LAST CHAPTER UNTIL NEXT WEEK!
Malich spent a full turn with Arya, under her…on top of her…behind her. He couldn’t get enough of her, but mostly he wanted to know why she needed the Nymph. She kept her reasons to herself but he suspects they have to do with Alara. He granted her request anyway.
Over the years he’s watched them both…Arya up close and Alara from a distance, until she dropped off the face of the planes a few cycles back. He knew she wouldn’t stay gone long though, she never did.
She always came back to watch Arya, drawn to the power in her blood. Drawn to their bond. At first he wouldn’t interfere. He allowed Alara to get close to Arya on several occasions, simply to see what would happen. Nothing ever did, until…until Alara resurfaced after disappearing for over a cycle carrying darkness with her. He watched her get close to Arya as she’d often done, appearing in the shadows of her room when she thought no one was watching. Her curiosity got the better of her and one night she stepped out of the shadows.
She crept to Arya’s bedside and reached out to touch her. The shadows around her reacted violently and sliced into Arya’s arm, causing her to bleed. Alara crept back to the shadows, as shocked by her shadows’ reaction to Arya as he was. From that moment on, he knew he needed to protect Arya from her sister.
“Is everything alright?” Mekhi asks.
“Arya has moved Alara onto the ground level awayfrom the hushstone.”
Mekhi blanches. “Perhaps its time to tell her Majesty all that we know.”
“Soon, but not now. There’s still too much I do not know,” Malich sighs. “Have our informant within the Seelie Court double their efforts. If she should move against Arya I want her taken down, immediately.”
Mekhi leaves to do as he’s told while Malich readies himself to join his brothers at the capital. It appears he’s been summoned. They probably found out about his night with Princess Grayson, whose been telling everyone willing to listen Malich is a horrible person for what he’s done. In truth, she hadn’t stopped sending him letters requesting they spend more time together and his lack of response incensed her. A fact he wouldn’t deny.
His brother’s know how he operates all too well. He’s always been able to charm the undergarments off of even the noblest of women. It’s partly how he was able to survive all the years he spent exiled. When coin became sparse it was usually he who worked his way into the houses and beds of neglected noble women with extra coin to spare.
Mekhi returns with Dax and Malich’s protective detail. They board a passenger car and head for the capital. As expected, princess Grayson sits at the table, half glaring, half questioning him without words…a wounded girl and nothing more. Malich takes the seat across from her, holding her gaze.
Before Kahlem can officiate the meeting, Princess Grayson shoots up from her seat, half lunging across the table to scold Malich. “How dare you treat me like some common whore! I am the Princess off the Winter Court!” She shouts at him, tossing a full glass of water in his face.
Malich blinks, and pulls out his kerchief to wipe his face. His brothers turn bright red trying to hold back their laughter while the Princess lays into him.
“You look lovely Princess Grayson, how have you been?” Malich gives her his best smile.
The Princess flusters before picking up a knife and quickly crawling across the table ready to stab him. He catches her by the wrist, spins her around and pulls her onto his lap.
Again she flusters. Being so close to him unsettles her and he watches all of the fight leave her, replaced by want and desire. As angry as she is, she’s yet another girl who can’t resist his charms.
“Why didn’t you respond to my letters?”
“I was busy,” he replies, lifting her off his lap and onto her feet.
“With who? The girl that tried to kill me?”
Malich smirks. They’ve only spent one night together and already she feels she has some sort of claim over him. “Someone from my past,” he answers. It’s a half-truth, but a truth nonetheless. The Princess takes the seat beside him, pouting like a child.
Now that the Princess is calm, Malich turns his attention to his brothers. “Why am I here?”
“Well brother, you made a choice,” Kahlem nods to the Princess.
“I didn’t make a choice, we slept together.”
“Inviting the Princess to share your bed is a choice, and I intend to make sure her virtue doesn’t go to waste. I trust you found her performance satisfactory.”
Malich frowns. He has no intentions on seeing the Princess beyond the night they shared. He’s sure he made that very clear to her. “I’m not entirely sure I understand your meaning.”
“Your betrothal to Princess Grayson will proceed as planned,” Kahlem tells him. It’s a command, not a question.
Malich sees Lumi shift nervously out of the corner of his eye. She knows as well as he does what a marriage to the princess would mean and he has no intentions of going through with it. “Arya and I-”
Kahlem waved him off. “End it. The Princess can’t afford the scandal losing her virtue to you would bring.” Malich tilts his head, eyeing his brother incredulously. Since when did he care about any princesses’ virtue? This isn’t about the princess; it’s about whatever agenda he has. He needs Malich to marry the Princess in order for it to work.
“I won’t end my relationship with the Queen and I won’t be wedding the Princess. If you’re that worried about her virtue, I’ll find her a better suitor or you can marry her yourself.”
Malich rose from his seat, ready to leave, when Kahlem stops him. Leaning in to whisper into his ear Kahlem says, “If you hold your end of the bargain, I’ll bring you to our father.” Malich’s eyes grow wide as he meets his brother’s gaze. For him to offer to take Malich to their father, Kahlem has to be either desperate or he’s bluffing.
“If this is another of your games-”
“It isn’t. See your betrothal to Princess Grayson through and I promise to take you to him.”
Malich looks to Lumi, weighing his options. Marrying the Princess would place another kingdom in his hands, one that he can use to take over the Summer Court if his brother doesn’t hold up his end of the bargain.
The downside to all of this is he’ll have to break Arya’s heart. She chose him and now it’s his turn to choose her, but can he? This decision weighs heavily on him. He asked her to choose and she did. To end their relationship…to marry someone else...
This is going to break her, there’s little doubt, and the trust between them will be severed completely. Still, he doesn’t know if he can walk away from his father either. He has no idea if his father is suffering…alive…or dead.
“I need time to-”
“You’ve had more than enough time,” Kahlem grits his teeth at him. “I need an answer now or I’m taking the offer off of the table.”
Malich looks to Lumi who shakes her head in warning. She knows Arya as well as he does. If he betrays Arya there’s no telling how she might react or if anyone will be able to reach her afterwards. But what choice does he have?He could either abandon his father or his beloved. Malich’s back is against a wall. If he chooses Arya and something happens to his father, he’ll resent her for it. But if he chooses his father, he can always try and make things right with her.
Sighing heavily, Malich seals his fate with four words, “You have my word.”
Kahlem smiles a serpent’s smile. “Wonderful. I’ve already started making the arrangements and sending out the invitations.”
Swallowing hard Malich asks, “When?”
“Three turns from today. That should give you enough time to get your affairsin order. And do not breathe a word of our little arrangement to anyone. That includes the Seelie Queen.”
Malich inclines his head to his brother and leaves before he strangles him with his bare hands. He doesn’t bother meeting Lumi’s gaze because he knows what he’ll find there.
The moment they reach the passenger car Lumi invites herself inside, squeezing into the seat next to Dax. “You can’t hurt her like this.”
“And I have no plans to Lumi,” Malich sighs.
“You just agreed to marry that Princess in exchange for God knows what,” Lumi glares at him.
“I agreed to marry the Princess because I had no choice. I don’t intend on keeping that promise.”
“But-”
“Do not question me Lumi. You’re in my employ, you’re not my equal,” Malich cuts her off.
Lumi huffs and exits the passenger car to join the other alumni guarding him. His eyes slide to Dax who has an equally worried look on his face. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Inhaling deeply and blowing the air out slowly he replies, “So do I.”
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