Cold Mark (8 page)

"You're coming." He gripped my elbow even tighter.

"I'm wearing pajamas!" It was a last ditch effort with the massive back door now in my sights.

He snorted. "Nice try." His feet never stopped moving toward the door. "We've hired a seamstress to attend to you tomorrow. She should be able to make clothes small enough to fit you. She normally deals with children."

"
Mother Joyal, please keep me safe
," I whispered a prayer in English.

Malik's shoulders actually shook as he glanced back at me, dragging me along. "You do realize
Mother Joyal
is the reason why you're here?" A black brow cocked. "Perhaps you should start praying to an entity that listens."

My blink was gradual. "And that would be?"

His grin was shadowed in cruelty. "I'll let you know when I give a damn about perceived holy existences." He opened the door and stepped outside into the cool night air, tugging me with him. The noise of the banshee cries stung my ears with their malice. He peered down at me as he shut the door behind us and held my frightened gaze. He grunted while his silver eyes ran across my features. "The game is Hujlum. No one dies in this sport." He glanced at his hold on my bare elbow, and his lips curved into the tiniest of real smiles. "Though, there is contact." His grin widened ... and I could only stare. His happiness transformed his stunning features to make him even more attractive than he already was. "But not
barbaric
contact. So don't worry your ridiculous Human mind over that."

Even if I had heard half of what he had just said, I could not speak.

Truly, he really needed to quit smiling like that.

His eyes were not even freaking me out.
That
was how much pleasure looked good on him.

His shoulders slowly stiffened, and his silver gaze met mine.

Malik did not speak as his head cocked, watching me.

The brutal grip on my arm lessened, and his warm fingers were barely felt on my flesh, like a whispering touch. An unusual shiver ran down my spine and gooseflesh popped up on my arms.

One of his black brows lifted as his gaze twisted in a humored nature, but his lips, they curved into a smirk I did not understand. His tone was deep, affectionate. "Human?"

I gazed at his wide lips, trying to understand why they intrigued me. "Yeah?"

With only the moon to light the area, he bent in slow increments, steadily bring his face closer. In a gentle motion, he tilted his head so our foreheads rested against one another's.

I could barely breathe. It was like the oxygen on this wacked planet was rapidly disappearing.

The private grin he wore grew as he brushed his nose against mine. Slanting his face even closer, his wide lips hovered so his breath heated my lips with each of his steady exhales.

The intimate sensation of sharing each other's oxygen made my toes curl into the cool grass.

With eyes only for his, I trembled, unsure of the warmth growing in my lower abdomen.

Malik whispered, "You have more tomato sauce on your face." Abruptly, he straightened, and I had to lock my legs to keep from stumbling. "Be careful or the Mian will think you're a treat."

My lips parted in humiliation, and I quickly removed my elbow from his lingering hold and started scrubbing at my face. Breathing was much easier when his face was not so close to mine. I felt sauce on my nose and quickly wiped it away, and asked swiftly, "Did I get it all?"

He hummed quietly, his lips twitching as he eyed me. He stuck the tip of his left thumb between his lips. I tried really hard not to analyze the motion. Then he used his slightly damp digit to clean a spot near my right temple. "Now you're good."

I quickly wiped any remaining moisture away from my flesh. "Thanks."

He smiled again. The smile that unnerved me. His glowing gaze squinted in amusement as he watched me. "You're welcome." He chuckled to whatever was running amok inside his thoughts, and tilted his head to the left. "Come. You can try to play Hujlum with the rest of the frightening Mian."

The taunting brought me back to reality. I huffed in indignation. "I'm not frightened." Yes, I was.

"There'll be no arguing then." Malik headed toward a horde of Mian tackling each other.

I swallowed heavily and quickly caught up with him, staying close to his side. I evaluated the 'game' as we trekked across the back courtyard. Other than people bleeding on the ground and shouting in fury, I had no clue what they were doing. "Will I be on your and Leo's team?"

Please say yes.

"I think we could arrange that." Malik bent and whispered, "Sure you're not afraid?"

"Of course I'm not." Hell yes, I was.

"Good." His gaze turned serious, almost making my steps falter. "Never show fear to a Mian."

I nodded once, not commenting.

He stopped next to Leo on the sidelines of the 'game'.

Leo's chest was heaving with exertion as he drank from a plastic cup, but his golden gaze was straight on us. His perfectly shaped brows lifted, and he asked casually, "Game on?"

Malik hummed, and his lips curved into a forbidding grin. "I do love a challenge."

Leo downed the rest of his drink and then chuckled. "Oh, God, this will be interesting." He laughed for a full minute, holding his stomach as he did so. My brows puckered as I noticed he had one dimple on his left cheek, making him appear more like an angel with his golden coloring. His sparkling gaze met mine as he gradually calmed himself. While our gazes held, he rubbed the ring on his thumb against his lower lip. He asked in a quiet tone, "Ready to play?"

I inhaled sharply, pulling my gaze away. I peered out to the field. "I'm a quick learner." But from the blood on the grass, I truly hoped they had a healer on hand. There were close to forty Mian men out there, ranging in heights from extremely tall to how-the-hell-did-women-birth-these-men tall.

Malik watched as I evaluated the Mian. "We'll see."

Leo laughed again and clapped his free hand on Malik's shoulder. "Yes, we will." He chucked his cup into a drift trash can and started running backward onto the field while watching us. "Let's go! Move your lazy asses." He winked at Malik. "The game was already held up waiting for you."

Oh, that wasn't the actual game being played! Thank Mother Joyal ... or whatever.

The game, Hujlum, was just another name for Kick the Shit Out of the Weakest Player.

And
I
was the weakest player.

I was also long past decorum. I had stopped trying to speak in Mianese when I had apparently continued to call everyone a 'cow' when I cursed them. Though, on the plus side of my language barrier, the Mian men had started snickering and making
moo
sounds, so I was hopeful what I had eaten earlier was indeed cloned cow.

I jabbed a sharp finger at the Mian bully in front of me and continued cursing, "You are a sadistic bag of shit! Why the hell do you keep giving me the damn ball?" One other fact I had learned was all of these men understood English no matter how fast I was talking, which meant they were of a higher education. All the government officials in Belvar out for playtime. "Seriously! I am going to lose this damn game for us!"

He snickered and brushed his silver hair aside, also speaking in his own native tongue. Though, he did speak much slower as if I were a halfwit. "If you would quit running into the men you're supposed to avoid, you would have made it to the target at least five times. We have been tackling almost everyone in your path."

It felt like my head might explode. I threw my hands up into the air and shook them. "I can't
see
them!" The bastards had realized I could only detect them by their glowing eyes, so they had closed them and used their fine hearing and scent to track me. "You don't have any damn lights out here. There's only a sliver of a moon to see by!" More shaking of my hands, but this time right in front of the annoyingly patient man's face. "I am
Human
!"

"Oh, thank you for reminding us. I'm pretty sure we almost forgot that fact," Malik deadpanned.

I really wanted to stomp my foot I was so mad. "That is not helping."

Leo lightly tugged on my ponytail, peering down at me. His voice was soft and gentle, a coaxing tone that made my shoulders relax. "Just one more time, okay? We're tied right now. They won't expect us to give you the ball again."

I crossed my arms. With much hesitation, I quietly mumbled, "The last guy touched me."

Leo blinked, the gold glow disappearing for a brief moment. "Braita, almost all of them have tackled you at some point. Hujlum is a contact sport. You've had no issue with that so far."

I glanced to the side. Breathed in and out. "I mean, he ...
touched
me." Keeping my attention on a green tree with bright purple leaves, not anywhere near the men huddled around me. I tried not to blush as I uncrossed my arms and pointed at my right breast. Just as quickly, I crossed my arms again. "There. He touched me there." I swallowed hard, trying not to tear up, instead, hanging on to my anger. "I did
not
like that. I won't carry the ball again if the other team can't sustain from their improper dispositions."

For a minute straight, the resulting quiet was so immense that I dared to peek at my team.

Only Leo and Malik were looking at me. The rest were either staring at the ground or had suddenly found the sky immensely fascinating. Though it was Leo and Malik, who made me squint to see them better. They both appeared to be completely expressionless as I quickly glanced between them.

I cleared my throat and lifted my chin. "I meant what I said."

Leo leaned on a hip, and absently scratched his chin. "Which man was it?"

I stayed quiet, trying to remember his name.

Malik grunted, his tone a short growl. "It was Craw."

My brows puckered. "I'm not sure if that's his name, but he has pink hair."

Leo and Malik nodded as one. They stated in unison, "Craw."

Malik lifted a black brow, raising his gaze to Leo. "I wouldn't mind taking this one."

Leo's eyes started to widen before he swiftly blanked his features. He shifted his weight, then casually shrugged. "I don't mind."

I smirked, but quietly stated, "Don't tell him I tattled." The last thing I wanted was a Mian knowing I had been the reason he was going to get an ass chewing. "Please."

Malik did not even glance down at me. He just stared at Leo. "Left or right?"

Leo tilted his head from side to side in thought. "I'll leave the choice up to you. Though, I do believe he's predominantly right handed."

My brows furrowed. "Are you going to slap his hand?" That seemed childish.

Ignoring me, Malik cracked his neck. "I'll do both. Lesson learned by all."

Leo shrugged, peering at him from under his lashes. "Whatever you want."

"Hello?" I mumbled, waving a hand between their faces. "I asked a question."

No response.

My jaw dropped in shock when Malik turned and walked over to the other team, handling this now. He held all of their attention as he spoke to the man, Craw, with the pink hair. I could not hear what he was saying, but my team around me could. A few of them grimaced when Craw started shaking his head and pointing at me, speaking with animated features of hatred.

The Mian I had been yelling at muttered under his breath, "
That wasn't smart
."

Leo grunted and crossed his arms, but continued his silence as he stayed by my side.

"What's going on?" I asked, my gaze flying back and forth between the teams. "I can't hear—"

Craw's terrified bellow drowned out my words.

I gasped, and grabbed my stomach. I could not look away.

Malik's right hand ... it was now inside Craw's chest.

He had grabbed Craw by the throat so fast I had not even seen the action, but I had seen when he had punched his other fist straight into Craw's ribs. His hand had sunk in, up to his wrist. Craw's mouth was parted wide in agony, his head lolling back toward the sky. Vomit rose in the back of my throat as Malik jerked his right hand free of Craw's chest.

In his grip was Craw's heart.

I blinked, my words choked. "I think I'm done playing tonight." I turned, holding a hand over my mouth and quickly walked back inside the palace where my ten guards were waiting for me. I barely made it to my bedroom to puke in the solitude of my bathroom.

Footnote for my new life on Triaz—Don't tattle.