Chapter Nineteen

 

For two days, Malachi remained at home refusing to see anyone. He wasn’t sure how word had gotten out about Shade’s profession, but it had and everyone from the Amazons to Lucian had tried to talk with him. So far, he’d managed to elude their questions by locking himself in his suite, though he knew it wouldn’t last.

Reclining on the long sofa in the center of his sitting room, he sipped a glass of scotch. It was his fifth or sixth of the night. He eyed the container. He’d have to send Hatot for another bottle.

Once again, as he had since the day Shade left, he felt as though he were being watched. It was the same sensation he’d had when he was at Dominic’s birthday party. That it showed up before Shade had, made him wonder what the hell was going on, and how he could make it stop.

“Whoever you are, I’d appreciate if you’d just leave,” he said conversationally. He took another sip of scotch. “If you’re working with Shade, tell her I’m going to find her, and when I do, she’ll be sorry.”

“Who are you talking to?” Lucian asked from the doorway. “I knew you were having problems, but I didn’t know talking to yourself was one of them.”

Malachi didn’t answer him, instead saluting his brother with his snifter.

Lucian approached him, coming around the sofa to stare down at Malachi. “We need to talk.”

Giving an indifferent shrug, Malachi took another sip of scotch. He didn’t give a shit what Lucian wanted to talk about. The Council had pressed to have Malachi brought in for questioning about his part in Pascal’s death, but they’d stopped sending queries when Pascal’s pack revealed information about a second person who acted alone in Pascal’s death.

*****

“You can’t sit here and brood. I have information for you.” Lucian stalked to the chair across from the sofa.

Lucian sat quietly for several minutes. When word had leaked about the Guardian being an assassin sent to kill Malachi, he’d nearly gone mad with anger and fear. His elder brother might not have been the biggest part of his life until recently, but he was a welcome addition. Studying Malachi, he wanted to wring Noelani Fayard’s neck. He’d never seen Malachi so unkempt before. The lines on his face, the thick stubble on his face, and dark shadows under his eyes all pointed to just how much this mess had affected him.

“Don’t you want to know what I found out?” he asked in a voice that was equal parts curious and exasperated.

“Do whatever you want to, little bro,” Malachi answered absently.

Lucian sighed, sitting back in the chair. “I received a packet from an anonymous informer yesterday. It listed the names of several beings we’ve long suspected as being Eturian sympathizers, as well as their locations.” He paused. Malachi remained silent. “Then, this person said the most ridiculous thing. They claimed Ormond Steele was alive and leading the Eturi.”

He paused again, hoping Malachi would respond to that. When he didn’t, Lucian dealt Malachi’s leg a solid kick. “The letter was signed ‘Noelani Fayard’. Do you know who she is?”

“No clue,” Malachi said after several seconds of terse silence.

“She calls herself Shade.”

*****

Malachi’s heart stopped. Her name wasn’t Lani Brown? He almost laughed. Of course she lied about her name, you ass. Something tugged at the edges of his alcohol soaked mind, but Lucian spoke again.

“She went on to apologize for her actions against The Veil, and -this was really curious- said if she were able, she would stand trial for her crimes.” Lucian pressed his hands together, resting his chin on his fingertips. “She also included a character reference for you-″

Malachi did laugh then. “Oh that’s just what I need, a character reference from an assassin!” He laughed harder, though the sounds were more like sobs than laughter.

“Malachi,” Lucian responded, his voice solemn and understanding. “It isn’t your fault. She lied to you and manipulated you. It’s what assassins do.”

“For fuck’s sake, I know that, Lucian!” He sprang to his feet to prowl around the room. “I was stupid, and I’ll pay for that now. Not just me, but the rest of the Halflings will pay for what she’s done.” He stopped, running a hand through his hair. “A godsdamn Eturian assassin!”

“Well you won’t have to worry about seeing her again,” his brother broke in harshly. “No doubt she’s being punished for not fulfilling her assignment.”

Ice wrapped around Malachi’s heart. As much as he hated Shade for what she’d done to him, he didn’t want her hurt. Not after seeing the marks on her body. Oh he knew she’d traded her soul for an assassin’s knife, but that didn’t change the fact that he still felt protective of her.

“What do you think about Steele still being alive and leading the Eturians?”

Malachi sat again, his elbows resting on his knees, hands hanging loose. “It’s impossible. Ormond was my mentor. I know him better than most anyone else. He wouldn’t have joined the Eturi much less become their leader.” Sitting back, he let out a gusty sigh. His thoughts were scattered with images of Shade being hurt for failing her assignment. With iron will, he forced his attention to the conversation. “Besides, I know Steele’s dead.”

“Did you see his body?”

He frowned. “No. I was out on assignment when it happened,” he answered slowly. He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter, Ormond is dead. The assassin is trying to trick us by making us look in the wrong direction.”

Lucian shifted slightly. “Do you really believe that? Tell me, Malachi. You spent nearly a week with her. Did you fear for your life with her around?”

Malachi snorted. “I guess not. She’s a little bit of a thing.”

“I see. Did she give you any indication as to what kind of person she is?”

Lips twisting with disgust and self-hatred, Malachi nearly growled. He’d thought she was an innocent victim trapped in a situation she couldn’t get out of. “She made me think she was a victim.”

Lucian nodded solemnly, his eyes thoughtful. “Who’s to say she isn’t a victim?”

He laughed harshly. “Gods, Lucian! Mating has turned you into a woman!” Malachi jumped out of his chair again, striding around the room hoping to work off some of his frustrated energy. “The people she’s killed over the years would say she isn’t a victim.”

Stopping at the window, he glared out at the garden. From this floor, he could see the bench where he’d first tasted Shade. Fuck, his chest hurt. If it wouldn’t have been for his natural longevity, he’d worry he was having a heart attack. But no, it was nothing as mortal and mundane as that. It was Shade. She hurt him in ways he’d never experienced before.

“So, I did a little investigating,” Lucian was saying, his words nearly drowned out by the anguish in Malachi’s heart. “Found out that there was a memorial service for one Noelani Fayard a nearly a century ago.”

Memorial service? He turned around, eyebrow cocked at his brother.

Lucian nodded. “Wikolia and Thomas Fayard, members of the Skado court, laid their daughter to rest after she lost her battled with a childhood illness.”

“Wait, she was a Skado fairy?” Malachi asked in disbelief. It sort of made sense now. Her skin color, her wispy ways. The Skado, or Shadow Court of Fey, was known for its darker fairies. He tapped his chin, thinking. “Was she a full blood?”

“Yup. My contact in Skado claims she disappeared from Court nearly a hundred fifty years ago. In fact, she was to be betrothed to King Leofric himself, but she contracted this illness right before the ceremony.” Lucian sat back, lacing his fingers behind his head. “I did good, huh?” he asked with a self-satisfied smile.

Malachi was too wrapped up in the information to answer Lucian. She was a shadow fairy, one who could’ve become the Skado queen, until she disappeared. Remembering the conversation he’d had with her, he knew she was two hundred, thirty-five years old. She’d have still been a pre-transitioned fairy when she disappeared.

His head throbbed the harder he thought. He felt like there was a vital piece of the puzzle missing. It was just out of his reach, waiting to be discovered.

“Dammit!”

“Problem?” Lucian asked in a bored tone.

“No, I just feel like I almost know something, but it just isn’t there yet.” He grabbed up his scotch again, draining the glass dry in one gulp.

“That isn’t helping, I’m sure.”

He glared at his brother. “I appreciate all the information, but I’ll handle this how I see fit.”

They glared at each other for several minutes, neither one willing to budge. Finally, Lucian turned his head, breaking their eye contact.

“Fine. Just don’t kill anyone,” he growled, coming to his feet. “I don’t want more complications with Council.”

Malachi gave a curt nod. He wasn’t going to tell Lucian he was already planning to hunt Shade down to find out exactly what she knew.

Lucian stomped out of the room, wearing his fury like a cloak. Once he was gone, Malachi smiled slightly. He loved his younger brother. As much as it irked him to have Lucian meddling in his business and trying to protect him, it was also good to know he had some family who cared.

He rubbed the back of his neck. The feeling of being watched persisted. Shooting a glance around the room, he didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. He sighed, strolling to his bedroom.

The deep shadows of the room eased the growing ache in his head. Too much alcohol, too little sleep, he supposed. He just needed to rest a bit, then perhaps his feelings of paranoia would fade and he’d have a better idea of what to do about Shade.

Undressing in the dark, he crawled between his sheets, sighing at the crisp coolness of the fabric against his skin. He hadn’t been in the bed since the night he’d shared with Lani. No, dammit, Shade. Stop it, he ordered himself, punching his pillow savagely. He had so much trouble calling her by that vile name when he knew how she tasted, how she felt against him. He grunted into his pillow. She made her choices and he’d learn to live with them. He wouldn’t be happy about it, but he could survive the pain.

Glad that he’d had the presence of mind to have Kahal strip the bed two days ago, he closed his eyes. He wouldn’t have been able to get a wink of sleep if he’d been surrounded by her scent. Hell, even though his rooms were aired out, bedclothes laundered, he almost swore he could smell her gardenia scented skin.

Pain lanced his stomach and chest. Gods, this was killing him, he thought bleakly as he forced his body to relax and sleep.

*****

Shade remained motionless in the deepest shadows of the room. His body jerked slightly before his breath eased into a relaxed rhythm. Watching him these past two days had been a new lesson in torture for her. She’d wanted to touch him so badly, wanted to tell him how sorry she was for what she’d done. But she couldn’t.

Living in shadow had given her a new view of Malachi. She’d stolen food from the kitchens, investigated the house further, though she couldn’t bring herself to seek out the other female yet. In the last two days, she’d observed Malachi closely. He hadn’t eaten, instead fueling his body with anger and alcohol. He’d seen no one other than the servants who brought more bottles of liquor and cleaned his suite.

Gods, his suite. When she’d come to his rooms to seduce him, she hadn’t paid close attention to anything but finding him. Now, she had time to study it closely, discovering more about her lover. She learned he loved art, for the paintings and sculptures lovingly placed around his suites were of the highest quality. He also loved looking at the garden, since he frequently stared at them, his face drawn with longing and anger.

Several times, she’d stroked her hands over his belongings, feeling the rich textures of velvet curtains, brocade furniture, and silk pillow coverings. He was a creature who enjoyed his comforts, though he wasn’t pampered. His monitor and weapons rooms were impressive, showing he was both a guardian over his people and a dangerous man.

She’d left him exactly five times since she’d resorted to shadow living. Each time, it was to scout around the property. Three of those perimeter checks had yielded results. The first had been a small demon group trying to break the wards. The second attack came from a pack of werewolves who were trying to dig under the property line to avoid the wards. The last one, though, had been Halflings. That had shocked her.

She hadn’t killed any of the attackers, merely incapacitated them and moved them to another location before Malachi’s guards could stumble across them. The Halflings, she’d questioned.

The resentment and bitterness they felt towards Malachi had been tainted with evil. She’d discovered they were Veilerians, not Eturians, and wanted Malachi to die because they felt he was bringing ruin to all Halflings.

“He’s evil,” one of them had hissed, his strangely beautiful face reflecting Elvin grace and demonic strength. “He’s made us whipping boys for the Veil. We’re treated worse than we were when we used to be pressed into service!”

“They all fear us,” another had agreed. She had been a fairy/vampire Halfling. “The pure bloods fear we’ll rise up against them.”

That conversation had left Shade with a lot to think about when she wasn’t staring at Malachi. The Halflings were in a bad spot, and if they had been truthful, it was worse than before. The only way to change that would be for Malachi to do what he’d been tasked with doing for Council. She’d hoped the confession and reference she delivered to Lucian would be the first step to helping Malachi, but he hadn’t shared it with anyone but his brother. Her lover’s angry dismissal of her reference had been like knives to her heart. Because he was correct.

Who would care to listen to anything she had to say? She was one of the monsters Veilerians warned their children about. They might not know of her personally, but she was the very worst of what the Eturians represented: a cold blooded killer. At least that’s what she’d been before Malachi.

To hear the brothers discuss her so casually had nearly sent her running from the room. She’d had no idea she had once been considered as a consort to Leofric. The Skado king had been kind as far as shadow fairies went, but he’d been too sly and turbulent for her taste. She huffed out a soundless laugh. Why he’d want to mate with a lowly member of his court, she had no idea, but that avenue had been closed with her parents’ actions.

The black sheets draping his bed served as the perfect backdrop with Malachi as the jewel set in their center. Over the last few days she’d watched him grow paler, more haggard, and she’d known she was the cause. It brought her no satisfaction to know he hurt as much, if not more, than she did.

Malachi shifted in the bed, a soft moan rumbling up from his chest. Biting her lip, she stepped closer to the bed. He was so beautiful. The dim light cast deep shadows over his features, giving him the appearance of a shadow knight. Grinning at her whimsical thoughts, she allowed her gaze to trail over his body. Oh yes, she thought. He could’ve been a shadow knight. Those warriors of Skado had always filled her daydreams as a child. Magical knights who protected their shadow lands before the great treaties made them obsolete.

How many times had she dreamed of such a knight coming to rescue her from her indifferent parents? She’d prayed for someone to love her, someone who would be her partner. But those prayers went unanswered because shortly after her third meeting with King Leofric, Luther had shown up for dinner and her life was forever changed. Her lips curved in a cold smile. Slender fingers caressed one of her daggers. Yes, Luther would pay for making her a monster.

Malachi’s mouth twisted slightly, drawing her gaze.

She wanted to touch him, kiss him. An idea entered her head. She tried to shove it away, but it persisted. She was a shadow, he was asleep. Touching him now wouldn’t hurt anyone. She licked her lips. No, it wouldn’t hurt anyone at all.