Page 34 of Malice: The Mate Games (Apocalypse #3)

Chapter

Twenty-Seven

MERRI

T he sky was still on fucking fire. It was cool at first, kind of like seeing the northern lights, but now? Now it was nothing more than a sign the world was ending and I hadn’t done a damn thing to stop it.

I mean, logically, I recognized that I was only one person, and there was only so much I could do anyway. But also, I was the one with the fancy fucking womb and magic bloodline, so forgive me for feeling personally responsible.

Letting out a little huff of annoyance, I continued tromping up the path that led from the main house to Christian’s cottage.

I hadn’t had a reason to venture out this way yet, but he’d moved back in a couple of days ago, so I wanted to check and see how he was faring.

Luckily, the flowers I’d risked my life foraging for had been exactly what he’d needed to brew his healing potion or whatever.

He’d needed a few days, but the man was mostly back to his usual self, if slightly altered personality-wise.

He smiled less these days. Was a little less flirtatious.

But who could blame him? He’d been on death’s door. That would subdue anyone.

Knocking on the heavy wooden door, I waited for him to answer, nervous I was disturbing him.

The door swung open and there he was, complexion healthy, smiling, but eyes still slightly dull. That might never leave him. Trauma changes you, and never in a good way.

“Ah, mademoiselle, to what do I owe this pleasure?”

“I just came to check on you. The house seems emptier now that you’ve gone home.”

He grinned, moving out of the doorway and gesturing for me to enter. “Come in, come in. This is such a welcome surprise. Would you care for something to eat? A drink, perhaps?”

Glancing around the cozy space, I took in everything there was to see.

And by everything, I meant everything . The stone walls were lined with shelves, and dried herbs and flowers hung from the ceiling beams. Everywhere I looked, there were crystals, half-melted candles, pots, and vials.

It was cottagecore chic, and I was more than a little jealous.

“You’re living my bog witch fantasy, Christian.”

He chuckled. “Comes with the territory, I’m afraid. Though I supposed if I lived among a coven, the herbs and other spell materials wouldn’t be kept in my house.”

“I guess kitchen witch is more apt, now that I think of it.”

“I accept. Now, please have a seat. I’ll make us some tea. I was just about to prepare some for myself, and I much prefer not to drink alone.”

I sat in the overstuffed armchair that was positioned near the hearth, watching as he moved around the tiny but clean kitchen. While the cottage was crammed full of his belongings and supplies, there wasn’t a speck of dirt or actual clutter. Everything clearly had a place.

“So how are you holding up, mademoiselle?” he called over his shoulder as he pulled two teacups out of a cupboard.

Sighing, I considered exactly how much information I should give him. Probably nothing, but he was as in this as anyone else.

“It’s not great. Especially after the ward thing. I really messed up when I fell through.”

He shook his head as he filled the kettle with water and then began heating it. “That wasn’t your fault. If anyone should be upset, it’s me. I sent you on that mission.”

“And I was the clumsy idiot who triggered a mudslide.” I waved my hand in dismissal. “It’s fine. But the worry I caused them, then the attack... it just brought all of this forward about a million steps. Time is of the essence, and I’m frustrated.”

He shot me an inquisitive glance. “Frustrated? That’s an interesting word choice.”

“How do you figure?”

“Well, I could understand if you were to say you felt anxious or scared. The world is on the brink of collapse, so those both make sense. But frustrated? That does not seem to fit the situation.”

Well, when he put it that way, the man might have a point.

“Trust me. It does. You just don’t have all the puzzle pieces.”

Curiosity sparked in his eyes as he let my words sink in. “And... are you willing to give me any of them?”

“I’m not sure I can.”

The kettle whistled, pulling his attention from me and breaking the tense moment.

He turned away and prepared our tea with a practiced grace.

I wasn’t sure if Christian was going to push the issue of this conversation or if he’d let it go, and honestly, I didn’t know which one I wanted.

Carrying this around was weighing on me, and the horsemen were so close to all of it I couldn’t really unburden myself to them.

Handing me a delicate cup and saucer before he sat across from me with his own, he offered a sympathetic smile. “Does this have anything to do with what I shared with you earlier? About their... contest?”

With everything that happened in the last week, I’d almost forgotten Christian was the one who spilled the beans. He’d risked a lot to tell me what he’d overheard. Just because I couldn’t tell him everything didn’t mean I couldn’t trust him at all.

“Yes,” I said, eyeing him over my cup as I blew on the steamy surface.

“I see. So you are a willing participant now?”

I blushed. “You could say that.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“I’m worried none of them will be successful.”

“What a curious time to want to get with child.”

He wasn’t wrong. But only because he didn’t understand the finer points of my situation.

I took a sip of my tea and then set down my cup, hands clasped in my lap as I lifted my gaze back to his. “It’s extremely important that I get pregnant, Christian. I can’t tell you why, but I need you to trust me on this.”

A series of emotions washed across his face. First curiosity, then concern, and finally a somberness I was certain matched my own.

“Then I will help you.”

Uh, what?

“I appreciate the offer, but the rotation is pretty full right now.”

His cheeks went pink, and he spluttered on his tea. “No, no. Not like that. I can make you a potion to aid in fertility. My mother taught it to me. She was a powerful witch and served as our village’s midwife until her death.”

I tamped down the bloom of hope that had sprung at his words. “And this potion, it works on, um, not human people?”

“Why would I offer otherwise?” he asked, looking adorably confused.

I really appreciated that he took me at face value instead of slapping back with something condescending or mansplainy. Christian was a rare gem.

“Any side effects?”

“I would prepare for an increase in libido. But... I would not say that’s typically a problem most complain about.”

Now it was my turn to blush. “Right. Probably not.”

I sipped my tea and let the floral flavor blossom on my tongue.

Help wouldn’t be a bad thing. Especially not with Lucifer so eager to find a way to beat the horsemen to the punch.

Not even my mind was a safe place for me right now.

It wouldn’t be until I was pregnant, and if I was going to have a baby with anyone, it would be one of the four of them. Not the king of hell.

“Can I get back to you on your offer?”

“But of course. It will take me a few hours to gather the ingredients and prepare the potion. I could have it available to you by this evening, if you so choose.”

“Good to know. Thanks, Christian.”

“Happy to help. It is what I’m here for, and I do love feeling useful. It’s so rare the chateau has guests.”

“It must be lonely out here all by yourself.” I was familiar with isolation, but at least I’d had Auntie Lilith to talk to every day.

He shrugged. “I get by.”

Now this was the tea I was interested in. “Does that mean there’s a Mrs. or Mr. Christian somewhere?”

He smirked. “Not at the moment. I’m a fairly solita?—”

A soft chime preceded a soft violet light in the far corner of the room.

“ Mon Dieu! ” Christian jumped to his feet, tea splashing out of his cup as he hastily set it down.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s an emergency alert.”

“Like a bomb siren?”

He froze and glanced back at me. “Your mind is a very strange thing.”

“You said it was an emergency.”

Rushing to the spot where the light originated from, he snatched up an old leather-bound book and opened it.

The light was so much brighter now, beaming up to the ceiling.

A disembodied voice filled the room, unfortunately all in rapid-fire French, which I did not understand.

Magic was pretty damn cool, and now that the grid was down, extremely useful.

When he closed the book, his face was pale and drawn.

“What was that?” I whispered.

“The Great Barrier Reef has died all at once. It has washed ashore along with the bones of thousands of sharks and other sea life. The ocean is nothing more than acid, eating through the hulls of ships and killing everything it touches.”

“Shit,” I murmured, dread collecting in my belly like a stone. It must be the sixth Prince. Every time one was released, there was a terrible natural disaster.

I stood so fast my chair nearly fell over.

“Mademoiselle?”

“Thank you, Christian. I have to go. I need to let the others know.”