When Raven opened her eyes, she stared off into the distance, watching the clouds drift above the light blue sky…
She was lying on something soft… and she could tell by the little grains pressing to her skin, that she was lying on piles of warm sand.
And distantly, she could hear crashing of waves…
“Raven,” a soft voice murmured.
She turned her head to the side, seeing a dark silhouette form in front of the afternoon sun.
“You awake?” they said.
It was a man… someone that sounded oddly familiar.
She nodded, staring at him curiously.
He kneeled by her side, a smile spreading across his concealed face. “Don’t scream, alright?”
What?
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*****
Raven’s eyes shot open.
Panting, she looked around the dark room, glancing at every shelf, book, and potion.
It was still Malachi’s mansion…
Did she fall asleep again?
All of the sudden, a low, glowing light caught her eye, and she turned to find someone holding a glass lamp with a dimly lit candle burning within, making the room glow slightly.
One look at the shadowed figure, Raven’s heart dropped down to her feet, and she started scooting back toward the headboard.
The figure reached out to her suddenly, but she flinched back.
It was the demon... The shadow of her nightmares was real, hovering over her like her awaiting death.
Raven scrambled the nightstand for some type of defense method. Something sharp, like a letter opener or a knife or something.
Maybe something heavy... if she could somehow gather enough force to smash it over its head.
The figure lightly placed their hand on her wrist, and she almost screamed... but she felt their body heat sink into her skin...
Demons couldn’t sooth people with warmth... could they...?
The lamp moved like it was floating on its own, and it was lightly set on the table, barely making any sound.
Raven stared at the lamp for a moment before looking up to the figure.
Studying him, she recognized his golden hair and black eyes in an instant.
Malachi.
“Wha—” she gasped, scooting further back without meaning to, “wha— what— what—”
Malachi lightly rubbed her inner wrist with his thumb. “It’s okay. I’m not here to hurt you, Princess. I’m not a demon, alright?”
How did he know she was thinking that...?
“How...?” Raven spoke in broken sentences, but he seemed to understand. Which was really odd. No one could understand her when she was freaking out like this.
“I heard you screaming from my room. I came to check on you. Are you okay?”
All she did was blink.
Was she that loud when she had nightmares?
Also… was she having a nightmare?
“Did you have a bad dream?” Malachi asked.
Why did he sound so concerned?
He never spoke like this… it was really odd…
After nodding, she glanced around the room again to make sure this wasn’t another dream, tricking her into thinking she was safe, and then the moment she thought it, the whole world would shatter. And she would be alone, screaming for help.
“It’s okay,” Malachi assured her. “Don’t be afraid.”
“What... makes you... say that...?” Raven stuttered.
He tilted his head to the side curiously. “I can tell you’re terrified. You’re shaking very slightly, but I can still see it.”
She blinked, breath straining.
“Are you going to lie and deny it?” he wondered.
She looked down, trying to avoid his hot gaze. “You’re grating.”
“Walking in here and asking if you’re okay is grating,” Malachi confirmed with a fox smile.
She nodded.
“Can you ever just ease up?” he said then.
“Not when I’m being held captive by a deceiving jerk.”
“Deceiving?” he echoed.
“You told me you weren’t going to hurt me,” she stated. “And you made me trust you by patching up my wound, then proceeded to catch my arm and use me as a human shield when three guys were about to kill me. Oh, yeah,” she said angrily, “and apparently, you’re supposed to be killing me, too. So, what are you waiting for?”
His smile tilted enough to make her cheeks burn. “I’m not waiting, Princess.”
She went cold.
“Because I’m not going to hurt you,” he finished, “alright?”
She shook her head, sighing through her nose.
“Hey,” he said, leaning a little toward her but she didn’t move away like they both were expecting, “have I hurt you? At all? A scrape? Bruise?”
She shook her head but rubbed her wrist as an instinct.
He knew the gesture… he didn’t hurt her when he grabbed her earlier… when he was trying to prevent her from running off…
But he could tell he scared her.
Deeply.
Raven looked down at the bed when neither of them spoke, noticing that the sheets were in tangles around her.
“Who are you?” she finally spoke, grasping the sheets with a couple fingers.
“You don’t have to be afraid of me,” he assured her. “I’m not going to hurt you, Raven.”
“I don’t know how to trust your word. Can you prove that?”
He smirked. “You’ll learn.”
She gave him a concerned look. “That’s… not really assuring.”
He glanced at his golden watch then, the light metal matching the brightness of his hair. “It is almost midnight, Ray. Go back to bed, alright?”
Raven glanced out the window to see the light behind the trees engulfed in darkness.
“I don’t want to sleep again,” she answered, looking back to him with her darkened amber eyes.
“You know you’re safe here,” he said. “I promise.”
She shook her head, narrowing her eyes. “I don’t believe you.”
His tone was soft and kind, but she couldn’t see his expression in the darkness.
He tipped his head to the side. “Why not?”
“You scare me.”
“I scare you?” he responded, smiling. “How so?”
“You know how to get in my head,” she answered. “And I don’t like it.”
He chuckled at her honesty. “No one knows you like I do, huh?”
She gave him another concerned look. “I don’t like the way you worded that. Just so you know, I find you insufferable, not attracting.”
“Hmm,” he said watching her cheeks redden, but she looked out the window to hide it. “We’ll see.”
“I hate you…” she said quietly. “I know you’re planning something big. You’re probably a serial killer.”
He laughed under his breath. “What makes you say that?”
Her stomach surged when he didn’t deny it. “You’re charming… attractin—” she caught herself, cheeks glowing, then said, “blond hair… you have blonde hair.”
“Yes, I do. How does that make me a psychopath?”
“Some serial killers focus on their looks to make them seem attracting…” she said then. “To lure their victims… They also keep on switching personalities… and they’re very good at deception.”
“Ahh…” he answered. “And how do you know this, Raven?”
She looked to the bed. “I saw it on TV.”
He laughed then, making her pull her legs to her chest.
But when he stared back down at her, and he whispered, “I know I seem scary, okay? But I promise I’m just a big teddy bear.”
“I doubt that.”
“Why?” he wondered curiously.
“Deception,” she stated. “You killed those two guys who were after me by easily deceiving them.”
“I was trying to save you, Raven.”
“I know…” she said. “But I still can’t tell if you’re deceiving me right now.”
“I’m confusing, huh?” he said, smiling.
She nodded, straight faced.
But suddenly she felt his fingers circle around her wrist, and she almost pulled away, but he held on tighter.
“What are you doing?” she questioned defensively.
“How long has it been since you’ve ate?” Malachi wondered.
“Why?” she asked suspiciously.
He gave her a half-annoyed, half-amused look. “Answer the question, Angel.”
Angel?
But she still responded, “I ate yesterday.”
He raised his brows at her vague answer. “What did you eat?”
“Umm...” she hesitated. “A full course meal?”
“Be honest, Raven,” he said, shaking his head. “You’re clearly lying.”
She gave him an annoyed look. “An apple.…”
“Anything else?”
She shook her head.
“The day before?”
Raven shook her head again.
Malachi let out a long sigh. “I can tell you don’t eat,” he said, raising her wrist to her sight. “See? My fingers touch when I wrap it all the way around.” He glanced up at her face then. “You don’t sleep either, Ray. And you look pale. How long has it been since you have been outside?”
“I’ve been avoiding going outside,” she responded. “I get attacked every time I do.”
“During the day?” he questioned.
She shook her head.
He smiled. “How long has it been since you were exposed to sunlight?”
“I walked home yesterday,” she said.
“Before then?”
“I’ve been in the hospital for a couple weeks.”
“Before then?”
“Can you stop asking me these questions?” she said then. “I don’t see your point here.”
“You look unhealthy,” he said.
She looked down to her abdomen, then back at him. “I’m skinny, you ass.”
“That’s not what I meant,” he said, brows raised. “I meant the opposite. You’re too skinny and pale. And with how much blood you lost yesterday, and how your wound reopened, and you didn’t tell me, you need to feed yourself, alright?”
“Why are you being so nice to me?” she asked suspiciously. “And how did you know it reopened? Did you look under my shirt while I was sleeping?”
“I needed to make sure you were okay,” he answered. “And no,” he said at her glare, “I didn’t look at any of those parts, alight? I just fixed that wound on your side and the ones on your arms, and,” he added, “I took off your shoes, too. So, you were comfier.”
“Umm...” was all she managed to say.
How would she respond to that? But she didn’t have to.
“Now, would you like to tell me how you got hurt, Raven?” Malachi wondered. “Maybe why those guys were chasing you?”
A blink. “I... I don’t know...” she said honestly, shocking him with her calm tone. “I heard footsteps behind me, and when I looked, I don’t really know… I could just tell that they weren’t good people… so I ran… and I was right when they chased me.”
“But you still don’t know who stabbed you?” he questioned.
“He didn’t stab me…” she answered. “Just cut. And I could tell it was a guy. I couldn’t see his face, but I could tell he had light hair…” she looked to him from the side, “like yours.”
“Ray,” Malachi said, “it wasn’t me, okay?”
She looked down to the bed as a response.
“Anyway,” he said, “if you weren’t stabbed, then….”
“Glass,” she answered before he could finish. “The man sliced me with glass.”
Mal touched her side lightly, but she didn’t pull away even though her entire body was screaming at her to. “He sliced you pretty deep, huh?”
She was watching him carefully but nodded.
He examined her gaze for a minute, as if he were reading her eyes for an emotion, but she couldn’t tell what type of emotion he was looking for.
When his gaze went back to its normal dark color, he smiled again, but this fox smile was somehow… softer… “I want you to eat, drink some tea, and get back to bed, alright?”
She nodded without thinking, wondering what was going through his head.
Malachi stared at her in confusion for a bit.
“Umm... what’s wrong...?” Raven wondered.
“How long has it been since you had a full meal, went outside, slept, and enjoyed yourself?” Malachi questioned.
“A couple weeks…” she answered.
Raven heard his breath catch. And there was a moment of silence until he said in a demanding voice:
“What?”
“I said ‘a couple weeks,’” she said sharply, but avoided looking at his expression.
“And...” he breathed out sharply, “you were doing... what for the past month?”
“I’ve been feeling sick for a while, okay?” she said. “Can we just drop it?”
He eyed her for a moment, clearly looking for signs of something. But it seemed as if he found none. There was a spark in his dark gaze, though. Something light... like fire... It was too hard to read... And he looked away too fast.
“Alright, Raven Magicae.” He looked over at her and smiled, the same glimmer of light in his eye. “Let’s get you a meal, shall we?”
He got off the bed and walked over to the medicine cabinet.
While Malachi poured her a cup of pain killers, Raven took this time to process what was happening.
Why did he suddenly care?
What was his game plan?
Why was he doing all this if he was just going to kill her?
In all the crime shows she watched; the serial killer always had fun torturing his victims after deceiving them. He mainly deceived them to lure them somewhere… tortured them… then murdered them…
But Mal lured her here… and she was already in his grasp…
What was he waiting for? What was his game plan? Was he still playing the game or was he not playing one this whole time?
He was confusing…
Raven’s thoughts broke off the moment Malachi stood in front of her. Kneeling down to her level, she stared into his gaze that was now level with hers.
A misty black. Like a grey fog in a dark oblivion.
He smiled softly, but the black in his eyes didn’t dissipate.
“Raven,” he said, his voice pleading, “can you take this, please?”
She looked down to see him holding out a small paper cup filled halfway with a white liquid.
“What… is that?” Raven questioned.
Malachi’s smile tilted. “It’s painkillers. Can you take it?”
She stared down at the cup for a moment, studying it. “I don’t trust you that much yet.”
“Ray,” he said, annoyance catching in his tone, “do you want to wake up with stabbing pains in the morning?”
Yes.
He shook his head when she didn’t answer.
“Will it make me sleepy?” she questioned. “Or... will it give me a stomach-ache?”
“No.” Malachi shook his head. “No, it won’t.”
After hovering her hand over the cup for a moment, hesitating, she realized her hands were shaking. Very noticable tremors.
“Why are you giving me this...?” she questioned then, pulling her hand away. “How do I know you’re not secretly drugging me?”
She knew he was watching her panic as the tremors spread across her body, even though she tried to hide the fear in her eyes.
Could she trust him? Could she trust Malachi?
He gave her every reason not to…
But he gave her every reason… to trust him…
“Raven,” he spoke, attempting to get her attention.
Lightly, he placed his hand on hers, the warmth sinking into her skin... and it calmed her for some ungodly reason.
She pulled her hand out of his grasp, cheeks burning.
“Take it,” he pleaded, holding it out to her.
“I...” she shook her head quickly, “I don’t trust it....”
Why was she being so honest? She could’ve said, “Take it yourself because I’m going to slap you so hard in about two minutes.”
But she was surprised by his reaction.
He dipped his index finger in the clear liquid, coating the tan skin in a shining goo, and he held her gaze as he put his finger in his mouth.
Clearly, he was trying to show her that it was safe. That he just consumed the medicine and he remained unharmed.
But...
Something about how he did it made something inside her burn... A bright fire that consumed all anxiety.
“See? I’m okay.” He rubbed his finger on his black pants. “You can trust me.”
Raven didn’t respond.
And he stared at her for a moment, examining her eyes for something, and she just stared back, falling into the mist of his gaze.
But something weird happened...
She felt a pain grow inside her… like her bones were melting into goo, and she fell forward like she were a ragdoll.
Malachi caught her, letting her lean on his arm.
Raven felt so... weak... like all her muscles vanished and her bones were jelly.
Not just jelly... they burned... like they baked in an oven and now were melting into a puddle.
What’s happening to me? Raven thought.
And why wasn’t she thinking about how Malachi was holding her right now? Should that be the least of her worries or the most of her worries?
She didn’t protest when Malachi pressed the rim of the cup to her lips, his gaze pleading and begging for her to let him help.
She mustered enough strength to part her lips and teeth, feeling the thick liquid pour into her mouth as Malachi tilted the cup.
The taste was horrible... like cherries mixed with tar... Raven would of gagged, but the pain of her bones burning—degrading into ash—were much too potent.
“Swallow,” Malachi said.
Once again, she gathered all the energy left in her body, and she swallowed down the bitter liquid.
All the sudden, Malachi lifted her, holding under her knees and back with his arms.
Raven’s vision tilted, blurring all sentences she’d speak as she tried to regain all her thoughts again.
Did he drug her? What was happening?
She couldn’t think straight. Every lamp looked like flashing lights. Every curtain, bed, and rug, a blob. All she could relatively focus her attention on was Malachi’s warmth that emanated from his body into hers. How he held her so strongly when she knew she was deadweight.
Raven half expected him to put her back to bed, but he just walked out of the room, her head dangling off his arm as he held her to him like he was afraid to let go.
Why would he be afraid? Was she just hallucinating all of this? Because that would definitely make sense.
“I’m going to get you some orange juice.” Malachi’s voice came from a distance, distorted. “I have some left over salmon, as well. We need to get some Vitamin D in your system, Raven. You’re collapsing.”
What did he mean by that? Collapse?
What was happening to her?
Raven couldn’t respond for the life of her. She just wanted to close her eyes... rest... sleep again...
As if he read her mind, he said, “Don’t close your eyes, Princess, alright? I need you to stay awake for a little longer.”
Why did he keep on calling her “princess?” When did this nickname stick to her, and why did he choose it?
She was far from royalty.
Far from average.
Raven’s vision kept on fading from his mansion to black, then to his mansion again.
The next thing she knew, she was in Malachi’s lap as he sat on a floor of some kind.
Maybe it was hardwood? She couldn’t make out the texture, but the color looked like wood.
“Set me…” she muttered, “beside you.”
“You won’t be able to sit up on your own,” he answered. “I guarantee it.”
He then opened a fridge door that settled next to them, pulling out a bottle of orange liquid and a packet of something pink.
Raven heard him tear open the bag in a hurry, twisting open the cap as fast as he could.
And she felt his arm under her back, gently pushing her up to a sitting position, and he held his arm under her shoulderblades to keep her from falling.
She watched him hold up a piece of something pink, though she couldn’t tell what it was.
“This is smoked salmon,” he explained, clearly noticing her confused expression. “I need you to chew and swallow, okay?”
Malachi didn’t wait for a response, he just slid the bit of Salmon in Raven’s mouth.
She let out a choked gag even though he was being gentle, spitting it out despite the delicious salt hitting her tongue.
“Raven,” he warned. “I can get meaner. Eat it, okay?”
She was silent.
“Do you want me to feed it to you like a bird?” he questioned sharply.
She shook her head.
“Raven, eat the fricking salmon.”
She only looked up to him with a pained expression.
He shook his head in defeat. “Look… do you want me to eat it and show you I’m not feeding you poison?”
A nod.
He sighed. “Alright.”
And he took a bit of pink out of the bag, biting down on the salty goodness and chewed, swallowing seconds later.
“Ready?” he said, lifting another pink blob.
She stared at it cautiously for a moment. “Malachi… did you drug me?”
“No,” he answered.
“What’s happening?”
“Just eat, okay?” He pushed the salmon against her lips.
After a moment of hesitation, she parted her lips, letting him slide in a bit of salmon.
Somehow—and at some point in time—she managed enough strength to start chewing…
And the taste of all the spices—the taste of FOOD—made something ignite inside her and she wanted so much more... but she still couldn’t move on her own.
“More...” was all she could say. “Please... more....”
“You want more?” Malachi wondered playfully. “Is that what you’re saying?”
She nodded slightly.
“I don’t know…” he teased. “You were fighting back so much earlier.”
She gave him an annoyed look, but then gazed down at the floor seconds later.
“I’m joking,” he uttered. “Eat as much as you want, Princess.” His tone sounded almost… gentle. “I have three packets of this. I can feed you all of it. How does that sound?”
Another small nod.
“Alright, but,” he added, “you have to drink some orange juice as well, deal?”
She nodded again, the hunger that burned through her stomach scorching through all her resistance…
He pressed the rim of the juice bottle to her mouth, letting her swallow slowly as he titled the liquid down her throat.
Raven couldn’t tell how long this went on for... drinking orange juice and eating salmon for the first time in what felt like centuries.
But she started fading when her stomach was getting full, and it was as if Malachi sensed this.
The rest came in bits and pieces as she tried to stay awake, but her brain started dissolving and her eyes wanted to shut constantly.
After the world faded to black for a couple seconds, she opened her eyes as a light feeling consumed her.
She noticed Malachi carry her up a grand staircase, then the black consumed her again…
When she opened her eyes again… he walked down a hallway.
Darkness…
And she saw him enter a room of some sort, though it wasn’t the old one she was in, it had a giant bed with silk sheets that brushed her arms when he laid her down onto it.
Briefly, she felt him pull the covers over her, and she faded in and out one last time, catching a glimpse of him walking over to a light switch, dimming them.
Why was he so kind to her suddenly? Did he drug her and was waiting for her to fall asleep? And when she woke, she’d be in a dungeon?
“It’s alright,” he whispered when her eyes started closing. “I won’t hurt you, Raven. I promise, alight?’
And the last thing she saw was him settling down onto a leather armchair, pulling a book onto his lap and started reading.
Raven couldn’t resist the fatigue anymore… the darkness was weighing at her mind… screaming at her to shut her lashes and drift away into her dreams…
Also… was he reading… Shakespeare?
She never thought a boy like him could read…
But she couldn’t resist the urge anymore, so she closed her eyes, head falling to the side and faded into darkness.
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