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EVANGELINE

A pale dawn filtered through the thick, leaded glass windows, casting a pink glow across the wooden floor of Blake’s bedroom. My entire body hummed with newfound power, like an electric current was running beneath my skin.

And I wasn’t the only one. Shadows flickered beneath Blake’s skin like dark ghosts chasing the light. And Riordan…he seemed to glow, light suffusing the space around him, kissing my body with warmth.

Last night had changed everything.

The joining of our powers, the way we had connected on every level.

Blake and Riordan's magic were so tightly intertwined with my own, I couldn’t tell where mine ended and theirs began. The air was so saturated from last night’s bonding, power still sparkled in the sunlight, catching glints of the rising sun like diamonds.

They’d come back to bed at some point, my legs tangled with theirs, Riordan’s arm thrown over my stomach, nestled in a warm cocoon of velvet soft skin and soft blankets. Whatever had happened to our magic had done something to me as well.

My flames no longer felt so volatile, so out of control.

Instead, my power had settled, like a deep bottomless lake at my core, cold and dark at its depths, with a flawlessly silver surface as silver-bright as the box that used to contain it.

But no box could contain my power now.

No, my magic had taken on cosmic proportions, expanding further and wider than I dared to explore. If I’d ever craved power, I now had more than I’d ever imagined.

Perhaps more than was wise.

Blake rolled over, those soft, magical lips instantly finding the juncture of my throat and collarbone, even with his eyes still closed. Shadows raced over his skin like a storm, a darkness that almost felt alive.

“You taste like heaven,” Blake murmured against my skin, never stopping his exploring, one hand cupping my breast, his fingers rolling my hardening nipple. Every single part of me wanted this. Wanted to lay in bed all day with these two, exploring and teasing and licking and…

“We have to go after Ravok,” I sighed, setting my hand over Blake’s. “While he’s still weak. While he least expects an attack.”

Riordan was awake—watching us with hooded eyes and I wondered just how long he’d been up. “Nash is downstairs; his men are preparing to leave. If we strike fast, we’ll have the element of surprise.”

“You two,” Blake dragged his fangs up the side of my throat, “are absolutely no fun at all.”

“Do we have a plan of attack?” I asked.

“Absolutely no fun at all,” Blake growled. “Ruining a perfectly lazy morning in bed with talk of war.”

“The compound has weaknesses,” Riordan continued, combing through my hair before winding a curl around his finger. “Virgil's intel shows at least three entry points. The southeast corridor would be our best bet—minimal guard rotation, closest access to Ravok's quarters.”

My heart began racing with possibility—also from Blake’s tongue tracing a lazy trail down over my stomach. For the first time, my magic was equal to Ravok’s, and the power thrumming through my veins wasn't only mine—it was ours , transformed by what we’d shared.

That had to count for something .

“How fast can he make thralls? Like build another army?”

“Weeks, at most, but…” Riordan’s eyes darkened. “There were over two hundred of them yesterday. Which means he created those in less than a week.”

“The battle weakened him, though,” Blake pointed out, never stopping his thorough exploration of my now-quivering body. “It’ll take him time to recuperate, and the fucker can’t do both at the same time.”

Maybe Ravok had already seen what came next, maybe he knew exactly what we were planning, but this moment felt…momentous. We had to stop him, and my gut told me we were stronger together.

“We can finish this,” I breathed. “With Virgil's inside knowledge, we’ll have an edge...but only if we do this together.” I added softly, “it needs to be all four of us.”

Blake straightened immediately, tension tightening his shoulders as he pushed away from me. “No. Absolutely not.”

“Evangeline...” Riordan's voice hummed with warning.

“We need Malachi,” I insisted. “We do . His power complements ours perfectly. And…we have to find out more about that brown haired vampire, Romulus. There’s something between him and Malachi.”

“Draven can't be…” Blake growled, dark hair framing his face, eyes snapping with fury. “Look, I know you want to think the best of him, but after his lies and plotting, after almost killing you by sending you back with a magical talisman you didn’t even fucking know how to use…”

“That wasn't his fault and you know it,” I cut him off. “He made a snap decision to save me and he wasn’t a hundred percent right. Would you have rather Ravok sunk his claws into me?”

Blake blanched, then slowly shook his head. “No, that’s not what I’m saying. But taking him with us…do you really want to spend the entire time looking over your shoulder?”

Riordan and Blake exchanged a look I knew well—they were united in their opposition. But they hadn’t seen what I’d seen. They couldn’t look past their anger to see the real Malachi, the honorable male hidden beneath layers of arrogance and pride and damage. The male who wanted Ravok dead as much…no, more than we did.

I slid out from between them, my mind made up.

My shirt still stank of spent magic and the faint reek of rot, and there was blood on my jeans, but they’d have to do. I was dressed in under a minute, a perk of growing up in a military household.

“I'm going to ask him to come,” I announced, plunging my feet into my dusty boots and heading for the door. “This isn't up for debate. We need him. And deep down, even though you’d never admit it, you both know I'm right.”

“Evangeline, wait,” Riordan called after me, but I was already through the door.

Cool air hit my face as I strode through Crimson House, waving to Nash on my way past the dining hall, where he was gathered around a table with a handful of guards, and Virgil, who looked like he hadn’t slept in days.

I made a mental note to get my cousin settled once we got back, and make sure he had somewhere safe to go after this was over. I owed him, after all.

The house was empty, but…I caught the pungent hint of cedar and changed direction, heading deeper into a wing I’d never been to before. Malachi was here somewhere, and we would all face Ravok together.

Or not at all.

* * *

Following his scent, I found Malachi in a stuffy, unused library, candles burning all around him, hunched over a book, the heavy drapes pulled tight against the rising sun.

I wasn’t even sure he noticed my approach, until his breath went out in a rush. The silence grew heavier when I stopped beside him, so many questions burning in my mind.

One burning brighter than all the others.

“Tell me about Romulus,” I said quietly, his shoulders tensing at the name. “I saw what happened between you two yesterday. He was one of your friends, wasn’t he?”

I couldn’t say how I’d put that together, only that I knew that fact down to my soul, like I knew Malachi would never betray us, like I knew the moon would rise tonight and Riordan would one day have the kingdom of his dreams.

Malachi didn't respond immediately. When he finally nodded, the pain in his eyes made my breath catch. “It’s a long story.” He gestured to the window seat, and I settled beside him, waiting greedily for another glimpse behind the mask.

“We were more than friends,” he began, his voice rough with emotion. “Growing up together, we were brothers in all but blood.” His laugh was bitter. “I thought I knew him better than anyone.”

“What happened?”

“Ravok happened.” Malachi's fingers curled into fists. “We were ambushed—Romulus, Noctarian, my brother Tyberius, and me, on some shithole battlefield in Croatia. Caine only turned the strongest humans, and Rom…well, he was clever, but he wasn’t strong. Ravok would have drained him and left him in the mud. I couldn't... I didn’t let that happen.”

He drew a shaky breath. “So I knelt. Swore the binding oath to Ravok. Gave up my eternal soul to save them. I thought I was saving all of us, but instead…I fucked up.”

“You couldn’t have known,” I murmured. “But Romulus...blamed you?” I could see that. I’d been furious, after choosing death over immortality, then having my own fate decided for me.

“I…don’t know.” He spread his hands helplessly. “For the next ten years, we marched across Europe under Tyrell’s command. We fought together, saved each other's lives more times than I can count. I don’t know when everything changed.” His voice thrummed with frustration.

“He visited me, after your escape.” His eyes slid to mine, an entire conversation contained in that single glance. “Rom claimed he’s been Ravok’s thrall this entire time. But not a mindless thrall, not a slave like the others. He chose his fate.”

Malachi stood abruptly, pacing away to the opposite end of the room before turning to face me. “He has full awareness. Every decision he's made has been his own.” My heart ached, watching his face twist beneath the weight of his grief.

“What does that mean, exactly?”

Malachi’s expression only grew darker as he stared at me from across the room. “Tyberius’s death,” he whispered. “Romulus orchestrated my brother's downfall, and his execution—was all part of some plan. Ravok’s plan ,” he added, horror coloring his voice.

“Blake…your mate wasn’t…” Malachi’s throat bobbed, then he firmed his shoulders. “You were right. Your mate is faultless for what happened to my brother. Ty was sold out by someone he would have trusted, and all this time, I’ve been blaming the wrong person.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, wishing I could give him more than just words.

“The friend I sacrificed everything to protect...” His voice broke. “He betrayed us all.”

I rose, moving toward him, but he held up a hand to stop me. “I never saw this coming, Evangeline. All those years of thinking I was one step ahead and I never...” He whirled, slamming his fist against the paneled wall, wood splintering beneath his knuckles, leaving behind a smear of blood.

I remembered Ravok’s taunting words about Rhiannon and shuddered. I’d be keeping that information to myself.

“I should have known.” He looked bereft, in the center of the room, with his hollow stare and blood dripping from his hand. “Should have seen the signs something wasn’t right.”

“Malachi...” I reached for him again, and this time he didn't pull away, letting me tuck him into my arms. I stroked my fingers down his cheek, brushing his hair back. He tensed, as if he wasn’t used to someone comforting him, then closed his eyes, his lashes a dark curve against his pale cheeks.

“You couldn't have known,” I whispered. “He was your friend, you trusted him.”

“And look where trust got me.” The rage in his voice couldn't mask the grief underneath. “My brother is dead. Ravok is free. You are in danger.” He lifted his eyes to mine, and in them, I saw nothing but anguish, a powerful male laid bare as he murmured, “Ravok was a monster, that I knew, but Rom…I never had any friends, except him and Noctarian and Ty. Now I’m alone.”

“What do you want to do?” I finally asked, my heart crumbling for him as I wound my arms around his neck. Holding him like this felt…strange, but comfortable, too, and slowly, the tension ebbed out of his body, his muscles relaxing.

A cunning smile graced his lips, “I want to burn Ravok’s world down around him. I want him to pay for every evil thing he’s ever done, when he was alive, and when he was locked away. But mostly, I want him dead and Romulus along with him, if everything he told me was true.” The silence that followed was deeper than any tomb.

I didn’t know what everything entailed, but from the way his lips drew back from his fangs, from the amount of uncontrolled magic hazing the air around us, it was bad.

“Well, now’s your chance. We’re going to Sleepy Hollow to finish this.” Malachi’s head whipped up, the candlelight catching his eyes, setting them on fire. “I want you to come with us.”

Something haunted lurked behind his gaze as he pulled away. “Did you clear this with Riordan?” His lip curled back from his fangs. “ With your mate ?”

My heart hurt from the self-loathing in his voice. “ I’m asking you to come with us. I trust you, Malachi, and we’ll be stronger with you there.”

He laughed, but there was no humor there. “Trust me? I have blood on my hands that will never wash away.” He backed away slowly, one deliberate step at a time. “I've used you, hurt you, nearly killed you, for fuck’s sake. Committed acts that would make your nightmares seem tame. How can you ever trust someone like me?”

I pursued him, matching him step for step.

“Because I know you tried to protect Rhiannon.” His nostrils flared, throat working, and I regretted the word tried immediately, but pressed on. “I know you’re better than you pretend to be, and while you enjoy pretending you’re the villain, I can’t play along with your charade any more. You kept Rhiannon safe…until you couldn’t.” I shrugged. “But whatever happened wasn’t your fault, Malachi.” Please, please believe me.

“Oh, but it was. My failure. Mine . I failed her when she needed me most,” he hissed, “ I was the one who held her while she fucking died, so don’t tell me her death wasn’t my fault .”

I closed the distance between us and took his hand and looked him straight in the eye. “Then I’m glad you were with her at the end. And she would have been glad, too, she didn’t die alone. But…”

My lungs locked up, head spinning as I debated going down this path…

“Ravok got to Rhiannon. Somehow, he found her and…” His face had gone slack and I wished I could take my words back, but now it was too late. “Ravok said he poisoned her from the inside. So we repay him tenfold. We don’t stay stuck in the past, we don’t look back. We finish this. Today .”

For a moment, I wasn’t even sure he was breathing, he was so still, then he sucked in a deep, shuddering breath, his hand tightening on mine.

“You should send me away, Vicious. I’ll only get you killed, too.”

I was shaking my head, but his voice grew more urgent, “Tell me to go now, and I will, because I am incapable of disobeying you. But I will only leave on your command, because I’m also incapable of leaving you of my own volition.” His voice broke. “You cannot trust me. You shouldn’t .”

“And yet, I do.” I snagged his other hand, refusing to let him retreat again. “Because I've seen who you can become. I've watched you show mercy when cruelty would have been easier. I've seen your noble side, even when you’ve tried to hide it.”

“That doesn't erase my past.”

“No,” I agreed, “it doesn't. But it shows me you can change—if you want to.” I lifted my chin, holding his stare. “So here's my challenge to you—be the better male. Choose the right path, not because it's easy, but because it's difficult. Don't let the darkness win, because you've already proven you're stronger than Ravok, or Romulus, or any of the other monsters around you.”

His hands trembled in mine. “And if I fail?”

“Then you try again. That's what makes you different from Ravok and Tyrell and Romulus. They don't care about redemption.” I brushed my thumb over his bloody knuckles. “I trust you because you cared enough to save me. Because you cared enough about Rhiannon to keep her safe. Stop being blinded by your need for revenge and see there’s a future waiting, all you have to do is believe it’s yours.”

I searched his face. “You don’t have to be alone anymore. I know I can’t replace your brother or your friends, but if you want…” My voice trailed off, along with my courage, then I swallowed. “If you want, you could have a different family. One you chose for yourself.”

“You should give speeches for a living.”

“For the record, I hate giving speeches.” I reached up and ran my fingers down his cheek, his gaze fracturing apart, a sliver of hope replacing despair. “But for you, I’ve decided to make an exception.”

“I have to kill Romulus. And Noctarian, too, if he’s there. They can’t be left alive.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, and we will cross it together.” I wrapped my arms around him and this time, he buried his face in my shoulders, a bone-deep shudder going through him.

“She died on my watch, Vicious,” he murmured into my neck, and I tightened my embrace, the vulnerability in his confession breaking my heart. “I tried and I couldn’t…I tried and I failed and I still see her face, every time I look at you.”

“I know.” I heaved out a breath, trying to find the right words, knowing there weren’t any. “And I’m sorry, I wish we could go back in time. Make everything right.” My fingers coasted down the back of his head, stroking his braids. “I would take away all your pain, fix all your broken edges, because even though you don’t think you do…”

I tipped my head back, searched those caramel eyes, full of such catastrophic pain, then pressed a soft, chaste kiss to his lips. “You deserve love and laughter and happiness. You deserve everything , Malachi.”