Malachi narrows his eyes sharply.
His knuckles crack as he keeps his hands concealed within his pockets.
Opal could clearly see the outline of his veins pushing up against his skin.
"Opal... What the hell am I looking at right now?"
Opal grimaces as she rubs her jaw.
"It’s a... basent. Supposed to be used for storage, and there’s so panels back there that control the power in certain-"
"I know what the room is. I’m asking you why I can sll blood in here..?"
"...So guards were taking small detours with prisoners during rec hours... In exchange for so outside food, cigarettes, and extra TV ti, they were-"
"Fighting until they were bloody...?"
"...Among other gas."
Malachi felt his stomach twist itself into knots. His head was pounding.
"Did you know about this...?"
Opal frowns. "Of course I didn-"
"Not talking to you, O."
Malachi turns to a seemingly empty corner of the room.
He stares directly at Hera with eyes an even deeper maroon.
"...Obviously not. Arias’ ti outside his cell was very limited. I went wherever he went."
"And he never had any trouble with the guards?"
"So dirty looks... but nothing else."
Malachi stops for a minute and rubs his face with a heavy hand.
When he took a mont to think, it made sense that the guards wouldn’t hassle Arias. He was too high profile. Half of the security caras in the building were trained on his cell, and the others followed him around from the mont he left it.
There was also the fact that he and Morgan were known to co to the prison to see him.
’Though this might’ve been another reason why they cracked down on visitors...’
"I’m sorry.... who are you talking to?" Opal looks around.
Malachi looks back and forth between Opal and the hidden goddesses.
He pauses and looks past Opal, toward the four n behind her.
"All of you. Out."
The largest man’s face hardened. "We don’t work for y-"
A wall of shadow rises and swallows all four n in an instant.
Opal purses her lips. "You didn’t have to do that."
"I wasn’t in the mood to repeat myself to people I don’t know."
Opal starts to say sothing in defense of her people, when suddenly Malachi approaches her.
Within a mont, he is closer than he has ever been to her. The sweet sll of cocoa butter rushes straight to her head and makes her dizzy.
Slowly, Malachi raises a hand to her face.
Opal quickly throws her body against the door.
"W-Wait! I-I’ll admit I flirted a bit, and I had my share of fantasies, but... This ain’t right, Mal. Those girls love you, you can’t treat them like-"
Malachi touches the side of Opal’s face and pulls his hand away a second later.
"Won do find you irresistible, don’t they, my boy?"
"Try not to find this so amusing, Ma."
"She can’t help it. She relishes in the idea of her children being physically attractive."
"Well, of course I do. If people think my children are beautiful, then that ans they are acknowledging my ability in molding all of you. Which, by association, ans that they admire my artistry as well."
"I don’t think that’s how that works at all..."
"Neither do I..."
"Both of you hush."
Opal blinks as she looks past Malachi.
There, two won are floating in the air, wearing polite smiles.
One is an older woman with dark skin and long hair. She favors Malachi imnsely.
The other is paler, with golden hair, and Opal can’t help but think of Arias when she looks at her.
"This..."
"Mom." Malachi points at Nyx. "Sister." He points to Hera.
"H-Hello..." Opal waves.
Suddenly, her face becos warm, and she pulls her gun on Malachi.
"F-Forget everything I just said! Empty your stupid brain, right now!"
Malachi smirks subtly. "The girls will be touched that they were your first thought."
Opal undoes the safety on her gun. "Forget."
Smiling, Malachi ignores her as he begins pacing around the room.
In the anti, Nyx wraps her arms around Opal and smiles.
"Well, aren’t you cute... It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Ms. Opal."
Opal swallows as she raises her hand. "C-Chard..."
Nyx imdiately takes her hand and kisses it, making Opal’s eyes go wide.
"Son, I’d like another daughter-in-law." Nyx says without turning her gaze from Opal’s green eyes.
"I’m ignoring you right now, ma."
"Boo..."
Opal ignored Nyx’s very friendly gaze and glanced at Malachi’s back. "I don’t an to be rude, but... What the hell is going on here?"
"Hera is Arias’ mother. She’s been keeping him company while he serves his sentence."
Opal blinked slowly. "I thought... the gods were barred from our world now?"
"They are... in their current state, they’re pretty much ghosts." Malachi kneels on the floor to inspect a rather large bloodstain.
’Although there are so gods staying at my house who got so special permission after locking up their powers...’ Malachi wanted to say.
"Afraid of , little Opal?" Nyx grins.
"Mother. Stop it." Hera rolls her eyes.
"Oh, I’m just trying to make friends here. And there’s nothing wrong with that, is there, Little Opal?"
Opal was pretty sure that if her face got any warr, she’d be able to fry an egg on it.
Suddenly, Malachi’s ear twitched.
He turns to the doors just as they co flying open.
The n he has sent outside have returned, and brought with them soone wearing quite a suit and a self important air.
"What is this..? You can’t be here!" The man speaks in one of the thickest Italian accents Malachi has ever heard.
"I brought him in, he’s my advisor." Opal defended sharply.
"You can’t just bring in civilians at a ti like this, I don’t care who you are! We are in a full lockdown procedure!"
Malachi starts to step in, his temper already at it’s peak.
He takes one step forward and drops to one knee abruptly.
His head pounds like a raging drum.
He lets out a low groan of pain as his vision becos filled with white spots.
In the distance, he can hear Opal and his mother yelling at him in concern.
However, their voices are gradually being drowned out by another that he does not know.
"Dantalion. We need to have a word..."
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