LAST CHAPTER FOR TODAY!8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GTS0XmOSc 維尼
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Crack!Malich’s head knocked back as his majesty’s influencer struck him in the face for what seemed like the hundredth time. Malich laughed and spit blood on the enforcer’s shoes. Crack!8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡHduEsgwVWE 維尼
He was struck again. He didn’t know how successful Kahlem’s men were at the Red Towers and could only hope his people had somehow gotten to safety. He was a fool to challenge his brother’s authority. He’d brought death sentences down on his people with his arrogance.8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHBwnX3m77 維尼
Malich wouldn’t allow himself to think about the fair-skinned beauty that’d plagued his thoughts as of late. He couldn’t bring himself to wonder if they’d harmed her somehow.8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCKapcfiLk 維尼
A soldier appeared and whispered to the one in charge, Captain Larik. The Captain knelt down in front of him. “We’ve captured the Red Towers, your preceptors, your pupils and your mistress. We do not however, know the whereabouts of the Alumni.” He smiled wickedly. “I’ll tell you what. Give us the location of the alumni and we won’t slit your mistress into pretty little pieces.”8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡCVEXPTVtvv 維尼
Malich lunged at the Captain, muscles taut, “Go to hell.”8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡqt3GeLH3rG 維尼
“Very well then.” 8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡMXFzDysHDr 維尼
The Captain nodded to the enforcer who grabbed hold of the chain attached to the shackles at Malich’s feet. He drug Malich out of his office, down the corridor and into one of the large gathering rooms. All of his disciples were gathered there, shackled, heads forced to the ground. Preceptor Killian and Dax were among them. He wondered how his brother’s had managed to infiltrate his fortresses so easily. They had to have had help.8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGoBfPDGqW 維尼
“Attention everyone. I am willing to grant mercy to whoever can lead me to the alumni,” the Captain offered. He waited for someone to speak and to Malich’s surprise several of his disciples raised their hands. The Captain smiled. He was about to interrogate them when Malich heard a familiar sound singing through the air. All of the disciples had their throats severed before they could utter a word as a boomerang blade sliced through them all, returning to its owner. 8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡCWjdcMJBr2 維尼
Malich’s heart clenched. He’d recognize that form from anywhere and the black cloak drenched in blood. Hazel eyes met his and he shook his head. This gods dammed beautiful fool willingly walked into a herd of wolves.8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡqN9Z9sUy3n 維尼
“Kill him!” The Captain shouted.8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡhAr8DVv9MF 維尼
Malich smiled. They didn’t even know they were fighting a girl, let along one only seventeen cycles. They’d probably shit themselves from embarrassment if they did. Guards approached and he watched, aroused, as she disappeared and reappeared like a ghost slicing through his brothers’ soldiers like a lethal ballerina. She’d learned a lot in the two turns she’d trained with Mekhi. Although she still had that temper. 8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDnXXeP80Y 維尼
Lastly she approached the Captain and poised to strike, “Stop!” Malich called out to her. The Captain was on his back, hands held up in surrender. Blood dripped from her sword. Arya twitched her fingers and every shackle in the room fell to the floor. He’d told her a thousand times not to use her gifts, but it was clear she’d defied him yet again. And she was growing stronger.8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡJz76VjCA1M 維尼
Malich approached, walking up beside her and taking the sword from her hand. “You mustn’t be seen,” he whispered to her. “Go. I’ll come to you.”8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYDfMr9CWG 維尼
Without speaking, Arya nodded. Speaking would give her away. She met his eyes once more, then backed away and disappeared.8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAryYdt5N5 維尼
Pressing the sword to the Captains throat, Malich ordered his disciples to shackle the Captain. Dax took him to the dungeon beneath Malich’s cell for questioning while Malich attempted to reestablish order. 8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKwR8lIeTB 維尼
He ordered the heads of the slain soldiers impaled to the gates of the Red Keep and their bodies burned. Putting Preceptor Killian in charge, Malich joined Dax in the dungeon. He’d already begun working on the Captain.8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCRUFUwwcr 維尼
“Anything?” Malich asked.8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡcK0hKKobLQ 維尼
“Nothing yet Majii,” Dax replied, turning to him. “Was that who I think it was?”8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡ624KXoNgAA 維尼
Malich nodded, “Aye.”8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡEEBW4H5OrR 維尼
“You’ve been holding out.”8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡau9jD5hFAV 維尼
“Not intentionally,” Malich assured him. “I must go. Return my home to order and I will return once I’m done checking on the others.”8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡGtCOBvOQiv 維尼
Dax nodded and Malich left the room. He ordered one of the servants to take him to the Red Towers and boarded a passenger carriage.8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8WHUBMFzfp 維尼
All he could think about was the girl who’d saved him. She’d saved them all. His arrogance led to this attack and jeopardized that which he held the most dear. No one could know about her. Not until he learned more about her. It wasn’t safe. What she did tonight put her at risk. His life wasn’t worth the risk. 8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmF5rGW7Um 維尼
The ride was taking forever. He had to see her…to lay eyes on her and know she’s okay. It had been a turn since he’d taken her virtue. He knew his silence would haunt her, but he needed to solve the conflict in his own head before he could face her again. She was everything he’d ever wanted in a companion, but now that he had her, he had something to lose. He’d burn the world to the ground if anything ever happened to her and that scared him most of all. 8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2T8kw3ZfQ 維尼
Malich wondered if there had been casualties, if she’d been hurt. She didn’t look hurt, but he knew first hand she’d mastered the art of ignoring pain. All of the beatings he’d subjected her to accomplished that. She could disassociate better than any soldier he’d ever seen. If she were hurt he wouldn’t know until she collapsed.8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡBiDFMcAqwG 維尼
He kept telling himself he was checking on the others but truthfully it was Arya he wanted, no neededto check on. She once told him she’d give her life for him, and even after his silence she’d come to his rescue.8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡCywoMkO3ni 維尼
When they finally neared the Red Towers it took all of his strength not to go running into the towers. The guard detail had been tripled and fresh guards were placed outside. They quickly made way for him to enter and closed the gates behind him. His boots crunching in the gravel on the road leading to the stone stairs in front of the Red Towers, Malich schooled his features into neutrality. For one to know how much she meant to him was a death sentence for her. He didn’t want her to know either. It was safer that way.8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFkF0HumWl 維尼
“Malich,” Mekhi called to him, relief in his eyes.8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ1wwsDrKEI 維尼
“Report.”8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡjI5le98txX 維尼
“No casualties, thank Anan, but Arya…she’s…”8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4c4rsRG26M 維尼
“Where is she?” Malich cut him off.8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡcgWqj6iixh 維尼
“My chambers with the other preceptors.”8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡIKwW2pzDFW 維尼
Malich headed to Mekhi’s chambers with him in stow. “She saved us all, you know. She’s not like the others is she?” Mekhi asked, carefully examining the Majii.8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡmVe1sjbJ5o 維尼
“She’s just a girl,” Malich shrugged.8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4Yqoj94u3 維尼
Mekhi gripped him by the arm, forcing him to stop and face him. “She wields herself like a fucking God, Malich, and judging by how anxious you are to see her I’d say she fucks like one too.” Malich glared at Mekhi, confirming his suspicions. “We’re partners are we not?”8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6R5FVCwcdn 維尼
“Aye.”8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡXu32jRGCO8 維尼
“Then you need to start confiding in me. That girljust shredded through an army of a hundred men, disappearing and reappearing like a gods dammed phantom. Thankfully her cloak concealed her identity but anyone who knows her would know she’s the phantom. Whatis she?”8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1sFVNtnRZ 維尼
“I don’t know. I’ve been trying to find out ever since she made her gifts known.”8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡMydeoTgfOD 維尼
“If anyone ever gets their hands on her…”8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡrsL8eS6nqW 維尼
“Your job is to see to it that they won’t,” Malich snapped at him.8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7VbKwvtApS 維尼
They entered Mekhi’s chambers and Arya stood staring out a window, still covered in blood, a sword still in her hand. Preceptor’s Nyx, Azure, Treva, Cadmi and Cirrus all stood watch making sure to keep a careful distance.8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWfHCUqivx 維尼
“Arya,” Malich called out to her.8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjLGTHuFmE 維尼
Slowly she turned to face him. Her eyes were both murderous and pained. “They were going to kill you…I hadto,” she told him.8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhiAvc2uPW 維尼
“I know.”8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCplhrN42Q 維尼
Malich slowly approached her. Her gaze was hollow and her eyes seemed almost vacant. There was so much blood on her. Reaching down, he removed the sword from her hand and handed it to Nyx. She looked down at her hands and began to scrape at her skin with her nails. Worried, Malich placed a hand over hers to stop her.8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0y4DMigNsk 維尼
“Clear the bathhouse. I want everyone in their rooms. No one is to know her identity,” Malich ordered.8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡdTF00pv54p 維尼
Preceptor Azure nodded and exited the room to do as instructed. When Azure came back Malich took Arya’s hand and she winnowed them both into the bathhouse. A fresh pair of clothes and towels was brought to them.8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5Tw6m3mOs 維尼
Arya was unable to move so Malich bathed her, wiping her clean. He took her to her chambers when all of the blood was washed from her person and tucked her into bed as he’d done all these years. He started to leave when she stopped him, “Please…stay,” she asked. He hesitated. She needed her rest and he needed to speak with the others. This was only the first attempt by his family to destroy him, but there would be more and they needed to be ready.8964 copyright protection203ＰＥＮＡＮＡYzGHZDHfgo 維尼
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