Page 15 of Fated In Ruin

Malachi lifted a brow. “Yes, exactly. Caine found his skill invaluable, but eventually Ravok became…unreliable. He became obsessed, chasing down inconsequential events that had no meaning, except, perhaps to him. Caine stopped relying on his visions, and eventually cast him out of the Thirteen.”

“And then you killed him, once he no longer had their protection,” I guessed, as Malachi’s fingers absently traced over the top of my hand. I should pull away, I really should, but…his touch kept me grounded right now and since my anxiety was spiraling, he actually made me feel…better.

“And then Ialmostkilled him, when he lost Caine’s trust and became a liability,” Malachi corrected, his eyes darkening when they landed on my face. “Thankfully, I came to my senses and locked him in a box, instead.”

“Why not just kill him?” I said aloud, studying the emotions churning behind that carefully blank mask. “It’s so unlike you to leave anything but bodies in your wake, so there must be a good reason.”

“There is, but that’s not relevant at this time,” he muttered stiffly, his grip on my hand tightening, a shiver shooting up through my arm as the air around us soured with regret.Secrets and lies, would they never stop?

“What does he want, besides your head on a pike?” A smile curled my lips. “Becausethat’san agenda I could get behind.”

“That’s the real question, isn’t it?” He mused, completely ignoring my jab. “All those seemingly meaningless events…they mattered to Ravok. A trail of clues that would be helpful, if I could only decipher them. Butsomethingdrove him to escape with your sire and uncle.”

“He was drinking my uncle dry the last I saw him.” I shivered at that unrestrained savagery. Malachi ran his hand lightly down my arm, and the warm, velvety brush of his fingers felt…nice. “That was a lot of blood. How much would he need to fully recover?”

“More than is contained in one human.”

“Well, that’s good.” I huffed out a nervous laugh that was half-horror. “Plus, Uncle Alistair probably tasted like shit, so I guess there’s an upside.”

“Your sire and uncles are already dead, or his thralls,” he cautioned. “Aria, too, though with her magic, she might resist him for a day or two. Once he’s fed and his body has had time to regenerate, none of us can stand against him. My guess is, when he can’t find me…his next stop will be Crimson House. Unless we reach him first.”

“Why would he come after the clan?” I asked, trying to ignore the fact I was now pressed against Malachi from hip to knee, that his thumb was tracing slow, sensual circles on my palm, that every single part of me was hyper focused on all the places we were touching.

“You, I get, but the rest of us? We never did anything to him.”

Malachi’s gaze slid away, his scowl deepening. “There’s a lot you don’t know, Vicious…Ravok has his reasons for coming after you. And his first stop will be Crimson House.”

“Oooh,spooky,” I mocked, even though my skin prickled, my heart raced, so far pastscared, this was not even funny.

How the fuck had all of this been going on under our noses?And Ravok…I swallowed, thinking of my sweet, innocent sister. Ravok was a real threat and I didn’t, for one second, fool myself into believing Malachi was telling me even half of what was really going on.

“Then I have to warn Riordan and Blake.” Helplessness butchered my insides, turning them to jelly. Nothing mattered more than telling them of the danger. Not my revenge, not even the fact this could very well be my fault, I had to talk to Blake.Now.

“Not telling them about Ravok is a death sentence and if you don’t let me get word to them, you’ll never pry my magic out of my cold dead fucking hands.”

“How exactly do you intend to warn them, Vicious?”

I wrestled with a lie, then decided fuck it. “My phone, of course. You should have searched me, Malachi, but hey, rookie mistake.” His expression changed, ratcheting down until there wasn’t a shred of emotion left.

“You sneaky little thing.” His lips lifted slightly, showing his fangs.

“No calls until I get what I want.” His tone turned colder than steel and he tugged me closer, until we breathed the same air, our lips an inch apart. “We need each other, Vicious. You have one chance to protect everything you love, but for this to work, I have to trust you, and I can’t after last night.”

“You totally deserved last night’s ass kicking.” God, his scent was like a drug, wrapping seductive fingers around me, urging me to lean in, to taste those soft lips that were so close.

Enemies.I reminded myself sternly.

We’re mortal enemies and you are losing your ever-loving mind, Evie.

“Maybe so, but I can’t keep looking over my shoulder, fighting Ravok and teaching you to control your magic, all at the same time. I need your word, Evangeline, that you won’t attempt to kill me until Ravok is dead.”

“My…word?” This fucker’s arrogance was astounding and I pulled against of his grasp, but he held firm, and the more I struggled against his firm grip, the hotter that ball of fire in my belly burned.Yeah, there was definitely something wrong with me.

“You’ve lied to me at every turn,” I spat. “You can fuck right off.”

His fingers dug into my skin, I could barely breathe, he made a dark, growly sound deep in his throat. “Have you not been listening to me?” Malachi ground his teeth together, his eyes narrowing as he glanced down, to where the pale globes of my breasts were mounded up against his hard chest. His next words came out thicker, “I am asking you to stop the greatest threat our kind has ever faced, and you’re going to dig your heels in over misunderstandings.”

“Oh, okay, plotting death and destruction is nothing more than a misunderstanding?” My entire body was on fire, something molten pouring through me, starting where his strong hands were banded around my wrists. “Well misunderstand this, asshole.”

---