8. Chapter 8

I felt a nudge against my thigh. It was enough to make my eyes blink open and try to remember where I was. It was still dark, but a soft light came from under the door, just enough to see the wainscoting that went around the room halfway up the textured walls with golden filigree ornaments evenly spaced near the ceiling. When I saw the same walls I'd grown up sleeping within, I relaxed. I yawned softly and stretched, trying not to disturb Malachi.

Except I no longer felt his body flushed up against mine. Another thump against my thigh had me chuckling. Apparently, Mal was already awake and ready for some attention. I wouldn't mind a repeat of the night before. Early morning sex was my favorite way to start the day.

That didn't seem to be in the plans, not when I turned over and saw Mal kneeling on the bed. He was still naked, but that wasn't the strange part. It was how he was sitting, leaning forward on his hands, staring down at me with eyes that seemed unnaturally wide.

"What's…going on?" I looked around quickly, trying to figure out if someone else was there, or if I could sense anything.

He bumped my leg with his hand, and he let out a soft whining sound. I sat up quickly, the suddenness of my movement caused him to flinch back. "Mal? Are you okay?"

He whimpered and lowered down, knees still bent, in a sort of yoga pose. His brown eyes stared up at me expectantly.

I stretched my magic out to see if I could feel what was happening with him, but when it reached him, I felt it hit resistance and bounce back. Similar to what happened with the frog, only this was so much stronger.

Concern had me fully awake now. I moved carefully, trying to close the distance between us. "Mal? It's me, Florian."

He tilted his head sideways, as if trying to understand me. Something about the motion felt strangely familiar, but not…human. I inched a little closer, and when he didn't try to move away from me, I held my hand out to show that I wouldn't hurt him.

Malachi sniffed my hand before licking it and pushing his head under it. My heart felt gripped in a vise, as I tentatively placed my hand on top of his head and patted. Mal smiled and gave a happy huff.

I smoothed my hand over his hair and he crawled closer to me. Shit! This was…not good. Since my touch seemed to sooth him, I continued petting over his hair and rubbing down his neck. Mal lay on his side and nuzzled his head against me, smiling up at me with his tongue hanging out one side.

He was acting like…a dog. "Mal?" He tilted his head. Okay, so he recognized his name. That was something. "Can you talk?"

A soft bark came from him. A bark . Malachi, the man who was about to be king, barked. Fuck, fuck, fuckity, fuck. What did that mean?

I continued to pet him, even as he rolled on to his back, staring up at me and showing me his belly. "You want a belly rub?" I asked, feeling foolish.

When he replied with a soft woof, I couldn't help but chuckle. I ran my hand down his stomach, being sure to stay far away from his dick. As much as I admired it and wanted to touch it more, it wouldn't be right if he wasn't aware of what was happening. Continuous rubs down his stomach had his tongue lolling. I took the opportunity of his relaxed position and seeming contentment to reach out again with my magic, focusing it as I touched him.

That resistance pushed back, but I was able to get a vision of what it was fighting against. It was much like the essence of the frog that had been in his throat, only this time, it filled his entire body. There was a presence that seemed to encompass him. An aura of a mystical dog. He was there, I could sense him, but he felt far away. This was too big, too much. I didn't know how to help him.

The thought made my chest ache and a restless feeling filled me. I needed to do some research. There had to be something I could do.

I climbed out of bed and paced. Malachi flopped down off the bed, landing on hands and knees, making me wince. His legs shook slightly when he stood, but he managed to walk awkwardly behind me.

I turned to face him, finding it strange to have to tilt my head back to look at him, considering I had just been giving him belly rubs. "I'm going to have to go."

At the last word, his lips turned down, and he let out a whine. I reached up and patted his head, trying to reassure him. "I'll come back, I promise. But I need to figure out how to help you."

I found my neatly folded clothes that I'd worn to the palace yesterday morning and started getting dressed. Malachi watched me with tilted head, curious to see what I was doing. When I fastened my pants, I looked him over. He was still naked. I couldn't leave him like that.

I collected his discarded sweats and tee shirt and tried to put them on him, but he didn't lift a foot, simply observed me.

"I need to get you dressed. It might feel funny to wear clothes right now, but I promise you'll appreciate it later on. Can you give me a little help here?"

Another head tilt. I ran a hand over my face. "Fuck me. Can you sit down on the bed and I can get these on you?"

Mal looked at the bed and looked back at me but didn't move. Maybe he was too far away to understand me fully. I was giving him too many words for him to comprehend. I needed to simplify. Forgive me, Mal , I mentally apologized for what I was about to do.

"Mal, sit."

He immediately sat on the edge of the bed and looked up at me expectantly.

"Good boy." I patted his head, and he panted happily. It might have been a little fucked up, but I found it endearing, in a strange way. To see his eagerness for my approval. It stirred up something within me, but I pushed it down. Now was not the time.

I knelt down on the floor before him, and when I touched his left foot and said lift, he did. I slid the pants leg up and repeated the action with the other leg until I maneuvered the sweats all the way up.

"Lay down, Mal." He obeyed easily, and when he laid back on the bed, I was able to scoot the pants under his ass and pull them up around his waist. I gave his belly a light pat.

I managed to get his shirt on him, too, which had been a little bit more difficult, especially since he tried to lick my hand every time it was in front of his face. I chuckled at the action, even if I knew this wasn't an amusing situation, but I was merely a man being licked by the man of my dreams. And…Mal made for a pretty cute pup.

"I'm going to be back as soon as I can. Don't go anywhere. You need to stay right here." When he tilted his head, I let out a sigh. I held my hand out in front of him and said in a more firm tone, "Stay."

He let out a soft woof but settled into the bed. I tucked the blanket in around him, and he watched me with sad eyes as I went to the door. "Be a good boy for me, okay?"

I opened and closed the door quickly, ensuring it latched properly. I didn't know how much awareness he had or how much canine instinct was in him, but I didn't want to risk him getting out. If anyone saw him like this, it would be devastating. Not just for him, personally, but for the country. He would be deemed incompetent, and it could ruin his entire future.

From the hallway, my forehead fell against his door. I sent my magic through it, trying to reach him with a plea that he would stay. I couldn't compel people to do anything, but I also knew that Malachi felt my magic in a way that no one else did. Maybe he would feel me. Somewhere in the depths of his mind, he would sense my urging. With my hand on the doorframe, I promised to return quickly.

At the end of the hall, Oscar was standing guard. I sighed with relief. If something happened, at least I knew this was someone Mal trusted. I had to hope he would help keep him concealed or keep it hushed if somehow he found out what was happening with the prince.

He dipped his head in acknowledgement when he saw me. "Mister Florian. I hope you have a good day."

"Uh, yes. Thank you, but I'm going to be back. Mal, uh, Prince Malachi isn't…feeling like himself. I have to get to my cottage to find a few things that might help. I'll need to get there and back as quickly as possible."

Oscar straightened, and his eyes darted down the hallway. "So this has to do with his…afflictions?"

"Yes."

His gaze returned to me, concern flashing behind his sharp eyes. "Is he alright? Is there anything I can do?"

"Stand guard. Don't let anyone disturb him, including you. I know you care for him, but the best thing you can do for the prince is to leave him alone in his room until I get back. He would not wish for you to see him as he is now. And if you could arrange a ride for me, it would be greatly appreciated."

Surely, it wasn't too much of me to ask. I didn't want to assume power, but it would take a lot longer to secure a cab to the Purlieu and back.

"Yes, sir. A car will be waiting for you at the front gate. I'll instruct them to wait for you and bring you back when you're ready."I squeezed his arm. "Thank you very much. Keep him safe, Oscar."

"Always. It is my duty, one I am honored to have."

I hurried down the halls, following a path my feet knew by memory, leading me through several turns and corridors until I came to the front entrance. Flinging the heavy door open before I could be asked, I hurried down the steps where less than a week ago, Malachi's upcoming coronation was announced.

I will get you to your coronation, Mal. I swear it.

A black town car pulled up to the walkway at the bottom of the staircase. The driver got out, walked around the car, and opened the door for me. I would have appreciated the irony after having been kicked out so long ago, but right now the only thing that mattered was helping Malachi.

I gave the driver my address, and we left. As soon as we were on the public street, the driver accelerated, swerving expertly around traffic and cutting through the capitol like a hot knife through butter.

No one stopped him, not even the police cars we passed. Either they knew the car, or it had special plates on it to signify it as belonging to the royal family. Whatever it was, I was grateful. He got me to my cottage in a third of the time it would have taken me to make that same trip.

Not bothering with niceties with the driver, I hurried inside and went to my bedroom, where I had a collection of old books about magic. After I had been thrown out of the palace, not only was I having to survive on my own, I was still dealing with this thing in me I didn't understand. The library became one of my favorite places. They didn't mind people hanging around all day as long as they weren't causing any trouble, and they had extensive archives. Books that were older than the country itself. Books that gave you a glimpse into the past.

Magic was once more prevalent in the land, or at least it was spoken of more in the past. Along with legends, myths, and lore. I began devouring whatever I could, whether fact or fiction. Though even in the books deemed fairytales, there were elements of familiarity within them. All stories came from somewhere.

Looking over my bookshelf, I found one of the few books I…r ehomed from the library. The section of books had been dust-covered and in a room in the basement of the historical building. They hadn't been touched in years. I had taken it upon myself to sneak a book or two out, knowing they would be more valuable if actually used instead of left to rot.

The oldest book I had was leather bound with lacing along the spine. The date written on the inside cover was from four hundred years ago. It had taken me a while to decipher much of it, since it was written in an older dialect, but I'd managed to piece good portions of it together.

After picking out several books, I threw them into a satchel and added some dried fruits and veggies I kept on hand to snack on when I was busy. Within ten minutes, I was back in the town car and driven to the palace, delivered to the front door.

No questions were asked as I rushed up the stairs. The door opened for me, and I hurried my way back through the labyrinth of corridors to the royal family's wing.

Oscar seemed relieved to find me back so soon. His gaze dropped to my satchel, and I knew he was battling his instincts to check my belongings to ensure I wouldn't be bringing anything that would harm the prince.

I lifted the flap, and he took a peek inside. "Books? You brought books?"

"Yup. The most powerful tools I have, and if you don't mind, I really do need to get back to the prince."

He stepped aside. "Yes, of course. I'm right here if you need anything."

"Thank you. Please don't let anyone disturb us until I tell you otherwise."

Oscar dipped his head and let me pass. I was thankful he didn't ask any further questions, because I didn't really know what else to tell him.

When I got to the prince's door, I opened it carefully, not wanting to hit him if he was in front of it, or risk him running out. Seeing it was clear, I slipped inside and shut the door quickly, making Mal bark.

"Shhh. It's okay. It's just me."

Malachi was still on the bed, though he hopped up when he saw me and sat back on his heels, bracing himself on his hands.

I sat beside him and patted his head. "Good boy, Mal."

He wiggled his ass happily, making me laugh at the action. Poor Malachi. I was sure he was going to hate knowing about this. I wondered how much he was aware. Could he see or feel what was happening but simply had no control over it? I didn't know, but I was going to find out. In the meantime, I would talk to him as if he could hear me.

"I'm going to figure out what happened. It may take a little time, but I promise I'm not going anywhere until I do."

He gave a soft woof. I didn't know whether it was in response to hearing my voice, or the gentle tone I used, or if some part of him understood, but I took it as acknowledgement and had to go from there.

With my bag of books, I sat at his desk and spread them out. Mal crawled off the bed, getting tangled in the shirt he wore. His arms had come out of the sleeves, and it hung loose around him. I crossed the room to help him out of the shirt he seemed to have been wrestling with while I was gone.

"Is that better?"

He licked my hand. I pursed my lips together to stifle a laugh as I returned to the chair. Mal walked over on hind legs…no, on his legs, and sat on the floor beside me. I wasn't sure what to do with him, so I turned my attention to the books in front of me. A moment later, Mal's cheek rested on my thigh. I gently stroked my hand over his head, and he nuzzled closer.

He stayed there while I skimmed through the books. I continued to pet him absentmindedly. Mal seemed to melt against me. He shifted until he was sitting on his butt and leaning back against my leg. It was oddly comforting to have him so near, and I hoped my touch helped him, too.

In the leather-bound book, I found a section about deities and spiritual beings. I didn't know if the gods of the old world were real or not. I used to think it was completely out of the question, but then…magic was real. I knew people of the past often attributed things they didn't understand to powerful beings, but there had to be some basis it was founded on.

I hadn't paid too much attention to this section in the past, but I felt a pull to it. My magic was drawing me in, and I learned early on to listen to it. I read each page, each line, carefully trying to decipher the meaning. Sometimes I had to read a passage a few times to grasp it. But then something caught my eye.

"Trickster," I said in a whisper, afraid I might invoke it by speaking it aloud. I read it over and over until it started to click. A trickster spirit could latch onto someone, particularly if they were left vulnerable through stress or anxiety. The spirits loved to do things that seemed innocuous at first, but could increasingly grow in power, feeding off the chaos and trouble that it caused.

That had to be it. Malachi had expressed his anxiousness about the role he would soon have. Did a trickster somehow find him? Its magic had been strong already when I had forced the frog entity out of him. Now? I ran my hand over Mal's hair, letting my magic reach into him. The charm that had been placed on him was much more formidable than the last, and it reached too deep. I wouldn't be able to focus my magic and center it like I had on his throat.

"But how do I fix it?" I pondered out loud, flipping through the pages.

Mal let out a concerned whine at my exasperation. He turned his face up to me, eyes too round. I patted his head and kept my voice calm when I responded. "It's okay. I'm going to figure this out."

Now that I had a word to look for, I switched to more modern books hoping there would be answers. I traced through page after page until my stomach grumbled and my eyes went blurry. I pulled out some of the dried snacks I'd brought and realized Mal hadn't eaten anything either, and I didn't want to risk calling for food or having someone come to the door.

"Are you hungry?" I took a bite of dried sweet potato to show Mal it was edible before offering it to him. He opened his mouth and took it from my hand, making me chuckle. He chewed it for a bit, and then he smiled, and his tongue hung out as he eyed the pouch of food.

"Hmm, let's see. How about we try some apple chips?" I popped one in my mouth and handed him one, which he took eagerly. He let out a soft woof showing his approval. "Yeah, those are my favorite, too."

We continued like that—a bite for me, a bite for him—until I reached the bottom of the bag, having gone through everything I'd brought. I showed him and he let out a little whine. "Sorry, Mal. That's all for now. Hopefully, we can get you back to yourself in time for dinner."

Having been hunched over the desk for a while, and Mal sitting on the floor for longer than was probably comfortable, I decided it was time to change locations. I grabbed the leather-bound book, as well as a couple others, and went to the bed. I leaned a pillow against the backboard and sat against it. Malachi watched me, waiting for instructions.

I patted the bed beside me. "Come on."

He leapt onto the bed, making me bounce with the weight of a full-grown man jostling the bed, and I let out a laugh. Mal snuggled up beside me, with his head on my stomach and his belly exposed. I rubbed my hand over those hard abs of his. "Good boy."

I carefully balanced the big books on my lap, trying not to disturb Mal, and kept one hand on his hairy trail down the center of his stomach. It wasn't sexual. I liked the feeling of his skin, but as turned on as I'd been touching him the night before, this wasn't about that. It was different with him not fully present, and I think it was reassuring to both of us.

The newer books weren't showing me anything about trickster spirits. I'd even looked for anything that felt similar, in case the language or name had changed, but got nothing. Some of the old magic still existed in the world, but it wasn't preserved or passed on, ancestors choosing to ignore it in the hopes it would fade away. It lingered though. The shadows of the past had a way of coming back again. Only now, mysteries were explained away with science and technology. They weren't always right, though.

Pulling out the leather book, I found the section I was reading earlier. It kept saying something about power. "One's own power."

The slanted letters and the old dialect that didn't follow normal grammar or sentence structure made it challenging. But the one thing I kept seeing was one's own power or power aplomb. Aplomb was mentioned a few times, though it had a few extra letters in it, so it didn't make sense right away. Self-confidence, calmness, and composure. What did that have to do with fighting off the trickster?

I sucked in a sharp breath when it finally dawned on me. Mal shifted, turning over, when he sensed my excitement. "I think I found it!"

He woofed in response and smiled. I grabbed his cheeks in both of my hands and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "We're going to get you through this."

I wasn't quite sure how yet, but at least I had something to work with. From what I could understand, I couldn't fight this magic from the outside, not this time. It was latched on too deep. Malachi would have to do it. Except…Mal's mind was far away. How did I get him to fight the magic, to use his own confidence and strength to push it out, if he couldn't comprehend what he needed to do?

Mal nudged my hand, pushing it on top of his head, and I began to pet him once more. Stroking down the back of his neck and between his shoulder blades. He nuzzled in closer.

Torn about what to do, I kept petting him, as I tried to think it through. Perhaps if he didn't have his own words yet, he could borrow mine. "I think I'll tell you a story about a boy who was strong and brave and who made me feel special.

Mal let out a woof. So I began talking. He stared up at me through round, brown eyes, listening to every word I said, whether he heard them or not.