"Does it scare you?"
"No…" Judy immediately regretted saying that.
Before Judy could protest, he scooped her up in a princess carry, apparently without any effort. She let out a muffled squeak and instinctively clung to his neck. Her fingers dug into his broad shoulders, feeling the hardness of the muscles beneath the fabric. The heat of his body contrasted with the cold basement.
"What are you-?"
"We're flying." He said simply. "Don't look down." He whispered low near her ear.
Judy closed her eyes… but not out of fear. For something else.
"Hold on tight."
Judy blushed all the way to her ears, but she didn't resist. Malachai bent his knees slightly and jumped. The basement ceiling tore open like paper above them; they shot upward, smashing through the house and breaking everything in their path, yet they didn't get so much as a scratch, thanks to the invisible force field enveloping them.
The wind hit them like a wall. Judy closed her eyes on instinct, but opened them again almost immediately. The Maine forest stretched out below, Route 17 a gray scar disappearing among the trees. The sky was covered in low, smoke gray clouds, but Malachai climbed above them in seconds. Sunlight suddenly bathed them.
Judy let out the breath she'd been holding.
"It's… beautiful." She whispered.
Malachai didn't answer right away. He only adjusted his hold, making sure she was comfortable against his chest. He could feel Judy's racing heartbeat against his ribs, the warmth of her small body pressed to his. She smelled like jasmine and something cleaner.
"Scared?" He asked quietly near her ear so the wind wouldn't steal the words.
"A little." She admitted. "But not of falling. Of… this." She gestured vaguely at the emptiness below them and then at him. "Of trusting someone who seems like they don't need anyone. Someone so… absolute."
Malachai slowed down, now gliding steadily at around 300 meters. The world below looked like a miniature map: rivers like blue veins, tiny villages, the distant silhouette of Riverdale approaching on the horizon.
"I don't need anyone." He said with brutal honesty. "But I want certain people close. That's different."
Judy looked up at his face. The sunlight made his blue eyes look almost translucent and unreal.
"And I'm starting to be on that list now?"
"You're starting to be." He answered. "If you keep being the way you have been… yes."
She bit her lower lip.
"I'm not someone who stays just because a person is strong."
"I don't want you to stay because of strength." Malachai replied. "I want you to choose to stay because you feel it's worth it."
The silence that followed was heavy, but not uncomfortable. Judy rested her cheek against his shoulder for just a moment. Long enough for him to register the shift: trust being born, curiosity, a hint of something more.
They flew the rest of the way in silence.
While flying toward Riverdale, the next plan was already forming in Malachai's mind: Protect. Earn her trust. Conquer Judy. Simple and straight to the point.
Malachai descended when he saw the "Welcome to Riverdale" sign. He landed in a wooded clearing on the outskirts, far from curious eyes. He set Judy down carefully. She wobbled for a second, legs shaky.
"You okay?" He asked.
"Yeah… just..." She ran a hand through her tousled hair. "I've never flown like that before."
Malachai handed her the backpack he had levitated from the abandoned house without her noticing.
"Take it easy. I'll wait here."
Judy nodded and walked a few meters into the trees to change. She returned minutes later in dark fitted jeans, white sneakers, a loose gray hoodie, and her hair pulled back in a high ponytail. She looked like a normal 18 year old girl… except for the subtle glow in her eyes and the way the air around her seemed cleaner.
"Better?" She asked with a half smile.
"Much better." Malachai replied, openly scanning her from head to toe. "Now you look like you belong here."
She felt a little shy under his gaze but said nothing.
They walked together toward town. The sun was already setting, painting everything orange and purple. Riverdale looked peaceful: kids on bikes, neighbors watering gardens, the distant smell of barbecue. No one noticed the tall, muscular guy or the girl with the luminous gaze walking shoulder to shoulder.
They reached Main Street. Malachai pulled out his phone and typed quickly.
It was time to tell Betty the truth about the clown. He still hadn't told anyone what the clown really was or about his powers. It was time to tell at least Betty the truth; he'd tell the rest later, once he had them in his bed.
Malachai: "Betty darling. Can you come to my house in 30 min? I want you to meet someone and I need to tell you something."
Betty replied almost instantly.
Betty: "Of course! Everything okay? Are you hurt? 😟"
Malachai: "Everything's perfect. I love you."
Betty: "I love you too. 💕"
Judy glanced sideways at him as he put the phone away.
"Girlfriend?"
"Yes. Betty. She's… important to me. I need her to know the truth."
Judy nodded slowly. "Is she trustworthy?"
Malachai gave an amused smile. "Yes. She trusts me. And I trust her."
Judy just nodded and said nothing more.
Malachai's house was quiet when they entered. Judy stood near the door, hands in her hoodie pockets, looking around with restrained curiosity. Everything was too… normal. Family photos on the wall (Cory smiling on a beach, teenage Malachai with a smile he no longer used), an immaculate gray sofa, the smell of coffee and vanilla.
Malachai closed the door with a soft click.
"Sit if you want." He said, nodding toward the sofa. "Betty will be here any minute. I'll get us something to drink in the meantime."
Judy nodded and perched on the edge of the sofa, as if she still wasn't entirely convinced she belonged in that space. Malachai went to the kitchen, took out three glasses, and filled a pitcher with cold water and lemon slices. When he returned, Judy was watching him with that look of hers: curious, assessing, but without judgment.
"You don't seem nervous." She commented softly.
"I'm not." He replied, setting the pitcher on the coffee table. "Betty is the only person in this town I trust completely. If anyone can handle the truth, it's her."
Judy tilted her head. "And what part of the truth are you going to tell her?"
"Everything she needs to know so she doesn't die. The clown. That he's not a crazy guy in a costume. That he's something ancient that feeds on fear. That he's already killed before and will kill again. That I… can do things normal people can't."
Judy bit the inside of her cheek. "And your powers? Are you going to show her?"
Malachai looked toward the window. The sky was starting to turn violet.
"If necessary. But I'd rather she believe first. The demonstration comes after."
Silence fell. Judy toyed with the hem of her hoodie.
"I'm scared of telling people too." She admitted. "My parents knew because it was impossible to hide. But friends… I never told them. I always ended up pulling away before they asked too much."
Malachai looked at her. "Betty won't pull away. She's stronger than she looks."
Judy gave a faint smile. "I hope so."
Before Malachai could reply, the doorbell rang.
He stood up immediately. Judy straightened on the sofa, suddenly tense.
Malachai opened the door.