For many cycles he’d imagined what being with her would be like. The touch of her skin…the way she smelled…the way she felt. None of it came even remotely close to the reality. He could still smell her on his fingers.8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡgaHT7VvLux 維尼
“Have you gone mad?” Mekhi storms into Malich’s office.8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbPxiOE3FO 維尼
“Not since I last checked.”8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkyeqPKwhw 維尼
“I asked you to do one thing Malich, one thing!”8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrxwBXBfyL 維尼
“Am I missing something? Has she fled?”8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡm22XWQI8hU 維尼
“No.”8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡKom1HNyIVr 維尼
“Complained?”8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWpkfHa917 維尼
“No.”8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1ZCxIRVFG 維尼
“Then I’m not understanding what the problem is.”8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡhsHTs0AGph 維尼
“You cannot be her employer andher lover,” Mekhi argued.8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡQyStjgeH9O 維尼
“I don’t plan on it, but it has to be her choice and I cannot push her or she’ll run.”8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7h68Mxq17Q 維尼
Mouth agape, Mekhi eyes him incredulously. “And if she doesn’t choose you?”8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHjqlA2A2S 維尼
Malich levels Mekhi with a glare. He never sets out to acquire something he isn’t sure he can have. “Have faith brother.” 8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQtH8KGYiO 維尼
Sighing, Mekhi continues his tirade, “Is she worth everythingwe’ve built?” 8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡIv0HjJFvPR 維尼
Malich nods, “And more.”8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07sLC5FfUI 維尼
“Does she know what you’ve done?” Mekhi asks.8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1eDtLEXdC 維尼
“She will when the time is right,” Malich waves him off.8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡyY2W1sYU2p 維尼
“Cadmi informs me you asked her to graduate our young assassin. Are you sure that’s what you want? Once she finds out…”8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfuUaHdmDW 維尼
“She’ll want blood, yes, but she won’t harm me.”8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡHSMGE80s42 維尼
“I hope you know what you’re doing. You’re playing with fire brother and if I must be the voice of reason than so be it...this is unwise.”8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡtpdI5x2Jbh 維尼
“Your concern is noted.”8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3aL5MnzR7R 維尼
Inclining his head to Malich, who returns the gesture, Mekhi excuses himself from the room. Dax enters a moment later and he too has a grave look in his eyes. He’d been eavesdropping on Malich’s conversation with Mekhi. “Let me guess, you disapprove,” Malich sighs.8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKzM7zFbR6 維尼
“Forgive me Majii, but…Arya is a weapon. She’d serve better as a weapon than she would your mistress. Also, dismissing your protective detail and allowing yourself to be vulnerable with her isn’t a very wise thing to do,” he sighs.8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1dVIT8jXPJ 維尼
“Perhaps.” 8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDrpMhPRoC 維尼
“Arokin has arrived, shall I show him in?”8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡedzLLiYjem 維尼
Malich nods and Dax disappears out into the hall. Lifting his fingers to his lips Malich takes in her scent one last time before Arokin sits across from him. They both dismiss their protective detail, opting to speak alone.8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzT2rGVMo4 維尼
“Brother,” Arokin nods. 8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡYh416sFSRT 維尼
“Brother,” Malich nods back.8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡhH1a3UJv6d 維尼
Arokin is an inch shorter with a smaller frame, but still just as powerful as Malich. He has the same dark hair set in short waves atop his head and his eyes are also an icy blue. He’s wearing a fortune in jewels adorning his fingers, a hand stitched sleeveless navy waistcoat with gold embroidery that included the Jarrah house royal crest in front. He wore black breeches, a white tunic, and an overcoat also embroidered with rich golden thread. 8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbMdpDEnmG 維尼
Arokin is the only brother out of seven that keeps in touch with him. He must’ve drawn the short end of that stick. Usually when he stops by or graces Malich with his presence its to have someone killed. This time isn’t any different, but the target he wants dead is very high profile. “A target of this magnitude would start a war.”8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0scWtIjTgF 維尼
“Indeed, but a necessary one.”8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54u9onZxbe 維尼
“I’m not in the business of starting wars Arokin, I end them.”8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡ799vplNhFM 維尼
“You’re a criminal running a criminal organization that we allow to exist because of your particular expertise,” Arokin glares at him, “you do as we permit.”8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡXc133UKDXx 維尼
“That may have been true once upon a time, but I’m my own man these days. Threaten me again and you’ll leave here with fewer limbs than you came with. The family holds no sway here.”8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡb56Q4rESFQ 維尼
Arokin clapped his hands, amusement in his eyes that quickly vanishes in the blink of an eye. “Do not fuck with me Malich, you won’t like the outcome,” he continues with his threats. “Take the payment before I reconsider.”8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡYopA1B1UlU 維尼
Malich slid his eyes to the coin purse before him. It’s just like his family to expect him to compromise his beliefs and fall in line with what they wanted simply because they wish it. Taking their money would go against everything he stood for. Not taking it would certainly mean trouble.8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡo67i7gZOow 維尼
Framed by his older brother Kahlem for the unlawful slaughter of a sacred village, Malich was banished from his kingdom by his father along with Mekhi, his trainer. He was all of fifteen cycles. It was no secret that Malich was his father’s favorite, rumored to inherit the throne once he became of age, but Kahlem had other plans. He plotted to remove Malich from his fathers favor and once it was accomplished, he turned Malich’s family against him. Kahlem was named heir to the Jarrah throne and Malich was forgotten. He and Mekhi became thieves in order to survive and were apprehended trying to steal horses. They were sentenced to work in the Jarrah mines until their bodies gave out and they dropped dead, but after a cycle they escaped. 8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡTf71YhAqmC 維尼
Rather than theft, they turned to being soldiers of fortune and fled to the Redlands. The Redlands was unruly with no government and no order. It was the perfect place for criminals to hideout; only Malich saw a bigger opportunity. He’d always been ambitious. It was one of the qualities his father admired most about him. He knew if he could bring order to a world that had none, he could control it. 8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3y5P4wa2Uh 維尼
He laid out his plan for Mekhi and together they created the Red Legion. It started out with just the two of them, but quickly grew in numbers. The more the Red Legion grew, the more notoriety they acquired. Soon, every one from the old and new Gods to the Fae knew of the threat the Red Legion posed. Some sought to ally themselves with the Red Legion, but when his family realized exactly who ran this rising threat they saw an opportunity to control it.8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7MATxjyAr 維尼
At the time, the Jarrah army outnumbered the Red Legion by tens of thousands. Malich and Mekhi had no choice but to submit or watch his family annihilate everything they’ve built. That is no longer the case, but Kahlem, who took over once their father had fallen ill, still hopes to maintain that control. 8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiHq34cTGb 維尼
“Tell Kahlem his charge is rejected. Here we have a code and we honor that code. We do not kill children, depending on the offense we do not kill women, and we do notstart wars,” Malich denied his request.8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡwK7MTGjHoP 維尼
“You just did,” Arokin tosses the charge on the desk in front of him, “If I were you I’d change my mind. You’re outnumbered, outwitted, and several steps behind should you choose to go this path.”8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGrDPYniRh 維尼
“I control one of the most dangerous assassin houses within the planes. If my family should be foolish enough to make an attempt on my life, I have two words for you…don’t miss.”8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgU3csVTgh 維尼
Arokin’s temples flare and he storms out of Malich’s office. Dax enters with questions in his eyes. “Increase security and if there’s an attempt on my life, the next time Arokin shows up, if he’s stupid enough to show his face around here, I want him shackled and thrown in a cell,” Malich ordered.8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWXm2lFedr 維尼
“Majii?” Dax asks, hoping for answers.8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡPRXflwSwsV 維尼
“Just do as you’re told, and when I’m done, I want this sent to Mekhi.”8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfndpycgHC 維尼
Malich reached into his desk, grabbed an ink pen and paper, and wrote a message to Mekhi to be delivered immediately. He wanted everyone on alert in case his family attempted to retaliate.8964 copyright protection300ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1t4LAJqIj9 維尼
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