Chapter 34 #2
I gasp, then hiss—he’s not taking this out on me. “Low blow, asshole.” If he’s not careful, he’ll have more than just his brother to deal with.
Yblis is clearly confused, and Malakai’s irritation leads him to overshare. “She burned down my library,” he explains.
Shock crosses Yblis’s face. “What?” His tone suggests I should vacate his library immediately.
“It was an accident,” I defend.
“Sure, love.”
My anger flares, and my magic crackles between us. I glare at Malakai, who merely smirks in response.
Yblis laughs, the sound catching me completely off guard—not just because of the laughter but also because it sounds genuine, and that seems rare. Judging by the baffled look on Malakai’s face, I’m inclined to believe it.
“You two are perfect for each other.” Yblis chuckles, turning fully to me. “Welcome to the family, Aeliana. You’ll fit right in.” With that, he heads for the door.
“What just happened?” I ask, bewildered.
“The king has accepted you,” Malakai grumbles, clearly unimpressed. “As if we needed his approval.”
“You know I can hear you, right?” Yblis calls back from the doorway, a frown of annoyance etched on his face.
“Wasn’t trying to be quiet,” Malakai snaps.
Désirée was right about these brothers pissing each other off at every opportunity.
“You’re insufferable. Both of you.” I move away from Malakai, but he grabs my wrist and pulls me back.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he asks, tightening his grip until it stings.
“Away from the two of you annoying the hell out of me,” I say, pulling my arm free, irritation clear in my voice.
Malakai’s magic wraps around me, but I quickly brush it off with my own.
He’s not having any of it. He growls, his hand shooting out to my throat, fingers tightening painfully around my neck.
I glare up at him, refusing to back down.
He stares me down until the corners of his lips twitch up in a hint of a smile.
Malakai leans in and kisses me, squeezing my throat just enough to make me moan and tremble against him. Then a cough behind us reminds me of our surroundings. A blush creeps up my cheeks, and I feel like I might combust on the spot.
Malakai breaks the kiss, smiling against my lips. “Does my brother watching us embarrass you?”
He releases my neck, and his hand drops to my waist.
A low, gurgling croak interrupts us, and I spin around to see a large raven land on Yblis’s outstretched arm. Its bloodred eyes seem to regard me for a moment before it cocks its head. Yblis reaches out to pet it, eliciting a series of joyful croaks from the bird.
“He has a thing for animals,” Malakai whispers in my ear. “And he uses that particular raven to spy on people.”
“I can still hear you,” Yblis says, removing something from the raven’s leg.
“Still don’t care,” Malakai replies, thankfully with less bite than before.
The raven takes flight, and Yblis unfolds a small piece of paper. He nods to himself before pocketing it.
“Nahesa has agreed to see you,” he informs us. “She’ll be here shortly.” Yblis starts to leave but pauses and looks back at us. “Show her around.” He sounds so done with his brother, and we barely got here. “Just stay out of my private rooms.”
With that, he steps outside, and Malakai takes my hand to follow suit.
Instead of returning to the hallway, he guides me between a few bookcases.
Hidden in the wall is a simple dark door that leads to a small kitchen, then to a glass door that opens onto the garden beyond.
A large circular garden with a familiar stone archway encircles it.
“Was the prison modeled after this place?” I ask as we step out. The general layout is too similar to be a coincidence.
Malakai grins at me. “It was. It made sense to use my old home as inspiration.”
He leads me to the center of the garden, stopping in front of a large pond.
The water is crystal clear, and beautifully colored fish swim around.
A few benches dot the area, and a lovely gazebo stands a bit farther ahead.
The air is crisp and clear, smelling of nature—grass, soil, leaves, flowers.
I can practically feel my earth magic sing under my skin.
“Animals can survive here?” I inquire quietly, eyeing the fish again.
“These can. Yblis altered their biological makeup with magic so they’d thrive here. There should be some birds and squirrels around as well.” Malakai glances at the trees, as if hoping to spot one. “I wonder if he still has horses.”
“Do they all have those red eyes?” The fish certainly do, and I find it unsettling.
“It’s a result of their transformation. Makes them distinguishable from normal animals.” Malakai’s gaze remains on the trees. “And easier to know if you’re being watched.”
Following his gaze, I spot a raven perched on one of the branches. “He’s watching us through the bird?”
“Very likely.” Malakai turns to me, a wicked smile spreading across his face. “Only one way to find out for sure.”
“Oh no, not happening,” I say, knowing exactly where this is headed. “Do you really want to risk being thrown out?”
“Hmm,” Malakai muses, tangling his fingers in my hair. “Good point.” He runs his thumb over my lower lip, hunger flickering in his eyes. “I would love to see how far we can push him, though.”
“Well, I don’t.” It takes more willpower than I’d like to admit to step away from him.
Thankfully, Malakai lets me go. I don’t put it past him to force me if he really wants to. He knows we can’t risk being kicked out before we have a chance to talk to Nahesa.
He glances at the raven still watching us. “You know,” Malakai starts, his eyes drifting to the pond beside us, “there are other fun activities to kill some time.”
Before I can question him, he picks me up and tosses me into the pond.
I hit the water with a shriek, plunging beneath the surface as the fish frantically scatter.
Oddly enough, the water is hot. My first thought is how these fish survive at this temperature, and my second is that he’s going to pay for this.
Breaking the surface, I glare at Malakai, who stands on the shore with his hands in his pockets, grinning down at me.
“You asshole,” I shout.
The cocky bastard leans over and pushes my head under again. Instead of panicking, I grab the sleeve of his jacket and pull him in with me.
Malakai falls face-first into the water, letting go of me in the process. I surface, take a deep breath, and swim away, knowing he’ll retaliate. He gasps for air as he resurfaces behind me, and I can’t help but giggle.
“Elly, love,” Malakai growls, the low rumble of his voice sending shivers through me.
His magic brushes the back of my neck, making me gasp. I struggle to resist the urge to lean into it and instead slap it away. As I swim farther, his magic grabs my foot and pulls me under once more. It drags me through the water until his arms wrap around me, pulling me out.
My own magic lashes out at him, and Malakai snarls. I scramble out of the water and onto the shore, hearing splashes behind me, urging me to move faster.
I slip over the grass, struggling to rise in my wet clothes. I finally manage to get up, but as I take my first step, Malakai jumps at me. He wraps his arms around my legs, and I crash down, biting my tongue in the process. Blood fills my mouth, and I wince at the sharp pain and the metallic taste.
That brief distraction is all it takes for Malakai to seize my waist. He flips me onto my back, pinning me down completely—blanketing my body with his.
He grins broadly as he drips water on my face and neck.
When he notices a drop of blood at the corner of my mouth, he gently wipes it away with his thumb.
“Already bleeding for me, love?” he asks, then licks the blood from his finger.
He groans at the taste, and I smile back at him. More blood seeps from my lips, and he quickly closes his mouth over it, sucking it away before kissing me deeply. Malakai moans in my mouth, rolling his hips against me, making me feel every hard inch of him.
“One day soon,” he whispers, nuzzling my neck, “I’ll teach you some very nice blood magic tricks.”
“Like?” I ask, my hand tangling in his wet hair, pulling him closer.
Another roll of his hips makes my breath hitch. “Guess,” he whispers, gently biting my earlobe.
I wrap my legs around his waist and roll us so I’m on top.
Mimicking him, I rock my hips back and forth over his hard length.
Malakai groans and grips my hips to keep me still.
The gold in his eyes darkens, filled with lust, almost black.
The sight of him beneath me is nearly enough to make me come undone.
I smile down at him. “I look forward to it.”
Just as I’m about to tease him further, that raven croaks and flies over us, one of its wings grazing my face. Startled, I tumble down next to Malakai, cursing the bird. Malakai laughs, and I turn to punch his shoulder.
“Don’t laugh, you asshole. That actually hurt.”
“Looks like we found out how far we can go.” He continues to chuckle, rolling onto his side to face me. His wet hair hangs in his face, partially obscuring one of his golden eyes. I reach out and brush it away.
Malakai takes my hand, and his magic flows from him to me. It warms me, drying us both and healing the bite on my tongue.
“We should head back and get cleaned up,” I say, unable to look away from his mesmerizing golden eyes.
“We should,” he agrees, but his gaze remains locked on mine. “In a minute.”