Greys III - Revelations

Chapter 19 - Something Rotten

It only took a moment before Ailech reacted, before Malachi's eyes widened and he leaped away from me like I had burned him. He stumbled back and fell to the forest floor again as his strength fled him.

He bared his teeth like an animal and then gritted them, trying to stay quiet, unlike the first time when Ailech's ability had taken him by surprise. Something about seeing him like that, bearing it, refusing to give in even when he knew he had lost, when he thought he was fighting capture, especially now when I couldn't help but see the parallels to my Pair - it made my chest constrict. I knew what it felt like to be caught, trapped, I knew the panic he was surely feeling.

Despite his silence, and staying more composed than the last time, his curved eyes were wide with fear as he glared up at my healer. And somehow that hurt somewhere in my chest too. Something in me, probably the part that connected him with James, wanted to run to him, to cover him. My instincts or Shift or something else entirely was pulling to protect him, demanding it. He had been through enough abuse and I didn't want to heap any more hurts onto him.

"Stop!" My voice rang out and to Ailech's credit, he obeyed.

Malachi sagged, catching himself on all fours and gasping in panted breathes before his eyes rose to mine, unshifted for the first time. Pure hatred glared up at me, so dark it stirred a spark of fear. His look was a promise, one of wrath and revenge, and something else - deep set resentment. But even more than the dark emotions in his stare, his eyes' color held my rapt attention, ensnaring me. They were yellow-gold and near glowing like a cat, amber like a wolf, as unnatural a hue as his white hair. And with the slant of their curved shape, they looked about as far from Human as the rest of him, Shifted or not.

"Stay down, just stay there and he won't have to hurt you."

I didn't even know why I was speaking so pleadingly to the feral creature before me. But somehow using Ailech's power against Malachi felt wrong, too similar to torture. And he had clearly had enough of that for any number of lifetimes.

"Hurt? It doesn't fucking hurt. Your Human can't possibly hurt me. It...what even is he? What are you doing to me?" Malachi spat the words at us. His animal eyes shifting between Ailech and me, ignoring Nevaeh and Kael completely, apparently not seeing them as true threats. And after witnessing how evenly matched to James Malachi was, I was inclined to agree.

"I'm taking your power, and it feels damn good." Ailech's eyes were darker again, his voice lilting lower, deeper, colder. He wasn't shaking with rage this time, but his demeanor still made a shiver run my spine and I was suddenly relieved for both him and Malachi that I had stopped him from using his ability any longer.

Malachi nodded slowly like he was mulling over the information as he regained his composure. He readjusted himself on the ground, sitting back and clasping his hands around his knees casually. I could see the wheels turning behind his pale eyes, trying to find an escape or a way to take Ailech out. I put a shield of air between them, just in case.

Malachi's otherworldly gaze roved over me then, as if he could sense my Gift. He grinned like the animal he resembled, like he had just found his next meal, and licked his lips before slowly cocked his head to the side, making my chest tighten further.

"What now then? You babysit me until Gabriel returns? Pull my power until I can feel something, then torture me? Hm, smart. I've never felt a power like that before, never been tested without at least some of my nature giving me strength. Maybe I underestimated my old cohort, maybe he can make me beg after all. Mmh, just like old times. How I do love continuity. But regardless, you won't get any useful information out of me. Give me fear, take my power, take my strength - it doesn't fucking matter. I still won't break."