Blessed by Night

Chapter 136  Rowan's Wish

Malachi stepped out of his car and took a deep breath before he started crossing the parking lot. Even though he no longer had internal organs, his stomach felt like it was in knots. It seemed like every the had cto the hospital, something unfortunate had occurred or followed closely after. For once, he just wanted to have a normal visit without anything unnecessary happening. And as he moved past the front desk and through the building, it seems like he was going to get his wish. One of the results of Arias' reveal was finally starting to show itself. People were going out of their way to avoid him, and swere giving him looks of suspicion. He didn't really mind this, as it wasn't like anyone was stopping him to take pictures or sign any autographs. Although there were a few kids who looked like they wanted to cup and speak to him, they were inevitably held back by their mothers. He was used to being stared at but this was a much more unsettling experience than normal.

"What, no gift? You're such a cheap bastard." Malachi had been in such a deep state of thought that he hadn't been paying much attention to his footsteps and as a result, had already reached Rowan's hospital room. Evidently, Mal was not the first person to stop by and visit as the old man's room was already filled with get well soon memorabilia. "The girls at the guild brought you all this?" "Of course they did, because they're sweet grateful angels and you're a penny pincher who couldn't even be bothered to spring for a card." Malachi chuckled as he held out his hand and a card cfloating out of the shadows at his feet. Along with a carton of cigarettes. "...I take back everything I said, I couldn't ask for a better grandson." "Like I thought." Malachi passed the old man his gifts and took a minute to fully observe him for the first time.

The old man's chest was heavily bandaged, along with ssigns of sleep deprivation around his eyes and his cheeks were slightly sullen. "...You look tired." "I'm old. The two go hand in hand." Malachi knew that Rowan was trying to play his injury off as a minor scrape, but he didn't have a chance at fooling him. "Oh yea, and I'm sure it's got nothing to do with that near death experience you had?"

"Kid, why can't you ever just overlook nasty little incidents like these? Why do you have to dwell on them?" "Rowan, you were almost on a t-shirt. How do you expectto overlook that?"

"Easy, just think of all the good that would have cfrom my death. Do you know how delicious the grub at a funeral is? The grief does something to your palate I swear."

Malachi was trying really hard to remain upset, but Rowan's stupid jokes were admittedly wearing down his resolve. "At the end of the day, I am still breathing so let's try not to dwell on the negative too much, hm?"

"...Whatever you say, old man."

"What? You actually listened to me? Have I actually ascended already?" Malachi rolled his eyes and took a seat as the old man laughed at his own unfunny jokes. In truth, Rowan's attitude over almost being killed was much less cavalier than he was showing. He just didn't want Malachi to run off thinking that he had to avenge him. After everything that occurred with Arthur Rowan, the old man knew full well that Mal had a bit of a tendency to settle grievances in very violent manners. He didn't want to be responsible for further staining this young man's soul...not anymore. Malachi and Rowan spent a lot of ttalking after that. Since the old man clearly wanted to keep the conversation light, that was what they did. For nearly two hours, the two of them talked about seemingly everything but the elephant in the room. Instead they cracked jokes, talked about the blessings Mal had gotten for the girls, and even the old man's interest in his middle aged night nurse. It was a good time, but in the back of his mind Malachi's focus was solely on finding Arias and making him pay for this. Everything about him had been heightened after he bechis mother's avatar, and his desire to always pay back slights was not an exception. However, it seemed like his meditation on the moon had payed off if only just a bit. Even though he was simmering with murderous rage, his cheerful and giddy smile never left his face. Day by day, he was becoming more and more of a frighteningly unstable being. And when there finally ca need to expose his true self, may the gods have mercy on the unfortunate soul who experienced it first hand. -

"I'm bricked up..."

"Damn they look good!"

"I'll eat her a-"

"Bro, what have I told you about that shit? This why I'm not passing the wood to you no more."

In the college parking lot, there was a spectacle that was garnering no small amount of discreet attention. Two girls could be seen leaning against a very nice black ramborghini truck with pink stripes. Serana was clearly loving the attention, and had chosen an outfit specifically to show off her body's new charms. She wore a simple black sundress that clung to her curvaceous figure paired with simple slides and a very familiar pair of dark sunglasses. Beside her, Anna was in no way her lesser. Even though she had worn the skind of simple outfit that she always did, with her new body she looked absolutely gorgeous. Black jean shorts and hightop skate shoes along with an oversized hoodie that hid her voluptuous chest. Both were standing outside waiting for Malachi so they could walk to class together, and they had already been approached by ten different guys in five minutes. "I can't believe Luna gave you one of her cars just because you asked." Anna hated riding in this attention magnet, but since Serana wouldn't stop begging her she didn't have a choice. "Why wouldn't she? I'm her cute little niece!"

"Are you saying that because she and your mom are best friends or because Mal's like your dad?"

"Obviously the first one!"

"Sure, sure. Hey wait a second, why do you have his sunglasses on!?"

"Because I thought they would look good onand they do. Why do you have his hoodie on?"

"Maybe because I'm the one dating him?"

Serana was seconds away from offering up an excuse, when the eleventh guy approached them and she quickly swapped her persona. As long as she could remember, she had always wanted to be beautiful.

And now that she had gotten her wish, she was doing with it what she had always wanted. Cruelly rejecting the sguys who would have callously picked on her before. As yet another handsand athletic looking guy showed up, she began scheming up different ways to make him victim number 11.

"Excuse me, you're in my intro to psych class, right?"

Serana put on an aloof demeanor without even bothering to look up from her phone."How the hell should I know? It's not like I-"

"Oh sorry, not you. I was talking to your friend."

"Yea, yea, that's what they all... wait what?" Serana finally looked up and realized that the guy really wasn't looking at her, he was staring at Anna. So far, no one had bothered to approach her since they'd been sitting here. After all, she was on camera with Malachi as his date at the immortal moon gala, so practically everyone on campus knew they were together. Except this guy apparently. Serana immediately lost her icy demeanor as she let out a disappointed sigh. "She has a boyfriend, don't bother."

"She might want another one."

The guy seemed to be unflinchingly confident, and he was not at all dissuaded by the mention that there was another man in her life. After that, there was little that Serana could do to avoid a confrontation. Anna finally looked up at her would be suitor and he was delighted to learn that she was even more beautiful than he thought. "Hey, I'm-"

Anna didn't even bother to listen to the guy's nand instead spit directly into his face.

She then proceeded to turn her music all the way back up, and act like absolutely nothing had happened. "What the fuck is wrong with you!?"

Clearly unwanted, the young man stormed off while fuming as he wiped Anna's DNA off his face. For sreason, his entire vibe gave Serana a rather strange and icky feeling and she started to think that maybe standing around like this wasn't the best idea. "You couldn't have rejected him more politely?" she asked in exhaustion. "No?"

"Christ."

In retrospect, he had actually gotten off pretty easily. Had Anna decided to hit him, she would have likely killed him in a single hit. Ding!

While changing songs on her phone, Anna received a text from her uncle and only family. At first glance, she thought he may have been about to call her in for work later and she let out an audible groan. But much to her surprise, it wasn't anything like that. PG: Hey kiddo, would you mind coming by the house after your class is over...? Got something I wanna talk to you about.