“You think of her.”

  She couldn’t fault him. Molly remembered her sister, and since Malek’s reappearance, she thought of Pearl quite often. Brushing her fingers through her hair, she stepped farther away from him. “It’s nothing.”

  “It’s not nothing.”

  “Is Malek awake?”

  He grunted an affirmation.

  “I think I’ll speak with him.” She went to move away, but Amachon put a hand on her arm to stop her. She stared down at it before turning her chin up at him to stare into those golden eyes.

  “It’s okay to miss her.”

  “I do.” She gave him a wan smile. “I do miss her.”

  “Tell Faye. She’ll understand.”

  Molly gave him a disbelieving look before she walked away and into the medical area. Malek was sitting up on the bed, staring at her over a book as she came in. She curled her lips up to try and seem as if she was in control. It was the first time she felt completely out of control since the curse. As soon as she stood next to Malek, he reached for her hand and took her fingers in his.

  “You seem to be fairing better than me.”

  “Faye helped a little.”

  “Oh.” His lips pressed together.

  “I assume she hasn’t been back down here.”

  He shook his head.

  “I told her to come.”

  Malek sighed. “As much as I appreciate the sentiment, Molly, I don’t like the idea of Faye doing that.”

  “And why is that?” She regarded him carefully. “That’s the purpose of the bond.”

  “I understand.” He set the book on the edge of the bed. “But I don’t like the idea of sex solely for the purpose of the bond. I never have.”

  “I don’t think it would be just for that.” Molly didn’t dare look him in the eye. Faye’s relationship with him, nor hers for that matter, was solely about gaining more power. “She likes you, Malek.”

  He narrowed his eye. “She likes what I can give her, which is information you withhold.”

  Molly tsked. “Perhaps, but I think it’s more than that. I’ve known her for years, and Faye doesn’t act like this with everyone.”

  “It’s nothing more than the bond.”

  “It is more than that.” Molly slipped onto the edge of the bed and took his hand in hers. “There is a connection between the two of you.”

  “There is still a connection between us.”

  Molly tensed. She wasn’t quite sure what to say. She still needed to give off the air she was interested in him that she was thinking about his offer to return to the fold, but it was getting harder to keep up that facade, especially when Faye was so much better at it than she was. Then she realized she didn’t have to lie. Nearly three hundred years of history meant they would always have a connection of some sort, and there was no use denying it.

  Bending down, she kissed his lips tenderly. “You’re right. There is.”

  He pulled her in for a deep, slow kiss. Everything in Molly’s body calmed as his tongue danced with hers. Malek carded fingers through her hair and held her tight to him. She pressed into him even more, her chest brushing against his. When she finally pulled back, she sighed. “I’ll see if Faye will come visit you.”

  “Don’t. She can do whatever she wants. It’s you who I want.”

  Parting her lips in surprise, Molly shook her head. She wanted to tell him he wouldn’t get her without Faye, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, she brushed her thumb across his lips. “Then perhaps we can all join together later.”

  “I would like that. I wanted to talk to you about something.”

  “Oh?”

  “I’ve been thinking about how we healed Faye, and perhaps the cure for this drug isn’t medical but magical.”

  “I had the same thought, somewhere between the hours of sleep and rest. I even started working on it.”

  Malek’s face lit up a blush creeping into his cheeks. “I should have known you would have thought of it already.”

  “I will need your help to test the theory.”

  “I don’t know how much help I’ll be in that matter.”

  “Yes, your magic.”

  He nodded. Molly didn’t press, unsure how to ask the question. There was no logical reason other than the fold restricting Malek’s magic as to why he didn’t have access to everything. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know what he had done to deserve that punishment.

  “It’s because of you,” he whispered.

  “Because of me?” Molly’s brow drew together in confusion.

  “It was the risk I took in convincing the others to help.” He cupped her cheek, drawing her attention back to him. “It was a risk worth it.”

  “I’m not going back.”

  “I know,” he whispered. “I never thought you would, but I needed to try.”

  “Then why are you here, Malek? It’s not because you want me back, particularly if you understand why I won’t go back.”

  “Because of Pearl.”

  Molly couldn’t get away from her sister no matter how much she tried. “It’s not only because of Pearl.”

  “I know, but she was the deciding factor in that moment.”

  “How would you feel to be told your blood wasn’t pure enough to be part of the fold or to be looked down upon because of your heritage?”

  “She was your half sister, Molly. Nothing more.”

  “My older sister. She was my older sister, regardless of who her mother was, she was a witch and a very talented witch at that.”

  “Yes, she was very skilled. I suppose you taught her.”

  Molly chuckled. “No, our father did.”

  Reaching up, she took his hand from her face and held it between her fingers. Perhaps Malek would be the perfect person to talk to about Pearl. He’d at least known her unlike anyone else in the house. Amachon had met her briefly, but it was only days into their acquaintanceship when Pearl was killed.

  “I taught her some,” she admitted.

  “I know you did. I allowed it, remember? I also pushed the boundaries of the fold then as well.”

  “I’m aware.” Molly blinked slowly. “She was very powerful.”

  “I was sorry to hear of her passing.”

  “How did you?”

  “How did I what?”

  “How did you hear of it? Neither of us was connected to the fold at that point. We were here, nowhere near you or the others. Our parents were all dead. How did you hear she’d died?”

  Malek’s jaw tightened. “This is not the first time I’ve come looking for you.”

  “Oh?”

  “When you moved here.”

  “Pearl was alive then.”

  “Yes. But she was getting older. It was only a matter of time. Her blood wasn’t as pure as ours, and that means she aged far more quickly.”

  “She still had years left,” Molly whispered, ignoring that fact even thirty years after Pearl’s death.

  “She did. Want to tell me how she died?”

  “She was killed while on a mission.” When Malek didn’t press, Molly stared at the ceiling and closed her eyes to prevent the tears from falling again. “We were solving a case, and there was an accident. That’s all.”

  “I think it was more than that.”

  “I couldn’t save her.”

  “Her life was well-lived, Molly. I wish she’d been able to learn with you formally. It would have helped her control her magic well.”

  Molly didn’t answer him. She stayed seated for another minute before standing and brushing her palms down the front of her dress. “I should check in, seeing as how I’ve been under the weather for a few days. Let me know when you’re feeling more able to discuss a magical cure to our little problem.”

  “I will.”

  “And I’ll send Faye down.”

  “Don’t bother. She’ll come here if she wants to.”

  Molly was about to walk out the door when she stopped. “You’ve changed, Malek. And it’s not for the worse.”

  Without another word, she left the medical area. She made her rounds, checking on everything she had missed in the last few days. By the time she was done, her anger was back. She let it settle deep into the pit of her stomach. It was better than grief, so she held onto it as best as she could.

  ###

  Joel found Faye in his office when he walked in, which surprised him. Shutting the door, he sat next to her on the single couch and patted her knee. “Good to see you up and running again.”

  She snorted. “Don’t you ever feel like that conversation gets old?”

  “Every time we have it.” He closed his eyes and leaned his head back. “Are you going to tell me about this drug yet?”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “Because you’re getting high again and you know exactly how this conversation is going to go.”

  Joel focused on Faye’s emotions. For the first time in a while, they were clear instead of conflicted. Every time she’d been high recently, he’d known it. The two overwhelming emotions floating through here were pure pleasure and pure rage, complete opposites that never truly existed together for long except when Faye was high, no matter how little of the drug she took.

  “Did Ben talk to you?”

  Joel opened his eyes at that, turning his head on the couch to face her. “What do you think he said?”

  She narrowed her gaze and shook her head, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “Uh, nope. I’m not falling for that.”

  “No, Ben did not speak to me.”

  “He came to tell to me about shifting and pain.”

  “And you told him it was why you started getting high.”

  “He did talk to you!”

  Joel snorted. “No, but it’s an obvious conclusion for someone who is a trained psychologist. You tend to forget that, don’t you?”

  “How can I forget?” Faye crossed her arms over and pouted. “You’re always reminding everyone.”

  “Am not.”

  “Sure, you’re not.”

  Joel smacked her knee lightly. “What do you need?”

  “I thought I could be of some help to you, actually.”

  “Are you going to tell me where you’ve been getting the drugs?”

  Faye pursed her lips and gave him a sideways glance. Her mood went from teasing to serious, and he could tell she was weighing her options and the outcomes. While he found her lack of filter on emotion annoying at times, he did admire how quickly her mind worked and how well she made decisions.

  “I got them at the sewers that first night.”

  “I thought as much, but that doesn’t tell me who gave them to you.”

  “Aliya.” Faye blushed.

  “The bartender?”

  Shrugging, Faye turned to face him. The lick of embarrassment that had flashed through her body vanished as she focused on confidence. He also admired her ability to do that.

  “She just gave it to you?”

  “Said the first one was free.”

  “Because she thought it’d be the only one. Where did Aliya get it?”

  “Don’t know. I didn’t ask. It was a new drug, and I thought I’d give it a try.”

  “Try you did.” Joel sighed. “And almost ripped Molly in half in the process.”

  “She’s fine.”

  “Because Malek was there.”

  “No, because she’s Molly, and she would have figured something out.”

  “Do you not remember what you did to her?”

  Faye raised an eyebrow in his direction before shaking her head slowly. “I don’t remember anything from when I’m high on this drug. It’s one of the benefits.”

  “You’re the only one who has ever survived taking it, and I’m pretty sure that’s because of your unusual body chemistry and the fact you’re essentially immortal.”

  “I can die.”

  “It’s not easy to kill you.”

  “True.” Faye gave him a cocky grin. “You on the other hand would be very easy to kill.”

  “Yes. So are the majority of my patients.” Joel paused. “You said the first time. Where else have you gotten the drugs?”

  “Here and there. No one ever seems to deal it out more than once. Aliya did, though, but I only got it from her twice.”

  “Twice?”

  “The second time we took some together while we…uh…while I fucked her against a wall.”

  “At the club.”

  “On the dance floor.”

  “Shit, Faye.” Joel covered his eyes. “I did not need that image in my head. Does Molly know?”

  “Yeah. She’s the one who found me sobering up, and she’s the one who took care of the mess.”

  “The mess?”

  “Everyone was dead.” Faye paled. “I was in the back storage room. Molly cleaned up, and we left.”

  “Jesus.”

  “She didn’t tell you?”

  “Not a word.” Joel scratched at the stubble of hair on his chin. “Does she know you and Aliya…?”

  “I don’t know. Doesn’t really matter.” Faye’s defenses skyrocketed, and she built another wall Joel would have to tear down.

  “It doesn’t… You’re committed to Molly.”

  “Absolutely not. I am committed to no one, and Molly is very aware of that just as she is not committed to me in any way.”

  “I’m confused.”

  “Then be confused. It’s none of your business.” Faye pouted. “I did ask my troll friend if he knew where I could get more.”

  Joel’s ears perked up at that. It would add in to what he’d already discovered about the drug itself. “Did he know where?”

  “He told me I should stay away from it.”

  “Oh really?”

  “Yeah, obviously I didn’t listen to him.”

  “Clearly.” Joel clenched his jaw, eyeing her carefully. “And why not?”

  “I like how it makes me feel.”

  “And forget.”

  “That too.” Faye winked at him. “I’ve got to run.”

  “Run where?”

  “I think Malek needs a hand.” Faye made an obscene gesture, which forced Joel to flush. She laughed at his reaction before waltzing out the door to his office.

  Shaking his head at her, Joel moved to his desk. He had a bit more research to do before he brought his new discovery to Molly.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Molly left the house under the dark of the night when no one was around. Faye was still awake, but the rest were in their own rooms, sleeping and resting as they should be. She pulled out of the driveway in her Tesla.

  A light rain fell from the sky, no doubt from the change in her mood. Molly had to focus on the anger before she went on this particular mission, before she took the step to confront him. It had been two days since she and Joel had their argument, and they had barely spoken since. They’d neatly avoided one another.

  Every muscle in her body was laden with tension as she drove away from the house. No one knew where she was going, and that was probably a good thing. After speaking again with Faye about her drug usage and getting nowhere, Molly knew she had to find answers sooner rather than later. They couldn’t wait until the entire Tainted race was killed before they were able to figure out who was making the drug and distributing it.

  Overwhelmed by the number of problems compounding on top of each other, Molly took a risk she normally wouldn’t, at least not without backup and someone knowing where she was going, but the sensitivity of the topic prevented her from asking for any help.

  The drive was quick. Molly parked a block away, knowing he wouldn't know she was there. She sat in the driver's seat of her car, running through conversation after conversation in her mind. She had to find a way to break the ice. She’d only gone to visit him a few times over the years and every time had to do with Faye and her drug problem. She knew the two of them were close, that Faye got information from him in exchange for something, she wasn’t sure. Joel had mentioned Faye brought him drugs to ease his pain, but that couldn't be all he got out of it.

  Molly could exchange the lessening of his sentence for information, perhaps ease the pain levels. Though, she’d prefer not to. She would never release him. She hadn't lied to Joel when she said his punishment was justified. She truly believed it and that there was no reason to let him loose on their city again. His kind of Tainted needed to be controlled, and if she could have imprisoned every troll out there, she would have.

  Getting out of the vehicle, Molly stepped slowly toward the bridge. Her heels clicked against the asphalt as she moved. The rain caught in her hair and covered the jacket she’d thrown on before sneaking away from the house. She made it to the bridge, but still had not a clue how she was going to start the conversation or even convince him to halfway wake up and speak with her. She doubted he wanted to see her as much as she wanted to be there.

  Standing at the base of the troll’s prison, Molly stared up at him. He was aging even in his prison that was meant to keep him alive forever. The lines around his eyes and mouth had elongated. His skin pulled away from his bones even more. He looked skinnier. She may have to modify the prison so he wouldn’t escape if he was able to get loose.

  He didn't move. Molly knew he was aware of her presence. He should be able to feel everyone walking in the vicinity, know who they were. Part of that was his abilities as a troll. The race was made to keep guard, so their skills in observation were strong. She'd put him there after all, and she had no doubt that he had memorized how she felt in the air.

  Snapping her magic to attention, Molly jerked her hand in his direction. A bolt of electricity moved from the underground wire in the base of the bridge into him. He didn't move. Molly’s lips quirked as she did it repeatedly. Waking him up this way was far more pleasant than she had anticipated. Pouring her anger from the last few days into gaining his attention, Molly flicked him with electricity until she grew bored with that.

  She moved in with heat. That had worked the last time she’d had to do this, if she remembered correctly. Making sure no one was in the area, Molly closed her eyes and drew her magic into her chest. Calling on the elements, she walked herself through fire. Then she sent it out to him. Starting at his toes that were cemented under the ground, she moved the heat into him. She increased it.