Page 99 of Malcolm

Eliza nodded. “I’m sorry.”

Lanias offered her a smile. “Buy me a drink in apology.”

“Now.” Legolas’s figure flickered and reappeared with a hand’s width distance from Eliza. Grabbing her by the throat, hoisted her up. “Let’s test your powers.”

Claws Out

Malcolm

A few minutes before…

“Well, with the women gone, what should we do first,” Castian asked, twirling his short cane between his fingers. His blue eyes bled black. “I still owe those fuckers for ruining my family.”

“You’ll have to get in line,” Raijin said, pulling his long coat off and settling it on the table. “They should pay for what they’ve done to Sabina.”

“At this point, you’ll be tearing the poor bad guys apart just to get a piece,” Tiller said, grinning. “I wish we could go there ourselves and greet them; it would only be right.”

“Killing, I’ve missed when we killed,” Alek said, wistfully from where he sat on the table. He glanced at Malcolm. “You’re sure they will be coming here.”

Malcolm nodded. “Beliel said he’d be back for my head.” He turned to Robert, “Uncle, take a few guardsmen with you and have them patrol the area.”

Robert glanced from Malcolm's stern expression to the other strangers in the hall. He’d always wondered what his nephew had been up to when he’d left and feared he’d run into a bad crowd. When he’d learned his nephew was working for the council, he couldn’t pretend he wasn’t upset, and a small part of him felt betrayed.

Yet now, he saw his nephew standing with the four men, not losing in the contest of competing auras of power coming off the other beings. It was clear the five of them weren’t weak nor would they easily fold under anyone’s onslaught. Malcolm had become a sharp blade because he’d been with such tough whetstones.

“Uncle?”

Malcolm called him again; he gave a short nod. “I’ll go and see if I can get one of the runners to go to the border to contact the other clans,” he said before he left, taking a few of the guards with him.

“So, is it true you’re the Alpha here now?” Raijin asked Malcolm, watching him give orders.

Malcolm gave a short nod. “Yes, but it’s only temporary.”

“Why?” Alek asked. “You seem to enjoy it. Plus, my son will be pleased.”

Malcolm shot Alek a heated look. “I didn’t do it to serve you vampires, and your schemes.”

“Whatever pushed you to do it, doesn’t it feel better than serving Tiller?” Castian asked lazily, stopping the twirling of his cane. “I would think so.”

Tiller sent Castian a glare full of venom. “I love how none of you have accepted that I’m the reason you’re currently cuddled up with your witches.” He glanced at Alek. “I mean almost all of you.”

Castian pursed his lips. “I am disgusted that you are partly correct.”

Just as Tiller was going to rebut, the air turned cold, causing all of them to be still. Castian spun his cane and turned around, lifting it up sharply. A curved blade of a scythe slammed into his cane with a clanging sound. He gritted his teeth from the force, his knees bending slightly. “Now, that’s not nice.”

“Greetings, Jackal.” The warlock crooned before leaping back and landing on the balls of his feet. He reached out with his left hand and blew the wall out. The wood crashed down, exposing the army of dolls outside. “Time to exterminate the dogs of the council.”

Castian tossed his cane up. It twisted and undulated in the air until it became a large metal creature with sharp teeth and eyes as black as its owners. “Well, then, I guess I should stop you despite how much I like seeing destruction myself.”

“You can try.”

The two ran to each other.

“Raijin,” Sabina yelled just as she entered the main hall, only for her pause at the sight of Castian facing off with the enemy. “Wha?—”

The walls shuddered, and suddenly, the main hall was filled with people, but they weren’t normal. Their eyes were empty of emotion.

“Sabina, watch out!” Oye yelled as she ran up from behind her.

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