Immortal Souls (The Immortal Souls: Magic & Chaos)

Chapter 28

The voice on the other end of the line went suddenly silent, while the warlock was halfway through giving his report on the latest incident with Sam. Kraven pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at the screen for a moment, checking if the issue was with the device or with the person on the other end of the line.

The little screen was still bright and clearly displayed that the call was still active. With a frown, Kraven place the phone back to his ear and listened carefully. There were very minimal noises from the other end, just white noise really.

Then a very loud crash.

At the sound of the crash, Kraven hung up the phone, ending the call.

With a sigh he threw the phone to the table. Malachi looked to the phone, the turned his curious eyes in his direction. He didn't ask what had happened, he didn't need to the question was obvious on his face.

Kraven pushed himself to his feet. "We've been attacked," he stated, moving towards the exit.

Malachi stood quickly and followed. "Attacked? By who? Where?"

"The surveillance base, just outside of that town where the Witch girl lives."

Malachi let a heavy sigh. "Was it her?" he asked, though the tone of his voice suggested that even if Kraven had claimed that it had been the girl, Malachi wouldn't have believed him.

Kraven just shrugged, walking through the tunnels to where there were portals that they could use to travel to the surface. "It could have been, we'll have to check the tapes when we get there."

When they came to the portals Kraven placed his hand on the runes that were etched into the stone walls, activating one of the portals. In his mind he envisioned the location that he wished to travel to. Once the image was clear in his mind, he nodded his head towards it, indicating to Malachi that it was now safe to step through.

He did with no hesitation.

Once Malachi had disappeared through the portal, Kraven followed. The opening closing behind him once his feet touched off the wooden floors of their surveillance cabin.

The place was a mess. The floors, walls and a lot of the furniture were covered in blood. Spatters of it on the walls and ceiling and pools of it on the floor around the dead men.

Kraven stepped over one of the bodies and looked towards the window. Outside he saw a man—well, he was boy really, too young in appearance to be considered anything but.

Though it wasn't the boy's youth that caused his heart to hammer rapidly against his ribs.

No, it was the face.

That face.

The boy ran away swiflty, making his way into the woods and completely disappeared within the trees.

Kraven turned sharply to see if Malachi had seen him, and was deeply grateful to find that Malachi was not even in the room.

He had stepped through the giant gaping hole in the wall and stepped into the kitchen. His back to the window, so surely he hadn't seen.

Trying as hard as possible to hide his panic and fear, he rushed from the room to where Malachi stood. "You need to leave," Kraven stated.

Malachi looked up at him from his place on the floor by the third body, his expression confused. "What . . . why?"

Kraven huffed in annoyance. Malachi was the only member of their society who ever dared to question him, who never just did as he was told. So, knowing an outrageous comment would be the only way to get him out of here, he said, "I'm moving you back to recruitment."

Malachi's expression turned to one of indignation, and he stood gazing at Kraven in disbelief, his lips parted as though he would speak but couldn't think of the words.

"This girl just became too dangerous, so for now, I'm moving you back to recruitment. Get out of here, now."

"But you can't do that! This . . . this is my job. You promised I could be in charge of this one!"

"Malachi!" Kraven shouted. The other man just stared at him. "What I've said is an order. Now go home."

With a glare, Malachi turned and stormed off, taking the portal home without speaking a word. Only taking time to look in Kraven's direction with the expression of someone who had been betrayed.

Kraven let a sigh of relief when Malachi was gone. He was angry now, but anger over this little disagreement was something that he would get over quite quickly. Within a week they would once again be on speaking terms.

However, if Malachi found out about him.

That he was alive, that he was here, and most importantly what Kraven had done to him all those years ago . . . that was one thing he would not be forgiven for.

So he searched the base for thesecurity tapes, and kept hold of them. Knowing that the only other piece ofevidence he had left to get rid of was the boy who should have been dead.