Page 22 of Maleen

His grip tightens and Aemon’s shadows bind themselves around my chest.

Even as my oldest friends contain me and I should be fighting, I can’t keep my eyes off the beauty in front of me. The beauty whose blood I will wash my hands with.

She eyes me, determined and ready for whatever she’s about to do. But she will fail—there’s nothing in this realm that can save my mind from deteriorating into chaos.

Nero nuzzles her cheek and soars off her shoulder to land on the ground away from the rest of us.

After a beat of silence she slowly walks towards me, each step with a purpose. Each step closer to my goal. I jerk my torso, testing the strength of their grip on me. It’s strong, but I’m sure I can break loose.

She slices her hand open and the splat, splat, splat of her blood hitting the stone is like a delicious taste of what’s to come.

“I can’t wait to spill your blood across the floor and make your mates watch as the light drains from your gorgeous eyes. Too bad if you die, your precious bird won’t be able to add them as the crowning jewels of his sick little collection, because he will be dead too.” I ramble on, spitting vile that makes my stomach burn and my heart ache, but it won’t stop.

And she doesn’t stop.

When she’s standing directly in front of me I lash out, fighting against the hold they have on me.

“Jesper, I need it now!” She yells to the male across the room who rushes towards her and hands her a necklace with a red stone inside. She slams it against my forehead before covering it with her bloodied palm.

She closes her eyes and the stone begins to heat up before my vision goes dark. Memories of my father and a much larger red stone—the Soul Stone—surface.

“He’s beginning to wake up,” my father snaps. “Get me the vial of blood now!”

I can’t see who he’s talking to, but whispers and hurried steps float in the background. It’s a moment later that I’m struggling to open my eyes, and I feel an ice-cold stone resting on top of my forehead before a thick liquid runs down my face. I try to move but I can’t. I’m shackled to the bed and my limbs are so heavy. Have I been drugged? Is this just a bad dream?

The stone warms and I want to scream as it feels like acid is being poured into my veins. Unnatural. Unbalanced. Unjust. Something isn’t right.

My father’s lips brush my ear and he whispers so low I barely catch the words. “Find the rider of the purple beast; befriend her. Get her to trust you and bring her to the mountains. If you betray me, your mind will become like all the others under my rule. You will be nothing but a disgrace, a mindless servant. You will kill all those that you love, starting with that bitch. You will learn what it’s like to be betrayed by your closest friends. You will kill them all if you don’t do as I say. You will remember everything as her blood coats your skin.”

His words seep into me like a poison. Sitting, coiled, waiting to strike when the moment is right. The screams don’t stop as his poison seeps into every crevasse in my body.

But then, relief—the acid clears and is replaced with a soothing balm, repairing all the damage the acid has caused. Every second that passes is like a breath of fresh air, and I collapse but my body doesn’t hit the ground. The balm pulls away and the voices are gone.

And gone are the thoughts of her death.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

I BOLT AWAKE, MY HEART hammering against my chest, but I feel more rested than I have in a long time. My body aches and my magick still feels a bit depleted, but it was worth it. It had to have been.

Jesper bounds onto the bed, looking me over. “You’re awake! How do you feel?”

“I’m fine. Where’s Tal?”

He winces and runs his hand through his long red locks. “So… don’t be mad. It’s just a precaution, but Killian thought it would be best to keep him locked up until we were sure he wasn’t going to try and kill you the first chance he could.”

I shake my head while trying to untangle myself from the plush pale blankets that wrapped around me during my sleep. “I’m going down there.”

He hops up. “I figured you’d say that. Let’s go jail-break Tal.” He rubs his hands together mischievously.

While I quickly throw on some fresh clothing, I check in on Aemon. “How’s everything with your father?”

His surprise and joy that I’m awake weave through the bond like an old friend, yet guilt comes and goes, as if he’s burying it. Or trying to. “My Dream,” he sighs, “You’ve slept for a while. I still have guards on his door, as suggested by our favorite Vopn Fö warrior, but I see no influence of the stone. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to thank you enough for bringing him home to my mother.”

Killian. I understand the need to protect us, but does he not believe in my abilities? “Of course, you would have done it for any of us. Where’s Killian now? Do you know?”

“I think he was going down to see Talyn. Want me to meet you down there?” he asks.

I weave the belt through the loops on my leathers before adding my sword and sheath. “Yes, please. Tal needs to get out of the caves and stop punishing himself, stop making Kill keep him down there. You guys won’t let anyone hurt me, and I’m sure Nero would be more than happy to assist as sentry.”