House of Lies and Sorrow (Fae of Rewyth #1)(41)

I accepted it. “Thanks,” I mumbled.

“No thanks necessary. The faster we get this over with, the better,” he said.

“You really hate humans that much?” I asked.

Malachi huffed. “I don’t hate humans, Jade.”

I stopped in my tracks. “You’re kidding, right?”

Malachi also stopped and turned to face me. “What? You think that because I’m fae I automatically hate all humans?”

“Actually, yes.”

Malachi turned around and tugged me forward with him, nearly causing me to stumble in the darkness.

“I thought you were smarter than that. Not all fae hate humans. Just because you grew up in a place that whispered all the evil doings of fae doesn’t mean they're true.”

“So, the fae haven’t massacred entire towns of people? They haven’t used their power to manipulate humans before? I’ve heard you were involved in quite a few of those doings, dark fae.”

Malachi stiffened.

“What’s the matter?” I pushed. I knew I should have stopped, but I couldn't help it. He was trying to tell me that all the poverty, pain and suffering the humans have gone through wasn’t because of the fae? “Tell me I’m wrong and I’ll shut up. But you can’t, because I’m not.”

“Do you ever stop talking?” he spat. “Or do you just like the sound of your own voice?”

I was about to demand that he answer my question when Serefin stopped dead in his tracks a few paces ahead.

We had only been walking for an hour at the most.

“You hear that?” Serefin whispered.

Malachi’s wings tucked even tighter behind his shoulder blades. It was still so dark, but my eyes were beginning to adjust enough so that I could see the figures of both of them standing in front of me.

I tightened my grip on Malachi’s hand. He didn’t seem to notice.

“Don’t say a word,” Malachi whispered, barely audible. “And don’t let go of me.”

I nodded. Fear began creeping into my limps, taking over my heartbeat and pumping adrenaline into every inch of my body. I wanted to reach for my knife, but something told me to stand as still as possible beside Malachi.

So, I did.

Not even two seconds later, trees began rustling to our right. Serefin and Malachi both crouched down in the brush, Malachi pulling me along with him.

I swallowed the urge to ask Malachi what it was. I was too afraid to speak. But the way every muscle in Malachi’s arm tightened told me he was ready for it. He was prepared for a fight.

Two figures stepped into the brush just a few feet away from Serefin. He motioned silently to Malachi, who nodded.

The figures were moving slow. Abnormally slow. Eerily slow.

Malachi turned to face me, almost as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn’t. Whatever they were, they were too close to us. They would hear anything he said.

But he didn’t turn his head. For the few seconds we were crouched in the in the brush, Malachi’s breath blended with mine. He was close enough that I could see the shadows of his eyelashes. He didn’t look away. Neither did I.

Malachi slowly removed his hand from mine, sliding it up my back. We were close enough, even crouched to the ground, that he could wrap his entire arm around me.

Whatever he was doing, I was sure he had a plan. I stayed as still as humanly possible, but my heart was going to pound out of my chest.

And then one of the creatures screamed, lunging at Serefin.

Malachi jumped and threw me to the side. I landed hard on the ground a few feet away.

The sound of metal in flesh was the only thing I heard after that.

The entire fight may have lasted ten seconds.

“You okay?” Malachi asked Serefin.

“Yeah, I’m good. But we need to get out of here. Where there’s two deadlings, there are more.”

“Agreed,” Malachi said. He walked back over to me and knelt next to where I was still lying on the forest floor. “Sorry, but I didn’t want you caught in the crossfire,” he said.

I pushed myself to my feet and brushed the twigs off my pants. “That might be the first time you’ve ever apologized to me,” I said.

I couldn’t see Malachi’s smile, but I knew it was there. “Then maybe we should run into more deadlings. It brings out my chivalrous side.”

My breath caught in my throat. Was he flirting with me?

Serefin coughed behind us, and we both began walking.

It wasn’t the first time I had been nearly attacked by creatures in the darkness, but as I stepped over the mangled bodies, I had to remind myself to stay calm.

“Saints,” I mumbled. “What are those things?”

Dark, skinny figures that almost resembled human children were lying on the forest floor. In the darkness I even thought I saw fangs.

“Deadlings,” Malachi answered. “They’re savage creatures that want nothing more than to dig their dirty little teeth into flesh. They’ve been in these parts for centuries, but they’re almost impossible to eradicate.”

He said it so casually, like seeing these things was a daily occurrence. It was disturbing, to say the least.

“How many more of these are out there?” I asked.

“Are you referring to the deadlings or to mythical creatures that humans have no clue exist?” Serefin answered.