Chapter 351: In a Difficult Position

Anyone who went against Skotessa would most certainly regret it.

Kai could tell that much from seeing her in person.

And yet he unknowingly crossed her, since he stopped Mallory from doing anything rash.

He was interfering with her plan, which explained the icicle-sharp gaze.

But then again, it’s not like he could let Mallory fall into Skotessa’s trap. He had already spent so much time building a solid relationship with Mallory, and there was no chance that he was going to let that get blown away by Skotessa.

"If you are not going to attack me, then silence your Nightborns," Skotessa said dismissively.

She descended a little, getting closer to Mallory and Kai.

Staying up where she was a few seconds ago was already dangerous enough, and yet Skotessa came even closer. Such nonchalance toward danger was proof enough that Kai was right. She wanted Mallory to attack her.

In the distance, the Nightborns within Mallory’s domain were still roaring and growling.

All of them were eager to tear Skotessa apart for daring to enter their territory.

Even though it was quite distracting, Mallory let them sing.

She would rather fight right now than listen to Skotessa’s request.

"Leave my domain—Skotessa," Mallory said with a threatening tone. Regardless of the reason why Skotessa came to visit, she wanted her gone. "Did you forget about our agreed edict? No one could ever attack another inside their own domains."

"Did I attack you?" Skotessa raised her brow. "I’m only visiting. After our little play earlier, I want to see how you are doing. After all, you did get obliterated. You were out of it for so long that you barely could resist. I even felt bad."

Mallory gritted her teeth and clenched her hands again.

Her dark aura mixed with muted amber flared, outlining her form entirely.

Sensing her rising aura, the Nightborns’ growls and roars became even more frantic.

All of them were connected with her, so her wrath was channelled into them.

But remembering what Kai said earlier, she bit down on her tongue to hold back her anger.

"What do you want?" She finally asked with a restrained voice.

Instead of answering, Skotessa’s pale white eyes shifted to the side and stopped at Kai.

She paused for a second, and then her hand blurred.

Swish—!

"Hm?"

Kai could hear the sharp, piercing sound that came from the wind—being sliced open. He also felt a sudden stroke of air rushing against his face. It happened so fast, and when he blinked, his eyes widened in realization.

Just an inch away from his forehead was the shimmering spearhead.

It was so close that he could see the fluctuation of energy in it and also its idle humming.

His heart sank into his stomach.

Skotessa actually threw her spear straight at his head.

Fortunately, Mallory was right beside him, and she caught the spear before it reached him.

"Skotessa!" Mallory roared loudly, rage twisted her expression into something hideous—and dark. "Didn’t you say that you’re only visiting?! Did you think I really wouldn’t dare to shatter your body right here and right now?! This is outrageous!"

"Why are you so worked up?" Skotessa asked, looking at Mallory calmly as if he had not done anything wrong at all. "He has no connection to you, so he’s not one of your Nighborns. Don’t tell me... Is he our new sibling that you were hiding and protecting from us?"

Mallory gritted her teeth and called for the night to encompass it.

She wanted to shatter it, but Skotessa was quicker, taking the spear back before she could.

A struggle for control over the night happened, but the spear managed to slip away again.

It only made Mallory even more frustrated.

"Did you hear yourself? Everything that comes out of your mouth is nonsense! He’s my guest, and any attack on him would be treated as an attack on me!"

"Just tell me the truth, Mallory. Everything is your doing, isn’t it? I already knew that you are hiding our new sister, and to cover it up, you somehow created that light to make a distraction, buying time for our new sister to grow stronger."

"Lies! I already told you that I don’t have anything to do with those things!"

"Then why are you suddenly getting active lately? You asked around about the light, and then even investigated its surroundings. Mallory... I remembered what you said after the Strife of Darkness; you specifically said you don’t want anything to do with us anymore."

"I..."

Mallory paused, struggling to find the words to answer Skotessa’s questions.

And this only made Skotessa even more eager, sensing that Mallory might finally confess.

But what came after caught her completely off guard.

"I was trying to win him over." Mallory finally spat out the words—and she averted her gaze almost immediately as a blush rose to her cheeks. She felt no shame before Kai, but it seemed it was different when it was Skotessa. "I thought it would impress him if I could at least push you and Gloria back."

"Wha—?" Kai stuttered as he looked at Mallory in shock.

He was completely blindsided by what he said.

Just stopping Mallory from attacking alone was already something that put him in Skotessa’s crosshairs, and it was bad enough for him. And now—Mallory basically said that their friction was because of him.

And it was an entirely different thing.

One was a nuisance, and the other was something worth killing for.

Can you guys please not drag me into anything? Just treat me like air or something.

Kai smiled sheepishly inside as sweat began to drench his back. He wasn’t looking directly at Skotessa, but he could feel her icy gaze fixed on him, and it made his legs feel weak. He came out of pure concern for Mallory, and now he was dragged into whatever this was.

"What are you?" Skotessa’s voice rang. "How high your presence reached?"

"You must think I’m an idiot," Mallory sneered. "I’m not going to let you snatch him away."

For an uncomfortable moment, Skotessa stared at Kai.

A flicker of interest in her eyes.

One that Kai didn’t see, but had he seen, he would’ve felt even worse.

Gaining interest from someone like Skotessa sounded like trouble.

Eventually, her gaze returned to Mallory.

"I need proof that you’re not hiding our new sister, and also not the one behind the light."

"Why do I need to give you any proof?"

"Then I will take it that you’re the one behind everything."

"Do you think Gloria would ever side with you? She hated you."

"Yes... But she hated the one behind the light more, and I can make her believe that it’s you."

Mallory parted her lips, about to say more—but sealed them again. She knew that due to her long absence, the closeness she had with Gloria, Skotessa, and her other sisters had eroded. It would be hard for her to convince them against Skotessa’s words.

Skotessa, by contrast, had remained active.

She could convince them far better than Mallory ever would.

Even if Mallory turned out not to be the culprit, it wouldn’t be so bad.

Once they ravaged her domain and took most of her belongings—they would come out much stronger, and growing stronger was never a bad thing. Going that bad route would only mean certain failure, so Mallory couldn’t let things go there.

All of them would be stronger, so there would be no loss.

"Fine!" Mallory finally replied. "How can I convince you that I’m telling the truth?"

"Easy," Skotessa’s thin lips curled up a little. "I’ll send my Nightborns to sweep the First Floor, and you’re going to let them check your territory, too. If they found nothing at all, then I would believe you. Is that fair?"

Despite her internal turmoil, she eventually nodded her head.

If that was what it took to clear her name, then so be it.

Skotessa smiled and floated skyward again, heading out after saying what she came to say.

"And you." She said, fixing her gaze at Kai. "If you want a strong and reliable master, then do come to my side. My domain would always be open to strong Nightborns. I would treat you much better than she ever could."

Before Mallory could protest, she already blasted skyward, turning into a white streak.

She pierced through the darkness and then disappeared.

Once silence choked them from all sides again, Kai looked down to the ground.

Fuck... This is going to be bad.

Moments later.

Kai warned Mallory that Skotessa had an agenda of her own.

Even though Mallory had nothing to hide, Skotessa might have planted something to make sure she did. It was a dirty tactic—manufacture the crime, then punish the accused. Mallory’s expression flickered, a momentary crack in her reserved composure, but she nodded.

She understood.

After all, the culprit was still out there, and it might as well be Skotessa.

Once he told her that, Kai quickly excused himself.

Right now, he also needed to prepare.

Skotessa was going to sweep the First Floor—the most likely place where the supposed new sister was located. If she found Kai—then things might escalate to a disastrous level in a whim. He needed to steer clear of her radar.

He didn’t know how, but he reckoned growing stronger would help. Power was the only true shield in the House of Night. Noxian also might know a few tricks to help him disappear; the old Nightborn was naturally an introvert, after all.

If anyone understood the art of avoiding attention, it was him.

Kai met up with Kaelmorath again.

He didn’t explain himself, didn’t offer any excuses for his sudden disappearance. There was no time. The hulking Nightborn simply watched him go—his expression unreadable, as Kai headed back toward Noxian’s domain.

Along the way, Kai realized something.

He was closer to the night.

Deciding to test, he called for the night and was surprised to see it respond faster. The streak of darkness came down faster than it was before, about two times faster—and then coiled like a serpent around his hand.

It seemed being near the Daughters of the Night had elevated his connection to the night.

Once he reached Noxian’s domain, Kai went straight to Perion. He paid a few hundred usable exp to heal the golem’s wounds, watching as the cracks knitted together—and the stone flesh mended.

At the end of it, Perion was already standing again.

Kai patted the golem’s massive shoulder, then turned and walked toward Noxian’s house.

Just like normal, Noxian was sitting on the staircase.

But as he was about to ask for advice, for help, for anything at all, his heart throbbed hard.

A spike of pain that stole the breath from his lungs. His vision turned blurry, the edges of the world bleeding into darkness. He stumbled, reaching out for something to steady himself, but his hand found only empty air.

Before he could say a word, before he could cry out for help, he fell backward.

And then there was nothing.