Blessed by Night-Chapter 472: Important Meetings

Nadine watched her grandmother soar higher and higher into the sky.

Just before she broke through the clouds, Rani turned back to give her granddaughter one final, parting look.

The look of anger and rage within her grandmother's eyes all but broke Nadine's heart. She found herself dropping her gaze, unable to watch her last living relative disappear from her life.

For so long, Rani was the only part of home that Nadine actually enjoyed.

She saw her grandmother rarely, but on the few occasions that she was able, she remembered her grandmother being kind, if a bit uptight, was as graceful as a sunset in the autumn sky.

It bothered Nadine to disappoint someone who meant so much to her. Someone whom she had only just learned was still alive.

And yet, Nadine had drawn her line in the sand with great difficulty. Her family was her entire world now. She would never leave them, for anyone or anything.

"I... probably should have handled that better. I'm sorry."

Nadine glanced behind her to find her husband looking rather pitiable for an archdemon.

"Yes, you could have." Nadine turned her gaze back to the sky. "But you weren't what made that situation so hopeless."

Malachi brought a hand to the back of his neck. "I..." He started speaking before he even had any real idea of what he wanted to say.

Nadine watched the sky for a moment longer.

She quietly reached out and interlocked her fingers with her husband's.

"No matter what happens... I'm not going to regret chasing you through that portal."

The lump in Malachi's chest seemed to dissipate with her words. "Even if you didn't, I think I still would've come back to find you."

"Yeah, right." Nadine laughed and wiped away a small tear from her eye. "You couldn't stand me when we first met. I had no concept of boundaries."

"You still don't, and I love that about you now."

"Shut up!" Nadine's laugh became a slightly brighter and bolder sound. It was something Malachi felt relieved to hear.

And he didn't seem like the only one.

"That's a good sound...I was worried that I wasn't going to be able to hear it for a while there."

Anna wrapped her arms around Nadine from behind. The vampire blushed and enjoyed the feeling of her warmth.

"I just wanted to say that I know it was hard for you to say all that stuff. But I love that you said it." Anna kissed her neck warmly. "And just so you know, I love that you don't understand boundaries. Nothing's nicer than having you serenade me while I take a dump."

"That's so sweet, Annalise-"

"Yuck." A small voice said.

The three of them looked down to find Shiro making a disgusted face that was every bit as cute as it was serious.

"I wanted to ask if mommy was okay but you guys are just over here being gross." Shiro stuck out her tongue.

Chuckling, Nadine leaned down and picked up their daughter tenderly. "Oh, this is just love, my little dupling. One day you're going to find somebody that you want to be gross with too."

"W-Wait a damn minute now..." Malachi began.

Nadine and Anna punched him in his sides.

"Bleh." Shiro stuck out her tongue.

"That's my girl." Malachi held up two thumbs.

Again, Nadine and Anna punched him.

Shiro looked towards her bruised father. "Mama said that you guys have to get ready or you're going to be late for your meeting."

Malachi blinked. "Oh, shit, right... but the mountain is-"

He looked towards the growing hole in the surface where his sister and Aisha were using a magic he could barely comprehend to keep the place from collapsing in on themselves.

Joanne saw him staring and gave him a wink as if to say, 'See? I can take it easy on you sometimes too.'

Malachi felt a pair of lips against his cheek.

He met Nadine's gaze and found her staring at him lovingly.

"See you when you get back?"

Malachi believed Nadine was completely unaware of just how hard she made it for him to go.

"…Yeah. I'll see you when I get back."

-

Opal closed the door to her office with her hip as she stepped inside.

As always, she was dressed quite nicely, in a black pantssuit with red-bottomed heels that she had unfortunately paid way too much for.

After coming into her office, she let out a deep sigh and made her way towards her desk. She dropped the folder she carried on top of her desk and sat in her chair.

Opal released a deep sigh. "Why did I even bother accepting this fucking gig...?"

Obviosuly, she didn't really need an answer to that. It was because they asked her to after all.

Opal didn't consider herself to be an easy woman. Nor did she think she was the type who got easily hung up on other people.

And yet, she was becoming increasingly aware of a real attraction, her initial playful flirting was no longer just a game.

Opal opened her desk drawer and fished out a handheld makeup mirror.

Unclasping the lid and examining herself carefully, she smirked in a very proud, conceited manner.

"...They know they want me." She said to herself, flicking back the hair she no longer had on instinct.

"A bit conceited, aren't we?" A new voice said.

Horror showed up in Opal's eyes as she saw a familiar man appear in her mirror.

She whirled around, her claws on one hand lengthening and the other on the gun at her side.

However, there was no one at her back when she turned around.

"Easy there, luv. Wouldn't want to ruin your makeup right before your big day, would we..?"

Opal swallowed as she turned back to her desk.

Inside of her makeup mirror, standing right next to her, was a man she had seen in countless briefings.

He was tall, and rather handsome according to most who saw him. He had deep, mocha skin pulled taughtly over high cheekbones and a firm physique.

A golden nosering hung from his nasal septum, making him look reminiscent of a bull.

His bright, amber eyes met Opal's green ones as he showed her a friendly smile.

"We haven't been formerly acquainted, have we, love? My name is Cyrus Kincaid, but... somehow I think you know that."

Opal tightened her grip onher weapon. "Oh, I know all about you, boy. I'm up to my ears in reports about your 'explosive' personality."

"Can't believe everything you see on the news, love. It's all one little scandal. You should sit down. Talk for a bit. See how much is truth and how much is fiction, eh?"