Adorah’s hand lowered, the image fading.
Tears formed in Penelope’s eyes. “I don’t like the idea of him being alone for so long. He has to endure a full day of this.”
The smile that formed on their faces confused her.
Nevaeh reached over, touched her hand. “My sweet child, your day is up.”
“What do you mean? I just got here.” Panic set in. What if they weren’t sending her back? What if she was stuck here for eternity? She didn’t want to be without Obsidian. The thought had more tears springing forth.
“Relax, sweet child. Time simply moves much faster here.”
Something caught her eye, or rather someone. Penelope’s attention shifted to the man moving toward them. He had wings and they were spread wide, armor covering his chest, metal faulds hanging down to protect his hips and thighs, a sword tucked into a sheath at his side. His gaze skimmed over her briefly before he looked at the others, nodding ever so slightly.
Nevaeh reached for her hand, then got to her feet. Penelope followed suit, standing before her as she took her other.
“Take care of that dear boy, Penelope. In the coming years, he’ll need you more than he ever has.”
Before she could ask what that meant, a flash of light blinded her. She felt as though she was free-falling in darkness. There was no sound, no light, but there was also no fear. Suddenly, she came to a halt, still immersed in pitch-black, but she felt at peace, as though she was home.
“Penelope.”
Obsidian’s ragged voice drew her to him, though she couldn’t move, couldn’t see. It was as though she was entombed. Her eyes wouldn’t open, but she could hear him.
There was no pain, no sadness. She could sense the comfort of the room she’d been in with him, his warmth, his love.
I’m here, Obsidian.
Above all else, Penelope needed him to know that.
“AYREME…COMEBACKTOME. PLEASE. I needyou.” Though he spoke the words aloud, Obsidian could hardly hear them over the pounding of his own heart.
He could feel Penelope’s presence. It had eliminated the brutal, devastating cold that had seemed never-ending.
His bones ached as he attempted to move from the position he’d remained in from the moment she drew her last breath. As his wings retracted, he forced the pain away, gently sliding his arms beneath her. He stood tall, staring down into her beautiful face, awaiting the moment she would open her eyes.
The door to the mating chamber had appeared, the one onlyamsouelotswere allowed to enter. As he approached, it opened, revealing a room right out of a fairy tale.
Well, technically, it was a room right out of Penelope’s sweet, considerate mind. One that encompassed all the dreams she’d ever had for a moment such as this. A gift from Heaven.
The enormous round bed stood in the center of the room, a curved, upholstered headboard on one side, sheer curtains hanging down from silver rods overhead, concealing the plush comforter, which was a sparkling silver with thick white pillows tossed about. There was a solid wall of windows, the thin curtains revealing the sun as it rose beyond. For only this moment in time, Obsidian could feel the sun on his face the way Penelope obviously wished for them. The connected bathroom was an exact replica of the one in their room now, and it filled him with pride that hisamsouelotfound pleasure in it.
Settling her on the bed, Obsidian moved in beside her, brushing her hair back from her face. The blood stain that had marred the gown she wore had disappeared, no longer a stark reminder of the pain he had inflicted.
When her eyes drifted open, they immediately settled on his face, glittering gold and washing away a little more of his despair.
“There you are,” he whispered, smiling as another tear fell down his cheek. Those tears had been present from the second he’d lifted that blade, driven it into her precious beating heart.
Penelope didn’t move, didn’t speak, but he knew she had come back to him. He remained close, ensuring she knew he was there with her. Never would he leave her. Not ever again. And he would see to it that there was no more pain, either.
The minutes ticked by as he felt her strength returning, her body coming to life slowly. First her heartbeat sounded loudly in his ears. Her chest began to rise and fall with her breaths. Her arms twitched, fingers, too. Until finally, she turned her head and smiled at him.
He couldn’t have fought the emotion if he’d wanted to. Having spent the past twenty-four hours watching over the female who owned him, heart, body, and soul, it was surprising there were more tears, but he couldn’t seem to stop them.
Penelope’s warm hand lifted, wiped the wetness from his cheeks before she brought his head down, their lips brushing.
“Obsidian… I love you.”
Her voice was the sweetest sound, filling his chest with warmth chasing away the last of the cold loneliness.
