Empyreal, Book 1

Chapter 20

The soft candlelight flickered across Sarah's delicate features as she enthusiastically discussed floral arrangements. Malachi nodded along, feigning interest. His mind wandered until - a sharp pain shot through his skull. The pendant! Someone's taken it.

Malachi jerked upright, his chair screeching against the stone floor. Sarah's mouth froze mid-word.

"I have to go," Malachi declared through gritted teeth. He swept toward the arched doorway, his pulse thrumming loudly in his ears. Someone had dared trespass on his domain.

They would pay dearly for such insolence.

Sarah sat motionless, candlelight dancing in her wide eyes. The half-eaten meal lay forgotten on the table. She shivered despite the roaring fire, hugging her arms around her slender frame. Malachi's abrupt departure left her uneasy. She pondered his cryptic words, wondering what urgent matter pulled him away so suddenly into the moonless night.

Sarah slowly rose from her seat, the scraping of the chair cutting through the silence. She hesitated, unsure whether to follow Malachi into the darkness. Curiosity warred with apprehension within her.

"Wait," she called out, her voice echoing faintly off the stone walls. "I want to come with you."

Malachi paused at the doorway, his tall silhouette black against the night sky. He turned, showing a faint smile that played in his eyes in the firelight.

"It's too dangerous," he said sternly. "I don't know who broke into the cottage, but they're still there."

Sarah recoiled slightly at his sharp tone, intimidated by the barely contained fury emanating from him. But she stood her ground, her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

"We're connected now, aren't we?" she replied, willing her voice not to shake. "Let me help."

She held her breath, heart pounding as she awaited his response. The elongated shadows flickered menacingly on the walls, keeping time with the sputtering candles. Sarah shivered again, but not from the cold.

Sarah walked slowly over to Malachi, her footsteps echoing in the vast chamber. She reached out and gently placed her hands on his chest, feeling his warmth beneath the rough fabric of his tunic. Looking up into his magnetic eyes, she gave him a faint, reassuring smile.

"We're bonded now, you and I," she murmured. "Partners. Let me stand with you against whatever darkness we face."

Malachi gazed down at her, his expression unreadable. For a long moment he said nothing, the firelight danced across his chiseled features. Sarah held her breath, willing him to understand. To trust in their connection.

Finally Malachi sighed, the tension in his posture easing ever so slightly. "Your courage continues to surprise me," he said quietly. "But I don't know who's out there."

Sarah lifted her chin. "Then we will face it together," she insisted.

Malachi studied her a moment longer, as if weighing her resolve. Then, slowly, he nodded.

"Stay close to me," he instructed, turning towards the door.

Sarah followed Malachi into the stables, her feet crunching on the frozen ground. He moved with purpose, his dark cloak billowing behind him as he strode to his horse's stall.

Shadow's dark coat sparkled in the lantern light as Malachi readied the saddle.

Sarah shivered, her breath fogging the air. She pulled on her riding boots and coat with numb fingers. The leather chilled her skin. As she inhaled the night's icy air, smoke wisped from her lips.