Page 26 of Avidian (The Demon and the Savior #1)

Chapter Fifteen

The landscape here is starkly different, as it is in every district, I assume.

The terrain stretches out in endless, desolate plains—a sea of white broken only by the occasional jagged tree.

Snow blankets everything in a thick, unbroken layer, concealing what I imagine were once sprawling farmlands.

The horizon blurs where the Earth meets the sky, both the same cold, unyielding shade of gray.

Low-hanging clouds hover ominously, so dense and dark it feels like I could reach up and brush my fingers against them.

“This is home,” Malachi says as we turn through an open wooden gate.

I blink, taking in the scene. It looks like an old ranch sprawling across an enormous piece of land, so isolated I can’t see a neighbor in any direction.

There’s a large, weathered main house, several smaller cabins scattered about, a barn, and a stable. The entire place feels rooted in a time long gone, but it’s charming in its way.

“You live here all alone?” I ask, surprised at the sheer size of the property. It’s no mansion like Viktor’s and not a fortress compound like Marco’s, but there’s a warmth to it, even in the freezing cold.

Malachi shakes his head. “No, I don’t own the ranch, but I do call one of those cabins home.” He gestures toward a modest log house tucked further back.

We pull up in front of the largest building, which I assume is the main house. Malachi gets out and opens my door for me. I hesitate briefly then follow him up the steps. He doesn’t bother knocking and pushes the front door open like he owns the place.

The moment we step inside, I’m hit with the unmistakable smell of something baking—apple pie? It’s comforting, and I take in the cozy interior. The living room is filled with inviting couches and well-worn armchairs, and the warmth from a potbelly stove radiates through the house.

“Malachi, are you really home?” A woman’s voice catches me off guard. I turn to see a tall, athletic woman with dirty-blonde hair stride into the room. She walks right past me and wraps Malachi in a tight embrace.

“Aunt Irina,” Malachi says warmly, returning her hug. My eyes widen in shock.

“Aunt?” I whisper, but he catches it. He steps back and smirks, clearly amused.

“Katja, this is my Aunt Irina—my father and Viktor’s younger sister,” he says casually, as if this isn’t a bombshell.

I blink at him, and the full weight of the revelation settles in. The Volkov brothers have a sister? I never once heard her mentioned—not by Marco or anyone. How does she fit into all of this?

I extend my hand, forcing a polite smile. “Nice to meet you. You can call me Kat.”

Irina shakes my hand firmly, her expression warm. “It’s a pleasure, Kat. Welcome to the ranch.”

“Oh, she can call you Kat right away, but I still get shit for it?” Malachi teases, clearly enjoying himself.

I shoot him a sharp look, making it very clear I am not in the mood for jokes—not until someone explains what the hell is going on.

“Why don’t you take Kat to get settled and come fill me in on everything as soon as you can.

I’ll make some coffee. You both look exhausted,” Irina says, and I’m surprised by how kind she sounds.

Not fooled by what I’m sure is an act, I offer her a polite smile and let Malachi lead me back out to the truck.

He drives us to his cottage, which isn’t far. We could’ve walked, but with all the luggage and the snow, I can see why he chose to drive. The cottage is charming from the outside—a log cabin with a round stained-glass window centered above the front door.

“Come on, make yourself comfortable,” Malachi says as he hauls the bags inside.

I take a look around, and it’s perfect—cozy and simple. There’s a cobblestone fireplace with a large fur rug spread out in front of it, and a loveseat that makes me want to sink in with a good book. There’s also a couch, a small dining table with chairs, a breakfast nook, and a clean kitchen.

“Let me give you a quick tour,” he says, motioning for me to follow. He takes me down the hall and shows me the bathroom—nice enough.

Further down the hall, he opens the door to a bedroom. “This is my room. I can take the couch, or if you’d rather, I can find you a guest room in the main house,” he offers politely, almost too polite.

I cross my arms, raising an eyebrow. “You’re saying you’d rather be uncomfortable than share a bed with me? Wow, Malachi. That’s a real blow to my ego.”

He lets out a low chuckle, leaning against the doorframe. “Oh, don’t worry, demon. It’s not you. I assumed you’d want your own space. You know, considering how much you dislike me most of the time.”

I glance past him into the room raising an eyebrow. “What about Lana? She seemed pretty cozy with you at the party. Won’t she be upset when she hears you’re bunking with another woman for weeks?”

His jaw tightens slightly, but the flash of annoyance is quickly replaced by amusement. “There’s nothing going on with Lana. Or here for that matter. So no one has anything to worry about.”

I step into the room, spinning to face him with a sly grin. “Nothing going on here, huh? You sure about that? I mean, what if I sleepwalk and accidentally end up on your side of the bed? Or worse, snore so loudly it drives you crazy?”

He smirks, leaning into the doorway. “I’ll risk it. But if you drool on me like last time, all bets are off.”

Heat rushes to my face, and I point a finger at him. “I do not drool!”

Oh God, I did drool.

“You definitely do. But it’s not the worst thing. You’re cute when you sleep,” he says, and I can’t tell if he’s teasing or serious.

I huff and turn to the window, looking out to see the view. I can see the stables in the distance, and the large icicles hanging off the edge of the roof sparkling in the sunlight that’s trying hard to peek through the clouds.

“I guess this’ll work,” I finally say, glancing back at him over my shoulder.

“Good,” he says, the earlier tension gone. “Because it looks like you’re stuck with me, Kat. At least for a fortnight.”

I sit on the edge of the bed, sinking into the fluffy covers that practically swallow me. “Are you going to fill me in on what’s going on here?” I ask, watching him as he fiddles with the straps on one of the bags.

He looks up, brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

I roll my eyes, gesturing around us. “You live with Marco’s sister. How does that work? Is she...” I pause, unsure how to put it.

“Is she like him?” he finishes for me, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “No, she’s not like the rest of our family. She’s great—you’re going to love her.”

Something about his easy answer doesn’t sit right with me, and a quiet unease starts to creep into my chest. “Great,” I say slowly, though I’m not convinced. “I guess I’ll take your word for it.”

Malachi shifts his weight, his expression turning thoughtful. “Look, there’s a lot I could tell you, but it’ll all make way more sense if I show you.”

“Show me what?” I press, my patience already thinning.

He grins, like he knows how much this is driving me insane. “Let’s start with a cup of coffee. We’ll catch up with my aunt, and then I’ll take you to see the real operation.”

He’s being coy, and it’s irritating as hell. “You could tell me now,” I mutter, crossing my arms.

“And ruin the surprise?” He tilts his head, a knowing smirk tugging at his lips. “Trust me, it’s worth the wait.”

I huff but stand anyway. “Fine, but this coffee better be life-changing if you’re making me wait for answers.”

He chuckles, heading for the door. “Oh, you’re in for way more than coffee.”

The house is warm and inviting when we return, the scent of freshly brewed coffee filling the air as we settle down by one of the fireplaces, warm mugs in hand.

“My brothers...we’ve never agreed on what it means to lead, let alone how to treat people. Malachi found his way here because he understands something my father and brothers never could—power doesn’t have to mean cruelty,” Irina says, her voice even but weighted with history.

She takes a slow sip from her mug, glancing between me and Malachi like she’s trying to measure how much to share.

“I used to come here every summer as a kid,” Malachi adds, leaning back in his chair, his expression softening with the memory.

“Gary and Orin came too, at first. Back then, this place felt like freedom. But once they started buying into my father’s way of thinking, they stopped coming.

That’s when things changed. We were close once. ”

He pauses, a shadow crossing his face. “Eventually, I begged my father to let me stay here. He figured I was too much of a disappointment at home and hoped my aunt could knock some sense into me.” His lips quirk in a faint smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

“Little does he know...” Irina murmurs with a soft, wry laugh.

I try to piece together this family dynamic that feels both alien and too close to home. “So you help Malachi save people like me?” I ask, leaning forward. “And there’s an entire organization behind this?”

Irina places her mug down, folding her hands over her lap, her gaze steady.

“The Syndicate,” she says. “That’s who we are.

Yes, we help Avids who have been trafficked.

We find them, free them, and give them a safe place to rebuild their lives.

But that’s only part of what we do. The families—the ones like my brothers’—they’re trying to keep the world in chains, ruling through fear, control, and violence. We’re fighting to break that system.”

“You’re fighting the families? To what end?” I ask, still trying to untangle the enormity of what she’s saying.

“We want to restore democracy,” Irina says.

“A government of the people, by the people—like what existed before humanity burned the world to the ground. We want to dismantle the districts and strip the ruling families of their power. The world needs more than tyrants hoarding what’s left of it. It needs hope.”

I lean back, the idea sparking something deep in my chest. “Democracy. I remember learning about that in school, but it always felt, I don’t know, like a fairy tale or propaganda. Something unattainable.”

“It’s not unattainable. The Syndicate has scientists and strategists working tirelessly. We’re on the cusp of breakthroughs that could level the playing field. What my brothers—and others like them—fear most is losing control. That’s exactly what we’re planning to take from them.”

What she says swirls in my mind, part of me wanting to believe it possible, part of me hesitating. “And, Malachi, where do you fit into this grand plan?”

He straightens in his seat, raising his eyebrows and exhaling.

“What I do is...more specialized. My team and I handle the dirtier side of things. We infiltrate operations, gather intel, extract Avids, and remove threats when necessary. Call it deep-cover work, if you like. The Syndicate handles the big picture. We’re the scalpel they use to cut out the rot. ”

“So you’re like a special task force,” I say, starting to see the picture more clearly.

“Yes,” he says, his gaze steady. “We call ourselves Solace.”

“Solace,” I repeat. It feels almost too peaceful, too clean for what he’s describing, but then again I did call him the savior. The thought makes me want to laugh, but I refrain.

“You’re wondering why we’d choose something so…gentle sounding,” he says, catching my expression. “It’s not about being intimidating. Solace is what we offer the people we save. A way out. A second chance.”

“And how many members does the Syndicate have? And Solace?” I ask, trying to strike a balance between curiosity and caution, testing how much they’re willing to reveal.

Irina sets her mug down and leans back slightly, considering her answer.

“That’s where things get a little complicated,” she says with some discomfort.

“We have numbers in the hundreds but not thousands. It’s a tightrope to balance.

We want as many people as possible working toward the cause, but every new member is a risk.

If the wrong person joins us, it could mean the end of everything we’ve built. ”

I nod, digesting that. It makes sense, but it also makes me wonder how they’ve kept this network hidden for so long.

Irina stands, smoothing down her sweater. “I still have a lot of work to do today, but something tells me you’ll have more questions for me later.” She smiles warmly, but something about it leaves me unsettled.

“Why do you say that?” I ask, setting my empty mug on the table and rising to my feet.

“You’ll see,” she says, a knowing glint in her eye before she collects our mugs and disappears into the kitchen.

I glance at Malachi, crossing my arms. “Well, that was...cryptic. I don’t think I’ve ever been told so much information so openly and yet still felt like I’m missing something huge. What’s with all the mystery?”

Malachi shrugs, an amused smile tugging at his lips. “It’s better if I show you. You’ll understand why it’s not something we can explain once you see it for yourself.”

“What are you going to show me?”

He tilts his head toward the door. “Get your coat. You’ll see soon enough.”