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I turned away, signaling I’d rather not listen to his stupid mouth.
Sabain cared little and barreled on. “We were the cherished Anomalies of the Black Palace. Opposites of equal strength. Ivar wished to test who was the greater of the two.”
My fist clenched over my knees.
“Would you like to know who became the victor?” Sabain didn’t wait for my response. “Me. This is the petty reason your husband hates the sight of the Black Palace. He was favored, then found wanting because he could not accomplish the task Ivar demanded of him.”
“And what task was that?” Dammit, Malin. Anger boiled over in thick blasts. I could not keep my mouth closed when the distance and unknowns between Kase and me had me teetering on a maddening edge.
My outburst was made worse when Sabain grinned like he’d won something.
“He couldn’t kill me. He had every opportunity. Ivar placed us in a match to the death. Kase had me pinned, could’ve slit my throat, but at the time he saw me, I suppose, as a friend. What a fool.”
My heart cracked. I wanted to tear out Sabain’s tongue.
“A fool because there are no such things as true friends. Only survival. He refused to land the killing blow.” The Benevolent sighed with heady satisfaction. “The Lord Magnate gave me the opportunity to kill him. I took it.”
“Yet he lives. Yet he frightens you.”
Sabain’s smile faded. “I manipulated him with hope, then took great pleasure joining the Rifters of the palace in shredding him to pieces. If the pleadings of Luca Grym had not softened his father, Ivar would never have stopped us.” Sabain pulled back on the furred bridle. “The best part, Memory Thief, was all while he screamed, he had sickening hope that he’d survive to see the girl he left behind. It kept him from accepting death. How does it feel to knowyoukept him in prolonged torture he could not escape?”
The scars marring Kase’s back. Such rage, such personal hatred had gone into those marks. I blinked through tears. If Kase did not have a chance to break Sabain, then I would take the task with pleasure.
“You must feel like such a brave man,” I said. “To torture a child who risked his own life to save yours. My, how the gods will despise you and toss you from their hall when you lie dying, choking on your own blood. Alone.”
Sabain’s jaw twitched.
I laughed cruelly. “What? Was your tale of how you scarred my husband supposed to bring me to doubt him? Make me think he was weak and you the formidable foe?” I shook my head, eyes narrowed, and lowered my voice to a dark hiss. “It has only proven what a worthless coward you are.”
Sabain glared at me, then whistled. “Captain.” He paused, waiting for the skydguard captain to bring his own horse to Sabain’s side. “Change of plans. The memory thief will join her foreign counterparts in the cells.”
“But Lord Niall said—”
“I’m aware of what our future king said.” Sabain’s eyes locked with mine. His were blank and soulless. “But this woman is far too great a risk to give her space in the palace. He will understand.”
Together, the captain and Benevolent galloped away. I watched them leave, racing through the portcullis as the heavy gates clanked out of position.
Once they were gone, I leaned back against the bars, grinning.
Ari met my smile. “Nicely done, Queen Malin. I thought it might take a great deal more time to irritate them enough to kick you down with us peasants.”
Sofia snickered and fiddled with the herb bands on her wrists. They were meant to weaken her glamour, much like the magisk bands. The skyds would not know, but the herb blocks were irrelevant since Niklas had created strands of elixirs to counteract the blocks and braided the strands of powder in hers and Ari’s hair. They’d be able to use their power even bound.
“Well played, indeed,” Sofia said. “So, what does this mean?”
I let my head fall back as we passed through the shadows of the arched bridge into the inner walls of the Black Palace. “It means we have met our mark.”
* * *
“They will send Sabain, Mallie.”Kase had whispered three nights ago. “Or he will insist on being the one to take you. He is obsessed with gaining glory.”
“He won’t touch me, Kase.”
“You don’t know that.”
One hand stroked the rough stubble of his cheek. “This is the move. We’ve looked at every angle and this is the move. I feel it with every fiber. We’re ready.”
His eyes were burdened, a little broken, as he relented to the plan. A wretched, risky plan.
