Adrian (The Dark Shadows Book 4) (8 page)

A
ngel remained
quiet in the truck as she was driven to meet a Fae. She had heard stories of the powerful Fae. She was literally bouncing on the inside at her excitement. She couldn’t believe that she was about to meet a magical creature from another realm, and he was going to help her.

She was still in shock at the fact that the necromancers had siphoned some of her energy, but then, she wasn’t too surprised. She would have at least thought she would have felt as if a part of her was missing. The first few months after she was turned was a blur for her; she barely remembered anything. But, according to what she was taught, it was like that for all neophytes, or new vampires.

She glanced out the window, watching the downtown scenery fly by. Angel thought it was strange that they were in the middle of downtown, pulling up to an expensive high-rise condo building. She strained her neck to look up at the building from her perch in the truck. She knew the area well, and knew that this was a very exclusive building, a place she would never be able to afford even a cup of coffee in from the coffee shop in the lobby, much less live in.

“We’re here,” Viktor said, parking the truck in the valet section. A couple of valets ran out to the truck to open their doors. Angel got out, and instantly felt out of place as the valets scrambled, once they saw Adrian. Adrian came around to her side to grab her hand, and pulled her along behind him.

“Stop it,” he muttered.

“Stop what?” she asked, confused, as the building’s double doors opened automatically.

“Thinking that you’re beneath me,” he said. He pulled her closer as they walked through the lobby. All the vampires nodded their heads to acknowledge their prince, while the humans curiously looked at them, wondering who he was.

“Are you reading my mind or something?” she questioned, as Viktor hit the call button for the elevator.

“I don’t read minds, and even if I did, I wouldn’t have to because it’s written all over your face,” he acknowledged. She looked up at him and saw the sincerity of what he said. “You are mated to a prince, and you, my dear, are now a princess. Get used to it.”

The elevator doors opened, and Adrian motioned for her to enter first. Once inside, Viktor informed the attendant of their destination.

“The penthouse,” Viktor said, positioning himself in front of the door as it closed. She could tell that he was always ready for combat. His stance in front of the door let Angel know that he was ensuring that no one would enter the elevator.

“Yes, sir,” the elevator attendant said before hitting the correct button. Her eyes widened, as she had never been in a building that had to have someone stationed in the elevator just to hit the buttons for the guests.

“Will he know what to do with me?” Angel whispered, holding tight to Adrian’s arm.

“Aven is a very old Fae. If he doesn’t, he will know who can help us,” Adrian replied, pulling her closer to his well-toned body.

The feel and smell of him calmed her fears. Ever since they had bonded to each other, she could sense him over the link that had developed between them. They were emotionally connected to each other. They could feel each other’s anger, pain, and pleasure. She had heard that mates at one point in the relationship would be able to speak to each other through their minds without having to voice anything out loud.

“He is to be trusted.” Viktor’s deep voice cut through her thoughts. “We have worked with him for a long time.”

“And he knows why we need him?” she asked.

“Yes, we wouldn’t have been allowed into the building had he not known that we were coming,” Adrian confirmed, as the elevator announced their arrival to the penthouse floor.

Her heart sped up, as she didn’t know what to expect from the powerful Fae creature. She wondered if he looked like the ones portrayed on television, or in the movies. Would he be small with wings, or would he be tall with pointy ears?

They stepped off the elevator and into a small hallway, and waited while Viktor tipped the attendant. They continued down a short hallway that was elegantly decorated with items that Angel was sure cost more than she made in six months at the nightclub.

They stopped in front of the door, and before Adrian could knock, the door slowly opened. A young, beautiful woman with long blonde hair and bright green eyes appeared with a smile.

“Prince Adrian,” the woman said in greeting, nodding her head. “He has been waiting for you. Please, come in.”

She ushered them into the magnificent apartment, that opened into a large living area. The kitchen and dining areas were adjacent to the stunning living room. The apartment was adorned with all the finest décor and electronics that money could buy.

Angel instantly let go of Adrian’s hand and rushed to the windows. The view was absolutely breathtaking. She could see the city for miles in one direction, and she jogged to the other wall to see the view of the lake in the other direction.

There were barely any clouds in the crisp blue sky. The windows were so clear that she felt as if she could reach out and pluck one of the seagulls that were flying out in the distance. She hadn’t realized how far up they were until she gazed out the window. Thank goodness she wasn’t afraid of heights.

“I see someone is in love with the view,” a new voice said, gaining her attention. A tall, well-built man with long dark hair, tied at the nape of his neck, stood at the entry of the hallway and living space.

“It’s beautiful,” Angel breathed.

This must be the Fae who would be helping her. Her eyes widened as she took him in. His face was beautiful, almost like one of those male runway models. His build was that of a swimmer, tall and lean, while his appearance was that of a young male in his early thirties. But his eyes gave away that he was much older.

“Aven, it’s good to see you again. I wish I could say it was for a happier occasion,” Adrian said, meeting the Fae in the middle of the living room to shake his hand.

“It’s still a pleasure,” Aven said. “It is an honor to work with the vampires.”

“We really do appreciate all that you have done for us,” Adrian praised, motioning for her to come to him.

“And Viktor, it’s been a while,” Aven smiled, shaking the other vampire’s hand. “And who is this beautiful vampire female you have brought me?” Aven turned his eyes toward Angel, as she made it to Adrian’s side.

“Aven, I would like for you to meet my mate, Angel.”

“It’s a pleasure.” Aven took her hand and kissed the back of it.

“Thank you for welcoming me into your home,” she said with a smile. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched the Fae’s smile turn into a frown. He pulled back, but he did not release her hand. Instead, he flipped her hand over, and began to study her palm.

“What is it?” Adrian asked, immediately sensing that something was wrong.

“I can sense the power of the necromancers inside of her,” Aven observed, before releasing her hand.

“That’s why we brought her to you,” Adrian said, concern lining his face.

“I know. It was told to me that they took her energy.” He motioned for them to have a seat on the leather couches. Adrian and Angel took the loveseat, sitting close together, while Viktor sat on the larger couch. Aven paced in front of them with his hands behind his back. “We are not to be disturbed,” he relayed to the female who opened the door. She nodded her head before leaving the room.

Angel shot Adrian a worried look as she gripped his hand. He patted her hand before turning his attention back to the Fae.

“Let me back up. When a necromancer consumes a subject’s energy, they take a part of that person. The energy feeds the necromancer, just as a vampire needs blood from a donor. If they consume all the subject’s life force, then they will extinguish that person’s internal light, therefore killing them, and with that, they gain great power. Once the soul leaves the body, the necromancer can have total control of the subject’s body, hence, the versi. But, with Angel, something is different.” Aven glanced at Angel with a worried look.

“What do you mean different?” Adrian asked, his voice firm. “Can you help her?”

“This is different because normally, the necromancers take. They do not put their power inside of a host.”

Angel couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her. The necromancers put their power inside of her? She didn’t feel any different. She stared down at her open palms as Aven had done, not seeing anything weird or strange about them.

“Can you remove it?” Adrian growled, bringing her back to the conversation.

“I believe I can, but I can’t promise that it won’t hurt.” Aven looked at Angel with a somber look.

She knew that she could never go back to working with the rogues, and would never side with the necromancers. Over the years, she had seen first-hand the destruction that the rogues had caused. Even though she had been gone from that scene for the last five years, she didn’t turn a blind eye to what she’d heard on the streets. Her neighborhood alone opened her eyes to what really happened in the dark world.

Once word spread that the necromancers were back, and wanted to take out the vampires, she knew that the rogues would side with them. It was like the age-old question, ‘
Is the enemy of my enemy my friend’?

So it didn’t surprise her when she heard rumors while working in the nightclub of the rogues increasing their attacks on humans and vampires. That was why she stayed to herself. She didn’t want to be forced back into that world.

She glanced back at Adrian, noting that his eyes were on her. His beautiful ice blue eyes concentrated on her, as if trying to read what she was feeling. She knew in that moment, that she would do whatever it took in order to spend eternity with him. But if it failed, she would run. She would get far away from him. She refused to do him any harm.

“I’ll do it,” she said, turning toward Aven. “Whatever I have to do, I’ll do it.”

H
is mate was so brave
, and his chest filled with pride as he gazed upon her. Angel stood at the window of the bedroom that Aven had assigned them. She was to stay with the Fae until the necromancer spell could be broken. They may have only just been mated, but he refused to leave his little mate’s side. Where she went, he went.

She had been left alone in life far too long, and he refused to have her feel abandoned by him. He would stay with her through the whole ordeal, and if it didn’t work, they would find someone else that would be able to help them.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her from behind, bringing her back against his chest.

He needed to feel her in his arms. He could feel her body shiver as he nuzzled her neck. He loved the smell of her, and discovering all there was to his pint-sized mate. Once this was all over, he promised that they would go away for a while, just the two of them, so that they could properly get to know each other in every way.

“What if this doesn’t work?” she asked quietly, not taking her eyes off the scenery outside their window. If it hadn’t been for his face in the crook of her neck, he may not have heard what she asked.

“You have to be confident in Aven. He is a very powerful Fae.”

“You’re going to stay here with me?” she asked, turning in his arms.

“Rogues couldn’t tear me away,” he answered, tipping her chin so he could claim her mouth.

He couldn’t keep his hands off her. It had been too long since he was able to kiss her, or even hold her the way he wanted to. Earlier, when he thought that his family was kicking her out, he was ready to fight them all for her. He refused to be separated from the other half of his soul.

His jeans grew tight as she moved closer to him to reach her hands up to tangle them in his hair. The feel of her smaller tongue dueling with his, and the sounds that she made as he palmed her breast drove him crazy. He squeezed her mound, loving how it filled his hand perfectly. A moan escaped her again. He needed her.

Now.

He gently lifted her up in air, not breaking their kiss. He laid her across their bed gently, following her down to settle in between her legs.

“Adrian.” She moaned his name as he scraped his fangs against her throat.

He needed to feed, and he was sure she would need blood too. Since they had mated, they would no longer need to feed from donors; they could feed off each other. It would be a choice to feed from a donor, but it would no longer be a necessity. “Do we have time?”

“Shit,” he groaned, thrusting his jean clad erection against her warmth. “We can make time.” She wrapped her legs around his waist.

He pulled her shirt up, exposing her plump mounds in her almost sheer bra. He could see her dark areolas through the little material, and just looking at her caused him to curse. She was absolutely beautiful.

A knock at the door sounded and their eyes met. A sad smile crossed her face as he rolled his eyes and cursed. “It’s okay,” she said softly.

“I swear, I will kill whoever is on the other side of that fucking door,” he muttered, rolling off of her.

He stood and walked over to the door, looking back and finding Angel walking into the en suite bathroom, trying to fix her hair. He smiled to himself, loving how his hands felt in that long dark hair. He adjusted himself before he opened the door, and found the female Fae who had greeted them when they first arrived.

“Your luggage,” she said, nodding to the young bellhop. He opened the door, waving the young human male into their bedroom. He quickly delivered and sat down the luggage before heading out. “No need to tip. We’ve taken care of it,” the female Fae informed with a nod when he reached for his wallet.

“Thanks,” he replied, before closing the door.

“Who was it?” Angel asked, stepping back out of the bathroom, her hair combed and flowing down her back again.

“They dropped off our luggage.”

“But I don’t own that much,” she claimed, staring at the luggage in awe.

“Looks like my sister has went shopping for you. You are officially part of the family now.”

* * *

“
T
his just wasn’t
what I imagined when you said that we were going to be meeting with a Fae,” Angel whispered to him as they walked down the hallway toward the common area in Aven’s condo.

“What do you mean?” Adrian smiled down at Angel’s wide-eyed look. He knew what she meant, but couldn’t help but goad her a little.

“I have never even seen anyone from Faery before, and I thought we were going to some magical place deep inside the forest or something.”

“You aren’t the first person who would have thought that,” Aven said as they entered the living room. “But this apartment is very magical.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you,” Angel quickly apologized.

“No offense taken,” Aven chuckled. “This condo is not where I usually stay. I use it only when I am here in the human realm. Being up this high in the sky has its advantages.” He motioned for them to follow him down the hallway on the opposite side of the living room.

“And what is that?” Adrian asked. Even for him, this was his first time in the Fae’s home, and didn’t want to say he was shocked too by the fancy apartment.

“We are closer to the heavens up here. That’s why I need the penthouse. Close to the heavens, and an easy way to access a portal from up here without anyone suspecting a thing.” He stopped in front of a heavy wooden door.

Aven slid a key out of his jean pocket and inserted it into the lock. He turned the key and the air became filled with the sounds of multiple clicks unlocking, before the door was released from the doorjamb.

“Please, follow me,” Aven said, stepping through the door.

Adrian and Angel’s eyes met briefly in amazement before Adrian stepped through the door first, pulling Angel behind him. They walked into what looked like an older cabin, set back in the early seventeenth century. Aven shut the door behind them.

“Where are we?” Angel’s voice was soft as she took in the surroundings that were completely different from the condo.

“We are in Faery,” Aven answered. “If I am to try to break a strong necromancer’s hold on you, then I need the earthly power of Faery to help me.”

“I’ve never been out of the country, much less travel to a different realm!” Angel exclaimed with wide eyes.

Adrian could see the wonder and excitement in her eyes as she looked around the outdated cabin. In one corner stood a small clean cot, just big enough for one person. He quietly observed her as she wandered over to the large wood-burning fireplace, that even had a black kettle suspended over an empty space where a pile of firewood should be. The cabin was bare, except for the basic essentials that would be needed for someone living in the eighteenth century.

“Please, have a seat.” Aven motioned to the round wooden table and chairs that sat in the middle of the room.

Aven walked over to the cabinets and pulled out a few items as they took their seats. The cabin was drenched in silence as they watched him leave, only to return with a few pieces of firewood to start a fire beneath the kettle.

He poured water into the kettle and began brewing some sort of concoction. The faint aroma of lavender and sage filled the air, but he couldn’t distinguish any other smells that also filled the room. Before long, Aven brought Angel a small tin cup filled with the brew that he had made.

“Drink this, dear,” Aven said.

Angel’s eyes shot to his at first. Adrian nodded to her, as he knew that he had no reason not to trust Aven.

“It is a tea that will relax her a little, so that when I access her memories, I won’t cause her any pain.” Aven motioned to the cup.

A few minutes later, Angel sat the empty cup down on the table. “I’m ready,” she said, wiping her hand along her pant leg.

Adrian could tell that she was growing nervous. He could feel her pulse quicken deep within him, and knew it to be her heart rate speeding up.

“When this is over, we are going on a trip, you and I,” he said, grabbing her hand.

“Huh?” she questioned, her eyes drooping.

“A secluded vacation, the human version of a honeymoon, once all of this is settled,” he promised her, watching her head nod slightly. He walked around the table and picked her up from her chair before she slid out.

“Here,” Aven said quietly, pointing toward the cot. “Lay her here. You can sit at the foot of the bed. I’ll need to sit next to her. This may take a while.”