Night of Masks and Knives (The Broken Kingdoms, #4)

by L.J. Andrews

Raum kept his end of our bargain and spoke true—Skítkast brӓn was life changing because it was disgusting. Like drinking mold.

Contracts sealed with Alver blood are nigh unbreakable, but when two Alvers take vows with each other, their mesmer unites. Not a small decision, and unless both agree to leave the vow, it’s lifelong.”

″When two Alvers vow, they strengthen their Talents by getting a piece of the other. But even more, if I were injured, Junie would know.

Call me a romantic, but I think love is what strengthens the bond.”

each Kind of Alver can speak to different parts of the body?” Niklas nodded, delighted.

I can create generic potions, don’t mistake me, but with a sample of blood, I could create a poison that could connect to a weakness in one body, but would have little impact on someone else.

Anomalies feed from emotions instead of physical charges in the body. When we feel things, bursts of chemicals rush through our systems. Happiness, fear, hope, nostalgia even. Anomalies find their power in those moments.”

″Because they’re oracles,” Eero blurted out. “They’re the Kind who once ruled this bleeding kingdom.”

Rumors say the royal family could read the past, the present, and the future through memory.”

″The Norns. Fate itself. The myths say the Norns bestowed one family with a gift, a trinket that would let them see bits and pieces of fate’s sight.” ″The queen’s ring,” Eero said.

“But you’re saying those who could read memories could also read what was to come because of a gift from fate?”

“Thousands of turns ago there were two princes. One brother was blessed with many daughters, the other with many sons. The sagas say the Norns blessed the children of these two princes with unique magic. The sons could change memories and were given the charge to use the gift for good. Take away pain, perhaps lessen the blow of trauma.”

“The daughters were given the gift of controlling complete memories. But also, the gift of seeing forward and backward, as I mentioned before.”

In the sagas, the daughters performed their gifts through the minds of others. They . . . they could take or give memories when needed.” Raum blew out a whistle. “Lovey, sounds a great deal like you.”

Fiske nodded. “In my strongest moments I can sense who will be involved, but I never get specific details. Enough to help us decide to take the risk or not.”

″These daughters, according to the legend, could see actual events,” Niklas said, facing me. “However small, such a thing would be coveted mesmer. To ancient folk, the clear rulers were the daughters who could give and take from memories. Their cousins were second in command. It is a tale as old as time. Greed and jealousy came between the two princes and their families were divided. ″In the end, the prince with the daughters won the throne, and the second prince was disgraced. But the daughters had mercy and kept their cousins in power. The oldest daughter was chosen as queen, and the oldest cousin as regent.”

″I assure you I am no hidden descendant of queens.” I rolled my eyes and scoffed. “My mother was a poor fisherman’s widow who found a bit of luck and caught the eye of a nobleman. She took vows to give her daughter a home. There was nothing royal about us.”

The same as Kase manipulates fear to create chaos, a Benevolent might manipulate joy and desire to maintain control. Folk are desperate to avoid their fears and keep whatever they hope for alive.

A wickedness lived in Kase’s golden eyes. One that spun a web of heated delight low in my stomach. “Twice now you’ve asked me to turn away. There won’t be a third.”

“Next time you could warn me.” ″Maybe I enjoy making you gasp.”

″Your mouth on a man is not the way I wanted this night to go.”

I hadn’t lied—I did enjoy making her gasp. “Do you take pleasure in commanding me?”

The illusion of the Nightrender was fading. The boy he was did not need to return. I could admit it now; I’d rather take Kase Eriksson, the man. Shadows and scars and all.

As if he were begging me to stop him, to keep him from crossing the line between us. I would do no such thing. He’d stolen my heart when we were young, and I’d never asked for it back.

Ansel had warned me the Nightrender would own my soul. Oh, how little my friend understood. I owned nothing, for everything I had to give had always belonged to the Nightrender.

It was not a kind heart, not giving, not warm. But it was hers.

Some might call hiding in one’s room cowardly, I preferred the word wise.

She snorted. “I know enough about you, Kase Eriksson, to know you build walls with anger, indifference, and shadows.”

″I became a monster to survive,” I told her. “You want me as some stupid boy from your past, and the worst part is, for you, I wish I could be. I told you I hate everything about my past except you, and it’s true. At nights, when I was finally left alone for a few moments of peace, I thought of you. Thought of how it always was together. Thoughts of you kept me alive many times, Mallie.” A sob came from her throat.

“The Nightrender on his knees, I never knew such a thing of beauty existed.”

“I only bow to you.”

Malin Strom was my beautiful downfall. And I would take any pain if it meant more of her. Ruin me. Brutalize me. Just give me her.

I would burn the world to the ground to keep her breathing and in my arms.

“Be a brute as you please, be wicked if you like, but be Kase in these moments with me.”

One serf choked out a sob when Raum’s head appeared in the window. He hung upside down from the rooftop. ″Beautifully ominous, lovey.” He swung off and ripped open the door. “Well, you heard her. Get your pampered asses out.”

The kiss had meaning and spoke words I could not—I loved her. I had always loved her. Malin’s eyes glistened knowingly when she pulled back.

“I will always be close. Even if you do not see me.”

She gave me a trembling smile. “We leave here together this time.”

He kissed her knuckles, the same as I had not long ago. Maybe we needed to pivot and cut him down where he stood. Start a bleeding war in the courtyard of the masque. Should she ask it of me, I would take to battle for her, without question.

“Kase Eriksson is that my bleeding son?” ″Yes.”

“You are the heir of the Eastern Kingdom. Malin, your mother was the last heir and murdered for it. She was not my wife.”

“She’d lived her life in hiding but was discovered. Still, she managed to find me, knowing the fates had called me to protect the royal lines with their gifts. I made a vow to protect you from the curse that comes from the greed for that ring.”

“You were to be no one. A little mouse no one looked twice at. Perhaps, I did not do this right, but everything was to keep you hidden and alive.

“I am a Profetik with spoken word, but my Talent resides in the truths and lies we speak. I can force folk not to speak the truth. Should they try, only lies will spill out.

The girl who first saw me cry, who stayed up with me if nightmares burdened my dreams. She was the first girl to tell me I was brave and strong. Malin was the first, she was the only one, to hold my heart and soul in her hands. I would always choose her life over mine.

it would be worth it if she lived another day. I could die for all I cared. I’d loved her, and had loved her well. For me, it was enough.

My heart wanted to soar at the sight of it, but I wasn’t certain there was anything left of my heart remaining.

I’d only gotten him back, and I would not lose him again. I would never stop.

There are no lengths I would not go to get Kase Eriksson. He would do the same. He would not stop. Nor will we.”

Malin took breath or bone to steal a memory. Ivar used blood to alter thought. The same as legends of old, one line would use thoughts to see, and the second would change the mind to believe something else entirely.