CHAPTER 449: SERANA SNEAKS OUT

Not all families are created equal.

But to Malachi, who grew up in an African American household, he knew family to be big, bold, and loud, and maybe a little argumentative.

Typically, when one is giving a speech in a familial setting, there are multiple outbursts that come in the form of praise, jubilation, and wisecracks.

But this might have been the first time ever that Malachi got to talk to his family for forty-five minutes completely uninterrupted.

Keres and Nyx were dead silent as Malachi recapped not just his brief stint in hell, but the fact that he and Joanne had lost their child as well.

Bar none, it was one of the most uncomfortable conversations he had ever had in his life. There wasn’t a moment he didn’t want it to be over.

He felt stupid for getting tricked by the literal Prince of Lies. He felt guilty for his inability to save not only Joanne’s friend, but their child as well.

He even told him the thing that weighed on his mind the most. The fact that he couldn’t tell if the way he was using his powers was making a difference in the world or not.

Malachi became so immersed in the things he was saying and the memories that were welling up that he didn’t notice that Anna and Celeste had woken up some time ago and heard most everything he said.

He leaned back on the sofa and stared at the ceiling of his bedroom. Watching his fan turn round and round...

"When I think about it... I really feel like I’m more bummed about learning how I react to certain things rather than becoming a demon.

I think fighting with Aisha made me realize I can rationalize any sort of lying or hiding as long as I think I’m protecting something.

My wives... They’re all phenomenal women, and they would worry about me until the sun burned out if I gave them a reason.

At the same time, I got kids now. Two girls who are real cute and smarter than I ever dreamed of being, and they worry about things they shouldn’t have to at their age.

I think because my family’s so big, I’ve developed a need to put on a sort of perfect, strong persona so that everyone who’s depending on me gets to keep living as normal.

After all, it was my decision to blend us all together. To have Cami and Shiro call seven different women mom, and it’s the most natural thing in the world.

But I think I might have undervalued my partners a bit at the same time.

What’s the use in building a big family if you have to drown on your own when shit is unfair? Why did I marry the woman I married if I wasn’t going to trust them to support me when I needed it?

Was it my pride...?

Did I just feel obligated to seem more mature and put together because of the age gaps...?

I don’t know what I was thinking, but it doesn’t feel like any part of it was worth anything in the end."

Malachi sighed deeply as he rested his chin in his palm and stared at the kitten in his lap.

"When I think about it like that... isn’t it only natural that I fell into hell? After all, people aren’t boats. The more we try to carry, the faster we sink."

The kitten crawled up Malachi’s torso and claimed dominance over the top of his head.

He looked up at his mother and his sister’s heartbroken faces and smiled at them both.

"I know you y’all are probably a little upset with me right now. But if you’re going to yell at me, I’m going to point out that I got my newborn here and one of her first memories shouldn’t be of me getting yelled at."

Keres and Nyx were silent for a long while after Malachi had stopped speaking.

He thought for a moment that he had effectively broken them. Metaphysical personifications can also be overwhelmed by informational dumps, as a matter of fact.

Malachi started to think he should say something again when his mother finally acted.

Her response was not one that necessitated speech.

Instead, she wrapped her arms around her son and held him as tightly as a babe.

He could feel his mother’s heart beating through her chest.

Mal waited agonizingly for his mother to say something so that he wouldn’t feel so anxious.

When she finally spoke, he was so relieved that he nearly vacated his skin.

"...You were wise not to put your name in the book of the damned. Since you were turned into a demon without sin, your soul does not belong to him; therefore, Lucifer can’t just call you at any time he likes. He can’t enslave you either."

Nyx pulled away from Malachi and showed him a helpless, tired smile.

"We’re going to figure out a way to make sure you survive this little gauntlet of yours, and then we’re going to yell at you afterward. Because that is what family does."

When Malachi looked past her, he saw that Keres was already gone.

"Your sister knows my thoughts. She’s gone to prepare what we need to make sure you stick around with us a little longer."

Malachi heard movement come from the bed and saw Anna and Celeste sit up in the bed.

He smiled at them halfheartedly and pointed at the kitten sitting on his head.

"I dunno about Gigi, but what do you think about Janelle?"

Malachi was hoping that the girls hadn’t heard everything he said.

His hopes were worth fuck all.

Luckily, the door swinging open gave him the

"Hey, why are you guys still in here?! You better not be fucking, I swear to god I’m crawling out of my skin from the withdrawal!!" Nadine snapped.

The lovely vampire clearly noticed that something in the room was amiss and narrowed her eyes at each of her partners.

"...I miss something? Are you all in here fighting??"

"Nah, nothing like that..." Malachi rubbed the back of his neck. "But I do have something I need to talk to you about."

"...Are you going to tell me something that’ll ruin my excitement over the chicken strips that are currently sitting on our coffee table getting cold?"

"Probably."

Nadine looked down for a moment as she became lost in deep thought.

"...Tell me in the morning." She walked away.

Malachi started to scoff.

"...I guess that’s that-"

Anna suddenly threw herself into Mal’s lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

At the same time, Celeste leaned down and kissed her husband on his cheek.

"...Just like you’ve got us, we’ve got you. Please, don’t ever forget that. This is a partnership, remember..?"

Celeste pulled away and held her husband’s face in her hands.

"Also, you’re giving yourself far too much credit. You might’ve been the one to suggest blending our family, but you’re damn sure not the only one who wants to keep what we’ve got. So it’s all of our responsibility to take care of each other."

Malachi was never more aware of his demonification than in that moment. It was the first time he realized just how addicted to his women he had become.

As they hugged him, as they tried to console him, he felt something in his brain’s chemistry change.

He was so happy he could die.

-

The term ’all-nighter’ affects adults differently than it does children.

For adults, unless you’re working night shift or having sex all night long, there is almost nothing truly interesting about staying awake all night long.

On the flip side, children are unnecessarily enamored by the idea of staying up past their bedtime.

To them, everything that happens after 8:30 is a wonderful, fantastical secret that they can’t wait to unearth.

But they have their limits.

At around two a.m., when all of the adults had dozed off out of habit, the kids were still fighting to stay awake.

It was evident they were losing their battle. They swayed uncontrollably as if they were on a boat at sea, taking an extra-long time to blink.

Suddenly, Serana stood up and caught the kids by surprise.

She brought a finger to her lips and slid a large slice of the half-eaten caramel cake onto the table.

...The kids changed their minds. Staying up late at night was awesome.

With the kids’ attention sufficiently captured, Serana quietly started to exit the room.

She took one last look at the sleeping faces of Claire and Tiamat before looking towards her mother.

Her heart swelled with emotion as she discreetly blew her a kiss.

Sei was, without a doubt, the sweetest and most loving woman the world had ever seen.

That was why the people around her had to take it upon themselves to protect her.

And if need be, avenge her.