Malachi walked down Ocean View Street, staring at the ground as the sun set behind the city.
He’d gone a whole lap around Raven’s neighborhood, finding no one there.
He just had to make sure no one was stalking her.
Apart from him. She was his assignment. No one else’s.
His blonde hair curled in the humid, misty air, and blew in the frosty breath of the breeze.
Suddenly, he heard loud, rapid footsteps echoing across the houses, and he looked up too late.
The slaps of feet got closer until something crashed into him full force and hit their foreheads together.
The one running fell back.
A feminine-like voice yelled out when she hit the ground, and Malachi fell back as well, but he was able to catch himself on the side of the building.
After a moment of shock, he gazed down at the girl who was rubbing her head with her palm.
She had long, black locks that glowed purple in the fading sunlight, and she wore a skirt along with a blood-stained t-shirt.
“Raven?” he questioned.
She looked up to him, amber eyes dulling in panic, then looked behind her with the same expression.
“Where are you going?” he questioned. “And why do you have a backpack?”
She pulled out the steak knife again, though wasn’t looking at him still… she was looking behind her.
Confusion rattled him, but he still backed away. “Raven? Are you alright?”
His eyes caught ahead of them, watching three shadows form from the darkness, rushing toward them with inhuman-like speed.
Raven scrambled onto her feet, grasping her knife and almost darted away, but Malachi caught her arm, reeling her toward him.
“Let me go!” she yelled, grabbing his wrist. “I have to go!”
“No, you don’t,” he said with a sudden dark tone. “You’re staying right here with me.”
She looked up at him, eyes darkening in panic. “What do you want?”
“Stay still,” he said. “And we won’t kill you, alright?”
She went cold.
Her breathing came short, and she stared wide-eyed into his gaze, on the verge of panicking.
“I knew it…” she whispered. “I knew you were faking.”
His eyes only darkened.
She looked down. “I hate you.”
The three men got closer when she slapped him hard across the face, snapping his head to the side. “I HATE YOU!”
She brought the steak knife down on his arm, piercing his wrist and he yelled out in pain, loosening his grip.
She broke free then, darting away from all of them.
The three men got closer.
Mal went after her, racing faster than a cheetah and caught her arm, pulling her against him again.
She scratched his face, but he didn’t let go.
He caught her other arm that held the blade, holding tightly onto her wrist as she writhed against him.
“Drop the knife, Raven,” he demanded. “Now.”
She stomped on his foot, hearing a grunt exhale from his throat but he spun her around, making her face forward while he held her hands behind her back.
“LET ME GO!” she screeched, slamming her head backwards, but he had enough time to move his face away, so she didn’t hit it.
“Calm down…” he whispered in a soft tone. “Raven, I’m not going to—”
“Stop it!” she cried, knowing it was going to say. “YOU BACK-STABBING ASSHOLE!”
He brought her harder against him, the three guys stopping in front of them now.
“Oh, Mal!” one of them said. “You got her! Need a gun? They want her dead.”
Raven struggled harder. “You lied to me AGAIN? I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU WEREN’T GOING TO KILL ME!”
“Shut up,” he hissed.
She threw her head down, seething.
He looked up then. “Yeah, do you mind giving me one? I left mine at home.”
Something cold consumed her, clamping her lungs.
“Here.” One of them handed him a gun.
Raven screamed then, fighting Malachi as hard as she could, but it only got her mouth covered by his hand.
“Will you stop?” he snapped. “This won’t work when you’re fighting me.”
REALLY?
Did he THINK she wanted to DIE?
All of the sudden—before she could feel the metal press to her skin—two fires went off, making her cry out and squeeze her eyes shut.
A couple seconds passed by, and she opened an eye when she felt no pain, seeing two of the men on the ground, blood staining the sidewalks red.
What?
The only guy left had his hands thrown up, and his breath was shuttering when he stared at Malachi.
When Raven looked up to Mal, he still had a hand wrapped around her mouth, the other pointing the gun threateningly at the assassin.
“Mal…” he said, “what—”
He let go of Raven then, letting her stand there like a statue… frozen in place with fear and confusion.
What about all he said? All those things he said when she fought him?
Was he using her then… or was he trying to save her?
Or… was he using her now?
He stepped up to the third guy, Raven watching in horror when Malachi grabbed him by the throat, raising him off the ground with inhuman-like strength while he gagged in his grip.
“She—e’s” the assassin choked, “an— assignment— why—”
“No,” Malachi said, “she’s mine, Derek. Let your bitch of a boss know that. Hurt her, and I’ll rip all of your throats out.” His black eyes narrowed. “Slowly.”
What?
She was “his?” What did he mean by that?
But he dropped the guy, watching him cough and gag.
And he scrambled off like a coward.
Malachi looked back at Raven then, watching her eyes widen in shock.
“I—” she said, shaking her head, “I’m not— y— yours!”
She broke off into a sprint, darting away from him.
Malachi exhaled a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Raven! Don’t make me chase you!”
He looked up and froze when he saw her fall over.
Raven hit the ground, unmoving as if she were dead.
Taken off guard, Malachi stared at her body on the ground, frozen in place.
When he finally woke from shock, he ran up to her and rolled her over until he saw her face. There was a big red bump on her forehead where their heads collided. Scrapes and bruises covered her skin from where she hit the sidewalk, red dripping down her bleached white skin.
It looked so peculiar. As if someone was painting a white canvas with blood.
He tried shaking her in a panic, tapping her face, but she wouldn’t wake.
Then it hit him.
Blood loss… or…
Oh, crap.
Sepsis…
He noticed her cheeks were reddened… and pressed the back of his hand to her forehead.
She was burning up.
He glanced around to make sure no one was watching…
He’d have to silence them if they were…
And he then gazed down at her.
Her eyes were closed, and she was breathing shallowly, like she was sleeping and in pain.
She might’ve been getting an infection…
Crap…
He couldn’t have her unconscious…
He stared at her sleeping face for a moment… trying to memorize it as if he’d never see her again…
But then he snapped out of his trance, and slowly, he lifted her, cradling her to his chest as her head dangled off his arm…
“I got you.” he whispered.
And carefully, he carried her away.
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*****
Slowly, Raven’s eyes opened. The lights outside blared through the windows, sending rays into the room, though she could clearly tell it was dark out.
Her skin no longer burned, nothing burned…
She sat up then, eyes darting around the unfamiliar space.
Where was she?
And who took her here?
And when did she fall asleep?
After a moment of looking around, her eyes landed on a shelf, noting that it had tons of bottles filled with different colored liquids.
They looked almost like potions in those weird witch movies…
She pulled the covers off herself, and dangled her feet off the twin bed, trying to ignore the overwhelming frost from the air.
Wondering if she could stand, she lightly placed her feet on the floor, putting full weight on them and stood.
After taking a couple careful steps, she padded over to the shelf, picking a bottle off it, and realized it had no label…
Odd…
Raising it to eye level, Raven tilted it so she could see what it did.
The liquid was thick but not so thick that it stuck together. She estimated about five seconds before the liquid reached the other side.
She lowered the bottle and looked at the other ones.
They were all different translucent colors… blue, purple, pink…
Still… none of them had labels…
She looked back at the bottle in her hands.
What was this?
“Is someone snooping?” a man said.
Raven jumped from his deep voice and almost dropped the glass.
When she turned around, she saw Malachi leaning against the doorway of this bedroom.
She didn’t even hear him open the door.
Also… did he kidnap her?
She gazed at the bottle again, deciding to ask first, “What’s this?” She held the glass out to him.
Malachi looked at her, then at the liquid with his dark eyes, standing back up and walking over to her.
She backed away a couple steps, knowing that if he got close enough it would’ve ended up badly…
He lightly took the bottle from her hands even though they were a couple feet apart and studied it.
Then he placed it back on the shelf and looked back down at her. “It’s a painkiller.”
“Is it like ibuprofen?” she asked.
“Kind of.” He chuckled.
She shook her head at his amusement, her hair sending spirals down her face.
Realizing that he was staring at her, she asked, “Why is it in potion bottle?”
“Because I decided to put it in one.”
She wouldn’t have been surprised if he did black magic in his spare time.
“Can I look at your wounds?” he asked then.
She glanced down at her arms, finding gauze taped to them. She didn’t even realize they were there.
When he stepped closer, she took a step back.
He noticed her staring at him cautiously, and he smiled slightly. “I won’t hurt you, Ray. I saved you, remember?”
She blinked. “You acted as if you were going to kill me.”
“I was trying to tell you not to freak out, but you kept on screaming.”
“Really?” she said sarcastically. “Because fearing that I was going to be murdered wasn’t rational.”
“I told you in the house that I wasn’t going to hurt you, Raven. You’re the dangerous one. Pulling a knife on me. So, am I the psychopath or are you?”
She dropped her head, clenching her fists. “You’re incredibly irritating.”
He smiled. “I know.”
“It was self-defense,” she stated.
“I didn’t threaten you, you know,” he stated. “So why are you so afraid of me?”
“Because you give me bad vibes.”
“Care to explain?”
“Yes,” she said, looking to him now with a glare, “you scream insanity.”
“Everyone’s insane in their own way, you know,” he said, shrugging.
“Right,” she said sarcastically. “When did you take me?”
“A couple hours ago,” he answered.
She looked around the room for a clock. “What time is it?”
“It’s almost ten,” he responded. “Can I look at your wounds or not?”
“I want to go home.”
“Then why did you run away?” he questioned.
“Because.”
“Because why?”
She shook her head. “I don’t have to give you answers, Mal.”
“I’m just curious.” He shrugged, then looked back to her. “Are you not going to show me your wounds?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Leave me alone, Malachi.”
“Alright, fine.” And he started to the door. When he made it, he stopped and looked over to her. “Try to escape, there’ll be consequences.”
Her body grew cold when he closed the door behind him, his footsteps disappearing down the hall.
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