Page 10 of Malcolm

She didn’t say anything, but Malcolm could feel the air change. He reached out, grabbing her arm, “Don’t. He isn’t a threat.”

She whipped her eyes to him, “If I attack him, you can’t stop me.” She snapped, clearly eager to do something, and Malcolm was sure she would have done it if not for his kindness to her. She looked back at Castian, “But is what he says true?”

Malcolm gave a short nod. “It is.”

“Darling, while I sincerely wish you were someone else’s problem, Malcolm has taken it upon himself to make you his,” Castian said with a drawl.

“Why?” she demanded, narrowing her eyes on Castian.

Castian sent Malcolm a look, clearly asking him if he had told her she was his mate. He gave a short shake of his head. He should have known the damn Warlock wouldn’t feel any sympathy for him.

Instead, he said, “Awe, your poor sap.” With that, he again faced her. “Malcolm has a soft spot for certain females in distress, and you’re just the damsel he was looking for.” Castian gave her once over, “Mmm, but I’m sure it was personality.”

Malcolm moved before she could leap off the bed at him. Wrapping his arms around her stomach, he pulled her back. “Shh, he’s joking.”

Eliza’s hand swung out, and as she clawed the air, her eyes narrowed on Castian. “Fuck him,” she shouted. “Do you think I asked for this?” she loudly demanded, anger clear in her voice.

“I-I—” He didn’t finish as Malcolm pulled her against his chest and held her close. Her fighting weakened as her voice grew scratchy. “I just want to go back to my life.”

She whispered, “No magic, no mystery.”

Malcolm shot Castian an angry look from over Eliza’s head. The damn warlock ignored it and shrugged. “Look, if you intend to leave, you should do it now. I can only palm the others off for so long, and Oye isn’t exactly the average trophy wife; she’ll catch on. All she needs is one of those damn triplets not to cause havoc for one second, and she’ll scent something.”

“I understand,” Malcolm said, giving a short nod. “I thank you for what you’ve done for me.”

Castian sneered, “I have to protect the brothers I have." His voice grew somber as he turned to walk away. “I don’t have an abundance of family after all.” Shadow swallowed his form as he slipped between the floor's cracks.

“I’m okay,” Eliza whispered.

Malcolm looked down and found her head upturned. Her nose was wrinkled. As she met his eyes, she said, “I’m better. He wasn’t lying.”

He wondered how she knew so surely that Castian hadn’t lied.

She lowered her head and stared ahead, still in the circle of his arms. “I got angry because he was right. I am the one in distress. I’m lucky you even took a chance to save me.”

He tightened his arms around her. “I didn’t just choose you because you were in distress. And—” He could hold back his humor. “I wouldn’t call you a damsel.”

She chuckled. “I don’t know why I’m feeling so normal. I should be screaming and losing my mind. I am even more shocked at my strength than you are.” Her voice lost its humor as she turned in his arms to look up at him. “I know I can’t return to my place, and as he said, they did something to me.”She swallowed and closed her eyes. She continued to speak. “Is it okay if I go with you till everything calms down?”

He weighed her request for a long, silent moment. He was afraid at how happy he felt at her words; she hadn’t declared herself his, but the idea she was willing to stay with him. No, she trusts him enough to stay with him.

He nodded. “I will take you with me.”

Eliza

Veil City was louder at night; she sat on a stool near the window and watched the wisps of fairies flying along on pieces of clouds above the building. She couldn’t sleep. That wasn’t true. She didn’t want to sleep; she’d been locked in the dark place for so long that the idea of willingly going there was horrific to her.

She lifted her hand, opening its palm. She stared at the center. She mildly considered what the words could mean. As she lifted it closer to her face, her eyes widened as the letter brightened until it glowed. She watched as the words moved and shifted along her skin until she held a ball of light in her palm.

“Wow,” she breathlessly exclaimed. She moved the ball of light back and forth; she was a dub witch. Barely any magic in her to impress a grey witch, but now, as she held the glowing ball in her hand, she could feel the visceral knowledge that she wasn’t the same; she slowly unfolded herself from the stool and stood. Breathing deeply, she looked at the window and saw her reflection there. “That’s me.”

She looked from the ball of light to the exposed stone wall. Not hesitating, she shot her arm out and watched as it slammed into it with a sizzling sound. The smoke flew up along with the rubble.

“Power,”a voice whispered.She felt a shiver run down her spine as fingers stroked along her arms, and she felt the faceless sensation of someone pressing against her back.“Accept it, accept me.”

She shivered, dropping her arm and turning away from the small wreckage. She shook her head, pressing the bottom of her hand against her temple. “Shush, stay quiet.” She demanded, but the other voice only chuckled, its voice sultry and full of humor.

“You know why you’re free; it's because of me.”

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