Chapter 5 – Malachi

Mal looks out the window to the front of the pub and notices an odd couple making their way over, a man who looks like an old Mexican, complete with the tired looking cowboy hat, tired looking jeans, and a green checked flannel shirt. He looks like a nice older guy, dark skin with a few lines to show his age, a grey moustache and dark brown eyes that are crinkled with warmth as he looks upon his companion.

His companion is the odder of the two. He’s a seven-and-a-half-foot tall Gargoyle, with deep blue-green skin. He’s wearing dark grey trousers which have long zips up the sides to allow him to get in and out of them, but no shoes, as his feet are wide and long with long claws. His hands are also long and have claws, but these look shorter, more like long fingernails. He’s also wearing a loose dark-blue hoodie, with slits cut into the back to allow his wings free. His wings are leathery and have hooked ‘claws’ on the top joint where they fold back down again.

The hair on his head is in a thick line between his horns and ears that both run flat along his scalp, but flick up at the ends. His eyes are yellow and glow gently in the dim light of the evening. His face is probably the most startling bit about him, he has a square face, with a broad nose that looks almost feline. Heavy-set brows cover his eyes in shadow from here, and his mouth shows signs of having maybe not fangs or tusks exactly but definitely prominent teeth from his top and bottom jaw.

He’s clearly incredibly muscular, and the Mexican rests a hand on the Gargoyle’s arm and he looks down at the man and leans down to kiss him. It’s a tender moment from such a not at all tender looking creature. Mal looks away from the lovers, instead wondering at the eclectic mix of races in the pub. There are Witches and various Shifters, Humans and Dwarves, plus the Gargoyle.

They’re the only Vampires in here tonight, but that doesn’t mean much in rural England. There aren’t that many of them around anyways, and most of their kind prefer the big cities and hustle and bustle to get caught up in. He and his brother had been given the house they now run when their father had ascended to the throne as the King of the Vampires in England.

They’re not next in line, but their father doesn’t trust their older brother Seth with running a whole Vampire house, so he flits between their father’s palace and their more modest house in the country. In Mal’s opinion, Seth would make a good poet, or some other inconsequential position, but probably not make a good king if their father ever passes or chooses to retire. Mal sips his drink, long live the king.

He half-hopes his father will see sense and name them his heirs, screw tradition. Maybe it’s time for him to realise they would be much better at the job than their older brother. So what if he’s a full two-hundred years older, they’re three-hundred and eighty-four. They aren’t children anymore, and Seth has had his chance to prove himself worthy, and he’s lacking in Mal’s eyes.

A few moments later the Gargoyle and his man enter the pub to raucous choruses of ‘Eddie’ and ‘Carlos’ they’re ushered to the bar where the redhead serves them. Eddie, the Gargoyle, has his drink served in a huge tankard that’s maybe a foot tall and eight inches across at the rim. She sets this up under the tap and walks to get Carlos’s drink while the tankard fills up.

She combines tequila, what smells like a ginger syrup with something else underneath, and lime juice into a cocktail shaker. She pours the drink into a tall glass filled with ice. She tops it with soda water and garnishes it with what looks like cilantro sprigs and a lime leaf.

“Right, one ‘Tequila Mocking Goat’ for Carlos” she said sliding it over the bar to the Mexican man who looked delighted,

“A new one today, huh Boss.” He takes a sip and his eyes slide closed and he hums in extasy. “Beautiful, just like you.” She flushes a little at the compliment, but moves to lift the tankard to the top of the bar for the Gargoyle ‘Eddie’. She hefts it easily, but once it’s on the bar top, she furrows her brow a little and her hand goes to her back.

“Boss?” the gargoyle looks concerned,

“I’m good Eddie, just need to rest for a bit, I’ll sit in a minute.” He huffs at her,

“Carlos says you haven’t eaten since yesterday lunchtime, and that you didn’t even finish that.” She nods, and sighs.

“I’ll eat when I feel like it, Eddie. You know why I don’t feel like it right now. Please.” He flags down Molly and orders her a burger and chips, the redhead sighs, but Eddie frowns and grunts,

“You will sit and eat, Boss. We can’t have you carrying on like this, it’s not good for you. Not sleeping and not eating is a bad combination. We need you to be okay.” She lowers her head and looks away, nodding. Then says,

“Fine, but Carol would appreciate your company, I had to chase Joey off for hitting her in front of me tonight. He might come back, and if he does, I’ll need the green light from her to sort this out. Properly.” She flicks her eyes to Mal, who quickly looks away and pretends to be really studying his drink. “We have civs in tonight, so we need to be careful.” Eddie hums,

“Got it, Boss.” Eddie and Carlos move away from the bar in his periphery and he continues to listen but returns his attention to the phone out to look at emails or something, anything so he doesn’t look like a creep for staring at her. He notices a child, maybe twelve or thirteen, he isn’t great at guessing the ages of children. He’s scuttling around on the floor, trying not to be seen by the women behind the bar. He makes his way over to the end of the bar where he can sneak behind it if he’s careful.

“Tommy, you know you’re not allowed behind the bar, right?” the redhead smirks, not looking at him. Tommy sags a little, clearly disappointed that he’d been caught so easily.

“Yes, miss. I know. I just wanted to see if I could, you know.” She chuckles as he walks off. Mal hums, does no-one call her by her name, or does she not actually have one? And what’s this ‘G’ that’s paying for the drinks tonight on Albert’s behalf? He waits for her to take a seat at the booth near theirs. He can see that she has an icepack and is putting it against her back. Grimacing a little then sighing as the cold does its work.

She takes off her glasses to rub at her eyes then puts them back on without ever opening her eyes. He wonders what might be so horrendous about them that she hides them so thoroughly. He stares down at his drink for a moment, then she coughs and waves at Mal once he looks up at the sound.

“You’ve been watching me very carefully since you got here, want to try talking to me instead of just gawking?” she’s smiling, Mal rubs a hand over the back of his neck looking awkward. “Sorry, if you’re shy just ignore me.” She seems genuinely concerned that she’s said the wrong thing, so he takes his glass and stands to move to sit with her.

“Might I join you? My brother would probably like to join us as well if that’s not too much of an imposition.” She smiles, and waves an arm to indicate the bench opposite her. Mal waves to Ash, and they sit with her. Ash smiles and inclines his head as he joins them,

“I’m Asher Wild, and this is my brother, Malachi.” She nods,

“I’ll remember. Thank you, Malachi. For removing that bit of copper from my shoulder earlier. I might not have seemed sincere at the time, but I am genuinely grateful.”