Page 127 of Fated In Forever
“No,” she whispered, “I think it looked like Uncle Dante, but…” She shuddered. “He was rotten and he stank and his eyes were gone. It was awful, because when we dematerialized, he held me up against him and….”
“Yeah, don’t ever relive that again.” I told her firmly,pulling her in for a hug. “I know I haven’t been the best sister lately, but I promise I’ll do better.”
“Stop being so dramatic, you’re always a good sister. Where is Eldric?” she peered around me, her blue eyes widening when she saw him, sprawled on the floor. “He really is here, isn’t he? I thought I was dreaming. He kept saying the nicest things, like he was here to save me.”
“Well, he nearly roasted us to death a minute ago, so…”
“We need to get everyone out of here,” Riordan crouched down beside us as a resounding crash thundered through the bunker, more cracks ripping across walls, chunks of cement falling.
“What is happening? Was that…” Angel craned her neck and I pushed her back into the wall.
“Something you shouldn’t be anywhere near.” I looked at Riordan. “I can carry my sister, can you get…him? I nodded to Eldric, arm thrown over his face, eyes squeezed shut.
The next few minutes passed in a blur of transportation and coordination. Riordan and I materialized them both outside the building, into the blazing heat, where Finn and his guards had secured the compound, herding thralls into groups as more and more backup arrived.
Nash strode straight to Angel and me, and threw his arms around us both. “I was worried. Or rather, my niece is worried and asked I come and check on the situation. I’m glad you’re unhurt, Miss Angel.” He waggled his eyebrows at me. “You, too, Miss Evangeline.”
“Blake and Malachi,” I said to Riordan, already pulling him back toward the entrance. “We have to get back to them.” He nodded, and once again the world blurred around us.
We rematerialized back into the cool, damp cell block to find the battle largely over.
Blake was batting away a fading swirl of shadows, there was no sign of Romulus and I immediately went to Malachi, leaning heavily against the concrete wall, one hand pressed to his side where dark blood seeped between his fingers.
“Are you okay?” I tried peeling his fingers away from the wound, but he wouldn’t budge. “Is that deep?”
“Nothing vital was hit. I’ll heal.” He was naked, back in his mortal form, covered in cuts and abrasions, but…alive.
Himself.
“The fuckers ran,” Blake snarled, dropping his hands. “Both of them fucking ran, because they knew we were about to beat their worthless asses.”
He held his knuckles out for a fist bump with Malachi, who stared down at his outstretched fist with a bemused expression that had me snorting out a laugh.
“Fuck, you don’t know how to do anything, do you, loser?” Blake shook his head, blood trickling from a wound along his hairline. “No matter, me and Rohr will teach you to be as awesome as we are. Now…put on some of those fucking shadows or something. I’m tired of looking at your naked ass.”
Malachi’s expression changed, turned lighter, but instead of shadows, he cloaked himself in one of his elegant velvet coats, a ruffled white shirt and black pants. Even his hair was back to his old self, twisted into those war braids I’d grown so fond of.
“Fucking showoff,” Blake growled, but slapped Malachi on the shoulder on his way past and my chest squeezed, eyes burning.
“Are you both all right?” I moved toward them, concerned by the amounts of blood I could see. Neither ofthem looked seriously injured, but…seeing them hurt—seeing them acting so naturally together—did things to my heart I couldn’t explain.
“I will be,” Malachi said, and for the first time since I'd known him, he sounded like he believed it. “The blood oath is broken, Evangeline. Completely severed. I'm... I'm finally free. He’ll never control me again.Never.”
I shivered as those words hit me like a physical blow. After centuries of slavery, of being controlled and manipulated by Ravok, Malachi had finally broken free.
“What happens now?” I asked, looking around at the destruction in the cell block.
“Now we go home,” Blake said, “Ravok can be beat, and Romulus…I would have had him today, if he hadn’t run. We can win this. So we regroup, we heal, and we hunt those fuckers down. Then we finish this.”
“Home? You mean Laith Castle.” I asked, heart sinking a little at the thought of going back to Ireland.
But Blake shook his head. “No Evie, we’re goinghome.” His eyes were dancing as he gazed over my head at Malachi, something long and pointed passing between them, but I didn’t care, relaxing into my mate, my arms going around him.
61
EVANGELINE
The familiar scent of lemon and old wood wrapped around me as we crossed the threshold of Crimson House that evening. Layers of Riordan’s scent, and Blake’s, had me shivering with something I might call happiness. After everything that had happened, the warmth of this place felt like a blessing I didn't deserve.
