When Raven’s eyes opened, her sight met darkness, covering the room in black.
That’s weird. She could’ve sworn that she fell asleep with the lights on.
But that’s when she looked to the windowsill, seeing a dark silhouette sitting on the granite, one knee drawn up to his chest while the outside of his body was lined like a cartoon character, but his whole body was black, the lines glowing with the light.
His golden hair glistened, and his shadowed figure was slightly haloed with a soft white, his arms and legs outlined with a light tan.
When she noticed his eyes were focused on her, her cheeks burned. “Malachi?”
“Hi,” he responded softly.
“What are you doing?” she questioned. “Have you been watching me all night?”
“If I tell you ‘yes,’ would you freak out?”
“Yes.”
“Then no.”
Well… she fell into that one.
They stared at each other for a moment.
He said they were thirty feet below the ground, but this place was still able to have sunlight and moonlight casting through the windows like it normally would.
“Why haven’t you fallen asleep yet?” she wondered, propping herself up with her hands.
His eyes—for the first time—looked as if he were studying her curiously rather than smiling. “I couldn’t wake you, and you were sprawled across the entire bed. I couldn’t possibly squeeze in.”
She only shook her head in disappointment, sliding her legs off the bed after. “I’m going to go take a shower.”
And she walked out of the room, shutting the door to the bathroom without looking behind her to see if Malachi was following.
After she heard his footsteps pad away in the direction of the steps, she turned on the shower, hearing the water pat the floor like millions of little raindrops.
She pulled off her clothes and stepped in when she found it hot enough, and she massaged soap into her sore muscles, ruffled her tangled hair with shampoo and looked down to the side of the tub, seeing Malachi’s body wash.
Too curious to stop herself, she lifted it, popping open the cap and inhaling the scent.
Oh, wow… it smelled just like him…
Also… he was a liar, this was body wash, not bar soap.
And because she couldn’t help herself, she massaged some of it into her muscles, replacing the hotel soap he got with his minty scent.
When she turned off the shower, she got out, patting herself dry before walking over her pile of clothes on the floor that she found in her backpack a day earlier, shuffling the skirt, tights, and t-shirts she always wore.
After walking back to the living room, a hungering, savory scent filled the air, and Raven found herself wandering to the kitchen, finding Malachi tossing eggs in a pan like it was pancakes.
Malachi glanced in her direction as if he heard her coming miles away. “You hungry? I’m making eggs and bacon.”
“I thought you drink only blood,” she stated.
“I told you, Raven,” he said back, sliding an egg onto a plate and placing two sizzling bacons on the side, “I have cravings. I don’t only eat blood. I’m corrupted, remember?”
“Yeah,” she said even though she was still questioning it.
She walked over to the counter as he finished a second plate, sliding the first across the counter at light speed and she somehow still caught it.
“Bon appetite,” he said with a make-shift French accent, stepping over to her after and sitting on the other bar stool with his plate in front of him.
She stared down at the meal cautiously and he gave her an annoyed look. “C’mon,” he urged. “Eat your food, Princess.”
When she took a bite of the egg, her cheeks lit as the flavor burst in her mouth, and he smiled when she started eating faster until there was nothing left.
Malachi placed a piece of bacon from his plate to hers, making her look up to him curiously, little crumbs stuck on the corners of her lips.
“You can eat it,” he said, nodding to the piece. “But try eating it slower.”
Her face shaded over slightly, and she looked down to the last piece, picking it up and taking a small bite, savoring the saltiness bursting in her mouth.
Malachi smiled when she swallowed and took another bite, and he followed after, eating his food, as well, but a little faster than her pace so he’d get done around the same time.
And when she finished, he did, too, and he set his fork down, watching her relaxed expression somehow ease more from how well the food tasted.
“Was it good?” he wondered.
“Yes,” she responded, still tasting the bacon in her mouth, “you’re an expert chef, Malachi.”
He chuckled.
The expression suddenly clicked off, and she looked at him. “Oh, I wanted to ask you something.”
“Go for it.”
“Can I go see Jae today?” Raven wondered softly.
“Why?” he wondered, but his tone showed no signs of his immediately saying no.
“I want her to know I’m okay,” Raven responded. “When you encountered me in that garage, she was on the second floor, asleep. And she’s probably been freaking out for the last couple days, thinking I’m dead or something.”
Mal looked her over, seeing if she was lying or not, but clearly saw nothing, so he responded, “Fine, but I’m coming with you.”
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*****
Malachi and Raven pulled up on Jaelyn’s driveway, Raven shooting off the bike faster than he could park and darted up the porch steps, knocking on the door rapidly.
By the time she heard footsteps in the house, Malachi was next to her, leaning lazily against a wall.
Every step closer, she felt her heart pound wildly against her chest.
Closer… closer…
It was about to burst when the front door opened, but disappointment washed through her when Jae’s mom stood at the door, eyes widening when she saw Raven.
“Oh!” Mona—Jae’s mom—said. “There you are, Raven! Jae’s been so worried about you! Are you alright? Is everything okay?”
“Yeah,” Raven answered, partly being honest. “I was… planning stuff….”
“Alright,” Mona said, looking to Malachi. “Oh! Who's this?”
“Mal,” he greeted, holding out his palm for a handshake.
Raven slapped it down, glaring at him, the look saying, She’s not my mom. You don’t have to shake hands with her.
He raised his brows in response, lifting his arms innocently and stepping back.
“Anyway,” Raven said, gazing to Mona who looked slightly confused, “where’s Jae? Can I see her?”
“Oh, she’s not here,” Mona said.
“Well…” Raven said, “where is she?”
“She’s out with her friends,” Mona said, smiling sweetly. “It’s so good she has relationships I can count on, right?”
“Hold on,” Raven said, heart pounding. “Who?”
“Clay,” Mona said, narrowing her eyes as she tried to remember, “and the other one starts with an A….”
Raven went cold. “Where are they?”
“They went to a party downtown, at that one club for teens.”
“Thank you, Mona,” Raven said, forcing a smile. “I’ll go find her, okay?”
“Oh,” she said, “do you need me to drive you?”
“Nope,” Raven said. “I’ll see you later.”
“Alright,” Mona clearly didn’t seem concerned at her sudden need to leave and find Jae, so Raven assumed her fake smile was convincing, “see you!”
And the door shut.
“Is someone jealous of your best friend stealing Archer?” Malachi mocked.
“Mal,” Raven said, mind spinning too fast to take his bait, “we have to find her.”
“Hold on…” he said, “why?”
“We’re going to find Jaelyn,” she said again. “Let’s go.”
“Raven,” Mal said, talking slowly, “what’s going on?”
She shot him a look, piercing her eyes into his.
He threw his hands up, claiming innocence. “Alright, I’ll stop questioning, let’s go.”
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*****
After twenty minutes, Raven and Malachi found themselves riding into downtown on his bike, Raven’s hair blowing gently in the breeze as he pulled up in the club’s parking lot, the neon sign flashing, Corusci Winng.
“‘The Sparkling Wing,’” Malachi translated when Raven swung off his bike, sliding the helmet off her curled locks. He looked to her then. “How did you know where this place was? You don’t really come off as a party girl.”
“I’m not, really,” she said honestly. “Jae drags me here most of the time and makes me dance with her. They do sell alcohol for twenty-one-year-olds, but a lot of teens somehow get fake ID’s, so you’ll find a lot of drunk eighteen-year-olds.”
“Huh,” Mal said. “So, you don’t drink?’
She shook her head. “My fake ID sucks, not gonna lie.”
He blinked. “You have a fake ID?”
A nod.
“Why the hell would you need that?”
“Mom and I have been on the run for a while,” she answered. “Mom told me to use the fake ID when I need to, so no one knows who I am.”
“Is your real name Raven?” Malachi asked then.
She shook her head. “I go by Raven; my real name is something else.”
“What is it?” he questioned curiously, body steaming for an answer.
“Rowena,” she answered. “Raven is just a similar name.”
“Oh, my,” Mal said. “I can’t believe I didn’t know that.”
“I’ve been going by Raven since I was eight,” she answered. “So, I wouldn’t expect you to know that.”
They were silent for a moment, just studying the other’s gaze.
“What about you?” Raven said then, turning and starting to the front door. “Is Malachi your real name?”
He shook his head and followed after her. “No, that’s my fake name.”
“What’s your name then?” she wondered.
“Cody,” he answered. “But I hated it, so I changed it to my middle name.”
She faked gagging. “I like Malachi better, too. Cody seems like a horrible name for you.”
“What makes you say that?”
She looked him over when they stopped at the front door. “It just doesn’t fit you, that’s all.”
And she turned, pushing the doors open to expose a crowd of people dancing in front of booming music.
Malachi’s brows raised when they entered, the front door closing off all cool air from outside and covering them in heat from everyone in the room.
“How are we going to find her in here?” he questioned to Raven, raising his voice so she’d hear him.
“We don’t have to find just her,” Raven said. “We have to find one of them.”
“One of who?”
“Clay, Archer, or Jae.”
“Who’s Clay?” Malachi said then, something indecipherable in his tone.
She looked to him. “Her boyfriend.”
Malachi seemed to have shrugged it off and looked to the crowd, scanning for signs of either, though Raven knew he couldn’t have known what Clay looked like, but he’d probably find Jae or Archer, they both had very bright hair.
“Mal,” Raven said, making him glance at her. “We have to split up if we want to find them.”
He looked her over for a moment. “I don’t like the idea of leaving you alone.”
“I’ll be fine,” she answered, “no one will hurt me with so many people watching.” And she started to the crowd. “Find one of them!”
“You better not run!” he called to her.
She gave him a thumbs up before disappearing into the crowd.
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*****
After searching through the crowd for almost ten minutes, Raven’s eyes caught onto a man with bright, white hair glistening with the stage lights and she glared, pushing through the crowd and made it to him.
While everyone was jumping, he was standing still, staring at the stage lights above as if lost in thought.
She tapped his shoulder, making him jump slightly in surprise and he turned to her.
When he noticed who she was, a big smile spread across his face. “Raven!” Archer said. “Hey! How’s it going?”
“Where is she?” Raven questioned sternly, making him draw back in surprise.
“Whoa, whoa,” Archer said, throwing up his hands. “Why so tense? Do you need a beer?”
“One, I’m sixteen, and two, answer my question.”
He rolled his eyes then, not looking particularly amused. “She went home.”
“What do you want from her?” Raven questioned, making Archer glance in her direction.
“Nothing, really,” he said despite knowing the rage was growing inside her. “Clay just likes her.”
“Is Clay planning on hurting her?” she questioned.
Archer smiled then, laughing softly as if what she said amused him. “You’re being hunted by millions of assassins, and you’re worried about your best friend getting dumped?”
Raven narrowed her eyes. “Answer the goddamn question.”
He looked her over for a moment, studying her stance. “He doesn’t have plans like I do, Raven,” Archer said. “He’s honestly a good toy.”
She narrowed her eyes.
Archer yawned as if this encounter bored him. “I’m quite surprised your boyfriend hasn’t come and killed me yet. He seems the type to lash out, you know?”
“I haven’t told him yet,” Raven answered. “Because I need answers first.”
“You haven’t told him what?” Archer said.
“That you’re the bad guy,” she answered.
“Ah, yes,” he answered, “you found out quite harshly that last night we met, huh?”
She clenched her teeth, jaw locking.
“I’m actually quite curious as to why he hasn’t guessed it yet,” Archer said then.
“I’ve been preventing myself from thinking about it,” she answered.
“Ah, smart move.” He shook his head. “But also so, so, so stupid. I actually find it fascinating that you haven’t thought about me the entire time. That takes a lot of effort, but I’m not dead yet, so it worked.”
“Archer,” she snapped, “tell Clay to leave Jaelyn alone.”
He smiled then, and she half-expected him to say something like, “make me” or “what’s in it for me?” but he responded differently:
“Raven,” he said, “are you afraid of me?”
“No.”
“Really?” he said as if disbelieving her. “You’re really tense.”
She glared, eyes burning with rage.
“By the way,” he commented, “I see your eye’s healed. And I’m pretty sure you should be bed-ridden from how hard I hit you with that bottle.”
She was silent, just felt herself go cold at his words.
“Aww…” Archer said in a low, sadistic tone, “you’re shaking. Poor girl, am I scaring you?”
Two warm hands suddenly grasped her shoulders, making her stiffen, waiting to feel a blade at her throat like that one night before Mal kidnapped her.
“So,” a familiar voice said, “it was you all along.”
She exhaled a bit of panic.
Malachi.
He was the one grasping her shoulders.
Archer looked up then, a flicker of something dark in his eyes catching Raven’s attention.
“Oh,” he said as if unaffected by Malachi who was clearly staring at him with hardened eyes, “you must be the boyfriend.”
Raven saw a reflection of Malachi in Archer’s eyes, though she couldn’t see his expression; just that he nodded to Archer and said, “Take him away.”
Before she could comprehend what was happening, three guys came from the crowd, grasping Archer’s arms as tightened their grip when he tried to pull away.
She could see Archer’s hands slowly turn purple from their grasp.
But a sudden recognition burst inside her like a firework, and she remembered that these were the guys in leather jackets Malachi paid at that bar the other day.
Did he pay them to take Archer? Did Malachi know this entire time?
HOW?
“What is this?” Archer questioned with a slightly panicked tone.
Malachi took his hands off Raven’s shoulders and stepped over to him, tilting his chin up to his gaze, but Raven still heard Mal speak, “I warned you before. You should’ve stopped while you were at it. But now that I know it was you who hurt her that night, I’m going to teach you a lesson for hurting her so drastically. My friends here are going to tear you up limb from limb, starting with your toes, and if Jae’s not home like you told Ray, I’ll have them gut you without hesitation, hear me?”
Archer’s eyes reflected fear in them. “I swear she’s home.”
Raven stared.
Wow, clearly someone as horrible as Archer knew Malachi kept his sadistic promises… but he still went and disobeyed him.
Hold on… how long was Malachi listening to her? Because Raven started the whole “where’s Jae” conversation at the very beginning.
Malachi nodded to the door. “Take him away, and if he tries to escape, you know what to do.”
All three of them nodded, pulling him toward the front door as he tried to squirm out of their grip, screaming but the room was so loud no one seemed to notice.
Malachi caught Raven’s hand while she stared at Archer in shock, questioning how someone as evil as him was terrified of some weird bikers.
What were they planning on doing to him? This was slightly concerning. Surely Malachi was exaggerating to make him scared.
Malachi tugged her arm lightly, pushing her back gently so she made it to the front door, guiding her outside while she stared at his bike in shock.
“You knew…” she said, “this entire time?”
“I had a suspicion,” he answered. “And you were acting weird when Jae’s mom mentioned Archer, so I guessed it then.”
“You paid them yesterday,” she responded. “So, you knew then.”
“Yep,” he answered. “I’m just that good.”
She was silent for a moment. “How do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“You’re like… always a hundred steps ahead,” she answered. “How?”
“I’ve been doing this for a while,” he said. “Now we should go now to make sure Jae’s safe, alright? Not only are you in danger, but the assassins are going to start targeting her to get to you.”
“How are we going to keep her safe?” Raven questioned.
Malachi swung onto his bike. “I have a plan, but we must go now.”
She listened then, getting on the motorcycle.
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