“I’m warning you, I’m already in a bad mood,” I muttered at it, before I reached for the glowing thread again.
One moment there was nothing, and the next,hewas standing right in front of me, his hand grabbing mine tightly.
Malakai.
His grip closed firmly, claiming me without hesitation. He lifted my knuckles, brushing his lips against them, but his scarlet eyes never left mine, burning underneath his silvery-white hair, with that unshakable intensity that kept undoing me.
“Caught you,kitten,” he said, low and velvet smooth, the ghost of a smirk tugging at his mouth. “Or maybe you wanted to be caught.”
Heat flared on my cheeks, no matter how much I tried resisting it. I hadn’t seen him forweeks, not since he killed the leaders of the Ashen Corps and Aetherions and then almost died himself to a quartz bullet. It was all part of his grand plan to force the two organizations to unite and focus on the demon threat to the south.
I had steeled myself for this moment, imagined it in my mind a dozen times, and then a dozen more. It wasn’t fine,Iwasn’t fine… Maybe it was stupid, but I wanted him to have trusted me enough to have told me before it happened, to have spared me the moment of doubt and hurt of thinking his feelings hadn’t been real.
But seeing him now…
I faltered, instantly.
“You’re late,” I told him, though my voice came out lower than intended.
“I’m exactly on time,” he countered smoothly. A gentle tug drew me a step closer and I stumbled as I tried resisting it. “You reached out for my magic, I don’t miss when you call for me, sweetie.”
Behind us, the group stirred.
“I can’t believe you haven’t crashed the campsite yet,” Ashley huffed amused. “Or have you been meeting in secret outside?”
“No,” I snapped.
Lionel shifted uneasily, jaw tight, though he said nothing and Eve’s eyes flicked between him and Malakai, sharp and calculating. Nate muttered something about dramatic entrances under his breath, meanwhile Jaden watched Malakai with guarded suspicion, his posture rigid, and hands hovering in the air, ready to call for his abilities if needed.
Malakai didn’t spare any of them a glance. In this moment, they were background noise, his focus was only me.
“Maybe one day,” I continued, tilting my head up at him, “I won’t be here to reach for your magic.”
His smile deepened, dark and unyielding, and his thumb brushed lazily over my knuckles.
“You will,” he said, his voice a promise wrapped in steel. “Because you’remineto catch.”
The words lingered, sinking deep into my chest, heavy with certainty.
I hated how much I didn’t hate it.
“He’s a demon, right?” Jaden clenched his teeth, clearly not open to all this. “Sorry, but why haven’t we killed him yet?”
Perhaps Amestele hadn’t warned him, or maybe she simply hadn’t thought Malakai would meet up with us so soon.
“Don’t worry,” I cut him off, while my free hand pulled out a piece of rope from one of my satchels.
“He’s on probation.” I forced Malakai’s hands together and began tying the rope around his wrists.
Malakai cocked a curious brow at me.
“If this is how you show discipline…” he whispered. “I’m starting to think I should get in trouble more often.”
I tightened the rope as hard as I could before securing the final knot, giving him a glare. “Don’t.”
“Not to criticize your plan or anything, but he’ll break that within a second, why even bother?” Nate asked confused.
“Because he won’t,” I said firmly, locking eyes with Malakai. “Not unless he wants to piss me off even more, that is.”
