The Gray Institute (The Gray Institute Trilogy Book 1) (42 page)

I panic. Has he saved the real reason for my visit until last in some twisted, reverse-psychology stunt?

'Lorna made an interesting comment yesterday,' He tells me. I nod, trying to hide my anxiety. Has Lorna been careless? Has he found us out?

'I think you're succeeding in your task,' He grins, and my entire body sags with relief. 'Just a few more days and you'll have her convinced. When you do, Miss Ryder, you will live a life of luxury in this world.'

*

Lucrezia's smug face falls as I step out of Sir Alec's office unscathed. She peers over my shoulder, attempting to gain the headmaster's attention, but he's out of her line of sight. I can't help but smirk as her eyes flash with anger and she folds her arms across her chest in an effort to look like she doesn't care.

'It seems like you're the master's latest pet.' She snarls viciously, taking two steps towards me.

'Yeah. He got tired of dogs who are all bark and no bite.' I raise an eyebrow, refusing to bow down to my own intimidation. Lucrezia may be an Auctorita, but she's not
the
Auctorita, and she never will be. Soon it is she who will have to bow down to her brother, and I have every faith in Malachy that he will change this world for the better.

'Now, I need to see your brother.' I demand, watching Lucrezia's eyes darken.

'And if he doesn't want to see you?' She snipes, taken aback by my blatant disregard of her. Lucrezia isn't used to people standing up to her. Her intimidation and name-dropping works on practically every student at the Institute – but they all have something to lose.

For the moment, I've been granted a certain amount of power by Sir Alec's desperate need of me, and by Malachy's friendship with me. I am – for the moment – in a position to use that power for the purpose of irritating Lucrezia. In just a few short weeks, I will fall tremendously from my position, but for now, I'm enjoying every second of taunting her.

I move close to her ear, stepping past her, making sure my shoulder brushes hers. 'I'm sure he will.' My voice is silky smooth and as she glares at me, I wink. Her fury is hilarious as she grits her teeth and struggles to control her ferocious breathing.

Without another word, she turns on her heel and leads me silently along the corridor, back down to the fourth floor and to Malachy's door.

I don't need Lucrezia to show me where Mal is, but I want her there for a reason, and before she can thump on the door, it swings open. Malachy's unable to hide his shock and worry at the sight of his sister and I together.

'Luca?' He turns to Lucrezia with a quizzical look on his face, careful to eye me with disdain in front of her. 'What's going on?'

'Ryder here says she wants to talk to you. It's
urgent
.' Lucrezia replies sarcastically, nudging me forward with her sharp elbow. Malachy steps aside – speechless – to allow me into his room, and his sister pushes past him, desperate to make herself a part of whatever I have to say.

Malachy's eyes are panicked at the presence of Lucrezia; he has no idea what I'm about to tell him and he glares at me over her head, silently warning me not to do anything stupid.

'Mr Beighley,' I address him formally, taking a deep breath. 'I have broken a rule of the Institute and I've come to you in order to turn myself in and be dealt with accordingly.'

For a brief second, Malachy closes his eyes in exasperation. Lucrezia doesn't notice it, she's too busy gawping at me. 'What rule?' She asks, a grin materialising on her pale face.

'I've skipped lessons multiple times this week and last, without the presence of Miss Gray as an alibi.'

'This is a matter for Sir Alec, Ryder, not for me.' Malachy says, using that cold, distant tone which makes me shudder.

'Why didn't you tell Sir Alec himself?' Lucrezia cuts in. 'You were in his office five minutes ago?' Her tone is rightly suspicious.

'Sir Alec has a tendency to be lenient towards me because of my task,' I explain. 'With you there.' I speak to Malachy. 'He might not be.'

'Let me get this straight,' Lucrezia snorts. 'You
want
to be punished?'

'I think,' I turn to Lucrezia and eye her meaningfully. 'That if someone does something wrong, or illegal, or morally defunct, they ought to be punished for it,' She glares back at me, and I know without asking that she knows what I'm hinting at. 'Including me.' I add.

'Oh, really?' She snarls, her blue eyes piercing. 'Is that what the great Eve Ryder thinks?'

I almost laugh at how gullible – and occasionally stupid – Lucrezia is. She's so concerned with anyone making her look bad, that she doesn't see what's right in front of her nose. No-one in their right mind would confess to Sir Alec – and especially not through Malachy – that they've broken a rule, but, distracted by the suggestion that she ought to be punished for what she did to Aleks Anzhela, Lucrezia has completely overlooked it.

Malachy, on the other hand, isn't gullible, or stupid. He and I both know why I'm doing this, and why I'm doing it front of his sister. So that when Lorna and I escape, neither Sir Alec nor Lucrezia will have any reason to think that he played a part in it. If he rats me out to Sir Alec for breaking a rule, it'll look like he's on their side, not mine.

'Malachy?' Lucrezia scowls, wondering why her brother is hesitating. He stares at me, and I can see the cogs working in his mind, trying to come up with a solution.

'Let's go.' He mutters, losing the battle with himself. Lucrezia and I follow him down the corridor towards the lift, Lucrezia shooting ecstatic sideways glances at me. Malachy presses the Call button, then turns to his sister.

'Luca, fetch Amber Mayfair.' He commands, much to the dismay of Lucrezia, who pouts like a four year old.

'Why do we need her? I thought we were taking her to Sir – '

'Lucrezia, go and fetch Amber Mayfair. We need her.' Malachy's uses his Auctorita voice and it seems even Lucrezia can't disobey him. She turns immediately for the other lift, which will take her up to the student floors.

Our lift comes first and Malachy beckons me inside. With one last nod at Lucrezia, the doors close and he waits only a few seconds – until the whirring and churning of the lift will disguise his voice from Lucrezia's ears – before he explodes.

'What the fuck are you doing?!' He roars, backing me into a corner, his entire stance threatening and aggressive. He grips my shoulders with both hands, his fingertips dig furiously into my skin and he lowers his face so it's inches from mine.

I've never heard him swear before and the common phrase from such a high-class mouth is so shocking I have to stifle a giggle.

'Do you think this is funny?' He slams me against the wall, the force of his shove alarming. 'Why are you trying so damn hard to get yourself Confined?' He asks, his German accent prominent, as it always is when he loses his temper. 

I feel a rush of affection as he reveals a sliver of his true self, of his former self, before his Auctorita education taught him to speak like a middle-class Englishman. As he looms over me, his eyes blazing with white hot rage, I reach up and place the palm of my hand gently on his cheek. 

The gesture amazes me as much as it does him – it wasn't premeditated – and by the time I realise what I'm doing, it's too late. His eyes calm a little, but he stares back at me in utter confusion.

'What are you doing?' He frowns, his voice quiet now.

I stroke his soft skin with my thumb, giving into my body's urges, allowing my mind to go silent instead of restrict my movements. He inclines his head slightly towards me, his blond hair brushing against my neck, its soft strands tickling my skin.

His eyes are such a very pale blue that the pupils appear alarmingly black, like pools of nothingness, easy to fall into, impossible to escape.

I breathe heavily, as does he, his spicy scent washing over me. My body seems to take over my mind, moving of its own accord. I try to keep a grasp on reality – the moving lift, the nearing fourteenth floor – but Malachy's eyes draw me in until the whole world darkens and only he remains.

He takes a step closer to me, closing the gap between my body and his. I've never stood so close to him, never felt any part of his skin besides his hand clasping mine. For the first time in my life, I feel a personal objection to the restriction of clothing; it doesn't feel right, the layers of material between us, and I wish that they were gone.

Being near him, caught up in an embrace, is a very strange feeling; a mixture of sensations. Of course, in my past life I had been involved with fellow humans romantically, sexually and emotionally, but I haven't yet experienced these things as an Immortal.

It's exactly the same, yet completely different. My heart doesn't thump in my chest, my pulse doesn't race and my temperature doesn't rise, but I feel as though all these things are happening, and more.

My heightened senses allow me to feel what Malachy is feeling; his shock and desire, his desperation to hold back. A clear sense between what is right and what is wrong splits him down the middle and as inclined as he is to run away, he's equally determined to stay as close as he can.

I tilt my face up, my lips inches away from his. He envelopes me in the safety of his body, putting one arm either side of me, resting his palms flat against the elevator wall. I lean against it for comfort and he follows me, stepping closer towards me.

All thoughts of Lucrezia, Sir Alec and Lorna vanish from my mind and only Malachy has my attention as we fit around one another in the lift. Slowly and hesitantly, he moves his lips closer, his scent so strong I can almost taste it. His arms enclose me and I tilt back my head, passive to him, letting desire in its truest form take hold of me – control me.

The elevator doors ping open and the haughty woman's automatic voice announces that we have reached the fourteenth floor.

Malachy springs back, instantly alert to the presence of others, though there's nobody waiting outside the lift. He runs a stiff hand through his hair, breathing out heavily, and knots his fingers between the strands.

I remain in my corner, backed against the wall, my lips still puckered in a comical kiss.

The elevators doors slide shut again and Malachy presses the Stop button, preventing the lift from being called by another floor. He stays quiet, letting a few moments pass. His eyes are still wide with panic, his lips pursed into a narrow, worried line.

'What was that?' His voice is a low murmur and he refuses to look at me, keeping his eyes firmly trained on the floor. My body cries out at the distance between us and I try to ignore it and gather my thoughts.

'I don't know.' I reply truthfully as an aching sensation spreads across my chest. I can't hide my disappointment, not with what happened – or what didn't happen – but with Malachy's reaction to it.

'You know I won't tell Sir Alec that you're skipping classes.' He replies, looking at me determinedly, his jaw set in a hard line.

'If you don't, Lucrezia will.' I retort confidently, but he shakes his head.

'No. I'll speak to Sir Alec alone and pretend that I'm unaware of his leniency towards your skipping class in the company of Lorna Gray. I'll report you for that and that alone. He'll tell me that he has allowed it and to continue as normal. Lucrezia will be none the wiser and your plan to ensure that no blame falls on me when you fail to escape the Institute will have been scuppered.'

I stare at him, half awestruck by his genius, half livid at him for ruining my carefully thought out plan. I try to decide whether or not to be angry, and end up sniggering.

'Did you just say 'scuppered'?' I smirk. The beginnings of a smile tug at the corners of his mouth, but he fights them off, frowning instead.

'I'm serious, Eve. I know what you're doing; casting Tia off as your Mentor and forcing her to move out of your room...'

'I didn't!'

'...It all looks too suspicious. If I can guess something's up then anyone can. Lucrezia will be suspicious now and that's the last thing you want. You need to put this moronic idea of escaping the Institute out of your head. Wait outside whilst I talk to Sir Alec.' He doesn't wait for a reply before pushing the button to open the lift and gliding out into the corridor.