Page 18 of Protected in Darkness
Her conviction surprised him.
“But I’ve never been to church.”
“Never?”
Penelope lowered her eyes as though embarrassed. “My father doesn’t believe in God. Says if He did exist, my mother wouldn’t have left him.”
Ah. A common misconception among humans. They believed God had a hand in everything they did, and when it didn’t turn out as they hoped, they turned against Him.
While he could’ve ventured down that path, Obsidian tended to avoid religion and politics if at all possible.
Shifting to a safer topic, he motioned toward the building. “What prompted you to work here?”
Her smile disappeared, her gaze dropping to her plate. “I tried to tell myself it was to be closer to my brother, but it was more so because I needed a change of scenery. When I got here, I needed a job. This was the first offer I received. It pays better than I expected, and until I figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life, I’m enjoying it.”
“And your brother? He’s here in Vegas?”
“Yep. Living the high life. Met a woman about a month ago, claims he’s in love.”
“But you don’t believe it?”
Penelope shook her head, finished chewing. “There’s something about her that puts me off.”
“Seems fitting for a sibling to think that.”
Penelope’s gaze locked on his face, setting her fork down. “Oh, it’s not that. Truly. I’ve never judged my brother for the women he’s dated. And he’s entertained some real losers. But this one… I don’t know what it is about her, but she’s not right. Maybe it’s her name. Seraphina. It just reminds me of… Never mind.”
He paused, his fork halfway to his mouth. “Have you met her?”
“Only once. A couple of weeks ago. He brought her to the casino.” Penelope dabbed her mouth with her napkin. “Like I said, they’ve only been together for about a month, but Oliver’s already talking marriage. To be honest, she doesn’t seem the marrying sort.”
Frowning, Obsidian waited for her to elaborate. When she didn’t, he realized she was hoping for a subject change.
“Well, I’m glad you’re here. More so that our paths crossed,” he told her.
She smiled sweetly, picking up her fork again. “So am I.”
Obsidian shot a telepathic command to Alden, requesting him to have Taayin look into Seraphina. If two of themesonneirwere here in Vegas and one of them was courting Penelope’s brother, they had a much bigger problem on their hands.
For a few minutes, they ate in silence, the sounds from the strip drifting up high. While Penelope would hear the horns from the cars, perhaps even the music from a nearby casino, Obsidian could decipher the conversations taking place on the street below. It took effort to block it out, but he found it wasn’t too difficult with Penelope close. The only thing he wanted to focus on was her.
“And how do you like the hospitality industry?” he asked.
“Interacting with so many people wouldn’t normally be my first choice,” Penelope said as she set her fork down once again.
“Not fond of people?”
“I like them fine.” She picked up her orange juice glass. “It’s their emotions that cause me problems.”
“How so?”
Another shy smile. “It’s not a medical diagnosis or anything, but I’ve got this heightened sense of emotion.”
“Meaning what? You can feel when someone’s sad?”
“Actually, yes. That’s exactly it. Almost like their emotions are my own. Too many at once can overload my system.” She nodded her chin toward the casino below. “Quite a feat when you’re dealing with something as emotionally charged as gambling.”
Good point. “How do you deal with it?”
