Chapter XXXIII
Beauties and the Beasts
Nina lay in bed with a contented smile, it was nearly dusk, and Malachi was still here. He had not had to run off on some matter of war, or to solve one of Amelia's problems; he was here just holding her in his arms. Just like the old days, before his death, before the understatement that was the 'Hungarian Incident.' She knew he was wide awake, that he had probably spent the entire night just watching over her, but she didn't care, he was there, and that's all that mattered. "I wish it were always like this…" she yawned, as she rolled over to smile at him "I wish we could always wake up like this."
"Me too." He answered her.
"We could you know…" she began with a gleam of hope in her eye "If you took a less active role, we could be together for eternity."
"It's not as easy that Nina."
"Why not?" she pouted "You always say that you'd do anything for me… that you would move Heaven and Earth to give me what I want."
"You know I would." He reassured her, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"Then do this for me." She pleaded "Malachi… I can't lose you again… I just can't."
"You won't" He smiled
"Yeah well you said that the first time." She snapped at him "But I still had to watch you get burned alive from the inside… I had to watch Amelia burry you, and then I had to watch as you were dug up, I had to face dissapointment after dissapointment until Holtz finally ressurected you. And everytime you go off to fight… I remember how I felt. Would you really put me through all of that again?"
"I fight… I kill to protect us… our people… our way of life." He told her firmly "I'm a soldier Nina, it's what I do. How do you think we have all of this, the money, the luxury… it's all bought with blood."
"I don't care about any of that!" She yelled at him "You're my world."
"I know angel" he sighed "I just want to make sure you have everything you've ever wanted."
"You're everything I've ever wanted Malachi, I last my father, my mother and little brother to the pursuit of money and power, I don't want to lose you as well."
"You won't" he said firmly "Look… when all this stuff with Viktor is done, I'll take it easy… I promise."
"Thank you" She breathed as she traced her fangs across his neck, however the moment would not last forever, as a a heavy thud soon rocked the door to their chambers. "Oh." She moaned slightly, as she rolled off of Malachi and allowed him to get out of bed. Throwing a shirt on Malachi made his way to the door and answered it to reveal a Death Dealer standing on the other side.
"This better be good." He said sternly
"Selene wants to see you." The Death Dealer told him simply.
"Why?" He demanded
"Our… prisoner is being a little difficult."
"I'll be there in a minute." He sighed, as he abrubtly closed the door on the Death Dealer. "Looks like I've got work to do." He told Nina, as he finished getting dressed.
"And just what am I supposed to do?" She asked petulantly
Malachi shrugged his shoulders slightly "Why don't you go and play with your new pet." He suggested.
"She's not a pet Malachi, she's a friend… so it would mean a lot to me if you would let her see the man Viktor has chained up in our basement." She got out of bed and approached him seductivly, dressed only in a silky black negligee "Please."
"I'll see what I can do." He conceded
"Thank you." She grinned, licking her lips slightly "Do you have to go right now?"
Malachi returned her grin and took his jacket off again "I'm sure Selene can handle things for a bit longer."
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"Where the hell have you been!" Selene demanded, as Malachi finally entered Amelia's crypt.
"I got held up." He told her, as he took in the room "Christ it smells in here!"
"What do you expect?" Selene snapped at him "He's been down here for days."
"Hmmm" Malachi nodded as he looked at the man shackled to marble floor of the tomb, the once mighty Lycan champion chained, bloodied and beaten "I hear he's been a handful."
"He won't talk… and he keeps changing."
"What do you mean he keeps changing?" Malachi spat "Why hasn't he been given serum to stop transformation?"
"He has." Selene sighed "He's too strong."
"And you say he won't talk?"
"Not a word." She nodded "I've tried everything."
"Go and get some rest, take your men with you… I'll take it from here."
"I'm fine." She said dismissively
Malachi took a moment to look at her, she was tired, her hair a mess, clothes torn he could tell she didn't want to be there "No offence darling but you look shit, go and get some rest."
"At least let the others stay here." She pleaded
"No… I want to talk to him alone."
"Call me if you need anything." Selene told him firmly "I know how delicate you are." She teased him.
"That'll be fine Selene." He smiled insincerely "But you've done enough here, it must be tiring work… for a woman your age." Selene shot him a scowl before leaving the tomb along with her men, leaving Malachi and the fallen Daniel alone. "Daniel." He spoke coldly, trying to get the attention of the Lycan laying face down at his feet. "Daniel!" he repeated, this time poking Daniel with the point of his cane. It worked, the Lycan pulled himself to his feet, however he was still somewhat dazed, it took him a second to realize who was standing before him, when he did he pounced. Malachi did not make a move as the fierce Lycan pounced towards him, he just waited for the heavy chains to run out of slack and pull him back down to the cold marble floor. "Can we try and be civilized?" He said coldly.
"I… won't… tell you… a God… damn thing." He choked.
"Yes you will." Malachi grinned smugly
"I've… had that… bitch working me… over for days, do… your worst." He managed to grin.
Malachi's demeanor changed suddenly, a look of rage came across his face, and he drove his boot into Daniel's mouth "Now, that is no way to talk about a lady." He said politely "But you're right… torture isn't going to work on you, you see you're like me… once you set your mind to something…"
"I'm nothing like you!" He interrupted "You're an animal."
"Oh am I?" Malachi exclaimed "Ah yes, I forgot… you are the spiritual one aren't you… the one who rejects all notion of war… unless it's absolutely necessary."
"That's right." He hissed, as he struggled to get to his feet.
"I ain't finished yet!" Malachi yelled at him, forcing him back to his knees. "Do you think you're better than me?"
"Yes." Daniel spat
Malachi nodded and grinned slightly "Do you think the people of Trinity would agree with you."
"Trinity" Daniel whispered, his heart sinking, he was glad he was already on his knees, if he wasn't he probably would have fallen. "How… How do you know?"
"I know everything." Malachi told him plainly "You know Daniel… I've killed a lot of people… but I can honestly say, women and children are not among them… especially human women and children."
"That wasn't my fault!" He screamed "I tried…"
"They were your men!" Malachi hissed at him "They were your men. Do you know why you hate me so much Daniel… because I'm a soldier, because no matter what I do, I'll still be able to look at myself in a mirror… I can have a life… and all you'll ever have is Trinity. Now tell me… who's the better man?"
Daniel remained on his knees, his head hung in shame, a single tear falling from his Onyx black eye "You are." He choked.
"Good boy." Malachi smiled "Now tell me what I want to know."
"No." Daniel spat defiantly "I see what your trying to do, with this little revelation… but like you said, I'm just like you… would you talk?" Malachi said nothing, he just rolled his eyes impatiently "I didn't think so!" Daniel laughed at him "So fuck you… bring on the torture."
"You see that's where me and Selene differ." Malachi began in an eerily polite tone of voice "She's all kill this, torture that; which is fine, when it works. But I know it won't work on you, so I'm not going to torture you… I'm going to offer you an incentive… come to an arrangement."
"You have got to be joking." Daniel laughed slightly "You're going to offer me a deal?"
"That's right." Malachi grinned "I'm going to offer you two choices. Choice number one, you keep up your silence, I leave this room and you live out the rest of your life in my basement on Viktor's leash. Choice number two, you sing like a canary, and I make your life very comfortable."
"What could you possibly give me?" he dismissed Malachi, turning away from him slightly.
"Abigail." Malachi told him simply.
"Abigail?" Daniel's head snapped round immediately
"You help me out, you get to live out your life with the woman you love."
"Okay… I'll talk." He conceded
Malachi smiled smugly "Casper!" He yelled, the huge stone doors of the tomb opened, allowing Casper and half a dozen mercenaries to file in across the floor. Casper took up a position just behind Malachi, while his men surrounded Daniel. "Release him." Malachi said coldly, as one of the mercenaries cautiously unlocked the shackles on his neck and wrists. As the heavy iron chains fell to the marble below with a crash, Daniel slowly stood upright for the first time in days. "Now I trust your going to play nicely Daniel?" Malachi asked him, as the men surrounding him pulled back the hammers on their weapons. The lycan nodded slowly "Excellent." Malachi smiled before nodding to one of Casper's men who threw a bundle of clothes at Daniel.
"What's this?" Daniel asked suspiciously
"It's a suit Daniel." Malachi told him "You want to make a good impression for Abigail don't you? And although I may not be an expert on fashion I'm pretty sure the covered in piss, sick and blood look isn't in this season."
"Thank you" He nodded
"Believe me mate I am not doing it for you… as soon as you've seen Abigail you are going to tell me everything I want to know."
"Regarding what?"
"You are going to tell me everything you know about your master… you will tell me where Dracon is, and failing that you will help us track him down. Do we have an accord?"
"We do." He nodded reluctantly.
"Excellent, gentleman, take Daniel and get him cleaned up, if he tries anything… just kill him. Oh… and have a shave for fuck sake, you look a right mess."
As the mercenaries escorted Daniel out of the tomb, Casper and Malachi alone remained. "You know this is really, really going to piss Viktor off?" Casper asked rhetorically. "I mean Daniel was on his leash."
"Yeah." Malachi smiled widely "But don't worry about Daniel, he's my dog now."
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"This is lovely." Abigail observed as she took another sip of wine "I'm glad you came to see me."
"That's fine." Nina smiled "I hate the thought of you being alone in here."
"It kinda sucks sometimes." Abigail smiled sadly "But I'm sorta used to being on my own."
"Sweetie if you ever want to talk to me, just tell one of the guards."
"I don't like to." She shied away slightly "What if they say no?"
"They won't, I'll kick their asses if they do."
"Thanks" she smiled sweetly. Before either one could say anything there was a light tapping on Abigail's door. "One of your guards?" She asked the Vampire.
"I'm not sure." She replied with a raised eyebrow "Enter!" As the door opened, Abigail visibly tensed, as Malachi and Casper entered her room. "Malachi…" Nina smiled awkwardly, fully aware what Abigail thought of him "… what are you doing here?"
"I have a present for Abigail." He said coldly
"I don't want anything from you." The red head mumbled
"Not even me?" A familiar voice asked.
"Daniel!" She squealed, her face lighting up instantly "Oh My God!" She leapt across the room, throwing her arms around him.
"Thank you" Nina whispered to Malachi, as the two Lycan shared an embrace.
"My dear I believe it's time we took our leave." Malachi suggested as he took Nina's arm and headed out of the door. By the time the Vampire couple had left the two Lycan were sharing a passionate kiss.
"Nice suit." Abigail smiled, as she pushed her supple body against his. "Did they treat you okay?"
"Not really." He said abruptly, as he leant in for another kiss.
"Hmmm" She moaned in delight, as he moved his hand up under her skirt "How… how did you get them to release you?" She asked breathlessly.
Daniel paused for a moment "I think… I've just sold my soul."