Chapter Sixteen

 

Rolling over, Malachi reached for Lani. Feeling nothing but cool sheets beneath his hand his eyes snapped open. Peering around the room in the predawn darkness, he saw she was gone. He rolled over again, lacing his fingers behind his head and scowled at the ceiling.

He was definitely not pleased that she slipped out of his bed. They’d spent yesterday together, eating, talking, and making love. It had quickly become one of the best days of his life. He grimaced. He didn’t want to sound like a sap, even to himself, but Lani made him happy and protective. It was a strange combination he wouldn’t normally have welcomed.

She was such a contradiction, so strong, yet fragile looking, shut off from her emotions, yet brimming with them. She’d cried the last time they made love, but she hadn’t been aware of it. If it hadn’t been for the glow of warmth in her eyes, he would have worried he was hurting her. She’d accepted his touch, responded to him with utter abandon. He wanted to experience her wild responses every day for the rest of his life.

The cold hand of dread passed over his mind. He blinked at the ceiling in astonishment. Was he talking about, a mating? A full bonding with her? He gulped.

His heart pounded. There were still too many things he had to prove to his opposition, too many people who relied on him to fulfill his promises. And then there were the ambitions he had after he was accepted by The Veil.

Lani, for all her graceful ways, was too much a cold warrior to be a suitable mate for his ambitions. If she was at his side, Veilerians would talk. They’d gossip about his inability to live according to acceptable social standards. He wouldn’t be able to show his bitch of a mother what she’d missed by ignoring him.

His lip curled at the thought of Liv Ravenswaay. Gods, he hated her. It didn’t even matter that they hadn’t talked in two centuries, because when they spoke in the past, she never once acknowledged him as her son. His fall from grace within The Veil hadn’t hurt her in the least; she’d expected him to come to a bad end considering his father was nothing more than a lowly demon clerk. Malachi needed a highborn mate to parade in front of Liv, someone who would open doors for him; doors that had been locked from the moment of his birth.

Lani was special, there was no doubt about that, but she didn’t match his requirements in a mate. Liv wouldn’t be impressed by a Guardian, and she especially wouldn’t approve of a fairy linked to her in any way. That was almost temptation enough for him to pursue Lani, but she deserved better. Didn’t she? He rubbed the achy spot on his chest, shaking his head. His train of thought was moot. It had been great, explosive sex, nothing long-lasting at all.

Frustration flung him from the bed. His thoughts turbulent, he hastened through his morning ablutions, showering and shaving angrily. Mumbling at the nick on his chin, he dabbed it with toilet paper and got dressed.

Bloody females, he thought as he shoved his legs in a pair of black jeans. Lani had damn well made him feel like a giant among men and then snuck from his bed like a thief, leaving him conflicted about what he wanted from what had been his well-planned future. He should go to her room and demand an explanation. He’d given her some of his best moves, dammit!

A soft knock sounded as he was buttoning his shirt. Hope flickered in his heart, making him abandon the buttons to answer the door. Lani had come back, he thought as he crossed the suite. She’d probably just gone to her room for something and was coming back-

He threw open the door hope dying a quick death as he saw Kahal standing in the hallway.

“What?” he asked harshly as he turned away to finish dressing. Damn Lani.

“Master, the fairy is awaiting you on the terrace,” the servant said with a little bow.

Malachi glared at her. Then he grunted. “I’ll be down in a few.”

“Yes, master.”

What was Lani up to, he wondered as he put on his shoes. Was it possible she was shy about what they’d done all day and night? He paused on his way to the door, a smile on his face. That had to be it. She’d been embarrassed! Gods, he was so stupid. Of course, she didn’t want to face him in bed. She’d been wild in his arms and he suspected she had no experience with the matter.

Chuckling at his overreaction, he whistled as he made his way downstairs. He made plans as he walked. They’d have breakfast, make love, and then head out to Arizona to get Pascal. It was time to get this investigation underway. He greeted the servants he saw with a cheeriness they weren’t used to.

Passing through the study to the terrace beyond, he saw Lani sitting at the small table, files at her elbow. She’d obviously had the same thought he did about their investigation. He fought the urge to grin. This woman, while she wasn’t perfect for his future, was perfect for right now.

“Good morning, Lani.”

He stepped behind her to place a kiss on the top of her head. When his hands came to rest on her shoulders, he went still. She was cold. He knew it before even looking at her face. The stiffness of her body under his hands was all the evidence he needed to know she’d disappeared behind her walls again.

He fought the urge to make her become the sweet, emotional female he’d made love to. She’d hidden herself away from him. Fury rioted in him as he stared down at the crown of her head.

*****

Shade remained still, even though her skin felt blistered by Malachi’s rage. She’d known he wasn’t going to be pleased with her change in attitude, but it was best for him.

Last night had been a dream come true. He’d made her feel wanted, needed for something other than violence. But with the morning light, she’d known today had to be the day she told him the truth. Retreating into her Shade persona was a matter of self-preservation.

“Let’s go,” he said his voice as cold as the ice around her heart.

“You’re not going to eat?”

He didn’t answer, just turned on his heel and walked back into the house. Shade lingered at the table. She suspected he was hurt. Emotions flooded her since he wasn’t there to see. Tears stung her eyes.

She didn’t want to hurt him. No, far from it. She treasured his life, his honor, and his feelings. With no understanding of what she was experiencing, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that he’d done something to her and she’d never be the same again. The only way for her to protect him was to pull away, no matter how much it hurt.

Firming her resolve, she pushed away from the table and followed him into the house. He wasn’t in the study, but her senses, sharpened after spending a night in his bed, led her to the great room. He stood in front of the fireplace, staring into it, deep in thought.

Gods, she wanted to throw herself in his arms, babble out all of her feelings. Without realizing it, she took a step forward, hand extended to touch him. He turned away from her, his eyes cold.

*****

Glancing at the watch on his wrist, Malachi noted it was noon. Determined to ignore the feelings her presence roused in him, he focused on the job.

“According to Lucian, Pascal should be at his home.” He turned back to her, flicking a glance over her black attire. A hard smile pulled at his mouth. He knew what that body felt like, tasted like. Damn her to the nine hells. “Ready?”

Her eyes met his and he sensed energy gathering inside her. It was vicious and twisted, though her serene expression showed no signs of the tumult taking place within her.

“Ready.”

*****

Traveling through a portal with someone was vastly different from going alone, Shade knew. What she hadn’t expected, was that traveling with Malachi would be like drifting on a breeze. Normally when she’d traveled with another via portal, she and the person bumped and banged into each other. Malachi had far more power over the wormhole energy; the chaos dwindled down to a manageable trickle.

She wished it had been more chaotic because the calm gave her too much time to think. He was using her own trick against her, acting cold and impersonal. It was better this way, she knew, but she couldn’t help but feel a pang of hurt when he refused to look at her.

They landed in Tombstone with a pop. There was no need to brace themselves before landing because the energy set them directly on their feet. Malachi’s portal had deposited them in an empty corner of Boot Hill Graveyard. 

Shade looked around curiously. She’d been all over the United States, but never here. The graveyard had rickety looking tombstones with some of the most infamous names in American history etched into them. In 1881, she’d been in the midst of her service to Luther, but she’d heard of these beings in the hellhole of his home.

Everyone in the paranormal community, Veilerian and Eturian, had been fascinated by the Earp brothers and their friend, Doc Holliday. Luther had wanted to travel to Tombstone to collect trophies from the bodies, but had been obliged to on assignment on the other side of the world.

“Do you know where Pascal lives?” she asked Malachi, forcing her voice to remain emotionless. Gods, who knew this would be so hard? She’d only wanted a taste of pleasure, not emotional entanglement!

He gave a short nod. “He lives just off Hwy 80.” He indicated the direction with a jerk of his chin. He gave her another cold smile. “Shall we go?”

Shade nodded. Walking beside Malachi in a place of death brought home the assignment she’d been given. She was no longer his hunter, but there were others who would attempt to succeed where she had failed. She peeked at him through her eyelashes.

He gave the impression that he wasn’t aware of her walking beside him. It was such a startling contrast from the day before that her breath hitched. It’s for the best, she chanted silently. You can’t protect him if you’re in his bed. She needed to plan a way to protect him and try not to die doing it, not obsess over hurt feelings. Now that she knew his purpose and honor, she knew destroying him would be like shooting the moon into dust.

The silence between them was rife with tension and unspoken words, so to distract herself, she thought about what she knew of Pascal.

He’d once been a guard to one of her targets. The assignment had been simple: kill the Satricarion in front of his guards. The Satricarion had been discovered selling Eturian locations for alcohol money. Pascal had been present when she’d torn the horns of his leader right out of his skull. That tended to make an impression on a being, but it wasn’t likely that he would recognize her.

Shade hadn’t dropped her glamour once, not even when she discovered Malachi could see through it. She’d have been more concerned about his ability if she knew she was going to be alive in the upcoming months. Since she wasn’t, she was oddly comforted that someone knew what she looked like. Malachi knew a lot more about her than anyone else did.

The cemetery was beginning to get business. Tourists walked around with cameras, pointing out the names they recognized. What odd beings humans were.

They walked along the highway for a couple of miles before he cut across a small ditch, heading up a slight incline. Shade easily followed, seeing where he was headed. There was a small building several yards away from the highway. It looked like a rusted out shed, but Shade knew it was nothing more than a façade.

Approaching the shed, she saw several tire tracks leading to and away from the shed though no vehicle was present. The shed itself was old rusted tin with gaping holes in it. Entering the dim interior, there appeared to be nothing to see. But she knew differently as did Malachi.

“Do you see the trigger?” he asked as he swept a gaze over the walls.

Shade knew he was looking for the latch that would open the secret door of Pascal’s lair. She released a faint trickle of magic to search for it. One of the reasons for her recruitment to the Eturian army, other than her shadow roots, had been her ability to find anyone, anywhere. With only the minimal facts, she could locate whomever she was sent after. A pulse of warmth traveled up her arm as she extended her hand over a spot on the floor.

“Here.”

She squatted down to dust off the trigger. It was cleverly disguised as a rock barely the size of a quarter. She pressed it and the soft hiss of an air-locked door greeted their ears.

Standing again, she saw a trapdoor located in the darkest corner of the shed. They approached the door to see stairs leading into absolute darkness.

“I’d normally insist on going first to protect the damsel from any stray dragons, but I think you should go first,” he told her sarcasm heavy in his voice.

Some quirk made her want to grin at him. She quickly stifled the urge and headed into the darkness ahead of him.

He closed the trapdoor behind him, sealing them in cool, absolute darkness. Shade allowed her shadow abilities to sharpen. Her eyesight was flawless in the pitch black and she maneuvered down the stairs quickly. Malachi moved slower, his steps hesitant. They couldn’t risk looking for a light source if they were going to catch Pascal off guard.

“You are still here, right?” he whispered from behind her, his voice intimate in the darkness.

Turning around, she saw him staring blindly ahead of him. His eyes searched for her and she allowed her eyes to glow briefly. His lips curled in a mocking smile that hit her like a blow to the stomach.

She channeled the hurt she’d been fighting all morning, sharpened her senses and the sight of his smile, mocking or not, pierced her with a new ache. She wanted to beg his forgiveness, wanted to throw herself at his feet and apologize for retreating after he’d shown her what pleasure was all about. But those were stupid fantasies, she told herself sharply. She had a job to do.

Turning back to the corridor, she saw it was carved from rock, but well swept. Pascal had lived here a while if the smooth surface of the bedrock was any indication. Her nose twitched. Whiskey and beer scented the air. Satyrs were known as the ‘frat boys’ of The Veil. They drank and flirted like no other race.

Shade wanted to forge ahead. She could almost scent Pascal somewhere in the depths of the underground lair, but forced herself to wait for Malachi.

Her irritation was short-lived as she was hit from behind unexpectedly. She stumbled forward, but two hands wrapped around her waist pulling her into heat that seared her back and buttocks.

*****

Malachi hadn’t meant to grab Lani, but his eyesight wasn’t up to pitch black. When he’d jokingly asked if she was still with him and saw the glowing green of her eyes, he’d felt relief. Not because he was concerned about the dark, but because she hadn’t left on her own.

Watching her in the graveyard, he’d sensed she was confused and baffled by the humans. Her no nonsense attitude and calm demeanor hid a miasma of pent-up emotions that were screaming to be released. He suspected she only let go when she was on the job, or making love. Not that he would think about making love with her again. He was still pissed off with her.

With his arms extended in front of him, he’d tromped down the steps nearly stumbling when he hit even ground. She’d been several feet in front of him the last time he saw her, so he believed she was keeping her distance.

He’d nearly bowled her over; the impact of his much larger frame lifted her off her feet. She would’ve fallen on the ground if he hadn’t grabbed at her. At least that’s what he tried to tell himself. If his libido could speak, it would’ve laughed in delight as he was instantly surrounded by gardenias and smoke.