Greys III - Revelations

Chapter 24 - Choices, Choices

I half expected to see Abby right away. For him to be waiting on the other side of the threshold, which immediately morphed into a corridor, the woods just yards behind us through the ward door.

But instead of Abby, I saw the usual milling about of mages that all hours at the Vault held. And though some of them gave Malachi a strange look, still bound and fully supported by Ailech and Kael as his head hung, his white hair hiding his ethereal face, most didn't seem to care that their Darkling population had more than doubled since we'd left.

Right on cue, Malachi stirred and Ailech dropped him unceremoniously, letting him fall into the wall. Kael set him down on the closest bench a little more gently. When Malachi's eyes fluttered open, they immediately found mine, the ghost of a grin at the edge of his lips as I'm sure he remembered why he had been helped along into mandatory sleep, again. But then he shifted his bright, animal eyes to James and lifted his tied hands before his face in a feigned cower.

"Please, don't hit me again. I promise I won't use the W-word anymore. Still a sore spot for you? What, you haven't fed into the 'weakness is strength', 'being soft is strong' bullshit yet? Well, that's one good thing I can report back to your father when I get out of...here."

He said the last word with a note of awe in his voice as he finally took in where he was. And I didn't blame him, the Vault was a sight to see. In fact, all of us seemed to be reveling on some level at the history we were amidst, the saving of an endangered race, all the knowledge and power. It made sense that the Collector wanted in.

I looked up the hall to see Ember with her nose to a book, walking toward us, totally oblivious to the school of sharks she was wandering toward. A few more steps and she looked up, her eyes going wide. But to her credit, she didn't turn and run in the opposite direction. Instead, she hesitantly continued, her eyes on Ailech only, like he was her anchor. I could almost feel his eyes rolling next to me.

"Hi, Ally! Glad you're back safe. Uh, hi...everyone else."

Ember kept her eyes trained on the floor after greeting Ailech, like she thought we could steal her soul if we caught her looking us in the eye.

"Ally? Wow. Just wow." Malachi smirked at Ailech before returning his attention to Ember, looking very much the cat to her mouse.

"Why hello, little fainting goat." He smiled down at her as he stood from his seat, his low, gravelly voice dripping honey as he cocked his head like the predator he was.

Ember's saucer eyes raised to look up at his height, seeing his tied hands, before jumping to me, then James, Nevaeh, and finally landing on Kael. Her neck strained back until she could see his face towering over her. He attempted a mild-mannered smile as her mouth fell open. Something that didn't actually sound like a word squeaked out before she made good on Malachi's joke and promptly fainted. I still forgot how Kael looked to others.

Ailech just barely caught his protege, plunking her down with an exasperated look on the same plush bench that Malachi had just vacated. Malachi was looking at Ember like she was his next meal, even going as far as licking his lips as his grin widened. I stepped between them and glared, to which he tried to show his palms in apology, but couldn't because of the way they were bound.

"So, when can I get these off? Are you making an electrum collar for me? Do I get a leash? Trust me, been there, done that. Got the T-shirt and the scars to prove it. I had a little rebellious period, you see. But I would prefer to be able to feed myself, bathroom, all that. And that's pretty hard without haandss." He raised his arms in front of him and wiggled his fingers for emphasis.

"Just because you're here doesn't mean we're going to let you just roam around. You're our...or you can only go...whatever, Abby will find a way to declaw you." Ailech muttered the last part, leading us in the general direction of Abby's office, but Malachi stopped dead in his tracks.