I leaned forward, picking at my fingernails, my nerves fraying every second. “So… did Balthazar put you in prison and hand you over to a Timehunter for torture?”
Malik turned his gaze on me. His eyes were hollow, void of any feeling.
“Yes.”
The word landed like a stone in my chest.
My mind whirred, sluggishly piecing together everything Malik had just told me and what I was about to do.
“So, you want me to attend this masquerade ball, put on a mask, pretend I’m not horrified, try not to get seduced, and waltz around as if everything is fine?”
Malik let out an unexpected laugh.
It was the first laugh I’d heard from him since we left Zampa’s house.
And though it was hardly comforting—and it barely even reached his eyes—somehow, in the suffocating darkness of this conversation, it felt like the closest thing to solace.
“Don’t worry,” Malik said, his grin stretching slightly too wide. “Timehunters can’t easily determine who’s a Timeborne. Your dagger is always hidden, unlike the Timebounds, who wear their marks like a beacon.”
He reached between us, tapping my collarbone with two fingers.
“Your job tonight is simple—find the Sun Dagger and leave Costa’s ball like a shadow—unknown and unseen.”
I let out a breath, then rolled my eyes. “Piece of cake.”
Malik’s brow furrowed. “Piece of what? Are you hungry?”
I almost laughed at the absurdity. “It’s an expression from my time. It means something will be easy, which we both know it won’t be.”
Malik gave a short nod. “Ah. Sarcasm.”
“Yes,” I said flatly.
He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “Well, sarcastic or not, the ball is at Costa’s estate. The dagger should be in his study. We have two hours—no more. We don’t want to be there when he begins his... exhibit.”
His tone darkened at the last word.
A wave of unease crawled over me. I shot a hand, pressing it against his arm before he could rise. “I’m a little frightened. It sounds dangerous.”
Malik exhaled, his gaze flickering with something softer, something close to understanding—but it was gone instantly.
“It is dangerous, especially for me, love. If Costa realizes I’m there, he’ll kill everyone with a special concoction of belladonna.”
A gasp left my lips. “Oh my God, Malik! Don’t you think I deserved to know this sooner instead of minutes before we walk into a damn death trap?”
Malik stood at his full height, towering over me. “If I had told you everything earlier, you would have obsessed, overthought it, and made yourself as sick as Emily.” He shook his head, lips pressing into a grim line. “You think if you kill Balthazar, all your problems will disappear. That you and Roman can ride off into some fairy-tale ending.”
His voice dropped, colder than before.
“Nothing could be further from the truth.”
A chilling pause.
“Even if Balthazar dies, the Timehunters will remain. And they are far deadlier than anything you’ve faced.”
Then, without another word, Malik turned and strode away, leaving me unsettled, unnerved, and more uncertain than ever before.
I bolted upright and lunged for his arm. “You don’t get to drop this kind of news at my feet and then walk away.”
