Well, wasn’t that fun?
Obsidian took her hand and led her back down to the kitchen toward a set of pocket doors. He slid them open to reveal what she assumed was the formal dining room. Granted,cafeteriawas more apt, only far more elegant. Several chandeliers matching the one in the foyer hung from the ceiling, brightening the space. There were several round tables scattered throughout, each large enough to seat probably a dozen people, each decked out with white tablecloths and fancy crystal vases in the center. Despite the opulence, everyone was congregating at the long table in the center of the room. The wooden top was covered by plates piled high with food, a few laptops and iPads scattered about.
There were probably three times as many people present than there had been this morning in the library, and when Obsidian cleared his throat, the conversations died off and every pair of eyes seemed to focus on her.
Two men instantly got to their feet, sauntering toward her.
Penelope managed to remain rooted in place, rather than shrink back. Though all the men she’d met were on the larger end of the spectrum, these two were as imposing as Obsidian though not quite as tall. Both had black hair and dark glasses covering what she assumed were glowing silver irises, though they didn’t look much like Obsidian beyond that.
“Penelope, I’d like you to meet Eclipse and Stygian.” There was pride in Obsidian’s voice. “My brothers.”
Eclipse—the one with the mohawk—nodded his head in greeting. He was dressed head to toe in black, from his heavy combat boots to the leather pants and the black T-shirt that stretched across his enormous upper body. Aside from the intimidating attire, he was jaw-dropping handsome, with his modern goth haircut, and the dark stubble that covered his chiseled jaw.
Stygian, on the other hand, looked like he’d just stepped out of a board meeting for bikers. He wore black slacks, a crisp white shirt, unbuttoned at the throat, sleeves rolled up to reveal tattoos covering both forearms. His silky onyx hair was parted down the middle and rested on his shoulders, and the sharp angles of his jaw weren’t sporting even a hint of a shadow.
Both men smiled in greeting but neither offered a hand, clearly knowing their touch would cause her pain.
“It’s nice to meet you,” she told them, trying her best not to stare, but it wasn’t easy.
“The pleasure’s ours,” Stygian said firmly before gesturing toward the table. “Come join us. We didn’t mean to start without you, but, well … growing boys and all.”
Penelope smiled up at him. There was a kindness about him that seemed at odds with the hard lines of his face and the intimidating aura.
With Obsidian’s hand firmly on her lower back, she moved around to the seat he guided her to, directly across from his brothers. He took the one next to her. As she took her seat, she briefly glanced over at Oliver, smiled. He didn’t return the gesture, instead glaring before dropping his eyes to the table.
“We’ll do formal introductions later,” Eclipse said, his eyes trailing to the other end of the table. “For now, I’d like an update.”
A man wearing a three-piece black suit appeared beside Penelope, setting a plate on the table in front of her. Another did the same for Obsidian.
Pancakes, eggs, and bacon, thank goodness. Needless to say, relief filled her. She wasn’t used to eating dinner when she first woke up, though she knew some people preferred it. Then again, it was technically morning for them since they slept during the day—or she assumed they did since they were restricted from going out in the sunlight.
“We’ll start with you, Magnar,” Eclipse said even as he began shoveling pancakes in his mouth.
A dark-haired man sitting beside Reidar spoke up. “I’ve got a lead on Perfidious, Seraphina, and Sirius.”
With her fork halfway to her mouth, Penelope peered down the table at the man. “Did you say Sirius?”
“He’s a demon—”
Before he could launch into an explanation, she grabbed Obsidian’s forearm. “My friend Winnie … the one in California. She mentioned that name. Said he was visiting her in the bar she works at.” She seriously doubted the name was all that common.
Several men began tapping the keyboards of their laptops.
“He’s been in Los Angeles for the past couple of months,” Reidar stated, meeting her gaze. “Is that where your friend is?”
“Yes.”
Obsidian motioned toward Reidar. “Find her ASAP.”
He was already pushing away from the table. “And when I do?”
“Keep an eye on her. If push comes to shove, bring her here.”
“So, that’s a thing with you?” Oliver grumbled. “Just think you can snatch people off the street? You know they call that kidnapping.”
“We call it ensuring you live,” Eclipse countered, clearly not amused by Oliver’s outburst.
“From where I sit, you’re the dangerous ones,” Oliver retorted.
