Grey III - Revelations

Chapter 29 - Kings of the Killing

Inches before the glass hit, Malachi's hand shot out, and the small knife struck, just not me. I looked down to see his hand in front of my chest, a little too high and centered for my heart, the knife buried to its short hilt in his open palm. He closed his hand around the glass and looked at it like he was curious. Blood ran down his arm, soaking into his long sleeves, but he didn't seem to notice. Then he made a fist and squeezed, shattered the blade, letting it fall in pieces to the cement floor.

"Not very hospitable to your saviors, but I am new to this, maybe this is a customary hero's welcome."

Malachi's rolling, low voice seemed to fill the cavernous room and I thought Chi would try to launch another dagger just from the mocking in his words. But then James stepped forward, his hands out to his sides, diffusing the situation momentarily. She still respected James, or feared him, enough to listen.

"Something is coming for your Clan, Chimarah. Your association with Jordan, the danger I put you in, has you directly in my father's sights. If you leave with us now, then we can keep you safe, I promise. Let me try to make up for the mistakes I made with your Clan before, make up, at least in part, for Syn."

Even though James was still Shifted, he sounded sincere, though I wondered if anyone else would describe it that way.

The silence that followed, as Chi's Clan all looked to her for some answer, for a decision, was quickly broken again as Malachi casually strolled past James, patting him on the back as he sauntered by.

"Nope - too late. They're already here. Oh, shootskies."

He smiled at his last words, his pointed teeth catching a beam of the warehouse's weak-winter light as it filtered down from the high windows. He continued his casual walk until he was in the center of the room, his hand still dripping blood onto the floor. Every eye was on him and he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the attention. But then James stiffened at the same time my Gift picked up multiple minds outside of the warehouse, circling, advancing.

"He's right. Skia and Shafes are coming this time. Let us help you, please."

Malachi turned to James at his 'please', his head cocked to one side, his eyebrows pulled together like he was puzzled by the word, but he stayed silent. It was Chi's high voice that spoke next, her eyes large, scared, the fear visible on her face even through her Shift.

"Ya, protect my boys."

James tipped his head down in acknowledgment, the shadow of a courtly bow, and then fire sprang up in a ring around Chi, so tall she disappeared within it completely. Similar circles appeared around Spade, Horn, and Halo, keeping each of them where they were, out of harm's way, and out of our way. Finally, my Pair turned to look at me where I stood next to Ailech. His mouth set in a thin line and I knew what he was planning. I dove to the side just as fire sprang up around Ailech and where I had previously stood, a barrier the Shafes wouldn't be able to cross, the best shield James could provide without an Earth Sign with us.

I glared at him for trying to sideline me before I let my eyes turn dark, just as the same haunting creatures that had distracted the Clan during Syn's murder materialized all around us.

» ✦ «

The Shafes were barely annoyances, burning touches, sharp bone fingers, but too weak to do real damage to us, to a Half, let alone three. The Skia were the main course. They weren't the unprepared chattel my master had been growing in other cities - these were trained, organized, and working in teams. He had been using them in this city for months, using them in secret to lure Gabriel's Clan last Fall, posing as little Darkling serial killers. But even their experience and training didn't matter and couldn't save them - not from me. There was nothing in this world that could stand against me, except my master and the few other Watchers still scattered across the globe.