“Not yet,” he muttered, then offered up the details he had on Seraphina.
“Someone needs to protect him,” Taayin insisted.
Though he agreed, Obsidian’s one and only priority was Penelope. It wasn’t that he didn’t care what happened to her brother, but he was programmed to put hisamsouelotabove all others, including himself.
“Reidar has Gryffyth keeping an eye out, but find Oliver’s GA,” he ordered Taayin. “Check in with him. See if he’s got any information.”
“It’s not Stig?”
Being that they were twins, Obsidian understood why Taayin would’ve assumed as much. “No. Changing of the guard a few years ago.”
“What did he do?” Taayin asked, knowing there was only one reason a human’s guardian angel would change during their lifetime.
“He’s been headed down a dark road. Addiction. Gambling and alcohol.”
“Shame.”
“Just get what info you can,” he told thelieterra.
Taayin nodded, clearly understanding his intentions were not to interfere with the male unless Penelope specifically asked Obsidian to.
“Does she have any close friends?” Asmia’s eyes lifted. “Ones I should be aware of?”
Taayin answered with, “She has a few acquaintances from work whom she spends very little time with. Her closest friend is one who lives in California. A Winifred Drego, a.k.a. Winnie. They speak often but haven’t seen one another since she moved here.”
“So she’s a loner,” Asmia surmised.
“Very much so,” Taayin stated.
“Like I said, I expect you to look out for her,” Obsidian explained. “If at any time you feel she’s in direct danger, I want to know. Provided all goes well, I’ll look to you as herritarroonce we’re back at the compound.Should you happen to interact with her, she’s to be treated with the utmost respect, regarded with the highest authority.”
Taayin began his spiel regarding responsibilities of aritarro.As they conversed about the details, Obsidian observed the pair. In recent months, it’d been brought to his attention that they had grown closer, developed a relationship, one might say. While there were no rules restricting them from pursuing one another, they were both cognizant that their souls were not destined to be together. He suspected they wished that weren’t the case.
Obsidian couldn’t deny that their relationship had worked in his favor when it came to selecting Asmia for this assignment. Because she cared for the male, but her loyalty was not tied to Taayin’s well-being, Obsidian knew he could trust her to keep her focus. And because Asmia was important to Taayin, he would ensure she succeeded, which meant they would work doubly hard to ensure hisamsouelot’ssafety.
“I’m honored to’ve been selected for this role,” Asmia said, drawing him from his thoughts.
Leaning back in his chair, Obsidian regarded her. “At no point should you take this lightly, Asmia.”
Her perfectly plucked brows lowered. “Of course not. I’ll dedicate my life to her health and happiness.”
Obsidian considered her for a moment. It would’ve been easy to dismiss her, to allow her to walk out, prepare for the role. The female would do the job as she understood it, protecting Penelope as best she could. He trusted her. Otherwise she would not be sitting here.
However, he felt it necessary to ensure she understood his expectations.
“While Penelope’s not aware of her status as myamsouelot,” Obsidian explained, “that doesn’t change the fact. She is my utmost priority, above all else. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”
Asmia swallowed hard, nodded.
His voice dropped an octave. “Without her, Asmia, I would cease to have reason to live. And since I’m doomed to exist for eternity, her absence would ultimately endanger every living, breathing species on the face of the planet.”
He paused, his eyes glowing brighter as emotion churned within him. The mere thought of something happening to Penelope had rage slicing through his gut.
“Should something happen to her, I will not hesitate to destroy everything in my path as repercussion to losing the only reason I have for being. Penelope Calazans is my heart and soul. Without her, we shall all cease to exist. I will make it so.”
And that was not him being dramatic. It was simply fact.
“WHYDIDHESELECTMEFORTHIS?” Asmia asked Taayin once they’d approached the main hall after leaving Obsidian’s office.
