Fated In Secrets (Nocturne Vampire Clan #2)

Chapter 28

28

EVANGELINE

T he stone corridors felt cozier today as I made my way toward Angel’s room, my mind pulled in a dozen different directions.

I’d wanted nothing more than to stay in that warm bed with my mate, tangled together in a cocoon of safety, but I hadn’t seen my sister in two days, and guilt was at the forefront of my thoughts. Besides, Blake would be waiting when I was finished.

Hopefully up for round four.

I blushed. Or was it five?

That thought put a definite bounce in my steps and I’d almost reached Angel’s room, just caught the scent of flowers—lilies, if I wasn’t mistaken—when a familiar prickling sensation at the back of my neck made me stop. Malachi materialized from the shadows with a mocking smile that I wanted to rip right off his face.

“You know,” he murmured, stepping out into the light, “I am beginning to wonder if you’ve forgotten your promise.”

Where the fuck had he even come from ? I frowned, surveying the stone wall behind him. Maybe one of the secret passages, which, according to Blake, had all been sealed off by Aria against unauthorized use.

His gaze skimmed over me, tracking every last inch of my body, his mouth tightening, fiery eyes growing colder than ice. Then his face softened.

“You are all right.”

My pulse quickened, hands instinctively clenching into fists. “Malachi Draven,” I forced my voice to remain steady. “You fucking piece of?—”

“I wouldn’t finish that sentence if I were you. Lots of listening ears today.” His grin was sharper than usual, and indeed, staff rushed along the hallway around us. “You assured me you’d get into Riordan’s safe. Retrieve the red folio.”

He spread his empty hands in front of him for effect. “So far, I haven’t seen much movement on that front.”

His knuckles were bruised, red and raw, dark crescents beneath his nails…l ike blood . What had he been up to?

I swallowed hard, my hands balled into fists. “Riordan’s been on edge since my run in with Silas. A run in you orchestrated, dickhead.” My anger at Riordan—the anger that made me agree to this debacle in the first place—had cooled.

But I was determined to get my pound of flesh from this fucker in front of me.

“I told you not to go.” He sucked in a breath. “You ignored my advice.”

“Advice from a snake isn’t really advice, though, is it? Let’s say I’m no longer inclined to do your bidding, so you can fuck all the way off.”

“Oh, you’d best find a way to do my bidding .” Malachi stepped closer and his eyes held a glint of something sharp and cruel. “You made a promise, and you know how we vampires are about those. Things could get unpleasant if you chose to break your word.”

“I never gave my word.” Anger began to spiral out of control and I imagined my dagger sticking out of his chest. “You threaten me, I’ll threaten you right the fuck back.”

He tilted his head, studying me. “Would you like me to inform the king of your willingness to steal from him? Twice a thief…Riordan would never trust you again, and where would that leave your precious Blake? Forced to make a choice between his deceitful lover and his oldest friend. I can well imagine how that would go.”

A glimmer of fear crept through me, leaving an icy chill behind. This fucking bastard .

“Fuck off, Malachi. I’ll just deny, deny, deny.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Everyone knows you’re a sleazebag.”

He tapped his temple. “Memories don’t lie. One look inside that pretty little head of yours and you’d be out on the curb, right along with your sister. No clan. No protection. Hunted by your family. By Collum and Valaine.”

He tutted. “After all, you did so well the last time. It wasn’t like your sister got kidnapped and ended up the pawn of a monster.”

My heart hammered as he dredged up my deepest fears. We were safer here than out in the world, where I didn’t know the first thing about surviving as a vampire.

And Angel…Angel needed Riordan’s protection, despite the strings that protection came with. My mind raced for options, but every path was blocked by the same cold reality: Malachi had me trapped.

Besides, I told myself, what harm could a folio do?

Not that I’d had a spare moment to go through the ones I’d pilfered from the library. No, I’d been so preoccupied that even though I finally had a phone, I hadn’t translated a single line.

Besides, what harm could Tyrell cause? The asshole was dead and unless he could rise from the grave, his secrets died with him.

I met Malachi’s smug, satisfied gaze, “Fine,” I said through gritted teeth. “But I’m not doing this alone. You get Riordan out of his study. I need at least twenty minutes, and I’ll only have one shot at this. If I fail, the deal’s off.”

Malachi’s smile broadened, and he inclined his head, pleased. “Of course. I’ll handle Riordan—consider it my contribution to the cause. Give me an hour to arrange something suitably urgent.”

Something changed in his face, almost like a darkness fell over him, turning his expression crueler.

He paused, nostrils flaring as he leaned in close. “Congratulations on the mating. Too bad Blake had to pay the price. I wish you both all the happiness and…well, blah blah blah, you know the rest.”

With that, he disappeared, leaving my stomach sinking. I sucked in a breath, checking the time before turning toward Riordan’s study.

I found a shadowed alcove with two chairs and a small table, ran my finger through the fresh furniture polish and waited for Malachi’s distraction .

One hour had never passed as slowly as it did right now, but when Riordan slammed through his study door and stormed off in the opposite direction, I flattened my back against the wall, letting the shadows swallow me completely.

Slipping through the half-open door, I made my way to his desk, heart pounding as I tried to remember which drawer held the key, mentally rehearsing where Riordan had reached, debating whether or not said drawer might be locked.

Top left drawer, sitting on a stack of parchment, one large, and one tiny brass filigreed key gleamed.

I picked them up with trembling hands and swung the hideous painting of my sister and Tyrell away from the wall.

I hated this fucking painting. Glossed in delicate swirls of pigment, my sister’s eyes were empty, her glittering beauty hollow and cold. And the monster beside her…I spared one precious moment to appreciate the fact he was gone, crumbled into a pile of bone.

No longer a threat, no matter what secrets he was hiding.

Inserting the key, I released the lock with a soft click, the heavy door opening to the inner door, which, in turn, revealed rows of neatly stacked documents, piles of gold coins, the black velvet bag holding the Harpe Dagger. Curiosity pricked at me like needles as I ran my finger down the papers, so old the edges crumbled beneath my touch.

The red leather folio was close to the top, the gold catching the dim light. I worked it free, my breath catching as I noted how the sigil on the cover—a wolf’s head in glistening gold—was worn away, as if this had been handled many, many times.

Sliding my prize into my coat pocket, I locked up the safe and returned the keys to the drawer. Then double checked to make sure nothing was out of place and laid my hand on the doorknob and paused.

I’d be a complete fool to hand this over to Malachi without knowing what was inside.

An even bigger fool if I didn’t keep some sort of insurance for protection, in case he decided to sell me out. Because like the sun rose in the east, that bastard would sell me out.

My only hope was leverage.

The kind that could bury him.

Since I had no idea what the writing meant, I pulled the folio free and flipped open the book to the middle, pulled out my phone and began snapping photos as quickly as I could. I’d never get the entire book—not with Malachi lurking outside—but I took as many as I dared, all the way to the end, before pocketing my phone and slipping through the opening, leaving the door exactly half ajar, then strolling casually down the hallway, emotions warring within me.

This was treason.

I was betraying Riordan and Blake, in a roundabout way.

But I was being squeezed from too many sides, my sister was in danger and there was too much at risk to let guilt dictate my actions.

And this way, I reasoned, I had something on Malachi. Information that could come in handy over these coming weeks. Leverage to protect myself and Angel. Like I’d told Riordan a few days ago—I couldn’t help but think strategically.

Besides, who cared about some moldy old book from Tyrell’s safe?

Malachi blended into the shadows as he spun that ring of keys round and round on one finger. I caught a whiff of something that smelled suspiciously like smoke before he straightened, those odd, pale eyes gleaming with something close to relief.

“Here. Take it.” I extended the folio to him. “This thing even feels cursed.”

He accepted the stolen item with a lazy smirk, fingers brushing mine in a way that felt possessive, before tucking the book carefully under his own cloak, patting it like some cherished possession.

“Now, to my part of the bargain. Your sire has aligned himself with Collum and Valaine. An unholy trinity, of sorts. That is the secret your king is protecting you from, though not very well.”

“That’s hardly a newsflash, asshole.”

“Well, that’s my part of our bargain, fulfilled. Many thanks, sweet Evangeline,” he murmured, the words laced with chilling softness. “You just made life simpler.”

Something cold settled in my stomach. “Simpler how?” I demanded.

He only smiled, that same infuriating expression. “I told you we’d make a good team. In time, you’ll accept that’s true.”