Read Online Malevolent (The Puzzle Box Series Book 1) by K.M. Carroll - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: K.M. Carroll
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broom against the cart and took my hand. His cold fingers gently rubbed the bandage, and his eyebrows drew together in a sad, hopeless look. "I'm afraid ... I have no more honey."
My hopes snuffed like a candle flame. "No more? For real?"
"Robert attempted to exterminate my bees yesterday. I had to feed them my last honey to ensure their survival." His voice was soft and sympathetic.
I pulled my hand away and sat back in the seat to stare at the rain. Volcanic heat rose inside my chest. If only I'd stabbed my ex-boyfriend when I'd had the chance. "Blast you, Robert."
Mal pointed to the passenger seat. "Mind if I sit down?"
"Go ahead." I wasn't exactly comfortable with him so close, but once he was seated, I found that I didn't mind him. He folded his hands in his lap and gazed at them.
"My bees will gather more honey, of course. But it will be the end of March before I can harvest it."
My heart sank a little lower. March! And here it was only the second week of February. "What about the other hives? Do any of them have extra?"
"Even if they did, it would not help you."
"Why not?"
Mal didn't answer. He gazed at the dripping trees instead, and I had a clear view of his battered face.
"What happened to you?"
The corner of his mouth lifted in a sardonic smile. "My brother was interrupted in his bee genocide."
"I hope you pounded him."
"Yes."
The quiet, final way he said it implied Robert had come off worse. A savage corner of my mind pumped a fist--the part that gloated over headshots. Funny, I had no remorse about breaking up with Robert. No more dealing with him hanging around and smothering me with long hugs and kisses.
"I think you're right about him being a vampire. He's bitten me before. Sneakily, so I didn't catch on."
Mal nodded. He was too thin to be handsome, but his pointed nose and chin kept me looking at him. Maybe, if he took better care of himself, and got some clothes that weren't second-hand, he might look more human.
He studied me with his rain-colored eyes. "Do you believe in the supernatural?"
"I believe in Jesus. Not sure about vampires, though."
He let out a breath, as if he'd been holding it. "I share your belief in Christ. Unfortunately, I also know empirically that vampires exist."
The way he mentioned Jesus and vampires in the same breath sent a cold shudder through me. "Not sure I follow, about the vampire thing." I looked at my bandaged hand. "So, you're a Christian?"
"I was."
"What are you now?"
He didn't answer for a long moment, but his eyebrows again had a mournful slant to them. "I am under judgment."
"For what?"
"That, I cannot explain so easily."
Silence stretched between us. I puzzled over him--he used to be a Christian, and now was being judged, but for what? Maybe it was that crime that had gotten him sent to jail.
"Well, I asked God about you, and he gave me the jars of clay verse."
Mal's eyebrows rose, and his eyes turned green. "Really now. What verse is that?"
I read it off my smartphone. "However, we possess this precious treasure in frail vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves."
He sat back in the seat and stared at his hands in his lap. His eyes misted, and for a moment I thought he was going to cry. "That is ... beautiful." His voice was suddenly raspy.
A lump formed in my throat. I hadn't expected a Bible verse to make both of us weepy. I patted his shoulder. "Don't cry. You'd get me crying, too."
He drew a deep breath, wiped his eyes, and sat up. "You deserve an explanation, I think, about me, and Robert, and vampires. Then you will understand what such a verse means to me."
I swallowed. "I haven't made up my mind about the vampire thing. Still ... I mean, Robert bit me."
Mal nodded, and his eyes smiled. His mouth even curled a little. "Do you believe quantum particles exist?"
I blinked. "Sure, but that's science."
"Are you aware that the Earth is constantly
My hopes snuffed like a candle flame. "No more? For real?"
"Robert attempted to exterminate my bees yesterday. I had to feed them my last honey to ensure their survival." His voice was soft and sympathetic.
I pulled my hand away and sat back in the seat to stare at the rain. Volcanic heat rose inside my chest. If only I'd stabbed my ex-boyfriend when I'd had the chance. "Blast you, Robert."
Mal pointed to the passenger seat. "Mind if I sit down?"
"Go ahead." I wasn't exactly comfortable with him so close, but once he was seated, I found that I didn't mind him. He folded his hands in his lap and gazed at them.
"My bees will gather more honey, of course. But it will be the end of March before I can harvest it."
My heart sank a little lower. March! And here it was only the second week of February. "What about the other hives? Do any of them have extra?"
"Even if they did, it would not help you."
"Why not?"
Mal didn't answer. He gazed at the dripping trees instead, and I had a clear view of his battered face.
"What happened to you?"
The corner of his mouth lifted in a sardonic smile. "My brother was interrupted in his bee genocide."
"I hope you pounded him."
"Yes."
The quiet, final way he said it implied Robert had come off worse. A savage corner of my mind pumped a fist--the part that gloated over headshots. Funny, I had no remorse about breaking up with Robert. No more dealing with him hanging around and smothering me with long hugs and kisses.
"I think you're right about him being a vampire. He's bitten me before. Sneakily, so I didn't catch on."
Mal nodded. He was too thin to be handsome, but his pointed nose and chin kept me looking at him. Maybe, if he took better care of himself, and got some clothes that weren't second-hand, he might look more human.
He studied me with his rain-colored eyes. "Do you believe in the supernatural?"
"I believe in Jesus. Not sure about vampires, though."
He let out a breath, as if he'd been holding it. "I share your belief in Christ. Unfortunately, I also know empirically that vampires exist."
The way he mentioned Jesus and vampires in the same breath sent a cold shudder through me. "Not sure I follow, about the vampire thing." I looked at my bandaged hand. "So, you're a Christian?"
"I was."
"What are you now?"
He didn't answer for a long moment, but his eyebrows again had a mournful slant to them. "I am under judgment."
"For what?"
"That, I cannot explain so easily."
Silence stretched between us. I puzzled over him--he used to be a Christian, and now was being judged, but for what? Maybe it was that crime that had gotten him sent to jail.
"Well, I asked God about you, and he gave me the jars of clay verse."
Mal's eyebrows rose, and his eyes turned green. "Really now. What verse is that?"
I read it off my smartphone. "However, we possess this precious treasure in frail vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves."
He sat back in the seat and stared at his hands in his lap. His eyes misted, and for a moment I thought he was going to cry. "That is ... beautiful." His voice was suddenly raspy.
A lump formed in my throat. I hadn't expected a Bible verse to make both of us weepy. I patted his shoulder. "Don't cry. You'd get me crying, too."
He drew a deep breath, wiped his eyes, and sat up. "You deserve an explanation, I think, about me, and Robert, and vampires. Then you will understand what such a verse means to me."
I swallowed. "I haven't made up my mind about the vampire thing. Still ... I mean, Robert bit me."
Mal nodded, and his eyes smiled. His mouth even curled a little. "Do you believe quantum particles exist?"
I blinked. "Sure, but that's science."
"Are you aware that the Earth is constantly
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