Page 10

10

Kaebl

“Would you get him to stop that? It’s so distracting.”

I turn my gaze toward the iron bars of the cell I’m sharing with Fenryr, unsurprised to find Malice’s grinning face staring back. His long fingers curl around the cool gray rods one by one, his hooked nails extending past the flesh and clicking rhythmically against the metal.

It’s only been two sun flips since Malice dragged Fenryr in here—freshy bonded to Dagny and out of his mind—and he’s already back to rub salt in the wound.

What do you want, Malice? I’m in no mood to be taunted. Neither is Fenryr.

His smile turns feline as he shifts his gaze to the space just over my shoulder. “Taunt? You ? I would never. Why, I’m merely concerned about our dear friend. He’s useless to me if he tears his heart out, after all.”

I turn my attention to the blood-covered creature yowling in the corner of the room, frowning at the dismal sight. With the way Fenryr’s fingertips are slashing into the center of his chest, it does appear that the green-eyed demon is attempting to cut his very own heart out. My chains will not allow me to go to him, and though I’ve tried hundreds of times since we’ve been together, my thoughts can’t get through to him. If they are, he’s refusing to listen—too consumed with thoughts of his mate to do anything else—the same as Roark when he was unable to touch Dagny after bonding.

I still can’t quite believe Fenryr’s alive , that he’s here and drawing breath, looking at the same four stone walls as me. Where Malice hid him away and what happened in these months we’ve been apart, I’m not sure. But if his physical deterioration is any indication, it must have been terrible.

A powerful sigh blows past my lips as I pull my gaze from Fenryr to the hateful creature on the other side of the bars, still waiting for a response. Go away, Malice.

“Now you’re making me feel unwanted.”

My eyes narrow. You are unwanted.

Instead of anger, Malice’s smile widens with amusement. “I bet you won’t be saying that in the next sixty seconds.”

What do you m ? —

Before I have the chance to finish my thought, Malice unlocks the cell door and storms inside, blowing past me without so much as a glance as he heads to the far back corner where Fenryr is sitting.

Malice! If you hurt him, I’ll ? —

“Rip my head off? Claw my eyes out and feed them to an antethorpe?” He turns his head to give me a mocking wink. “You had your chance, dear Kaebl. Such a shame you squandered it.”

A silent growl builds in my chest as he turns back to Fenryr. I said don’t fucking touch him!

Malice sighs, turning back to me with a sour expression. “Must you be so dramatic? Your shouting is giving me a terrible headache, and I need to focus.”

Focus on what? What are you going to do to him?

He brings a hand to his face, pinching the bridge of his nose as a sigh blows past his lips. “If you would shut the fuck up for a single moment, I could show you.”

Malice reaches into a secret pocket on the side of his hip, pulling out something small and white, curved and cresting to a needlepoint tip just like…

Another arachnyx tooth.

Curiosity overwhelms me as Malice turns his body to the side, allowing me to see each one of his movements clearly. First, he snaps the pointed end of the tooth off, exposing a vein of clear liquid resting in the center of the bony structure. One by one, he dips the tips of his claws into the pool of venom, coating each thoroughly without making contact with the skin.

Once he’s done, he crouches to Fenryr’s level, his glowing red eye tracking each of Fenryr’s movements, waiting for a chance to strike. The moment Fenryr turns his head, Malice lashes out, sinking his claws deep into Fenryr’s arm.

It happens instantly—one second, Fenryr is yowling and flailing, and the next, he’s perfectly still. The paralytic flows through his system, freezing his muscles and nerve endings and forcing him into a calm state. His eyes, once crazed and swirling around his skull, are now sitting in one place, staring blankly at the far wall.

“Much better,” Malice murmurs, retracting his claws and wiping them off on Fenryr’s tattered jacket. He turns his head to face me, his smile threatening to split his face in half. Now you know what to do.

I blink, confused as to why he’s speaking directly into my mind. Is he not supposed to be here? Is Slaine listening?

What are you talking about?

Malice sighs, pushing to a stand. That was a demonstration , you sweet, smooth-brained creature. His smile drops as he faces me fully. You do still have the tooth I gave you, don’t you?

My eyes narrow, flitting toward the corpse in the corner of the room, where my treasure is hidden. I do.

Excellent! He claps his hands together, his grin returning tenfold. Now you know how to use it when it’s time.

Time for what?

Malice’s eye twitches, but his demented smile never fades. I have neither the time nor the energy to explain my plans to such a bumbling imbecile. You’ll just have to trust that it’s in all our best interests.

Rage lights my veins, heating the air around me. I’ll never trust you again.

Malice sighs, his eyes trailing to the ceiling. Fine. Then just do as you’re fucking told for once.

He turns from me and presses his palm to Fenryr’s chest. Sensing a threat, my beast rises to the surface, but then a weak golden light spreads across Fenryr’s skin, faint but undoubtedly real.

Healing magic. Why?

Sweat beads across Malice’s brow as his power spreads, threading Fenryr’s mutilated flesh together at a rate that’s much too slow for a demon of his caliber. Something is wrong. Malice isn’t as strong as he wants me to believe… then why is he pretending?

“Fuck,” he curses, his brow pinching as he attempts to heal the deepest of the wounds—the one right above his heart. The golden light flowing from his palm sputters, then fades entirely, leaving the gash half-mended.

Malice sits back on his heels, his muscles quaking as he sucks in shallow breaths of air. “Fuck… I knew I shouldn’t… shouldn’t have used it all…”

I tilt my head, confused by Malice’s words. It sounds like he made a mistake—like he used too much of his power doing something he wasn’t supposed to. But what?

Everything okay? I ask.

He shakes his head, gazing at his palms with frustration pinching his brow. I don’t know… I don’t know if it will be enough…

I don’t suppose you’re going to elaborate on that?

Malice’s mask slips back into place, and he raises his head with his signature grin. Nope. He takes a deep breath, then rises to a stand on shaking legs, refusing to address the rare moment of weakness. Everything is fine. It will have to be.

His eye twitches as he stalks toward the exit, his shoulders taut. As he passes by me, he tosses something to the floor, just within reach. A key.

Malice pretends not to notice it, so I don’t, either. He stops in the doorway, his hand curling around the iron bars as he turns his head to the side, not looking but addressing me all the same.

Well, I’m afraid I’ll have to leave you two now. Places to be and lords to sabotage and all that . A low laugh rumbles in his chest as his gaze cuts toward me, shining with a cunning light. Fenryr will have use of his body in a few hours—well after the sun flips to night. Well after Slaine has lain down to rest for the day. And Fenryr will be pissed.

That’s… good to know.

Malice’s smile widens. Zairn’s sleeping quarters are right above this room—quite the design flaw if you ask me. In the past, he’s had the unfortunate experience of having his sleep disturbed by angry prisoners. It’s rare, but when it does happen, he takes a very… personal interest. I’ve heard he gets so upset, he travels here in the dead of the night without any guard to accompany him.

Malice's eye shines with a knowing light, and he turns, walking out of the room without another word. But he doesn’t need to say anything else.

I understand his plan now.