Page 109 of Autumn Queens & Shadows

He would.

Malik would.

And that made my stomach dip with anxiety.

“I think he should know, or he will find out himself considering how close he’s gotten to you again.” His foot tapped on the ground, agitated. “I heard him ask around the Eldritch courts. He’s already been suspecting something. Tell him, or I will have to. I cannot lie to Malik. Not about this. We swore to this brotherhood. I betrayed him and the oath I’ve taken, so you have to tell him, Thora.”

“Is that a threat?”

“I’m saying, it will not take long for him to figure out why you’re empty of certain emotions. I have no idea how he hasn’t already figured it out.”

“He won’t kill you, Neo. If that is what you worry about.”

“You don’t know him.”

“Quite the opposite.” Because he’s been doing it himself before you. Wrong or not, Malik had been my first choice of poison. He still was—just not like how it was back then, I suppose.

“Tell him, Thora,” he said it almost as a warning, and I didn’t like that. “Tell him that I’ve been taking your emotions away for almost ten years.”

The meeting room door creaked just lightly, pulling Neo’s attention first and then mine.

Malik was so still. Entirely focused on Neo. The moment Neo’s eyes turned to me, he snapped. His face contorted to such anger. “Repeat that for me again.”

Shit.

“Malik,” I calmly called, standing and attempting to get between him and Neo before he committed to the thoughts written all over his face. “You heard him.”

“Did I?” He let out an incredulous laugh and jabbed a finger on his temple. “There is one way this would make sense. If I’d lost it. Have I lost it, Thora?”

“It’s true,” Neo said.

In a flash, Malik faded beside him and crashed him hard against the nearest wall. “What have you done besides take her fear and her hurt, huh? What have you done to her?” he bellowed.

“Nothing,” Neo choked. “Nothing, Mal! It isn’t like that.”

His elbow dug hard on Neo’s throat. “See, I don’t believe that. Not convinced at all, in fact. How about I find it out myself? How about I peel back every layer of emotion you’ve felt since you’ve come into this world? Perhaps put some of my own in there and force yours out like little scattering rats.”

“Malik—”

“Shh, Thora. I’m thinking.” His fingers twitched like he’d come to some sort of high, spidery black veins spreading around his eyes. “I’m thinking.”

“You’re not going to do any of that,” Kilian calmly said, coming inside the room and leaning against a wall.

Sam followed after him, stopping at the door to bow his head to me and then vanish. My nephew might have just saved Neo’s life.

“You knew about this?”

Kilian gave him one nod. “It would be foolish to presume it could go unnoticed. Just because you refuse to read her, doesn’t mean I haven’t.” He tilted his head to his Empath Commander. “And Neo should have known better than to believe his command would be more loyal to him than to their king.”

Malik’s anger turned to his brother. “You let this go on?”

“Seemed like there was more to it.” Kilian looked at me then. “Wasn’t there, Thora?”

“There was.”

Malik’s grip on Neo only tightened and he wouldn’t look at me after I said it.

“I was struggling, and Neo was kind enough to provide me with just a little relief. However dangerous it was, I was willing to give in to it. It was my choice.”