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He doesn’t say anything for a minute. Merely studies me with that creepy look in his eyes. “I want what should have been mine,” he says, far too casually. “And you’re the key.”

I open my mouth to scream, but a sharp prick in my neck silences it. My body goes weak and Orvak’s features grow blurry. I try to talk, but my mouth isn’t working. I sag against him, my legs unable to bear my weight. My eyes get heavy and the last thing I see before the dark swallows me is his smarmy smirk.

My head is pounding, and my mouth is dry as fuck. How much plyka did the girls and I drink last night? It’s been a minute since we celebrated something. Probably because we haven’t had anything to celebrate. Not with Alik still in the healing facility and unresponsive.

A memory tickles my brain. Hadn’t I been on my way to see him? I remember walking through the market square and admiring the wares. I have a vague recollection of a bracelet I was considering buying for Quinn, but after that everything is fuzzy.

I concentrate and try to recall what happened after that. Wait. I passed a group of Jintiri priests, their freaky, purple eyes glowing within the confines of the hooded cloaks they wear. One of them knocked into me, and I ran into a large male body.

My eyes fly open with a gasp. “Orvak!”

“You’re awake.”

I scan the bare room until I see him half reclined in a wingback chair. Only then do I realize my hands and legs are bound to the chair that holds me. I fight against my restraints, but the more I move, the tighter they get. The pain’s enough to make me hiss and stop moving. I glare at the Bohnari.

“What do you want with me?”

He clicks his tongue and sends me a pitying look like I’m stupid or something. “I told you. I want what’s supposed to be mine, and you’re going to help me get it.”

I want to laugh in his face, but I bite my tongue. “How am I supposed to do that?”

“To start with, you’re going to be the catalyst that triggers Alik’s madness to return and in doing so, he will kill Janik.”

Now I can’t resist. A loud cackle escapes before I can call it back. In fact, now that I let it out, I can’t stop. I laugh until tears fall down my face, and with my hands tied I can’t even wipe them away.

“Silence!” Orvak screeches and leaps across the space between us to backhand me.

My head snaps to the side, and I taste blood. “ Motherfucker.”

“You will keep your mouth shut, human.”

I glare at him with pure hatred. “Go fuck yourself.”

Orvak hits me again. This time I’m prepared for it, but it still hurts like a bitch. More blood fills my mouth, and I spit it onto the floor.

“Man, I can’t wait until Alik finds you. You’re going to wish you’d never touched me. He’s going to kick your ass right before he straight up murders you.” I lick at my split lip.

The older Bohnari is the one who laughs this time. “He will be dead before he ever has a chance. Once the mating fever madness hits him and Janik dies by his hands, the commander will have no choice but to put Alik down as he should have several moon cycles ago.”

I snap. “It’ll never happen.”

“Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong. I’ll make sure it does.”

The manic gleam in Orvak’s eyes makes me wonder if he’s somehow under the influence of the madness. A piece of the puzzle is still missing. “What about Mohneek?”

His grin is sadistic. “She is no longer of concern to anyone.”

Dread pools in my stomach. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, she’s dead.”

Oh, fuck. “What? How?”

“She outlived her purpose and was of no further use to me,” Orvak says with far too much nonchalance.

What the hell does that mean? “And what was her purpose? Besides trying to get Janik on the throne?”

“Mohneek’s purpose was to birth a kit and stop Danik from discovering Veroneek was his heart’s fire, but she couldn’t even do that right,” he sneers.