The Rose Witch - Chandelle LaVaun Page 0,34
breeze rustled through his hair. He shoved his hands in his pockets and moved close again. “I admit that this evening has played out regrettably. It is my fault. Perhaps we should rewind a bit and start over? I’m Malachi.”
Malachi? That’s a hot name. FOCUS, Chloe. “I’m Chloe – wait. You already knew that.”
“I did. Chloe Lancaster.”
“How?”
He tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “I’m a friend of your father.”
“My father is dead.”
“Yes, he is.”
I shivered but I was not cold. “Are you saying my father is in Hell?”
He smiled and it actually looked tender. “No, I assure you your father is not in Hell. But I was his friend when he lived.”
That was too much for me to process. Thinking about my father still made my heart hurt, so I needed to move on from that. I cleared my throat and ran my fingers over the collar of my dress. “If you’re not trying to kill me, then why are you following me? Why did you kidnap me?”
The hellhound plopped its belly down in the sand beside him. For a long, long moment the incubus – Malachi – just stared at me. Like he was weighing his response before giving it.
He cocked his head to the side. “Do you know who Lilith is?”
My pulse skipped beats. “As in the Lilith? The mother of demons and mistress of the devil?”
“I assure you, my father has never touched her.” He snarled and shook his head. “She likes to suggest otherwise.”
“Bloody hell. Why are you asking then?”
“She wore a locket, and that’s what I’m after.”
I looked to my right as he moved to that side of me. Our noses almost brushed. “And you think I know where this locket is?”
“I do.” His breath swept over my face.
I licked my lips and stared at his. “Why – why do you think that?”
He reached up, and with his long fingers he lifted the clear quartz crystal off my chest. The tips of his fingers brushed over my skin. He looked down his nose and leaned closer. “Because you’re wearing it. This is Lilith’s locket.”
I gasped and leapt back. “WHAT? No. No way. You’ve been misinformed.”
He closed the distance between us once more, then ducked down to meet my eyes. “Chloe, I stole that very locket off Lilith’s neck myself. I took it. I gave it to your father for safe keeping. And then he put it on you because he knew Lilith wouldn’t suspect it.”
I turned away from him and started pacing. My thoughts and pulse were going out of control. “Hold on, hold on, slow down. My father gave me this the last time I saw him when I was four years old. And then he died.”
“Correct.”
I cried out. “If this is her locket then why are you just now coming for it? I’ve had it for eighteen years.”
He grimaced, like actually grimaced. “Michael told me I could not take it until the Lancaster bloodline was restored.”
“Archangel Michael?”
He nodded “When the Lancaster magic was taken to hide his sword, it cloaked the magic inside of the locket.”
I shook my head and waved my arms. “Wait, wait…that magic came back to the Lancasters this morning—"
“Which is exactly why I was there. I knew the power of the locket would awaken—"
“Awaken?” I shrieked. My whole body went cold. “What does that mean?”
“She is the mother of demons. Her locket attracts demons.”
“WHAT?” I pinched the bridge of my nose and started pacing again. “What do you mean this attracts demons?”
“The magic in it attracts the demons.” His gaze ran down the crystal. “Because that locket is where Lilith used to store the souls she stole—"
“Stole? I’m sorry, did you say she stores souls in this necklace?”
He nodded.
I sprinted to him, freaking out and pointing at my chest. I pulled my hair to the side. “Get it off, get it off, get it off, get it off.”
He sighed and took my hands in his. “I tried, but someone kept running from me.”
I groaned and bounced back and forth between my two feet. “Sorry, sorry, sorry. Not running now. Just get it off of me please. Wait, is that why you kidnapped me?”
“The Lancaster Estate sits on Holy Land so I could not take it off there. That’s why I took you just off grounds. But when I tried, it would not come off.”
“What, why?”
“I don’t know. So I brought you to my place where I could safely try again…but then you were attacking me and