Khana’s actions with the Maugrim had been terrible, one he punished savagely for. But because of his concern for Delmas, he had reached out to the Maugrim, only to be reassured that measures had been taken.
Measures… that were now proving effective.
‘Now I just have to get rid of that useless little boy and everything will fall into place.’
He couldn’t let his reputation be tarnished. Khana’s mistake had nearly cost him everything, but it was his mess to clean. They had to move forward.
But with all the unrest in the clan, making a major move on Malakai now would be too risky.
His eyes drifted to the calendar on the wall. One date had been circled in red.
‘The Hunt…’
Varnel hummed.
Malakai had turned fourteen. This was his final chance to participate in the Hunt, so there was no doubt he would attend.
‘That might be the perfect opportunity.’ His eyes gleamed.
…
“Did you do it?”
At the cold voice, a trembling feminine one immediately responded,
“Y-yes, N-ninth Vein.”
“What about you?”
As the voice asked again, a male voice, still trembling, replied,
“Y-yes, N-ninth Vein.”
Malakai stared coldly at his two servants turned double agents kneeling in front of him.
At their answers, he gave a slight nod. “And their responses?”
Karla bit her lips. Her instincts were screaming at her. The Third Pulse was not someone anyone wanted to cross. She had seen with her own eyes what he had done to people who’d committed far less.
But she clenched her fists. There was no choice, especially not with the witch standing behind Malakai.
Nyx.
Any lies they tried to tell would be seen through instantly.
“I was asked to carry on and report back anything I observe, Ninth Vein. Also…” she hesitated, “not to make any move. And to wait for you to come to me first.”
Malakai turned toward Unoa, and the man flinched before quickly responding.
“I was asked to try and find out what makes your evolution special. The First Pulse said I should search your room and report back anything I find.”
Malakai entered a state of contemplation as he listened.
Earlier, he had ordered Karla and Unoa to report back to their respective masters, to make it believable. He had instructed them to share everything they had observed before Malakai turned them.
Of course, he had filtered and tweaked the information thoroughly. It had to sound believable.
Now, he was reviewing their answers.
‘The First Pulse wants to understand what makes my evolution special. But the Third Pulse…’
Varnel was clearly focused on Karla seducing him.
‘Target’s gaze lingering…’
Malakai could almost burst into laughter. That had been one of his tweaks. He wanted Varnel to believe his plan was working, that Karla had a chance. That way, Varnel would trust her with more important tasks.
His thoughts returned to the First Pulse.
‘He won’t find anything.’
If Drennos was who Malakai believed he was, then the man would eventually send someone to the pit to uncover his “secret.” But Malakai remained calm.
There was nothing to uncover.
After a moment, he nodded, dismissing the servants.
Malakai stood after a few seconds, nodding to Nyx. “I’m going to my room.”
They were currently in the living room. Upon entering his room, Malakai locked the door and sat on his bed.
Just as he was about to start thinking, a hesitant voice echoed in his mind.
“Um.”
Malakai tilted his head. “I thought you’d become a monk and sworn yourself to silence.”
Valentine cleared his throat.
Malakai shook his head. “Well, you’re still here. So… have you decided to accept it?”
Valentine paused a little. “No. I realized what you said earlier was true, we’re not the same person. Honestly, Malakai, I don’t think I’ll ever accept your brutalities. But there’s nothing I can do to stop them. I’ll have no hand in it, and don’t expect me to give you advice on better ways to torture people or any of that.”
“I won’t,” Malakai replied.
Valentine cleared his throat again. “Anyway, I’ll still help out the best I can.”
Malakai nodded. “I’ll respect that.”
He genuinely meant it. He wasn’t expecting Valentine to become a psychopath just because of him. He didn’t need changing, he was who he was, and he was like this for a reason.
“So, what did you want to tell me?”
Valentine replied,
“About the whole thing. I don’t know much about the First Pulse’s plans, but I believe the Third Pulse will try something during the Hunt.”
Malakai’s eyes narrowed.
“Why do you say that?”
“That woman, Khana… she’s responsible for the attack, right?” Valentine began. “Think about it, the only link to her just died. I’ve seen this a million times in those old dramas. This is the moment they lay low, let everything simmer down. Then, they take out the last link when no one’s expecting it. The Hunt… it’s the perfect chance.”
Malakai’s gaze darkened slightly.
It was surprising, but everything he said made sense.
“How do you think they’ll get to me?”
Valentine fell into brief thought.
“Tell me more about the Hunt.”
Malakai nodded.
“They drop us randomly into a large forest. We’re supposed to hunt darkness creatures… and take down each other, if we want. Each creature kill or takedowns grants a set number of points. The one with the most points wins.”
“Will you be monitored?”
“It’s a region wide competition,” Malakai answered. “The numbers are too much to monitor everyone, but the Veins and other promising youths will probably have eyes on them.”
Valentine went quiet for a moment.
Then he spoke,
“I’ll tell you about a movie I watched once during my time. It was about a group of prisoners sent into a jungle under the guise of a military exercise. Everyone thought it was routine… until the bodies started dropping. One by one. No alarms, no warnings. And when the dust settled, it was ruled an accident. A mission gone wrong.”
Malakai’s gaze sharpened.
“You mean… they’ll make everything seem like an accident?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Valentine exhaled slowly.
“That’s what we have to figure out.”