctored her face with a hint of makeup, and pulled a clean gown from the closet. This one was one of her favorites. The burgundy velvet offset her coloring quite nicely. Not to mention, the bodice was one that accentuated her waist and her hips. She couldn’t help wondering what Kaj would think of it.
Once she was dressed, her hair pinned up off her neck, she set off to find Kaj. Before she could make it to the first floor, she ran into Khalon, one of the male soldiers who made up thefiestreigh.
“Good evening,” he greeted kindly, his eyes shifting to the floor bashfully.
“Good evening,” she greeted in turn. “Has everyone finished evening meal?”
“No. They’re still down there. I was … actually, I was coming up to find you.”
Acadia didn’t need to ask him what for. There was only one reason the males sought her out.
But the thought of feeding him… For the first time since being paired with Obsidian and his angel soldiers, Acadia did not look forward to her job.
Not that she had the luxury of shirking her duties.
“Shall we find some privacy?” she offered, forcing the words past her dry throat.
“I don’t believe anyone’s in the office,” he said, motioning toward the opposite end of the hall.
Nodding, Acadia pivoted and led the way, her steps slow, sluggish. She actually felt as though she was walking toward her own death, not simply heading off to do what she’d done millions of times over the centuries. And it was Khalon of all males. He was one of the most polite, most considerate within the household. He’d never made any advances toward her, never suggested anything sexual. She should’ve been relieved.
She wasn’t.
When she stepped inside, she made her way over to the desk, Khalon right behind her. He took a seat in the high-back executive chair, and she perched on the edge of the desk, pulling her sleeve back to offer her wrist.
