Part 13
She was still alive. Malachite hadn't expected Ara to last this long once word of her location got out to Valarie and her vampire hunters. That was the whole *point* of selling her out to Shiva. Shiva had promised to get rid of Ara.
Valarie was convinced Ara was responsible for killing her beloved Trey. It wouldn't have surprised Malachite if that were actually true. At least Ara wasn't hanging around the kitchen any more. She couldn't get out of his presence fast enough.
"Oh, you're still here."
Malachite was on his way out the door when Yanna came down the stairs. She was dressed in a gold shirt and black leather pants, her blonde hair hung loose around her shoulders in tight curls. Her blue eyes were outlined in dark liner with a touch of purple eyeshadow. Her lips were emphasized with a very red lipstick. She didn't look like Yanna at all.
"What happened to you?"
Yanna flushed. "I have a mission. A meeting. I'll see you later." She hurried out the house, almost tripping over in her high heels.
"What happened to *Yanna*?" Sivan walked into the kitchen, staring after Yanna in disbelief. "Since when did she become sexy?"
"Yanna's always sexy. And she's spoken for," Malachite answered coldly. He didn't like the other vampire much. Something about Sivan made him uncomfortable. He couldn't really say why, it was just a feeling.
Malachite left the house shortly after, waiting at Shiva's locker. He couldn't think of another way to get hold of her and wanted some answers from her. She'd better have some decent excuse as to why Ara wasn't dead yet.
Shiva didn't show up but Valarie did. She eyed him with distaste. "Why are you at Shiva's locker?"
"I gave you idiots Ara's location, why isn't she dead yet?" Malachite hissed, grabbing her arm and pulling her close.
Valarie eyed him, amused. "Going to hurt me here? In the high school hallway? Surely you're not that stupid."
Malachite reluctantly had to admit she was right. He couldn't do anything to her here. Not with all these stupid *humans* around. "I gave you a chance to get a girl we both despise. A re you going to take it or am I going to have to get someone else to take care of her?"
He had thought selling Ara out to the vampire hunters would be the quickest way to get rid of her. He could have always hired a Night World assassin to do the job. It was just easier to get hold of Valarie. Or so he had thought.
Valarie looked at him. "Do you think Ara got Trey too?"
Malachite let her go, but didn't answer. He didn't want to think about his brother. "Why was Trey working with you guys anyway? You knew what he was, so why accept him?"
So much for not wanting to think. Just because he didn't *want* to think about Trey, didn't mean that was going to stop the thoughts from coming.
Valarie shrugged. The halls had emptied of students. Malachite was feeling oddly empty himself.
"We never knew. He was so *good* at finding us monsters like you to get, and - " She trailed off, shaking her head. "He was a private guy." Her tone was wistful.
"I'm not a monster anymore." Malachite didn't want to be a Night Person anymore. For Yanna's sake. She loved him, he loved her. She deserved a decent guy. How could he be a decent guy with Ara shoved in his face? He probably *should* be punished for what he had done to her. Trey had hated him for changing sides. Chimalais had been heart broken.
Chimalais...he hadn't thought of her since he had met Yanna. Chimalais was another innocent girl he had seduced and abandoned once he had tired of her. Trey had loved Chimalais too. No wonder he had wanted to be a vampire hunter after what Malachite had done to them. Even he did good work with Circle Daybreak for the next ten centuries, it probably wouldn't make up for all the evil he had done in the past.
"Some would disagree," Valarie said coldly. "To some of us you'll always be a monster. But all right, I'll help you with this Ara problem since her absence is something we both want."
"Why do you hate Ara so much?" That had never really been clear to Malachite.
"Drake Redfern, Ara's so-called *husband* killed my sister and my soulmate. He blathered all the time about his beautiful young wife Ara and how she would love to have me as a slave." Valarie's voice was full of hatred. "But I got away."
" Ara hates Drake. It'd make her happy if you killed him."
Valarie shrugged. "I want to kill her. He did want he did to me *for* her."
Malachite shook his head. He had heard Ara had run out on Drake over a century ago. Drake had always been a twisted asshole. He really thought giving Ara a human slave would bring her back to him? Idiot he thought. Drake had completely missed the fact Ara had only married him out of spite cause she refused to be with Malachite, and he despised Drake. The whole situation was pretty fucked up, even now.
Despite his whole determination to be the good guy, Malachite just couldn't do that with Ara to remind him of who he had been.
"If I get rid of Ara for you, what will you do for me?" Valarie asked, her lips curling into a suggestive smile.
Malachite should have expected that. "Anything you want." He was probably going to regret saying that. He couldn't really think of anything to offer Valarie, apart from money and he didn't have a lot of that.
Valarie smirked. "Good. I'll be taking you up on that."
Malachite watched her walk away. Just get rid of Ara he thought. Once Ara was out of the picture he could have his normal life and his soulmate back.
* * *
She was still alive. Malachite hadn't expected Ara to last this long once word of her location got out to Valarie and her vampire hunters. That was the whole *point* of selling her out to Shiva. Shiva had promised to get rid of Ara.
Valarie was convinced Ara was responsible for killing her beloved Trey. It wouldn't have surprised Malachite if that were actually true. At least Ara wasn't hanging around the kitchen any more. She couldn't get out of his presence fast enough.
"Oh, you're still here."
Malachite was on his way out the door when Yanna came down the stairs. She was dressed in a gold shirt and black leather pants, her blonde hair hung loose around her shoulders in tight curls. Her blue eyes were outlined in dark liner with a touch of purple eyeshadow. Her lips were emphasized with a very red lipstick. She didn't look like Yanna at all.
"What happened to you?"
Yanna flushed. "I have a mission. A meeting. I'll see you later." She hurried out the house, almost tripping over in her high heels.
"What happened to *Yanna*?" Sivan walked into the kitchen, staring after Yanna in disbelief. "Since when did she become sexy?"
"Yanna's always sexy. And she's spoken for," Malachite answered coldly. He didn't like the other vampire much. Something about Sivan made him uncomfortable. He couldn't really say why, it was just a feeling.
Malachite left the house shortly after, waiting at Shiva's locker. He couldn't think of another way to get hold of her and wanted some answers from her. She'd better have some decent excuse as to why Ara wasn't dead yet.
Shiva didn't show up but Valarie did. She eyed him with distaste. "Why are you at Shiva's locker?"
"I gave you idiots Ara's location, why isn't she dead yet?" Malachite hissed, grabbing her arm and pulling her close.
Valarie eyed him, amused. "Going to hurt me here? In the high school hallway? Surely you're not that stupid."
Malachite reluctantly had to admit she was right. He couldn't do anything to her here. Not with all these stupid *humans* around. "I gave you a chance to get a girl we both despise. A re you going to take it or am I going to have to get someone else to take care of her?"
He had thought selling Ara out to the vampire hunters would be the quickest way to get rid of her. He could have always hired a Night World assassin to do the job. It was just easier to get hold of Valarie. Or so he had thought.
Valarie looked at him. "Do you think Ara got Trey too?"
Malachite let her go, but didn't answer. He didn't want to think about his brother. "Why was Trey working with you guys anyway? You knew what he was, so why accept him?"
So much for not wanting to think. Just because he didn't *want* to think about Trey, didn't mean that was going to stop the thoughts from coming.
Valarie shrugged. The halls had emptied of students. Malachite was feeling oddly empty himself.
"We never knew. He was so *good* at finding us monsters like you to get, and - " She trailed off, shaking her head. "He was a private guy." Her tone was wistful.
"I'm not a monster anymore." Malachite didn't want to be a Night Person anymore. For Yanna's sake. She loved him, he loved her. She deserved a decent guy. How could he be a decent guy with Ara shoved in his face? He probably *should* be punished for what he had done to her. Trey had hated him for changing sides. Chimalais had been heart broken.
Chimalais...he hadn't thought of her since he had met Yanna. Chimalais was another innocent girl he had seduced and abandoned once he had tired of her. Trey had loved Chimalais too. No wonder he had wanted to be a vampire hunter after what Malachite had done to them. Even he did good work with Circle Daybreak for the next ten centuries, it probably wouldn't make up for all the evil he had done in the past.
"Some would disagree," Valarie said coldly. "To some of us you'll always be a monster. But all right, I'll help you with this Ara problem since her absence is something we both want."
"Why do you hate Ara so much?" That had never really been clear to Malachite.
"Drake Redfern, Ara's so-called *husband* killed my sister and my soulmate. He blathered all the time about his beautiful young wife Ara and how she would love to have me as a slave." Valarie's voice was full of hatred. "But I got away."
" Ara hates Drake. It'd make her happy if you killed him."
Valarie shrugged. "I want to kill her. He did want he did to me *for* her."
Malachite shook his head. He had heard Ara had run out on Drake over a century ago. Drake had always been a twisted asshole. He really thought giving Ara a human slave would bring her back to him? Idiot he thought. Drake had completely missed the fact Ara had only married him out of spite cause she refused to be with Malachite, and he despised Drake. The whole situation was pretty fucked up, even now.
Despite his whole determination to be the good guy, Malachite just couldn't do that with Ara to remind him of who he had been.
"If I get rid of Ara for you, what will you do for me?" Valarie asked, her lips curling into a suggestive smile.
Malachite should have expected that. "Anything you want." He was probably going to regret saying that. He couldn't really think of anything to offer Valarie, apart from money and he didn't have a lot of that.
Valarie smirked. "Good. I'll be taking you up on that."
Malachite watched her walk away. Just get rid of Ara he thought. Once Ara was out of the picture he could have his normal life and his soulmate back.
* * *