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“What?”

She awkwardly turned her head to stare down at her shoulder, which appeared to be glowing with a dull red light.

“That’s not good, is it?”

“No.”

“Can you fix it?”

“It’s difficult. Where did the spell come from?”

“I’m not quite sure. As I said, I was trying to get into through the main door when someone started shooting spells. One of them rebounded and hit my arm.”

“Was it one of the guards?”

“No, it was some guy on a horse.” She hesitated. “I did wonder if it was your father.”

“That might explain it.” He sat back. “If it was him, I suspect he wasn’t aiming for the door.”

“Then make it better!”

“I can stop the pain and slow down the spread of the poison, but I can’t remove it completely.”

“Back up.” She grabbed his hand. “What poison?”

“Perhaps that was a bad choice of words. The substance in your arm means that my father can always find you. The spell is like his personal brand.”

“Why would he want to do that?”

His smile wasn’t pleasant. “You tell me.”

She stared right back at him. “I told you. He was very keen for me to take you away from Otherworld.”

“And what did he promise you in return for that small service?”

“He offered to get my face back.”

He took his hand away. “No wonder he wanted to put his mark on you.”

“You’re such an idiot, Morosov. I didn’t accept his terms. I told him I was quite capable of achieving what I wanted without his help.”

“And how did he take that?”

“Not very well, obviously.”

“And yet you are still alive.”

“I’m not stupid—I didn’t outright tell him no. I said I wanted to think about it.”

He shook his head. “Sometimes your gall amazes me, Soul Sucker. There are not many people on the earth who argue with my father and survive.”

“You did.”

“And look where it got me.” His faint smile disappeared. “Right back where I started.”

“That’s not quite true, is it? You’re no longer under his control, and you have me.”

“I thought you’d disowned me.”