Page 32 of Of Blackened Blood (The Blackened Blade #3)

EZRA

M icai, Annex, Mallyn, Creed, and I make our way down the long, dark lane-way and toward the safe house we have situated in Crayne City. It’s about three towns away from the academy and in the opposite direction of Rune City.

Its population is just as big and bustling as the trendy nightclub city but with more of a business and residential set-up. And the perfect place to have a hidden safe house.

We make our way toward our building, nestled between two smaller warehouses we’ve thoroughly checked out. The area around us is void of any cars or people as we get nearer. Just how we like it.

Our safe house looks like any of the other warehouses around it from the outside, even having an old, faded company sign outside for cover.

There is a clear and visible view of the area and buildings around us, so we can keep a hawk’s eye on the space and defend thoroughly if needed.

It is one of our smaller places and is a little less magically spelled than the others. But that’s how Erving likes it.

He preferred to add his own magi-tech to it while he was staying inside, stating that his system set-up would work and protect it better than our spells could. Annex took great pleasure in pointing out that “ it didn’t help much during the attack on his own place .”

That soured Erving’s mood for a while, and he conceded to us placing a few protective spells around the building for safety’s sake.

We put some of our usual defence spells and illusionary magic on the safe house, casting them outside and around the surrounding area to dissuade those passing by and keep them moving; it kept prying eyes and wandering humans from coming too close. And seeing too much.

I roll my neck as Creed continues to drone on about “protocol,” giving Micai a rundown about the building and the subordinates we keep inside. To my surprise, she seems to be listening, and more intently than I thought she would be to Creed.

Creed and I had been going through our contacts every day, reaching out to only our closest or most trusted subordinates for information on any strange movements in the shadows, and have come up with nothing so far.

So Erving was our best bet right now for information.

We had organised this meet up with Erving a few days ago as a group, wanting to discuss what he had been investigating before his attack.

We sent the rest of our subordinates in the safe house out on patrol so we could talk more openly, only two of our most loyal and longest helping subordinates were allowed to stay, Silas and Luche.

I hope Erving is able to give us some answers because it felt like we were scraping a stoney surface but not making so much as a dent, only becoming more and more frustrated with the lack of information with each passing day.

How is it possible that such a group is completely unknown to the world? How has it stayed so well hidden?

But there was a reason Erving’s place was attacked by them, and why they tried to grab him. And it’s about time we found out why.

What was he was looking into, and what had he found out that made them come for him? We’ll know by the end of the night.

Creed’s detailed instructions continue to drag on as my frustration builds.

I had to run back and forth throughout the week between the academy and the abattoir, attending shitty and boring classes and running errands for the group. It hasn’t left me a lot of time to spend with Micai. My beautiful and extraordinary Mate.

She only woke up recently from an attack, awakening a new power inside her, while also recognising our Mate bond. There was so much to do and unpack with all of it.

And the revelation about what that hellish bracelet was doing to her ... the blood in my veins turns to ice with the thought.

I clench my fists. I’ve been haunted with nightmares ever since.

Glancing toward Micai, my thoughts become more restless. We could have lost her ... if we hadn’t met?—

I shake the words from my mind. I couldn’t go there. Not right now.

I need to keep myself calm and wipe the emotion and pain wanting to eat away at me.

Think only happy thoughts.

She’s here with me now. And my brothers and I will never allow anyone or anything to hurt her again.

My memory turns to the day she finally realised that we’re Mates, and I can’t get the look of pure love and joy on her face that day from my mind.

A warmth swells up inside of me with the thought. And as if she can feel it too, she turns around, glancing my way as a soft smile stretches her lips.

I am one lucky man.

I must have saved an island full of people in a previous life to be blessed with a Mate like Micai.

My eyes watch on as she laughs at something Annex has said, her smile making my own widen.

Why the hell does someone so beautiful, so genuine, so strong and kind have to suffer a life with a demonic half-sibling like hers? Why the hell did my Mate have to suffer under that evil bitch for as long as she did?

We’ve been keeping a close eye on her demented half-sister, Seria, and having our people watch her at all times in and out of the academy since she returned.

The mention of her name alone makes me feel instant disgust, and my irritation begins to rise again.

I never liked the way she looked at me before, but now ... if I had it my way, she would suffer unspeakable things at the hands of me and my brothers. “Torture” would be child’s play for what I had in mind for her. She deserves only the worst .

But currently we can’t make her pay until we get our answers. And as expected, she hasn’t made any inconspicuous moves. Yet.

It was only the first week back though. She would have to be really stupid to try anything so soon.

But I won’t take any chances with her either. Micai’s safety will always be my first priority.

I watch on as Annex tries to grab Micai playfully by the waist, with Micai stealthily dodging and smirking victoriously his way. It has a small chuckle falling from my lips before it fades into a wearier sigh.

The worst part of this whole damn week was that due to all the surveillance on her half-sibling and work for the group, I was only able to spend one night beside Micai.

I glance at her back as we move toward the building’s door, Micai sandwiched between Mallyn and Annex as Creed takes point place.

A small laugh leaves her lips with whatever Mallyn has said while Creed undoes all the magical barriers on the door.

Her smile makes my own grow again while watching the comfort and ease she has between my two brothers, and in turn, watching their joy just by being beside her.

Micai had also told me a few days ago about a run-in she had with one of her old childhood friends, Knox. She said he seemed conflicted and had asked her for help.

I’m not happy about it, especially since I can tell there was more than just friendship there in the past. It’s obvious in the looks he gives her, ones that linger too long sometimes, and the glint of hope that seems to surface when they talk even briefly. But they fucked up badly and hurt Micai.

Either way, it looks like whatever that demonic snake did, it’s taken its hold on his mind. Micai not wearing that soul-sucking bracelet must have weakened the bitch’s power or hold over them all.

I guess some small part of me pities him. Maybe we can help Knox and find the answers we need too.

Micai won’t be going alone to meet him though. I’m not taking any risks with my Mate, and I trust no one but my brothers.

I follow closely behind Micai as she enters, watching as her eyes widen the further we go into the safe house. The space inside is about half the size of the abattoir’s main area but with a lot more modern design features than the old fighting space.

The interior layout is also quite open, with high ceilings and modern drop lighting.

The roof to the centre of the building above us is also made of glass but spelled to look like a normal warehouse roof.

It allows for a lot more natural lighting in the space, making it seem even bigger. And is also spelled with defence magic.

A dark oak floor is set below us with two metal staircases leading to the first floor on each side of the wall, and a large modern kitchen sits at its centre.

The kitchen is set with white marble and light wooden tones, with a large island countertop in the middle and white leather high-top chairs surrounding it.

Luche is one of the guards we’ve placed beside Erving, and he’s decorated the open living room-come-kitchen with large, lush plants and rich foliage in every corner.

Micai’s eyes flicker back and forth, a curious and awed look playing in her gaze. How is something this small such a wonder to my Mate?

She deserves a place a hundred times as big and filled with everything she could ever want or think of. Something my brothers and I will happily work toward until she gets.

Luche makes his way down the metal-wrought staircase after hearing our arrival, with Silas following soon after him.

Micai stiffens slightly with the appearance of Silas, one of our female subordinates and a strong wolf shifter. She has an intimidating aura about her with her crimson-red hair, tall stature, and old scars that trail down her jaw and neck from fighting.

She’s strong, and ruthless to her enemies, but loyal to the bone when it comes to her comrades. She’s honed herself into a force to be reckoned with, her past demanding it, and carved a spot at the top of our most trusted subordinates.

Silas spots Micai, and her brown eyes widen a fraction before she quickly schools it. She makes her way down with Luche and he begins to fill Creed in on the day’s report. But Silas’s gaze keeps flickering toward Micai beside me.

Did she hear about Micai from Luche?

We’ve never let anyone else inside our safe houses other than our subordinates, so I understand the curiosity.

But I don’t think that that’s all it is as she gazes toward Micai. There’s a small bright gleam in her eyes as she watches my Mate.