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“Not anymore. We spill blood to guard those we love. You do not need to lust after it another day.”
He clenched his fists, then closed his eyes. “I want to see my wife, Malin. I can feel her.”
“Because she is holding you right now.”
The swirl of darkness raged. Like a beast caught in a maelstrom, it screeched and thrashed in a wild rage.
It wanted Valen. It wanted to live in his blood, his thoughts, his heart. I squared to the darkness and lifted my palms, commanding my mesmer to take it. Devour it. I wanted to smother the damn creature until it was nothing but a fable they’d tell their children someday.
Shadows spilled from my fingertips. Like Kase’s, they draped over my shoulders and strangled the thrashing curse. I gritted my teeth, desperate to hold the mesmer. The damn curse fought back, pushed and pulled, angrily trying to break free.
Valen stood straight, eyes clear, and came to my side. “No more,” he said. “As you said, Mal. All the pieces of me will belong to my family.”
It was a somber, powerful farewell.
Heat simmered in my palms and more shadows choked life from the curse. I closed my eyes and slowly pulled my mesmer back.
Memories of cursed Valen flickered in my head. They were now mine to keep and to kill. Smoke and ash wrapped around the memories and snuffed them out. Much the same as the moment shadows invaded the thoughts of the skydguard on that first attack, my shadows now stole pieces of wickedness from the king.
It was nothing more than a curse that would become a distant memory buried in darkness.
Valen let out a long breath. He blinked, and clarity returned to his eyes, a grateful smile on his face.
“Hold to the memories that matter most, King Valen,” I whispered. “Now, come back to your family.”
CHAPTERTHIRTY-NINE
THE NIGHTRENDER
A new wallof swirling shadows had formed between me and Malin. She still had her hand on Valen’s forehead. Elise stroked the king’s cheek. His features had returned to his true face almost immediately after Malin slipped into his thoughts. But when Malin placed the ring on Valen’s finger, his fear clung to me, blocking out the fear of others around us. Almost as if the ring opened the shadows, giving me a gateway to reach anyone wearing the queen’s ring.
“Where are you planning to jump?” Raum studied the wall with a new fascination.
“Nowhere. It is the same feeling as when Malin wore the ring.” I didn’t look at him, didn’t turn away from the rising darkness. “The ring is helping Malin enter Valen’s head, and it seems to have opened his fears to me. It’s blocking out all others. I can’t feel yours.”
Raum smirked. “Because I’m fearless, my liege.” He sobered once he looked to the growing wall again. “The ring has made you stronger. The same way it is strengthening Mal.”
I stopped wondering about the shadow wall the moment Malin’s eyes snapped open. I smacked Raum’s arm, and we hurried back to her side as she backed away from Valen.
Through the darkness, the king shifted. He rubbed a hand down his face.
Elise sat up, her hand on his chest. “Valen?”
A grin played with my lips when his hand reached up and touched his wife’s cheek. I couldn’t hear what he said, but in the next breath, Elise had her face buried in his neck, holding him close.
The wall of darkness surrounded the crowd as warriors greeted their king. Valen rose to his feet and embraced Herja and Hagen. Sol and Tor beamed at the sight of him. Halvar’s laughter broke the somberness, along with powerful claps on Valen’s back.
“I nearly thought I’d bear the heavy weight of the crown again,” Ari said.
Valen chuckled and embraced his ambassador.
I lifted my gaze to Valen, hiding my disquiet for a moment. “King. Good of you to come back to us. Or are you going to try to rip my arm off again?”
Valen’s mouth curved in a grin. “I’m back, but I make no promises on the arm.”
I didn’t know what came over me, but I embraced the man. Bleeding pulled him close and pounded a fist on his back. Gods, he did the same to me, and I was certain all the chaos had made us lose our minds for a moment.
I cleared my throat and stepped back.
