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“Mallie,” I said, shaking her slightly.
The door slammed open, and Niklas rushed inside. He scanned the room for half a breath before catching sight of Malin, limp in my arms. “What happened?”
I couldn’t speak, but others took over for me.
“She touched the bastard to steal his memories,” Gunnar shouted from the loft. “Touching him did something to her.”
“She’s not moving, Nik,” I said, desperation cracking my voice. I stared at her. Gods, her brow furrowed like she wanted to speak, but simply couldn’t. I kissed her forehead. Hob had lost his right to kill Edvard Vill. He was mine.
Niklas studied Malin, and oddly, checked her fingernails. Blue lines tinted the surface of each nail, stretching like scratches up her fingers.
“By the hells.” Niklas spun around. “Raum, check him for a talisman, a vial, anything.”
Raum had Edvard flat on his back, one knee pressed on his chest in a single heartbeat. Another moment later and he held up a small, fragrant leather pouch on a string of twine. “This was around his neck.”
Niklas left Malin and inspected the pouch. He sniffed it, pulling back in disgust. “Dammit.”
“What is it?” I was spinning off a ledge. I’d always prided myself on maintaining a deep control during schemes. Heartless, distant even. When it came to Malin, nothing was in control.
“A paralytic,” Niklas said. “Could’ve killed her if she’d truly tried to invade his memories.”
“How is that even possible?” Elise asked. She stroked Malin’s hair, kneeling by my side. I wasn’t even sure the queen knew she was doing it.
“Ivar,” Niklas said with bitterness. “No doubt every skydguard will be warded against the memory thief. Check the other brother.”
“No,” Raum shot back, “she took the memories of the skyds at the nest.”
“No doubt because of that, Ivar placed protections over his armies,” Niklas said.
Ari was the first one to Oskar and clamped a hand around his throat. For a fae who laughed a great deal and talked even more, in this moment he looked like the most dangerous one in the room.
Nothing was gentle about the way he dug into Oskar’s tunic and removed the same leather pouch on twine. “Same poison.”
I’d failed. This fell on my shoulders. It was my bleeding job to find every risk, to arrange our moves, our steps. To ensure we left each scheme alive.
I should’ve known Ivar would’ve taken precautions with his army, should’ve known that Malin’s ability was known by all. The Lord Magnate would see to it she didn’t live long should she step into the light.
My shortsightedness had nearly cost my wife her damn life.
“How did it do this to her?” Herja joined us from the loft, her wet eyes on Malin.
“Our mesmer plays off different areas of our minds.” Niklas looked at me, but his words were for the others who were not Alvers in the room. “Elixists can target poisons to those areas that power individual sections of the brain. They could create this to attack a Rifter should pain centers be triggered. In this case, they have targeted the places our memories live. Malin won’t be able to steal memories until we can counteract the elixirs.”
“I don’t care if she can steal memories,” I said, my grip tightening around her shoulders. “She can’t move, Niklas!”
Somewhere in my ranting, Elise placed a hand on my arm, Hagen kneeled on the opposite side of Malin, taking her hand, and everyone seemed to circle us. Seemed to protect us.
Niklas glanced at the elixir pouch again. “It will wear off, Kase. She didn’t touch him nearly long enough to do permanent damage.”
I rested my cheek against her clammy forehead. Malin whimpered. Her fear blanketed over me like an icy cloak, and I forced a smile. “Did you hear Nik, Mallie? This will end soon. It will end soon.”
I kissed her brow, holding her tightly.
Hagen gripped my arm. “We’ll take her outside while you deal with the situation in here, Kase.”
Her brother’s jaw was taut. A muscle pulsed as he pointed the rage in his eyes at Edvard Vill. I kissed Malin’s lips softly, then eased her into Hagen’s arms. Reluctantly.
But Hagen was right. There were loose ends to tie up.
