Chapter Eighteen

 

Malachi stared into Lani’s startled eyes. The minute Pascal had said the name Shade panic had crept in her face. He’d suspected she knew something about the assassin. But now he knew. Gods, he knew.

“Let’s go,” he growled, turning around and marching out of the lair.

Pascal was no use to him now. Lucian wasn’t going to be pleased to find out he was dead, though that mattered little at the moment.

He knew Lani was following him, he could feel her energy behind him. Shade, not Lani, he reminded himself. Taking her blood meant she was now a part of him, a part he now wished he’d never taken. Godsdamn her! He pounded up the steps, bursting into the dimly lit shed.

Without waiting for her, he called a portal. He stepped in, closing it on Shade as she stepped through the concealed door. She stood on the other side of the portal surface, her face tight with emotion.

Closing his eyes, he shot through space and time, wanting to get the fuck away from her before he killed her himself. Unable to control his emotions, he hurtled through the wormhole, his powers unstable, making the journey chaotic and almost painful. He welcomed it as it matched the pain and betrayal tearing through his body.

She was an Eturian assassin! She’d been the one eradicating his contacts these last few months. He knew it. He laughed wildly. The little bitch, he thought viciously. He’d almost handed her his heart on a silver platter when all she’d wanted was his head.

Landing in the great room again, he fell to his knees. His whole body hurt. It was a pain very near the torture he’d endured during his years of Guardian training.

Torture. He remembered the marks on Shade’s body. She’d welcomed those scars on her body, he knew. It was a harsh training regimen assassins voluntarily went through, but it was what made them the most lethal beings in all dimensions.

Cupping a hand over his eyes, he laughed again. To think he’d been so fooled by her tortured innocent act. A stinging sensation assaulted his eyes. He swore crudely, getting to his feet. He wasn’t going to let that little bitch destroy what he’d worked so hard for. He had a name, Harrity, a name he was very familiar with.

“Master?” Hatot asked from the doorway, the demon’s confusion evident. “Master, Mistress Dinah asks where Guardian Brown is. She needs to check her wounds.”

“Get out,” Malachi whispered harshly. “Tell Dinah that the fairy-″ he spat out the word. “Won’t be joining us again. When you’re finished with Dinah, pack up that fairy bitch’s stuff and throw it to the road.”

Shocked silence met his command causing him to raise his gaze to the doorway. Shade stood behind Hatot, her face pale, her eyes wide. Hatot, looked between Malachi and Shade, then turned on his heel and ran.

“Come to finish the job?” he asked her in a dangerous whisper. “Well, give it your best shot, sweetheart.”

She shook her head, her long hair slithering over her shoulders in a beautiful waterfall of silver. “I don’t want to-″

He let out an exaggerated sigh. “You want to fuck first? Damn, you’re a demanding assassin.” He stalked closer to her, noting that her color continued to seep away. “Don’t tell me you’re shy now. Why you’re one of the best cocksuckers I’ve ever had,” he told her with a cruel smile even while his soul was screaming at him to stop.

“I wanted to tell you,” she whispered, pain etched upon her face. “I wasn’t going to-″

“You wanted to wait until I trusted you before stabbing me in the back,” he shot back, cutting off her wounded words. “But I have news for you sweetheart, I don’t trust anyone. You spread your legs for me and it was fun, but you weren’t anything more than something to scratch an itch.”

He watched her like a hawk, noting that her eyes were dilated, her hands shaky, and her breathing rapid. She looked like she was in pain. Good. She deserved to hurt for what she’d done to him.

Damn her. She’d made him think of something other than the future he had craved for so long. She, with her shy eyes and lethal skills, made him want to be something better and it had all been a lie.

“What’s wrong…Shade?” he asked silkily, noting her visible flinch when he used her codename. “Did you think I cared for you?” She took a step back as though to escape his words. “Poor little, assassin,” he crooned. “Did the others fall for your helpless victim routine? Is that how you managed to kill them? Well, looks like you fucked the wrong assignment this time, didn’t you?” Then a thought occurred to him. She’d been the one to kill Bianca. “Did you fuck Bianca too?” he asked incredulously.

*****

They were now in the hallway. Shade pressed up against the wall as Malachi advanced. The hate in his eyes tore her apart. Gods, what had she done? She wanted to cry, but some kernel of pride kept the tears from forming. She needed to warn him, but the unrestrained fury in his face kept her silent. Even as he continued spouting vile, hateful things at her, she didn’t defend herself again. He wouldn’t listen.

His hands slammed into the wall on either side of her head. He leaned down, his eyes fully crimson and dangerous. Fear bloomed in her chest. For the first time since she’d seen him, she was scared of him. He wasn’t the male she’d had sex with, or the honorable male who’d helped her through her torments. He was someone else. This was the Malachi Cromwell who’d been coaxed into joining the Eturi, a man full of bitterness and hate. And she’d been the one to bring it out again.

A sob caught in her throat.

“Are you going to cry, little assassin?” he crooned at her, his breath wafting across her face. “Cry for me, Shade, and maybe I’ll chance another dip between those thighs of yours.”

Sharp, swift pain lanced her heart. Looking down, she expected to see a knife sticking out of her chest, but nothing was there. No, it was all internal. She felt like she was dying inside. She wanted to protest, wanted to fight his hate, but she deserved it. Gods, she’d been sent to kill him and instead of telling him who she was up front, she’d hidden her purpose and abused his good nature. Her mouth opened to apologize. Then he said something that made her cold all over.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you like me anymore?” he whispered gravelly, his hate spearing her to the wall.

The chill traveled from her heart to her toes and back again. Neurons fired. He’d used the almost same words Luther had when everything went wrong. She knew he couldn’t have known the effect those words would have on her, but it was like the hollow core of her soul suddenly filled with every emotion she’d fought against.

She attacked.

*****

Malachi was surprised when Shade’s eyes went from wounded deer to cold, hard killer. He’d never had that look directed at him, but couldn’t really blame her. His anger knew no bounds and he wanted to hurt her as much as she wanted to hurt him.

Yet when she came at him in a flurry of well-placed kicks and punches, he didn’t fight back. He just deflected the blows, his mind seeing his body as though from a distance. How had it come to this? This woman had unleashed passion in him he hadn’t even known he possessed, yet she was also the harbinger of his death.

The fight lasted for several minutes. Not a single sound escaped her lips, though her eyes told him everything he needed to know. When she sent a kick to his head, he grabbed her ankle and threw her leg down. Then a fist flew towards his stomach. He brushed her hand aside. She wasn’t cold now. No, her eyes burned with fury, with vengeance.

Then it stopped just as abruptly as it started. She breathed heavily, drawing his reluctant gaze to her chest. His groin tightened. He still wanted her. Even though she’d screwed and killed the people he needed to earn his redemption, he still wanted her.

Doubt filled him at the thought. Could she be that good of an actress that she could feign her panic, her responses? He waved the doubt away. He didn’t want to reason right now. He wanted to hurt her.

Except she turned on her heel and headed to the stairs.

“Where the fuck are you going, Shade?” he growled, stalking after her.

She didn’t answer him, just continued up the stairs, and down the hall to her room. Hatot stood in the chamber, organizing her bag being packed. He stopped when Shade appeared in the doorway, snapping his fingers to direct the other servants out of the room.

Malachi slammed the door behind him, crossing his arms over his chest. Shade ignored him, throwing her clothes into the bag. The chink of metal against metal raised his temper even more.

“Aren’t you even going to show me the weapons you were planning to use?”

One tiny hand reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The way it shook, Malachi knew he was goading her into feeling something. It fanned the blaze of his fury.

“Godsdamn you, why didn’t you just kill me when you first met me?”

Stopping her hurried packing, she straightened her back, hands at her sides. He saw her shoulders lift as she took a deep breath.

“Are you going to listen to me? Or keep making accusations?”

He almost snorted, but stifled the sound. Let her think he was going to believe her. “Sure.”

She turned around, her chin rising to meet his gaze. Even now, after everything, he still wanted her. He was a sick bastard, Malachi decided as he stared at her. He was sick to want this female.

“I was sent here to kill you in the bloodiest manner possible. Upon my return, I should have gone on furlough, but my-″ she paused, her eyes closing briefly. “My handler informed me that I was to go into direct service of the Overlord. He’s a monster, Malachi. I’ve seen what he’s done to those who displease him. He was going to kill me.”

This time he couldn’t hold back a scoff of disbelief. “You expect me to think that they’d kill their best assassin?” He snorted at her look of disbelief. “Babe, I’ve seen what you can do and it isn’t pretty.”

”It’s the truth,” she whispered, her eyes wide.

He started laughing; he laughed until tears poured down his face. “That’s rich, Shade,” he said her name sarcastically. “Why would they kill you now when you’ve been such a good little monster?” He eyed her coldly. “So why don’t you tell me who the Overlord is, Shade? I mean, if we’re both going to die, I should at least get something out of it.”

She was shaking her head, her eyes wide. “You’d kill me?”

Malachi bit back a curse. He couldn’t kill her. He should want to rip her head off for what she’d done to him, but he couldn’t. “No, you’ll just go to prison like all the other criminals,” he sneered. “Now, who is it, Shade?”

She swallowed audibly, panic entering her eyes. “Steele, Ormond Steele.”

He laughed outright. “Nice one, babe. Steele’s been dead for over three hundred years.” His anger stirred again, he edged closer to her. “Who’s the Overlord? And don’t lie to me.”

“No, that’s not true; Steele isn’t dead. He’s our leader. He sent me on this assignment through my handler.”

He raised an eyebrow. “And who’s your handler, Shade? Santa Claus?” He turned away, pinching the bridge of his nose. He couldn’t bear to look at her anymore. He couldn’t kill her either. She needed to get out of his sight before he did something he’d really regret. “Just get out. Leave. Go wherever you want, I don’t fucking care, but don’t you dare come back.” He whirled back around when she didn’t answer. “Do you understand me?” He fairly roared the question, enjoying the slight flinch she couldn’t hide.

She gave him a barely discernable nod, but it was enough. With hate and pain following at his heels, he slammed out of the room, resting his back against the door. He took several deep breaths. There was so much information he needed, but not from her. Never from her. His lip curled.

“Abba,” Tia’s soft voice called down the hall.

Gods, he didn’t want to see her right now. He wasn’t fit company for her. “Not right now, Tia,” he begged harshly without looking at her.

“Abba,” she said insistently, nearing him. “We need to talk.”

He sighed deeply. “Fine. Let me just get L-the fairy out of here.”

“You can’t let her leave!” Tia cried out, running up to him.

Surprise had him looking at her, and shock had his mouth drop open. She’d abandoned her veil and robes. Tiamat wasn’t a water elemental, he thought dumbly. Her hair was pure black, her skin dusky, making her bright blue eyes glow. She had a strong nose for a female, full lips, and sharp cheekbones. She looked like an Egyptian statue dressed in a pair of hip-hugger jeans and a blue men’s shirt.

“Tia! Where’s your veil?” he shouted, standing straight.

He didn’t know why he was outraged, possibly because he knew if any of his male servants, or friends saw her, they’d go insane with lust. Gods, he didn’t need this on top of everything else, he thought inwardly.

She waved off his question, staring up at him earnestly. “You can’t let her leave, Abba! They will kill her, I have seen it!”

Sudden fear gripped him by the throat, strangling him. No. Lani couldn’t die; he still had to punish her for hurting him. He spun back around, throwing open the door hard enough for it to bounce off the wall.

She was gone. A roar of denial escaped, echoing throughout the house. The silence afterwards was loud, heavy. His chest heaving with his seething emotions, Malachi vowed that he and Shade weren’t finished yet. Nowhere near finished.

*****

Shade held her breath in the shadows. She hurt so much and she should’ve left, but leaving would only put Malachi in more danger than he was already. The minute he’d left the room, she’d dissipated into the shadows, biding her time. He had no idea about her other form which would aid her cause.

There was still time before Luther called her back. Hopefully it would be enough to form a plan to keep Malachi safe, a plan that would protect him even after her death. So many thoughts swirled around her brain, she felt overwhelmed, but those would have to be examined later. For now, she was going to be Malachi’s hidden protector.

He left the room, his face etched in fury and some other emotion she didn’t recognize. The female in the hallway paused to look in the room before Malachi closed the door.

Those eerie blue eyes looked directly at the spot Shade was hidden in, making her gaze narrow dangerously. The female was beautiful and apparently very comfortable with Malachi. She had no idea who she was, or what she meant to him, but she’d find out.