Chapter 36
Malakai carefully bottles Nahesa’s blood while I take a seat at the desk, quickly drafting the new summoning spell.
I don’t actually need to write it down, but having it on paper makes it easier since Malakai will need to help with the circle.
As I work, my mind drifts back to that night when Nagamaru broke into our house.
Then I think of what Malakai told me about what really happened between him and Nahesa, a heavy brick settling low in my stomach. I’m slightly angry at Yblis for needing more proof before fully believing Malakai, but I also understand that it’s a lot to take in.
I glance over my shoulder at my husband sitting near the fire, staring into the flames, lost in thought.
That brick melts away, leaving pain in its wake.
He’s had to suffer through all of that alone, and to learn that a child came from it…
A child who almost repeated those same actions.
I don’t even know how that makes me feel—angry, hurt, and… sad.
I sigh and cross my arms over my chest as I lean back in my chair, a scowl settling on my face as I look at the spell again.
Nagamaru should have counted his blessings and left me alone.
Now, I’m coming back for him with a vengeance.
It doesn’t matter that he’s Malakai’s child; I believe my husband when he says he wouldn’t hesitate to maim him.
I feel exactly the same way toward Nahesa, even knowing there’s no scenario in which I’ll come out on top. At least, I don’t think so. I should look into that later. I might not be able to kill her, but seriously incapacitating her might take the edge off.
Honestly, I would have been happy never to see Nagamaru again.
If this works and we manage to summon him, then what?
He isn’t going to leave me alone without getting something in return.
Part of me fears what that might entail.
A shudder runs through me at the thought, and my hands fall limply into my lap.
In the next moment, Malakai stands behind me, leaning over to wrap me in his arms. His hard chest presses against my back, and his strong arms cross over my chest, enveloping me in his warmth and scent. I lean back against him, closing my eyes for a moment.
“The circle looks good,” he says, resting his chin atop my head.
“Thank you.” I sigh again, worry gnawing at my mind. “I hope it’ll be enough.”
“If this doesn’t work, I’ll take care of it the old-fashioned way,” Malakai states, his voice low and dangerous. “I’ll hunt him down.”
“I want to see that.” I chuckle, his promise of vengeance lifting my spirits.
“You hunting him down to defend my honor.” I pause, then add, “But this isn’t just about me.
It’s about us. I really don’t want to find out what could happen if his interference causes problems with the curse. If he kills too many of them…”
I’m going to look into a way to work around that, but it will take time. If we don’t do something about Nagamaru, it might be time we don’t have.
“We’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.” Malakai places a gentle kiss on my cheek before stepping away.
“Do you have your dagger with you?”
Malakai opens his jacket with a grin, revealing the blade strapped to his side. I swear I never see him put it on; I would almost believe it’s a part of him.
I nod. “Let’s get to it, then.”
As we make our way back to the courtyard, I ask, “Do you think he and his sister will continue to interfere with the company now that Thomas is gone?”
“We still don’t know what their end goal is. All Thomas said is that they want what’s mine.” He gives me a look I can’t quite place. “That could mean a lot of things.”
“Like me?” My voice lacks the strength I want it to have, the memory of what Nagamaru was about to do still too fresh. I don’t even understand why he’s so obsessed with me.
“That’s not going to happen,” Malakai says sternly, leaving no room for discussion.
“What if it already did, though?” I ask, stopping in the middle of the wide-open space.
Malakai freezes as he pulls out the dagger, turning to glare at me.
But beneath the anger, I see a flicker of confirmation that aligns with my gut feeling about Nagamaru.
A burst of anger flares inside me at the realization that he knew and didn’t tell me.
That I have to ask him about it because I need to hear him say it.
“That night…” I tell Malakai, desperately trying—and failing—to keep the venom out of my words. “Was it him?”
Malakai drops his hand with a sorrowful sigh. He doesn’t need me to specify; he knows it was the first of many nights that led us down this path and brought us here.
I clutch the paper in my hand, my stomach clenching as I await his answer.
Malakai looks at me, his eyes softening with pain, regret, and a flicker of rage. “It was him. He was the one that—” He swallows hard, and the touch of his magic against my own reveals how difficult this is for him too. “It was Nagamaru.”
The confirmation hits hard. My stomach drops, and I fall right behind it—into that dark hole in my chest. “You’re sure?” I ask, averting my gaze, the paper crumpling in my grip.
He nods, barely catching it from the corner of my eye.
“Yes. I was checking in on you right around the time it happened. One moment you were walking down the street, and the next, you were gone. I found faint traces of magic—magic I didn’t recognize.
” Malakai takes my hands in his, but I can’t bring myself to look at him.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” The bite in my voice nearly overtakes the sadness and disappointment I can’t quite cover up.
“I didn’t know. Only when you told me you suspected him did it click—did I put the pieces together.
” He touches my face, gently turning me toward him.
“I should have told you then, but my anger took over.” My throat closes at the memory of that moment in the kitchen.
“I’m sorry,” he says, his words soft and full of emotion.
My eyes widen. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him apologize before.
There’s a slight tremble in his voice, and when I look at him, the sincerity of his apology reflects in his golden eyes.
Despite his silence, I’m not mad at him for it.
I don’t think I could ever be mad at him again—not for this.
Not for protecting me, because that’s clearly why he didn’t tell me.
“Thank you for telling me now.” Relief washes over him. “Do you… know what happened after?”
Malakai shakes his head, regret lingering in his features. “He kept your presence cloaked. It was only when you—” His gaze drops to my wrists, where his thumb traces over the skin. “It somehow broke through his magic, allowing me to find you.”
A moment of silence passes between us before I speak again, softly. “Thank you for saving me back then.”
“Always.” Malakai places a soft kiss on my forehead. “We’ll talk more later?” he mumbles against my skin.
I nod against his lips, and he steps away, pulling out his dagger.
He gives me a knowing look, and I snicker, the last of my anger dissipating.
Malakai produces a bowl from who knows where and holds it under my wrist while he cuts it.
The symbolism isn’t lost on me. I clutch his arm as stars dance in the corners of my eyes from the sheer amount of blood he needs to draw for this to hopefully work.
Once he has enough blood in the bowl, Malakai heals the cut.
It takes another minute for my healing magic to sort itself out, and I regain my footing.
There’s a light quiver in my stomach—either from blood loss protesting my healing magic or a feeling of foreboding.
I lick my lips, ignore it, and straighten my spine to get to work.
Sharing the page with the circle sketch, Malakai and I start drawing.
It proves to be a good distraction, keeping me from overthinking.
I’m nervous about confronting Nagamaru, mostly because I have no idea how this will play out.
There’s so much hanging in the balance, and I don’t want to consider what we’ll do if this doesn’t work out.
Most of all, I’m sick and tired of constantly looking over my shoulder.
“Do you have Nahesa’s blood?” I ask once we finish the circle. Malakai takes the vial from his pocket and hands it to me. “Then all we need is your blood. Mix it with Nahesa’s and add these last symbols to the side.”
He bleeds into the bowl, and I add Nahesa’s blood. Malakai takes the mixture from me and adds the last symbols to the circle. As soon as he finishes, the entire circle lights up. He quickly disposes of the bowl and returns to my side.
My body feels both hot and cold, unable to decide, as my magic tingles through my limbs.
I shift on my feet and clench my hands, unable to rid myself of my nerves.
Malakai skillfully pries my hands apart and laces his fingers with mine, his thumb gently stroking the back of my hand, his touch grounding me.
Standing side by side, we watch as the circle stirs and the spell activates.
A thick white fog gathers in the center, a magical storm brewing inside, lightning zapping around.
I shuffle back, bumping against Malakai’s chest. He hooks his free arm around my waist and gives me a reassuring wink.
The smile I return is less confident than I’d like.
The fog expands, straining against the outer edges of the circle, amassing but unable to break through.
More magic gathers in the center, heightening my nervousness.
One moment, the fog is sucked away into the magical heart with a loud whoosh.
When the last of it clears, a figure emerges in its place.
A red-haired woman.
Her mint-green eyes burn with fury as she approaches us. She bangs her fists against the sides of the circle, but they bounce off the magic that keeps her trapped inside. She snarls, her eyes spitting fire.