Chapter 16
My whole body aches, from my toes to my fingers and the top of my head. It feels as if I’ve been pulled apart, cut into a thousand pieces, and then hastily put back together—an oddly familiar sensation. On top of that, my nose is filled with the sickeningly sweet scent of apples and nutmeg.
A groan escapes my lips, and a moment later, the bed dips beside me, followed by a soft, warm touch against my cheek.
“Mal?” My voice comes out as a whimper, broken in its own way.
“I’m here, love.” His finger caresses my cheek, and I sigh, prying my eyes open.
Carefully, I turn my head to look at him. “Hi,” I say, offering a weak smile.
“Hi,” Malakai replies, his voice laced with relief.
He looks disheveled. His hair is a mess, and his suit is wrinkled—clearly the same one from last night. This isn’t like him; if there’s anything I’ve learned about this man, it’s that he takes pride in his appearance.
“How long was I out for?” I attempt to lift myself, but a sharp surge of pain flares through me, making me gasp.
Malakai helps me, and I grit my teeth against another flash of liquid agony. I notice the nightgown I’m wearing and silently thank him for taking the time to change my clothes.
“How long?” I ask again, trying to catch my breath.
“Two days,” he replies flatly, taking a seat beside me on the bed.
“Two days?” I look at him, eyes wide. Then my gaze falls on the chaise by the wall, stuffed with pillows and blankets, clearly slept in. “Have you been here the whole time?”
His eyes meet mine, already providing the answer.
“I didn’t want to leave you alone in case something happened,” he admits, quickly averting his gaze.
My heart skips a beat, and my pulse quickens in my throat. If he keeps this up, I might start to believe he truly cares. And I don’t know what that will do to me.
Yes, hating him and lusting after him was definitely easier.
I take his hand in mine and give it a squeeze. “I can’t die, remember?”
“No, but you can spend eternity in a magic-induced coma. That would be a problem since I still have a use for you.” Malakai squeezes my hand back, still not looking at me.
Silence stretches between us, and I don’t mention how he doesn’t sound nonchalant at all. He can try to play off his concern, but I think that maybe—just maybe—things are changing for him as well. And if we’re both changing in the same way…
I swallow hard, pushing it deep down before I finally speak again. “Thank you.”
Malakai glances at me from the corner of his eye, then rises from the bed, not acknowledging my words, as if they make him uncomfortable.
“Get up whenever you feel like it. I’ll prepare some food. It will help you regain your strength.” He leaves without looking back, leaving the door slightly ajar.
Oh yes, he’s definitely uncomfortable.
I lean back for a moment, closing my eyes.
My thoughts swirl, mostly about him, about us, and everything in between.
A few more breaths, a soft sigh, and I open my eyes again.
Carefully, I hoist myself out of bed and waddle to the bathroom.
My body protests every step, and I bite the inside of my cheek to stifle a groan.
After an amazing shower, when I’m all wrapped up in a towel, I notice something lying on the bathroom windowsill—another twig with white-pink blossoms. I frown, wondering if Malakai snuck in to leave it for me.
This doesn’t seem like something he would do, yet he surprised me by watching over me for the past two days.
Carefully, I let my earth magic reach out to inspect it, but it finds nothing unusual.
I shrug and make my way to the closet. After a moment’s consideration, I pick out underwear and a comfortable dress.
I forgo socks and leave the bedroom barefoot, enjoying the feel of the carpet and then the hardwood under my feet.
Stepping into the hallway, I immediately smell food.
My stomach grumbles at the prospect, and I find myself hurrying along.
When I enter the kitchen, Malakai gestures for me to take a seat. He places a cup of tea and a plate in front of me as soon as I sit. I smile at him in thanks and start on the French toast drizzled with maple syrup.
He takes a seat across from me, a mug of coffee in his hands. “Feeling better?” he asks.
“Much,” I reply between bites.
“Good. I suggest you rest some more, at least for today, and we’ll see about tomorrow. I’ll let Tomyla know you’ll be resuming training next week.”
I nod and continue to eat in silence while he drinks his coffee. He never takes his eyes off me, as if he’s concerned that I’m not as well as I say I am.
Malakai takes my plate the moment I finish, swiftly loading it into the dishwasher along with his mug. Then he refills my tea and says, “I’m going to freshen up and head to the office.”
Another nod, and he leaves me in the kitchen, cradling my cup of tea. I’m not sure what to think of the shift in his mood and the stark contrast with how he was just moments ago. Nibbling my lip, I try not to draw any conclusions, especially since my own thoughts and feelings are a mess.
I drop the glamor, looking at my fingers, my hands, and my arms, taking in the tattoos.
The way they intertwine with the scars is mesmerizing.
The knowledge that my body now holds all these different kinds of magic intrigues me.
It will be fun to explore how to work them together, combining them into something truly unique.
“Elly.” I look up at him, the glamor slipping back into place. “I’ll be back later today.”
Malakai appears as if he didn’t just spend two days by my side, worrying over my well-being.
He wears a different three-piece suit, a dark warm gray that complements his honey skin, with a silver-gray tie that contrasts nicely with the dark colors.
His black hair is slicked back as usual for work, and his eyes roam over me, a sliver of worry lingering in his molten gold orbs.
“See you tonight,” I say, my voice strong enough to hopefully ease his concerns.
He nods and takes off.
I try not to let his sudden coldness affect me.
Restless. Despite being tired, I’m so restless that sleep eludes me.
I slip on a pair of ankle boots and a coat and head outside.
I make my way straight to the park, my magic pulling me closer.
My earth magic buzzes under my skin, almost singing in my ears when I place my palm against a tree.
I’ve always found refuge in nature, but this is on a completely different level.
Now it feels as if nature runs through my veins.
I suppose that it does, in a way.
I come to a halt in the park and decide to see what this earth magic can do for me without the grimoire.
All it takes is a single thought, and vines spring free from the soil all around me.
They twist and turn as they reach up, up, and up.
They crawl over the ground, through the grass and leaves, up the trees, and high into the sky.
It’s beautiful and brings a wide smile to my face—fills me with happiness.
The contrast with blood magic couldn’t be greater.
Even though that magic is as much a part of me as earth magic, it feels so different.
Blood magic feels like it’s sucking me dry at moments.
Like it’s meant to destroy and spread chaos and death.
Earth magic is peaceful, healing, beautiful, and full of life.
Balancing the two is going to be quite the challenge, but I look forward to it.
The vines move, grow, and shrink at a mere thought, responding before I’m even finished forming the thought in my mind. Manipulating them comes as naturally as breathing, as if they’ve always been a part of me—not something granted just a handful of days ago.
A laugh escapes me as I make the vines sink back into the soil effortlessly. Warmth infuses my body, and my heart races at how amazing this feels, at how complete it makes me. It fills me with such joy that I would probably cry if I still had tears to spill.
“Coucou, mon bijou.” A pair of cold arms wraps around my waist from behind, and even colder lips press a kiss against my cheek.
A startled scream escapes me, and the vines shoot back out of the earth toward the person behind me. Désirée screams in return, jumping away from me as the vines barely graze her, one nicking her cheek.
“Désirée,” I pant, pressing my hand against my chest to calm my racing heart, the vines I accidentally sent at her quickly decaying. “Don’t sneak up on me like that.” Then, realizing it’s daytime, I frown at her. “You can go outside during the day?”
“Sure, I can.” Désirée laughs. “I’m old enough, as long as I try to keep to the shadows.
” Her black-gloved hands smooth out a long black dress and straighten the floppy black hat on her head.
All that black makes her skin look even whiter, enhancing her imposing presence.
Her dark eyes shimmer, and the light creates the illusion of stars dancing around in a dark night sky.
“But… how?”
She blinks at me, confused, before saying, “I’m a Daywalker?”
I give her a blank look, my mouth opening but nothing coming out.
“He didn’t explain, did he?” She sighs, clearly meaning Malakai, then sighs again when I shake my head.
Malakai introduced her and Alix as the rulers of the Daywalker coven, but he failed to explain what exactly that means, and clearly I know nothing about vampires.
Désirée smooths down her dress as she explains, “Every vampire coven is centered around a specific line of vampires, carrying a specific gift. We are Daywalkers because we are—within reason—able to walk during the day.”
My mouth falls open in an “O” because yes, that does explain why she’s out here during the day and not risking her life by doing so. “You’re the only ones that can?”