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A brand would be painful but not fatal. Nor would a shoulder wound.
“He took the mark,” Malin whispered.
“What mark?”
Malin held up the ring. The golden runes were dulling now that her mesmer was fatiguing. But the inverted rune for life was black. The same symbol etched onto Sabain’s head.
“One of the rune marks went out.”
“Wait, Malin,” I said, my head spun in the strangeness of it all. “Did you do this? With the ring?”
“I heard the words in my head,” she said thickly. “They wanted to take you, and I . . . I wouldn’t let them. They tried to get me to pick someone we loved, b-but how could I take Ash, or . . . or Niklas, or Elise? The voices were horrid.” Malin hiccupped as emotion took hold. “Taunting me, telling me such cruel things. They tried to frighten me, but I couldn’t . . . no, I wouldn’t, let you go. I picked his face from the crowd, Kase. I wanted him to suffer.”
I blinked, trying to keep up with what she was saying. I assumed ‘they’meant the power of the ring. Malin had mentioned whispers guided her when she wore it, much the same as fear whispered to me. “You killed Sabain? How?”
Tears dripped onto her cheeks; her jaw tightened. “I drained him of his pathetic existence. I took every memory until there was not a single flicker of life left. I don’t know how, but . . . but I knew another life was needed if . . . if Death was going to forget you.”
I did not believe in gods, but something strange had pulled me back from the edge of death. I could hardly grapple with the truth of it. My wife’s power . . . had robbed me from the sight of death. Whether her mesmer literally stole the memory from some deity or if her passion, if our vow, somehow dragged me back by taking the energy of Sabain’s dying body, really didn’t matter.
She was a staggering force. A brutal, vicious, perfect queen of shadows.
“Malin,” I said, but no words seemed worthy to describe the awe.
Malin buried her face against my chest. “I would not let the Otherworld have you.”
Her muffled sobs broke a new crack down my chest. When she pulled away, she glared at Sabain’s unmoving body. Had I wanted to kill the bastard for all he’d done to me? Yes. But knowing death snuck up from behind and took him long before his fated time was wholly satisfying.
“I think I understand the marks,” she whispered.
“What do you think?”
“These are powerful gifts of fate. Death, the past, present, and future. Using them often would be dangerous. I think the dead rune means . . . I can never do it again. One chance to twist fate with memories, then it is done. Perhaps I have the ability to still alter a past, or a present. Perhaps I could change a future if I desired. But if I had to guess, the ring allows one chance.” She tightened her grip around my waist. “Don’t you dare try to die again, Kase. I’m not sure I will be able to piss on the fates again and bring you back.”
I laughed, still stunned, and kissed the top of her head. All hells, mywifeheld the gift of altering the past, the present, and the future.
But there wouldn’t be a need to use them. All I saw ahead was light. What would I change in the past when it all led me to her? What would I change in my present when I held her in my arms? How could a future with Malin at my side need to be altered in the slightest?
The queen’s ring would burn for her until our last breaths.
I pinched her chin between my fingers and hovered my lips over hers. “You are formidable, My Queen, and I am terribly in love with you.”
Malin released a wet laugh and kissed me. She kissed me like she might lose me. I would have her kiss me like this always. We knew too well the pain of the alternative. We’d come too close to losing each other too many times.
Never again.
* * *
The wounded were being caredfor by Elixists and Mediskis all along the back courtyard in the palace.
Sol finally had color in his face again, now that Niklas insisted the deep stab wound in the center of Torsten’s ribs had missed his heart and lungs and he would be well in a few weeks. Elise had nearly collapsed after the fighting ceased.
Half the army seemed to be beside her table. Valen had not budged even though Bevan had insisted she merely needed more water. Halvar somberly marked the fallen warriors, clasping their hands over their blades.
Junie did the same with Raum for the Falkyns. They lost twelve of their guild.Twelve.
I looked at the Kryv as they aided others. We’d lost Vali. I was nearly bound for my own funeral pyre. I could not stomach losing any of them.
“Nightrender.” The old holy man strode across the yard to me. “You will keep our agreement?”
