To achieve the objective of sneaking past the bloom, Nyx had carried him on her back.
She took complete control of Malakai's blood, settling his heartbeat to a near stop, bringing down his temperature to match the cold night.
They had both donned pure black to blend better with the night. Carrying Malakai on her back, Nyx left the base, cutting through the forest.
The scene was almost comical. Given Nyx's petite frame, Malakai was bigger than her. Yet she carried him effortlessly.
As they moved, Malakai couldn't help but marvel at what he was currently feeling, or rather, what he didn't feel.
The usual coldness of the night wasn't there. Instead, the wind bursting against his skin felt… just right. His temperature matched the surroundings perfectly.
'Another application of blood,' Malakai noted. A reminder that he still had a lot to learn about blood manipulation.
Soon enough, and when Nyx was satisfied that they weren't being followed, she settled Malakai high on a tree branch.
"I'll go fetch him," she said. As Malakai nodded, she vanished, returning seconds later. With her came Whiteshade, his eyes visibly shaken.
"N-Ninth Vein…" Whiteshade stammered, bowing.
"The letter I gave to you. Where is it?"
"H-here…" he brought out the envelope from his clothes and handed it to Malakai, his arms trembling throughout. He was still trying to recover from being forcibly taken by Nyx.
He threw a few cautious glances toward the petite devil behind Malakai, trying to calm the trembling in his limbs.
Malakai's cold voice snapped him out of his trance. Whiteshade quickly shook his head. "No, no. It hasn't been two days yet, Ninth Vein."
Whiteshade couldn't help but gulp as he saw Nyx nod gently.
'I can't even lie,' he thought. With Nyx present, lying to Malakai was impossible.
"Did you tell anyone anything about our arrangement? About me?"
Whiteshade shook his head. Nyx nodded.
"Have you betrayed me in any way?"
As Nyx nodded again, Malakai slipped the letter back into his robe, eyes fixed on Whiteshade.
"Alright," Malakai said. These were questions he always asked whenever they met, his way of confirming Whiteshade hadn't been compromised.
"The Maugrim?" Malakai asked after a pause.
Whiteshade hesitated. It was brief, but Malakai caught it instantly. His gaze turned cold. "Speak."
Whiteshade gulped, Malakai's killing intent crawling over him like a noose. But it was Nyx's aura that made his knees tremble.
"I-I suspect someone to be one of their agents," he finally said. Malakai motioned for him to continue.
"He's been frequenting the Red Maw for several nights now. Placing simple bets, acting like he's just having fun."
"Why do you think he's an agent?"
Whiteshade took a deep breath.
"I've been doing this job long enough to know the difference. The people who come to the Red Maw are gamblers. Real ones. There's a fire in their eyes, a hunger. They're focused on the game, nothing else.
"But this man… he was different. He wasn't there to win or lose. He observed everything. From the number of guards to the size of the space. I'm sure of it. He has to be one of them."
Malakai fell silent, lost in thought.
"What's his rank?" he asked after a moment.
'At least it's someone high up,' Malakai thought to himself. But he frowned right after.
The only reason he had been able to control Whiteshade in the first place was because the man was at Node Formation, and more importantly, not tied to any secret organization.
'He's probably like Delmas.'
Malakai remembered the man well. Delmas had been captured and tortured by the Iron Saint. But he'd died before they could get anything useful, thanks to the Maugrim's deadly contingencies.
If he wanted to use any of them, it was clear now, force wasn't the way.
"Keep me informed. Let me know as soon as they make contact," Malakai said finally. For now, he didn't want to be too directly involved.
'They might be working with Fourth Pulse.'
Malakai's mind spun, piecing things together. The Maugrim had ambushed him before because of Varnel and Khana. He wouldn't be surprised if they were tied to the Fourth Pulse in Sylvastein.
'They work for the highest bidder.' That much was known about the Maugrim.
"Is there anything else I should be aware of?"
Malakai didn't miss the flicker of hesitation that crossed Whiteshade's face.
This time, he didn't even need to speak. Nyx's aura slammed into the man, jerking his body forward as his knees nearly buckled.
"Th-The T-Tendrix are planning something… against the Sudrex."
Malakai's gaze sharpened. 'The Tendrix…'
He remembered them from his studies on Kaer Thorn District. Two ruling clans, Tendrix and Sudrex.
Whiteshade was a scion of the Sudrex, a clan whose abilities were centered around their skin. Meanwhile, the Tendrix drew their strength from their tendons.
Neither were top tier clans, but they were still powerful warrior clans.
The rivalry between them had divided the district in two.
'This could be a chance.'
Malakai didn't care much for the source of the conflict. What interested him were the results, chaos. And chaos bred darkness creatures.
"Do you know what they're planning?"
"N-not exactly," Whiteshade said. "But I think it has something to do with the birthday celebration coming up in two days."
"Get me an invitation."
"W-what?" Whiteshade blurted before he could stop himself.
Malakai simply raised an eyebrow. Whiteshade froze, then bowed quickly.
"I-I mean… you want to come to the party?"
"Yes," Malakai said calmly. "You're a direct descendant. Get me an invitation. Or will that be a problem?"
As the chill crept down his spine, Whiteshade shook his head fast. "N-not a problem."
Malakai nodded. "Let's go."
Before Whiteshade could even blink, Malakai and Nyx vanished, leaving behind only a gust of wind.
As the silence returned, Whiteshade clutched his chest and sighed, trying to calm his racing heart. He needed to return quickly before anyone noticed he was gone.
Malakai returned to his room, and after Nyx confirmed that all was secure, he cleaned up and sat cross legged on his bed.
'It's time to form a new node.'
After all the back and forth, all the delays and distractions, he was finally ready!