Chapter 3
Malachi awoke the next morning to find he lay in the garden where he had fallen asleep. He raised his head, half-expecting to see Emle waiting for him to awaken, but the garden was empty and still. It was early yet; the sun only just risen.
For the moment, at least, the bond was quiet, allowing him to believe that he was alone.
He shifted shape, his breath catching in his throat at the suddenness of the change, and sat with his knees drawn up against his chest, facing the house.
For ten years, he had not allowed himself to think about the future. He had existed in the present; a Hound, nothing more, pretending that he did not care what would happen once the Council's binding ceased. It was easier that way. The only alternative was madness.
Malachi closed his eyes and felt the garden around him--the thick dew on the grass; the smell of the flowers. His feet--his skin, in truth--were cold and clammy, but he welcomed such sensation after so long as a Hound.
The question he did not dare to ask aloud rose up in his mind: How long would this last? Gabriel had only given them a year and some months until Josiah's disappearance had ruined everything. How long would this small freedom last this time?
He made up his mind right then and there to find a way to die if Gabriel forced him into the form of a Hound again. He could not bear it any other way.
When Malachi opened his eyes, Eri stood in front of him, waiting quietly until he noticed her with her hands behind her back. He stared at her for a moment, not speaking--not sure what to say.
"Mama made breakfast," she said softly. "If you want some." Before he could reply--refuse, in truth--she brought a plate out from behind her back--a plate filled with toast and scrambled eggs and a small pot of jam. There was bacon, too, and a slice of thick ham.
The smell alone was a testament to how far he had fallen; in any other instance, he would have smelled the food--and Eri, for that matter--the second she set foot into the garden.
"I--" What was he going to tell her? That he wasn't hungry? He sat, frozen with indecision as she carefully set the plate and its attending utensils on the ground. She had a mug, too, filled with steaming tea.
"I didn't want to bother you," she said gravely. "But I thought you might be hungry, and Papa said I could bring you some food."
Papa. Only Eri could call Gabriel that without it sounding the least bit ridiculous.
Malachi tried to collect his thoughts enough for speech. "Thank you."
Eri did not look convinced. "You can eat inside if you want to. I--Papa said you wouldn't come even if I asked."
For a moment, Malachi didn't know what to say. He wanted to refuse; to stand up and march inside, but he couldn't muster up enough courage. "He--He was right. I don't think I'm quite ready for that yet."
Eri nodded. "Do you need anything else?"
Malachi shook his head. "No. I'll be fine. Thank you." And now, despite the tension, his stomach rumbled, reminding him that either as a Hound or a human, he had to eat.
As soon as she had vanished back into the house, he did eat, savoring every bite and washing it down with scalding hot tea. When his plate was empty, he leaned back against the tree trunk, closed his eyes, and tried not to allow the hard knot of anxiety that had crept into his stomach ruin his breakfast.
"Malachi?"
This time, the voice belonged to Emle. When he opened his eyes, he saw that she stood not fifteen feet away, wearing an outfit fit for traveling; a simple skirt and a sensible top that hung loosely to accommodate her stomach. She had braided her hair, too, to keep it out of harm's way.
"I'm ready if you are," she continued as soon as she knew she had his attention. "Gabriel said if we left now, we should be back long before dark."
Malachi scrambled to his feet before the fear could rise to choke him again. "I'm ready."
Emle frowned. "You need a pair of shoes before we go," she said. "I don't think--"
"It's okay," Malachi said, glancing at the house. The bond was quiet, but was his Master listening? "I'm fine."
When she looked like she would protest, he dared to lay his hand on her arm. "It's okay."
In truth, he hadn't thought much past their imminent departure. He had never tried to walk through the forest barefoot before, but Emle didn't need to know that.
She still looked doubtful, so he tried to smile. "I am a Hound, milady."
"Yes, but--"
"It's okay."
No one met them as they passed through the house, but Gabriel's presence was thick upon everything, a brooding silence that preyed upon Malachi's nerves. But they reached the cave unchallenged, and Malachi breathed a sigh of relief as soon as Emle closed the door.
"Did you think he would prevent us from leaving?" Emle asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.
"I thought he might," Malachi said, mesmerized by the sight of Nathaniel, sitting alone at the mouth of the cave.
In human form.
Gabriel had cut his hair, and he wore a pair of well-patched pants and a soft cotton shirt. His feet were bare, and he sat with his knees drawn up to his chest, just like Malachi had been sitting a mere hour before.
Nathaniel glanced back, then scrambled to his feet. "Malachi. Milady. I apologize--I did not hear your approach."
At any other time, that would have been extraordinary, but Malachi knew exactly how Nathaniel felt.
"And you are--?" Emle's voice cracked.
"My name is Nathaniel." Our Master is with the others now, he said through the bond.
Malachi closed his eyes. Gabriel had kept his promise. And that made his task--bringing Emle back unharmed--all the more important.
"If I had known--" Emle's voice trailed away, as if she realized that she couldn't have done a thing if she had known.
Nathaniel smiled. "We are his Hounds, milady."
"That's what Malachi said."
"He spoke the truth."
Emle sighed. "I'm not sure I understand."
Malachi opened his eyes. "We should go."
For a moment, Emle looked as if she wanted to refuse; to put this errand off for another day. As if she sensed--somehow--how important her life had just become. But then she nodded, unspeaking, and walked out of the cave.
Nathaniel caught Malachi's arm as he walked past. "Keep her safe," he said with a quiet intensity that made Malachi realize that the others would be just as likely to tear him apart if something were to happen and they were forced to be Hounds again.
"I will guard her with my life," Malachi whispered, and meant every word.
(Next Update: will be either Sunday July 20th or Monday July 21st)
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