He pulled out his phone, quickly tapped on the screen and lifted the black device to his ear.
"Hey. I found her. Ya, she's okay. Just looks really tired. Uru's here too. No luck, huh? Sleeping outside sounds lovely. We'll figure it out. We'll make our way back and meet you at the intersection in front of the train station. Okay. Sayonara." Malachi sighed, slipping the phone back into his pocket.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
He gave me a sad smile. "Guess your so-called Dad has some quick connections," Malachi replied, sitting next to me.
"What do you mean?"
"We've called every hotel in Nokamato and it seems every one of them is full for the night. In fact, they are all booked for the rest of the week." Malachi leaned back against the bench, looking at Uru who sat up.
"This has to be some type of joke right? There's absolutely no way that EVERY hotel is booked. They don’t even fill up during the summer festivals and international parades," I huffed.
"We know. Guess your dad doesn't like us very much. He also probably didn’t like it when you defended us and shattered the windows," he revealed.
My eyes went wide as my jaw dropped. What does he mean shattered the windows?
Malachi noticed my stunned expression and a playful grin formed on his face.
"I'll explain in a second. Urufu?" Malachi called out to my familiar who hopped up and down on the rock awaiting his words.
"You can go fly around for a bit. We're gonna rest for a few," he told her.
She tilted her head and looked to me. "Woof?"
"She'll be with me. I'll make sure she's safe. Go enjoy the night air," Malachi reassured.
"Woof!" Urufu jumped off the rock excitedly and then her body was immersed in a white glow.
When the glow dimmed, a white owl emerged, flapping her wings as her pink eyes stared at us. I watched her in awe and was impressed that she could actually change into anything she wanted. I remembered Storm telling me how her second favorite form was an owl.
"Hoot!" she exclaimed, shooting up into the sky.
"She likes flying around whenever we come here. She just didn't want to leave you alone," Malachi explained.
I heard the sadness in his voice, which made me understand why Uru stayed.
"She doesn't want me disappearing like Storm?" I asked in a hushed tone as if the words were forbidden.
Malachi simply nodded, then turned away to stare out at the lake before us. His face grew serious. "We haven't got time to explain everything to you about how someone's essence can affect an individual if the transfer is successful. We don't trust anyone on the Council yet, and that includes your 'boyfriend.' Until we had a minute to figure everything out, we couldn't say anything more than what we’d already told you."
I nodded, urging him to continue.
He looked up to the sky, deep in thought. "If someone survives the transfer of another person's essence and magic, the previous owner can take control for short periods of time. Most of the time, it’s triggered by something. For example, if the previous magician hated a certain phrase or disliked when people looked down on them, it could trigger in the new person."
"So in this case, Storm was triggered back at the house because..." I trailed off as I tried to remember what happened after my father announced the guys were no longer welcome.
"You just stood there. Aki was about to say something, but then everything went one-hundred-eighty and the room became really hot. All of us could sense magic exploding off you and that's when the vase cracked and shattered, then the windows began to rattle until they shattered too. Oh, and the flowers in the living room caught fire. And by the time Storm said her piece, the living room was well...not really visitor worthy. We ditched before the other visitors arrived. Don't know what excuse he’s gonna use, but he looked really pissed off." Malachi turned his head to face me.
"I guess he's gonna tell the visitors it was my fault," I mumbled.
Malachi laughed. "Hell no. You’re his so-called daughter with no magic. How could you possibly destroy all the glass and cause a fire in such a short time? And the living room reeks of strong magic usage. He can't blame you or it would contradict what he's used as a sympathy card for all these years."
"What happened after that?" I asked, wondering where James had gone.
"After that, we tried looking for you because it's not safe for you to be alone. We don't know if anyone else knows that Storm's essence is inside of you. If the same people who killed Storm find out, they'll be after you," Malachi warned.
"Oh," I replied, frowning that he was so concerned about Storm’s essence. Why am I depressed about that?
"Crimson."
I looked back up to see Malachi with a grim expression. "We were worried about YOU, Crimson Arashi. Just because we just met, doesn't mean we can't worry about you," Malachi emphasized.
I nodded, giving him a small smile. "I'm not used to people worrying about me. If they do, they usually have an ulterior motive, from what I’ve seen.”
"We're here for multiple reasons, Crimson. But we will protect you because we want to. I'm not obligated to. When Storm died, we had yet to be assigned and with the investigation going on, I doubt we will be for a good while. Until then, I'm free and do what I want. So, I'll stick around," he announced, as he put his hands behind his back and relaxed.
"You're really laid back," I pointed out.
"I'll take that as a compliment. I try to be. Not good to be all serious like Aki and Quillian. They’re getting wrinkles." Malachi turned his head to wink at me.
I laughed. "They don’t look like they have wrinkles."
"You have to go up REAL close. Trust me, they're there."
"You're gonna get wrinkles eventually when you get old," I reminded him.
"Nah, Hottie. You see, black don't crack. I'll be one hundred twenty years old and still be looking sexy like a caramel chocolate bar." He grinned flirtatiously.
"Caramel? Hate to break it to you, Hottie McHot Pants, but that's not happening," I teased, randomly thinking of the nickname.
"Hottie McHot Pants? Did my pants catch fire or is it because my hot sexiness is too sizzling for you?" He winked, giving me a seductive look.
I laughed even harder, tears forming in my eyes. "You wish you were sizzling hot with a pinch of sexy. Let's stick with regular milk chocolate hotness," I settled.
"Aww. That doesn't sound as epic as Hottie McHot Pants, but I'll accept a compromise for now." Malachi grinned, staring back at the lake.
I smiled, following his gaze. I felt the tension of the night leave my shoulders, but with that came the realization of how tired I was. I gripped the jacket that rested on my shoulders, enjoying the soft cherry blossom scent that lingered on it. I never expected a guy to wear a cologne that smelled like cherry blossoms, but I loved the aroma.
We sat in silence, both deep in thought. The same image of Storm flickered in my mind again and I had to blink back tears.
What would it feel like to be dead and realize your death was for nothing? To come to the conclusion that you could have been spared. She could have been with her group of men that loved her wholeheartedly and continued her duty in trying to bring peace to our lands. But instead, she was gone and the world moved on without her. Is she angry where she is? Are our ancestors consoling her as she grieves? If her essence takes control, does her soul somehow return and experience it? If so, what a sad reality that must be. To be alive for a few minutes and to return back to a little ball of light — a soul, drifting among many others with no way of redemption.
"Do you miss her?" I whispered. I let the tear fall down my cheek as I continued to stare at the calm water twinkling in the moonlight.
"Crimson?"