The Game of Survival

FOUR | PARADISE

CHAPTER FOUR
PARADISE

A part of me wishes Kai had warned me about Malum, and his tendencies. The vibe he gave off when we first walked into the building that appeared to be an old hotel building made the hairs on my neck stand.

I knew the meaning behind the name Malum, it's translation. Malum roughly translates, in latin, to evil. My skin crawled as I'd hoped and prayed to whatever lie above us in the sky, that translations meant nothing to your character.

Malum was six feet, sun-kissed skin, bushy black eyebrows, and a head that reflected the light from the windows. In other words, he was a bald man. If it hadn't been for the off feeling I felt in the pit of my stomach, I'd find him attractive. Otherwise, everything about him threw me off. The way he walked and stood was almost too perfect. Too calm for such a catastrophic time period.

Even if this camp that was almost as big as a town had their shit together, you at least could pick up a small amount of panic and paranoia in anyone's attitude.

Case in point, when Kai first attacked me. He attacked me out of instinct pounding into him by fear. It wasn't hard to tell that what ever was out their, sent a chill down his spine each time it was brought up.

"And what is your name, Miss...?" Malum started, holding out his hand.

I tried to remain unreadable as I rejected his hand. "Rhea, Rhea Amato."

Malum smiled shortly pulling his hand back to himself. he cleared his throat as he walked to a desk on the far wall.

"Kai, would you please?" He pointed to the door.

Kai shut the door, sealing us in the dark office he'd led us to and clasped his hands together in front of him. I let out a quiet breath and subconsciously clenched my jaw.

"Please." He gestured to the chair in front of the dark brown desk, "sit."

Obediently, I sat in the cushioned chair with a clenched jaw and empty eyes. I shifted for a few moments as Malum found his seat behind the desk and leaned forward, looking me up and down with a judge mental look.

What're you looking at, asshole?! I wanted to say. But I didn't. I refrained from doing so.

Without a word, he leaned back and opened a drawer then quietly placed three glasses on top of the table surface. "Kai, would you place grab me the whiskey?"

Kai cleared his throat and walked to the far end of the room, grabbed the beautiful glass full of brown and casually handed it to Malum. He immediately opened it and poured out enough to fill the bottom of each glass.

Not looking at me and handing Kai a glass he spoke, "Thea, you're not twenty-one are you? Well, it's not like it matters anyways, no laws to prohibit you from drinking. Have you drank before?"

I narrowed my eyes, "it's Rhea, I'm nineteen, and no, I havent drank before."

He shrugged. "Well, no time like the present."

I looked at Kai who only nodded at me reassuringly as he sipped his glass. I didn't trust Kai much, but I trusted him more than the man in front of me with the scar running down his left cheek.

I accepted the glass and placed it in my lap, not feeling up to my first drink.

Malum noticed and he raised his glass. "Please. Enjoy, I want to see your reaction to your first drink."

I drew a sigh through my nose before lifting the glass to my lips. It was a dry, vanilla and oak taste. I twisted my lips, not liking the bitter taste or the charcoal after taste of alcohol that lingered in the back of my throat.

Malum chuckled as I saw Kai in my peripheral take a seat in a chair that rested against the wall. The man behind the desk drank his glass in one large gulp before his face fell as he locked eyes with me.

"Kai says you've never killed anyone?"

I nod my head in silence.

"He also says you got no bites?"

I scrunch my eyebrows. "Even if I knew what that meant, no."

Malum tilted his head in question. "You've never seen the undead?"

"Like... zombies?" I half joked.

Malum chuckled before twisting his glass under his fingers. seemingly studying the design of the cup. "Sort of. They're just... a little different."

"How so?"

"They're a bit easier to avoid, you see, they're more frequent in the day because it's when they can see. Night," he shrugged, "it's too dark for em'. However, there are some that have developed so they can see in the dark, but there are few of those. Some also run, it's why I only like my guys leaving before dusk and comin' back before dawn. Less of a risk for them to be killed with any precious cargo they may be carrin'."

I chuckled softly."So, what you really meant was—you care about your guys going at night, not because you care about their well being, but because you care about what they're carrying?"

Malum smiled. "Smart. I like that." His smile faded. "Hopefully not too smart."

I shifted in my seat, biting on my tongue to prevent myself from any words that'll slip from my loud mouth. Adjacent from me, Kai stood up and cleared his throat.

"Well, I think I should probably show Rhea who she'll be staying with."

Malum clicked his tongue. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Now I didn't say if she was allowed to stay or not, did I?" He folded his hands in front of him, surveying me. "Rhea, I'm not going to pretend I trust you right away. But I like you."

The way you just sneered at me as you said my name says otherwise.

"Fine. She can stay, but you have to take her out on your next trip, and when you do, she needs to see the undead." Malum pointed to Kai.

He nodded at the man behind the desk before gesturing for me to follow after him. I got up, walked a few steps, then looked behind me to see Malum staring intensely before raising his empty glass to me.

"Welcome, to Paradise."