Niyx Samantha Kroese (i am malala young readers edition .TXT) 📖

by the creature’s perfect portrayal. Perhaps before he was a shadow monster Floof truly had been a cat. Onyx could believe that.

“You’re going to stand there and have a negotiation with a cat?” Raijin asked, incredulous.

Onyx and Floof both shot Raijin a glare. Then without warning, Floof let out a loud roar and the cat immediately grew into a massive lion. Callistra shrieked and yanked Raijin back. Floof roared directly into Raijin’s face and Onyx crossed his arms as he watched the saliva dripping from Floof’s rows of sharp fangs.

“Great, now you’ve offended him,” Onyx grumbled.

“What in the name of the light is that thing?” Raijin sputtered, horrified.

“That’s Floof!” Ruel chirped as he entered the room. He bent down to pet the tiny cat even though it appeared to everyone else that he bent to pet the lion’s paw.

Floof continued to snarl into Raijin’s face, making the Templar wince and cringe away. Onyx thought to himself that Niyx would probably enjoy this, but he saw Callistra’s meaningful look and sighed. “Ruel, could you ask Floof to stop scaring my guests? Raijin is an idiot, but he didn’t mean offense.”

Raijin glared but didn’t argue in the face of the angry shadow beast. “My apologies, Floof.”

“It is okay, Floof. Here, have some fish,” Ruel said cheerfully as he walked into the kitchen and pulled out a plate of food. Floof gave a disgruntled yowl sound then shifted back to his tiny form as he trotted over to eat the delightful meal.

Once the guardian was suitably distracted, Ruel looked to Onyx with raised brows. “Aren’t they exiled Templars?”

“Yes. Long story. Can they stay here under your protection, hidden, of course? At least until we sort this all out? I have a feeling Raijin isn’t a bad guy; he’s just really misguided. And Callistra’s okay.” Onyx shrugged to Ruel.

“I’m okay?” Callistra huffed and crossed her arms. Then she cleared her throat and looked at Ruel. “Sorry, King Ruel. We would be very grateful if you would offer us sanctuary. My father was deceived. He is ill and needs time to recover so we can make things clear to him. I have a feeling his clouded judgment was the result of a magical spell.”

Ruel studied them as he picked up a fresh apple and bit into it. He chewed thoughtfully for several moments then nodded. “Sure, you can stay here. If you cause any trouble, though, Floof has my permission to eat you.”

Floof looked up at his name and narrowed his golden eyes at the Templars, his tail lashing in warning. They both cringed in response but nodded. Ruel snickered, then waved at the door. “My servant will show you to your rooms.” The man at the door bowed low to them and swept his arm toward the doorway to indicate he was waiting for them to pass.

Callistra murmured a thank you and helped Raijin from the room, clearly eager to put as much space between her and the capricious cat-guardian as possible. Onyx watched her go, leaning against the counter next to Ruel.

Ruel looked him over then looked out the door to watch them, too. “You like that one? Why? I don’t think she likes you much. She spent this whole time looking confused about whether she wanted to kick your butt or not.”

Onyx stretched slowly, then grinned at Ruel. “It’s the fact that she could, in fact, probably kick my butt. That’s attractive.”

“Wait, what?” Rebekah’s voice rang out as she sprung up from behind the counter and startled them. She leaned over the counter into Onyx’s face and glared. “Sir! I could have turned you inside out and made your skeleton dance like a puppet and that goody-two-shoes air-headed Templar turns you on?”

Ruel dropped his apple and stared at her in shock. “Rebekah!”

Rebekah huffed and shook her finger at Ruel. “You know I loved him. I have you and you’re much better, yes. But that doesn’t mean Onyx should go around chasing girls like that! He deserves someone who will take care of him and worship him,” she said then trailed off and her eyes went wide. She folded her hands and looked down at them. “Hmph! So that’s why you didn’t like me. You want someone who will fight with you. Fine, stupid boy. Go get your butt kicked by crazy knight lady instead.” She reached over and grabbed Ruel’s arm and pulled him toward the other door. “I have my handsome husband anyway! And he’s made me a Queen.”

Ruel just gulped and shrugged as Rebekah dragged him from the room.

“Technically, Niyx made you Queen!” Onyx retorted as he called after them. Then he rubbed a hand over his eyes. Maybe this part of his world wasn’t any less crazy. He almost preferred the dangerous antics of his strange blood-related family over Rebekah’s jealousy. She had been happily married to Ruel for three years now; she needed to let it go.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Onyx wandered Ruel’s manor for a few hours to let Callistra have time to settle in. He changed out of his armor and into his formal noble clothes and stopped to ask the servants to prepare a special candlelit dinner in one of the smaller dining rooms where they would have some privacy. Then he made his way up to the room where she was staying and knocked on the door.

Callistra opened it and eyed him suspiciously. “What do you want, Lord Onyx?”

Onyx did his best not to cringe at her tone and bowed to her. “I was hoping the Lady Callistra might accompany me to a private dinner. And that’s not innuendo for anything else. Just dinner.”

“I don’t have anything to wear,” Callistra sputtered, caught off guard by his charm.

“It’s just us. I don’t care. Clean up and come out. I’ll wait.” Onyx gave her his best smile. “I’d like to start over. We haven’t gotten off to a good start. I want to know you.”

“A good start? You’re an assassin known for seducing and killing women. You