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MALACHI RESIGNED HIMSELF to running all the way to the Vampire District as he left the Assassin Guildhall. He smirked at the nickname he’d given their home, but his grin faded after a few seconds. It was hard for him to find humor, thanks to the deep depression that he’d fallen into after Eden had died.
His feet made no noise and he couldn’t hear himself when he coughed. He was glad Sorcha’s spell didn’t prevent him from hearing other noises. It would be dangerous if he couldn’t hear what was going on around him.
A carriage stopped beside him when he was a few blocks away from the City Square. He turned to the skeleton to find it looking down at him through empty eye sockets. Malachi pointed to his mouth and shook his head, trying to convey that he couldn’t speak. The driver cocked its head to the side and clicked its teeth at him in confusion.
An idea occurred to Malachi. He pointed at his teeth, then held two fingers in front of his mouth to pretend they were fangs. He then held his cloak out and flapped it like it was bat wings. When he dropped his arms, he looked at the chauffeur in hope. The driver nodded that it had understood his pantomime and jerked its bony thumb at the carriage door. The incubus climbed inside, feeling pleased with himself. “One of the old Night Cursed mimes I’ve heard about couldn’t have done a better job,” he said, but he couldn’t hear his own voice.
The carriage rattled over the cobblestones, heading for the Fae District. Malachi’s smugness evaporated when it seemed he was being taken to the wrong area. It returned when the skeleton turned to the west and headed for the suburbs near the river. They passed the houses that had been abandoned by the witches and wizards who used to live there. Many had been slaughtered by the vampires during their short war last Halloween. Others had been mauled to death by Crowmon’s stone hounds on the same night.
They crossed a bridge to the Vampire District and passed more abandoned dwellings. It was eerie riding through the mostly dark streets. Faces appeared in windows to stare at the carriage longingly. Malachi hadn’t been able to tell his driver exactly where he wanted to go. The skeleton took him to the center of the District before it finally pulled over.
Malachi climbed out and nodded his thanks. The walking corpse inclined its head in response, then drove away. Malachi slunk into the shadows before any of the leeches living in the nearby houses could spot him. He’d been dropped off next to a gothic church where he assumed Night Cursed holy folk had once lived. It was strange that the church was still there. Most of the buildings the cursed population had used had vanished, or had magically been shifted to the Night Cursed District.
Skirting around the hallowed grounds, Malachi wasn’t even sure where to start searching for Sebastian. “He’s apparently an old and powerful master, so he must have a mansion in the wealthiest area,” he murmured. Now that he had a destination in mind, he took off running.
Few bloodsuckers were walking the streets, so he didn’t need to detour to avoid fellow pedestrians very often. The few times he needed to hide, he either stepped into overgrown hedges, or vaulted over high stone walls that surrounded the increasingly larger properties.
While Malachi’s scent was muffled by the shield Sorcha had created, he could smell the few leeches who passed him. He was working his way through the streets in search of his quarry when he smelled the faint scent of someone familiar. “Jardine,” he said with a strange surge of excitement. He hadn’t forgotten about the kiss they’d shared after she’d fed from him.
He instinctively stepped behind a tree when the door to a house down the street opened. The very vampire he was thinking about stepped into view. Jardine said something to the fledglings who followed her to the door, then left without them. Malachi stepped out from behind the tree. The master vampire halted in surprise when she saw him. She surreptitiously pointed down the street, then vanished from his view. He couldn’t match her speed, but he raced after her as fast as he could.
Jardine was waiting for him in an empty house a few blocks away. He followed her scent to the door and let himself in. “Malachi,” she said in greeting. Her tone was wary, but at least she wasn’t holding her daggers. “Have I become your latest target?” she asked.
He shook his head, then crossed to her and lifted her hand to his mouth. She shivered when he kissed her knuckles.
“I can’t hear your heartbeat, or smell your scent,” she said with a frown. “Have you become one of my kind?”
He shook his head again, then mimed a magical shield around him.
It was Jardine’s turn to shake her head this time. “I was never good at understanding mimes,” she told him apologetically.
Another idea occurred to the incubus. “I need to write a note to Jardine,” he said. She frowned again when she saw his mouth move, but she couldn’t hear him. A piece of paper and quill appeared and he told her what was going on. The quill dutifully jotted his words down, then he handed her the note.
“Your overlords are planning to assassinate an old rival of Lord Kreaton’s and you’re trying to learn his location so you can warn him,” Jardine read out loud. “A colleague who can use magic cast a spell on you, so you make no sound and leave no scent behind.” She smiled ruefully at that news. “Your friend is clever,” she told him and he nodded in agreement. She finished reading the note. “The master vampire who will become a target is called Sebastian.” She flicked a concerned look at him at that information.
He lifted an eyebrow at her reaction. “Do you know him?” he asked.
Jardine looked down at the note when the quill wrote his question down. “I do,” she replied. “Sebastian is very old and very powerful. Lord Kreaton has sent many assassins after him, but none have ever come close to eliminating him. If you, or one of your colleagues, have been ordered to kill him, you won’t prevail.”
“I’ve heard some vampires are forming a rebellion,” he said and the words appeared on the page. “I was hoping Sebastian is one of them. If he’s Lord Kreaton’s enemy, I’d like to offer him my assistance.”
Jardine read the note and blinked in surprise. “You wish to join the rebellion?” she asked.
Malachi nodded. “The Immortal Triumvirate don’t deserve to rule Nox,” he said and the quill went into action again. “I want them gone just as badly as the rebels do.”
Jardine read the note, then her expression turned thoughtful. “I don’t know where Sebastian lives,” she said and his hopes fell that she could lead him to his quarry. If Sebastian was as old and powerful as she’d said, he didn’t want Sorcha to go anywhere near the leech. It was bad enough that he’d lost his sister. He didn’t want to lose his friend as well. “But I can let him know about your proposal the next time I speak to him,” the vampire added.
Malachi’s spirits immediately lifted. He picked her up and spun her around, then smacked a kiss on her mouth. “Thank you, beautiful lady,” he said, then put her down.
Jardine scanned the note, then gave him a sly, flirting look. “Of course, there is a price for my assistance,” she said silkily.
“Is that so?” the incubus asked. A slow smile rose on his lips when she flicked a lingering glance up and down his body. “What might that price be?” he queried in anticipation.
The vampire read the note, then dropped it to the floor. “Follow me and I’ll show you,” she ordered. Malachi stepped over the note, which vanished along with the quill. Jardine led him to a door to the basement. He followed her down the stairs, then closed the door behind them. “The basements are soundproofed,” she told him. “We can make as much noise as we want and no one will hear us.” She uttered a low laugh when he pointed at his mouth ruefully. “I can make as much noise as I want,” she amended as he closed the distance between them.
“I’m going to make you scream with pleasure,” the incubus promised her. She didn’t need to hear him to know what his intentions were. A grin of anticipation lit up her face, making her even more beautiful than usual.
