Sleeping Redemption (Feathers of Darkness Duet #1)

Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

I gave Kinley a few days to calm down and hopefully recover from the horrendous encounter with Atlas. Reflecting back, I should have stopped him from walking out the front door to go on that date with her. These new recruits always fucked things up; they weren’t experienced enough to handle delicate situations. Though, to say that Kinley required extra care and handling was a massive understatement.

It was mindboggling to me that such an inexperienced guardian would be given such a volatile assignment. As I had told Atlas, this entire shitshow of his previous cambion form being redeemed and being given to a fallen angel to watch over was beyond strange and unusual.

There were several old scrolls that might speak to the precedence behind this, but I hadn’t had the chance to go through the historic texts of our kind just yet. If Kin went on any sort of homicidal rampage, I would be too busy accompanying souls to judgment to even consider a little reading.

The thoughts plagued me until I exhausted myself thinking about all the potential fallouts and what could have driven these turns of events. I sat back in my cushy recliner, closing my eyes to give them a rest, but ended up succumbing to a full-blown nap.

I ran my fingers through the long platinum locks of her hair. “Kinley, we shouldn’t be doing this,” I reminded her.

She gave me the world’s most dazzling smile. “You worry too much.” Her hand pushed against my bare chest to lay me back as her naked figure slid down my bare chest. Her stiff nipples dragged along my body, leaving a trail of goosebumps on my skin as she did. Kin’s hands slid the leather belt open at my waist before opening my pants, reaching in, and easing my solid cock out of my boxers.

My eyes never left her, admiring each of her petite features from the fullness of her lips, her shimmering glacial hues, or the cute wrinkle at the bridge of her nose anytime she laughed.

Kinley kissed the tip of my cock, causing me to shudder lightly at the first pulse of pleasure. My body craved her affection, and I felt powerless to stop her from giving it to me.

“I want to taste all of you, Sy,” she crooned before she slid the head of my dick into her mouth. Her tongue swirled against the veins of my cock as she drew me in even further.

A groan of deep satisfaction rumbled out of my mouth as I tipped my head back, my hips pushing up as she began sucking on my painfully hard length. My cock begged for her to draw my release from me. Her head bobbed up and down as she worked me deep into her mouth, pushing at the tight enclosure at the back of her throat.

“Fuck, Kinley. I need you,” I spoke through my increasingly heavy pants. My hand cradled the back of her head, guiding her down to the point her gag reflex spasmed around my head. The sensation added even more fuel to my need to have her.

The stunning vision riddling my body with pleasure slid off my dick and smiled at me. “Sy, I need you.”

Not changing her expression or moving an inch she repeated herself. “Sylas? Did you hear me? I need you.”

Then, she shouted, “Fucking hell! Are you even listening to me?”

The dream ended abruptly as I startled awake, my eyes popping open. Looking down, my erection throbbed in my hand with a drop of precum leaking from its tip. I scolded myself as I tried to force my desire to take a damn backseat. Reminding myself that Kin had made her choices, I tried my best to erase all my inappropriate feelings for her. She chose to abandon happiness for a life under Lucifer’s thumb; nobody forced that on her.

As I cleaned myself up, Kinley’s voice echoed in my head again.

Sylas, you know I don’t pray often, but I have a question. It’s not a big deal or anything, but I really could use your help. Like…now would be a good time.

Well, at least that explains the very end of the dream that I just woke from. Part of me wanted to ignore her pleas for fucking bewitching my dick the way she had while I was sleeping. The other half of me felt compelled to rush to her side, and that side of me currently won out despite my better judgment.

Kin was right, she hardly ever spoke prayers—outside of those shouted in ecstasy. That thought made my cock twitch again, and I growled in irritation as I tightened the belt around my waist.

Now, just time to focus on the origin of her voice and follow it. In moments, I went from standing in my modest bedroom bearing only the essentials to standing in the doorway of a strikingly different bedroom. Kinley’s scent of ripe pears and lilies faintly filled the air, clueing me in that I had arrived in the correct location.

Everything around me existed in shades of creamy whites—some bordering on the cusp of gray. It was staggering that there could be so many shades of such a neutral color all working in harmony. The twelve-foot vaulted ceiling boasted an opulent crystal chandelier with three tiers of lights hanging from it like this was a damn castle fit for a fairy princess. Somehow, it made perfect sense for Kin to have the world’s most elegant and pure-looking bedroom and yet sleep here after undoubtedly wicked nights.

On the far wall, long sweeping sheers and expensive greige drapes hung along the sides of a large arched window. A short and ornate, white Victorian dresser with gold accents was situated in front of the window but still allowed for optimal natural light.

To the right were three large arched mirrors that rivaled the size of the window, the middle one being the largest. Each mirror had strings of fairy lights outlining the curved shape. The two smaller mirrors had similarly styled Victorian furniture in front of them. In front of the left mirror was a table with a series of picture frames and figurines on it, and in front of the right was a Victorian makeup vanity to match the dresser across the way.

Between the two smaller mirrors was the centerpiece of the room, a bed big enough to swallow Kinley several times over. The tufted headboard was plush with expensive fabric best described as a cool cream—also the same color as the shaggy area rug underneath the bed. Pillows of differing styles, shapes, and hues all seemed to combine aesthetically and were at least three layers deep. Neatly laid across the top of the mattress were multiple blankets in several styles, one of which reminded me of a skinned polar bear if a high-end fashion designer had raised it.

At the foot of the bed, a rectangular bench doubled as storage, its topcurrentlyflung wide open. That’s where I saw Kinley, on her knees with her head bowed and eyes shut. Her forehead pressed to her interlocked fingers as she seemed to be caught in deep concentration. It was endearing for all of two seconds before she continued praying.

Listening, I leaned against the doorframe of her bedroom, crossing my arms over my chest, the fabric of my tee stretching around my torso as I did so.

“Sylas.” She pushed out a rough sigh along with my name. “I know you’ve been very busy, but I promise not to kill anybody. Well, for at least today. Unless they are very, very naughty little toys.”

Announcing my presence with a clearing of my throat, I pushed away from the doorframe and dropped my arms. “With your track record, color me skeptical,” I said as I walked to the center of the room.

Kinley’s eyes fluttered open, and she bounded up to her feet with a cheerful smile. Shouting my name, she ran over to me, tossing her arms around my neck to pull herself close before attempting to land her lips on mine. Jerking my head back at the last second, my hands found her hips and forced some space between our bodies. No reason to give my dick another excuse to step out of line.

“Kin, what did you need?” Cutting straight to the reasoning for her pleas seemed like the safest bet.

Seeing I wasn’t in the same playful mood as her, she pouted and squirmed away from me. “Fine, be a grumpy motherfucker.”

She stepped back over to the storage bench, shutting it before taking a seat on the cushioned top. Leaning back on her hands, she crossed one toned leg over the other.

“You know how talented I think you are, right?” Her aquatic blue eyes remained locked on me.

I slowly nodded. Where was this going?

“My Divinity Sword you made, I think it’s incredible. It is a thing of beauty and the essence of perfection.” She kissed her fingertips and blew the invisible kiss into the air.

The feeling in my gut slowly churned, hardening into something that sat in the pit, ready to fuel whatever emotion my body would call upon next.

“But,” Kinley continued, always keeping a smile on her face. “Hear me out.”

Perking a brow up in curiosity, I wasn’t sure that this was anything I wanted to hear.

“I was thinking…it’s time to retire the old and bring in the new, ya know? She’s served me faithfully for all this time, but an upgrade is definitely warranted. What do you think?”

What I thought was she was fucking delusional if she thought I was going to give her a second sword.

Sighing, I shook my head. “You know the rules, you get one and only one. Sorry, Kin.”

Dissatisfaction flashed over her features briefly before she stood like a used car salesman who was just told maybe. Stalking over to me she batted her long lashes in my direction, her finger dragged down the center of my chest.

“Surely, you can bend the rules for an old friend. You bend your rules, and I’ll even bend mine.”

I laughed, needing a bit of humor today wherever I could find it. “You don’t have any rules.”

Smiling, she inched closer, her fingertip gliding lower until it rested on my belt. “Then, I will create one and bend it just for you. I can be quite,” she lowered her voice to a seductive whisper, “ flexible .”

Grabbing her wrist, I pushed her hand away from the distracting touch before it dawned on me that she was going to great lengths to charm her way into my good graces.

“If I do this, I will need to see your current sword.” It wasn’t quite a lie, but she wasn’t being a vision of honesty either.

Kinley scrunched her face up. “So, here’s the thing…”

I closed my eyes. Please don’t tell me she’s going to say what I think.

Grumbling to myself, I say, “Kin, you better not have…”

“No! No, not at all. I haven’t lost it,” she quickly reassured me. It allowed me to release the breath I had been holding.

Then, she dropped the bomb. “But I can’t find it.”

A punch to the gut would have been more welcomed than to hear she had lost her fucking sword. The one thing in all of creation that could wipe her existence off the map, and she fucking lost it. I stood there staring at her, unclear if I had taken some of her crazy pills or if this was still some fucked up part of my dream from earlier.

With my jaw clenched, I slowly ground out my first words. “What. Do. You. Mean. You. Can’t. Find. It?”

She pursed her lips together and raised her shoulders in a shrug momentarily. “I’m sure it’s here somewhere. I very specifically remember seeing it just after Halloween.”

“Kin, that was months ago,” I reminded her as the impending migraine settled deep into my skull. “How many damn times have I told you to keep a close eye on your sword? Fucking hell! You only get one for a reason, and after all this time, now you’ve managed to lose it?!”

Ignoring my scolding, she appeared trapped in her own thoughts. “And I,” she rotated her head as she looked around, seeming to retrace her steps. She gasped as she walked over to a door leading into a walk-in closet, making a racket once she went inside. It sounded like she was tearing all the clothes from their hangers.

“I used it as part of my costume! It was a big hit!” she shouted from the closet.

Great, her life was at risk, but she had a Best Costume award to show for it.

A knee-high black leather boot came flying out of the closet landing a few feet away from me.

“God help me,” I muttered.

She squealed in excitement from beyond the closet door.

Please tell me we had diverted a major disaster. “Find it?” Hope hung on my words.

“The sword?” she called out.

No, the fucking Nobel Peace Prize.

Kinley popped her head into view around the entrance of the walk-in. “No, but I found the missing pair to my favorite earrings.” With a delighted smile, she held up a slender gold hoop earring before disappearing back into the space.

I waited there several more minutes, brooding in silence and wondering if this wasn’t a test of my patience. The rummaging and moving of stuff from inside the closet began to slow from a frantic pace to a more measured moving of items.

“Oh! Maybe I left it in my bathroom? Sylas, can you go take a look for me?” Kinley kindly asked as she made a grunt before a thud of what sounded like a heavy box or piece of luggage hit the floor.

“Sure.” Why the hell she would bring her Divinity Sword into the bathroom was beyond me, but it gave me something to do other than stand here and stew in my aggravations.

I trucked over to the only other door in her bedroom, situated opposite from where her bed was located. Rotating the crystal knob, I swung the door open.

Initially, I was greeted with a similar color scheme as the bedroom. Lush whites and creams with hints of gold glimmered throughout the lush master bathroom. Scented oils and salts filled the air, and…cigar smoke?

My eyes scanned the expansive area as I stepped inside, and just beyond the large glass-cased shower there was a massive white tub—occupied.

Rook lifted his head from its tipped-back position as he looked over at me from inside the tub. A roguish smile crossed his lips with the lit cigar pinned between his teeth. A battered and half-squashed top hat perched precariously on his head, slightly askew on top of his raven hair. Lodged in the crease of the hat’s brim sat a goddamn rubber ducky. I shit you not.

An obscene mountain of bubbles filled the tub and spilled over the sides in a thick blanket onto the white tiled floor. Never had I been more grateful for the soapy mess keeping the remainder of him out of sight.

“‘ello, mate!” he greeted me, his words slightly garbled over the cigar hanging from his mouth. Plucking the stogie from between his lips, he pushed against the edges of the tub to stand.

Lifting a hand, I shook my head. “Please, for the love of God, don’t get up.”

With a shrug of his eyebrows, he lowered himself back down into the water.

“What are you doing here?” I asked while trying to look through any of the areas Kinley could have stashed her sword away. A nearly three-foot-long weapon can only be hidden in so many places.

With his British accent tainting his words, he responded, “Self-care. You should give it a go sometime.”

I rolled my eyes as I moved a stack of towels, still not having any luck finding what I came in here for.

Kinley came into the doorway, leaning in. “Any luck?”

I shook my head.

“What are you looking for, love?” Rook perked his pierced eyebrow at her.

She sighed, the first hint of defeat in her words. “My sword.”

Rook grinned and looked down into the water. “I’ve got it right here.”

A soft giggle came from her. “I meant, my metal one.”

“Same answer, love.” Rook winked at her.

Attempting to steer the conversation away from Rook’s dick and back to the serious situation we had on our hands, well…that Kinley had on her hands, I turned my back to Rook and walked up to her.

“While we look for your sword, we should probably discuss the other night.” I placed my hands on her arms gently.

There was a sudden splashing of water from behind me, and the next thing I knew, one sopping wet arm wrapped around my shoulders, and Rook’s lathered up and naked body was at my side. The water dripping from his body soaked into my clothes.

His black polished fingernails dug into my shoulder. “You know what, love? I bet it’s down in your little love dungeon in the basement. Have you checked there?” Rook removed his poor excuse for a top hat and began to place it on my head.

Before it touched a single hair on my head, my hand snatched it and flung it at the toilet. The sense of satisfaction that came over me as it landed in the bowl with a splash was a small win I was willing to take for the day.

Rook whimpered with a pout as his demonic circus accessory was discarded.

Ready to launch the trickster through the glass shower door, I glared at him, hoping he would feel my annoyance with him one of these days. Meanwhile, his puppy dog eyes were firmly affixed on the woman standing before us.

Looking at Kinley, her sapphire pools watched as each sud and water droplet trickled over Rook’s body until they joined the puddle of water forming at his feet.

Begrudgingly, I agreed. “Sounds like a good place to look, Kin.”

She flinched out of her thoughts and smiled at us both. “Hmm, you’re right. I bet that’s where it’s run off to.”

Turning on her heel, she marched out of the bathroom and moments later her feet tapped down each step of the main staircase.

I grabbed Rook’s hand and shoved it off of me before distancing myself from him.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I asked, not really expecting an answer.

Both his hands landed on his hips as he stood there comfortably in his nude state.

With a lack of his trademark playfulness or humor in his demeanor, he solemnly stated, “We need to have a chat, Sylas.”

It caught me off guard, and it was the only reason I decided to hear him out. Sighing, I motioned at the stack of towels. “Get yourself together first.”

Not giving him the chance to argue or make a sly comment, I left the bathroom and waited for him by the picturesque window in the bedroom.

The view beyond the glass pane was stunning. Beyond the front of her property line and across the street was a large open space with a healthy green lawn only interrupted by a narrow walking trail. The open space was perfect to see the sunrise in the morning and the moon and stars cast into the sky at night.

“A word to the wise, I would avoid bringing up her little rendezvous the other night.” Rook’s voice came from behind me.

Turning, I was ready for a conversation but not to see him wearing what was most definitely Kinley’s robe. It was a fluffy bubblegum pink robe that I imagined engulfed her petite frame, but on Rook’s significantly larger body, it looked downright ridiculous. The length stopped above his knees, the sleeves ended at his elbows, and it was nothing short of a miracle that somehow it remained cinched enough at the waist that his cock wasn’t waving in the wind.

“I’m not going to ignore it, Rook. She needs to know Atlas isn’t a figment of her imagination—or yours.” I crossed the room, unwilling to debate whether or not she deserved to understand Atlas’s return was a reality and one where he had a purpose to fulfill here with her.

With supernatural speed, Rook was instantly in front of me, his eyes filled with a darkness that rivaled the seriousness of death itself. “I do not think you are hearing me, mate. Let me lay this out for you real nice and simple-like. You didn’t see her that night, you didn’t see the tremors in her soul.”

An ache formed in my jaw from wanting to disregard the gravity of Rook’s words. I wanted to take what he said with the same absurdity as what he was wearing.

Rook continued. “Her mind is circling the drain to a descent into utter madness, chap.” He shook his head. “I am fairly certain, had I not intervened, you would have had at least three more souls to transport at the behest of our little fallen angel.”

“Since when does a demon give a damn about an angel’s affairs?” I crossed my arms before me, wondering what angle Rook attempted to play.

Thrusting his hands into the shallow pockets of the robe, he stared me straight in the eyes, his hazel hues displaying more brown than green as they met my aquamarine pools. “Since said angel started giving a damn about a demon thought to be good for nothing but parlor tricks and treated like a jester in Lucifer’s court of fools.”

When he put it that way, I had to take a moment to pause and consider perhaps I didn’t know all there was to know about the trickster before me. His oddities aside, there may have been more than met the eye.

“Kin has never been particularly….” How could I put this? My pause opened up the window of opportunity for Rook to finish my sentence.

“Sane?” Rook interjected.

“Not quite where I was going. I was going to say she has never been great at coloring inside the lines.”

Snorting, he looked at me. “Unless she’s painting the town with blood.”

Scratching the scruff on the side of my face, I thought back to a time when things were much simpler. “Even when we were training together before Lucifer’s departure, she always walked on the edge of morality.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to figure out how much of a disaster this could turn into. The realization hit me that Atlas’s presence in her life was going to be needed more than ever if what Rook was saying was true.

“Scale of one to St. Cassius, where is she?” I asked as I closed my eyes, trying to strategize around the dull ache between my eyes.

Without hesitation, Rook answered, “A snowstorm and a matchstick.” He shook his head, a hint of sadness touching his hazel eyes. “Had I not adequately distracted her the other night, she would have had a listing up for another new house manager. She was here in body, Sylas, but her mind was under siege.”

Downstairs, the sound of shattering ceramic pulled us from our heavy discussion. It was followed by Kinley’s shouts and the frightened shrieks of who I could only imagine was one of her household staff members.

Looking at Rook with widened eyes, he didn’t bother waiting before speeding past me out the bedroom door.

“Fuck, this can’t be good,” I grumbled before following behind the trickster, barely catching the blur of his body’s near- supersonic movements before he disappeared around the end of the hallway.