Chapter 44 Whoa! Did Not See That Coming
Whoa! Did Not See That Coming
After making the rounds outside of the house, Malachi did the same inside.
Once he was certain there were no additional threats, he relaxed his shoulders a bit and blew out a harsh breath.
He was standing in the kitchen, lights off, listening to Chuck going through her nighttime regimen.
Assured that she was in the bathroom and wouldn’t hear him, he softly called Reena to the room.
Once he heard the telltale clicking of her toenails on the floor, he braced himself again and called out to the only person he knew that could possibly help.
“Nick, buddy, I really need you. I promise, no tricks. No messing with you. I need your help, please.” His words were as heartfelt as he could make them.
A soft whisper of air across his cheek announced the arrival of the angel. He simply popped into the room and tilted his head. “Malachi.”
Glaring, Malachi gritted his teeth. “So, you can show up without blasting me with your full power.
A bashful smile tilted the corners of Nick’s lips. “Yeah, well, you kind of deserved it that second time. The first time was a mistake. Sorry about that.”
Waving off his apology, Malachi glanced at Reena.
“Hey, girl, you remember Nick, right? Chuck’s uncle?
We’re going to go outside and talk in the backyard.
Can you come with us and keep an eye out for Muriel?
I don’t want her snooping on us.” He winked at his tiny friend and made his way to the door.
Reena followed along, her curly tail springing with each excited step.
It was obvious she was happy to participate in any subterfuge.
Nick was eyeing them warily as he followed Malachi out back. Once they stopped in the middle of the yard, he simply waited with folded hands.
“I wanted to give you an update,” Malachi started.
“After you left earlier to check on any rumors or prophecies upstairs, two men tried to break in and attack Chuck. We stopped them and they gave us a lead that an angel put them up to it. This time, the description truly sounded like an angel and not a demon pretending to be one.”
“No!” Nick exclaimed in a thready voice. “It’s not possible! There’s no reason for anyone in Heaven to come after her. They would just do it themselves. We don’t contract people to do our work for us.” He shook his head vehemently to deny the implication.
Holding up his hands, Malachi patted the air between them. “Calm down there, I’m not saying it was. I believe it was a demon.”
Stopping his muttered denials mid-sentence, Nick eyed Malachi suspiciously. “Huh, way to bury the lead there.” He crossed his arms over his chest and stared expectantly. “Do tell.”
“We had Glenda do another sketch. We recognized this guy, too. It was Jaxon. Chuck’s friend at the station,” Malachi explained.
Nick’s chest puffed up, and his halo flashed bright gold. “Then what are we waiting for?” he demanded. “Let’s go!” The angel spun and spread his wings, preparing to fly or teleport or whatever angels did to get from one point to another.
Reaching out quickly, Malachi snatched Nick’s arm and snapped, “Wait a minute, Nickelodeon. We already confronted him.”
Groaning, Nick smacked Malachi’s hand from his arm and whirled back to face him.
A frown had bunched his blond eyebrows together and turned his lips down so hard, Malachi idly wondered if it would leave lines.
He hoped so. Angels were too perfect already, it was entertaining to think of marring one.
“Maybe you could get to the point then?” Nick drawled, the sarcasm heavy in his tone.
“Or maybe—and hear me out—just maybe, you could shut the fuck up and let me tell the whole story before you go running off half-assed. Next time you interrupt, I’m going to let you fly off and wear your feathered ass out for nothing.
No skin off my back.” Malachi shrugged, laughing in his head that the angel actually believed he could be the snarkier of the two.
Blowing air harshly through his nose, Nick negligently waved for him to proceed.
Grinning, Malachi made a show of straightening his shirt and adjusting his stance. After running his hand through his hair and clearing his throat, he explained the rest of the story up until they returned to the house. He smiled expectantly at Nick then.
“And?” Nick growled through clenched teeth. His hands were now curled into fists at his sides, and his wings were trembling behind him.
“And I found a clue at Amaryllis’ apartment,” Malachi offered nonchalantly.
Nick went still in that weird, supernatural, statue-like way he had, staring at Malachi with wide eyes. The grinding of his teeth was audible, even over the slight ambient noise in the backyard.
“Hey, Re-Re, come here a second, would you?” Malachi called cheerfully.
He winked at Nick. As she ran over, Malachi ignored the grumbling under the angel’s breath.
If he was right, the angel would soon be begging for forgiveness.
“Hey, sweet girl,” he cooed to the chuglet prancing happily at his feet.
He scooped her up in his arms and tickled her belly like he usually did.
“Okay, Reena, I have a very important question for you. Can you tell Uncle Nick what happened to your collar?”
Reena tilted her head and stared at him, confusion in her warm brown eyes. Her ears rotated towards him, and her underbite became more pronounced.
“What are you on about?” Nick demanded, throwing his hands out to the side in exasperation.
“Just… bear with me.” Malachi tickled Reena’s chin.
“See, when I got home earlier, I noticed your collar was missing. I looked all over the house for it, but it was nowhere to be found. But that’s okay.
You know why?” He smiled softly at the little dog before setting her down and crouching in front of her.
“Because I found it somewhere else. Under the edge of the bed at Amaryllis’ apartment.
The one where she set up the opportunity to get Jaxon involved and make us think he was out to get Chuck.
” Pausing, he pulled the lilac nylon loop from his pocket and shook it in front of her.
Nick was now silent, staring with bugged-out eyes at the demon and the small, unassuming brindle dog the size of a large cat.
Reena ducked her head and grumbled, pawing the ground as she muttered to herself. After another moment or two of silence, she stared up at Malachi with liquid eyes. A small whine came from her throat.
“Reena,” he sighed. “Or should I go ahead and call you Amaryllis?”
Huffing out a small sigh, Reena sat back on her haunches and studied him while Nick sputtered in the background.
A swirl of black shadows swirled around her tiny body, cloaking her in wisps of darkness and night.
The cloud of inky haze rose to the height of an average human female before receding, leaving a coppery-tressed, voluptuous woman who managed to appear breath-takingly exquisite and delicate despite being clad in full battle leathers that screamed lethality.
A smirk curled her carmine lips and curved her high cheeks up towards her exotically slanted eyes.
Eyes that were now trained on Malachi with a considering gaze.
“Ouch,” she purred in a sultry tone that seemed to resonate in the still air. The world around them had grown quiet in anticipation. “Millennia of existence and I’m tripped up by a stupid dog collar.”
“Amaryllis,” Malachi murmured as he bowed his head respectfully. “Mistress of Darkness and Pain. It was barely visible. I nearly missed it. Had I not been lamenting my failure, I surely would not have seen it. Truly, you are a master of disguise and subterfuge.”
A deep bubbling laugh poured from her lips as she threw her head back, letting her amusement ring through the night. “Stop, my dear. You damn me with your praise. Too bad I’m already damned. Oh, my darling Malachi, you have been a sheer delight to toy with these last few months, truly enjoyable.”
Nodding, Malachi spoke low and calmly, resisting the urge to laugh at the sight of Nick trying not to piss himself behind the Knight of Hell standing casually in the backyard with them.
“I see, and I am, of course, pleased to have been able to provide entertainment for you. If I may be so bold, might I inquire why you are trying to kill Kelly?”
A faraway look entered her eyes as she stared at something only she could see.
“Take note, infant demon. There was a time I would absolutely crush you for even thinking of daring to question me. But, fortunately for you, I like you, so I’m willing to overlook it.
For centuries, I’ve essentially been in stasis.
When Hyacinth started his little plan to amass the power to become a Knight, it almost didn’t register, but a nagging feeling prompted me to pay attention, and I’m glad I did.
At first, I wanted him to succeed because I needed a challenge.
But you were far more interesting. Consorting with angels, witches, having feelings, living like a human.
” She glanced at the angel still trembling behind her.
As her gaze connected with Nick’s, he squeaked slightly and bowed. “Mistress.”
“You especially have been entertaining,” she offered with a graceful nod.
“Your banter with this one.” She gestured at Malachi.
“Well, I was half expecting you to kiss him any day. You, my dear, delicate angel, desperately need to get laid.” At the choked gurgle from his throat, she laughed again, the sound underscored with the rattle of dead leaves skittering over cold ground.
Malachi shuddered. He could almost hear the Hellhounds howling within her laughter.
“Oh damned one…” he started, loathe to be under her scrutiny, but knowing he needed to resolve this before Chuck got curious.
As the fathomless depths of her eerie gaze settled on him again, he checked his chills and straightened his shoulders.
“I wonder if we could return to why you have decided on this path, or rather, what is your desired outcome here? Because if you plan to kill us all, I would very much like to say goodbye to Kelly one last time.”
Eying him with intense consideration, the elder demon nodded slowly. “I suppose there’s no harm in telling you now that the charade is over.” Sighing, she pointed at the ground and motioned with her finger as if summoning someone.
A burbling, squelching noise followed by the scent of decayed flowers filled the air as Hyacinth began to rise through the yard.
As his head cleared the grass, he frowned and glared malevolently at Malachi.
“You,” he hissed, pointing a grubby finger at the lower demon.
“You dare summon me? Who do you think you are? Where did you even get the power to do that? Pissant excuse for a demon, I’d give you final death if it wasn’t for that angel cloak you have.
As soon as I make my way to the top, I’ll strip you of that protection and have you writhing on the ground, begging me to kill you. ”
Grinning in undisguised glee, Malachi held up his hands in innocence. “I didn’t summon you,” he insisted and pointed over Hyacinth’s shoulder.
Spinning on his gnarled feet, the bulbous demon stared at the waistline of the Knight of Hell who was watching him quietly with a bemused smile, hands propped on her hips.
Her fingers twitched over the hilt of the sword belted at her side, and her fangs glinted as her lips parted with amusement when Hyacinth let out a strangled cough.
“Your Darkness!” he grunted, bowing down and groveling before her. “My deepest apologies for not immediately acknowledging your great presence. I was not aware you were here, but now I have only the most immense desire to serve you in any way I can.”
“Is that so?” Amaryllis purred, her tone one of warning that had both Malachi and Nick taking a large step back.
Then another. “And what if my desire was for you to demote yourself to a first-level demon and promote Malachi to your position instead. Would you do that for me, my precious little petal?” She dragged a sharp, talon-like nail over his shoulder, flicking the dirt on her finger in his face, making him flinch.
Swallowing heavily, Hyacinth clenched his teeth in disgust but finally nodded with reluctance. “If my Mistress commanded it,” he choked out.
Slowly striding around the bent form of the demon, Amaryllis crouched by his side and leaned forward. “Then rise and tell me why it is that you felt a puny, shriveled root such as yourself was ready to challenge me to become a Knight?”