55. Malkar

55

Malkar

S tudying my companions, I'm unprepared when the smallest of us, the most dangerous, hesitantly slices her palm open and holds it out to the rest of us.

I can scent her energy, a feminine flower of life and death unspooling from a moment of decision.

The others have mingled blood together, and the energy among us is shifting, changing.

But Kami's adds a whole other layer to the myriad crackles of power, one that subtly tastes my own.

I feel her in me now, like when I was buried deep inside her. A part of me reaches out to connect, that feral seed of my nature wrapping around her blood and taking it to the deepest recesses of my soul.

Yes, soul.

The others can act like I'm hysterical, but I know the truth. Kami is a soul-taker. I saw and felt her feeding on the death of several Nyte Guards. That hidden part of me watched their magic dissipate, returning to that special place where it all begins .

Now her blood is mixing with all of ours.

And mine stirs the pot, a Better allowing the rest to flow and not stagnate.

Fire and water, strength and dexterity, magic and physical power, all of it creates something new. Something…precious.

To my shock, it feels like kin.

The others must sense it as well, because there is awe and trepidation and trust building, none of us quite knowing how to handle this.

I take charge, because someone must. I step back, clench my fist and feel the flesh knitting, and suggest Oz go first. "Because you clearly have secrets you've hidden that affected us all."

"That's rich." Oz snorts, but seeing the rest of us watching him, sighs in defeat. "Fine."

The five of us form a circle, sitting on the bed that's large enough to fit half a dozen. The room we've been dumped into is a huge step up from the dungeon.

It's encased in stone, but the walls are pleasantly neutral, and light from the high slits above filter through to add to the fae sconces illuminating the space.

There are rugs and blankets and even a small table and chairs in the far corner.

This isn't an upscale room by any means, but it's comforting, nonetheless.

"Long story short," Oz begins, "my mother and father mated and had me. Mother would come by for short visits as I grew up. Always pleasant, always loving. Gone too soon." He clears his throat.

I can tell this is hard for him. Kami grips his hand. To steal away his energy?

As if she can sense my thoughts, she turns to glare at me before looking at Oz again .

"So when she came back for her last visit, none of us expected she'd bring the enemy. That she'd stab my father in the back, defeat him through trickery, lacking honor. Or that she'd drag me away and shove me into the Fallen Realm. Into Yssa."

"No shit?" Ries blinks. "Yssa's real?"

Kami frowns. "What's Yssa?"

Crash answers, "A spawn hideaway. It's a realm they managed to pull from the Eternal realm during The Meld. It's rumored to exist, like a pocket dimension." He stares at Oz. "They say it's like hell on earth."

"It is. It's real. It's…horrible."

I'm intrigued. "When did you go there?"

"I was ten when she shoved me through the gate."

Fascinating. No wonder I sense such strength in the orc…ogre. "What are you then? Fae or spawn?"

Oz shrugs. "Technically, I'm a monster. But I thought I was just an ordinary monster at first. Mom an orc, dad an ogre. It wasn't until I escaped Yssa that I could go indestructible for short periods of time."

"How long?"

"I don't know." Oz frowns. "It used to take months between that ability showing up. I've been working to control it more, but until this trial, it hasn't been so present."

"Can anything hurt you?" Ries asks.

"Not anything that's been tried. Not ice or heat, not lightning or water. A beating just makes me stronger and angrier, to be honest."

Crash leans forward. "How angry? Are you still able to reason in that state? Did you really think you could kill the monarch and everyone with him when you rushed the monarch's box? "

Oz flushes. "No. I saw Daleyne and lost all reason but the need to kill her. And then… Then I got there, had her in my grasp, and couldn't do it."

"She's your mom, Oz," Kami says softly, stroking his hand. "It's okay."

He rips his hand away. "It's not." He lets out a breath and says in a calmer voice, "It's not."

After a moment, he continues, "I came to Sacred Lakes because I'd gotten rumors she might be near. Then Rilitar set me up and claimed debtor's rights. I've been here ever since."

While everyone is digesting that, I turn to Ries. "Your turn, traitor."

He grimaces.

"Out with it," Crash orders.

I smile, liking my pet more and more, though his bossiness regarding Kami will need to be curbed. When I consume her, he'll just have to accept it.

Ries gives us a sly smile. "My secrets are better than yours."

Kami grins, sees me looking, and scowls.

Okay, despite being a black-hearted little necromancer, she's adorable.

She turns back to Ries. "Just tell us, already."

"Fine." He rolls his head on his shoulders, trying for casual, I guess. "I was out wandering and happened on Sacred Lakes. Met a hot sylph who wanted me, so I gave her the good stuff." He wiggles his brows and has Kami blushing. "We had a great time, except her brother got jealous—yeah I said brother, gross—and falsely imprisoned me with the Asrai, who sold me to that asshole Rilitar."

"How does that beat my story?" Oz asks.

I agree. "Yeah, not so much better, Ries."

"How about this? I've got a score to settle as well. Folas, that little shit, is my half-brother. We share a mother, who's a royal siren. Bow before me, bitches." He smirks. "Bow before your prince, Ries the Righteous."