Harmony expressed her uneasiness about extrajudicial punishments, a sentiment that many shared, including some of Mal’s own staff. “I admit, not all of us are entirely comfortable with it, and perhaps we never will,” he said. “But every now and then someone slips beyond the reach of the law. It coul...

Hearing Remy’s half-hearted promise that he would try his best not to get carried away, Mal could only shrug and hope that the twins wouldn’t go overboard. Not that he really had much to worry about – there wasn’t a member of his team whom he could not trust, and even when they went against his wish...

Mal observed the professor’s every movement even as the latter gave him a once over. He couldn’t help it – his profession as an information broker meant that he was always taking in information and filing them away for the future. And when the professor referred to Old Forester as a ‘best kept littl...

Another customer came up to the bartender to place an order, and a rather specific one to boot: an old fashioned, made with Old Forester’s 1920 Style Prohibition Whisky. He knows his stuff, Mal noted as he took a good look at the customer. He was a well-dressed man with shoulder-length hair and a co...

London, England Saturday, 3 December 2005 A flood of thoughts and emotions, wild and chaotic, pounded steadily against Malachi’s mind. Closing his eyes, he steeled his will and partially closed off his mind against the unstoppable tide. Usually his natural Legilimency didn’t pose much of a problem ...

“By all means,” Mal replied when Jasce said that he’d be requesting for Remy’s assistance. “Don’t be afraid to call for backup if you need more help. Daniel, Sarah or even myself – we’re more than happy to get involved.” And he raised a curious eyebrow at his friend’s story. “I can only imagine the...

For a few moments Alic didn’t take the offered drink. His body language was closed, and briefly Mal’s thoughts turned to how a rift had developed between them without him realising. They had always had their differences and each time they had managed to come to a common understanding, but were their...

Mal stayed silent when Alic asked what he would do once the mirror was in his – Alic’s – possession once more. It was not out of guilt or anything; rather, he didn’t yet have a plan. How Alic took his silence, however, was a different matter. Words like “wrest” and “actually help” and “your protecti...

Mal felt Alic’s exasperation just as keenly and viscerally as the latter insisted that things had to change. It was time to take action and help the downtrodden and marginalised fight back against a system that cared next to nothing about them, and the institutions that did nothing except to perpetu...

At Alic’s mention of the mirror, Mal’s curiosity turned into concern that was clearly written on his furrowed brow. “Yes,” he replied warily, aware of what the mirror was allegedly capable of. Or more accurately, what one could be capable of if they had the mirror in their possession. “Are you sure ...

Nodding thoughtfully as Jasce shared his opinion about each of the Aurors, Mal added a few thoughts of his own as well. “So have I,” he replied as Jasce flagged out Nuka Murphy as someone they should avoid based on the tales he had heard, and given her reputation he saw no need to elaborate further....

Mal’s own grin matched Jasce’s as the latter promised to come up with a course of action. The tentative plan sounded excellent to him and “That’s music to my ears,” he replied. And as Jasce asked if there was anything he would prefer to avoid, Mal immediately ruled out the obvious. “Definitely no lo...

Alic’s smirk resembled the smile of a victorious man who had just gotten what he wanted, which in this case was Mal’s buy-in. Still, the deal could end up cutting both ways, and the information broker might stand to gain while supporting his dear friend’s endeavour. Said endeavour was more serious t...

Mal’s smile widened into a wolfish grin as Jasce agreed to come onboard. Given the master thief’s skillset, he was a very welcome addition to their merry little band of troublemakers. “If you need any help, feel free to ask,” Mal offered. “I have some contacts who might prove useful too.” He pursed ...

“Nan gwaenchanayo,” Mal flashed a reassuring smile. “I guess I need to work out even more after I recover fully.” His was a dangerous job, and had he not been in tip top physical condition, things might have gone quite differently that night. Expectedly, Alic had kept himself busy talking to people...

Mal could tell that Harmony wasn’t comfortable with the idea that unsavoury people were ‘dealt with’; perhaps it was the ambiguity that made it sound way worse than what it was. “Would you rather they not be dealt with?” he asked, curious about how she felt about the matter. “Or do you trust that th...

Mal chuckled at Alic’s comment on the Chimaera’s pastries and coffee. “The credit goes to him, ” the proprietor replied as he gave a nod towards Remy. The Reynard twins had more than proven themselves since their arrival – and in more ways than one, in light their contributions towards both the Chim...

Mal’s interest was piqued by Jasce’s mention of “some interesting new artifacts” and asked if the information broker could link him up with a trustworthy Curse-Breaker. Immediately a name sprang to mind, but he didn’t know if the free-spirited woman was still in Britain, or if she had embarked on ye...

Mal’s face lit up as he recognised the ‘friend from down the street’ who had just walked in. “Sans aucun doute,” he replied. Whether it was providence’s hand or mere coincidence that had brought Jasce to the Chimaera at this exact moment, Mal could not have asked for a better person to stir a hornet...

Expectedly, Harmony kept her guard up as they moved to the basement. Though she allowed Mal to steady her as they walked, it was plain to him that she still didn’t trust him. And as they arrived at the hidden space underneath the café, there was a noticeable shift in her emotions as she took in the ...

With a faint pop, Mal materialised in a quiet corner of Knockturm Alley. Relatively quiet, to be accurate, considering how lively the district was at this time of the day. Almost immediately, the sights and sounds hit him, along with the unfiltered thoughts of everyone in his vicinity. Flashes of bl...

As Remy elaborated on his modus operandi, or perhaps his lack thereof, Mal shook his head with a chuckle and conceded the point. The seasoned information broker had always felt more secure with some semblance of a plan, but given the highly unpredictable nature of field assignments the first casualt...

The look in Harmony’s eyes when Mal said he was sorry for betraying her trust told him that he still had a long way to go before he could regain it. Her warning that she could take him down swiftly further proved the point. “I don’t doubt that,” he replied, even if he didn’t think she would be able ...

Mal could only nod grimly in agreement when Remy noted the perpetuators’ penchant for targeting vulnerable children. But anxious as he was to uncover the identities of these lowlifes and see that they were punished for their crimes, he couldn’t do so alone. As such, he broke into a sly grin when Rem...

At Harmony’s initial mention of Drew, the tension in the air became palpable, and Mal’s vague answer only served to escalate the situation when Harmony saw straight through his ruse. They were on the knife’s edge now: there were too many unknowns at this stage, and too many ways in which things coul...